Norwich bulletin., 1915-12-13

the founder of Sunday schools. This picture was painted by A. H. Elm mons a Norwich artist, from an en- graving by Walworth, from the orig inal painting by Romney.
 The Schools War Record.
 The school record from 1861 to 1865 is filled with war items; for our school was largely represented in that ter rible struggle to which we gave of our best for our country; forty from our school being in the army. November 22nd, 1883, the amount of the contri- button for the soldiers prisoners in Richmond, was one hundred twenty eight dollars, eighty-two cents, in- creased in the church to two hundred forty dollars. eight cents. With this sum twenty-four barrels and box es of provisions of various kinds were purchased and sent to our boys in Libby Prison; six of them officers. On receiving the invoice of the article sent them. these poor fellows joined in singing,
 The Sunday school, the Sunday
 school
 o, 'tis the place I love"
 "Rations" at Christmas Festival.
 The annual Christmas festival, held Friday, January 1st, 1864. reflected the absorbing interest of the times. In the center of the room was an ever green tent, and the children, formed in companies, marched past the tent, where a quartermaster passed out to each his "rations." The songs were, The Gathering of the Sunday School Army" Rally Round the Flag, Boys" etc. An interesting feature of the evening was the presentation of a sword to Captain David Torrance, af- terward Judge Torrance, one of our
 
 George Colt, on account of i'll health felt obliged to resign as superinten dent. The teachers, unwilling to ac- cept his resignation, December IS, 1872, elected his nephew, George D. Colt, as assistant superintendent. superintendent until his death, 1879.
 School Divided In 1874.
 The year was a memorable one, be- cause of the withdrawal of those who were to form Park church. The pas tor, MT. Dana. and large number of our most influential and useful mem bers went with him. April 5th, 1874 the last Sabbath of the united school there were two hundred thirty-four present: the next Sunday, although so many teachers and scholars had left there were one hundred eighty pres ent, and every class had a teacher. The next Sunday the attendance was two nunQT6Q JHlTIeeH. ln0 average TOT the year was one hundred ninety eight. All those who remained felt the need of increased enthusiasm and uni ted effort; and that there was yet much work for the Church on the HilT' to do.
 When summer came it was voted by a large majority not to close the school for the usual vacation; and the average attendance for those weeks was one hundred seventy. In the superintendent's report for the year, he expresses great satisfaction that the weakening we feared" was only a very close and severe pruning" He regrets, That while we were pros pered in numbers and attendance, and the same objects to which we had formerly devoted our funds received them as usual, they were in smaller five dollars to the American Sunday school union, and one hundred dol lars to the American Missionary as- sociations; while in former years three hundred dollars was given to each, and balance left for smaller donations"
 Freshet Effects School Attendance.
 During 1875 Sunday school concerts were held, at which the Rev. Dr. Pal mer conducted a general review ser vice. They were using the Interna- tional question books, with set ques- tons, instead of lesson papers, as be- fore Sunday, March 18th, 1896, the record reads, "The very small atten- dance is owing to the unprecedented freshet which filled Main street ever to the Wauregan House cross walk :" The Franklin street brook was apt, after a severe rain and the breaking up of the river, to become a ram- pant, raging stream which emptied it. self into Franklin Square. On one oc- casion it rose to the second story of a little house which stood where the