The Press., 1912-01-17
Mrs, HannAh HilI of sprInsfeld

day morning
 i, Mrs. Catherine Hicks and Mrs. M
 B. Fisk have returned from a short visit in New York. Mrs. Hicks il
 enter taining Mrs. Kinda Marcy Burn
 ham of Hartford.
 l Harold A. Crane has been reelected
 superintendent of the First Oongrega
 tionAl church Sunday school at Ann
 herst, Mass. Mr. Crane is also dis
 trIct secretary for the Hampshire
 County Y. P. s. 0. E. association.
 The vital statiskica for 1911 record
 123 births. 69 deaths and a0 marri-
 ages. The number of births ia con- siderAbly above the average The
 perce ntsge of deaths is lower than it
 has been for years, and tha number of
 marriages is unusually small.
 The assessors have completed their duties and their report has been filed
 in the office of the town clerk. The
 total grand list is $aa480, 52s, of
 which $500, 5S2 is in she Dame of
 non residents. There are $40 houses and other buildings, $50 horses and mulep, 1O44 neat cattle. The amount assessed on watches and jewelry is $335 and on musical instruments $11
 561.
 There was good attendance at the spe cial borough meeting last Wednes- day night. On motion of Frederic Faulkner it was voted to accept Con verse street as a public highway. The street will now havs to be laid out and graded to meet the approval of the warden and burgesses. Mean while it is not Q public way and the street has been closed until further notice.
 President H Fitzhugh of the Central Vermont road in a recent in- tervisw. in speaking of the plans in Massachusetts, said that "You will recall shat when this line was pro- 'cted Naw London seemed to regard it as disadvantage to that point, but wa hsvs been improving our New London llne, and during the coming summer we shall greatly increase our train se1vics on that road "
 Postmaster Alfred W. Converse of Winds, IT Loo ks, formerly of this town, accidentally skot himself with q re. volver at his home Sunday and died Monday. The bullet entered his left eiH 4c ho1o passing through the spleen and imbsd. ding itself at the rear close to the back. The revolver had been used the day before by the hired man at the house to shoot cat, and before put ting it away again Mir Converse was about to clean 1t with oil He knew 1t was partly loaded and was about to "break it" to remove the remaining cartridges, when in some manner un- explainable by him it exploded and sent the bullet into his body. Mir. Converse was alone in his room at the time, but was able to summon aid. Alfred Woods Converse was born in Stafford. August l, 1885, the son of Hannibal A. and Julia A. (Ferry Converse, and was of the ninth gener. ation of Deacon Edward Converse, who came from England in 1880 to Oharlestown. He was one of the best known and respected residents of Windsor Looks. His father was en- gagged in the iron foundry business in Stafford Hollow and in Windsor Looks His early years were, spent on his fathers farm In Stafford, and in his fathers foundry, where he learned the founders trade. He attended Wilbraham academy. and Monson academy for two years, after which he worked in his fathers foundry un- til the outbreak of the civil war, when on September 5, 1862, he enlisted in Company o, Twenty fifth Regiment, Connecticut Volunteers, and served until August 26, 1863, when the regiment was discharged. He was first sergeant, second lieutenant and first lieutenant of Company O, which saw hard service in Louisiana. He was wounded in the battle of Irish Bend. where his captain and many of his comrades were killed and wounded, He was in every engagement in which his regiment took part, and was mus- tered out with a most honorable record, as his promotions testify. After his discharge Mir. Converse con. tinued his business as a founder and became 8 member of the firm with his father, remaining in the business un- til his parents death, when he sue. ceeded him, afterwards selling out to 1 the E. Horton 6 Son company. In ! 1867 he was elected town clerk, treas. urer and registrar, and was continued in those offices for fifteen years, though Windsor Locks was ademocratic town and he strong republican. He was appointed postmaster in 1868, during President JOhnsoD's administration, and with the exception of President Oleveland's two terms he continued In that office ever since. He was an incorporator of the Windsor Looks Savings bank, and served as its score. tary and treasurer from organization l in 1871 until last year, when he re- signed. He also carried on the fire insurance business for many years. He was a member of many fraternal, mill itary and social orders, being a Mason and a shriner; 8 member of she ]. B. Converse post. of which hg vas long 1 time commander; of shs Army and Navy club. tss Society of the Nine tssath Army Corps, the Society of the Army of the Potomac, and was senior yice-commander of the department of Connections and chief mastering offi. cer. MT. Converse was married, May I Is, 1857, to Julia Orcutt of Stafford, E h0 auPvfv0a him nR Snww oh{Idwaw