The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1895-07-29

one of the first shops of the kind In
the country. Afterwards the place be-
came Harper's Pond Lily paper mill,
which was for years very tiourishing.
Now naught remains, and all is STILL
And now for a personal "Reminiscences.
Now we come to Sperry's farm, My
ancestor, Richard Sperry, bought this
farm from the noted Stephen Goodyear
who was deputy governor of Conneoti-
cut away back in 1910, or Whereabouts,
and one OF whose lineal descendants
Is my friend. Miles H. Goodyear, who
sits by my side, The deed for the farm
gave all the land between the two
mountain ridges, which you see on the
right and left respectively, and extend
ing on the south to the river running
through Westvllle and extending as far
north as the good land goeth.
Under such a blanket deed as this,
continued the congressman, gravely
winking one eye at the off horse we
can claim TO the Pacific coast, as the
deed calls for "all the land on the west
as the good land goeth." But let me
here state that for the peace of mind
of occupants Of this land, we do not
propose to press the claim under any
circumstances.
Ali Over there Is the house where
two of the greatest thieves ever
known in this region lived many years
| ago. They were known as Thunder
bolt and Lightning" They were a ter
| ror in this vicinity.
And here on the left is the lane
through which the British red coats
| marched when in quest of the regicides,
and Goffe, Whalley and Dixwell and my
| ancestor of that period, Richard Sperry,
| Who had many times fed and sheltered
the regicides {, saw the red coats as
they approached, and Goffe, Whalley
and Dixwell discreetly fled to the hill
which you see over yonder called Prov
| idence Hill
| That brick house over yonder was
built by Albert Sperry, who built the
North church. New Haven. Mr.. Sperry
was an uncle of the late Peck Sperry,
who was for many years in business on
| Chapel street, New Haven, firm of Skin
ner & Sperry.
And over there stood the old cooper
| shop-now no more. The shop was run,
by man who afterward removed to a
place near Syracuse, N. Y, and amass-
ed large fortune in manufacturing
| operations there.
And by the way. this turnpike we are
riding over is the old Litchfield turn
pike 1t was great highway once. The
4 mails were carried over this road and
| the farmers from up Waterbury wav
and beyond brought their produce to
market in New Haven over this road.
| They stopped for the night either Mt
Clark's hotel over there or at Darling's
a little further on, both of which were
very popular hostelries in their day.
Now these hotels are no more. The
1 railroads serve the farmers for trans
pontation now if they have anything to
transport to distance.
At the old Darling place Mr.. Rishop
now resides. 1t is vet a very fine place.
A son of Mr. Bishop is of the Bradley.
| Damn & Darlington Co. right under
i the Journal and Courier office.
| And here we are opposite the dam.
| Just over there ON the hillside are the
ruins of the old cement kiln, where
/ twenty-five years ago they made cement
from the rocks that are so abundant
around it. 1t was good cement, but the
business failed and was killed because
cement was a cheap article and because
ii took off all the profits to cart the
stuff to New Haven. Perhaps some
day an electric road will come by here
land then the business might be profita-
bly, worked
Pardon a personal depression. You
see lining the road that fine line Of ma
pies and how thrifty they are? Well
few years ago came I'D here and de-
livered a lecture before the Village I'm
provement society One thing advo.
Gated was tree planting and here
through the enterprise of the people
you see the result.
over there was the home of Deacon
French. He at one time set type fol-
the Journal and Courier" The prop.
erty is now owned by the New Haven
Water company.
And now let me tell YOU that over
there in that house is a descendant OF
the great Oliver Cromwell Her name
| Is Judge. Mrs. Judge. whose husband
YOU see standing near the house. Mr.
i Judges wife is a descendant thai
great parsonage. Oliver Cromwell. who
lmade England,s power felt all over the
world. And Mrs. Judge has in hel
house a camp stool that did DUTY IL
Cromwelps army.
Near this locality are the foundations
of a factory where Mr.. Peck. who was