Norwich bulletin., 1909-12-28
NORWICH DIDN'T RECOGNIZE
 ITS OPPORTUNITY,
Characterised as the Town That Wouldn't Listen-Had Chance to Have Fall River Mills.

The New York Mail and Express of last Thursday had the following in teresting account, entitled The Town That Wouldn't Listen" by E. J. Edwards. formerly editor of the Nor wich Bulletin, and whose father con ducted large book bindery in Broad way:
 When General Grant was president he made a trip to New England in 1874, and was received as a guest at the house of United States Senator William A. Buckingham, who lived in Norwich. Conn.,. and who. in the war days, had gained national distinction, as one of the great war governors of the north.
 the senator, the president displayed much interest in the manufacturing development of New England, and this finally led his host to tell what l believe to be the hitherto unpub- lished story of how the town of Nor wich missed the opportunity of becon- ing what Fall River is today--one of the great industrial centers of the world--and all because it wouldn't lis- ten.
 "In the early part of the admins tration of Thomas Jefferson as presi- dent" said the senator. there came to the United States from Scotland a man who knew all about the use of machinery. then newly invented, for the spinning of flax and hemp. He said he was looking for water power for his proposed manufactories. and
 was recommended to visit eastern Connecticut.
 Few Manufactures.
 Perhaps he was specifically d-
 rected to visit the little city of Nor
 wich. which then carried on quite a trade with the West Indies, but man ufactured nothing except paper. At any rate, he landed in Norwich one day. looked over the water power, to
 his satisfaction. and persuaded the
 people to believe that. if they would
 establish mills for the spinning of hemp and flax. their town would be- come great manufacturing center.
 "The government at Washington
 was communicated with and encour- aged the undertaking. sayings that the war and navy departments would be glad to buy large amounts of Amer lean products of this kind.
 While these negotiations between the Norwich people and the Scotch
 man were still pending. a bright-eyed. alert hammered young man appeared in the town and told some of the cit izens whom he met that they had within their towns boundaries abund- ant water power for the manufac cture of cotton cloth. He spoke with great earnestness. saying that now that cot ton was to be raised plentifully and cheaply in the south. New England with it's great water power, ought to be the ideal place for manufacturing | the raw cotton into cloth.
 This young man. who introduced | himself as Samuel Slater. had no rec ommendation that he could show other l than his own intelligence and sheer | ity. Probably partly because of this fact and partly because the Scotch | man had the town so enthusiastic over l the prospect of spinning hemp and flax, no one in it would listen serious ly to the young mans proposition to | use the water power to manufacture | cotton.
 Rejected by Norwich.
 50, discouraged. MT. Slater went away, going farther east. and finding ! near Providence. R. l., equally good | water power. finally persuaded men Of | influence in that community to join with him in erecting what was the | first mill in the United States to man. l ufacture cotton goods by machinery and water power
 1 Well. the hemp and flax manufac- tories of Norwich were failures. Cot | ton spinning became the great New | England industry. Great cities were | established at Providence and Fal | River. Mir. Slater became one of the | richest of Americans of his day. and
 it is his grandson. John F. Slater. who | is now the wealthiest man. perha ps | fin the state of Connecticut. As foi | Norwich. it would take several town: | its size to make Fall River in pop | ulation and manr more to make q
 Fall River of manufacturing import | ance and wealth"
 It was the grandson of Samuel Stat | CT. mentioned by Senator Buckingham l who, by will, bequeathed S1 100000 a'
 fund for the education of illiterstt | negroes in the south-the famous Slat. CT educational fund.