Norwich bulletin., 1917-08-07
cELE5RATED HIS soth
 BIRTHDAY ON MONDAY
Wn. M. Williams Within Ten Years
 of the Century Mark.

or Lne Stntufy "ATE'
 William M. Williams celebrated his 9oth birthday on Monday. It was ex- pected that he would come from his summer home in Westerly to greet his Fold friends at the hardware store of the Eaton Chase company with whom he has been connected for over 50 years but the terrific heat Of last week had its effect on Mir. Williams health and prevented him from mak- ing the trip here on Monday.
 Mir. Williams is man of great | many accomplishments. He can splice 1 rope better than any man in New London county and when Norwich was ! more of a center for steamboats, was frequently called upon to splice large | hawsers. He can also fit a handle to an axe better than could be done by
 factory methods. Many are the axes | he has handled for the fire depart ment. He has also a wonderful mem l cry and in his younger days was noted as public speaker. During his stay l in California he found himself one | Sabbath in a rough mining camp and he decided to do some good on that day and he called about 100 of the | miners together and delivered ser | mon on the text Love one another | that brought tears to the eyes of the rough group and the occasion was one | long remembered. The camp showed evidence of the effectiveness of the discourse.
 | MT. Williams is bound up in the hardware firm in which he was so active for 60 years. He takes pride in it's antiquity. founded in 17e4 by Ger shon Breed and continued until MT. | Williams day in the Breed family. | 1t Is the second oldest concern in the l United States.
 Mir. Williams was born in Ledyard. August 6, 1927. He was the son of Prentice Williams and when seven nII hi fa4I fr vile and located on a farm on Ray mond Hill near Gardner Lake on the old Essex turnpike. He remained on
 the farm until he came of age and ! and went to New London to secure employment on one of the whaling vessels that then put Into that port. Travelling by steamship to Panama and crossing the Isthmus by foot MT. Williams in 1851 went to California. He reached San Francisco by the steamship Golden Gate and proceeded ! to Sacramento. He was met on the wharf by a man named Gallup who held in his hands a picture of MT. Williams and a letter from Charles P. Williams of Stonington, who had writ ten to him to engage Mir. Williams as soon as he put foot on shore
 Three years later MT. Williams sail ed for home. arriving in Mystic just
 as a new steamboat was being com pleted for the Sound traffic. He was offered the command of this boat by George Greenman of Mystic, the
 builder. He went to New London, qualified before Inspector Daboll and began his steamboating career at once |. His daily trips along the shore in the old stage coach gave him necessary experience to navigate the boat witch was called the Ella" The Ella" was put on the route from Norwich to Westerly in opposition to the Tiger Lily" The older boat was charging
 75 cents a round trip. Competition soon reduced the rates and finally Capt. Williams advertised to take pas sengers anywhere between Norwich and Stonington Point for a nickel.
 The boat was crowded every day and hundreds were left on the dock be- cause they could not be accommodate ed. The boat was run only one sea son and was sold to on the Bay of Nicaragua and the company made a handsome profit by the sale if they did not on the receipts from passen-
 gers.
 In the early days of his employment
 in the hardware business MT. Willia ms
 was sent out on the road taking orders
 and making deliveries to distant
 points. He made regular trips to
 Essex. Colchester. Mystic. Westerly
 customers was the Colchester Wheel
 O., until that concern had cut down
 and worked up all the best hickory
 and oak timber in that vicinity.
 MT. Williams ever took an active
 interest in the old volunteer fire de-
 partment. He was foreman of the
 first steamer in the city and after
 wards became chief of the fire depart
 ment. The Falls steamer was named
 after him. Many are the parades of
 the fire department that he headed in
 a stove pipe hat and that were re-
 viewed by Governor Buckingham and
 other notables. He was lso chosen
 alderman and placed on many impor-
 t.,y, IIo1
 erated by him for the Breed estate for
 many years.