Norwich bulletin., 1916-08-07
NORWICH PEOPLE AT
EAST HAMPTON CARNIVAL.
Saturdays Programme Surpassed All
Previous Events.

ton, on the Air Line railroad. nine |
miles east of AT5ddletown, has been
notable forsseveraI generations because
or It's manufacture Of small bells. The
entire town, incorporated as Chatham
in 1881. but recently renamed East
Hampton by fat of the general assem- |
bly,, has a population of say three
thousand. Many years ago William
bell business, the first article he turned
out being a cow bell. One by one, nu-
merOus small establishments for the
manufacture of j1nglers sprang up, to
be followed in turn, through competi-
ton, combination and absorption, by a
few larger plants. Now the three
principal shops" are those Of BeviE
Brothers, N, n. Hills and Starr Broth
eTs. The last concern. to yield to alb
sorption was the East Hapton Bell
course, the village has no police and
doubtless does not need them. It has
no water supply and no letter carrier
system, but it is certainly up to date
in the matter Of electric lights and
village Improvements. The residents
even boast of two theatres and two
pavEions, the latter on Pocotopaugh
lake. Yes, the lake is an important
adjunct of the place-beautiful, surely
rapidly acquiring summer residents on
its shores, and the source Of power
for the manufactures. Besides eleven
principal factory buildings, with their
adjuncts, there are ten stores, one
bank, five churches, a beautiful new
modern school building, and numerous
halls and offices.
But the place is wholly given up to
the man ufactUre of bells-sleigh bells,
hand bells, toy bells, door bells, bicycle
bells and any other kind of small bells
which occur to the reader A few
gOngs and toys may be made as side
issue. Large church ard factory bells
have been attempted, but they have
not become indigenous. Formerly, all
work was done by hand or by horse
power, then came water power for pol
ishing, grinding and finishing. Many
bells are still cast, but stamps and dies
have also come into use. which make
g bell out Of the metal sheet or plate
as quickly as 6, trap hammer falls. If
East Hampton can take credit for all
the merry ringing, the jingling ana
the tinlGling of the bells made here,
wherever they go, it may be said that
no other place on earth makes so
much noise in the world.
The old names of Chatham and East
Hampton, it is said, We're borrowed
! from Cape Cod, and were brought here
| by early residents who came from
there, but the new name of THE Bel.
| Town." which the visitor sees posted
near the station, is borrowed from no
place on earth and to no other place
| on earth COuId it be so appropriately
applied.
But this enterprising little town is
claiming another distinction. Now,
every city, not to say borough or
smaller place, has to its credit an old
home week, or some other kind Of q
break down Cor break up once in a
| while, but what town of only three
thousand Inhabitants has such q. cele-
bTatiCn every year? Yet East Hanp-
ton has had its Carnival and Old
Home day for five seasons in success
sion, and its people claim that each
has surpassed any which preceded it.
Last Saturday was The ever to be re-
mem bered and never to be forgotten
date for 1916. Here is the programme:
Ball game in the morning between
married and single men, boat race on
the lake. In the afternoon q pageant
of history, speeches, luncheOns; even
| ing, motor parade and what not The
pageant, carried out at Carriers pa
vtliOn on the lake in the afternoon, had
these scenes: I. Coming of the Cross;
II, Bold Robin Hood; III, Landing of
lithe Pilgrims, in tableaU; ", The Days
I-of 81, by Boy Scouts; V, America
IlTriumphant, by forty girls.
u But the great event of all was the
afternoon parade, announced to start
at $50 p. m. from MiIlers Hill at the
south end, and to march through the
main street, down hill and up hill to
at the south end of the lake. Every
body was participating. Those too
young, too old or too tired to be on
| the street, played an equally impor-
tant part in sitting on the lawns and
cheering the parade as drum, drum, it
went by. Promptly at the hour, the
| procession wheeled into line, the drum
corps struck up, and it was off. No
| tramp of men and women on foot, bear
| you in mind, after the manner of some
| larger towns, save as to the crowds
| which to be sure filed the sidewalks
! and trOd one upon another as they
| tried to keep abreast of the procession.
| Business buildings and private resi-
| dences along the line of march were
| quite generally decorated, the new
| business block of Judge B. A. Carrier,
in which is his probate office, being
perhaps as conspicuous as any.
Everybody was there? Well, almost.
/ Beside the residents, there were the
uncleS and the cousins and the aTnts.
All roads lead to Rome; likewise to
East Hampton. Automobiles footing
for clear road, horse carria ges mildly
seeking the roadside or gutter, horse
back riders and people on foot, all
/ bound about o'clock for the village
street. And now the procession moves,
led by Harold Hills and somebody else
on hOrsebaC then the town fathers
(selectmen, etc.), in carriages; Boy
Scouts in uniform, esCOrting Rip Van
Wrinkle; Red Cross float, with wound
ed man in ambulance; Old Oaken
Bucket; decorated steer team repre-
senttng some industry; History OF
Fashions, boys and girls. men and
women, in costumes of 1900 1920, 1875,
1916, 1847, 1865, 1870, 1898, 1914, 1915;
Dutch Garden and Windmill on
wheels; Camp Fire, with G. A. r. dele
cation marching; East Hampton
grange float, bearing the name The
Bell Town" Viking ship, fun size,
representing the Rebeccas; drum
corps; police patrol (truly comiC)
and other floats representing Ladies'
society of the Congregational church,
the T. B. P, the new East Hampton
bank, Odd Fellows, Kings Daughters,
besides business firms and other So
cieties and organizations. A hundred
automobiles, decorated and undecorat-
ed, followed with nearly as many car
riages, all loaded with passengers.
AS the newspapers announced in adj
vance and as the n1anag gers maintain
ed, the celebration was never equaIIed
by any other town in the state or
cOunty-in proportion to population.
The net receipts from admission
fees, and sales of lunches and confec-
tons at the pavilion will be handed
over to the Village Improvement So
ciety.
And all the visitors, including Nor
wich people, well pleased, took their