Norwich bulletin., 1912-07-13

Then came the building of the foundation and Fall before the contract for the building was awarded. Final ly 1t was decided to have the building of lime stone and discard the brown stone section of the building and the contract for building the superstruc- ture above the foundation walls was awarded for an even SS0000 or $15,000 more than was originally specified as the limit that the comrnittee could use in the building. At the time 1t was suggested in this correspondence that tab be kept on all that was expended in the enlargement of the city hall, for the sum was sure to be exceeded. At the special meeting, when the con tract for $SO 900 was ratified it was given out that the buiEdiag iwll6c- completed will have cost the city at least S115,00O. But New London har- bor is to be developed and there is to be another city hall building on the site of the present, so what's the use.
 4 local historian is writing interest ing material of doings of bysone days in New London, which demonstrates careful research of records and dili- gent inquiry among the oldest in habitants What he writes from record is incontrovertible but what he picks up here and there from in- dividuals is occasionally, nOE 'veFVI often, subject to discussion. His latest published historical reminis- cence refers to the New London police force when in it's infancy. He is modestly told by Hezekiah B. Smith that he (Smith) was the first uni formed policeman of New London and perhaps he was. It is true some years ago a Norwich newspaper printed a strictly true item in saying that New London had police force and its name was Smith, But the first police officer in uniform that an old tad who lived in New London since an in- fant and who was ten years of age when the war was declared with the south, is strongly of opinion that the first uniformed policeman he eveI saw, and that was in New London, was not Hezehiah H. Smith, but was Amos Avery. This tad remembers to be inspected and in fact made . round of the stores in order to get pub lie opinion as to how he appeared ir the blue coat and brass buttons witf club at his side. Mir. Smith may have antedated Avery, but if he did thG old tad is of course mistaken.
 The local historian has been writing on matters of ancient history of in valuable interest and the pity is tha they are not being compiled for gen. eral publication in book form. It i, now nearly sixty two years since Mis-, Frances@M. Caulkins' History of New London was published and it is abou | time that another book of lik, character was published. No man il better qualified to prepare such work than Richard B. Wall as he hai been collecting historical material fo | many years. Miss Caulkins was wei supplied with this worlds goods ant
 the first cost of issuing such a publi
 cation was a mere bagatelle Tha i lady had the time, the inclination ant | the cash to carry on the work. bu not so with MT. Wall He has the in 1 clination, but cannot afford to giv,
 the time and put up the cash to pa, l for the publication. He surely has tn ability and there ought to be publi l spirited men enough in the city to en l gage MT. Wall to publish a history 0
 New London, sort of volume tw 1 of the original edition. covering tn l period of Miss Caulkins history t l da5e of publication and to includ | the building of the million dollar pie
 and the development of New LondoI
 harbor.