The Press., 1890-11-20
LOCAL TopICs-pENN,D AND selssoRED.


 Putnam Patriot John H. G,rdner, representative-elect,t the second son of Hor- ace and Eliza c. (Annis) Gardner, was born in Manchester, Conn.,, Nov. 25th, 1887. At the age of five years his parents removed to Stafford Springs, where he received g common school education. At the age of 16 he entered general store, where he re- mained two years, then went to Hartford and was engaged in the dry goods business for fourteen years. In January, 1869, he came to Putnam and opened dry goods store. He sold out in January, 1879, and retired from active business. He has held the office of selectman and of assessor, but although he took deep interest in all the town affairs, whose needs he carefully stud ied, he had no desire to hold office, and was not an active politician any further than to aid in putting good men into office, voting for them and upholding them while per- forming their public duties. He was elect. ed president If the Putnam Savings Bank in July, 1880, and has been a director of the First National Bank since 1877.
 A thought brought out in the speak ing at the G. A. R. camp fire last Thurs day evening The three watchwords of the order are Charity, Fraternity, Loyalty. " A-A ehAp 5OAhot7 t)A40tiGJ l3O0ho AANShs hS Posts of the United States disb,irse every year great amounts in caring for the poor and burying the dead of the fraternity. Do the men who grudge the Post the little pittance asked for for Memorial day (twice granted, oftener refused in S.atford) real Ize how much the town is saved by the charity extended by brotherly hands to comrades who would otherwis need town aid? Than is no society more truly fra ternal than the G. A. R. They are doing themselves much of the work promised to be done for them by those who in 1861 said Ego, boys, and a generous country will reward you" Some of these are now scolding because the country does too much for the soldier.
 John Burns, of Palmer, aged 21, a brakeman on the New London Northern railroad, was fatally injured last Tuesday afternoon. He was aboard of the south bound freight train. When nearing South Coventry he started to set up the brake. As he threw the full weight of his body sideways to tighten it up, the brake chain parted, and he fell between the cars, six Of them passing over his leg near the thigh. It was sometime before he was missed, and about twenty minutes from the time of the accident he was picked up com- pletely exhausted from loss of blood and soon died.
 Palmer Journal: The Lombard farm house in East Brimfeld, Mass, owned by Isaiah Hiscock and occupied by MT. Leno, was destroyed by fire about midnight Fri day night, 7th. The fire caught in the attic, and before any one arrived at the fire MT. Leno had harnessed his horse and loaded in his family and started them for Wales. One report is that MT. Leno's furniture was insured for $150, and an- other that the amount was $90O. The loss on the house was about $500, and it IS re- ported that MT. Hiscock will rebuild at once.
 A prominent figure in the early his- tory of Illinois has been lost in the death of Wait Talcott of Rockford. He was na- tive of Hebron, Ct., and went to Illinois in an emigrant wagon 52 years ago. He was an active anti slavery man, and in an import ant lawsuit in which he was engaged in 1855 retained Abraham Lincoln, Edwin M. Stanton and Peter Fl. Watson. This was the first meeting of those three men. The fee Lincoln received was the largest he had ever had, and enabled him to stump the state against Douglas. When presi- dent, Lincoln made Stanton secretary of war, Watson assistant secretary, and Tal- colt collector of internal revenue.
 Palmer Journal Mrs. A. Thresher of Dayton, O., on her way with her hus- band to Stafford, MT. Thresher's old home, was robbed of $500 in diamonds and $64 in money by chambermaid at the Weeks House Wednesday morning. The valua- bles were in chamois bag which was left in the bed when Mir. and Mrs.. Thresher went down to breakfast, but was missing any knowledge of the matter, and thor ough search by MT. Weeks failed to find but by keeping watch of the she was caught with the property in hel hands.
 SPECIMEN CAsEs-S H. Clifford New Casse III