Norwich bulletin., 1916-09-30
especial to The Bulletin )


 New London, Sept. 29.-The public hearse of Waterford has disappeared and reward is offered for its recov- cry and the evidence that will lead to away from it's customary storage place in the cemetery. There are some people whose heads have not become bald nor hair turned gray with age, who believe that the reported theft is a hoax, as no such thing ever existed as town hearse- It does not seem many years ago, perhaps a trif1e less than fifty, when New London had it's public hearse and it was the on ly one in the city at that. When it was needed for service it was part of the funeral expenses to hire a horse to draw that carrier of the dead. The hearse house vas located in a, corner of the old Third Burying ground, which is now the site of the Nathan Hale Grammar school, all the bodies having been removed to Cedar grove and other cemeteries, as were the bod ies from the Second Burying ground, now Williams Memorial park. New London's public hearses was not to be compared with modern hearses of today. It was simply an enclosed top wagon and drawn by one horse, and the hearse, all of it. was painted 8 dull black, minus varnish. It was not such a vehicle as the New Londoners of today would select for the most sol emn of all purposes. Of course there was man wco served as hearse driv- CT, but the engagement of his ser vices was optional, as the town owned the hearse.
 In these days, when the local fire connpsnies are not satisfied unless they are provided with the best of equipment and comfortable fire houses, it may not be an1iss to state that II the time the hearse and the hearse house were fixtures, that there was fire house along similar lines. This old fire house was nothing more nor less than a low wooden shed It was located in Huntington street in front of the almshouse, in Town square, the property nov occupied ny the Bulkeley school. In this house was stored a hook and ladder truck, but there was no company Of firemen connecte therewith. This truck, which was practically q onehorSe lumber reach, minus the shaft as the wagon was hand and not horse drawn. It was equipped with ladders and that's all. In the event of a fire and lad ders were not conveniently near the scene of the blaze. a detachment of men would go to the truck house and hustle the hook and iader truck to the fire Some difference between that anticipated apology for a, hook and ladder truck and the present motor OIINeE apparatus or the FfeOcclck l.. Allen Hook and Ladder company.
 Monday will be election day in New London, when five aldermen, three se- lectmen, a city clerk and other city officers will be elected The demo- crats expect to elect aldermen in the First. Third and Fourth wards, claim ing that these wards are democratic with a full vote boiled. More demo- cratic aldermen have been elected from the First ward than republicans and it has been rare indeed when the Third ward has been represented in the city council by a republican. It IS not so many years ago since the Fourth ward was concedede to be the democratic stronghold, but for the past decade, due to the popularity of candidates, and the lack of democratic organization, this ward has elected re- publican aldermen Perhaps this ward might be chased in the doubtful col unn about this time, and much inter- est is manifested in the outcome at the coming election.