Morning journal and courier., 1890-09-03
Received by the selectmen-1soa.o

During the early years Of the town, that
is after its incorporation, the public bust
ness was transacted at the tavern of Jesse
Andrews. This place continued to be
official headquarters for more than fifty
years, OF until what was known as the
sfAcademy'' was erected. Prior to 1885
the town meetings were held in the old
Congregational church on the green, and
the elections, with few exceptions, we're
carried on there also. Occasionally the
freemen went to ''Muddy river" to vote,
and it is said on one occasion cast their
ballots in the old Separate meeting house
at Quinnipiac.
The selectmen and the listers (asses-
sors) comprised the official staff of the
town. Their bills for dinners and liquors"
are frequent, and whenever an auction was
held in which the town was particularly
interested it was expected liquor would be
furnished and paid for by it. Such was
the case in 1905 and other years. The din
ner, liquor and other bills of Mr.. Andrews
for these officials were not excessive, hard
Iy reaching $40 annually. The town treas
urer received 81 as his yearly salary, and
other services rendered were on like
economic scale.
An old paper has been found containing
the record made by the 'tlisters" in 1895.
Blakeslee, - Ward, John Heaton, Isaac
G. Stiles, John Pierpont, John Smith.
Stacy was chairman and Blakeslee clerk
of the board. They met in the old tavern
then kept by Mrs. Mary Andrews, widow
of Timothy. They were law unto them
selves and made their own regulations.
They required that all lists not handed in at
that sitting-Septemb lift the property
valued was under thirty pounds the owner
should be fined one shilling; if over
thirty pounds, then fined two shillings and
if not handed in at all, then one shilling
more extra. They also fined themselves
one shilling if tardy twenty minutes from
the hour of meeting and two shillings if
not present at all unless satisfactory ex-
cuse was made. These fines were held as
revenue for the supply of "Bowls of
Sling" and it is noticed that on one occa-
sion every member of the board was fined
for hardness. They sat till 8 o'clock in
the evening. In all they held seven ses-
sions and finished their work December
%, 1895.
In 1919 appears the first distillery on
the grand list. This was owned by Cal
vim Eaton, and located at Muddy river.
1t was assessed at five hundred dollars.
What liquor was manufactured is not
stated, but the venture was doubtless a
paying one, for after Mr.. Eaton's death
his heirs added another plant, and little
later third. When the temperance wave
struck that town in 1881 (see last paper)
it struck the distilleries also for they sud
denly faded out that year and are heard
from no more.
For at least sixty years after the birth
of the town its heaviest expense was its
pauper list. The roll Of such unfortu-
mates is {. singularly long, one, year after
| year. The taxpayers could not complain that
] exorbitant prices were paid for these poor
| ingly rare where a dollar per week was paid
for their maintenance; generally it was
| seventy to eighty nants---Iss- eoIno cases
the town poor were allowed to "keel
| themselves" For instance Opening a
random in 1924. Polly Bradley ''kep
herself nine months for $780," Eunict
Blakeslee except herself twenty weeks fol
weeks for $780,"
The usage of putting up these paupers
at auction at the annual town meeting.
probably prevailed then, as it certainly die
| thirty years later. Much injustice wa.
done the persons so "bid off," They were
| poorly fed, poorly clothed, and hare
| worked in many instances. The writer
has wildly in remembrance the case of 1
weak minded, middle-aged woman who fol
| alleged ldZlQ6SS WAS once SGTlppou W liz
waist, hung up by her wrists and brutal,
whipped by her ''keeper."
| Among the expenses of the town fit.
years ago were items that seem strange t.
the reader of to-day. The arms and equip
ments of the old military compa
| MES had to be cared for and 81
we read that Jacob Thorpe was ''towl
armorer'' for many years. He was succeeded
by Hervey Stiles, whom 1S47 packed NJ
the old muskets and shipped them off t.
the adjutant general at Hartford and Their
was no more expense from that source.
AS late as 1884, or while the old Congre
gational church stood on the green, tn
town paid ten dollars annually for ringin
it's bell, and in 1888 Billa Thorpe was pai'
thirty-four cents for sweeping the meet
house twice" This latter expense presum
ably followed two public meetings he'll
therein.
SHELDON b. THORPE.