Norwich bulletin. [volume] (Norwich, Conn.) 1895-2011, 1909-06-09
COAST ARTILLERY
ARMoRY AT DANIELSoN
Project Favored at Hearing Before.
Committee on Military Affairs.
(special 10 NE Bulletin.l

Especial to The Bulletin)
Hartford, June S.-If Judge Harry
E. Back, who is a member of the Ma
| tiona1 guard company there, Represent
ative Keach -of Killingly and Senator
Ludington and Representative Dougal
of the committee on military affairs
can gain it for them. the members of
the Danielson company of Coast artil-
| lery are to have an armory owned by
the state. These gentlemen appeared
| this afternoon before tn. committee or
appropriations and Adjutant General
! Cole also appeared to favor the project
| 1t is the same old armory which the
company has been occupying since it
was built by James NJ. Paine, a mem
ber of the company. in 1896. for that
| purpose, that it is desired to buy but
to purchase it would save the state the
| necessity of paying the $500 annual
rental which it now pays.
The committee on military affairs
sent some of its members to Daniel
son and these gentlemen were very
pleased with the situation. The build
ing cost all of $4,000 to build, but the
state can buy the whole property,
which includes three or four small
frame buildings that it would probably
want to tear down SO as to use the
room they occupy for a parade ground,
for that sum. The property adjoins
the tracks of the New Haven road and
is directly in the heart of the busi-
ness district of Danielson. The build
ing is of brick and has metal roof
resting on steel trusswork. 1t is 92x
90.4 in size and the drill hall which
occupies the rear two-thirds of the
building, is 80 1-2 by Ga 1-2 The
building IS heated by steam and has
equipment for lighting by both. gas and
electricity. In the basement is an in
door rife range adequate for the needs
of the company.
Mr.. Paine, who built the armory
building for the company, is not now
certain what he paid for it, but is
willing to sell the whole property to
the state for $4,000. The local men
who appeared before the committee did
their best to make it plain that this
would be a good buy for the state and
that undoubtedly If in the future the
state. should wish to dispose of the
property this could be done at a good
advance over the purchase price.
Something of the situation with re-
gard to the local company was told to
the committee by Judge Back. who
said there had been a National guard
company In Danielson from time i'm
memorial with the exception of a short
time subsequent to the Spanish war. at
the end of which ii was thought best to
let the company disband and reorgan-
ize 1t. This is now the only company
east of Willimsntic and north of Nor
wich in eastern Connecticut 1t draws
its members from six towns, Killinglv
Putnam, Thompson, Plainf1eld. Brook
lyn and Sterling with a total popula-
tion Of $4,000. One member who lives
In the town of Eastford drives nearly
twenty five miles for drill every week.
The personnel Of the company is very
high, some of the best known young
men in Danielson belonging to it. The
boys don't think it fair that they
should have to pay railroad fare to
come to drill and then pay company
expenses on top Of that For the last
year or so the state has paid the ex-
pense of lighting and part of the ex-
pense Of heating. but previously the
company had paid these expenses itself
and there is no knowing when Il NAV
have to do so again.
General Cole stated to the commit
tee that he believed that the. state
would save money by buying this
property and 1t was plain that the dis
position of most Of the members of the
appropriations committee was to favor
the project