New Britain herald., 1918-03-08

country, and in his sophomore year,
 1863, he tried to enlist, but was still
 too young, so he took the only open-
 Ing that presented itself and entered
 in the Quartermaster's Department
 its assistant to his brother Maj. As-
 bury Hill, and there remained until
 the end of the war.
 He did not complete his under
 graduate course, but in 1885 Yale
 conferred upon him the degree cf A.
 M. in recognition of his public ser-
 vices.
 "Upon reentering civil life after the
 war he at once went into active bus ] mess, not neGlecting his public duties
 and responsibilities.
 "To indicate his varied activity it
 may be mentioned that for 25 years
 and until he was elected to Congress
 he was in the lumber business: and
 also at different times, he was pres-
 dent of the NorWalk Street Railway Co.,, NorWalk Gas Light Co.,. Norwalk 1 Mills O., and later vice president and then president of the National Bank of NorWalk which office he held at the time of his death. During this period he was active in performing his duties a citizen in the town and borough of Norwall1,
 
 ernment and also upon the board of school visitors.
 Tn 1884 he was a delegate to the Republican national convention at Chicago, which nominated James G. Blaine; and in 1886 he was elected d mem Der of the Connecticut State Senate, and some valuable construc tive legislation was credited to him at that time
 Tn 1894 he was elected to the Eff ty-fourth Congress, and began that service which lasted, with the excep- ton of a single Congress- the Sixty third, until his death, in 1917.
 This period of service in the House, consisting of more than 20 years, was longer by over two years than that of any man who had pre- viously represented Connecticut.
 His ability and industry early gave him a standing in the House which time and experience confirmed and strengthened. Aside from other committee work, he served for $ years on the Banking and Currency Committee and fl years on the Ways and Means Committee. Of his work on those committees and in Congress his colleagues here present can speak with more intimate knowledge and greater authority than I. We in his district, however, had good reason to know of his untiring devotion to his work, his constant study of econ nomic conditions, especially with regard to manufactures in this country and abroad, and his wonderful accurnu- lation of facts, which was indeed l encyclopedia
 Tn his later years he had a de- l served national reputation as au- thority on matters of the tariff and banking. In addition to his studies he | added to his store of knowledge by wide travel and careful and accurate observation. Scarcely vacation passed without his going to some for eign land for pleasure and study combined, and he always added to hjs store of useful information.
 II say useful advisedly, because he was no collector of dry facts but rather of facts as tools, for use
 He cared for this knowledge not as a historian but as a forward looking statesman This is shown by the fact that he not merely helped on good measures, but he either origin ated or was among the pioneers in legislation which was now and has been most beneficial in this country.
 He had a leading part in establish ing the gold standard, his speech in Congress on that subject being used throughout the United States as a textbook and authority. To his cred it largely are to be placed the estao- lishment of rural free delivery, his own district being the second district in which rural free delivery was oS- tablished; free alcohol for the arts; and the chemical schedule in the present tariff bill which promises to establish the dyestuff industry in this country.
 "He was also an ardent supporter of national enfran nchisement of Wom- en-and this years before it became po1iti~.l issue or even popular. h. deed, he stood on this platform in the face of threats that it might imperll his renomination. He was pron11n- ent in the Methodist Church and in the order of Odd Fellows
 And with all this tremendous ac- tivity and diversity of interest and occupation he had fine capacity for friendship and good fellowship.
 '"There was no town in his district where he had not hosts of friends; | no assembly where he was not vel come nor where his coming did not add to it's pleasure. TO illustrate one phase of his charac cter which did not ! always appear on the surface, may | give one personal anecdote?
 Among his friends was catholic priest, Father F'urlong, of NorWalk. Before his trip to the Holy Land MT. Hill called on his friend, then sick unto death, and asked him if there was anything he could bring him. Said the father, "If I live so long I 1 should like, above all things, to have YOU bring me a rosary from the Holy City,. When MT. Hill was in the Garden of Gethsemane, which was [