The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1911-09-23
Special to the Farmer.)

|
 l Stratford, Sept. 23.-To have lived
 under twenty-three presidents is a privilege very few men have enjoyed To have seen the United States double l in population time after time; to have participated in events which have gone down into history as heroic; to have passed through crisis after cri- | sis, panic after panic and at last to enjoy the peace and tranquility of an age devoid of pirates. bandits and crimes is a lot not seldom accorded any one on this hemisphere but all these and more have made a part of the life history of George O. Ellis of 1 this town who on Sept 7th celebrated l his 96th birthday at his home at Co- lumbus Farm in this town.
 When a representative of the Far mer called on MT. Ellis at his home in Putney yesterday he was just re- turning from a four mile walk, a pastime which he enjoys very much and which he always takes in pleas ant weather. We young fellows have to get out often and work off some of our surplus energy,.' said the old gentleman as he hustled up to meet the reporter. Its hard to keep us still when we want to be moving he added as he sat on the porch and pre- pared for a chat on old times and as- sociationS. MT. Ellis is as bright and sprightly as any man of 50 in the state of
 Connecticut. His mind is as clear and
 his memory as fresh as at any time in
 his long and eventful life. He has
 fund of recollections which would
 fill many volumes if properly arrang-
 ed and recorded.
 Mrs Ellis was born in Attleboro,
 Mass, Sept. ' ISIS, during the ad-
 ministration of James Monroe. He
 cast his first vote for William Hem
 ry Harrison in 1886 but his vote avail
 ed nothing for Martin VanBuren the
 Federal candidate was elected. At
 the next presidential election. General
 Harrison came off victorious but liv-
 ed only a short time when his vice
 president John Tyler was called to
 the presidential chair by the death
 In 1886 MT. Ellis was at work in the village of Waterbury which at that time included the town of Salem the total popluation being about B.
 900. It was then brass city the principal industry being the manufac- ture of different articles from this al- Toy. He manufactured the Hog cab- in'' buttons used in the campaign of which the slogan was ''Tippecanoe and Tyler Too"
 The administration of Andrew Jack son had left the country in a state or QtTG QlStToSS. DuSluSSS was par alyzed as the result of the dissolu- ton of the United States bank. Jack son with his customary decision of character had demanded the surren- der of the government funds then on. deposit with the United States Bank! Nick" Riddle was president of the bank and Levi Woodbury was secre- tary of the treasury. The latter was removed by the president and was succeeded by Judge Tenny. The money was drawn from the bank with no provision for it's deposit in other places but President Jackson was equal to the occasion and deposited the government funds with the state banks subject to calr without inter- est The banks loaned out the mon- ey and were unable to honor the drafts of the government The banks failed on all sides and there was a period of eight years of great business depression. Bankruptcy was hanging over every business house and failures were common. Spe- cie payments were suspended. The whole country was idle and the only active industry was farming. There pie resorted to the ancient plan of barter to get the necessaries of life. To use MT. Ellis own words:
 ."This was the most serious panic the country has seen in my memory. All the shops in Waterbury were shut down and the streets were lined with men playing ball and amusing them selves in other ways. It was eight years before the country recovered from this panic and Waterbury took on it's usual business activity. The