Norwich bulletin., 1913-04-19
Protect Yourself
 Ask for ORIGINAL GENUINE
OLD HAMPTON PAPERS
oLp-TIME FOLKS.

i Like many other towns in Connec- ucut, Hampton has materially oe years. In 1S10 Hampton had 1,274 l inhabitants; according to the census l of 1910 it had 58S, a decrease of 69l
 III one hundred years.
 Hampton originally belonged 10 both Windham and Pomfret but in 17S6 it was incorporated into town But Hampton has not always ad- vanced backwards. My father, Ebe- Hampton was busy town and its
 more than twelve hundred of popula- ton were happy and for those days, prosperous. In 1910, and the two
 score and more years following. their
 interests were many and diversified
 Agriculture and dairying were espec-
 tally thriving. Beef, pork, butter,
 cheese and poultry, were sent to
 market; their market centers being
 Providence and Norwich. (Norridge1
 the old farmers calling the city. They
 weather conditions permitted. the
 means of transportation being horses
 or yokes of oxen.
 The hillsides swarmed with sheep:
 dreds in their focks. The wool they
 nnanufa ctured at home, which with
 the product of the flax. they raised.
 largely supplied their clothing: the work of the wives and daughters of the families
 Many women also cultivated the raising of silk worms and many dollar did they earn in the silk busf- ness, The mulberry orchards were common and along the fences and walls by the roadsides the mulberry trees grew in profusion. The children W ere obliged to pick the mulberry leaves, a task they cordially hated. but they had to gather them. morn ing noon and night. rain or shine, for the greedy silk worms had to be fed. FAVafx of r-a 0tJ i'm on a season was good output for one famfly'S work
 According to the statistics in 1910. Hampton had five grain mills, two Carding machines; three tanneries and two merchantile stores and all were busy. The farmers were artfs ans and used every device possible They made them produce practically 1 all their living and their clothing. 1 They ate corn and rye bread, "rye'n- l injin bread' they called 1t; Johnny l cakes, bean porridge bag buildings. 1 buckwheat cakes. fried turnovers, l apple dumplings and doughnuts; beef l pork, ham, eggs, milk, cheese, poultry 1 and game. They did not drink tea l instead they drank cider for a bev- l craze and something stronger quite | frequently.
 A good many stories have come l down from the olden days relating | to their manner of living. The road 1 leading from Hampton Hill to Scot 1 and through the District known as Howard Valley was for a long time 1 called Cider Lane" the people l living there kept so much cider on 1 hand that they boasted no one could 1rink them dry.
 Pudding Hill" in Scotland re- 1 eetved it's name from & peddlar, who ourneying through there one day l ,ound every family enjoying bag 1udding'' for their dinner. Hence the l name, which will doubtless always 'emain although Cider Lane" has ong since been forgotten
 A most amusing story is told of bag and it occurred more than hundred years ago in the north end If the town. on the farm owned by he late George Fuller. The good \ oman had prepared a steaming bag budding for the dinner. Placing it ,n the table she left the room, for a hort time. and when she returned Ter bag pudding had vanished. searching everywhere did not reveal t and she came to the conclusion l hat it had been spirited away, per- laps by witches
 A few days later when sweeping in Ter bedroom, she espied back under Ter bed a most mysterious looking vas frightened especially when the animal did not stir when she polzed # 1t with the broom. In fright she alled her husband who came in and ,eered under the bed at the strange nimal which lay curled up on the loor. Not daring to take any hances with it. he got his gun and hot it. It stirred, or seemed to, at he shot; and sure that it must be