The Newtown bee., 1903-03-27
of wood, in the year 1910.


A paper bearing the account of Jo-
seph Wheeler for services as first select.
man in 1919 would make the taxpayers
of this generation smile. For that wear
it cost the town just $28.O9 for his
services and he seemed to have spent a
good deal of his time seeing to the
towns affairs, too. Another paper in
his possession would console the side
walk advocates for it seems in 1928 the
town didn't build any walks. but q
subscription paper of that date tells of
now the first walk in town was laid at
cost OF S162.74 and the small fac
STONES which were used were drawn
mere from the Mine Hill quarry in Rox-
bury.
OF his collection of old firearms and
swords he prizes most highly sword
MS grandfather, Dan Peck, used to own
ana use at time when he was CAPTAIN
OF The militia here, some IS years ago.
There is also in the collection a sword
two pistols and shoulder epaulette
used when there was company of cav
airy here in the year 1888. Several old
mint locks of historic value, a brace of
pistols, swords, bayonets, some powder
! TASKS that date Way back, ard unite a
quantity of perfect f1ints such as were
used in the guns for which thew were
| made
OF HIS MISCELLANEOUS
articles it would be hard task to give
details but perhaps few that make
the most impression on visitors will be
OF interest. For instance take the
articles be has that have SUCCESSFULLY
followed each other by which light has
oeen secured. First there is the old
| hint and steel. This method of GETTING
lire is very, very old, and next is the
taper, a small iron basin in which
grease was put and into which a rag
| was put and lighted. This is followed
oy d series OF very interestin candle
sucks OF tin and stone, and a small tin
lamp called the petticoat lamp, which
was first used on the introduction of
whale Oil as fuel for securing light.
But IL seems to have never been very
popular, this lamp, for the odor COM
ing from it did not make it a pleasant
companion in the room. Mr. Peck has
quite an array Of Indian relics, many
OF which were gathered from near here,
and some that have been sent him
from a distance. They are mostly Of
stone IN the shape of Indian plows,
Sklnning knives, hatchets and arrow
neads and many Of them are highly
priced for their beauty of form and the
stone of which they were made. The
Indians could evidently beat the dudes
OF to-day as far as pipes are concerned,
judging by the collection. There is a
pipe OF peace, used by the Indians,
quite massive affair, and a pipe from
The Alaska Indians, brought to the
museum by Abel Dibble, Mrs Peck's
uncle, very fine in it's carving, resem-
ding Japanese workmanship. A
braves brooch, in the relics, which only
Che Indian braves were allowed to wear,
is purported to have been worn by
Little Hawk, and was given Mr. Peck
ny Robert Van'Kuren, a relative, who
purchased it of Little Hawk during
the Minnesota massacre.
A collection of ink stands are worth
more than passing notice. There are
some regular old timers, made to be
carried in the pocket with place also
for the quill. Then there are a large
number
THAT EVIDENTLY WE'RE NOT
made for modern pockets for they are
of the heaviest kind of stone and MANY
OF them are very cute in design. Some
OF them also have record as having
served such men as Zalmon Sanford
way back in 1914 and later Henry Beers
Glover, Judge McCurdy and DIR Ben
nett.
Mr. Peck thinks he has the first lock
that was ever brought into Newtown,
and it is probable he will not be dis
puted by those who see it, but it it real
ly too bad there ever was a first one,
for perhaps Newtown people would
have always. remained too honest to
need locks if they hadn' been introduce
ed for them to try to break. And, too,
heIhas number of venerable looking
pocketbooks belonging to noted New
towners, which have done service in
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