Connecticut western news., 1896-03-19
REJOICING AT NORFOLK
OVER THE COMPLETION OF THE WATER WORKS. "LABOR CON- QUERS EVERYTHING" AND
 WATER RUNS UP BILL.
A BANQUET AND SPEECHES.

In the year 1871 the locomotive scal- ed Norfolk hills. On Thursday morn. ing. March 5. the water of Lake Wan gum in the town of Canaan also scaled Norfolk hills Each event was memor- able, and each has been celebrated with great rejoicing. There is quite differ ence between the locomotive and the water. The locomotive cannot climb Norfolk hills without water and steam, but Lake Wangum water now climbs Norfolk hills without steam power, al- though previous to March5th steam was used to propel it. The locomotive is running by gravity do,cn Norfolk hills, but water is now running by gravity from Lake Wspgum np Norfolk hills. On the 9th inst. tbe last pipe in the rock cut or "ersat divide ," east of Lake Wangum was laid and Nor folk was thus connected by gravity line with Lake Wsngum. The event was celebrated last Thursday evening by 8 banquet at the Stevens House in Nor folk. At 8 o'clock between 50 and SO representative men of Norfolk, includ ing six or eight invited guests from Ca naan, Winsted, New Hartford and Lake vile sat down to an elaborate menu, gotten up by Landlord Stevens, begin. ming with raw oysters on the half shell and ending with ice cream, cake, fruit, nuts and coffee. Rev Dr John DePeu opened the banquet with prayer.
 At the close of the repast, which oc- cupied over an hour. Mir Ralph l. Cris. sey. in the absence of Mir F. M. Shep- ard, president of the water company, who could not be present, and of MT E. 0. Stevens, vice-president, who was nec- essarily otherwise occupied. called the assembly to order and read letter from Mr Shepard, which is published else- where in this report. Mir Crissey then stated that the water question began to be agitated 20 years ago, and he then gave an outline history of the enterprise to date. A charter was granted in 1889 and expired in 1893. but was renewed in January, 1893 Mir F. M. Shepard moved in his quiet way and has carried the enterprise to successful completion aud now Norfolk has an abundant supp ply of pure water for all time. MT Cris- sey acted as toastmaster and gave as his toast the maxim which F. M Shepard has practiced for 50 years, viz: Labor oonquers verything." Mir Crissey paid fitting compliment to Harry R. Vince Ter, whose indomitable perseverance has conquered the rocks that lay between Norfolk and Lake Wangum.
 MT Edmund Brown, secretary of the Norfolk Water company, read letters of congratulation from Mir Fl. s. Walter, New Britain, and Messrs R A. Dormap and Eugene Smith, of New York. Mir Brown then gave history of the water works, and thanked the citizens of Nor folk for their patience and forbearance while the streets were torn up and trav- cling dangerous. He stated that three years ago this matter was taken up by MT Shepard and steadily pushed. He paid compliment to Mir Pierson's per- sistence, and to Surveyor Pettee's wise counsel. MT Brown said: we have laid seven miles of pipe of sizes varying from IS to six inches. The maxi mum pressure is 200 pounds to the square lnoh; average pessure 100 pounds; lowest pressure thirty pounds He told an amusing story to illustrate the position one year ago. when Norfolk had an excellent water system and had Lake Wangum, but "great divide" or rock ledge lay between them. and in order to make connections cut 5000 feet long aud 9 feet deep Lad to be made in which to lay the 18.inch pipe. In closing Mir Brown paid grand compliment to Babcock, Leary & Go and to Ira R. Wheeler, of Newburg, N. r.. for their perseverance in excavating the rocky ledge.
 Mir Wheeler made neat speech. and told the story of "the goat, the red fan. n.l shirt and the railroad train :" as an illustration of his desire at one stage of the work to "cough up the contract and
 flag the water company" He mention. ed his pleasant associations with the water company and Norfolk business men.
 Mir O. P. Grout, who represented the contractors, was asked to speak, but he excused himself and stated that Sur.
 veyor Pettee, of Lakeville, would tell about the progress of the work from its
 beginning. MT Pettee responded by saying that in many instances when water
 companies engage surveyor to make
 estimates on the cost of construction
 they virtually say: We want water
 supply at one-third the actual cost, and
 later we want to turn it over to the city
 at the rate of three dollars for every dol , lar we invested" That. however, was
 not the object in this instance. MT Pet
 tee then gave a history of the skirmist
 for water in Norfolk; how the lake al
 Pond Hill and other supplies were ex
 amined and not found sufficient. and
 how it was finally decided to obtain Lake
 Wangum even if it did cost twice .ol
 thrice what other sources would. Hs
 congratulated Norfolk that it had now obtained an inexhaustible supply of pure
 water and had also got good job in the
 line of construction. MT William O'Connor gave sketct
 of MT Frederick M. Shepard, native | of Norfolk, but now a resident of East
 Orange, N. J., who, in his declining years nearly 10 fouud if a pleaaure tr