The Press. (Stafford Springs, Conn.) 1883-1935, 1906-02-07

ford Springs.
Mrs. Annie Dimock Houchens re-
turned to New York Saturday after
noon, after brief business trip hither.
Mrs. Hannah W. Ryder, who has
been visiting her sick sister at Stat
ford Springs, has returned to her pres
emit home in Brooklyn, N. Y.
1t takes mighty conscientious
man." Uncle Eben says, to allus be
able to tell de difference tween when
he's tired an when he's lazy"
With the exit of Dowie as an &C.
tive leader, Dowieism will begin to
disintegrate, as all such things do
when the personal influence of the
leader is withdrawn.
The following is clipping from
recent issue of the Springfield Repub.
lican: While a resident here Deacon
Hayes was greatly respected and be-
loved by all who knew him, being
recognized by all as "the grand old
man of Wilmington. His friends
here were much grieved to hear of
his death. He made the cut in the
Wilmington Cemetery association pam.
phlet. We are in possession of two
landscapes, an oil painting and of a
water color of his, which we highly
prize. His only remaining son, Ed
ward F, Hayes, of Longmeadow,
Mass, is the oldest in service on the
Republican, editorial staff. The IN
terment of the deceased was beside
his wife, who died here four years
ago, in the family lot in Longmead-
ow. Rev. Fl. L. Bailey, pastor of
the Congregational church in Long
meadow, with which Mr.. Hayes was
neral. The bearers were L. G. Fay,
Walter Bliss, T. W. Leete and F. B.
Allen, members of his Bible class.
Indeed, the expression as applied to
the deceased, that he had ever worn
"the white flower of a blameless
life, - was indeed very applicable.
Eli Denison Hayes died at the home
of his son, Edward F. Hayes, on
Longmeadow street, Springfield, last
week Wednesday, in his S1st year
Mr.. Hayes had been a sufferer from
angina pectoris for several years, and
the heart strain incident to a pro-
longed ramble in the fields and woods
late last week invited the fatal at
tack. Mr.. Hayes was born in Brook
field, ct. For many years in his
younger manhood he was resident
of New Haven and vicinity. He had
lived in Longmeadow at two different
periods, one of seven years and anoth-
er Of four. He was also for seven
years resident of Wilmington, where
his wife died four years ago. During
his sojourn in Longmeadow he has
been closely identified with the
having formerly served as
deacon for several years. Mr.. Hayes
is survived by his son, Edward, a
younger son having died in Arkansas
several years since. A grandson is
Ann Arbor, and granddaughter is
a kindergarten teacher at Reed City,
Mich. Mr.. Hayes chief claim to
public interest is that he was among
the last of the earlier practitioners
of wood engraving in this country
Specimens of his work may be found
in the collection of the work of REPRE-
sentative American engravers in ~tne
a few of his proofs are included in
the art collection of the local library.
Thus Mr.. Hayes experience covered
practically the whole period Of Amer
lean wood engraving, from the time
when DIR. Anderson, "the American
as he is styled, was in his
prime, to the present day. His best
work, however, may be said to be-
long to the middle period of the art,
the time when skilled artistic drafts
men drew directly upon the block the
pictures which the engraver repro
duced with painstaking care. When
penciled designs upon the block were
by photography, and the
simple expressiveness of the line was
not so much sought as tones, values
and colors, which are the distinctive
features of the modern engraver's art,
the natural repugnance of conserva-
bism made Mr.. Hayes 10th to follow
the new lead, but ultimately he did
work under the changed con.
litions of the art. Sixty years ago
here was little encouragement for
country boy who CROPPED for an outlet
10 his feeling for art. At the age of
IL years he was apprenticed to an
older brother to learn the trade of
Shortly after, he remem-
oered overhearing his father inquire
now he was getting on in the bust
ness, and the brother replied: cell
s good for nothing. AS soon as he
gets a board planed he has to stop to |
lraw an Injun or some other critter |
IN it," A year later the visit of a |
cousin, a wood engraver, from the
'ity OF New Haven, changed the whole |
of his life. The cousin kind
y set himself to initiating Eli into
he mysteries of wood engraving.
Two rude gravers were fashioned |
rom a narrow saw blade; in lieu of
he customary lockwood, a neighbor-
ng apple tree was climbed, a sea,
h~o oh II i |
nd polished. The picture to be en-
raved was transferred to it's surface
nd little instruction as to how to
se the tools was given with the en-
ouraging remark that if he made sat-
stactory progress an opening in the
ear future might be made for him.
he opening soon came, and at the
EXPIRATION of four years, having &C.
uired all that the New Haven office