The Newtown bee., 1904-09-09
ii. e. BARTLETT,
OF BRIDGEPORT, GIVES INTERESTING
 STORIES AND "REMINISCENCES.

that I will quote this afternoon that do not appear in Holy Writ but will apply here. The first applies to myself, it reads like this: "Blessed are they that have nothing, for it cannot be no prepared speech, no historical facts
 and with no display of eloquence, and
 as those who have preceded me have
 not encroached upon my territory at all. The second one is: "BleSsed are
 they who expect nothing, for they are never disappointed" That will apply
 to you, for after knowing me as many of you have, and my limited advan- tages, you certainly will expect very little. I was not native of Hunting ton, but came here in the spring of 1861 to live with Dea Ira Nichols of IsinglaSs district, for my board, cloth ing and schooling. l remained here board was good, always having enough of good wholesome food, and comfort able clothes, but had only about four months schooling each winter, begin ming at Thanksgiving and ending be- fore the first of April, with new teacher every year. We began at the first of the book every term. So you see as the years went by l made nttle progress. I finished my education with one term at the Glover select school at the Center. This afternoon of some of the people who were living here at that time. Some Of them were noble characters, and others were quaint and peculiar. Dea Ira Nichols
 was a man of sterling worth. strong convictions and deeply religious char acter, and a man who was true to his convictions if he had to stand alone.
 Let me relate two instances which
 made deep impression on my mind at the time. He was among the first to join the Washington1ans, which was movement. The pledge taken allowed the use of light wines, but proh1D- ited the use of strong liquors. At that time he was building the barn that now stands on the old place. The timbers were framed and all ready to raise, and as was the custom or those
 days he went around and invited all
 the neighbOrS to come to the raising ana
 told them there would be plenty to eat
 most every one told him he could
 never raise his barn without 1t, for the
 people would not come. "Well," he
 said, "if I cannot raise my barn with out rum it will lie on the ground and
 rot, for I will never furnish drop"
 The day of the raising the people
 gathered, every one that he asked.came,
 and one who was not invited. The
 barn was raised, the rafters put In
 place and all ready to cover at night
 without a mistake or accident. Old
 Uncle Enoch Buckingham was going
 to raise his barn the next week, and ne said, "Deacon, wish my barn could 20 up like that" "Well," said the deacon, ''let rum alone" But he did not, and one or two men were hurt and they did not raise rafter. Another instance took place during the Aboli- tiOn movement. If he was not 2 pro- moter of the underground railway, he was skaunch upholder of it, and aided as far a1 possible the movement to as sist runaway slaves. He had the eour- age of kis convictions and stood Tor Abolitasn under all circumstances. 1t was in aale summer of 1863, just before Abraham Lincoln issued the Emanci- patton Proclamation he had working l for him a black man, who was known as Billy Harlow. At noon we all sat down at the table, but Billy did not come in. MT Nichols turned to ms wife and said, "Where is William?' She replied that he would not come ID las it would not be proper for him tc Esit at the table with white people
  E"Henry go tell William to come in. , EI did so. He came to the door anc Esaid he thought he ought to wait un ktil the rest were through. The deacon Fthen said, civilian come in and si down, A man that is good enough tt work for me is good enough to eat wit! me" Silas Hubbell and wife hvec Inext to us and were the best of neigh bors. MT Hubbell had some peppe in his disposition and sometimes W had lively arguments between us, Du ldispositions l ever knew, and man. Ehappv hours have l spent under thei
 roof. There is one family that wis
 to give more than a passing nOtHe, M land Mrs William Buckingham, tn father and mother of "that yell' yo have heard so frequently here to-day 1 Good and kind in their daily life, an | pleasant and cheerful wherever yo Il met them. Mrs Buckingham was Kin l and motheriy in her manner ana q ways had tender spot In her neal for us boys. No matter now a1dc mdc Emischief we got into, she never scOlde us, but enjoyed our fun as much as W ; I did. The instances were rare that : went to her house that she did nc ~ ] have piece of pie or cake for me, an - 4 that you know will touch a boys heal - I as nothing else will. And when sh a gave up this life and the sons wrote m e to come to her funeral l left ever. .- thing and went, and as l stood by het o casket and looked at the dear ol S familiar face, could thank God ths pfI ever knew her. Then there wei F some very quaint characters liyi1 le here at that time. There was Mllit % Curtiss, who kept the old grist mil n and took toll out of every bag or gra " for pay. How he did like to get jol n on the people who came to him; t E was great tobacco chewer ana alWa sT had in an enormous quid. One day s- man brought grist to the mill al sh while he was waiting for 1t to [
 ground the smiller came to him al vn said, "Have you got any tObacker, on The man handed him paper that n; is- never been opened. Curtiss took u he paper and tore off about one-third re- it and held it up and said, "Tha1 ,m enough for any one, don't you thll W so?' "Yes," the man snapped ol ow 1'Well," said Miller Curtis, "you ia Ied it then, /" and he put the two-th1rds ra- his own pocket. And there was Un, ald Jesse Gilbert, one of the most pecul1 BE- men I ever met. His tongue alWS + of hung out of the left corner of ,ho l.mouth when he talked. He alWs ay preceded his remarks with "And, [