The Newtown bee., 1909-08-13


 connecticut. he says of Bridgewater. They make a mistake in employing preachers for a short time inyoly- ing frequent changes, and students rom New Haven whom they see only on the Sabbath; and that such course Is not likely to build them up, and hardly entities them to aid from the Missionary society,"" What he said was true then, and Is just as true now. He was pastor at Bethlehem July l, lSS5-June 4, 1850; served Bethany March, lS47-December, 1851; and North Guilford ls5l- 1854, and Bridgewater from Novem- Der, 1854, till he died here February g, 1858, aged 75. A daughter was the wife of Rev R. Charming Chip man, and a son was deacon, clerk, and treasurer of the church at Beth lehem, and superintendent of the Sabbath school, and a son of the dea- con Is a minister, Rev Fosdlck B. Harrison. Rev Maltby Gelston, son of Rev Maltby Gelston, pastor at sherman for 1797-1S56, served here one year in 1S31-1S32. The rest of his ministry was in New York and in Michigan, where he died in Ann Arbor, February 19, 1893, aged SS, leaving two sons in the ministry. Samuel Howe, a licentiate, preached here under pay of the Missionary so- ciety, August-December, 1881, and reported a fcur-days meeting and about 20 conversions. Sucn meetings in which laymen from other churches took an active part were common about that time, and often accom-. plished much good. He was born in Greenwich, March 27, 1902; studied under Rev Platt Buffet of Stanwich, whose daughter he mar ried; graduated at Yale, 1927; studied theology at Yale and Prince ton; was licensed by New Haven West Association; was home mission ary on Cape Cod, Mass, and in New York; was ordained as pastor at North Hopewell, N. Y., July 25, 1S35-January, 1887; was pastor at North East Center. N. Y. three years, served North Madison, 1S5S- 1866, and Wilmington, lS66-lorS; resided at Bricksburgh, N. J., from 1869 till he died there September 2S, 1874, aged 73. He was godly man. His daughter became the wife of Rev Horace G. Hinsdale
 Rev John Willis Beecher labored here under the Missionary society, August-December, 1882, and received a call which he declined. Held five-days meeting; about 30 were converted and eleven joined the church, including Henry Sanford, now clerk, aged 90 years. He was born in SouthDury, November 2, 1903; graduated at Maryville Col lege, Tenn, studied theology at the Southern and Western Seminary, Tenn, was ordained in April, 1892; served the Missionary society of Connecticut on the Western Re- serve, O., several years; labored at Painesville; was pastor at P"ron, O., 1885; and at Ellsworth, Conn.,, December 1, 1S41-September zo, 1S47; and labored at Vernon Center, N. Y., where he died in 1858, aged 55. He married Achsa, daughter of Dea Benjamin Judson of Woodbury. Of his sons, one died in the war and three became ministers; Willis Jud- son, born in Hampden, O., 1888, or dained 1864, and professor of He- brew in Auburn Seminary since 1871. John Everitt, born Ellsworth, Conn.,, 1S42, and ordained 1875, and William Alanson, born Vernon Gen. ter, N. Y., 1852, and ordained in 1879.
 Rev Albert Barlow Camp, the sec ond settled pastor, son of Rev Joseph B. Camp, pastor at Northfield, 1795- 1887, was born there February 16. 1797; graduated at Yale, 1922, and Andover Seminary, 1926; was or dained pastor at Ashpy, Mass, Janu- ary "A, 1S27-March 2S, 1892; re- sided at Northfield, 1S32-1S94; was installed at Bridgewater December 10, 1S34-June 6, 1S43. Salary $365.
 In 1885 he reports 174 families in the parish and $40 people of whom twN thirds are Congregational the Episcopal church having preaching one-fourth of the ire and the Methodists supplied by circuit riders, The parsonage was built for him in 1889 for which ne paid q72 rent. The Sunday school went through the winter for the first time in lS%S- 1889. In 1S40 he says: They have temperance society of about 1GO members and 25 or 30 on the entire abstinence principle. Our four stores all sell liquor." In 1S41 he says: 'The people raise S153 out of their own pockets for parish support" He adds almost nothing is done on the subject of temperance. There is here a strong opposition to it, and the cause seems to have come to a stand. It is difficult to find man who labors by the day who does not feel that he must have his rum. If such statements seem strange to us now they only indicate the progress which has been made in the last 50 years. January 31, 1S42, he says: Tn December, a reformed drunkard from New Haven was with us and produced an astonishing effect in three evenings. We now have about 2SO pledges, including some of our most respectable men, and also some who had been regarded as hopeless cases. In one hatters shop where all the men were incorporate all are now sober men, Later, in April, he says, Tn a population of about nn