Norwich bulletin., 1916-06-09

Today James Burke of No. b4 Roath street ends fifty years of ser vice as the driver of a public hack, and while ft has been rVimored that he would retire from business. we are assured by Mr. Burke that the con- trary is trun, and that he will con- tinue to serve the public in the same reliable and Courteous manner as inI the past. E
 He is the last of his line business wise, and his is today the only pun lie hack In Norwich, the last of his this kind of work, some little tlmt since. though still employed in one ( the stables in the city.
 Born on Union street, August 2eth., 1850, the son of Michael and Mary Burke, his years sit lightly upon him, and he is to al his friends. the same ''Jim" Burke U,at they have known So long. A man of genial disposition, he Is and has always been one of pro found convictions and when stirred, could and did give expression to them with all tho force necessary, but m argument he commonly ended his side of the matter under discussion With laugh, indicative of his true temper Rment, which is certainly sunny one. as his hosts of friends will tes- tify,
 Started With O. H. Renynolds.
 Fifty years ago he entered the em- ploy of the late Oliver Reynolds, when the latter moved into the George Leffingwell stable, on Shetucket street. where the Majestic building now stands. and for the last thirty -six years MT. Burke has owned and driven his own teams, and there has been on the streets of Norwich in all that time, no more familiar face and igure than that of James Burke. The foi.f faff11 likeness of him and of his eqpipage, with "Jim" seated on the box, and it meets the eye of any one who has not Ieen him in recent years, they will ind that there has been but little, if my, change in his burly form and subicund visage,
 Mir. Burke when asked to become reminiscent. recalled many things of interest both to the older and to Jse present generation. Among the men iriving public hacks at the beginning ,f his career, were Harry Rogers Thomas A. Holmes, who is still liv- ng, James Stanley, afterward a we'll Patrick McKiernan, George Hillman | brother of Charlie" already re- !erred to, John Fahey, William Cam pion. still residing ir Norwich Irving Cooke, Martin Malone and Daniel Ma one. A number of these began busi.
  hen were familiar figures on oul Itreets thirty or more years ago Among the stable keepers of the early 'eers of his career, were Oliver Key (ls, above mentioned who began business on Bath street, before re moving to Shetucket street, Col. Pen ueton, who also moved to Shetucke T.reet, Hayes and Savory, on Batl 1treet, McChesney and Barrows, wht ran the stable near the old covered rructure. known as the "Tou Brfdge' eading from Norwich to that part o Preston now known as the East Side A. R. Bingham, at the Falls, on Onec Jtrec4, succeeded by Subert and Luce Ifterward by Sylvester Subert, Russel Rathbone, on the West Side, nea, High street; and Henry Lathrop, o1 ullestnut street. on the sit where tht Daniel Holt's stable occupying a plac, n the rear of the Wauregan House Inc entrance being on Franklin square, near the site of the Thaye building.
 Some Long Drives.
 MT. Burke when asked as to hi various drives about Norwich and it urrounding country. was rather re hcent, though he was assured that a, Lccount of some of them might prov exceedingly Interesting. but recalle hat 1t was his custom every alter hate Tuesday night, for a long periot so meet Theodore c. Weeks, then c Boston, but now deceased, at tn steamboat" train then reaching Nor Efch at about ten p. m. and drive hir 70 Colchester where Mr. Weeks fam fly were then staying at the Haywar place. MT. Weeks having been tn Son-in-law of the late Nathaniel Hay ward. founder of the. Hayward Rub Der Co. MT Burke remarked a nrorfh rarardfnes ti,e cord4+iov, ,of +b turnpike between Norwich and Col shegters and slle length of time re auired for the trip. At that perio, there was no railroad running int Colchester. indeed the "Afr Ldne'' run aing through TuFnerviIlc, had not bee built The trip to Colchester was ,ormtdahle undertaking, the road 1 Addition to being worked in the old fashioned method, was rutted on eiths tide SO deeply by the teams of tt ate William F. Bailey as to be { times. we'll night impossible becauI ,gondolas" ladened with supplies {, md the finished pr0d9cts of the Rul per Company. He recalled also. mar irivea to the Music Vale Seminary salein, conducted by the late Dram Whittlesey, grandfather of the l,e nous sculptor, Beia Pratt of BoSto who still retains and cultivates the a1 eestfal acres.
 Returning In the Early Hours.
 fhere were fine times at the o Bchool. and many musical entertain nents. always largely attended Norwich people, and MT. Burke me toned with pleasure his numero drives to this institution, returning l,p early morning hours. At th time Fred Jennings of Greenevfl drove bus between that village al the city, making two or three roul trips a day. and carrying such pa Bengers as he might pick up, makil bis city headquarters near the store Jake" Ames, near what is now t Perkins block near the Waurega Mir. Ames kept a candy manufacto md store for the sale of his produ n an old -one- e-story or story and a h. wooden structure, with slantil noss@grown roof. It, like the corn n the building now known as t Young block, was a sort of hea quarters for iile numerous male go hpB of the day, and affairs of sta. md doubtless of their neighbors we'll were there discussed daily, ar lett1ed satisfactorily to the disputan not to the parties immediately co lerned
 Ano Iier "sfaxep was driven frc he Ames store twice daily by "Col lel' Bennett, of Union Street. to Flu lr's store at Norwich Town, and lad, ln addition to its duty of carr ng messengers, the additional digni o ---.s---. Al. .- VI srg ff-. = =