Norwich bulletin., 1909-11-20

eV JIG itSiuthHk oIHete ID olcI tlNN services for the preservation of the union.
 These regulars taught lessons In as they drilled and march, cd in the streets and fields in and about New London, and more than ono veteran of the civil war declared that it was the sight of these regular sol- dters that tended to remind them that it was their duty to go to the front and fight for the principles of the con- stitution.
 An interesting but not strictly true story is related in local newspaper relating to the collection and uses of pennies. suggested that they are not legal tender above the amount of % cents. The story teller refers to the collection of Peer's pence in the Cath olio churches and gives the impression that in this collection pennies play an important part and are contributed In large quantities. Although the relator is familiar with the usages and cus- toms of the church he has evidently confused the 'penny collection" so- called although 1t is a nickel and over collection, to Peters pence, which is made up chiefly of bank notes and sii- yer.
 Then he dips into ancient local his- tory and tells of buying postal cards fin the day when the old postofice was located in the city hall building. al- though at one time when the post office was there envelopes had not be- come of common use and the postage to foreign countries was only twenty four cents. These postal cards were bought a cent apiece, but the story writer says that a clerk named Andy Mower refused the twenty-five pennies offered for that number of cards at the same time. Of course everybody that knew the postoffice at that time knows that no Andy Mower ever serv- ed as clerk in the New London post office. There was. however, a clerk named Andy Bailey, and he was a brother-in-law of Gen. Joseph A. Mower, whose widow was at one time postmistress at New London.
 Now information comes that this correspondent erred in stating last Saturday that all the members of the family of Thomas M. Lyon. who years ago occupied the entire Stafford build ing, had passed away. One who ought to know, says that Mrs. Lyon and her sons, Charles. James and Frederick. are still among the living. This is satisfying information and if true Mrs. Lyon must be a very old woman. and the youngest son, Frederick, sixty or more. If memory serves correctly. Charles was the eldest son, and was not an angel in his boyhood days, and once upon time made an involuntary whaling trip. as did several other young men of his time. It was the custom when whalers left port for a party of friends of the captain and owners to go out on the whaler as far as Montauk point and return on an accompanying tugboat. It was on these occasions when parents of some boys had previously arranged that [ their sons could go on the nd-off trip. having previously arranged with the captain to see that the son was otherwise engaged when the tug left for the home Port with the rest of
 More. than one young man of New London left on one of those whaling trips under these circumstances and never returned. while others made subsequent trips of their own free win and became prosperous whalemen.
 William Isabell, the New London bartender who was fined in the super for court at Norwich this week for selling liquor for his employer con- trary to law, and who was sent tO jail fin default of payment of the fine, has caused other bartenders to sit up and take notice. Isabell, in a way. was martyr, for he appeared 10 be the real culprit in the hope of saving the. liquor license for his employer, and of course expected that his fine and costs would be paid by the parties benefited by the action of the bartond- CT submitting to prosecution. When the Crocker house was on the rack, Bor- tender Slattery stood in the gap. and Kennedy did like service for the Hotel Royal and Drudy for the Mohican ho- fol nd lw. fFa1 ehA a.Y management was glad to pay the fine under the circumstances.
 Just as soon as the facts became known in New London, there was It. ter Announcement of the proprlet1rs of the once Thames hotel. and fellow bartenders at once began the collec- tion of a fund to release Isabell from the county jail He did not violate the law by selling liquor on Sunday and at unlawful hours of his own voii- ton, but by orders of and for the profit of his employers and under the conditions, coupled with the fact that early in the game Isabell could have had his employers stand trial, the har- tenders of the city claim that Isabell was not given a square deal.
 The board of county commissioners for New London county are certainly doing their full duty in the matter M issuing liquor licenses in complianoe with the law and without fear or favof, and in consequence are not shirking the responsibility of reducing the num- Der of saloons according to law. They are playing no favorites, nor are they in any way autocratic, but simply do- ing their full duty as directed by the laws, which are not of their making. So 1t is up to the liquor dealers to live close to the line of the law if they de- sire to continue in the business for any violation of law prohibits the is- suance of license to continue in bus mess. once that the license Is issued. it is up to the police department to see that the liquor laws are enforced, e the commissioners have only to do with license feature.
 Already there has been quite a re- duction of liquor saloons in New Lon- don. perhaps half a dozen, and at this rate tt will not be many years before the number will be reduced to the legal limit under the new law. In most of the cases the Italian hand of the com mittee of fifteen is discernible, and. so it is said. this committee is to continue in assisting the police in the enforce ment of the liquor laws. Just at pres ent the committee is in the doldrums, but there is liable to be a breeze at any time and when least expected so those who are doing crooked work In the liquor business would do well to re- form or be prepared to take the conse- quences. The edict has gone forth that thy must conform to the laws or go out of business.
 Another foe to those who sell llQuor illegally, or in fact those who sell lr legally is the newly formed organiza- tion. whose purpose 1t is to work for no-license twelve months in the year.