The Bridgeport evening farmer. [volume] (Bridgeport, Conn.) 1866-1917, 1911-09-07
Former Saloon
Keeper Is Now
Missions Head
New Haven Man Returns to
Elm City in Far Different
Role Than When He Left

New Haven, Sept. TT have in
quired about many Of the men who
used to come to my saloon and have
found that drink has gotten the pest
Of some of them. I hope they will
drop around and see me here, for
they will get something better than
what 1 used to give them
William Elns' invitation to his old
saloon patrons to-day. E
Back to the city where he spent his
early life and conducted for year a
saloon in Congress avenue, William
F. Ellis, who was very well known
here 20 years ago, has come to take
charge Of the Yale Mission in Court
street and to run the Hotel Martin,
succeeding Louis j. Bernhard VINO
resigned in June. to take up work Tor
the Prison association of George. Mr..
Ellis is already in charge of the Hotel
Martin in Court street and the mis-
sion will be re-opened soon, probab-
ly before the opening Of college this
fall. Mr.. Ellis has with him his, wife
who has had many years of mission
work, and whom he met in the mis-
sion field in New York, and their
practical knowledge of that sort OF
work together with Mr.. Ellis,
knowledge of New Haven should
make the mission and the hotel even
more successful than they have been.
Mr.. Ellis is 46 years OLD. At the
age of % he inherited an amount of
money from his father from whom he
had been separated for many years.
and after spending and losing the
greater part of it started saloon
at SIS Congress avenue, place he
purchased from a man named Dennis
who had succeeded Thomas H. Sulli-
van there Before that Mr.. Ellis had
tended bar at saloon where the
Washington building now stands. He
did a good business at his Congress
avenue saloon, but was his own best
customer and brooded over that fact.
He lived across the street from the
saloon and after he had closed his
place for the night used to go over
there and take liquor with him. Fin
ally he thought if he could get away
from his place and away from New
Haven he would get along better and
could begin life anew. He thought
this over one Sunday night sitting
alone on the green and decided to
leave town. He went to his place
in CONGRESS avenue, drank consider
able, went out, locked the door and
threw the key inside and abandoned
his place. He took the midnight
train for New York. He never heard
what became of his saloon and new
er wanted to see it again.
The other day he found his wish
had been granted for when he walk
ed up Congress avenue he found a
new building on the site of his old
place.
After leaving here Mr.. Ellis went
to Baltimore and stayed year with
relatives. He tried to straighten out,
but couldn't and went from bad TO
worse. His relatives finally bought
him a ticket to New Haven. but he
wouldn't come back here and drop
ped off at New York.
when reached New York" said
Mr.. Ellis this morning, ct went he
limit. / don't say this with any
pride at all, but just to show the
power of God to bring men back to
righteous lives. I struck the Bow
cry and lived there for IA years.
drank all the time and life was much
worse than it had been in New Ha-
ven.
FINALLY I had to be sent to the al
coholic ward in a hospital in Third
avenue. They, don't cure you there.
They just keep you till the effects
have worn off little. Someone
Auley Mission and try to take a
brace 1 didn't know whether would
go or not, but went in that general
direction when / left the hospital. /
walked down Third avenue, but
was so delirious I feared that the
trains would fall son me.
When I started to cross the street
was afraid 1 would be hit by team
# it was a block away. So I went
over to Second Avenue to get away
from the elevated trains.
st finally wandered over to the
mission.
1.-THE first two weeks were the hard
est. ] met my old companions and
hey would try to get me to drink.
Every drop of blood 1 had seemed
% be calling out for something to
rink. Bit I didn't have any.
'I went to work for the mission,
irst as a sweep, but gradually had
better places until I was finally made
superintendent. It's = great
work they do there"
Mr.. Ellis didn't think of ever COM
ng here until William w. Borden,
proprietor of the Hotel Martin asked
lin to come back to his home town
md work here. He accepted finally. |
md is at the Hotel Martin.
ST have seen some familiar faces
ince have been back, but there |
re many changes. I have inquired |
bout those who used to come to my |
lace and find that alcohol has got |
en- the better of many of them II
lope they will come and see me here
hey will get encoura cement and help |
lere, instead of what they did there. |