The Press., 1886-05-27
(Hartford Post.) ABOUT HARLAN PAGE.

! O. M. Loomis, grocery merchant of this city, is familiar with Hartford as far back as 1880, and has seen, in their beginning, almost all the Improvements that have been made since. He waA9 however. in New York for nearly two years and ip Bos. ton afterward, where he used to take or ders from the family of the famous orator, Harrison Gray Otis, son of the revolution ary leader, James Otis, intimate friend Of John Adams and co-worker with the same. He is second cousin of D. L. Davenport, the actor, now d,ceased, and own cousin of Harlan Page, the noted christian work CT. His memories of Page are not nuIAer- ous, but they confirm all that has hitherto been said or written concerning his stintly character
 ''Harlan Page" said Mir. Loomis, twas born in Coventry, this state, about the be- ginning of the century. His father was a cabinet maker, and he learned the trade. While working at it he became interested in wood engraving aud taught himself the art He then secured lsition ill the American Tract Society in New York to make the cuts for their tracts, which in those days were embellishe1 with at least one picture on the outside. Some of them were finely executed too and carefully worked. He gave great satisfaction in this work, but developed so strong 8 love for evangelical labors pure and simple, that he was transferred to that field. He wrote many personal letters to young men, re- straining them from evil practices and making good citizens of them. I went to work for the Americl m Tract, Society, too, as boy of 16 or IT years of age, and naturally boarded in the family of Mir. Y foI he on trial and remained fifteen months alto gether MT. Page organized an evangelical work in New York city which embraced personal visitation of every family. In this the visitor met with many rebufs. remember one night MT. Page came home and told us how one man absolutely re- fused to admit him. He reasoned with the obstinate fellow, and not only finally secured admittance but made the custom ary prayer before departing. His was a nature that resented no affronts, but quiet ly undertook the return of good for evil. He was a dyspeptic but never an invalid, and had great capacity for work.
 ''In the Tract Society at that time was William A. Hallock, brother, I think, oi Gerard Hallock, so many years editor Ot The Journal of Commerce. He had a lik- ing for The New York Observer and one other paper, and it was part of my duties to file these for him. One of the clerks in the office years ago, Oliver Kingsbury, also of Coventry, is living now. Page died middle-aged. He left two sons and g daughter. The sons are dead, but think the daughter is still living ill Madison Wis. There was expectation that the old est son would make bright record in the world, but he didn't seem to fill out.
 | r %/ 4r~ on the duties Of my clerkship sailed from here on the steamer Oliver Ellsworth There were no railroads then-nothing but steamboats, packets, stage coaches, and in parts of the country, canal boats. wal shown about the city by one of MT. Page's sons. During the cholera scourge in 183s 1 remained in the city and was not attack ed. The cholera was brought to New Yorl from Canada, and over 200 died daily a times. People were attacked in the streetl and died of collapse. It was terrible sight.
 "When I was there Phelps, Dodge { Go. put up their five story building a Cliff and Williams streets. Six stories wa as high as people built in those days. In to the lofts of this quantity of tin ant other metals were stored Then the lowe story was filled with cotton. The bale were forced in with jack screws. The re suit was one of the saddest accidents O the times. The walls of the building were forced out and the whole thing fell killing eleven clerks. was at the spot il less than ten minutes after the accident and shall never forgot the dead clerk say in a recumbent position in the ruins. H hand still held the gold pencil with whicl he had been writing"