New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1890-11-30
NORWTCH'S ESD THANKSGIVING.

NORWICH'S ESD THANKSGIVING.
FULL HONOR TO THE ANCIENT CUsToM-TURKEY
FOR THE POOR AS WELL.
| Norwich, Conn. Nov. 20 (speciaD.- Thanksgiving
was celebrated in Norwich with the homey and compre-
cnslve hospitality peculiar TO the festival in this town.
In the past 23 years the people OF this ancient town
lave found out Just how the day ought TO be ceie-
| brated. The first Thanksgiving In Norwich was IN
1i69, when few families in block houses near historic
old Bean Hill sat down to tables laden with game
from the forests and sentines with rifles kept guard
that Indians might not interrupt the feast Several
Of the old houses are standing to-day, though so
| many additions have been made to them and they
| have been greatly improved the original owners
of them would not recognize them In some Instances
they have never been decided out OF the opssisson
of the descendants of the first families. The original
brass latches and knockers are still on the 'front.'
doors. The Reynolds Bliss and Huntington families
reside In houses portions OF which were erected by
their ancestors in 1852 On the front OF the hand
some Reynolds house. on the way 10 Norwich Town. Is
carved wood tablet that bears the legend: " But
In 1859" Norwich ought to know what to do on
Thanksgiving Day.
II any family in this town went without a turkey
or goose, and the "fxln's," on Thursday, 1t was
that famy's own fault The inhabitants OF Nor
festival IL they believed that family was with
out turkey account Of its poverty. Especial
pains used by benevolent Norwich people in
order that every poor person in the place shall be
provided with feast. On Wednesday Mrs. Swan, the
city missionary, and the ladies known as the United
Workers, prepared in their rooms Thanksgiving
dinners for 1913 deserving local families and sent the
dinners to them by team The public school children
contributed seventy-tive barrels Of vegetables aud
ether provisions for the poor. Half dozen express
wagons were kept rafting back and forth all day
between the OF the United Workers and the
homes OF the poor bearing the dinners. At the
amshouse and Jail the inmates Of those institutions
sat down TO a royal repast BY order OF First
selectman Lillibridge, Keeper Bailey served mann
moth turkeys the sixty three people in the amshouse
and the turkeys fat Juicy, native BIRDS cheap,
scrawny, Western Many prosperous mechanics
in town didn't have fine dinner the served
to the towns poor for the latter persons wound up
their repast with luscious pies, puddngs and fruit
Jaer Champlin treated his public family Of thrtys
persons to roast spare rib and other appetizng things
that were as good anybody else could select in the
local market Everybody I'm Norwich had a grand
feast After nightfa the Juvenile barrelburners Of
the town burned fifteen or twenty tall barrel stacks OH
the lofty hills in the suburbs. The evening was q
splendid one for the sport, clear and frosty. though
the yellow that came mp early 10 SEQ
the fun, and smiled In a Jolly way, had too
with its rival glory. More than 1000 barrels strung
on sixty foot long pole set up on the crest OK the
HILL were burned In the presence OF thousands oi
youngsters and old folks also
The price OF native turkeys high In all parts OF
Connecticut II ranged from % to % cents pound
at retail sales The native bird was scarce, though
North Stoningon, In this county, the banner turkey
town of the world, sent nearly many turkeys to
market as 1t usually does. Judge billiard, VINO
also Is a merchant and postmaster in that town,
raised big flock Of fine birds, and in accordance with
his practice bought all the focks In his neghborhood
and went TO market with them at Westerly, X. L.,
near his home. The Judge alone carried into
Westerly 14,27s pounds OF turkey Other North
westerly were Horace vose, 5000 pounds William
Judge ITilard says his Thanksgiving poultry was the
finest lot he has ever handled. The poultry was
sent from Westerly to Providence and Boston
Professor James g. Lathrop, teacher OF athletics
in Harvard University, Is windham County, Conn
has to take run down to his old home among the
wndham hills S bag few 1i:. an few DAYS LAZY asS
some Out s sT nS vet hunters VIII
other night and the party hunted up and down hiI;
and through woods and swamps until the Moon went r
night and the largest weighed twenty five pounds
Connecticut pastures yield thirty pound Pro
fessor Latrop Is known in all parts Of Eastern Con
soninaw of the Hon Charles Larrabce. Mr. LathIop
is a mighty woodcuck hunter, too. He spends MS
summer vacation in his country homo and knocks over
ground hogs with a rife Of 90 calbre Armed with
his rifle and book he s1os ont into the lots gets
under the shade of q tree ledge In the neighbor
hood OF woodchuck in the clover fields or pas
lures and lies down until the woodchucls begin 10 pop
their heads out OF their burrows. Then at long range
he knocks them over. and the weapon makes very
small report he often bags three or four OF them DE-
fore tho rest of the game suspect an enemy Is near
them. ono Mr. LathIop had grass .,s ,gTesn
suit made for him, and with that on walked right up
To the ground hogs in the moving fields, which evil
IDENTIFY supposed he small portion Of travelling
wood. He has obtained great reputation among tie
Windham County farmers for his proficiency at wool
chuck hunting. l.. At, s.. .,,-
Snakes tarry abroad unusually late In TINS state TINS
fall. Recently a small snake was Killed oy Conec
TONER NOyes y. Lamb in front Of his SHOP IN Ma-s,
i'm this city II cooy gliding down the sidewalk
when Mr. Lamb saw 1t. and crowd gathered abont
the viper after it had been slain II was IN te mesp'
of this CITY, At CandlewoOd Hill. south OF Norwlcn
Mrs. Walter Phillips killed q blacksnakc thls Weeh
that measured eight feet and four Inches IL was te
largest serpent OF the year. with the exception Of one
slain in the spring at Plainfeld