Connecticut western news., 1921-09-01

Cnc ranks, canaan has had her full share of brave sons, who counted not their lives dear when the country they loved called them to fight her battles; dying if need be in her de- fense.
 Doubtless there are other names deserving place on the roll of honor; but even to mention them all is quite impossible; we can but pick a flower here and there, when the field is starred with blossoms.
 Canaan was a place of many in- dustries, in the long ago; let us bring some of those who were in the forefront as business leaders into our lives again, for a few brief mom- ents.
 No doubt there are those still living who will remember "Ishams Woolen Factory, in East Canaan, where superior quality of goods was made.
 Besides this there was a cotton mill and pudding works, all of them do- ing a good business; though they were not obliged to resort to the various tricks of trade in vogue and on the increase to-day, forced in the hot-bed of competition.
 Still following the windings ot the bOnny Bromfoxit, we come to one of the most interesting centers of activity in the town. Here was, for long years, "slitting milr', in which mail rods" were slit from bars of il on, and from which wrought" nails were hammered.
 The man who built and owned the sitting mill was Samuel Forbes known far and near, for many years before his death, as Squire Forbes;" a man of much enterprise, great busi- ness capacity and energy, also a man of sterling honesty and uprightness. When the sitting mill was built, there were but two others in 'he country: one near Boston, the other in Maryland.
 The production of nail rods, in Canaan, brought much business into the place; men coming from all the ''region round about" to purchase bundles of the rods.
 In the old State prison of Newgatsa, hammering nails was one of the em- ployments of the inmates, who were obliged, no doubt sorely against their will, to combine usefulness with punishment, so that even in those far-away days Canaan was doing her part to vary the monotony of those who were retired from public life for longer or shorter periods.
 Samuel Forbes was the pioneer iron-worker of this part of the state; discovering and operating the mine in Salisbury (our neighbor) 7, which bears the name of the "Forbes ore-bed" to this day. In Lakeville two miles from Salisbury, he had forge, where many cannon were cast during the revolutionary war, varying in size from four to forty five pounders. In Canaan he had a forge and anchor works; and it is tradition that part of the chain which was stretched across the Hudson, to prevent the ships of the enemy from ascending the river, was forged in Canaan by Squire Forbes. Many are the stories told about this busy worker of the past
 It is handed down in the family, that Benedict Arnold, passing through Canaan, at the head of some troops, and being weak from a recent wound, rested for a few days under the Squire's hospitable roof re- joining his command later.
 The house was on the turnpike, ard conspicuous place; it is wreath ed in tradition and made interesting tE story; but we are almost afraid U put on paper all the nice things that have been handed down as household treasures to the later generations, lest some genius for dates and statistics should arise, blowing aside the mists in which some of our legends may have taken form, and rudely depriving us of our inheritance of romance.
 One man, very famous afterwards, was interested with Squire Forbes in the Salisbury ore-beds; and was also for a time his book-keeper.
 This man was Ethan Allen, a na- tive of Connecticut, destined to play ] so fine a part in the war of the revo- lution. It is sixty-eight years since Samuel Forbes slept with his fathers. And there are still three persons who | remember him distinctly.
 Time would fail me to speak of Gideon, and of Barak, and of Sam son; of Lavid also;" so we must turn from the past, laying our little me- morial wreaths on the graves of those who are gone but not forgotten, though they have passed over to the majority, giving place to others, who are carrying On the interests of our | busy town. In the war of the re bCllion Canaan responded nobly, giv. ing freely to the country her bravest and best. Among the long list ot honored dead, we name but two Colonel David L. Cowles, who fe1