Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-07-08
AMONG THE MOST BEAUTIFUL
Passing of a Profitable Shipping
Trade.
BUILDING NEW GRANITE BRIDGE
Numerous Examples of Connecticut
Observation-Disclosures for the
Amelioration of Mankind.
BY WILLIAM K. CURTIS.

Record Herald.
HARTFORD. July 3. 1907.
Hartford Is a composite of big factories.
insurance Offices brownstone churches. edu-
cational Institutions and lovely homes half
hidden in the foliage of ancient elms and
shapely naples The picture is set in a
frame of parks. most of them gifts Of pros
porous citizens. From external evidences
the city should be free from sin and mis-
cry. but the population, like that OF other
towns, is composed entirely of human be-
ings. and 1 suppose they have their share
of the worlds ups and downs. Its misfor-
tunes we'll as its fortunes. although
the latter seem to be more apparent. Bless
ed with unusual material, prosperity and
abundant means of grace, which have been
dispensed by able and devoted ministers
from Thomas Hooker to Joseph Twicheil.
and not entirely devoid OF self-apprecia-
tion the good people of Hartford are to be
envied by the less favored portion OF man
kind 1t is said to be the richest town
In America. If not In the world althoush
before l came here I had supposed New
Bedford was entitled to that distinction 1t
Is difficult to be exact in such estimates.
and it is safe to say that by reason OF
their piety. ability. ingenuity industry and
enterprise the folks here are entitled to all
they have, and are making commendabie
efforts to add to their worldly stores
United States. The safe deposit vaults OF
this city are filled with tin boxes loaded
with stocks and bonds of corporations In
every part Of the land. The profits from
the Insurance business are very large. and
the stock in the companies Is chleny held
here They are the channels through which
enormous streams Of money are constantly
flowing into this town. and the factories are
all working full time with full FORCES ana
cannot keep up with their orders Each IN
surance company owns bank In whicn It's
t.. cd nd
handled with great profit There are only
few very large estates but many rich
men. The millionaires number dozen or
more, but the half-millionaires and quar-
ton.
Passing of the Shipping Trade.
Formerly Hartford had profitable trade
by sea. There used to be a great deal OF
shipping on the Connecticut river as far as
this port which Is sixty miles from Long
Island sound Trade was active with New
York, Philadelphia. Baltimore and Bos-
ton with frequent lines Of steamers as late
as 1876 and a steamer still leaves for New
there In time for breakfast. During the
summer season 1t is favorite pleasure
voyage. The rate Is low. and good many
people enjoy night upon the sound At
of a considerable trade with the West In
dies and great, wealth was acquired that
way, but the river Is not much Of thor
oughfare these days. The railroad carries
the freight.
Nor is the fishing what it used to be. At
one time quantities Of salmon were caught
in the lower Connecticut. Ancient writer's
say they were so common that the hired
men on the farms along the shore refused
to eat that delicious fish oftener than three
times a week, the slaves on the eastern
shore of Maryland refused to eat terrapin.
shad were so common that aristocratic peo-
pie were ashamed to confess that they ate
them, and 1 read the other day in an old
chronicle written by an accurate authority
that many years ago they were so thick
that Mr.. Rowland crossed the river walk
ing on the backs of the shad with pair OF
snow shoes. One man Is said to have
caught / 500 fish in q single day. but those
times are past
The New Hartford Bridge.
Shipping cannot now go any farther up
the river than Hartford. because OF q beau
tiful brand-new bridge OF granite which is
now being erected. The engineers tell me
that 1t is the longest and the widest bridge
Of solid masonry in the world. The Water
loo bridge across the Thames In London is
about the same length. but is not so broad:
the famous London bridge Is 200 feet
shorter and eight feet narrower. The Hart
ford bridge is 119O feet long and 90 feet
wide. 1t has nine arches. each true
ellipse. but they vary In height from
twenty-one to thirty feet above the spring.
ing line, which. In each case. Is seventeen
feet above low water. The bridge Is built
Of granite. and Its foundations reach down
to the solid rock from thirty to fifty feet
below water, and consist of 100000 cubic
Yards Of masonry.
The bridge was designed by several en-
gineers employed by state commission. OF
which Senator Buckley Is chairman. and Is
being built by New York firm Of con-
tractors The work began in 1904. and they
expect to have It finished during the pres
ent year. 1t will cost $.6oo.oOo. and the
approaches 100000 more. whc.. will bring
the total up to nearly 100000 The tax
payers of Hartford pay all but 100000 OF
the cost which Is contributed by four small
towns ON the other side of the river. The
bridge is approached from the eastward
by a boulevard or causeway. as they call 1t
here. a mile long. connecting with the coun-
try roads that lead to the suburbs. and on
the Hartford side there Is a boulevard LOO
feet along the river. like the Thames EN-
bankment In London. which will be part
of the park system OF the city
Connecticut Ingenuity Famous.
The records of the patent office at Wash
!ngton show that more than Is per cent of
the applications for patents come from the
state of Connecticut which means that
Yankee genius has been developed here to
created degree than In any other part Of
this enterprising country. and Hartford has
a large share. The factories here are full Of
ingenious men who are continually devising
improvements upon the machinery with
which they are working. They are smart
enough to see where they can add to its
capacity and increase its product or the
economy of Its operation. 1t would be
big book that contained descriptions Of all
the original Hartford inventions. and new
edition would be needed every year. like
the city directory. for each mail that leaves
for Washington carries applications for pat
ents The wooden nutmeg period has
passed. The people are too busy these days
making genuine articles Of usefulness to
waste their time On fakes.
The first wooden mill In America was
started here in 1888. and Gen. Washington
delivered his first inaugural address in q
suit made from its cloth.
The first cast-iron pillow In the United
States was made in 1920 by Alpheus and
Truman Hanks. whose small foundry has
since grown into one of the biggest machine
shops In America. They built the engine Of
the Kearsarge, which sank the cruiser Ala
bama.
In 1884 Levi Lincoln invented q machine
to card wool with wire teeth by which he
ruined a great domestic industry. Mr.. Lin
coin also invented machine to make hooks
and eyes, and another to punch holes in