The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1901-07-22
LEGISLATIVE FEASTS.
ORIGIN oFREUNIoNS NOW POP
ULAR.
the Kind-Men Who Have Been
Promenent In Social Gatherings of
legislators In the Past.

The legislative reunions Of the pres
ent day, which are looked upon by
members of the general assembly as &C.
casions of political no less than of So
cal interest took their start in the leg
islative Social club of 1875. The gene
raj assembly of that year was one of
considerable force. In the house were
such men as the Hon. Lynde Harrison
of New Haven, who represented the
town Of Guilford at that time and was
returned for two years In succession,
attaining the speaership in 1871; Ho-
bart B. Bigelow, who was afterwards
governor of the state; the Hon. Ed
ward S. Cleveland, who was member
from Hampton, but has since served in
both branches from this city; Jeremi-
ah Olney, who was school fund COM
missioner for years. and the Hon.
Charles F. Brooked, now of the nation
al republican committee from this
stateBurwell Carter of Plainvllle,
called by some the father of legislative
reunions, was member from that
town. Stephen Walkeley was a mem
Der from Southington and Martin l.
Sheldon, who won fortune in Chlca-
go, and whose daughter married into
the Armour family, represented Suf-
field.
In the senate were Charles M. Pond,
the founder of Elizabeth park, Thomas
S. Marion of Brooklyn, who took a no
ted part In the dedication Of the Put
nam equestrian statue in that town,
te.-io
ton F. Wilcox This club, organized In
1856, was accust omed to hold reunions
every year. At its meeting mere IN
February, 1885, arrangements We're
made for a general legislative reunion
in May of that year, The event took
place on the oldtime election day.
which has now practically passed out
of memory. This reunion was the first
one In the history of the state in which
state officers and members of the gene
raj assembly came together in body.
| Governor Bigelow was the chairman of
the committee which made the ar
| rangements: Mayor Leverett Brain
| ard of this city. Burwell Carter of
Plainville, D. Ward Northrop of Mid
| dletown and William II. Pond of the
f, school fund office were among his CO.
| workers.
The success of the event was so sig
nal that reunions have been kept up IN
some form every year since that Time
The legislature of 1876 has its reunion
| committee consisting of n. B. stevens
| of Winsted the Hon. Iynde Harrison
of New Haven. stephen O. Bowen tWho
is now a resident Of California;, Isaac
N Bartram of Sharon and John L.
Hutchinson of the Aetna Life 1nsur-
| ance company. In the legislature OF
| that wear there was an abundance or
pubernatorial timber. Luzon b. Nor
ris and Samuel l.. Bronson represented
New Haven. both being democrats OF
| distinguished careers. and Thomas M
/ Waller was in the house from New
London. and held the speakersfip, Ed
| ward S. Cleveland, who was afterwards
the democratic candidate for governor
was also a member. Colonel william
IT. HAYWARD of New London, who was
on the railroad board several years;
ex- Speaker Lynde Harrison, and John
II Perry, who is now enjoying lucra-
five government appointment compose
IN mart the reunion committee of the
legislature of 1877 Judge Hiram Will
lev, who Is now at the age Of eighty,
identified with the law firm of Sperry &
/ Mclean in this city Ell D. Weeks or
Jitchfield, the treasurer of the Ma
tional Life Underwriters association;
the Hon. John s. Cheney of South Man
chester. and Thaddeus II. Spencer of
Suff1eld were members of the house of
1877. Iynda Harrison was its speaker.
ARMY AND NAVY CLUB.
The legislature of 1879, like the one
that preceded it. omitted the organiza-
ton of legislative club. But 1t ac-
con1plished something better than that.
1t was in this Legislature that the
Army and Navy club of Connecticut
took root. Judge Thomas McManus of
this city. who was in the house in 1878,
started in his old office on Asylum
street monthly assemblages of vete-
rams of the war during the session.
The notion was so popular one that
II was continued in 1879. The most dis
tinguished figure at these gatherings In
1879 was the Hon. Samuel Fessenden,
who was then a member of the house
from Stamford His good fellowship
was the feature Of every event at which
he was present. With this astute poll
tician In the house were Carnot O.
Spencer now school fund commission
er; Randolph II. Chandler of Thomp-
son. Charles P. Grosvenor of Pomfret
LYMAN D. Brewster of Danbury, the
Hon. Henry C. Robinson, whose death
last wear was an irreparable loss to the
city. and General Lucius A. Barbour
In the senate were the Hon. John r
Hills. Colonel Hayward and Fl. Wales
Lines of Meriden. 1t was the year OF
United States Senator O. Fl. Platts
original election. Senator Hills, Will
liam D. Bishop, who was so long at the
head of the Consolidated road; Genera
Edward Harland, School Fund Com
missioner Spencer, Ex-Governor Charles
r Andrews and the Hon. w. w. Will
cox of Middletown were in the legisla
tire of 1878. A reunion of these tive
general assemblies would bring togeth-
or a good many of the leading men o.
the state.
The Hon. f. B. Cooley, of this city, |:
at the head of the reunion committee
of the 1882 general assembly, and ex-
Senator NJ w Pemhler holds the same
position in the 1885 committee. Elk
Governor o. Vincent Coffin of Middle
town. Austin Brainard of this city anG
Rank Commissioner George F. Kendall
of Suffield are the active members o