The Newtown bee., 1908-09-04
Woodbury's y'sGreat
 Day. CELEBRATION IN HONOR OF TROLLEY OPENING. Addresses by President Mel len and Others. FINE DINNER SERVED BY W00D- BURY COMMERCIAL ASS0- CLAYTON AT CURTIS
 HOUSE.

Tuesday was memorable day il Woodbury as 1t marked the opening oi the long-looked-for, long sought-aftel trolley communication with Waterbury The town was in holiday dress in honol of the day. Over each business block and many residences were the words Welcome" while nearly every build ing and residence was decorated with bunting and the stars and stripes.
 The presence of
 HON CHARLES S. MELLEN,
 president of the New York and New Haven railroad system, lent special in- terest to the occasion. After the speeches at the Town hall and before and after the dinner at the Curtis hotel he mingled freely with the townspeople and guests, and all were pleased with his affability and genial bearing. Pres ident Mellen's car reached Woodbury about noon and found a crowd of about 2,000 assembled along the main street to welcome the visitors and the electric steeds. As soon as the first car was seen down the long street the church bells were rung vigorously and from all sides came cheering and the waving of flags. The old town was one continual blaze of colors, flags and bunting with welcome signs displayed all along the route. At the Town hall where the present terminus of the tracks is To- cated, the visitors alighted from the cars and were escorted into the build ing, where they occupied seats on the platform. Among those occupying seats on the platform were Hon H. w. Mitchell of Woodbury, president of the day, President Charles P. Mellen, Vice President Benjamin Campbell, Vice President Calvert M. Townley of the Connecticut Co. ; A. s. May, treasurer 1; J. M. Parker, secretary; Directors John H. Whittemore and James s. FL ton, General Manager John K. Punder- ford of the Connecticut Co.,, Harris Whittemore, Judge Heaton A. Robert son, General Traffic Manager M. J. Leary, Rev Dr C. A. Dinsmore of the First Congregational church, Water- bury; J. D. Veitch, manager of the Southern New England Telephone Co.,, Waterbury; H. w. Atwood, Water bury, L. R. Carter, Waterbury, Hon F. F. Hitchcock, w. T. Bell, Rev Stanley Bloomfield, Rev J. L. R. Wyckoff, E. s. Boyd, w. L. Judson, of Woodbury and many others.
 THE ADDRESS OF WELCOME, given by Hon A. W. Mitchell, was ex- ceedingly felicitous. MT Mitchell said ::
 Mir President, Officers and Directors of The New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad: On behalf of The Commercial Association representing the town of Woodbury and l believe ex- pressing the sentiment of every inhab itant in the town, welcome you.
 ! We have long been waiting for the advent of communication with the cen ters of population, either by steam or electricity, and we have many times had our hopes raised by rumors and newspaper stories but until this day, it has proved an elusive bubble.
 We congratulate ourselves that the idea you as President of The New York, New Haven and Hartford Rail- road expressed some little time ago be. fore committee of the General Assem- bly of Connecticut, as the policy of the Railroad, is being fulfilled in our town: That is "That as much had been given The New York, New Haven and Hart ford Railroad by the State of Connecti- cut, she owed much to the State and it was her duty to give every hamlet and village, where it was practicable, direct communication, without regard to re- turns on the individual investment and you should recommend that course to the Directors to be carried out as fast as were possible.
 You have shown the altruistic spirit (which rarely ever is credited to rail road) farther by coming to us without any investment on our part.
 You have invested large sum, we believe in the spirit l have mentioned, and on that account triumphant ring to our church bells, prolonged blast to our trumpets, and an enthusiasm to our citizens, "the Trolley has come," is very noticeable. .,s~.
 As you rode from Waterbury along the highway, through the fields, past the lakes, through the woods, and came into our beautiful valley the thought may have arisen that you were coming to what our name "Woodbury' stands for, that is "Home in the Woods," but I invite you to look at Woodbury as we see it. rich in history. natural scenery and as surely center as the largest city. "-
 Pomperaug, the name given our val ley and river is suggestive of an early history, in connection with the original owners of the soil.
 The original signatures of the Sach- ems of the Pootatuck Indians are upon our land records and it gives me pleas ure to be able to say that no stain rests on our title or the methods of acquiring it, as a reference to Cothren's History will show, that our forefathers pur- chased some of our territory many times over from different claimants rather than resort to conquest and de ception.
 1 have but to mention the local names. Nonnewaug, Weekeepeemee and Oren- aug, the name of our natural park just East of here. which you could not fail to see as you come up our street, to satisfy you that we have large and varied story to tell to those who may inquire.
 If you will climb with me to the Orenaug Park just mentioned, you will combine the historical, religious and .- ..o,, nor,no l., Rathal RnnL a