Norwich bulletin. [volume] (Norwich, Conn.) 1895-2011, 1920-06-08
nANlELaON

of SO directs the attention of many On /
the pepole of Killingly to the history of
one whose span of life stretches back
nearly a century, Hr. Pidge was born in !
thi stown, at South killingly, and spent
the greater part of his life here.
Within the period of the life of this
one man the greatest development of
lie United States has taken place, and
so keen and cleac was his memory up
to within a few cays of his death that
he could recell without apparent eff
tort many great occurrences that the
raiorty of people regard as dim in the
realms of history.
Born in 1922, he grew up to know a
vastly different United States from that
which the people of these day are ia
miIiar. In that year the eountry's popu-
lation was less than 10000,000 and the
population of Connecticut, heavy then
compared to many states, was only 275,-
00Y. There were no railroads through
tnis section and trolley lines and auto
mobiles were undreanled of. AS mat
ter of fact, the building of the Shore line
from Providence to New London put Mr..
Pidge out of a job as a stage coach driV
er and mail carried, as the prior building
of the Norwich and Worcester road put
him out of another. Along about 1889,
when he first began to drive stage coach
eS theGe wasn't railroad in this sec
ton of New England. Born and brought
up over at South Killingly through
which in those days ian the stage coacn
lines that furnished the only public
transportation in this part of the coun-
try he was attracted to become "a driv-
er of the picturesque rigs that have
since become famous in the countrys his
tory and for many years he followed the
calling At one period he used to make
through drives from Providence to Hart
ford Later his route was between Provi-
dence and Willimantic, via Danielson.
| With the coming of the Norwich and
Worcester road he drove a stage carrying
mail between Danelson and Providence,
This was New York mail that came from
| New York to Norwich by mail. thence
| up to Danielson via train. From Dan
ielson Mr. Pidge took the pouches over
land on his stage to Providence, a
distance of about 80 miles. And in those
| days that was the quickest route for get
| ting New York mail to Providence.
James Monroe, fifth president of the
United States. was at the head of the
! government when Mr.. Pidge was borr
and his life time brought the presi-
dency to Adams Jackson, Van Buren,
| William Henry Harrison. Tyler. Polk
! Taylor, Fillmore, Pierce, Buchanan, Lin
| coin, Johnson, Grant, Hayes, Garfield
ArtlTr, Cleveland. Benjamin Harrison
Mckinley, Roosevelt. Taft and Wilson
About two years ago First Selectma1
John A. Gilbert took Mr.. Pidge for al
! automobile ride over through brooklyn
nd f. Far/9ton, the route over whicl
Mr. Pidge used to drive stages but owe
| which ne had not travelled for a full
half century. AS they rode along Mr.
Pnde recalled many landmarks and toll
of my things of which Mr.. Gilbert ha'
never heard though long familiar wit
the territory. At one point, near Brook
Ign, at the Sam Cooper place, Mr.. Pidg
told of a big tannery that operated Their
IS years ago. Mr.. Gilbert thought tn
mind of the near-centenarian was no
clear on this point, but later found b
investigation that Mr.. Pidge was cor
rect.
In all of the many thousands of mile
that Mr.. Pidge rode as a stage coac
. driver he never had any of the expert
ences that used to fall to the lot of hi
brethren of the same calling who rod
on the high seats IN the days whe
the great west was being opened up. Me-
England was filled with law-abiding pee
pie in the days when Mr. Pidge drov
stages and he never feared nor neve
had to fear hold-up men. There wa
much life and color along the way, how
ever. for the tavers We're many and tt
hospitality more open-hearted than is II
case in these days of mad chasing af
: er money.
| Mr. Pidge never married, but it ha
never been suggested that his long pt
: Rod of bachelorhood was due to an
: youthful disa ppoihtment in love. He We
a man of simple wants and simple hal
= its. a man who lived long. lived quiet
I and we'll in the broad sense of the wer
r until greatly advanced age made il in
y possible longer to care for himself. I
e leaves no relatives so far as know
n here
Mrs Sarah Geer. who died Sunday
d Dayville, was born in Putnam ~ yea
: ago a daughter of William and Luz
e Wood Pray. She was the widow
George Geer, who died about a score
n years ago, in Dayville. where the fami
: had live.l for a long time. Mrs. Ge
leaves daughter, Mrs. Cloe Smith,
it Dayvile and two sons, Fayette.
If Ma Z n, and Wilfred. Mrs. George
I. Davignon of Danielson is a granddaug
it ter of Mrs. Geer.
y About 80 witnesses have been SUI
II moned by counsel for the town in t
e case of Miss Gertrude Warden vs. t
town Of killingly, which goes to trial
y the superior court at Putnam on We
nesday A considerable number of t
ii towns teachers will be called to test
n in this case, which may take from ~
to three days to try.
, The Bulletin has arranged to gi
% prompt returns of happenings of impo
ance at the republican national conve
ton in Chicago for the benefit of the
: cal public What is done relative
important planks in the platform W
quickly be announced in Danielson,
will the facts pertaining to the ballot
for the party's candidates for the no
ination.
Looking splendid after his trip
England and France Agent Robert
Boys of the Goodyear Mills company W
being greeted upon, his return to Goo