Morning journal and courier., 1888-11-16
Fire In Preafon.
NORWICH WIDE AWAKE.

Hts Little BOom Is Being Worked for by
 It's Enterprtstng Board ofTrade.
 Norwich, Conn.,, is one of the oldest New England cities, but that it still retains good measure of youthful enterprise is evidenced by the handsome monograph, issued by the local board of trade, advertising the city's importance in a business and manufacturing way and it's attractions as place of residence. Norwich has long been manufacturing cen- ter. Here are the famous Ponemah cotton mills, said to be the ssseoond largest in the United States, and cotton is the eity's lsad- ing manufacture, $2,700,00O capital being engaged therein. The woolen interest comes next in importance, while small arms are manufactured to a considerable extent. AL together, there are 5,344 persons engaged in the factories of the place, to whom is annual ly paid in wages $2, no, 800. The book, which is compiled by Henry Rugglss, with whose sprightly correspondence readers of the Republican are somewhat familiar, is prefusely illustrated with photo-engravings of Norwich factories, public buildings and the finer residence streets. There is brief survey of old time history included, and 1t is here that MT. Ruggles finds an outlet for his happy knack ss descriptive writer. This bit about travelling to New York in the days before steamboats is both amusing and inter esting:
 "Previous to the year 1917 Norwich travel CTS could only pass to or from New York by sail vessels or packets, which were advertised to make their weekly or monthly trips. The time occupied in making the passage varied according to the weather and the direction from which the wind was blowing-some- times only a week and often two and three would be used while becslmed or on enooun- Aa,f af3x viT71u Tha eE with an additional g for 'living," but whether the "living" was regulated by an increase with the continuency of two or three weeks trip the writer knows not. There was great rivalry and opposition be- tween the owners and captains of the packets plying between the two cities: and many comical stories are told of the Carts and wilss' that were resorted to by them to ob- tain passengers and freight. The Norwich man in New York, with gripsack in hand, eager to obtain passage to his "native heath" to rejoin his long anxious family, was often met by @ crowd of importuniDg sailors be- longing to the different rival packets and often by the captain themselves, all olamor- ing for his patronage and eager for his mon- ey. At such times opposition ran high, and if the Norwich man was keen and shrewd, as he generally was, the cost of his trip home was but very small item of his expenses while absent. It is related that town of Franklin, finding himself thus situated one afternoon in New York, about seventy years ago, commenced to re- ceive bids from two rival packet masters to transport him to Norwich. Dollar by dollar they lowered their prices until one ot them agreed to bring him free with no charge for Giving" but our economical and ancient neighbor finally accepted the offer of Captain Tyler of the opposition packet, who not only agreed to bring him free, but to furnish him with free "grub" and free grog on the pas sage and pay him 50 cents when the vessel reached Norwich, promise that was relig iously fulfilled on the application of the farmer for the money ere he stepped foot on shore,