Norwich bulletin., 1910-09-03
Had New London Grown in Population
In Proportion to Ferry Business
IT WOULD BE THELARGESTNL.C.CI CITY
Police Criticisms-Mr. Zones Seeks No Ofce-Private
Business Claims All His Time-The City Clerk
ship-The Game of Politics is Governed By No
New Rules

If New London had grown in popu
lation in proportion to the business of
the Groton and New London ferry,
especially on Sunday, Bridgeport
would not be the largestF city
in the state and Norwich could
not lay claim to being the largest city
in New London Acounty. Now the
ferry boat makes two or three trips
an hour on Sunday from early morn
until late al night and collects more
in fares on that day than was collect
ed in any one day in the week several
Years ago, This is marked compari-
son with the Sunday passenger bust
ness between New London and Groton
OF forty or more years ago, for with
in the recollection of many now on
the shady side of life there was no
ferrybOat in operation, that is the
regular ferryooat rested on the Lord S
Day in it's berth on the Groton side
of the river.
BY special permission of the ferry
franchise lessees the people We're ac-
commodated with ferriage on Sunday,
the ferry boat being an ordinary
smack boat propelled with a pair of
oars and Captain Asa Perkins, of
Groton. the ferryman. and the fare
was ten cents. This service was ample
for several years and the only time the
ferry1nan was busy was just before
and after the close of church services
in New London, as some from Groton
were regular attendants at a New
London church.
Ferryman Perkins when he had few
passengers not over two would
sit down and. row with oars crossed:
that is he would row the port oar with
the starboard hand and vice versa, the
oars being crossed amidship When he
had a full passenger list of eight, the
dark tanned mariner would stand
facing the bow in that old-style way
that was peculiar to fishermen. In
some trips of the present ferryboat,
there ere more passengers carried in a
single trip, to say nothing of the au-
tomobiles and other vehicles than
Captain Perkins and his little row.
boat ferry craft carried in year. Sup
pose the popula ton and business of
New London had increased as much
, in proportion as the Sunday business
of the New London and Groton Ferry =?
Without entering into any controversy
and with no desire to contradict con-
traditions of what has been printed
in this spondence, last Saturday
or any other old time it is we'll for
the readers to understand that moth
ing is written in regard to industries,
present or prospective that is not
based on what is considered reliable
authority. 1t may be that at times
matters of news gets into this cor
respondence too far in advance to have
the details verified officially and there
fore there is sometimes contradiction
made of statements that afterwards
become facts. No conscientious worker
on q. newspaper has any desire to pub
fish any matter of public interest
prematurely and when this is some
times done it is q matter of regret
When important information is re-
ceived in the regular way and from
what appears to be good authority i!
is taken for granted to be correct, and
it usually is.
OF course there are exceptions to
all rules. and the matter in point may
be an exception but for the good o1
New London and for all concerned ii
is hoped that there will be substantial
addition to the industries of New Lon
don and that the article of last Satur-
do Y that caused contradiction will
prove to be true When the article
was written it was belived to be based
on the very best of authority but for
the present the writer gracefully bows
in submission to the statements of the
gentlemen who are certainly in posi-
ton to know the real condition, bu
who would be glad of the realization
of the new industry as mapped in thi:
correspondence.
As matter of course the police
men will be cussed if they do thei
duty and will be cussed If they do not
| so what are the poor policemen to do
1t has been demonstrated in the New
London police department that al
efficient officer lost his position on the
force for doing his duty impartially
But that was long ago when the of
| ficers were elected by the court o
common council annually. The Off
Ger was j. Clinton Shepard and on
of the most efficient that ever donnet
| policemans uniform in the city, ant
| who for nearly a quarter of a centu-
! ~ thereafter did faithful duty as
| special Waterman of the stores in th'
business section of the city. He re
tired to private life a couple of year,
ago by reason of failing health anC
with the personal satisfaction of hay
ing always performed faithful and con
scientious duty. He was not only {
faithful patrolrnan but keen de-
tective as was plainly shown when h
traced Dwight Steere to a Massa
chusetts city for the murder of hi:
companion. Frederick White, on Colt:
wharf in New London. He arrested
Steere, brought him to New Londor
where he was tried and sentenced tt
state prison for life.
STILL in spite of his acknowledged
ability as an officer and his impartial
ity in the line of duty. he was dropped
from the force for doing his plain duty
One night a party of young men were
out on a lark and one of them be
came drunk and disorderly in State
street creating quite a disturbance
Officer Shepard requested the young
man to cease his noisf and go to hi:
home, whereupon the officer was abus-
ed and he rightly took the offender to