The Newtown bee. (Newtown, Conn.) 1877-current, 1906-07-13
The Late Senator
o. II. Plat.
SOME "REMINISCENCES OF
HIS EARLYCHfLDHOOD
AND BOYHOOD
DAYS.

By an Old Playmate, School
mate and Friend, Stanley
q. Fowler.
Orville II. Platt? or course knew |
him intimately in the good old town |
of Washington, Conn.,, where both of
US were born and raised. But always
as plain Orville, while he never ad-
dressed the writer but by his first
name and this mutual habit we have
never varied from. When he arrived
at the dignity of United States Sem
atorship, it was no lack of apprecia-
ton OF his high rank and title, that
deferred me from addressing him as
Senator, but simply because I had
called him "Orville" and nothing else
all my life and the "Mr" was similarly
absent whenever he wrote or spoke to
me. The familiarity of early years,
spontaneous and hearty, strengthened
and frightened our friendly relations
through manhood to old age. Orville
was always friend to any one he liked
whether he deserved it or not, and this
trait made him beloved by all who
we're fortunate to earn and hold his
good opinion. Orville Platt was born
in Washington, Conn.,, in 1927, about a
year lin advance of the writer. My
father was the family physician and
of course was present on that auspic-
ious occasion. The infant was plump
and healthy and in time became a
strong, robust lad, though he reached
six foot height before he concluded
to stop growing. His brother, Simeon
(younger), was Of much more delicate
build and is still living, l. think, in
Torrington, one of the oldest towns in
the state.
OF HIS PARENTAGE.
Orville's father, Daniel Platt, was a
man of fine face and figure, intelligent,
kindly and courteous. He was an ex-
cellent citizen, took prominent part
in town politics and religious meet
ings. He spoke frequently at such
and always had something to say and
said it forcibly, but modestly, and in a
convincing way. About that time the
abolition movement began to excite
liscord and factions in this and other
communities. Parson Hayes, a good
old-fashioned Puritan of the Calvinis-
tic type, (God rest his soul, he meant
well), out-Heroded even the Southern
ers in his defense of negro slavery. 1t
was a divine institution, especially
created for the benefit of slaves and
masters alike. Servants obey your
masters" was a favorite text and he
argued .therefrom that the manifest
duty of the enslaved was to yield a
blind unquestionfng obedience to the
slave holder. When that sweet voiced
and kindly Quaker lady, Abby Kelly,
came to impress on listening ears the
sufferings Of the oppressed black man,
Parson Hayes denounced her from the
pulpit as Jezebal, unworthy even of
social recognition. Her only reply as
he walked into the exit hall when
leaving the church was "May God for
give you, Mr. Hayes, as freely as do"
To Daniel Platt such doctrines and
sentiments were abhorrent. So he.
with John Gum, brother of Freder-
lick w. Gum, who established the
Gunnery Ia celebrated educational in
stition of which Holland has written
so pleasantly in his "Arthur Bonny-
castle''), William Leavitt and others,
absented themselves from Sunday
services. For this heresy they were
brought to task before Parson Hayes
faithful tribunal The had strong fol-
lowing and were formally excommu-
nicated. 1t was not so long after,
however, when Parson Hayes himself
was ousted by a majority vote OF
church members and his place filed by
another clergyman, "no ltneal heir OF
his succeeding" The whole town was
in ferment of abolition excitement
and Orville, like the rest Of us boys,
heard much, said little, and didn't
know what to believe until the pathet-
ic story of "Uncle Tom. captured the
hearts If not the consciences of all it's
readers. That was the primal cause
that evolved the idea of emancipation,
the precursor of the Civil War. Or
ville's mother was stately, handsome
woman, quiet in manner, prudent in
speech, but positive in her convictions
She seldom mingled in social gather
ings, but found her greatest pleasure
in the simple home life, attending to
her domestic duties, reading the
Scriptures, and teaching her boys by
precept and example the virtues of
goodness, charity, sobriety and what.
ever else that contributed to the de-
velopement of sturdy self-reliance and
manly manhood. In all the essentials
of wise character building she was
never lacking. Her influence was
that of a
DEVOTED, INTELLIGENT, NOBLE
HEARTED MOTHER,
and as such she was respected and
loved by her dutiful sons. The i'm
press she left upon Orville's mind was
wholesome and lasting. She was ever
a living memory in his heart and he
never spoke of her except in terms of
reverent affection. She was withal an
excellent housewife, baked her own
bread, made her own butter, delicious