The Newtown bee. (Newtown, Conn.) 1877-current, 1898-09-02

There is in attendance about sixty board
ing scholars.
Another school, for young men prepar-
ing for college, is under the direction of
William c. Brinsmade. A. M, a brother
of the present master of the Gunnerv, and
occupies large and elegant mansion on
the ''Ridge," knob of land half a mile
distant from the Green. The two schools,
although entirely independent of each
other, have between them fine athletic
and ball grounds, with tennis court and
series of golf links.
The examinations given are held BY
Harvard professor and admit to that
university-of which the two Brinsmade
brothers are graduates.
THERE ARE NO MANUFACTURES IN THE
TOWN AT THE PRESENT TIME,
and It's splendid water-powers are neg
lected beyond a grist-miIl and saw-mill
or two, Yet, in former days, many shops
and factories existed, and gave promise
OF great futures. At Woodville, fifcv
years ago, Chittenden's Iron Works en-
ployed an hundred men or more. Down
on ''Christian Street" lime burning and
brick making were carried on. At the
falls at New Preston, and all along the
Aspetuck, stone saw-mills produced the
slabs for monuments, and the marble
quarries at Marketable were busy and
profitable. At Baldwin's, just north Of
Goose Hill, foundry and machine shop
turned out large quantities of goods,
mostly for farmers purposes. Captain
Center, in the hollow west of the ''Greep, -
built and operated large cotton mill,
employing many operatives. Here lived,
in his boyhood, Alexander J. Center, the
chief engineer of the Panama railroad,
which was built largely by his promot-
ing. Now these have disappeared, and
many of the dams are gone, while the
lone fisherman inveigles the trout amid
the ruins.
The modern Industries are entirely
changed. In the little village at the De-
pot, two or three small shops are running
wagon~shop and grist mill. The Echo
Farm Company of Litchfield, some years
ago, engaged in buying milk here and
bottling it, for the New York market.
1t erected large building opposite the
Depot for this business, which was en-
tirely destroyed by fire a year ago, and
has not been rebuilt, but the business is
continued in other buildings.
The Brinsmade family has had from
the early settlement positive influence
in the building of this society. Daniel
Brinsmade, young parson, just gradu-
ated from Yale college, became the spir-
itual leader of this flock in 174S. He was
thirty years old, thoroughly Puritanical
and with decided opinions, and for near
ly fifty years ministered unto them, in
season and out of season. Two causes
disturbed his peaceful reign; one the
Revolutionary war with it's attendant Pa
triot and Tory convictions and animos-
tiles, and the other the Episcopalian her
esq way up in Davies Hollow. This
latter was. however, then in the town of
Litchfield. The halfway covenant doc
trine also made ripple of trouble over
the calm surface of his religious work.
By his marriage with Rhoda Sherman of
New Haven, he had two sons, Daniel
Nathaniel and Daniel Sherman. He lived
on the brow of the hill east of the Green,
in house now torn down, just north of
the late residence of Lewis Cantield. He
died in 1898.
HON DANIEL N BRINSMADE,
his Oldest son, graduated at Yale in 1772,
read law with Samuel Garfield, Esq, of
Sharon, and pursued his profession in his
native town until his death in 1926. He
was a justice of the quorum, and assist
ant Judge of the County court for sixteen
years. He represented his town in the
General Assembly at both it's May and
October sessions for twenty .one years,
and was q member of the convention
that adopted the Federal Constitution.
He almost believed he held public office
by prescription. After the adoption of
the new State constitution of Connecticut
In 1878, he was dropped, but the next
year he went to Hartford TO see what the
new order Of people could do without
him. Taking spectators seat in the
rear of the hall, he soon became absorbed
in the proceedings-and his old expert
ences revived. Soon member rose and
made motion. The Judge had been SO
long accustomed to seeonding every mo-
tior, whether he favored it or NOT, just
for the sake OF having it properly present.