The morning journal-courier., 1908-07-06
FROM OLD SAYBROOK "reminiscences of Days That Have Now Passed Into
 History. lLD RESIDENTS REVIEW Royhood Days Recalled by Man Who Has Spent Life in New
 York.

Lear Slr'-AS SIT water ScOlt or rennyson would say "Tis sixty years since" left Old Saybrook, for home and business In New York. This long period represents three quarters of my Sublunary existence, while the first quarter was devoted between Lyme, saybrook and New York of boyhood day,. At that time, 1SiO to 50, Say brook was about six hours from New Haven by one horse power, no rail- road whistle disturbed the peaceful nerves of this moral community, and no steamboat throat was heard nearer than Lyme ferry or Sayorook Point Yale college commencement days were among the most exciting for us young folks when our brothers and cousins were about flying from her class halls" Into the greater halls of the wide wide world We then rigged up our gayest farm wagon In modern style" and with a gay party of girls with bows and beaux, rode 35 miles of dusty June roads to the great city of New Haven that so cruelty in HI stole our Yale college from Saybrook and left US only our "saybrook plat form" to boast of
 Our saybrook ancestors of the 17th and 18th centuries were enterprisine Yankees who designed great things for Sound" town at the mouth of the great Connecticut. They laid out city streets and named them and intended it for central capital of the state, but alas, the "saybrook Bar" of sand bar red its progress in that direction so that big shipping could not enter Since then we have added to this saltwate: "har" quite a number of alcoholic "hars' that also tend to injure this wideawake ancient village Again, alas.
 My earliest and most most pleasant association with Saybrook was of the Rev. Thomas Buckingham mansion built previous to HOO which notable home upon the Ferry road my father bought in 1885, and where we lived some years after moving up from New York city. It was at that time one of the rarest old colonial homes In the nelghborhood, i5O years old. more or less, and yet was sound and strong as oak and elm could make it. II Is still standing. looking even younger and newer than ever yet without the beau tiful lawns, trees and shrubbery that then made it q summer palace and paradise for us city children. The Rev. Thomas Buckingham, who lived there nearly two hundred years ago. was the second settled Congregationalist pastor of the town anu also one of the founders of Yale college and the mod orator of the synod which built the famous "saybrook Platform"
 The memory of this ancient divine was recalled by the recent tJune O.. 2oOth anniversary commemoration of notable asscmblngc of saybrook and other Connecticut people, a beautiful Iron fence, upon which was a tablet of his name and deeds inscribed, was erected around the tombstone of Priest Buckingham" and his wife. Among the many descendants present was Mrs. (General) Aiken, of Norwich. Conn. daughter of the late Governor William A, Buckingham.
 Deacon Robert Chapman, who was ant of one of the earliest settlers of saybrook, lGSs Ills Is the only one of the old boys left in Saybrook now, with whom attended school at the old saybrook lwccdenl academy which present beautiful stone Episcopal church now stands. Deacon Rufus Clark, noble man, was then our teacher
 The original ancient church in which Priest Buckingham preached, about the year 100 which stood on the green opposite where the present Congrega- tlonnl church edlhce has stood for sev. enty years well remember IL had high partitions through the bars of which only the older persons could look to see tand heap the venerable parson, William F Hotchk!sa, preached under a huge sounding board We It. tie fellows who did not yet have to sit up in the open gallery with the Dig boys" were we'll hidden In these square pews could only hear the sonorous voice of good Parson Hotch- kiss. He was then about seventy years old. and had preached In Saybroog. fifty years. Ills pastorate, one Of the long est in the state extenlei to lsi3. em- bracing sixty years He was a re- markable man In many particulars. and much beloved by the children as well to whom he was very ,polite, and attentlvc-a good ministerial trait.
 For many years Father Hotchklss' stipend was only s25o year So that when he married the lovely daughter of the Rev William Hart, his prede- cessor for forty years, he Is said 10 have been obliged to practice the strictest economy, and as may be sup- posed, he then couldn't smoke many ten n-cent cigars, as some few smoke. be logged modern preachers have foolish ly done He did, however, use moder- ately China tea, an herb very high at that period He bought 1t four ounces at a time once week. After preaching strong sermon one sabbath, from the text, "A just weight and even balance on Monday, he went to "shefied's store to buy his usual one-fourth pound of that which cheers but not inebrlates." CT, was very particular 10 just make the tea balance the four ounce weight Then as the parson' wstehins etching him. dpTn pro weight. young man" the clerk repeat ed emphaticallt the text of the pre-. yious day: Father Hotchkiss, just weight and an even balance" After that 1t was said the good man bought tN" ' HENRY NJ HALL.