The Press., 1898-12-01
THIRTY YEARS AGO.
[Items of local interest taken from the columns
of The Press, thirty years agOl
December, A, 1865.


School in district No. 8, commences
next Monday. Teachers, Miss Belle Puff
er and Della Fuller, same as last term.
That in district No. 2, commenced last
Monday, Charles Morse of Union and
Miss Lucille Cady of Wilbraham, being
teachers.
The adoption of the district union sys-
tenn was voted down last Saturday by a
large majority, the friends of the new
order of things neglecting to turn out.
The Young Mems Literary association
has changed it's time for meeting from
Monday to Friday evenings. At the next
meeting the question to be discussed will
be, "Resolved that the works of nature
ar more to bs admired than the works O
art" HI. B. Gay and G. J. Holmes take
the affirmative, ]. D. Ballou and S. Page
will appear as champions of art.
G. B. Bosworth has removed the frame
of his boot mandatory from Westford
to this village, has put up the frame and
Is now enclosing 1t.
II. B. Gay has erected barn on his lot
on Prospect street, and has prepared a
cellar to place house upon next spring.
The repairs on East Main street are
about completed at last. Not only is the
street improved for travelling with teams
but there are now good sidewalks nearly
the whole length on both sides of the
street.
The Methodist parsonage is raised and
nearly enclosed.
Col. Amos Pease, sheriff of this county,
was seriously, and it is feared fatally, in
iured on Monday evening. He resides in
Somers and had been to Tolland on bust
ness, leaving latter place for home about
ten O'Clock o. m. When near I. x. Mar
WINS house, the horse going at rapid
rate, the wheel of the buggy hit against
the wheel of a loaded team wagon, which
had been left there for the night, throw
ing Mr.. Pease with great force out upon
his head and face, cutting his face badly
and rendering him insensible. He lay in
this position nearly three hours, when be-
coming partly conscious, he found his way
| ~ W Ds j AC W0O SuASN
for, and in the morning conveyed to his
| family in Somers. At last accounts he
was in delicious state, with blood oozing
out of his ear and from the back portion
of his head, which is almost literally
scalped.
A handsome monument to cost about
one thousand dollars is to be erected over
the grave of the late Edwin Whitney,
superint endent of the Soldiers Orphans
Home in Mansfield. Mr.. Whitney was a
man of unselfish patriotism, as exhibited
in his liberal works. He was graduate
of the normal school in Rhode Island.
Having married the daughter of Deacon
Barns at Mansfield he went at the solicit
tation of his father-in-law, who was be-
coming worn with age, to that place,
where he erected a school building cap
able of accommodating about fifty boys,
the object of the school being to impart
instruction preparatory to entering col
lege. Among the first scholars was a
boy from Brooklyn, N. Y, who had left
home contrary to his own wishes, and,
to revenge himself set fire to the school
building, and entirely consumed it. Mr..
Whitney recovered from his father the
total amount of loss, some ten thousand
dollars, and erected another and more
commodious building, at an expense of
about fifteen thousand dollars. AT about
| this time, in 1865, the Connecticut
Soldiers Home was Incorporated by the
legislature, and the officers advertised for
proposals to locate it.. Mr.. Whitney
promptly offered to give his entire proper
ty saving some household furniture, and
his offer was accepted. In December,
1866, the home was formally inaugurated,
Mr.. Whitney being appointed superin-
former insisted at the outset that his
salary should not exceed 5000 The
school started with twenty-five children,
and has flourished ever since. In August
died. Some time before his illness, few
gentlemen interested in his work en-
couraged him to have his life insured,
and he took out a policy for $4,000,
which amount his wife and her father now
have for support. At the annual meeting
of the officers in June last it was voted
to procure monument for the deceased,
but agreed that the funds required should
be raised entirely by subscription.
BIRTHS. West Stafford, November 25,
1868, son to VIM. Moore.
Staffordville, November "a, son to
Edwin Sullivan.
Westford, November 81. a daughter to
Capt. Harry A. Eastman.
MARRIED. West Brookfield, Mass,
November 26, 1868, by Rev. S. Durham,
Philander Holmes of Stafford and Nellie
M, daughter of Dea. S. L. Barnes.
Mansfield, November %, by Rev. A. A.
Robinson, Chas. w. Nichols and Harriet
E. Hutchins, both of Mansfield.
Rockville, November26, by Rev. J. w.
Willett, Hudson Austin and Mary E
Bartlett, both of Coventry.
Somers, November %, Adolphus Chaplin
and Harriet c., only daughter of Chester
Pease.
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