The Newtown bee., 1896-07-31
Mrs ". F. TaH of Bridgeport spsn Wednesday at-the parsonage
BETHEAs.
RAFTING IN THE OLD DAYS.

Charles Henry Pock's collection of relics in Newtown Street by ]. II. Wilson, who is collecting for the Putnam Park muse um. The hat in it's day was a fashiona~ ble drab beaver, seven and three quarter inches high, two and one-quarter brim, beed curl band and binding, light color, haIf inch wide and hand made tip. Your corras pendent, who was an appren- tice boy, reolenbers the style well which WAS made in the year 1853 by Reube1 Taylor, who vas running the shop called the "Wildcat' and Taylor's and was known by that name among old journey mengalI over the country. Mapped hats had been manufactured there for a half century or more by Joseph Taylor and sons. The shop was located on the brook near the residence of George Perason in Elmwood school district. The water was of a superior quality for mapping hats. Fur bodies were used which were bowed and set up by hand, then sized. Mapped i0vrneymen received 10 to 50 cents apiece for the work. The finishing cost S3 per dozen, the trimming about 12 cents apiece, curling $l 50 to $2 per doz- en. The hats were all sti1Yened with al- cohol and shellac. Elijah Taylor was considered to be the crack stiffener in his day. George Monroe did the shaving and clipping and did other work about the shop The writer remembers a host of old journeymen. A few are still liv~ l ing and many others have passed in their "chocks." We recall from memory the names of some of the old workmen now living. John Mcdowell is one of the oldest now living. He is nearly 90 years old and is still spry and enjoys good health, Others now living are David | Fry, William Harrison Ferry, William H. Judson, Ex-Probate Judge Henry H. Baird, Andrew Sherman and Charles l Olmstead, now residing in Rutland, Vt. Others that have long since passed away were Samuel Hayes, Abel Tinny, Daniel Hyatt, Ethiel Sherman, Nate Price, Nate Keeler, Bradley Adams, Willis Judd, 1 Orson Rockwell, Edward Morgan, Daniel Dekey, Booth Trowbridge, Bonny Wild man, Ava Taylor, Cad Benedict and Billy Moody, Henry Hills of Oxford, Edward Taylor, now living in Danbury, N vas the principal curler. John Wheeler, l LeGrand Trow bridge, Austin BIackman, Harrison Dibble, Nathan Gilbert, finish CTS. Mir Gilbert is still living on South street, Bethel Wet day visitors were mostly farmers and their sons. John Johnson, Jerome Morgan, Seth and Gran vile Andrews are still living. Capt Tim Benedict, Capt Abram Stowe, Peter Nor gan and his son, Taylor Morgan, have long since passed away. Uncle Joe Fay Tor and his father, Ebenezer Taylor, who lived to the great age of 93 years, were every day corners. Amusements were pitching quoits, playing card game called "seven up," "penny ante," and checkers. Old topers used to drinl: hard cider and "mail" was quite often run to the "Yellow Bird' for New Eng, land rum and other spirits. Tramp jour neymen always took their "nip'' before breakfast, dinner and supper and one or two before they went to bed. In fact, most of them were in the habit of taking 8 ''bracer" every hour in the day to work by. The burl and bow are no longer used. The old kettles and plank have all gone out of date. The old mapped beaver hat is a hat of the past but it brings to mind many remembrances of olden times, the days when hats were not made by machines Let one of the old style be placed among the old relics of past days, Hang it up in the museum at Putnam Park.