The Newtown bee., 1898-08-19
neatly as possible. At this same time
the upper or New bridge was carried
away. Il went down the stream

LOOKING LIKE GREAT STEAMBOAT,
MIR Barnum declares, only few hour
after Bsbbitt's bridge sailed down. /
landed on an island near Little York and
the timber was afterward recovered. Tb'
third was a wooden trustle bridge, which
I was taken down in 1890, and replaced By
the present substantial iron structure
1t would be credit to the town and com
munity, but for the peculiar style it il
painted The north half is owned by th'
town of Bridgewater and the south hal
| by Fairfield county. This spring the
Fairfield County Commissioners had thei1
half painted in handsome colOrs, but fol
some reason or other, the Bridgewatel
selectmen failed to act. Now, it is report
ed, the Bridgewater half is to be painted
q brilliant black, which will contrast fine
! ly with the colors on the Fairfield county
side. 1t is like a mis-mated couple. The
two sections of the bridge don't hitcf
| when Judged from an artistic standpoint
II the Bridgewater selectmen are at fault
they ought to wake up and remedy the
difficulty. Southville people don't like
iG, and travellers wonder at this freak IL
bridge painting.
But returning from this depression
historical matters again claim our atten
ton. There was prosperous tailoring
business carried on in Southville at one
time. William Hall, father of Ezra j
Hall, Newtown's popular stove merchant
plumber and timer, was the proprietor
In religious matters we are unable tC
give exact data, although for 60 years
Methodist preaching has been carried or
here.
AMONG THE EARLY PREACHERS
were Rev Luman B. Hamlin, father OF
Mrs John Beach, Rev MIR Gidmap, who
lived where Eli Smith now does, Rev MI
Booth, and others. The present Meth.
odist church edifice was erected 2S years
ago, this summer. The money was
raised by subscription and it was built
as union chapel, although the title to
the property was legally held by the
Methodisbs. For the last three or four
years the Methodists have not maintained
preaching. Rev Mr. Whitcome, the pop.
Ular Episcopal rector of Brookfield, now
holds services ia the church every two
SUNDAYS, 1t ia said that there are at
present but three or four members of the
Methodist church living. The late John
Beach was an earnest and liberal sup
porter of the Methodist church.
At one time, MIR Clark informed the
writer, there was q furnishing Sens of
Temperance lodge on the hill. Nearly
everyone in SoatAville belonged and
many came down from Bridgewater.
Along in the forties, fitties and sixties,
the SoHthvilie schoo. was one of the
largest in town. 1t numbered as high as
60 pupils in the district, while to-day
there are not enough to maintain school
according to law. Mr. Clark relates that
&C one time he was committee he had
SIXTEEN APPLICATIONS FOR THE POSI-
TON OF TEACHER
from residents of the district. The 18th
applicant was Frederick Terrill of New
town, now deceased, brother of the late
William Terrill of Newtown. Mr. Clark
hired him, and said it created quite a
breeze in the district. He afterward
hired him for the summer school. Mr.
TerrilI kept good school, and made
friends on every hand.
Tho "a
ia not far from 81, although in the time
when the shops we're running, probably
it was three times this figure.
The oldest resident of the district Ia
probably Mrs Samuel Richmond Clark,
mother of S. F. Clark, who is SO, follow
ed by Henry Camp and Eli Smith. The
latter is still quite active for one of his
years, the writer meeting him on Satur-
day as he was returning from milking
his cows on the hill south of the bridge.
Ia reviewing sketch like this some
minds might ask the question, Why this
decline of industry, especially where so
powerful water power was close at
hand? 1t is the old story. The big fish eat
up the little ones. With the advent Of mod
ern machinery and the building of large
shops near the railroad center, the small
shops in the country were compelled to
retire from the business arena. It is the
same in all lines of manufacturing
throughout New England. The centers
of industrial activity have moved from
the country to the CITY. ~~
PRESENT RESIDENTS OF THE DISTRICT.
The !preaent residents of the district
include: Hon Henry Camp, a former
selectman of the town Samuel T. Clark,
the merchant, and Mrs Clark; Gideon
Northrop, successful and thrifty farm
err, wife and children; Henry Camp Nor
throp, successful horse sheer and blacF-
smith A. nj. Worden, the we'll known
blacksmith, wood worker and builder,
and family D. r. Barnum, a well known
and successful farmer, and family; j..
NJ. Ford, living in Southbury township,
but in Southvil1e school district, a pros-
porous farmer; also Edwin Ford, his son,
al energetic worker and bound to sue
coed, and family; Edison Roswell, sue.
eessful farmer, living On the hill, bat in
rhe bounds Of the district; Warren
Wixon and Isaac Smith, energetic farm
ers; Mrs Folliott and sons, Resford and
Robert; Thomas Petit, living on S. F.
Clark's farm; Justus Wilmont, and
family; Walter Bristol, former active
mechanic and living quietly at his home
near the bridge; Mrs Maria Petit, living
on the river road; Eli Smith, one of the
old and esteemed residents of the place,
and wife; Henry Bristol, living near the
bridge, and family; William Manville,
living on the river road, and family Mrs
Samuel Richmond Clark, living on the
river road, and granddaughter Mrs