The Press., 1905-09-20
THIRTY YEARS AGO.
Items of local interest taken from the columns
of The Press, thirty years ago.1
September 81, 1875.

while the selectmen are building a
new bridge over the head of Chand-
ler's pond.
85x65. How's that for an egg?
And yet W. M. Crawford has a hen
which crows no louder over such an
one than an ordinary hen over an Or
binary production.
Edwin Wolcott has removed from
his farm on the old Street to the new
cottage at Woodlawn, and has as
sumed the charge of Mr.. Converse's
milk business.
At district No. 3's late school meet
ing, all the old officers were re-elect-
ed, viz. G. W. Eaton, committee;
G. @. Parkess, clerk and treasurer,
and A. Spellman, collector.
Last week E. @. Dennis boy,
George, II years old, fell from
wagon and dislocated his elbow. AL
SO a ten-year-old son of Patrick Doc
Ian fell from horizontal bar ON
which he was practicing and frac-
tured his fore arm. DR.. Newton sur
geon in both cases.
The nature of the testimony given
had somewhat prepared our people to
expect verdict of the very lightest
degree of murder, perhaps, but scarce
ly for acquittal. Certainly to the
oooo1o IF Go fford tIo trial with Crob
an ending seemed farcical enough.
By the chicanery of the law the testi-
mony of the most important witness
as given in the lower court is exclud-
ed from the upper, and that witness
not appearing, the whole matter is
set forth to the jury in light to JUS
tify them in giving a verdict of ''jus-
tifable homicide" for, with the evil
dence before them, it is hard to see
how any other verdict could have
been given.
The game of round ball is exciting
more interest here now than the more
scientific baseball. The match last
Saturday near Isaac Cady's house
drew spectators from all parts of
the town, and was participated in by
players of all ages aid from every
section of Stafford. The sides we're
chosen as follows: Capt. Nelson
Towne Damon, John Rock
we'll, Joseph Ferry, Charles Eager,
Lewis Chaffee, Elmer Brown, Erskine
Kemp, E. A. Converse, Julius Pin
ney, Otis Holbrook; Capt. Samuel
Rockwell-Will Hassett, Ed. Pinney,
Frank Nichols, Thomas Black, George
Fay, Frank Dwight, W. M. Crawford,
Homer Lord, A. D. Cady, Arthur
Taft, John Hassett. The first half
of the game was very evenly contest
ed, Captain Towne's side leading some
what when the game was half
through, but being considerably
worsted in the last half, and when
Captain Rockville side had scored so
tallies the score of Captain Towne's
side footed but 80 There was lots of
fun in it for the spectators, who es-
pecially enjoyed seeing the "outs"
plug" the Tins" as they endeavored
to steal from base to base. The peo-
pie at the Hollow and Springs kept
advised of the progress of the game
by listening to the stentorian tones of
Captain Rockwell, as he gave COM
mand to his cohorts, keeping at the
same time one eye on each man and
the other ON the ball, which seemed
always to come where his open hands
awaited it. When the game was end
ed the players adjourned to Blacks
hotel, where fatigue, pangs of sorrow
or thrills of JOY over defeat or vic
tory, blistered hands, and bruised
spots where the ball hit them, all
we're forgotten in the pleasure of first
gazing upon the tables spread in the
dining rooms laden with wholesome
edibles, oysters, hot and cold meats,
pastry, fruits, smoking tea and coffee.
etc., and then devouring as much as
possible of the abundance that defied
total extinction. When all had graf
flied their appetites to the utmost, A.
D. Cady, Esq, was made chairman
of the gathering, and happy remarks
were made by Captains Rockwell and
Towne, the latter closing with pro-
posal to "choose Sides with Captain
Rockwell for another match ON the
25th inst, which proposal Capt. Rock
we'll promptly accepted, amid the
cheers of the company. Mr.. Cady
being called upon recited a little poem
in laudation of the ball players, and
Landlord Black gave, in response to
a call, little recitation of the adven-
ture of the Irishman with a mermaid
wife, giving the brogue, and bringing
out the pathetic and the humorous in
a manner to hold the close attention
of the company to the end, SO that
pin fall might have been heard in
the house until the applause at the
end broke the silence. From the be-
ginning of the game to the final act
the settling of the bill by the losers
all was peace, good feeling and So
briefly, and the party separated with
a keen relish for the coming repeti
tion of the game on Saturday next,
when, if the weather is pleasant,
gathering even larger than that of
last Saturday will be there to see,
and if the weather is not pleasant the
game will be postponed until Satur-
day, Oct. I'd.
Born. Stafford Springs, 10th,
daughter to Alvin W. Ellithorpe.