The Bridgeport evening farmer. [volume] (Bridgeport, Conn.) 1866-1917, 1911-12-29
FORMER BRIDGEPORT NEWS
PAPER MAN AND SONG WRIT
Err, TELLS OF SCHOOLMATES
WHO HAVE MADE GOOD.

Arthur w. French, formerly a
Bridgeport newspaperman and now
the Monroe correspondent of The
Farmer was in Bridgeport in a remi-
niscent mood the other day. A chance
meeting with David A. Tarbell, a
friend Of his boyhood days, brought
back to the minds of both, a number
Of Bridgeport lads who were boys
with them and who nave since made
their mark in the world.
AS he counted over their names and
successes Mr. French said:
"A number of Bridgeport young
men, who, nearly so years ago, went
out into the wide wide world" to
gather fame and fortune have sue
ceeded to attach themselves to botn.
About the years Of the sixties
there was a pupil attending the pub
lie school on State street, when the
late Emory f. Strong was ,princi-
pal
He was tall, a STRIPPING of a lad,
quite retired in ways, with a sallow
complexion and heavy black hair. He
was somewhat inclined to be athletic
in the plays of youth This boy
"erowed'' and removed from Bridge
port. He became in the middle age
of life. president of the great Baltl
more & Ohio railroad system. nation
ally known as Oscar G. Murray That
was the making good of "Oc."
Moses II. Wheeler, who for many
years, kept drug store on the north
east corner of Main and State street,
back i'm the 'sixties," had for several
years, a bright lad. who pounded the
mortar and pestle, helped at the soda
fountain and was an all-around work.
er. Then. in his early adult years,
he went with a wholesale drug house
and hogan since and
today. this country, and even foreign
lands know of and use the Fairchild
Proprietary medicine, and other phar-
maceutical preparations. all put in
the market by Samuel c. Fairchild
and by the way, this Sammy was
born and bred in stratford
Forty years ago, Or more. Richard
Willis, Dick was a really sport
about town, when he wasn't at work
in a shop or stopping on Loaf st.
"Dick'' got the railroad bug and u.s.
ed to go down to the depot and see
the trains come in or hang about the
engine barn. Well, "Dick" awoke one
day and took the skiddoo express for
the somewhere. In Albany he became
a horse car chauffeur, rising to
freight brakeman, then to a conduc
tor of passenger trains. Finally, just
a few years since, Mr.. Willis was SUI
perfntendent of a division Of the
Rome & Watertown railroad.
"a Bridgeport boy went through our
public school He grew up and went
to- New York Here he married. Hav-
ing a cousin who was an alderman,
the latter secured "Jim's' appoint
ment as a policeman and he held
down the job for 30 years, being re-
tired on half pay for life. Later, he
took a position as train announcer,
at a railroad depot in Jersey City.
Today, in the great Pennsylvania sta
ton in New York, you may meet a
genial smiling official there, who is
arrayed in blue and gold, as he at
tends to his duties. His name is
James Humphreys of Bridgeport,
Az
Another former Bridgeporter. Seems
to have made pretty good in the past
decade. A number of years he was
commercial traveller earning money
for a large manufacturing concern.
Then he concluded to try it on him.
self. First, he began a partnership
business in this city. Going himself
one better he sold out here ten years
since and started a large business in
Boston, now being very successful.
He has been in the city, this week,
renewing old acquaintance. Monday
last. he was elected a member of the
Boston Chamber of Commerce. He is
David A. Tarbell. long a partner with
George B. Clarke Furniture Co.