Norwich bulletin. [volume] (Norwich, Conn.) 1895-2011, 1916-03-24

ply didn't do this and that and the
other thing. etc, "Old Timer wants
to put the questions to Murphy's face
instead of to the editor OF The Bulle-
tin. Murphy is the man to get the
goat by the horns.
Concerning the entrances TO the city,
don't believe two persons in 100 care
a rap whether the North Main, Bos-
well avenue, Thames. West Main, or
any entrance street IS strewn with
flowers or garbage as long as they get
landed safely'in the city. Their minds
are on their business instead OF the
rotten conditions that "Old Timer"
dwells on. Quoting the old motto OF
the Hook and Ladder company and re-
ferring to conditions go years ago.
when Norwich was not in the throes
OF civic bodies, "Old Timer don't
know any more about conditions exist
ing 60 years ago. OF even 90 years ago
| than a boiled ham.
Why? Because IS years ago the city
| of Norwich didn't have a single by
| drant- There was no water works, no
| sewers. The moon was used for street
/ lights six months in the year.
East Main street, Franklin square
! and Franklin street, as well as Main,
/ was sea OF mud at this time OF year
/ and later. II was not safe to go be
| yond Hopkins & Aliens up Franklin
| street after dark with 30 cents In your
| pockets. Coming into the city by way
| of Central avenue and Ngrth Main
| street so years ago the gHavel bank
/ on Schotield's hill extended into about
| the centre OF the present car tracks
/ and there were only two houses from
| Schoheld's 20 Golden street. The site
| OF the car shops was a frog pond
| whose banks were lined with hogpens
1 The ledge from the old brick Quinlan
| building, opposite the old round house
| TO the present office building of the
/ ShnWa fna railroad n11n lined
| with hogpens in terraces clear to the
top. The ledge between these points
has been sliced or twice since to gair
more roadway. Where the Margue-
rite now stands was the old Travel.
er's Rest" whose front yard extended
out to the entrance OF the old covered
wooden bridge which was reached b.
a down hill glide Of about 20 degrees
and both sides OF the roadway TO th'
bridge served as n dumping grOunS
on the old Norwich * Worcester rail
road both sides OF the roadbed, from
the old Greeneville dam to Bailey
stable was lined with hogpens. Out
houses dotted the landscape in all di
rections. Franklin square was no
? much Of a beauty spot then. Wher
the Pierce, Stead and Perkins block
. ! stand were old one-story woodc,
ramshackle buildings. Where the Co
lumbar House now stands was Holt
| livery SNaDlts 4 ELEEs DAOs NNO-hNDE,
rough building, and old wagons Clut
tered up the street in front half wa
/ over the roadway. Up on East Broa
street was Loomis' slaughter house. A
) the offal went into Comstock's pond 4
? the rear of the old Bacon bulldinl
5 Talk about your city dump. it's patch
. ouly beside the smells the residents G
E that locality shifted for years an
| never kicked. Up to the time Greene
:. Vile came into the city limits all tn
: outhouses and sink drains Of the vari
? Gus mill tenements overlooked into th
4 ! yards and roadways at times. It wa
K n common thing to see n red flag float
4 ing from a dwelling indicating small
4 poX. Now all this Is changed. Pave
n and maCadam rOadwas-s and sidewalk
/. ! lights all night, city water. electric
v widened streets and as the. late Mayo
Q Lloyd Greene said, city improvement
!. are up to the voters and they CO.
money.
/, Some "Old Timers" think Norvic
: has been standing still while the
have been sitting down on a ErouC
For:y-eight years ago the section
Greeneville. bounded by Elevent
4 street. Central avenue and Boswc
y avenue to the point above the tanner
= contained only two houses and mol
- across the river from Greeneville g.
;, ! cept n farmhouse. F'airmount ar
= Pearl streets on the west side Wi
circus lot section. Persons sale st;
a BILE was out on the frontier. All tn
section has been built up as well
e Ward street section and all over q
West Side.
Bliss place, another residential Sc
- ton, has been built up only recent
L and what's the matter with Thame
= vile, Nelson place and vicinity. 4
y these buildings are occupied as HON
4 by wage earners who are employ
somewhere. Let a person famili
- with Norwich for the last 40 or
- years do a little sidewalk shifting al
- keep his eyes open and he will no
~ that the city has grown surely NJ
!, substantially I'm the last three or 70
n decades and in his perambulatio
:, should he meet some OF these 60
lo Timers and engage them in conve
~ sation he will find out that eve
= mayor from John Breed down to {
=. present incumbent either got. or h
- to get. the "Siamese jolt" either
- the neck, under the coattails or in {
y, stomach.
;" JOHN W. AVER
ID Yantic. Conn. March %. 1916.