The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1909-09-02
PASSING OF THE
 OLD TURNPIKE
With Appropriate Ceremonies New
 PlattsvilIe Road is Opened.
BANKS ORATOR OF DAY

farmer of the Plattsville region from the duties of his rustic life, but yes- terday was a red letter day, for it marked the dedication of a new State road extending from the Stratfield and he must be present at the cere- monies attending the opening of the. highway. When Farmer Brown turn ed the cows to clover at 4 a. m. he must needs confer with Farmer Jones, his next door neighbor-one mile away. Farmer Brown and Farmer Jones agreed that it was scarcely an ''upriz'' morning, as the threatening black clouds to the north forbode a day to be spent in the COW stable preparing corn stalks for the winter fodder. But they were optimistic and their cheer ful thoughts were rewarded when at noon Old Sol peeped from behind a cloud or two and sflone forth in all it's glory. Everybody on the farm had been busy all morning long, so that at one o'clock all the chores had been done and faithful Nell was taken from the blow and f1itched to the old democrat, which is used for the fam fly only on Sundays and other state occasions.
 Arrived at the cross roads in Platts- vile center, where the grandstand had DS6n GT0CCSU nISn uIlIO Inc ulSCTfCl school which rests upon a knoll, the trnsty old mare was turned loose to graze. while the head of the house trod up through the fields to shake the hand of Congressman B. J. Hill of Norwalk. Meantime mother and the kiddies along with the summer visitors were making a raid on an ice cream wagon, for the time being ignoring the true significance of the occasion.
 Then the Wheeler & Wilson band began a concert that set the hearts of all the lads and lassies aflutter. All the farmers present knew each other and were at home from the start. The city folks were equally fortunate, for on ones right was the familiar face of, the butter and egg man who shows up every Tuesday, and on the left ready to shake hands stood the milk man.
 Leaders of political life of town, vil- Iage and county were there, having made the trip in flying automobiles. The representatives of. nearly all the Mayor Lee and City Clerk Bucking- ham were present, as were County Commissioners Simeon Pease, John Brophy, Whitman S. Mead, Sheriff Sidney Hawley Sheriff Stagg of Strat- ford, Dr. William H. Donaldson, Simon Bradley, Moses EGdson Banks, Samuel Wheeler, R. T. Hitchcock, H. D. Moore, Frank H. Paul, Peter Suzio, William Wilson, Horace Jackson and F. B. Brothwell.
 Pencil, pastor of Lees chapel, Easton, Moses D. Banks, the oldest resident in wisdom and popularity along the stretch of new road, made the intro ductory remarks:
 ''The object of these ceremonies to- day is to celebrate the completion of | the connecting link between the vil- | lages of Stratfield and E1aston. To- day marks the transition from the old turnpike to the new. It has long been my wish to see a splendid boule- | yard extending from county house to county house, and' I hope the work will continue until this wish is real l ized. There was once a resident of | Easton who had never been outside ! the vtll&ge except when his fellow citf- zens sent him to Hartford. On one of his trips to the capital he observed | workmen in Bridgeport erecting tele- graph poles and placing wire on them l He asked the purpose of the work ano when told that news was to be sent al over the world, he said that he could conceive a letter rushing along the wire, but he was tgol darned' if he could imagine a. bundle of the gooc old Bridgeport Farmers being convey | ed by that means. The roads of thai day were not merely impossible, they were damnable Old Sport Hill was
 
 come the fact that all that has disap. peared, even the old toll gate whicf stood at these crossroads
 | Judge Edward K. Nicholson of this
 city, told of the benefit to be derived from good roads in general, and how
 the old system of turnpike companies
 existed when the State was in the be- ginning.
 Former Lieut. Governor Everett
 Lake was to have spoken at this point
 but sent a letter saying that a. seri ous illness Of Mrs. Lake prevented h1 being present. Highway Commission CT James IT. Macdonald also failed tt | make an appearance, thereby disap pointing the large crowd present. Congressman B. J. Hill was the las speaker and he paid a. tribute to tn energy of the citizens of Fairfield wh'
 had pushed the highway to completion He said that such a. road had tn power of bringing closer together tn
 widely scattered residents of the town
 The road has been built by the Con iIecticut Contracting Company of Nev | Britain, of which Peter Suzio is presl
 dent and general manager. Frank H
 Paul was manager of the job. Tn
 road extends exactly 6,603 feet, is
 feet in width, IA of which are macad
 am, and has cost $12,O00 The frs
 work of grading was begun last Marcl
 and the work on the road itself wa
 begun on June 20.
 The committee in charge was mad
 up as follows: Chairman, R. Hitch
 cock; secretary and treasurer, A. C
 Acker; J.. Arthur Sherwood, Rev. A
 F. Pencil, Emery Sanford, Charle
 Poobeu F A, Marsh L. W. Davis