The daily morning journal and courier., 1898-01-10

quit Amsterdam, and went secretly to London, where he remained in hiding for several months Then he and his old school-fellow and parishioner, The ophilus Eaton, headed company or emigrants that was preparing to sal TOT New England.
 Many of these were men of wealth ana high character, Eaton having made fortune as a London merchant, ana having at one time been the kings ann bassador to the court of Denmark.
 We are fond of saying that these Of our forefathers came to this bleak and barren coast to escape religious perse- cution. But it is a fact that in this company of two hundred and fifty per sons there was but one whose religious affiliations had ever caused him the slightest inconvenience, so far as known, except John Davenport, who joined them at almost the last moment for want of any other place to go.
 They had not been persecuted. But the theological atmosphere of England was not congenial to them, they were not at liberty to worship as they de- sired, and they joined the tide of emil grafton that was flowing toward New England in the hope of finding place where they might enjoy greater re- ligious freedom.
 They were not all Puritans. Some were Episcopalians, others like Daven- port, were non-conforming Episcopal ians, still others were Presbyterians, and some were Congregationalists. The party arrived at Boston on the 26th of June, 1887, a little over two hun- 1 dred and sixty years ago.
 l The landing was no sooner effected | than it became serious question as to what place should be adopted as resi- | dence Some were in favor of Boston,
 and large inducements were offered by
 the people of Boston to have the new corners settle in the vicinity. But Bos- ton was then being shaken to it's very | center with theological dissentions. The | leading theologians gave Davenport a l warm welcome and wanted him to re- main with them. He found himself her
 aided as a man of great learning and piety, and did much to harmonize the l discordant elements. But the prospect
 of settling in an established community 1 was not pleasing to him. Eaton was l also disposed to seek a newer field. His | faith in Davenport was unbounded, and | he could not think of separation. It l was understood that wherever they
 went they would go together. The ma jority of the company was of the same ] mind.
 About this time the war which had
 been raging between the New England
 settlers and the Pequot Indians for
 some time was drawing to close, Sas- sacus and few of his faithful follow CTS had left their fighting ground and
 were fleeing across the country to the
 Hudson. From letters received from
 English officers engaged in the pursuit
 of the red men, it was learned that on
 the lower coast of New England, next to Long Island sound, there was a
 stretch of territory more to be desired
 than any that had yet been mentioned. One officer wrote: Tt hath fair river fit for harboring of ships, and abounds
 with rich and goodly meadows" Ap-
 parently no white man had ever set
 foot on this wonderful soil until these
 soldiers had chased the fleeing savages
 along the coast in this war of eXtermin-
 ation. When one of the officers gave III
 the chase and returned to Boston, he
 was eagerly questioned. with the result
 that Eaton took a small party of mer
 and sailed to investigate. Davenport
 stayed behind to look after the spirit
 ual interests of his company, lest they
 be contaminated by a too free contac
 with their surroundings. For even ther
 Boston was dangerous place for un
 protected theologians.
 Eaton and handful of companions had sailed on the 31st of August, and il
 time cast anchor in the harbor of tht
 Quinnipiac. Tie sight that met thei gaze seemed to them the most beauti
 full and restful that mortal eyes hat ever looked upon, tired as they wer4
 with many months of anxious ant , weary waiting The broad wooded plain skirted with green and fertile meadows guarded by giant cliffs at the north and bounded on either side by gentl flowing river, was an ideal spot The, saw the smoke of numerous campfire , rising above the tall trees, and wer , soon enjoying the hospitality of tn
 friendly Indians. Eaton was delighted
 and leaving seven men to spend tn
 winter, returned to Boston. The record . do not say how this little colony o 7 seven was provisioned, but it should no
 be too hastily inferred from the fac that Thomas Hogg and Robert Pig , were of the number, that they were en r tirely dependent upon roots.
 s The following spring the main com e pany arrived, and sailed up the littl . creek that ran past the present Colleg = street to Chapel (but which has lon l since been filled and built over). Tn = next Sunday after landing Davenport, flu t of pious zeal for the new experience, as . sembled his people under an oak tree o = the bank, and there held a religiou }. i service.
 : It would be quite natural to expee d that at the outset some form of govern s ment should be decided upon. But a }, was characteristic of the time, the It e ligious question was uppermost, an n there being three ministers in the con | pany, each with a different notion as > the right thing to do, it was decided g postpone the whole matter indefinitel. l, But for the sake of preserving geners ,- peace and order, a social compact wa l. agreed upon, under which it was mutt 'f ally promised, to quote, that as in ma e ters that concern the gathering and O