New Britain herald., 1915-04-08

time in idle talk but commencing with the oldest. she administered chastise- ment, good and plenty, to each and every one impartially, thus, as she truly said, she was sure 10 hit the right one.
 Mrs. Gaffney was a true lover of flowers. She found time with all her cares to be the pioneer of fioriculture in Stanley Quarter, and I venture to say that no later flower garden rep resents the patient and persistent toll that hers did. The gentle slope from house to street was fine place for the display of her flowers. And while her practical husband raised the earliest and best potatoes in the neighborhood, she furnished each season aIspot of brightness for all Dassersby to admire. Mrs. Gaffney lived to a ripe old age and died, as she had lived, respected and liked by all who knew her.
 smiths and Browns.
 How can we describe so remarkable C. man as Hiram Smith? Truly. he was character. Of sterling honesty. unbending opinions and much given 70 attendance upon town meeting. He was a rare specimen of the original spirit. His frequent visits to my father were seasons of delight to Us children. To see them seated by the open fire. settling the affairs of the town and country was an interesting sight. To my youthful fancy 1t seemed that the watermelons pur- 4ak4 lucre tasted very good. put having been born of the wrong sex to know any better. is, trust my excuse for some lad, now grown to years of dis erection, would scorn the very idea of q melon being fit to eat that was not gashed at the midnight hour. Tn the dark. of the moon and. consumed in. fearsome glee and haste Tn a nearby fence corner, always with ears alert for a sudden bounce by Mir. Smith or the sharp crack of his faithful old shotgun. We must not fail to give a passing thought to Mrs. |. Abiiah smith. He was the most Dashful man conceivable. while she seems to have been quite 3 valiant woman. 1t is not on record who did the actual pop ping of the question in their case bat at any rate the wedding dGy was set the minister and wedding guests us- sembed, but when the bridegroom was sought for, where do you suppose they found hila? sitting on the fence in the yard, too timid to come in. His bride to be had actually to reverse the usual order of proceedings, and the bridegroom and not the bride was led to the altar.
 Perhaps the most notable farmer Of my day was Martin Brown, living. when I knew him, where Judson Kil- bourne now does. He had seer two hcmes burned to the ground ano found courage to build a third home and raise large family of children and live to d ripe age. respected by al! and a successful citizen. Two of his daughters were my teachers at different times. both in the little vel low school house that stood at the corner of Allen and Stanley streets. and the other little school house that stood somewhat south of the Barber home and now forms part of my brother Alden's house. Those little cid school houses, fast disappearing, hut in those days the sole dependence of the rural young idea that wished to sprout and grow! Quite contrast to the building where We are tonight.
 Well, there seems little more to add to this sketch. Stanley Quarter re-
 nained much the same for many years. Some slight changes and im- provcments in the houses and grounds, a vcranda here and there. n modern well-laid road. but, on the whole. rather the same. season after season. Then, about five years ago, our good neighbor. MT. Kilbourne. was bitten. and badly bitten, by the building and promoting bug. And behold the re- suit: Francis street. our trolley line and many other Improvements The world moves, and we move with it, hut through all the changes that have come to us as community. there is no change as to our opinions Of Stan ley Quarter as a place of residence. or of our sincere sympathy and pity for those who have not as yet cast in their lot with us. There is plenty of room and we will welcome all who will promise to be as good ncighbors as those who have already settled here. |. F.