Norwich bulletin., 1918-11-14
FRED KLEIN, VETERAN
 BARRIER 2o YEA

The flat of a Prussian soldiers sword laid across bis back when he was twelve years old gave the impetus that determined Frederick L. Klein of 5ei Oak street to leave the litEie Bavariaa town between Metz and .5trassburg,
 where he would be free from the mill
 itary autocracy which has just been humhled by the forces. of the liberty loving peoples of the world.
 On Sunday, November 10. Mir. Klein, dean of barbers of the city and state, reached his S2nd birthday, thankful that he was quietly celebrating it un- der the Stars and Strires instead of the imperial eagle of Germany. which went into eclipse forever the next dGy. In speaking of his early life on We'd nesday, MT. Klein said that it was l what he saw of the military regime 1 in Germany that led him to seek an- 1 other land tc live in. At the time he 1 was a boy, the grandfather of the now l deposed emperor was ruler of the 1 country and one day whert roung Klein i was a lad of twelve squad of sol 1 diers rode into the town and command l ed all the villagers to get into their 1 homes and stay inside with doors clos 1 ed and window shutters nailed up. The
 emperor was to pass through the vil-
 lage.
 The order was obeyed with a!acrity 1 by the householders, but. boylike young Klein, with others of his age 1 could not restrain his curiosity at wanting to see what was going on A
 number of the young fellows were cautiously running around between the houses and peel5ing to catch sight
 of anything that might happen, when young Klein suddenly felt a sword land across his shoulders with the gruff order to get inside and stay l there.
 He went, but as he revoIved in his mind what had happened. and heard
 of country where military service | could be escaped, he told his parents that he was determined to go there | They laughed at the idea at first. but he persisted and his chance came when he was Is years old and he join ed party of young people who were coming to America. He induced his father to buy hiru ticket for pass age on a sailing vessel. Passing ] through Metz on the way to HaVre France which was the sailing port, he
 saw the first railroad he had ever
 seen, and at HavTe the first boat he
 had ever seen larger than q roWboat When they reached Hasre the yes sel had not arrived and it did not ar !
 days, they had to provide for them
 selves while waiting for the vessel but
 after that the transportation company took care of them until the boat ar :; rived. But it was a pleasan expert
 ence for the young man seeing the
 sights of world that had bee ma terra ) incosnita to him up to them. By a strange coincidence the sail ing vessel that took the party across
 l was named Bavaria IL was a 42-day trip and one of the most vivid recoI. lections that Mr. Klein has is of the seasickness that they suffered for tht first week or so.
 They landed in New York at the foe !, of Wall street. Soon an immigran . runner had him in tow and took hin , to q boarding house on Washington street between Liberty and Cortlandt
 The next. day Mir. Klein saw acros the street a barber shop, the first h, had ever seen, for the barbers wher - he had learned his trade in Bavari: ; were accustomed to carry their Xxi . with them and do the shaving al pa irons houses. Tn the old country. toe : the barber business also included tootl : pulling, blood letting, cupping art | leeching.
 As he learned American ways he go
 better places and at one time was il
 a shop at the corner of Broadway an
 1 Twentieth, where they had the best c
 l the Fifth avenue trade After q yea or two he went 10 work in Hacken 1 sack N. J, but after a time returne : again to New York
 r It was in July, 1856, that a barbe n on one of the Norwich boats asked hir e if he knew of a young man who woui | ike to so into the country to take r good job as a barber. Mr Klei s asked about the place and decided | = try it himself, telling his New Tor e employer, who tried to hold him, tha f he wanted to see some more of th Q country. So on July ?, 1856, he cam = to Norwich by boat that ran fro1 8 New York and landed at Allyn's Poin l. That was in July, 56," said NJ # Klein, and here I've been ever sine, y I got acquainted, liked inc peopl v married here three years later when Q had paying shop of my own, an e have stayed here.
 if q went to work first for Adam Car
 who had shop where The Manhatta
 store now is on Main street I ofte
 look at the place on Cliff street wher I took my first meal and boarded wit - my employer. It was the ground f1oG n of the house No. 12, now occupied b h James Dawson"
 s. MT. Klein says that history show T that November is one of the poore. y months to De born in. No great me y have been born in November. The yes e is on the wane, and that seems to baS
 an influence on the lives of peep d born at that time. The great men J. spring months.
 Te | Ha has always kent an active into,