The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1899-08-13
IN TIMES AGONE.
"Reminiscences of
Worcester in the
Early Days.
OLD-TlME BUSINESS men.
Interviews With Three
Prominent Mer-
chants.

ditions in the city thirty-five or forty
years ago. or much of the changes
which have taken place during the last
three decades.
The business changes have been
among the most marked; old firms have
passed away and new ones taken their
places; whole industries have been
wiped out because there is now no de-
mand for their products; waste land
has been reclaimed to make room for
manufactures, and the whole topog-
raphy of the city changed.
In interviews with three of the old
residents who are still in business here,
The Spy man came across some inter-
esting facts, which, while not entirely
unknown, are interesting enough to tell
about. These are not all the old firms
still in existence, but it would be safe
to say that there are not half dozen
more on Main street which have existed
Tor so long. There are a number of old
firm-names still well known, but in
most cases the originators have died.
leaving the. business to their sons or
successors. The story will tell some
thing of the growth Of Worcester since
the time when it was the pretty little
village nesting among the hills.
Frank w. Harrington, who keeps, the
stationery store at 367 Main street, is
one of the Oldest business men in Wor-
cester, and has been interested In the
city's welfare ever since his arrival
here. When he came to Worcester as
boy the first time he went to work in
Clark & Sanford's thread store, sit
uated in what was known as ''The
tombs," a row of one-story wooden
buildings running from Elm to Maple
streets on Main, built in the yard Of
Gov. Ldncoln's mansion. After remain
ing there five weeks he became home
sick and walked back to Millbury, his
fathers home.
January /, 1S49, he came back to the
city ana went to work for David Hay
wood, who kept a thread store in the
building at the corner of Elm and Main
streets, where the Imperial Spa is now
located. This was at that time the
largest stone building in the county and
was the wonder of the whole country
Mr.. Harrington agreed to work for
Haywc cd for three years to learn the
trede, receiving for the first year $25
and board, for the second $50 and for
the third S75. At the end of six months,
however, he knew more of the business
than Mr.. Haywood, and had entire
charge of the store, Mr.. Haywood
spending most of his time sitting at the
back door. At this time the old Lincoln
farm extended to the rear of the build
ing and the COWS often came down to
drink from the well situated at the
back door.
In 1863 Mr.. Haywood became involved
in debt, and after collecting all the
money possible, left Worcester, turning,
over the store and contents to Mr. Har-
rington with the statement that he
would never return. He kept his word
in this, and was never seen in Worces-
ter again.
Mr.. Harrington and M. d. Phillips,
a relative of Haywood, then ran the
store as partners for three years, pay
ing up Haywood's outstanding debts.
Phillips then sold out to Henry j. Har-
rington, a brother of Frank w. The
new firm remained in business for three
years longer, and then Frank w. Har-
rington opened a store of the same sort
in Brfnley block, the site of the State
Mutual building. Just before the war,
he sold out and opened toy store in
the building now occupied by w. A
England, and later on sold this to Jo-
mas White.
He then went into partnership with
Taft & Libby, restauranters, located in
a small wooden building near the pres
ent store of Putnam & Davis. Har-
rington and Lyman Taft soon after
bought the then vacant land where
Putnam & Thurstons restaurant now
10, and put up the present building. A
few years later Mr.. Harrington sold out
his interest in the block to Taft, and
entered the employ of Putnam & Davis,
where he remained only a short time,
going into business for himself again in
the stationery and fancy goods line, in
the Haywood block, just north of the
Bay State House. moving into his pres
emit quarters few years later
One thing Mr.. Harrington remembers
wildly was the funeral of Gen Geo.
Lincoln, who was killed in the Mexican
rl.f 49, go,
burial A large military funeral was
held, and prominent in the procession
was the generals white horse, with the
boots laid over the saddle During the
storm which. destroyed Minot's ledge
light, Mr.. Harrington stood at the back
door of the store and watched the sign
on the Lincoln House. 1t was large
wooden sign, hung from a horizontal
piece, and the force of the wind was
such as to make it stand out perfect
ly fiat for minutes at time. OF course
he remembers distinctly the old Provi-
dence ana Worcester canal, which ran
back of his fathers garden in Millbury
lie has watched the growth of the city
from town of about 10000 inhabitants
to it's present size
Mr.. Harrington has retired from act
i've business life leaving the work to
his son, but still takes an intense inter-
est in all that is done in the business
AAAd AZ bAiS reites
DIR. George McAleer came to Worces-
ter in 1865 and went into his present
business three years later in company
with his brother, under the firm name
of r. McAleer & Co. He has been
treasurer of the Bay State Savings
bank FOR number of years, and is
probably one of the best known men
in the city at the present time. He
is an ardent sportsman, and is known
as writer of hunting and fishing stories
by every one who reads the publica-
tions devoted to these sports. His inter-
est in Worcester has always been OF
the greatest, and next to rods and guns,
he loves to talk of the city and its in
terests. The changes which have taken
place during his thirty-lve years OF
residence are well brought out in the
interview given Spy man a few days
ago. ss
THE transition from the Worcester
of 35 years ago to the Worcester of to-
day is s. certainly very remarkable.
There probably Is not q dozen OF the
old business men of that day now llv-
ing, and any person who may have
left Worcester at that time would
hardly know the city If visiting 1t now.
Old business houses have been blotted
out; new signs and greater enterprises
now meet the eye. This growth has
come about so noiselessly as to be UNI
noticed at the time, but contrast with
the Worcester OF SO years ago, shows
its extent and Importance.
For instance, there was not a sin
gle business block on Main street,
south of Pleasant street. From a point
near Pleasant street on Main street,
nearly to Austin street. there was a
high stone terrace extending some doz-
en- feet at its'highest point above Main