New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1889-09-05

,oeo M 1918 BY Mrs. fahtoou 1880
( ssnhsnck Vol /. Svo, PIP. xxviii-4%o' ruo
iished by the author
I ar Schenck's history Of Fairfield plus iair W
No almost q history of Connecticut Dy ,ne 0',''
Il, Is completed but the exhaustive ana tnorous"
- srstom which the author has adopted is the
nnlv one by which every fact anu eVeL1 OIL III
~.,.anoe or interest can be preserved, and the
Patience and conscientious research apparenO
sbrourhout this handsome volume suficlentV in-
dictate the wisdom of the choice when leh upon
this lady in making arrangements Tor the proSeo"-
tion of the work. This first part covers 'ne
period from 1889 to 100. and possibly two no,'
volumes will be required to bring the chrohoie
uown to 1sl s-though why the record should emu
there is not altogether self-evldent. Inc hiSVoiY
If Fairfield from its settlement in 1859 is ior
S.r,.,oJ generations that of n struggling hamlet
srpcb veyed and barassed by Indians. against whom
nxneditions arranged jointly with cher neigh
horing towns equally menaced. were continually
being made. The Pequods were at hrst the niosO
formidable foes but a great success over 'helii
brought comparative quiet for some time, thoagh
,,ber tribes were not slow to render trouble wheh
opportunity offered.
Whom the Indians were quiet there arose other
and. in the eyes OF the cOlonlsts. more SERIOUS
difficulties Even so far back the germs Oh uie
quarrel with the King are discernlOle anu Lu""i"
Randolph, by his persistent efforts 10 ore"h Wv"
.be independence of all the colonies that were
hostile to Episcopacy, no doubt un"lVtlnSH "
mented their alliances and stimulated denomiIla-
s;orol yeal already quite fervent enough. Inc
Connecticut Congregatonalists were never SO ifoh-
hound in their excusiveness and narrOwness as
their neichbors in Massachusetts,. and though DIS
COMPARED with modern conditions Of thought thelr
riews are likely to appear cralLped ana ainosV
fanatical it is certain that theg were dlstncuy
liberal for their time. Mrs. SthencK mas hiieu
her pages with multitude of details whch en-
hance the interest of the chronicle by bringing
out all the ancient customs, manners, FASHIONS,
documents and ways Of speech ana wrluhg nioSO
graphically, and the reader who possesses ouV
little imagination may reconstruct from 'iiese
chapters the life of the seventeenth century WIN
oil its colonial pecularities, and reahze WIN
singular fitness the manner of existence of these
now venerable ancestors In the fourth chapuer
social customs, the table, dress. domestic archi-
lecture etc. are treated with most satisfying
Ieompleteness The period is 167O-16sO. thirty
wears after the foundation of Uncouray, OF when
Fairfield was now the shire-town. The picture
.eiven shows that it was already place OF con-
siderable Importance
Mrs. Schenck says: II was large and flourish
fng, and in point of influence second to no other
town in the county. 1t was represented IN the
General Assembly and the Court of Commissioners
by men who had been educated at Harvard
Every spring and fall its inns and private resi-
dences were crowded with the ablest men IN inc
country drawn hither to attend the county courts.
Judges and commissioners from Long Island and
all classes of people from the towns under the
;urisdiction of Connecticut from Milford to West
chester, Rye and Long Island, made their way
here 10 seek redress for wrongs, TO contend Tor
their chartered liberties, or to take the oath OF
allegiance TO the King and be made freemen."
Here is a sketch of the dress of the period which,
helps to fill out the scene: Gentlemen wore
long-waisted tight-ftting coats with skirts which
reached to the knee, sparkling all the way down
the front with genuine gold and silver buttons
Their silk and velvet waiStcOats were embroidered
and trimmed with lace, from which immaculate,
finely worked shirt frils stood out cOnspicuously.
High plated stocks of silk or satin, still with
buckram, and fastened behind with silver, steel
or brass clasps confined the white frill collar
nround the throat. Their breecheS were of velvet,
colored cloth and silk, clasped at the knee over
silk stockings, with silk velvet bows or gold
md silver buckles. They also wore ribbon bows,
and gold and silver buckles their shoes.
Long circular cloaxs, lined with gay colors, were
worn as outside wraps 1t was about this time
that the military cooked hat, with a brim full
six inches in width, was introduced upon which
some wore the long plume of the reign of Charles
J. This hat was first turned up on one side, then
ON two sides, and finally three sides The
latter style gave rise 20 tine name of the three
cornered cooked hat
! We will not attempt TO transcribe Mrs.
Schencks description of the dresses worn by the
ladies' but it must be said that there was then no
more republican simplicity about their costume
than in that of the men. The account of the food
- o1l ill ie ,1eo t.
% hundred years after the time mentioned-that
u.s. until about 1850" hasty- pudding and milk
besn-porrdge soup, favored with salt pork, and
Homemade beer took the place of tea and coffee
uhe homemade beer, too, we suspect was not
often good or palatable for those who made it
were thrifty people, and grudged a suficiency OF
malt and hops-if the latter had then been intro
duced. OF this thrift Mrs. Schenck tells an
smusing anecdote. 1t is of an old stakeholder,
living at Greenfield HILL who used to provide a
good dinner for his chattels on Thanksgiving
Day. but who mean that he saved his
poultry by giving out that the one who ate the
most literally Of pudding should have most turkey
and goose. Not seeing the trap set for them, the
poor things ate much pudding that they had
no appetite left for anything else over which
some Of them cried with veXaton." In those
days. as indeed much later, pudding was always
Dclort ultdts YET LutdJ uOtS nOb appear
TO have been hard TO procure. as such a custom
would suggest. Perhaps we have said enough and
quoted enough to show that Mrs. Schenck's his
tory Of Fairfield. Connecticut is an honestly and
carefully written work, which promises so to
CLEAN the field that little nothing will be left
for any later annalst and which can hardly fail
TO become an Indispensable possession of all who
ere connected with the land of steady habits by
any tie whatever.