New Britain herald. [microfilm reel] (New Britain, Conn.) 1890-1976, 1917-07-28
Town Topics

Residents in the vicinity of Bassett
and Glen streets. with good cause
are frequently complaining to either
the health department or the board of
public works about the nuisance OF
the dump at the southern end of these
streets. During the last few hot days
the stencil from this uncovered dump
has been most odious. Although the
board of public works endeavors to
keep the refuse covered, it is not at
all times possible to do this with the
result that the neighbors suffer un-'
necessary annoyance Much blame
for these bad conditions is placed on
certain store men, who. it is claimed,
come to this dump at uncertain hours
and leave decayed vegetables bad
meat, fish heads and other decaying
animal and vegetable matter. While
the city departments can be entrusted
to do all possible to alleviate matters,
there is no doubt but that the time Is
coming when the city must take care
Of it's own rubbish collection, both
garbage and other refuse. When that
time comes the residents may hope
for a discontinuance of dirty back
yards and insanitary dumps. From
certain portions of the rubbish col
lected as we'll as from a chemical
treatmen Of some of the garbage, the
city might possibly get some financial
return.
The time is also near at hand when
the recommendation of the fire insur-
ance underwriters, advocating an
ordinance against burning papers and
rubbish in back yards in the fire
I>o ic Ia hot
at the next council meeting some
action may be taken in this connec-
ton. At present although gratings
are used in which to burn papers
and rubbish, the waste papers are
blown about the yard and otherwise
scattered strict ordinance govern
ing both garbage, rubbish and waste
paper is necessary if the cleanliness
of the city is to be maintained.
In times of peace prepare for war
and in times of war prepare for
peace There is an old adage which
runs something like this and even
now thoughts in this city are turning
to the days when peace will once
more smile upon this broad land.
Families with members in the fight
ing armies are, Of course, the ones
to look forward to peace most anx-
iously, although there is probably not
a single person in the city who would
not welcome an early peace Taking
a purely commercial viewpoint, it is
said tina. peace would be advan-
ia geous to local factories. While
many New Britain concerns are doing
big or little government Jobs FOR the
war nevertheless the products OF TINS
CITY are products Of peacetimes. Ihls
is the great hardware center OF the
world and it thrives at no time as
much as in peace time. When the
clouds of war shall have passed. Wher
tho neriod of reconstruction comes
abroad, when American people cease
TO fear a war panic and once more
plunge into an era of building, then,
it is expected, will New Britain con-
Germs boom and 1t is predicted that
this city will see an era of prosperity
that will last for a long time.
But while it may take an extreme
optimist to see any silver lining to
the present dark cloud, the hope and
prayer is ever present. The JOY that
greeted the announcement of the
close of the Spanish-Amerlcan war
is too recent to have been forgotten.
The hysterical, joyful celebration that
accompanied news of the surrender OF
General Lee and the close of the
American Civil war, until the present
great strife the bloodiest conflict that
the world had ever seen, is today re-
membered by comparatively few New
Britain people. When the civil war
ended in April 1865, this city then a
town, was far different appearing
place than it is today. 1t was no
more than village. Its side streets
were little better than COW paths and
it's Main street was only dirt road
way with grass and weeds grow
ing by it's side. There were no street
lights and none of the big buildings
which today grace the center. Instead
there were private homes. central
Park was then little better than COW
pasture and it extended southwark as
far as where the safety zone for troll
ley patrons now is. 1t was also much
wider than at present and on both
the east and west sides the trees,
which now fringe the sidewalk. we're
we'll within the enclosure, which was
circled by a crude wooden fence.
Word came of the close of the war on
April IA, 1865 and that night prac
tically the entire town. men, women
and children, gathered in the center
where they held a spontaneous cele-
bration, with bon-fres and great
cheering predominating. There was
no electricity in those days In New
Britain and even gas was a rarity.
Kerosene lamps of the smokeless
variety were also few, but for the
time New Britain was brilliantly IL
Illuminated. Every house around the
center was lighted either with can
dies or crude oil lamps. A few of
the more pretentious buildings had
gas Jets. AS great the jo.' mani
tested that night just as great was
the gloom which predominated the
following night, April Is, when the