The Press., 1907-04-24
TnIRTVeTRARs AGO.
rItems of local interest taken from the columns
 of The Press, thirty years ago.l
April se. 1877.

Thompson 6 Whiton opened their new grocery store, corner of East Main and South streets, on Monday last.
 Winter post, G. A. R., will meet on Wednesday evening of next week at their new quarters in Rockwell's block.
 D. H. Clark of South Coventry, book keeper in the office of the Con- verseville Co.,, has resigned, and Free man F. Patten succeeds him.
 J. Basch & Sons mill at Stafford ville is now run by the steam engine which has driven Gates saw mill, on the Cutler farm, and will be until it's dam is rebuilt.
 The Congregational society is thus officered for ths year: Committee. B. O. Dennis, F. A. Warfield, W. H. Cooley; treasnrer and collector, J. V. Squier; clerk, W. H. Smith.
 The East Main street bridge is nearly ready for gravelinR. and water will be let under the River street bridge and that street thrown open for travel within the next few days. The railroad company are raising the grade of their track from 8 point just west of the Spring street crossing to near the Grandy steam mill, the rise being over two feet at the high est point and giving 8 nearly level | o-olo kb-ov,nh ,,,ock of kho Comno nv q yard. The change benefits the will lage streets.
 W. G. Ellis has sold his furniture business to G. H. Baker. MT. Baker proposes to continue the business of both stores, keeping at the down. town shop all of his smaller wares, lighter furniture and carpets, and at his old stand heavier and bulkier ar tioles of furniture, and shops for man. ufacture and repairs.
 The lumber and rubbish from the demolished buildings lying along the river side in and below this village, by agreement of the several owners, is being divided and sorted. All that can be identified is put into several piles and all the rest into one general pile, the first to be taken by the own CTS, the other sold to the highest bid der. The men doing the work are under the direction of W. D. Heald, aided by Nelson Towne and John K. Lord.
 The Stafford Hollow debating so- oiety will give free and public va- riety entertainment at the town hall tomorrow (Friday) evening. The program will consist of the following in order: Opening chorus by the minstrel circle. An interlude, en- titled "The Troublesome Servant. !" Cast of characters Old Grimes, D. Oady; Handy Andy, E. Howlett. A stump speech" Women's Rights by D. Cady, Ethiopian comedy, en- titled ''The Quack Doctor.'' Cast of characters: Doctor Squash, J. Leach i; tumble, E. Howlett; Ginger, A. Out Ter; Julius Caesar, A. Winter; Grow, G. A. Burwsll; DinAh Primrose, Miss Nellie Cook. A collection will be taken during the entertainment for the benefit of the sufferers from the late flood. The opening feature of the entertainment will be a paper, edited by Charles Puffer and G. N. Ormsby.
 Work upon the dams of the Con- verseville Go. and Glyn Go. is being hard pushed. s. B. Amadon has al- ready replaced his dam at Stafford vile. The dam of the Oonverseville Go. is being built by the Messrs. Flynt of Monson, of quarried stone laid fn cement, with stone Hume, gate to slide in stone. Mir. Patten, the agent, proposes to have 8 dam that will stand any freshet hereafter. MT. Pinney, the treasurer of the Glyn Go. :, employs . New Haven firm to do his work, and report says his plans em- brace as good piece of work as do those of MT. Patten, and that each of these gentlemen proposes to have the best dam on the stream. The wash out of the Oonverseville dam was most complete, tearing out below the foundation stones. A boulder weigh ing over 15 tons, lying below the foundation, and which was supposed when the dam was built to be 8 part of the ledge, was washed forty feet down the stream.
 The body of Richard Spedding was found last Sunday morning, having come to the surface of the water in the cove. It was floating some 30 feet above the iron bridge and six feet from the shore. The body was less repulsive in appearance than might have been expected, though immedi. ate cofining and burial was of course necessary, and after being identified by his son and step-son, and viewed by a jury of inquest which had been called by Justice Howard and Sheriff Converse. was taken in charge by MT. Baker, placed in a coffin and driven in the hearse to his residence, where services we're held, conducted by Rev. James Tufts of Monson, who was supplying the Congregational desk for the day. There was good attendance considering the brief mo- tice necessarily given. The jury of inquest which assembled was con- posed of the following persons: J. V. Squier, W. H. Cooley, Dr. 0. s. Spragae, E. O. Dennis, R. B. Fowler, (clerk, James Mclaughlin, (fore- man), ". A. Comins, Lyman Oush- man, F. A. Warfield, J. o. Anderson, s. N. Page, J. F. Brooks.
 Born.-In Stafford Springs, 23d, 8 daughter Bessie Mabel) to Charles l.. Case.
 Married. Stafford. 12th. hv