Norwich bulletin., 1909-07-03

home for children, and in 1790 he was licensed to keep a tavern there. In the early part of the Revolutionary wal he had been an express agent and con- fidential messenger of the state. His hotel was famous for it's good dinners and for the delicacies which his stages were continually bringing from the larger cities. Merchants from the West Indies stayed there, and many a~hunt- ing party with hounds and servants started out from his door. Here Presi- dent Adams was accustomed to stOr on his way between the seat of govern ment and his "seat in Massachusetts, The Norwich Packet tells us that on Wednesday evening, Aug. 1, 1797, John Adams and lady arrived in town. "The mattress company came out to welcome them in full uniform. and ~fred 1ed- eral salute of Is guns. Th.x proceeded the next day to Providence, a large company on horseback attending them out of town.''
 Mir. Brown advertised as follows in the Weekly Register for Nov. 5, 1793:
 'The Subscriber begs leave to in form the Public that the MAIL STAGE will run from this to the first of May next as follows:
 Leave Norwich Wednesdays and Saturdays at ' o'clock in the Morning
 
 fee House, New London. at half past Ten; leave ditto at half past Eleven, arrive at Saybrook ferry the same days where they will meet the New Haven Stage; Return from Saybrook Monday and Tuesday Mornings, arrive at said Pools, New London, at II o'clock. Leave New London at ? o'clock P M, arrive at Norwich same Evenlns.. The Stage for Providence leaves Norwich Tuesday & Friday mornings at 5 o'clock, meets the Providence Stage at Voluntown, exchanges Mails and Pas. sengers and returns to Norwich and Providence the same days
 In January, 1797, Jesse Brown & Go. advertised that ''The Mail Diligence from Boston, through Providence, &c., to New York. performs the run through in less than five days-runs twice a week.
 Each passenger pays from Boston to Providence, three dollars. and from Providence to New London four dol lars, the remainder of the road four pence half penny per mile, and are all lowed If lbs. baggage. All extra bag gage pays at the rate of 100 lbs. a passenger.
 IN. B. The old line industry runs from Norwich to Hartford on Tues days and returns on Wednesdays"
 In 179S stages from New York reach ed Norwich three times a week, Sum- day at noon, and on Wednesday and Friday by a. m; and from Boston ar : rived on Thursday, Saturday and Tuesday by 1 D. m.
 About this time a number of fami- lies from this section of the state emil grated to New York state and the Western Reserve. and as . means of communication between these erli- grants and the friends who remained behind Hartshorn's stage wamon was employed, a great. numbering wagon. almost as large as a house, and drawn by six horses. This wagon made six or eight yearly trips to Chemung Ger man Flats. &c., for the purpose of car rying passengers, freight. and letters. Qne can imagine the enthusiasm with which its arrival was greeted in Frank lin and Norwich. and how eagerly the letters from absent friens.s. were read
 Letters were not delivered at the houses of the people three or four times a day in those days, but mails two or three times a week were the rule. and letters to be forwarded must be left at the office, at least half an hour be- fore the mail closes Neither was the postage on the letters prepaid and this seems to have caused all kinds of trouble to the postmasters for num- ber of years.
 The following notices were taken rom the coumns of the Chelsea COur- Ter, one appearing in January. 179S and the other in November 1S42.
 "GentIennen will oblige the Post Mas ter by not asking for letters unless they are prepard to pay for them; as no person whatever. will have credit at this offico for postage. A quarter postage on News Papers is due this day, from those who do not cllu~r to pay for them as they arrive. Those who advance a quarters postage will have their papers forwarded per first after their arrival
 CHRFR. IEFFINGWELL. Jun.
 D. Post Master"
 "On account of the difficulty and de- ay attending the collection of Postage Bills. the trouble of keeping several hundred accounts, the fact of no one being benefited by such acconnts. and Or divers other reasons deemed to be good and sufficient. the Cast System. hereafter will be adopted in this office, lnder the firm belief that it will. in he end. be more satisfactory to all 
 -. M. DOW NItt. r. M. About the beginning of the nineteenth century Newcomb Kinney opened the lotel known as Kinney's Hotel. and ater as Merc hants' Hotel, in the build ng on Main stret now occupied by the .. A. Wells Company and the Geo. w. <ies Company. For a long time this vas the leading hotel of Chelsa Land- ng. Here President Jackson was en- ertaiend during his visit to the city n 1883, when he laid the corner stone if the Uncas Monument. And on the of this hotel the daughter of Mayor James Lanman crowned the President with a wreath of roses.
 Kinney's Hotel was the starting point for the stages from the Landing unning to Providence, New Haven Boston, Hartford, and Springfield. slarks City Hotel also had it's line of tages to Hartford driven by Orrin oerrigo. An editorial in the Chelsea Courier alluding to these days says;
 "Think of the Hartford stage co. 'errigo, driver), toiling in, after a nine tours experiences Journey too fa- iguing to be accomplished oftener than very other day-both driver and pas engers hailing Gen. Williams red trick house (now the Park church as sign of relief, but not osing sight of green pastures and cud hewing cows suntil they passed ,harles H. Rockwell's new house-a Iiece of extravagant architecture in hose days, which called forth, in Town Meeting, the alarming fact that the Democracy were in danger from hese aristocrats that had bells to their ront doors, burnt "as-teror' lamps, nd called their help, "sarvants."' Tory Hill might, today, guide such an ld-time traveller in his search for the Merchants (better known then as Kin Iey's) hotel, and the Franklin House; ut we think he would most decidedly refer to stop at the stately Waure- tan which has taken the place in the ffections of the people of those two foI1