The Press., 1897-04-29
Regular meeting of Stafford Grange

0uUJ6CI AOL Lu0 AOOtAuS OA bh0 | . IL 0. 0. E. to-night-''W What is true liberty and how it is won" All are invited.
 R. G. Beebe is at present in Washing ton, D. O., for few days, on his way home, and is expected here very soon.
 Ed. Leger has severed his connection with the firm of Jacob Glover $ Son, and has tak en position in the Riverside mill.
 Mrs. w. H. Black has been obliged to be away the most of the week in West ford, attending upon her parents, who. are both quite i'll.
 Miss Mary E. Smith attended the state teachers meeting at Willimantic, Satur- day, and reports the exercises as being very interesting and instructive.
 It will be seen by notice in another column that Henry Champlin, of Bum side, wishes to either sell or rent the house now being vacated by E. B. Warren.
 The annual meeting of the Universalist church society, for the election of officers and the transaction of other business, will be held in the church parlors next Wednesday evening, May 5th.
 Will Webster has taken possession of his new home and moved his household heffects Tuesday. James Cousins has rented the tenement in Mrs. Preble's house, vacated by MT. Webster.
 The series of whist parties, which have been held in this village and Hydeville during the season, closed Tuesday night with supper at MT. Dunham's boarding house. Mrs. Will Lewis was the fortu- nate winner of handsome vase as first prize, and her husband dozen lead pen cils for the booby.
 The band has decided to try its luck again, and will give May dance at the town hall next Thursday evening, May 9th. They have made extra efforts to make this success, having secured Hay den's orchestra, of Rockville, for music, and David Bissett, as prompter. The band will give one of their enjoyable con- certs before the dance.
 There is quite a natural curiosity in the north part of Stafford, on land belonging to Dr. Royce's heirs. It is in small grove of trees, and is called Tripping rock" It is large round rock, the shape of dumpling, balanced upon another large rock. By pressing one's finger against it the peculiar motion is produced which has given it its name.
 If you have some time at your disposal and wish to be taught an object lesson, pay visit to the carriage warerooms of J. G. Wightman some day, and you will not only learn the lesson, but you will be astonished at the magnitude of the busi- ness that MT. Wightman has succeeded in establishing in our midst. It has grown to it's present large proportions so steadi- ly and gradually that the community hardly realize the fact unless brought in- to personal contact with the business. As Mr. Wightman has usually over fifty new jobs in stock, including about everything in the wagon line, he has plenty of means at hand to illustrate to you the great ad- vance in carriage building that has been made in the past fifteen years. The T beauty in the styles of the different kinds of vehicles is all that can be desired, and as for the prices just one for an illustration: A good-looking, stylish toE carriage, which ten years ago would have been considered cheap at S1O0, to-day you can buy for $45-and so it. is all along the different lines. You need not be afraid of tiring him, for John has been talking wagon for twenty years or more and has got considerable of the same talk ; left in him yet.
 : MT. and Mrs. George Chaffee, after hav' ing settled up, as far as possible, all the business connected with the William Col burn estate, left Tuesday for their home at New London, and it is probable, muct to the regret of the community, that theil visits to this village will be much less of at least one latch string that will al ways be hanging outside for them. Mrs Chaffee, in looking over some old papers belonging to the Polly Blodgett estate came across the following invitation nicely gotten up on card, and consider ing that it is about one hundred yeari since it was issued, it may prove of loca interest to the present generation. It il supposed that the MT. Hyde referred tC was proprietor of the old Hyde taverI at the Street:
 MISS POLLY BLoDGETT 3 Is requested to attend at the Assembly,
 At MT. Hyde's,
 This evening, at 6 o'clock. Samuel Alden,
 John Huntington, Managers. :. Clement TrOWDridge,) Stafford, Oct. 2d, 1798
 Tickets to be presented at the door, 3 Mrs. Chaffee also brought to High an ol' ? historical sermon, delivered many year , ago by Rev. Mir. Wentworth, whicl . contains much interesting matter relating to Stafford's early history. There hay been many claims made as to the age o . houses now standing, but the old Blodg r ett homestead, in which Frank Pattel !. and his mother at present reside, must b 3 one of the oldest, If not the oldest hous 7 in Stafford. Miss Polly Blodgett, wh 7 died twenty three years ago, aged 93, wa DOTH III LHaG mousse, anu b5 HOT par6nG 8 had resided there for some time previou t to that event, how long we were unabl
 to learn, it would seem that this hous 8 has substantial claim to being the old I est house in town.
 d West Stafford.
 t Mrs. B. A. Wilbur has gone to pas t two weeks with her sister in East Long d meadow and friends in Thompsonvllle. |, Mrs. Charles Hopkins and d,ughter ] have been in Ellington for some time e visiting Mrs. Daniel Curtis and family. 6 A number of our young villagers re @ gently took carriage drive to Rockvill, 2 pleasantly passing the evening with Nil :. and Mrs. W. H. Skinner.
 l. Henry Mckinney and wife are in Hart PvRa