Norwich bulletin., 1912-12-28
Henry s. Dorsey Long in the Service of the State
 Further Honored.
TALK ABOUT PAID FIRE DEPARTMENT.
Volunteers Think Would Be Impossible Give Any Better Servce-Passing of Michael Horan-Democratic Sena- tor and Two Representatives for First Time in Thirty Years.

In the person of George Haven, now
 captain of police, New London has
 been favored with the colonelency of
 the Third regiment, Connecticut Ma
 ton Guard, general commanding the
 brigade and adjutant general of the
 state, and who is now the only resident
 who ever commanded the old Third.
 But for the first time in the history
 of state troops, New London is now
 honored with the colonel commanding the Coast Artillery corps of the state,
 in the person of Henry s. Dorsey. Like
 General Haven. he entered the service
 as private, and step by step has at
 tained the highest office in that branch
 of the service. Colonel Dorsey enlist
 ed as a private in Company A, Third
 regiment, was promoted to corporal
 sergeancy, lieutenant, and captained
 the company in the war with Spain.
 Subsequently he became major and
 lieutenant colonel in the Coast Artil-
 lery corps since its formation By the
 resignation of Colonel Fitch he be-
 comes colonel. having been nominated
 by the officers of the corps and duly
 approved by the adjutant general by
 order of Governor Baldwin, command
 CT in chief.
 Colonel Dorsey has since youth talk
 en great interest in matters military,
 and his step by step promotion has
 been deserved in every instance, and
 demonstrates that true merit Is recog-
 niZed in the military service of the
 state. This latest promotion means
 that the headquarters of the Coast Ar
 tillery corps will be at New London,
 and that once again the city will be the
 center of military activity, which will
 have tendency to revive the droop-
 ing spirit that has pervaded in this re- spect for the past few years The time
 was when New London was recognized as an important factor in all that per- tained to state military service, and now the indications are that the city is coming back into it's own.
 Michael Horan, one of New London's oldest residents who came here from the Emerald Isle, died at his home in Main street Tuesday. Years ago. when the
 men of SO of today were schoolboys, Mike Horan was the right hand man of the late Billy Wilson and served as teamster for the Wilson Foundry and
 Machine shop, which occupied a part of the site of the Palmer Brothers bed quilt mills. At that time and for years afterward MT. Horan was known to almost every resident of the city, but when he died there were many who have been residents af the city for a 1 quarter of century who did not know | and probably never heard of such a man as Mike Horan. His last work
 was for the street department, and he was noted for his industry and excel fence of character. He was one of the old-timers who in his time knew ev- erybody in the city and was known by l everybody. But this condition has been changed by the progress and growth l of the city, the doubling of population ! bringing many new to the city which with the growing generation has had the effect of placing the has-beens 1 out of mind and almost out of sight. i Still there are some who remember ] Mike Horan for over half century and | who knew him as an industrious, hard worker and honest man. and who re- 1 speet his memory.
 1 Just about once in so often, if just 1 how often that is can be computed l without the aid of a mathematical ma- 1 chine, some fellow who does not un- ] derstand the workings of the New l London fire department with the paid 1 department of other cities, rushes into l print with recommendations which he i believes would be beneficial to the To- i cal department, if adopted. All of which is respectfully received by the ! volunteer firemen and placed on file. 1 At the present time the fire depart ! ment Is far superior to many that are 1 paid in other cities of the state, and perhaps the strongest proof of this 1 statement is the small fire losses in
 comparison to the number of fires | when compared with the work of paid ! departments. to say nothing of the
 great difference in cost of maintenance Here the volunteers tackle fire as a matter of duty and not of pay for ser-