Norwich bulletin., 1914-01-26
OLD HAMPTON PAPERS
AFTER HE WAR.

In spite of the many discourag- ments immediately after the Revolu- tion Hampton and Windham soon be- gan to make progress. Their homes were comfortable but primitive com pared with the homes of today. The great bare kitchens with the roaring fires in the fire places, over which the bean porridge pot boiling merrioly most of the time. In the corner the dye pot always stood; the floor was sanded, the spinning wheels, reels and loom still stood in the kitchens as in pre- re-revo1ution days. The cobbler still brought his bench each year to the homes and made up the yearly supply of shoes from farm produced hides.
 Those were the days when women were true helpmates to their hus-. Lands: when ITO woman was ashamed to be found working her loom in the afternoon and proudly showed her blankets, towels, sheets. coYerlids, heavy woolen cloth, tow cloth, linsey- woolsy and ginghams which she had woven with her own hands. No girl of sixteen who could not manufacture all of these things or make a. fine white shirt was thought capable of be- ing married.
 According to the Gazetter of Conn. and R. l. in 1S10 Groton lead in all Domestic Industry. While the men of ludL u3S were engaged III IlS1lIlS, the women. it is said, had been for tEe past seven years. weaving an average of o00,000 yards of cotton for manu- featuring establishments in the neigh borhood and elsewhere. The average price for weaving was cts per yard, which amounts to the surprising sum of $40.000, as an annual product of one department of female industry, making for the seven years a total of $280,000 which is more than the value of the whole real estate of some towns. Tt also adds that Domestic Science is necessarily accompanied with econo- my, simplicity and plainness of life mahners, and it is hoped that these cardinal social and domestic virtues will long withstand the deleterious il- lusory ideas of the fashionable life which is long becoming diffused throughout our country far and wide
 Perhaps the first real labor sa wing device which came to relieve the hard toll of woman's work was the inven- ton of the cardiug machine. It was invented bY John and Arthur Scho- field in 1894. After ten years of hard work it was ready for useg "A double carding machine. upon new and i'm proved plan. good and cheap. ma chine for carding sheeps wool was set by John Schofield Jun. in Jewett City. All work was done for r cents a pound He soon had large custom
 
 him to long moncpoIize the trade so in 1S06 Cyrus Brewster thus adveI- tised in the Windham Herald:
 cARDING MACHINES.
 Notice is hereby given that the ma wool elected GIT tIle Falls Of Windham river in Windnam at the Mills of Nessrs. Clark and Gray is now ready to do business. Those gentlemen who will favor the -PToprietors with their custom may depend on having their work done with Reatness and dispatch and all faVors gratefully acknowledged. Price for bleaching and carding cash in hand 7c per pound. s cents other way: for picking and oiling 2 cents per pound. Cash in hand. Other pay 3 cents
 Everywhere people recognized the great benefit of the carding machine. Women welcomed it as a benefactor. It became positive enjoyment to spin and weave the soft fleecy rolls, that their husbands brought home to them prepared by the machine. The mon recognized their economy so the good work prospered.
 Wagons were slowly coming into use. but like all great benefits they had to prove their worth in the face of op- position. The first wagon for teaming purposes brought into -Windham was owned by Roger Huntington in Sept. 1909 He sent George Webb and Thomas Gray to Leicester for hand and machine cards. The lads driving the team found themselves objects of great curiosity. Women and children crowded to doors and windows along the route to see the wonderful wagon. In Woodstock a crowd gathered to see the wonderful wagon which was to kill all the horses" One man had seen one like il in Hartford and the T to death.' The boys reached Leicester at 3 P. NJ. having driven from Pom fret that day and were greatly sur- Drised to find that their horse was not dead nor even tired out. When they returned the next day through N-oo6- 1 Mcclellan and other Woodstock people came out to see him and aS the horse 1 appeared fresh as ever having been driven twenty miles they decided that perhaps wagons might come into use after all.
 At that time Windham Green boast ed of it's first millinery establishment Mary 3. Young kept 8 large assortment , of millinery and fancy goods. She and Mrs Carey. the rnilliner%5 assured the ladies of all Windham in the V-indham Herald That it was her care to watch tue earliest dawn of every rising ia Shion.'
 The day had come when Hampton bellies could earn money by knitting and weaving and eEpend il for adorn- mens as well as necessities. The mer- chants offered plenty of cotton yarn for weaving and would take in pay ment for their goods, dried apples, goose quills. feathers. rags. yayn, socks and n1ittens, beef pork and all kinds of produce.
 In retulnt one cGulG obtain snything from West Trgy Rum" and molassess to cotton cloth and blankets; also fan cy articles of fnery as dear to the l feminine heart then as now
 SUSAN .JEW7ETT HOWE 1 The English Channel is nowhere