Norwich bulletin., 1910-03-19
MONEY READY FOR NEW ALMSHOUSE
The Efficient
 Boy Coninen

Mayor Mahan has received notice rom the trustees of the estate of Se-
 Dastian D. Lawrence that the s50,00O
 bequeathed for a new almshouse is ceptance by the official representatives
 or the city. The present almshouse has been enlarged by the, addition of TWO wings since it's original construc- tion and thereby more than doubled III size It is in a commanding loca- tion and when constructed was con- Sldered well out in the country and with land sufficient for farming pur- poses. But this has been changed and now there is practically no farm con nected with the institution and the in- mates able and willing to do some work are enforced to idleness.
 The Memorial hospital grounds ad- join those of the alpshouse and there Is no land there now that is avaiIa- ble for farming purposes. therefore the present city premises are not well adapted for the new almshouse and city farm.
 The present alnshouse is a large, two story brick structure which Mir. Law renee did not consider adequate to the public needs and the comfort for the unfortunate poor and he has made provision for the improvement of the present facilities for caring for the town poor. It has been suggested that some slightly place be selected for the new building with ample land for farming purposes. but just what to do with the present building is still prob lematical- This is a matter that can be figured out to unsuccessful result by Mayor Mahan and his associates in the court of common council, and what ever they recommend will undoubted- ly receive the approval of the people. ', It has been suggested that the pres ent building be used in connection with the new, but this would hardly be feasible, owing to lack of land ac- commodations ill that vicinity, all though that is the site preferred by the late MT. Lawrence. In any event accommodations for the unfortunate poor who find it necessary to make the journey lover the hill.''
 There certainly has been improve city of New London in the last half century when the old poor house. under the management of Keeper Bee be. was located in Town square on the In those days the town poor were worked upon the streets, doing all the road building and repairing, and even poor children inmates were compelled streets and pick up the loose rocks and throw them into the carts. This was, of course, before the Belgian pavement, vitrified brick, macadam or Hassan pavement, was known in New London, and this method had a hu- initiating effect on the poor unfortu- mates and placed them almost in the same cateeory as the chain gang.
 Such treatment today would be con- Sidered as almost barbarous and sure- ly uncharitable. The poor of the town were placed on exhibition under the old rule and compelled to work out their own existence under the gaze of scrutinizing and curious public.
 Martin B. CuIiin, the retired police man who died during the week after very Ionn sickness, was when in ac- tive duty one of the most efficient men on the force, becoming a policeman when a comparatively young man, leaving the blaming and turning de- partment of Bishop Brothers to join the force. When the civil war was pro- claimed he was schoolboy in New London and like others, he was anx- ious to become a4soldier and fight for the preservation of the union As Martin was then but sixteen years of age, his parents objected, and his at tempts to enlist in New London were unavailing, so he ran away from home and enlisted in a New York regiment, serving creditably and receiving hon. orable discharge of the highest rating
 In the engagement at Peach Or chard, Petersburg. Va. MT. Cullin was shot through the left lung, the bullet passing through his body and he was supposed to have been fatally in jured. When the smoke of battle cleared and the surgeons made the rounds to give the wounded hospital treatment, selecting the wounded and tagging them for the ambulances, the silently wounded receiving immediate attention while the fatally wounded were left on the battlefield to be cared for later. In order to designate one wounded a label to that effect was pinned on the unfortunate soldier. MT. Cullin was labeled Fatal" He was in a. weakened condition, unable to speak. yet he realized that the "Fa- taF' label meant for him to remain with the dead under the belief that he would be cIassed among the slain. He managed to tear the label from his breast and crumble and throw it away.