Norwich bulletin., 1917-10-20

Attawaugan, Conn, Oct, 19. 1917. The village of Attawaugan is situ- ated in the northern part of the town of Killingly on the Five Mile River.
 Here something over -hale a century ago was erected a cotton mill, which has kept up it's hum of spndles with
 practically unvarying uniformity ever
 since. Among the earlier proprietor
 O. the thriving mills of this and th2
 neighboring villages of Ballouville and
 Pineville were Henry B. Norton and
 Lorenzo Blackstone, of Norwich
 where the central business offices of
 the Attawaugan Co. have always been
 located.
 At rally day service held at the
 Attawaugan Methodist Episcopal church Sunday. a most interesting ac-
 count was given of the early days of
 the history of both Sunday school and church. The narrator was HoratiO A. Brown, of Putnam, the organizer of the first Sunday school in Attawau- gan. and who had much to do with
 starting the church building. Mr.
 Brown came to tht village in 1867 as though he ilas attained three score and ten he is still vigorous. and held the close attention of his audience as phra ses humorous or pathetic he DOT trayed his early struggles in founding the Sunday school which later led to the erection of the church through the generosity Of Messrs Norton and Blackstone. and the friendly interest they took in the plan from its incep- ton.
 Mr. Brown told of coming to A-ta- waugan from Providence c5out the time he had reached his ma jority, and how he suffered from extreme attacks Of nostalgia. He was especially sub days, as he found no church to at tend, no Sunday school to go to. So he would go out and sit on boulder near the mill dam, and east pebbles widening circles they caused upon the stream. Though he did not know it. +he pebbles were emblematic of the words of truth he was about to cast should make for the lasting benefit of the villa ge.
 Started Sunday School.
 Mir. Brown was boarding with a Smith family OF Attawaugan avenue, in the house at present occupied by Thomas Hughes It was here, by the way, that he later found one whom he styled "the best girl in all the world" Before this occurrence, however. he had begun in a very small way to es- tablish Sunday school One Sunday a little girl came. into the home, and he told her a Bible story. The next Sunday she brought another child. The number increased and finally he asked permission of the school com mittee to open the schoolhouse for the ircPeasing-' number of children who came from Sunday to Sunday This being granted the building was used for quite a period. Circumstances arose which compelled the withdrawal of this privilege and the young man was at his wits end to know what to co. That week. however, there came into the store the proprietor of the eristmill near the bridge below the mill, and said to the clerk, MT. Brown I hear you can't have the schooIhouse any more Sundays" That so?" "Yes." What are you going to do?' 'I don't know" Well I've been thinking it over. and I'll clean out one end of my I:1iil and you can come in there.' MT. Brown thanked the miller whose name was Augustus Bassett, being most surprised at this offer, as he had known that MT. Bassett was interested in the Sunday school.
 Sessions in Grist Mill.
 After the school had been held in the gr1st mil for a considerable time, these quarters became too crowded. So one day MT Brown said to MT. Straight. then manager of the store. l I'd like a Jay off, What for p Well, l want to go down to Norwich l t. see if MT. Norton and MT. Black | stone won't put up some kind of a l shack for us to hold our Sunday school in." Mr. Straight laughed, said lie might have a day off but he guess-