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

sort of patriarchial control in secular
matter, while the pastors and deacons
dominated the religious and educational
interests of the community. The first
break in this solid formation of church
and state was indirectly occasioned by
the French Revolution. The Puritan
ministry hated French democracy just as
sincerely as they hated French Infidelity.
Thomas Jefferson was a believer in the
Revolution of 1889. He was attacked
from nearly every Congregational pulpit
in. the state as an enemy of religion and of
social order. The result in Washington,
as elsewhere, was a religious schism.
Earnest democrats began to look about
them for some church where they could
worship God without having their politi-
cal principles denounced as infamous,
their political leaders as infidels. So Bit
ter was the feeling that, in two recorded
cases in the town of Washington, demo-
Gratis were fined for interrupting preach
ets of the gospel of Federalism. One of
them
had RISEN IN MEETING AND SHAKEN HIS
FIST IN THE MINISTER'S FACE,
and the other had brandished a for
midable looking jack knife at the pastor"
II am entirely alone, having no So
| ciety, and nothing to associate with but
Presbyterians and wolves; - wrote the
distinguished Mary Powell, wife of John
| Davies, Jr,, to her friends in England,
| from her lonely cabin in Davies Hollow,
where her husband and his father located
their homes more than a century and a
half ago. Hills on either side, crowned
to their SUBMITS with massive oak and
chestnut trees, little clearing on the
| plain, where, amid the stumps, strag-
| CLING hills of maize and potatoes grew
like forlorn hopes. In the never ending
woods the squirrels chatted mockingly
az her, the deer roamed fearlessly, and
often the stealth7 Indian lurked, ready
| to seize any one of the little children
that strayed from the settlers cabin.
Tue murmuring of the brook over the
stones, and the signing of the winds
through the pines of the valley, were in
harmony with her feelings, and no
wonder she longed for the green fields
OF Hertfordshire, and the comforts of
that beautiful home she had left,-but
the pioneers wife was brave and lived
to see these hills cultivated and the
cherries wilderness blossom like rose.
Now the hillsides are green with grass
and John Davies with all the family,
sleep in the little cemetery, while many
illustrious descendants are scattered over
this broad land,-one especially, Charles
Davies, LII. D., long professor at West
Point, and author of the valuable series
OF mathematical works has been especial
~ prominent in the thoughts of every
student tangled in the jungles of plus
and minus.
John Davies, the first, was pioneer
Episcopalian, and used to attend the
meetings of his then unpopular sect at
Litchfeld, 10 miles or more distant, and
gave deed of some now valuable land
to that society in the form of a lease, for
nine hundred and ninety-nine years, for
Zone pepper corn, to be paid an
nually if lawfully demanded, at or upon
the feast of st Michael the Archangel.''
| believe the pepper corns are kept In
readiness for delivery when called for.
As he became older, he tired of going so
far to church, aud built one near the
little cemetery in the Hollow. This by
migration now stands on the northwest
corner Of the green in Judea.
Upon the completion of the Shepaug
railroad in 1872, the station in
DAVIES HOLLOW WAS CALLED ssRoM-
FORD" IN HONOR OF RoMULoUs
FORD,
who was then owner of the Hollow, and
made donation of land to the company.
More than so years ago the farmers
here marketed their products by means
Of middlemen, who carried them to
neighboring cities, generally to New
Haven where they sold them and re-
turned proceeds to shipper, leas two
cents pound. It made q good business
for the transporters, and swift and
sure market for the grower. and for
many years the Litchfeld country pro-
duce brought an advanced price in the
retail markets. Only one OF these deal.
ers, 80 FAR as the writer knows, has re-
manned In this field OF trade, and lii our
view OF farmers hall, this veteran,
Erastus Huribut, ID seated In the porch
NJ bis large general country store, adj
joining immense storehouses which