The Newtown bee. (Newtown, Conn.) 1877-current, 1905-08-25

full member Of the community. Across
the green llived the Posts. Mr. Post
kept "the store" The family were a |
wife and three daughters, Eliza, Maria
and Emily. Emily married Sylvester
Wheeler. She died young. Eliza mar
ried Mr. Stirling of Bridgeport. Fine
people and valuable neighbors were
the Post family. New ton Shelton kept
another store, north of the green, aft
erwards transferred to Burr Wakeley.
| am afraid it was store that-would
have been occasionally raided in these
days. Below the horse sheds was the
blacksmith shop of Jesse Gilbert, a
clever. kind hearted man, fond OF Cos
sip. Blacksmiths were busy in those
days when oxen as we'll as horses had
to be shod, and when wagon and car
rage work came into their line, as we'll
as the making of many household i'm
plements. Before we go below Jesse
Gilbert's we will return to the Center
and cross the bridge. On the left was
| the nice house Of Agur JudsOn. On
the right the Marx house, afterwards
| Mrs Benefits, then DR. Joe Tomlin-
sons. | understand that young Joe,
our boyhood associate, is now judge
in your vicinity, or is he now retired
by the age limit? Well, he was a
worthy, upright, diligent, self-respect-
ing boy, amply entitled to all the sue
cess he may have attained. Agur Jud-
son seemed to be rich man. l do not
think he was in business. He had just
fixed up his house and grounds very
nicely. The boys said he had laid out
"as much as Thousand dollars!' The
road divided just here, the left going
up to Mr. Punderson's and Capt Birds
eyes, and the right up to Prosper Shell
toms and on to Birmingham. Below
Jesse Gilbert's I recall the houses as
quite numerous, Sam Powell, Henry
Shelton, the tanner, and on the west
side of the street, near the brook OF
river was John Thompson's store, and
little way in from the road, Joe Haw'
ley's mill. John Thompson was cele'
brated for having made lucifer match
es before they were invented. They
were sticks dipped in birthstone, but
think they had to be lighted, that is
they would not strike fire.
But l must gather in my scattering
words. Rev Thomas Punderson was
our minister during my childhood AND
for some years after. He was an able
and Cody man. I remember feeling
it as a personal grief, when, in after
years, learned that he was no longer
the minister Of that church. My broth
er, William Henry, and myself never
knew any other school than our faith
er's. His school was probably carried
on from 1908 to 1847, and he had a
small school in Hartwick Village, N
Y, for portion of year. 1t was quite
a habit for him to have adult pupils
at odd hours to study algebra or sur
veying, also, remember, Frenchmer
and Spaniards to study the correct use
of the English language. The des
cendants Of Hezekiah Rudd are some
what numerous: Charles iDeFores1
} Rudd, born in 1918, died in 1894. He
) had nine children and II grandchil
dren. Mrs G. Rudd, MRS G. N. Allen)
! born 1920 died in 1892. She had five
children and eleven grandchildren
: Her oldest son was Prof Fredric D
Allen of Harvard college, her seconc
son is DR. George n. Allen, physician
of CINCINNATI, O. or my own full
brother and sisters William Henry
Rudd. born in 1929, has two sons, one
born in 1857 and one in 1868, and {
grandson about l8 years of age. M.
sisters, Eluily Post Judd and Abigail
Judd, completed their education, the
one at Oberlin, Ohio, the other in the
Chelsea High school, and have beer
lifelong teachers in the Chelsea pub
, lie schools. but are now retired. M.
own marriage was in 1865. l have five
> children living, having lost the frs
born. OF four grandchildren three ART
living. Ny Clementina and l wer'
, preparing to observe the 25th anniver
sary of our marriage, December ID
when she was suddenly called hence
! December l, 1890. My father died il
! Norwich, Conn.,, September, 1868. M.
!, mother died in the house in which
, am writing, April IS, 1871. This roo
, has sheltered my family since May 9
7, 1869 Here we have had five births
two deaths and one marriage, a very
unusual experience for modern
: house.
A letter such as you have asket
= from me is properly, "Give an accoun
$ of thy stewardship" Not wher
f have you been and what have you seen
, but what have you done for societ
: and the world in your very long life
and it is this that has made me hest
tate to reply. My mother connected
. herself with the First Congregations
r church in Chelsea when she came tt
! live here, and she had the satisfaction
of seeing all her four children gathere,
about her, and none of them inclined
. tO wop6or after ia leo doctrines Thu