Norwich bulletin., 1912-06-24

anu lannlly, MrS. Sterry being a daugh- ter of MT. Lee
 On the same side of the highway. with meadow between through which flows Hammer brook" stands the house of Benjamin Huntington, LID. He was born in 1736, graduated at Yale in 176l, married a daughter of Colonel Jabez Huntington of Windham, state councillor during the revolutionary war director of the battery built on Waterman's Point, 1775, agent of col only to purchase the Spy" bought to watch the British: superintendent building of the Defense" a 14 gun brig, in 1776; representative from Nor Wich, 1775; member of Continental congress. 17S4. and of Constitutional congress, 17S9 judge of supreme court, 1795; received his LID. from Yale moved to Rome, N. r., 1796. and died there October 16, 1SOO His body was brought to Norwich for burial He was first mayor of Norwich, 17S4-1796. This house has been remodeled on the outside. but within retains much of its original form. The late David Billings owned it till his death, when it was sold to John Brady of the firm of Bra dy < SaXton, who now occupies 1t.
 Home of William Mansfield.
 Now, come down the street a ways, we arrive at the house of William Mansfield, situated on the north side of the highway and quite little back from the road. Mansfield married a daughter of Mayor Elisha Hyde. who received the land on which the old house still stands from the Indians. Mansfield was the father of thirteen children. One of his granddaughters was the mother of William Mansfield. N0in ,n1 \ IT., Converse, with two sisters, Mary and Emma-these last named being great-grandchildren of the first Will liam Mansfield. One of his grandsons Zebediah Mins, was an Episcopal cler- gNman, rector at the time of his death of Grace Episcopal church, Yantic. For number of years late in his life he taught a private school in an old building which stood on the highway in front of the homestead. evidently used for a store in bygone days. Later the house was occupied by Elisha Mansfield. a brother of the last named He was a goldsmith and matchmaker, and spent most of his life in New York city. He willed a very valuable ship chroHometer watch to my father, and the same is now owned by his grand son, Oliver Perry Watties, 2d.
 A little east of this homestead was that of William Hyde and his son, Sam uel located upon the Highway into the Woods" as the lane was then call ed, This house has been replaced by the enc now owned by Louis Saxten, which was for many years the home of Henry B. Tracy, Just in front of this house and on the main street was the house of Colonel Elisha Tracy. This house is still standing, having ben moved across on the east side et Navy Yard lane.
 Cousins of Benedict Arneld.
 Diagonally across the main street on the land now occupied by the Sacred Heart church, was a small house where lived two maiden ladies with their brother, Lizzie, Hannah and Oliver Arnold cousins of the fam GUS Benedict Arnold. They were tive very eccentric ladies who dressed in the eld-timestyie of stiff petticeat and short gown, the first being scarlet in color, Near where the Advent church now stands was d seheolh0use, and the scheol children gave them much | trouble by their curiosity. It was no unusual sight to see Miss Hannah chasing youngsters dewn the street with threatening stick They were still living there about the middle of the last century. This little old house, re- modelled, still stands next above the Catholic church. Oliver, the brother, was of a roaming disposition, and had a peciiiaF talent work making rhymes. A specimen of his talent rather tEifing | in character may be, perhaps, accept ! able. In a book shop in New Haven 1 he was introduced to eAe Joel Barlow, whe had acquired considerable noteri- l ety by the publication of an altered | edition of Watts Psalms and Hymns. | Barlow asked fer a sample of his tall ent. upon which the wandering poet immediately replied;
 You've proved yourself sinful cre- You've murdered Watts and spoiled his
 metre;
 You've tried the word of God to alter And for your pains deserve a halter ''
 In the old shoemaker's shop fronting the plain and near the big elm tree close by the Methodist church were made the military accoutrements for 1 Commissary Elisha Tracy, such as | knapsachs, cartridge boxes, sword and bayonet belts, sunwarron boots for the officers of rank, leathern cockades of
 
 ern fire buckets required by law to be hung in the front hall of every house were made there; old shoes, harness andsoforth were repaired, and it was here that the weekly newspaper was left for subscribers who lived on the postrider's (Uncle Peter Petiss) route | Here was the headquarters for the fife major of the 18th regiment. Conn militia.
 Charcoal Records.
 The old shop had chronological rec Ords charcoaled upon it's inner walls like the following:
 "1823-17th April snow; Gov. zSut- toms bridge and Jo Strong's oil mil carried away by freshet. MT. Cordel Hazard caught cold and died Meth odist meeting hiuse at Landing carried away at same time."
 Sept, 1915, September gale blew down houses and trees.''
 May tarining day-Deep snow al day QS16). Minor Ba'bcock hung. 4 cold day; cold year; and sows' mill shrunk away from under the cream
 This last fact was held by some tt be judgment for the improper hang ing of the poor mulatto;" others salC it was witchCraft: but it was founl that certain rouguish young chaps wh had access. to the milkroonls hol6int
 their faces over the milk pans an,
 having one end of a straw in fhei
 mouths and the other in the pans, un
 der the cream. caused the slnrinkage O
 the milk
 Many and amusing are the anecdote told of the doings in the sssme ol
 shop, which for many years has cease to be. With an example, I will clos this effort to feebly give some idea o old houses ana old people.
 Beeswax and Tar. One of Nancy Ruggles' sons, a col ored lad. David by name, being in tn attic of the shop one day obtained
 ball of black No. ?. which was mad . of tar and beeswax, melted togethe , and stored in quantity in this attic