The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1899-08-13

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and achieved great wealth and distinc-
ton. Next came the home of Judge Ira
M. Barton, father of the late city treas
urer Barton Then in order came the
residences of DIR. Joseph Sargent, Hon.
John Milton Earle, George T. Rice,
president of the Nashua railroad, and
Samuel H. Golden, whose nursery ex-
tended to Austin street.
Here it was that Rt Rev. John 7.
Powers, D. D., bought the site for the
erection of st. Pauls Church. Hon.
Joseph Blake, then mayor of Worces-
ter, and a strong personal friend of
Father Powers, advised against build
ing the church on the hill, as he fore
saw the growth of the city in that di-
rection. Father Powers then purchased
the lot at the corner of Chatham and
High streets, where st. Pauls Church
now stands. The first parcel of land
he bought for about $4,000, and some
years since it was sold for $137 500.
Another thing, which may be in
stanced as. an evidence of the growth
and prosperity OF Worcester is to be
seen in the water supply and fire SER
vice. In 1865 the only supply of water
for Worcester was found in Bell pond
on Belmont street, which, at its best
would not now furnish a weeks sup
ply of water for the city In Septem-
Der, 1865, the Keyes planning mill, SASH
door and blind factory, situated at the
corner of Central and Union streets,
caught fire at about 10 o'clock in the
evening. The fire bells changed, and
the ffremen, with their old hand tubs"
rushed up and down the streets looking
for the fire no fire alarm system hav-
ing yet been installed. Finally the
blaze was located and then no water
was found available, owing to the
great drought Which had prevailed dur
Ing the months previous, only a day or
two supply of water having been in the
reservoir for some time A fireman
took horse and rode to North pond
to open the gates and allow the water
to flow down the old Blackstone canal.
This supply of water did not reach the
scene of the fire until next morning,
when the building was entirely in
ashes.
At this time the old Main street
school house. nearly opposite Foster
street, was occupied for school pur-
poses, at which many of the leading
citizens of the present day received
their education, among them being
Philip ]. Moen and lockwood Hoar.
another old school house stood on the
site of the soldiers monument, on the
common, and few others were scat
tered throughout the city. Wells were
dug in their vicinity to supply water,
and the old pumps used by the schools
and citizens alike, abounded in the
principal thoroughfares, and have but
recently given way to the more mod
ern appliances.
THE post office In 1865 and for some
years after was presided over by Hon
John Milton Earle as postmaster, and
was located In small room in the Cen
trail Exchange building, now occupied
by the Mechanics Savings Bank. With
in a restricted territory the small
amount of mail matter at that time
was delivered by a carrier, who received
penny for each parcel of mail deliv-
cred, and thereby became known as
the penny post
BARRIERS to supply the needs in their
line, and they found plenty of Idle
time. Prof. Walker, in the Bay State
House block, William H. Jankins on
Foster street, and B. f. Clough on
Main street, made the list which is in
strange contrast with 1876 BARRIERS of the
present day, all doing successful bust
ness.
The restaurants and eating houses
do not seem to have held their own.
From 80 to IS years ago there were in
the city a large number of expensive
and famous eating houses and, strange
as 1t may SEEM there are but few in
comparison today, and of much less ex-
tent and Importance. The cause of this
is probably to be found in the increased
railway facilities. In 1865 and for a.
few years later, it was almost impossi-
BILE for a person to make connection by
train and nearly all travellers were
compelled to remain over night in
Worcester"
Samuel H. Putnam Of the Putnam.
Davis Company, IS one of the old resi-
dents of Worcester and one of the old
est business men Of the city. His first
business experience in Worcester was
in Hackett'c dry goods store, then To-
Gated where the Gazette office now is.
He enlisted during the war, and came
back to Worcester in 1864, going to
work April l, 1865, in Grout & Bige-
lows book store, situated where the
present store is now.
After the death of Mr. Bigelow the
firm became Grout & Putnam, and Mr..
Putnam remembers Mr.. Grout with al
most reverence. HE was" said Mr..
Putnam, "the squarest business man
ever knew" Five years later they
took In the head clerk, Dwight A. Da-
Wis, and the firm of Grout. Putnam e
Davis was started. Mr.. Grout with
drew, and another head clerk, Charles
Bannister, was taken in, making the
firm as it now stands, Putnam, Davis
Company
Mr. Putnam has lived in Worcester
practically all his life, and remembers
well the changes which have taken
place in the city.
worcester was a pretty village in
the old days" said Mr.. Putnam to a
Spy man From Wellington street way
out through New Worcester, there was
scarcely house along the road The
old Jaques farm stretched down to
L., 1,;II
Dread now stands, known then as
Goat HILL was faYorite resort of the
young people on Fourth of July Flow
ers grew just over the wall all along
Main street. and the spot where the
Mortified building now stands was a
bog full of flowers. Blue gentians
grew at one particular point on Main
street, and the boys used to bring in
almost armloads.
1.-THE old Blackstone canal was in use
and was clean then. l remember seeing
baptism there one time. Lake Quin-
sigamond had scarcely a boat on 1t.
There were one or two old punts that
we boys used to hire to go fishing IN,
and they had to be bailed out with our
hats before they could be used
THE book business has risen and
fallen since / came into it, In the old
days people loved books. Book collect
ing was almost a profession, and
used to pride myself on my knowledge
Of new and old books. Now there are
comparatively few houses that have
many books in their Libraries. Chill
dren are not saving books as we used
to do. The book clubs in the city, the
library, the cheap magazines for every
member of the family, keep people
from finding time to collect books.
THE busy Worcester of today isn't
the pretty village of my YOUTH said
Mr. Putnam in conclusion, land 1t is
pleasant to think that some one takes
an interest in knowing what the viii