The Bridgeport evening farmer. [volume] (Bridgeport, Conn.) 1866-1917, 1916-11-01
CUMMINGS is SUPPL INC THE
pep" AND BRINGING ENTHUSIASM
TO THE CONNECTICUT CAMPAIGN
Campaign Party Finds Dem
ocratic Policy Has Re
stored Ship Building In
dustry in Eastern Part Of
State.

dustry in Eastern Part of
State.
Guy Wright lives in Putnam. They
call him grandpa" He is 81 years
old and has always slept alone. They
say he has plenty of money, more
imam he can ever spend No one
could guess this on appearance.
He is reputed to own a part of
the Putnam Inn property. At any
rate he is one of the fixtures there.
In summer he wears no socks. In
the warm July days he takes a chair
out to the sidewalk in front of the
inn. He sits down. Kicking off his
shoes, he sits there shoeless and sock
less taking a sun-bath. He carries
a staff, not a cane.
Perhaps the reader by now guesses
that the old gentleman is eccentric,
odd and queer. He is. He thinks
Hughes will carry Connecticut.
Before the Fireplace at the Put
nam Inn last Friday morning
"Grandpa," I'm afeared Hughes is
a goin' to carry the state There's
wheels within wheels and wheels
without a rim
After respectful pause he con-
tinued, 81 have never yit voted any,
thing but a Democrat ticket, except
once. (Pauseo I couldn't stand fur
Bryan and his sixteen to nawthin'. -
At this moment somebody opened
the door and said to grandpa
GOOD morning, Sir"
''Yahs, that's what they say now.
When I was a boy it was Good
morning to you sovereign, sir. Well,
I'll be goin' on" "Grandpa" has as
sistance with his overcoat and leaves.
This aged gentleman has no idea of
dying; and yet he has his monument
all ready. He has had prepared a
marble bust Of himself. The sculp-
tor when chiseling the face parted
"Grandpa's'' chin whisker. Grand
pa" wouldn't stand for the part and
it had to be removed. There is moth
ing highfalutin about him, not even
his whiskers.
On this monument are these
words:
TT have gone, know not where"
Local historians also say that
"Grandpa" has little brown jug
containing most excellent and stimu-
lating refreshment hidden away for
his pall-bearers.
The visit to the Noank ship yards
Saturday noon was one of the most
interesting the Cummings party has
had. While the orders were at the
yards that the speaking was to be
"outside" the gates, no orders could
prevent the party from looking in
and the fence wasn't high enough to
interfere with the sight.
A huge five-mast schooner is one
Of the ships in course of construction
there and the big hulk rises up in
the air like a sky-scraper. The men
working on it look like pygmies. All
around the vicinity were found men
who were called Captain and they
all looked like their titles. They
wore the familiar blue caps with the
patent leather peak and gathered
around Mr.. Cummings eagerly when
they learned that he wanted to know
something about ships and their
building.
The ship builders at this yard have
a little grudge against the govern
ment for permitting wooden ships Of
foreign make to sail under the stars
and stripes in competition with
American made ships.
They say after the war ship-build-
ing in this country will be scuttled
because it is SO much cheaper to
build them in Europe with European
laborers and mechanics. But they
are having more work now than they
ever had before. Ship-builders are
better off to-day than they ever have
been in this country. These things
were admitted.
But, however, they may feel about
what they believe is unfair competi-
ton, they gave Mr.. Cummings their
closest attention attention when he
talked Wilson, peace and prosperity.
When he finished they gave him a
rousing cheer and shook hands with
him.
Feeling on this subject Of foreign
ships being entered as American car
riers is very strong among the ship
builders and particularly in the ship
yards of Maine. There Congressman
McIllicuddy lost his election on this
issue. Many of the men in the Noank
ship-yards come from Maine.
In North Stoningron, Mr.. Cum
mings talked directly under
Hughes-Fairbanks banner in front of
the postoffice. Pointing to the ban
ner, Mr. Cummings said: "If you
want to know how Mr.. Hughes stands
on any Of the issues Of the campaign,
just ask that picture up. there. You'll
get as much information as you
would from the gentleman himself
The crowd roared.
Francis P. Guilfoile, candidate for
lieutenant governor, had sample OF
the Cummings tour Saturday and
when asked his opinion of it said: 1T
is one Of the most effective things L
have ever seen. Cummings has sup
piled the pep in this campaign. Hav-
ing seen for myself the number Of
people who have been coming out to
hear him, and seeing first hand the
enthusiasm they show toward him
and what he has to say, there IS no
question, in my mind about the good
work accomplished by him in his
whirlwind tour of the small towns