Norwich bulletin., 1915-01-15

day afternoon at I.3O o'clock to Celes- brate the 75th anniversary of the com pany. After the excellent menu had been disposed Of a number of speak CTS were heard
 Along Historical Lines, Frank H. Allen of this city, one of the directors of the company, was the first speaker and he gave 2. brief his- toricaI sketch of the company. MT. Allen said:
 To you. gentlemen, agents of the New London County Mutual Fire 1n- surance company, I address myself first, instead of making my bow first cause this is your celebrations; the day when you very f7ttingly take pride in the wonderful growth of our com pany under your stewardship.
 We are all indulging ourselves to- day in "pardonab1e pride, s5 There is wide difference, however. between pardonabIe pride and a swelled head. The latter is. often the result of that type of abnormal success which is largely the outcome of bull luck: the former may. very. properly, come as a. result of persistent. honest, effort in 8 legitimate undertaking: a type of sue cess of which the New London County Mutual is d notable illustration.
 The present com plimentary. move nent, suggested and conducted by t3lle dS6uLS, 1ldNGdS TOT ilS lEIl11SOldLS OD- ject the booming of the business of the company during 1916 our 75th anniverSary. souF diamond anniversary, has pleased the officers and directors as nothing else could have done; not because 1t may bring. increased bus mess and financial advantage, to the New London County, but because it is an indication of perfect harmony and loyalty in our. ranks. Had the home office conceived and forced upon the agents this movement it would have been quite a different thing; simply a cold business proposition but, coming es 1t does spontaneously, from you gentlemen. our agents, it is particu- larly gratifying to the home office.
 The officers may outline plans of action, and direct affairs from the home office but the 5O-and-odd agents who are in the field, on the firing line so to speak, are most deserving Of credit in these latter days in which we all take so much pride
 When reviewed from it's conception and modest birth in 1840.- through the struggling. and uncertainty of the years that followed, and up to the wonder ful- record of 1914, the pride of those who have been. and now are, engaged actively and intensely in it's manage nent may, very properly, be pardon ed. In the early days of the com pany's existence the organizers and " deserving of great praise for theirs was largely d labor of love-
 They were not ordinary business men, seeking to eSta blishr q profitable business for their own gain, but they were, in fact, already wealthy citi- zeuS of Norwich Who with eXtraor- dinary foresight and disinterestedness began the building ups of a. business structure which should be not simply monument to themselves but rather Q matter of inestimabl ole importance and advantage to their posterity Among the founders and patrons of the New London County were many of the substantial men of Norwich: men Whose. names are still familiar to the oldest living residents of Norwich and names which, in their day, stood for character, honesty and substantia.biI- ity.
 Started Without Capital.
 The oft-quoted saying, Despite not the day of small beginnings,'' was never more clearly proven to be good advice than in the history of The New London County. I very much doubt if many of you are aware of the fact that the incorporatoTs and early man agers of the company started with not one dollar of capital and that the com pany was oblibed to work out it's own financial salvation so to speak, by careful, onservative and honest man
 
 surplus had been accumulated, which surplus was then laid aside and re- garded as the capital stock'' of the corporation.
 The first meeting of the corporation for the election of the initial board of 15. directors, was held in the old Town house. located on the south slope of Jail Hill, Norwich. at o'clock in the afternoon on the first day of July, 1S40.
 pr. William r. Eaton, who conduct ed q drug store at Franklin square Norwich, Was appointed chairman and Col. John Dewitt, who was later prominently identified with the Nor wich and Worcester railroad, was ap- pointed clerk. Dr. Eaton was some thing of a wa" and is Teputed to have sold cigar to a customer one day but refused to allow the customer to light and smoke the cigar in the store The customer expressed his surprise that the doctor should refuse to let him light up after having sold him the cigar. According to the story the doSc- tor replied: "I sell pills, but I don't all low my customers to take them and have them operate in my store"
 First Directors.
 The first elected board of directors included Joseph Bacl1us, Dr. William P. Eaton, Fred Prentice William LaHomedieu, Elijah 4. Bill, Sam Now ", David Smith, George Sherman, Sid- ney Miner, William c. Crunp, Gurdon Trumbull, Edward E. Warren, Joseph Tyler, Thomas P WattIes and Learned Hibbard
 Between 1s4o and 1860, Joel White Joseph Backus and John c. Hunting ton served successively as presidents; from 1860 to 1870 Elijah 4. Bill was president: 1870 to 1895 Ebenezer F. Parker filled that office; MT. Parker was succeeded by Charles J. Winters (1895 to 19e3) and he was succeeded by OUT present president, Henry H. Gallup, Esq, the period of 75 years having been covered by seven Dresi- dents. During that period the once of secretary has been filled by eight gentlemen, namely. John Dewitt, 184o to 1854; John L. Devotion, 1854 to 1875: C. D. Fillmore, 1876 to 1878: Wal- liam Roath, 1878 to 1888: Jerome F. Williams, 1886 to 1902: B. P. Learned, 1902 to 1908: Frank L. La&hrop. 1908 to 1909, and Waiter P. Lester, our present secretary to date and we trust for sonle years to come.
 From Four Agents to Fifty eight.
 The company started with four agents and at the present time 1t is represented by 5S agents.
 Of the Is gentlemen on the first board of directors several were known to me by sight in later years and all were as I have already stated, sub stantial citizens of Norwich and v1- cinity.
 It will perhaps bee interesting tCS re-