The Newtown bee., 1896-02-21
BETHEL.
ONE HUNDRED YEARS AGO.


 The town of Danbury by vote gave liberty to Lazarus Barnum to set up house in the highway in such place a. the seIoc5men may direct. Date, Decem- Der lG, I7S5. The house was erected on Hoyts Hill nearly opposite the Dea Ebenezar Shliman house, now standing and occupied by William Daily, the milk man. Lazarus, and Sarah his wife, were he parents of a large family of sons and daughters. We find a rerOid of theic baptism in the old Bethel Congregational church record book, which is 13G years old and was made of English stamped paper and coveted with raw sheepskin. Lazarus was poor man and wenU out to day work and was what now we call handy man of the town. We find Ehe following account in Dea Silliman's l ,ccOunt book in account with Lazarus l B4rnum, l795 Or: To one days spread l Dng dung. shaving shingles, getting tar i D4tk, butcherirg, sowing feed, soleiDg | hoes. The price per day was three l -hilliEgS per day aud board. Dr; T. Ueef, porF, mutton, veal, corn, rye, hay, c"w pa>tuge and potatoes, also flax seed and wool. Farmers usually settled onct year and paid out smal! amount ot l hard money to balance accounts which was roCeiprcd by both parties siguiDg ,h.ir uames. At the present day but 1 few persons are living that ever heard oi i Lazarus and Sarah Bar um, who lived oa H3yt's HIn 100 years ago, and bott If them members of the old churcl
 oci,ty.
 Mt Iorg since the writer heard u t following story told by an old nhabitanl of Elm street, who was granddaughteI If James FroW bridge, who lived in Grassy Plains district. 'Uncle Ja,ns'' Gas tht name was pronounced in those days | hired Lazarus to help him Fntrhor ia rhe t}II or the year. The work was fnishec and the meat cut up in pieces for salting A good supper was eaten. Lazarus pick ed up his knives and tools and slipped a large chunk of meat into his basket anC %err home. He was seen by oQe of the family take the meat. "Unclc Jems' could not put up any thing like dis honesty and let it go by uurebuked 1 Lazarus came down the next morning when the following conversat ion tool place: Uncle Jems said: "Lazarus be Iteve you stole my meat last night ''Jems did not steal your meat" "Laz aru., believe you did" ''Jems, di, not" Placing his toes to crack in the | floor, Lazarus said: 'EJ2m4, if my sou was as near eternity as my toes is to the crack in the floor l would tell thee die not steal your meat" "L4zlrus I will ak Sarah. She will tell me the truth. " | Laz4rus was caught. He knew his gcoa wife would not rell lie to save him 1 He hung hi, head in repentance and says ''Jama did steal your meat, am sorry I will never do 90 again." 'Lazarus forgive you No more was said. It was settled.
 Those good old men never went to law They fo'gave and forgot the little sins oi tneir poor neighbHrs, who were oft,n tempted to take peice of meat to feed their huogry growing families of boys and girls, and probab ply thought it was do great sin. Lazarus and Sarah have passed away and are forgotten and but few persons are living to day that re- member the old house that stood on the highway that was once their home.
 Their old house was removed about l84O. There may be some indications left of the old we'll and cellar.