Norwich bulletin., 1913-09-20

In the Bulletin of Feb. 17th was l published an article about the old 1 Bennett Homestead in Hampton, but | there were many things of interest l about this fascinating old home which were left untold.
 | The house is one of the oldest in 1 the town and is still in excellent re-
 pair. It was built about 17S0 by Will l liam Bennett who had purchased the 1 land of the Indians about TYPO, erect 1 ing a little log cabin near the site of l the present dwelling in which they lived while the house was being built. l The labor of the sturdy pioneer is 1 best described in the following lines | written about the old place by Rhena l Frances Howe a senior in the Wind l ham High School
 Long ago there stood a cabin In a clearing all alone; 1 Till they built another dwelling 1 Hewed each timber. laid each stone l Ten long years it took to build it, Saw the boards from giant trees; l Hew the t1mbers in the forest That swayed gently in the breeze. But the little, old log cabin With it's log walls chinked with clay Sheltered well the sturdy worknaan,- Both have long since passed away. But the old well hung with woodbine
 Hung so near the cabin door Yields the same clear sparkling water As it did in days of yore.
 And the old gray walls yet standing
 That were built by sturdy hands. Like grim monuments remaining"
 But the old well. grim walls and buildings are not the only reminders of the brave and godly family that enobIe the records of Hampton not by brave deeds in war. bnut by their daily record of unquestiOnable upright ness and honesty.
 The entire family lies buried in the South Cemetery in Hampton. It is with difficulty that the following ep- itaph enscribed on the old gray slate slab which marks the grave of Will died in the years 1764 and 1780, can be read.
 God. my Redeemer lives,
 And often from the skies,
 Looks down and watches all my dust
 Till He shall bid me rise"
 This tells their simple faith-the faith in the Resurrection.
 MT. Bennett occupied his new dwell ling about thirty years. then left it to his son Isaac, whom. happily we know more about as he kept faithful ac- count of all his business dealings and also family records. In looking through his neat Well-kept ledgers we read the following quotation which gives us a clear insight into the gentle side of this man who answered his country's call in 1776.
 Sympathy is the alphabet of love. It makes no friendship with the angry man." Although these lines were pen ned more than century and a half ago no better definition has ever been written of that most appreciated word Sympathy"
 The Bennett family saved carefully all records of the past Stored in the wagOn-hou today is the first Thor oughbrace wagon, the first spring wagon ever used on the place. There is 8 spelling book in the house written 'fs for SIS that gives a crude illustra- tion of one of these wagons. The drfv- CT is called Q ''wagoner." His two horse team is driven tandem. The wagon itself is six feet long and three feet wide; has a scow shaped box mounted on high heavy wheels behind; low heavy wheels in front with leather springs. The seat is supported on wooden frame that rested in the bot tom of the wagon, and could be taken at will and placed on top of a load. No doubt this is the way Isaac Bennett drove when he made his yearly trips to Virginia selling the old time clocks.
 We find the following neatly printed in the old spelling book referred to above
 Anna Fuller's spelling books. March 27 17S3. Bought at Hartford price 1-9 A gift by her aunt Anna Read" Anna Fuller was at that time elevn years old, a sister in-law of Isaac Bennett. On the back leaf in this ad- vertisement. This book is linen. bound and sold wholesale and retail by Nathaniel Patten, Seven houses north of the Court house, Hartford. Cash given for old cotton or linen rags. ''The book has linen covers which re- sembles shingles. 1t is a rood illlustra- ton of the advance in book binding in 130 years.
 In the large east sitting room, called the Bennett Room, one may yet see