The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1911-01-02
STRATFORD

The close Of the year finds this old
town Jogging along after its usual
conservative and peaceful manner.
Nothing very much out of the usual
has transpired during the past twelve
months. The Red Men have met from
two to three times a week, as US
ual, and the young folks have had
their little dances in the town hall.
To an outward observer few changes
have taken place. The opening up
Of Barnusn avenue. and tt1e running
Of trolley cars ever that now fine
nnstreet, after a strenuous fight last
spring to get the improvements start
ed, is the most creditable thing the
town has done. Next to that is the
completion Of the Franklin school
house. which will be opened sometime
in January. The addition to the CEN
ter school has also been completed,
and occupied, so the school question
is settled for sometime to- come. 1t
took a good many town meetings to
effect these results and some Of the
debates were spicy. Politically there
has been quite an upheaval, and the
"old guard" had to make the fight
of it's life to retain possession of the
town government. Another election
will doubtless relegate it to private
life. No great fires have taken place,
although a number of alarms have
sounded. There have been no very
serious accidents, except the killing
of a woman at Boards corner a week
or two ago. who was enjoying joy
ride with some Yale students. The
usual number of milk wagon acct
dents; dogs run over; trolley cars de-
rallied. run away horses, and petty
thievings, have been recorded. Recent
ly some good real estate dealers have
started an agitation for the annexa-
ton Of the town to Bridgeport, but
the proposition finds little support.
Bridge whist has gone into a decline,
and intOXicatiOn has not increased.
two or three road houses have been
pulled only to discover that the fire.
quenters came from Ansonia or
Bridgeport The native Stratfordite
does not patronize these places. The
agitation now on is for more street
lamps and an auto truck which can
carry chemicals and hose to a fire.
Both of these propositions are likely
to materialize. The deaths in town
the past year have numbered IS; the
births 122, and the marriages but %,
Our young men and women continue
to go to colleges scattered all over the
country. Many of them win honors.
There was a severe drought during the
summer, and even now the wells, or
rather the water in them, is very low.
A number Of attempts have been made
to start an aviation boom, but the
machine always declined to- fly. 1t
was frequently reported that an ex-
hibition of flying would take place,
much to the disappointment of those
who went out into the wilderness just
to see a man mount unto the skies.
Gas mains have been laid through the
principal streets during the summer,
and several houses have been shingled
and painted. Prayer meetings take
place every Wednesday evening, and
the contributions in the churches aver
age well. The town is pretty we'll
milked of all it's spare change for all
sorts of plausible begging propositions,
and almost everybody who comes along
takes up a contribution The US
ual number of people went to Europe
during the year, and some are there
now. A few have gone to Florida, and
if one makes a journey to Milford or
Bridgeport it is publicly announced.
The year has been one of great pros
perity for ST. James parish and the
congregation increases fast. It is es-
timated that at the Christmas masses
not far from 1000 persons attended.
Father O'Connor has been very sue
cessful with his fairs and food sales,
and his people have contributed lib
orally for the support of the church.
Miss Allen, of the office. has got
Gus revolutionary bedquilt is on ex-
hibition in Bridgeport. Such is the
simple record of life in town of high
thinking and domestic felicity.
The vital statistics during the past
year were as follows; the deaths num-
bered 65, the births were 122 and the
raarriaQeS o.