Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1891-08-22
ABOUT NEW LONDON.
A Pretty Connecticut City on the
River Thames,
HOME OF. THE wHALERS.
An Industry Which Furnished Employment
to Hundreds of Men and Made Large For
tunes Now Killed by Ksrosens-Bsnsdict
Arnold's Birthplace.


tunes Now Killed by Ksrosens-Bsnsdict
Arnold's Birthplace.
Written for The Evening Star
DOWN THROUGH EASTERN CONNECT
~ cut the beautiful Thames river flows to
where it joins its waters with Long Island
sound. The earliest settlers recognized its
beauty and named it for the grandest river in
old England. Then on its banks they founded
the city that was to be and called it New Lon
don. The years passed by and the little col
ony thrived apace. till on the right bank Of the
river. about four miles from its mouth,
pretty town graced its founders,
Judgment From the first its people had been
a seafaring race. and it was the pride Of the
place that its ships were the stanchest and its
seamen the bravest that sailed from our coast
A hundred and fifty years ago the whaling
industry WAS at its height, and New London
and New Bedford well nigh divided the profits
OF the whole trade. All summer long the
"whalers'" ships fitted out and collected their
crews OF hardy seamen for the winters work.
THE OLD WHALING sHIp.
The ships were full rugged with single top
sail yards, like man-of-war, and carried q huge
tank and furnace for the first trying out" of
the fat from the whales. About the last of
months cruise, the whaling fleet" sometimes
OF seventy or eighty ships. started out for the
long voyage "around the horn" and off on the
long stretch. one-quarter around the world, to
the north Pacific. The night before the fleet
sailed was famous one for New London. The
sweethearts and wives of the seamen
gave them an immense farewell ball
and all night long the buxom maidens and the
hardy blue jackets danced rs the best fiddlers
for miles around played the white Cockade'
or 1.-THE Devils Dream" The kegs of ale and
barrels of cider gave good cheer, and when the
party broke up, as the sun rose over the Groton
hills, many tar who had cheered little too
much staggered back to his ship singing "My
Nancy" or a crowd stood on the street corners
and shouted some old song, while one or two
down" to
Green grow the rushes, on!
The sweetest hours that ever spent
We're spent amongst the lasses, oh!
or to the rollicking tune Of Highland Mary"
THE LONG VOYAGE.
The next day as the sails were loosed and the
wind filed them the gallant ships tackled out
through the race and rounded Montauk
Point as they stood away on the long voyage
to the first stopping place in the Brazils
The wharves were crowded with the sweet
hearts, wivee and children who wished to
wave last adieu to papa, husband or lover
and profane old tar says the gals used to
Dawi and sniffer about it 30 much that the
ihames river Is salty yet on account of their
briny weepin's." The winter went by waiting
for the whalers return, and when the spring
came there were anxious hearts watching and
waiting for the return of relatives and friends
Along In May, few stragglers appeared
laden with oil till they foated 50 deep
in the water that they had to steer
carefully up the channel to avoid rocks
that formed no menace to them as they went
out in the fall. These heralded the return of
the whaling feet, which soon was all in the
harbor again-all except the few that had been
left, perhaps lost in a storm crushed in the
Ice while too far north. Then came the well
come home, and ball, happier ard more CAV
than the farewell had been-lovers we're
welcomed back. wives met their sailor hus-
bands again and children their fathers. A few
took no interest in all this, for their ship had
not come in and only sadness was in store for
them.
FORTUNES THAT WERE MADE.
Fortunes were made from the proceeds of one
voyage. if it was Il good one, and when such was
the case the old sea captains often concluded
to choose from the maidens that with light
hearts and merry faces welcomed the whaler's
return a innate for life'' and settle on shore to
enjoy their hard-earned fortunes. II they were
accePteo ny INC maIucns, ana they generally
were If their pockets were well lined, stately
home was added to beautiful New London and
grandchildren and great grandchildren occupy
them now to tell the tales handed down Of how
the founder won wealth and health in the
whale trade. The immense refineries gave en-
pioyment to hundreds of people, and it took
scores OF barks and brigs to carry the whale oil
to the ''old country"
But kerosene came and the whale trade was
ruined; the whalers ships went into other
trades or rotted at their mOorings and now all
that is left is the ruins of the refneries a few
old inns that were the havens of rest for these
hardy mariners, and the high-bowed. double
ended boats that ride the seas SO well and exist
now almost alone in the navy as whale boats
Where the whalers once rode at anchor by the
the harbor, or the white war ships of
the new navy cast their shadows, and
where the largest refinery stood, at the mouth
of the Thames, the Pequot House, one of the
prettiest summer resorts of the whole coast.
now holds its sway. A few of the old sea can.
tains hobble about, ready to tell of the DAYS
when the Mary Davis and the Watersprite raced
from New London to the horn and never took
i'll sail for sea or wind till the whaling grounds
were reached, but they sadly add that nothing
is like it used to be-
BENEDICT ARNoLD's BIRTHPLACE
Across the Thames from New London is the
pretty town OF Groton, that bears the name of
AIS lOunuer. mere was the nome and BIRTH
place of Benedict Arnold, the traitor, and here
were shown the worst effects of his treachery.
Here on hill that overlooks the city and har-
Dor the revolutionists, in 1777, built Fort Girls
void to defend their rights. 1t bravely with
stood with Its little garrison two attacks made
by the coast raiders, and in the spring of
1880 the gallant Col. Ledyard and
200 patriots held it alone. Benedict
Arnold, with several hundred followers
desperados, pirates and tories, swooped down
on the coast and attacked the fort. Col. Led
yard bravely withstood the fearful odds tin
every load Of powder was gone and the wooden
side of his fort was burned and all but q score
Of his men were killed. Then he concluded to
surrender. Down came the flag and as the
traitor and his followers rushed in the fort Col.
Ledyard handed his sword hilt first to Arnold.
who grasped the sword and without a word
ran it through the heart of the gallant
patriot The town was then sacked and burned
and the home of Arnolds venerable parents re-
ceived the first evidence of the traitors wrath.
1t was completely sacked. burned and torn
down SO that hardly stone remained on an
other. After this useless, senssless raid the
raiders shouldered their plumber and left the
coast Col. Ledyard was left dead in his own
blood, and he was buried where he fell Com
memorative OF the gallant defense of New
London and the death Of its brave defender a
granite monument stands 100 feet high The