The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1914-09-28

seRemember the days of old; con sider the years of many generations ,Deut. XXXII-7.
 This tender. sentiment expressed in the Song of Moses inspires us to transport ourselves in fancy to scenes of long ago. We will observe little company of Puritans who blazed their devious way through the forests of western Connecticut in the autumn Of 1889 and finally settled in Uncowa-
 They had been members of the Church of England. Their first min ister had been rector of an English parish. But Archbishop Laud, perse- cution, Imprisonment and exile had elected that they journey to this far land and lay the foundations of this little republic which in 1645 they named Fairfield.
 $. Although the records of the first years are few and dim yet contempo- rary notices and graphic phrases en- able us to throw upon the canvas pie ture after picture true to the life. The minister and the meeting-house the green and the head of an Indian thrust suddenly from behind some thick tree near the pond. the rough log houses and the children hurrying to school on the parade ground, the gatherings Of lecture days followed by town meeting, the winter evenings when children hovered near the great fire on the hearth, and read in the light of r1otous flames, the stories of Joseph and Joshua David and Dan ieI-these are pictures of real life they hang on the walls of historic reminiscence. We gaze upon them with a certain rapture and fascina- ton. Remember the days of old and considering the years of many generations. we are profoundly grate- full that God sent these adventurers across the deep and that they served the later generations by their zeal, bravery, love of right and trust in God
 The First Meeting House.
 Rude, narrow pioneer life on the edge of a vast, trackless wilderness is the key note to the situation; but these harsh conditions were gradually transformed and an atmosphere of civilization brooded above the place. The streets and squares and the green having been outlined and cabin shel- ters for families having been pro- vided, these people reared their first humble structure in which they gath cred for the public worship of God. It was 9, small square meeting-house, standing on this acre which has been consecrated to religion since the days of settlement. Mud filled the chinks between the hewn logs. There were window spaces high in the wall, prob ably filled with oiled paper the first years One narrow entrance admitted the worshippers. Hewn benches for seats and a platform for the minister this was the conventional meeting. house for the New England coIonists.
 The congregation was seated ac- cording to the social standing of the families, and men were placed at the outer end of the bench in order that they might quickly respond in case they were needed to protect the w3r- shippers and the settlement. One man from each household carried a musket or pike while a watch was set in front of the meeting-house to warn people respecting any approach of In dians or strangers. The fine for neg lect of this duty, was twelve pence one-hah to go to the informer and the other half to the country H .
 The boys were som etimes restless and noisy during the long services The town found it necessary to ap- them, seated as they were in the rear of the house by themselves. Joseph Patchen filled this office in 1879. Mo- ses Dimon and Robert Rumsie were empowered to take oversight of the youth on the Sabbath one year later.
 The people were summoned to meeting during this period by the beat of the drum. William Ward and William Fill were appointed on February 12, 1861, to agree in behalf of the town with some persons to beat the drum for meetings Sabbath and Lection Days. In February, 1863, we read that '"The Town hath this day chosen Steven Sherwood to beat the drum on Sabbath days, Lecture days and Town meetings=to call the meetings seasonably according to the usual custom, and also to cause the meeting-house to be swept and the