New Britain herald., 1916-11-25

'UkDAY, NOVEMBER rs,
airy 7, 1717 and being 81 years Of
age when the New Britain society was
incorporated. AS a youth he was
athletically inclined and in his later
/ life he war prominent in shaping the
civil and religious affairs OF the town,
according to the late Prof. D. N.
! Camps history. From the time. the
! New Britain society was founded he
held office as clerk for forty years.
He was an original member of the
| First church and was instrumental in
| Incorporating the town of Berlin and
for thirty years he was the chief
magistrate in New Britain. He was
| also identified with the military life
Of the colony and in 1857 was made
captain Of the Thirteenth company
Of the train band in the Sixth Col
onial Regiment IN 1775 he became
! colonel Of the Fifteenth regiment
, When, in 1854, New Britain became
/ separate colony it received it's name
from Colonel Lee in honor of Great
| Britain. He died in 1902, but his
son continued to occupy the house.
AS tho later generations of Lees
moved and sold their holdings this
Ola property changed hands, but it
stands today, a sheltering family
home, exactly as it did when it was
built, almost 500 year ago.
With the termination of the foot
pail season the "fre-side FAM comes
back into his own
Although the finance board did
some mental gymnastics in finding a
way to secure money with which the
park commissioners might build a
dam at the Stanley park, thus provid-
ing a good skating pond for the
winter, it is evident that their work
was for nought, unless it was Of value
in showing their willingness to do
things for the people, The park board
now reports that to build the dam it
would be necessary to construct it
accOrdlng to old and obsolete plans
as the council resolution so provides
rather than do this the board has
decided to postpone action to another
year when more ornate dam will be
bullt. For several reasons this action
seems wise, despite the wishes of the
north end people to have a skating
pond. In the first place when the
dam is built next year it will be a
permanent affair and one of beauty
This is to be a public park and the
dam will be so built that it will en-
nance the appearance of the park and
at the same time serve it's purpose
Another excellent argument against
building at this time, and one brought
forward by City Treasurer F. s..
Chamberlain at the finance board
meeting, is that the season is prob
ably too far advanced to permit a
satisfactory job Cold winter weather
is apt to set in any day now and t9
have a partly constructed cement dam
freeze up would be doubly unfortu-
| nate inasmuch as it would be useless
and would entail a financial loss.
Since the moving picture popularity
contest has opened IN this city there
are number of young SWANS who
see in themselves another William
Farnum; and q number of charming
maidens who really think that if thew
get a chance Mary Pickford, Theda
Bara and others will have to retire.
Stranger things have happened
The winning of the interscholastic
hampiOnSnip by the New Britain
High school football team last Sat-
urday and the following celebration
at night gave rise to many reminis-
cent reviews Of other days by grad
yates, who in their prime celebrated
similar victories. And in their re-
marks was indicated the fact that
even as has the d-fashioned game
of football changed with the passing
of the years, SO also have the old
fashioned celebrations. A decade or
two ago, when New Britain was win
ming football championships even
more consistently than now. the cele-
brations were of entirely different
order. Rather than becoming the
more social gatherings of today, as
evidenced by the dances at the gym
nasium they were affairs that brought
the keenest enjoyment to the red
blooded student Mass parades
around the Streets the victorious play
ers borne on the shoulders of their
3dmiring fellows. cheers that split
the night air and bon-fres that were
real bon-fires marked these old cele-
hrations. In those days the bonfire
was built in Main street in the open
space in front of the South church
and the pile of boxes that was COL
iected before the final match was
touched would make that of last Sat-
urday fade into oblivion. To hear
The older graduate talk. the players
themselves were different than the
gridiron warrior Of today. The old
timers seem to think that the players
Of his day were bigger fellows and.
rs one ex-captain remarked, Gee,
three of my old players could trim
this whole team" The old days were
the days of the real moiesl1ns trous-
ers, the huge pads and shin guards
and last, but always prominent, the
l11N-1 a bOi lot