The Newtown bee., 1896-12-11
BETH FL.
OLD MATTERS LOOK BACKWARD.

OLD MATTERS LOOK BACKWARD.
 Let old matters look backward 40 years and compare notes with the present times. The hard times of 1857 was bad year for the i0urneymau natter who was working for small wages and poor pay at that. A regular pay day was not the custom. The manufacturer paid out & little money now and then. WOIkmen traded at the stores and had their bills brought into the boss once in three or six months who paid these bills by giving $ three or six months note on the bank. Manufacturers sold the hats and gave long credit, six, nine and 12 months, the latter mostly to the Southern trade If the j0urneyman natter got little ahead he built house perhaps which cost from $500 to $l200 Pretty cheap affairs in comparison to the homes built the past 20 years. The necessaries of life were higher then than now. Flour by the ba crel was $10 and poor at that. There was a great deal of poor wheat in the country that year which made poor sticky bread. This tried the patience of every good hOusekeeper in the land. Pork and beef was high and wood which universally used for fuel brought high price in the market. Hundreds of cords were used to heat hatCers' kettles and large tracts of woodland had to be cut over to supply the demand. Two fires in the house were considered great piece of extravaganza. Farmers used great economy in burning wood and many of them really thought that the supply would give out and then they would all have to go tosthe poor house. Railroads were being built to the coal fields of Pennsylvania. Then coal took the place of wood. Old matters tell to day their | experiences in trying to provide wood for | one fire. 4 few men worked for weeks | cutting wood near Owl Rock to keep their families from freezing in the long cold winter. A large tract of wood was cut and had to be thrown over eight times to get it to the bottom of the hill, where it could be reached and carted away. The cutter got one half of the wood for cutting. He could not make l his salt. Others cut cedars from the land of the Trowbridges in place called the Milking Yard, two or three miles below 1 the village. A natter by the name of Crofut used to tell the story about how hard up he got that winter for meats and other necessaries. Times were so dull that he wandered away down in the neighbnrhood Of Old Camp, now called Putnam Park. He says: II saw flock of sheep down in that lonely locality and it struck me that l could take one and it would never be missed by the owner. caught fine lamb and threw it over my shoulder and started for Bethel. got tC thinking how 1 could enjoy good mutton stew when it occurred to me that we had no salt in the house to season the meat and no money to buy it with, and we couldn't eat mutton without salt. So threw the sheep back into the lot and went home hungry" We will not vOuch for the truth of the above, but it was 5 fact that cattle was missed that winter which were undoubtedly killed to supply meat for families that were hard pushed to live who rather steal than beg. IT those days matters shaved themselves Bethel did not support barber shop. Now we have four. Lager beer has since come into use. Corn beer, strong enough to make man drunk, was sold a the pop shop on Chestnut street. Uncle Israel Wilson kept the temperance hote across the way. Old tOpers went out O. town to get New England rum and there is not one single one of them living to-day either old or young. Most of them pass ed away years ago. Old matters living to-day have all led lives of good habits and have been honest, hard working mer and many of them have good comfortable homes. They are gray haired grand fathers now and a few of them still W0ri at the trade and know how to appreciate the changes for the better the past 4 years has brought about. JourneymaI matters to day are paid off regularly once in two weeks. Many of them live il luxuriant homes with all the modern i'm provements. Their children attenC school in our modern schoolhouses anC wear good, comfortable clothes and ar' generally well fed. Is there one of u that would wish to take step backward toward the hard times of 1857?
 4 union meeting was held in the Metho dist church. last Sunday evening. Re- H. K. Samuelian of New York City, native of Armenian, addressed a larg and appreciatiye audience On the deplOr able condition of the Armenians in Tur key. Thousands of widows and chIldrel must starve unless Christian people sent them aid the coming winter. Bethe people responded very liberany in thei contribution.
 Col Copeland of Brooklyn gave an in teresting lecture in the Congregations church, last Tuesday evening. Subject 'Seeing the elephant"
 A large delegation of members 0 Eureka lodge visited Union l0dge,F. ant A. M of Danbury on Tuesday evening The NJ. M. degree was exemplified.
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