Connecticut western news., 1911-02-02
More of Billy" Rockwell
Characteristic Anecdotes Told of the
 Ofd-time East Canaan Genius.


 Ofd-time East Canaan Genius.
 The Billy" Rockwell "reminiscences, as told by MT. D, L. Peirce. which ap- peared in this column couple of weeks ago, are vouched for by Deacon Stevens, whose general town reminiscences have been an interesting feature of The News for some weeks past, and who, it appears, IS nephew, by marriage, of the cele- brated Billy" that gentleman having married Deacon Stevens fathers sister Lydia Stevens, though he forgot to at tend his own wedding until sent for. as related by MT. Peirce.
 MT. Stevens relates some character istic stories of old Billy" which con. firm his reputation as an interesting figure in his day and generation. In Billy's time every farmer was supposed to have pair of working oxen. and Billy was no exception to the rule. The pins used for fastening the bows in the ox-yokes were usually made of wood, but Billy, who believed i'll having the best of everything, had pair made of iron. i'll which he took much pride. One day he lost one of these iron pins, and the loss troubled him greatly. He hunted high and low and diligently until at last his search was rewarded, when he exclaimed joyfully: "I'm awful glad lost that bow-pin because it makes me feel so good to think I've found it again.
 Billy was carpenter by trade. and good cue too. He was employed in the building of the house in which Miss Bridges now lives. The frame was erected on Thursday, all excepting the rafters, and iv was proposed to put the rafters up on Friday. The good wife of the owner, however, objected, arguing that Friday was an unlucky day and she wouldn't allow the rafters to be put up on that day. Well, don blame you," said Billy. "I worked on a house once where the rafters were put up on Fri day, and soon afterward that house was burned down, every bit of it except the rafters, and they remained sticking up in the air."
 When the Isham factory dam was built, Billy was employed to lay the mudsil. He took such pains with the work that some one asked him why he was so particular with the job. Billy replied: "A hundred years from now somebody will remark what good job this mudsill was, and will ask who laid It. And they will be told, Billy Rock we'll That's why I'm making a good job of it."
 Jay Underwood tells of Billy Rock well that on one occasion, when car penter work was slack in this region, he and Dan. Briggs, another wood worker, started for Mfddletown to seek work in ship yard, where they were given a chance to figure on the job of ''pinning out" schooner. Neither man knew anything about ship. building. but they figured on the work and decided between themselves that they would charge $60. Billy thought it over a little longer and finally concluded that the bld would be rejected as too high, and he proposed that they shave it down to $30 and not take the job at cent less. But they lost their nerve again when it came to final negotiations with the boss, and Billy informed him that they had decided to ask him to make them an offer for the work. "Well. I'll tell you" said the employer. "I'll give you just $500, and won't give cent more" Briggs" said Billy, we're couple of dunn fools and we'd better get home just as quick as we can before some thing happens to us. Nevertheless, they stayed.