New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1900-02-04
CONNECTICUT INTERESTS.
THE STATE LAW AND ORDER LEAGUE
ACTIVELY AT WORK.
JAMES A. BILLS AGGRESSIVE PERsoNALITY-THE
SEWERAGE coMMIssIoN-BEACH LAND

JAMES A. BILLS AGGRESSIVE PERSONALIIh-4h
SEWERAGE CoMMIssIoN-BEACH LAND
IN DISPUTE.
Hartford Conn, Feb. 8 (SpeciaD.-The work
of the State Law and Order League has been
forcibly brought TO mind this week by raids on
gambling houses in small towns. by the meeting
of the league In this city. and the report of
its executive officer s. p. Thresher, who Is
agent and secretary of the organization. The
struggle the league has been engaged in dur
ing the last six months has been the effort to
suppress poolselling at racetracks and the SELL
ing of pools on races In the cities. The race
track work was only partially successful by
reason of the lack of funds; the poolselling and
gambling fraternity at Danbury Fair. number
ing about eighty persons, getting off scot free
with a warning that they must not repeat the
offence at the coming fair The raid at the
fall meeting at Charter Oak Park was on the
last day of the races, and the men arrested paid
$50 fine each The books seized indicated that
nearly 100000 had been invested in straight
and mutual pool for the five days of the races.
Complaint has been made that the league Off
GERS waited too long before the seizure was
made, but the agent replies that it was neces-
sary in order that evidence might be obtained
Racing associations have often threatened to
abandon the sport In the State unless pools were
allowed to be sold, but the facts that the Char-
ter Oak Park Association. the largest or them
all, has been engaged in making extensive I'M
provements in the park, and that circuit dates
have already been fixed show that they are not
| in earnest in Their protest
The league is voluntary organization, sup
porting a small State constabulary, and it's
1 working capital from small appropria-
| ton from the State and from contributions. The
| services of the league usually requested by
citizens who satisfied that local police effort
! will be of little avail in correcting the evils in
the community. Sunday liquor selling and gam
| bling are offences which the league operates
against and in the last six months over one hun
dred cases have been investigated, ifty-four
| arrests resulting The league meets with bitter
opposition. and some of its methods of detective
| work are not favored even by those who are in
| sympathy with its objects.
| THE HUMANE SOCIETYS WORK
Another organization which is doing effective
| work throughout the State held it's annual meet
| ing the present week; that is the Connecticut
| Humane Society. Like the Law and Order
! League, it is voluntary organization supported
by State appropriation in part only. Its work
covers the entire State, although it's headquar-
ters are in this city 1t does for the State much
the sort of work the Gerry society, Of New
| York, does. with the addition of carrying
|
mails. It's officers are in nearly every town. and
during the year it has relieved 973 men. women
| and children and 1901 animals. The society
| has worked its way into popularity by its thor
ough work and has the support of all classes
| except that class among which its work must
perforce be done. 1t has permanent fund of
$4,000. S23,50O having been added by legacies
during the year
JAMES A. BILL OF LYME
One of the best known men in the State died
on Thursday-James A. Bill. of Lyme. In early
life he was successful subscription book pub
Usher in Philadelphia, but for many years he
was never spoken of in any other way than
james A. Bill. of Lyme" He bred fancy cat
tie and sheep and exhibitor at all the
fairs in the State and at the New England Fair,
and was an authority all matters connected
with agriculture. In addition to his farm. he
was greatly interested in the restocking of the
Connecticut River with shad 1t is largely
through his efforts as State Fish Commissioner
that the shad hatcheries at Joshuatown. not
far from his home, were established, and the run
of shad in the river greatly increased by them.
He a Democrat in politics, one of the old
type and in ecrly times was greatly interested
in the Missouri Compromise and the incidents
connected with it, much that he named
two of his reminder of that famous
contest. one Kansas Nebraska Bill and another
of character, and generally carried out what
measures he undertook. often in face of ire
mendous opposition. He often member of
the Legislature
QUESTIONS AS TO SEWER AGE.
1t is practically decided that some OF the mem
bers of the State Sewerage Commission will go
abroad this season for the purpose of gathering
information as to filtration beds for sewage and
other things that will be of Importance to the
reforms which the Commission will propose to
the Legislature. In this connection II is inter-
| estng to note that the only sewerage contro-
Versy in the State is proceeding in the Superior
Court in this city. Hartford has this week re-
piled to New Britain in the suit which has for
its object the removal of the sewage of the latter
city from Piper Brook. which eventually runs
through Bushnell Park and the manufacturing
section of this city. The reply is genero de-
NAL, claiming that defence worthy the
name has been set up by New-Britain.
THE TITLE TO BEACH LANDS
Summer cottagers at Westbrook. on the Sound,
are much interested and not a little disturbed
over the possible outcome OF a suit by that town
against Lyman c. Camp and his wife, of this
city, the action being brought by the town to re-
strain the defendants from maintaining hotel
on the beach in that town. The tract of land
! uIOn the beach, the town claims, is public and
not private property. and a copy of the charter
issued by Charles H. and several acts OF the
Legislature have been In evidence to show that
all the land In Westbrook not owned by private
parties belongs to the town Mr.. Camp and his
wife claim that old deeds always have bounded
tracts of land ION the south by the sea- 1.-The
beach and sea-" The town claims that strp
ten or fifteen rods wide on the beach belongs u
i It. Many Hartford cottagers and cottagers from
all sections of the State own summer homes on
J the territory in dispute.
ENFIELD BANK FAILURES