Norwich bulletin., 1909-08-16
LETTERS TO THE: EDITOR.
"The Man Who Talks


Mr.. Editor: 1 was much interested
in reading "reminiscences relative to
the half dozen or more Norwich men
of distinction printed under the above
caption in The Bulletin of July 10th,
knowing them all and enjoying a per-
sonal acquaintance with some. That
interest has been intensified by the
comments of "An Old Timer thereon,
printed in your issue of July 23d, am
not little surprised to learn that
Governor Buckingham was in attend
ance upon and introduced to your cor
respondent in the judges stand at the
races at New London County fair. L
should as soon have suspected the
presence of diamond in a coal-hod.
"Of John t. Wait never yet read a
record that fully pleased me. He was
au fait in every particular. Othniel
eager and George L. Perkins were
hale and hearty almost to the moment
of their departure. Do you recall that
on the Sabbath morning first succeed
ing his Tooth birthday, Mr.. Perkins
entry into the church was the signal
unite in singing the doxology?
The gentlemanly proprietor of the
Norwich Aurora" John w. Stedman,
and his intimate friend and ally, James
F. Forsyth, were almost ihdis pensable
each to the other; yet in many re-
spects they were vastly dissimilar.
They wrought together in the office
in perfect accord-presumably in great
part because Mr. Stedman possessed
an even temperament, was OF yielding
disposition, essentially man of peace;
he knew and valued Forsyth's ability
and was as well acquainted with his
varying moods, courteous, sullen, iras-
chile, as occasion might find him, and
was entirely competent to obtain from
II hot oI,,o III -f-ko /,
knew he could impart. Mr. Stedman
was able to conduct discussion, po-
litical or otherwise, with contempo-
rary, no matter how warmly contested.
and shpv' not a feather ruffled. Not
so, however, with Mr.. Forsyth.
Mr. d. E. Sykes, of the Courier, was
a dignified man. ably editing the pa
per; possessed of no personal mag
netism, out rather repellant, because
exhibiting apparent self-esteem, self
Importance, aversion to contact with
the common people. He was assisted
in his editorial work by his wife, who
was a graceful. intelligent and inter-
esting writer. To her was committed
the task of reviewing new publications,
and she discharged the duty well. She
wrote often over the signature of
'Georgiana May"
Between Mr.. Sykes and James F.
Forsyth there existed nothing in COM
mon, except perhaps. dire hatred. The
personal encounter between these two
men which your correspondent writes
as occurring nearly half century
ago" took place in 1852. odd Timer"
may not f1atter himself he is "the only
living witness of that episode." The
assault on Sykes was not a. result of
bitter political controversy. In a dis
cusson of that, or similar kind, I be-
Heve Forsyth's good Judgment would
have prevailed against a desire or
determination for collision. Mr.. Sykes
had been unwise enough to publish
so much of scandal relating to For
syth's domestic tr,nIbles during a time
in the past, prior to the death of his
wife, that Forsyth seemed driven to
desperation, and was said to have de-
clared that in punishment to Sykes he
would humiliate him." He ertered
the open door of the post Office, ap-
preached Sykes. who was standing
about midway of the room, and, eject
ing mouthful. of tobacco juice into
his face exclaimed, "By the spit in
your face I condemn Before he
could finish Mr.. Sykes grasped his
shoulder, turned his face to the door.
and giving him push and a mighty
kick at the same time sent him sprawl
ing across the sidewalk into the gut
ter. The affair was first referred to
publicly eleven years ago. in the Ner-
wich Record. Aug. 26, 1898, under the
head of "Old Times Among Norwich
Editors" 1t occasioned about as
much of sensation for the time being
as did the cutting and distribution on
Franklin square by Ed Fay of his
mammoth cheese. or the recitation at
the same place by Charley Cooley, of
his famous lode" of two hundred and
five stanzas in behalf of the Monte
Cristo Guard:
Should you ask me where I found it,
Found this mass of merest nonsense,
Found this batch of bulls and biunders.
Made of truth and lined with fiction,
Truthful more than It's poetic,
More poetic than fictitious
should answer, / should tell you,
In this city of the gases,
Where they're made in two great
houses.
Built of brick and lined with IRON
Iron pipes and iron boilers,
Iron furnace where they heat 'em,
Boil 'em up and then eonfine 'em
Close in pipes of strongest iron.
Whence they go through paths of dark
ness
To ilmmine many a mansion
In this City of the Gases
Found this, low in the gutter"
J. L. SPAJuDING.