Waterbury Democrat., 1901-07-29
WATERFRONT JOTTINGS.
FIRE DEPARTMENT ANSWERS A
 FALSE ALARM.
Someone Became Frightened at q Bonfire-One of Watertown's Old Time Industries-The Manufactur-

Bonfire-One of Watertown's Old
 Time Industries-The Manufactur-
 ing of Pocketbooks.
 Every now and then something new is brought to light about Watertown's old industries, industries that were car ried on in q more or less dimlnutlVe way when the town was in its infan- cy. Perhaps one of the most interest ing of old '.Westbury's" small business enterprises was that carried on by A. A. Hotchkiss, a manufacturer of pock- etbooks. Way off i'll the west some where number of these curious pock- etbooks have attracted public atten- tion and caused no little comment. All bore the stamp, name and trade mark of 4. 4. HotchkisS, Watertown, Conn. There were very few houses in the village when MT Hotchkiss began to make his handmade pocketbooks. This was before the Mexican war, for some of the old leather pocketbooks made in Watertown have been carried through the Mexican war in 1S4T, the Seminole war and the civil war. MT Hotchkiss had large family, and as his business increased from time to time his daughters adapted themselves to the stitching and finishing of these curious receptacles for money. They were made in his house, two or three rooms being given up to the industry | and for a long time all the pocket books were made or genuine calfskin and the. entire process was by hand. There were no machines in those days to cut, stitch or stamp,i and the pro- cess was necessarily slow. Watertown pocketbooks gradually found their way all over the country, and the govern ment at the time of the Mexican war | ordered large consignments, which ] were issued to the soldiers. Quite a comfortable fortune was accumulated I by the Hotchkiss family in Water town in this way, and the family af- terwards moved to Canaan, where the business was continued A. A. Hotch- kiss was the father of the young man | Ca cripple) who invented the now fa- nous Hotchkiss gun.
 1 Besides the Ladies' Aid society a large delegation of Watertown people will attend the fete in Oakville on Thursday.
 Jacob Blakeslee, who has been on the | sick list for some time, is improving. | A lawn party will be held tomorrow evening on the rectory lawn. The affair is held for the purpose of rais i ing enough funds to make some small repairs. Ice cream and lemonade will I be sold on the grounds and a shirt waist dance will be held in the parish room. Freeman's orchestra has been l engaged to furnish music An admis sion fee of 15 cents will be charged ! at the dance hall with ofie admission to the grounds.
 Harry Heminway and his family arc spending delightful outing at Ban tam lake.
 Albert Skilton's daughter is very il with cholera infantum
 It is understood that the same force of teachers will be~retained at tho Center district school next term with an additional teacher for the new room
 It has been given out that the mem bers of the Goodwill society who were to hold lawn fete on +. o. Bower: property next Wednesday evening would postpone the affair until latel on account of the lawn fete to-mor row evening
 George Haskins is visiting at hi sons home, George Haskins, Jr.
 The town was awakened from it. usual quietness Saturday evenin: about 7:30 o'clock by the ringing of tn, fire alarm. Most of the town turned out and the greater portion of the fir, department. The alarm proved to b. a false one, however, and within few minutes the recall sounded Some one thought that the house of Thomas Fry was on fire and while one mar went down to investigate some chil dren in front of Howard Hickox's resi- dence, shouted "Fire!' Only the chemi cal was taken out