Norwich bulletin., 1909-11-25

Thanksgiving Day, 1909.-Tnougn now at the upper end Of Wlndnam county. the Quail Trap people kept up the old Norwich colonial custom Of having a rousing Thanksgiving bonfire Barrels were begged. borrowed, ana bought. but perhaps the gathering oI the pile of combustibles lacked the old en time zest of being chased by irate householders after their ash receivers. Who of the old boys cali not recall the thrill of 'shooking" his first barrel, as II the whole New York police force was at his heels. There were local heroes of the gentle art of abstraction. one smooth talking boy would go 10 the front door and ask for an old barrel while his confederates would be cllm-
 ing over the back fence with a good one. Ed Appleton and Morgan Saftord
 would sound the police hurry call by Knocking heads out over a hitching post, and then. with a sugar barrel unoer
 each arm, outran the fastest cop Tn town, Then we could cut the tallest and straightest hickory and chestnut
 poles without saying aye, yes or no 10 anyone. Now the suburban farmer keeps strict guard over his valuable
 growing wood.
 On a Thanksgiving morning at
 short game of round ball on unlon
 square. I batted a baseball lnto d
 farmers wagon, and to my dismay saw
 the farmer coolly put the ball Tn ms pocket and whip his horse at good clip up the hill But Morgan Stafford in a great burst of speed overlook the vehicle. climbed in behind, and. holo- ing his ball club over the farmer head shouted: 'The ball, or your hle! We got the ball, and a peck or apples besides. When we were attacked oy l4L did we not send up to the big mill pond for Savn Gibson Royal McCracken and Murty Savage to help us repel boarders! we had small fights with the Roatntown, Peppers Hill and Geertown parties, put | the greatest rivalry was between the Landing boys and the West Slde gorkeys" The meum and tuum be- tween these sections was not closely observed and we will relate well re- membered incident which shows how a thief was set to catch a thief, and now much honor there was among these barrel thieves.
 The Jail Hill gang had stored over | two hundred barrels in Ben Greene cellar, where now stands the Buck1ng- | in November, the West Siders, about | so or 90 In number impressing drays and trucks, raided this collection, ieaV- | ing nothing but a small keg, on which was pinned card with this challenge: ! Come over and get them, if you dare" | The raiders with their booty were seen | silently stealing by ChappelPs and | Norton's but after they turned by John Breeds, to the chagrin of our scouts I they lit glaring torches ana to tne music of a. fife and drum noisily marched over Wharf bridge and up Hardscrabble, rioting with their suc- cess. ..
 This wholesale robbery and insult
 was too galling to be borne. and at a | council fire (where the Westsiders had
 spies), it was decided to replevin the contraband of war wi ct armis." The Dave Ladd gang, whose barrels were | heaped under Ladd's laundry, where the Del-Hoff now stands. headed by the Ladd brothers, Morg. Stafford, and
 Murty Savage, joined the Conference Ed. Appleton and Charles flakes. This
 battalion was augmented by tht
 Washington Streets, headed by Der