Putnam patriot. [volume] (Putnam, Conn.) 1872-1962, 1921-12-02
History Stories of
Connecticut


For Us To 90 back TO the old colonial
days and visit the people who then
lived in Connecticut is Of course i'm
possible yet we must 20 back at least
III imagination if We are TO understand
the kind of life they lived.
Let Us suppose that we are on a
journey through Connecticut a few
years before the time when Governor
Andres tried to deprive the people of
their charter. How strange it seems
that everybody travels either on horse
OF afool! We see neither steam nor
electric cars nor automobiles and the
people do not even own carriages or
wagons
How poor the roads are They are
little better than beaten paths thru
the woods and fields. Men are at
work ON their farms. harvesting their
crops. and cutting down trees in order
to clear new land to plant next year.
The homes are mostly grouped in
villages and look very much alike.
In the center of almost every house
Is a great stone chimney ten or twelve
feet square from the floor of the cellar
up to the floor of the second story
above which il decreases in size as il
approaches the roof In the center of
the front Of the house is door open
INK from the hall into large rooms on
each side of the chimney In the rear
of the chimney is another large room
One of these rooms is the kitchen
which in most cases IS also lthe living
room Of the family. The other large
rooms are used for parlors or guest
rooms and the smaller sleeping rooms
are up stairs.
We see no stoves but on three sides
of the chimney are huge fireplaces.
In the kitchen fireplace is an iron
crane on which hang two great ket-
ties. The oven is built into one side
of the fireplace.
The sides Of the rooms are plsstered
but the joists and floor overhead are
not covered and nails are driven into
the joisis to serve as hooks on which
TO hang small articles
The windows have small diamond
shaped panes Of glass set in frames
OF lead. The floors have no carpets.
The furniture is plain and useful
rather than ornamental. In one
room Is spinning wheel and hand
loom on which the farmers wife and
daughters spin the wool that has been
cut from the backs Of the sheep and
weave il into cloth from which 10
make garments for the family. After
the evening meal eaten from pewter
and wooden dishes by the light Of tai
low candles in the great kitchen we
enjoy listening TO the stories told BY
farmers and their neighbors as they
sit around the groat fireplace some of
them cracking nuts-and others making
brooms and various useful articles.
We hear strange news Of what has
happened during the day. A man has
been arrested for swearing and has
had to stand in the pillory one hour
and then receive whipping. Another
man has had 70 SIT for hours in the
stocks to punish him for drunkenness.
Last night farmer Jones had five
sheep killed by wolf and today he
and- his sons have been hunting for
the beast that did the damage. To-
morrow farmer Smith is 10 begin
building barn and his neighbors are
going 10 the raising to help erect
the framework. for II Is their custom
TO be friendly and give their services
TO neighbor on such occasions. on
the morrow We 20 to the raising and
late in the afternoon when the frame
work Of the barn has all been put in
place and securely pinned together we
SIT down at the great tables and enjoy
the feast prepared by Mrs. Smith and
her daughters. All 20 home early for
tomorrow is Sunday and in Connect
cut the observance of the Sabbath
begins on Saturday at sunset. Family
worship is followed by religious instr
uetion given the children and to the
servants.