Norwich bulletin., 1921-12-24
drownded.
"REMINISCENCES OF WESTMINSTER

Dear Sisters: It is some time since Il
have written to the Corner, but Persis'
letter aroused in my mind "reminiscences
of Westminster aud bygone days again..
I remember very well the two old Indian
women, Mary and Rate, and the little
black dog they used to lead around by.
| a string. They went about from one
place to another in rowing Indian fash
! ion, finding some old house where they
would stay for a while and make bas-
kets Kate made heavy farm baskets.
| bushel. half bushel and peck baskets and
as long as she was able used to get into
| the woods and cut and split up the has
| ket stuff herself. Mary made pretty
| baskets, colorec fancy colors for berries,
work baskets, etc. Kate was finally
| taken sick and died in Norwich at the
hospital 1 think, and Mary at the poor
| house in Canterbury as she claimed to
have been born in that town at some dis
tant date way beyond anybody else's
knowledge, for she was very old and
looked it. They were no fools either.
Mary did most of the talking. She used
good English and was really entertain
ing to listen to. and witty. She used to
say, "Squaws do love cider" and they
| surely did.
I have often heard the "old Darn
Man" spoken of by my elders. but never
saw him. It seems that his clothes were
always mass of darning. Don't know
whether he ever had any new ones or
not.
Another one of those wanderers up
and down the earth that I used to hear
was called Jerry Bluebags" because he
always carried blue bag or his arm.
A familiar figure of late years in the
region of Windham, Lebanon and
Fran, lin at f>ast was Old Charley Over
coat, who always wore an overcoat even
in hot summer days and carried one or
TIVE more over his arm. think he is
dead now. In his last and more feeble
years he used to spend winters in the
. | poorhouse In Willimantic and travel
, summers. People who knew him would
. give him something to eat and SO he
:. | existed. One could hardly call it living
Once on time when I was a little girl
as stories used to begin, a poor half.
, crazed woman called Grace Devlin USED
; to roam the roads. Those who were
friendly to her and pitied her used t.
give her food and cast-off garments an6
finery which she wore without regard t.
shape or fitness and like the other wan
| derers stayed where night overlook he
= and where anyone would keep her
: | have heard that she was a pretty cir
when young and about to be married
when her lover was killed by an acct
| dent which turned her brain and sh.
. took to roaming the world to find him
> Many a, time l. have seen her stop ant
:, = ! look intently in one direction as if ex
= pecting to see someone whom she knew
. and then resume her tramp again alway
y in hurry, as if she had to meet some
u one at the end of her tramp. She wa
= always hunting for what she never coul
cc find. Finally her steps grew slow an
feeble. Then We saw her no more an
= her long search was ended. I suppos
% those who have no romance or senti
e ment in their souls would call her fool
70 ish to allow such thing to turn he
: brain, but as I look at it now it seem
I. pitif-' and tragic story though in thos
= days 1 looked at her as a strange an
:" grotesque creature.
, Persis: I can oblige you with a stor
- of haunted house which used to be o
= the road leading from Canterbury Gree
~ TO Brooklyn, just close to the green
:, would be called an inn now, but was
= tavern then. There are many gruesono
stories about the old country taverns an
J. "a this was no exception. It seems Their
was peddler who came there one nigh
-, with considerable money and who wa
:, never seen afterward and It was sur
!. posed that the proprietor killed him an
49, buried him in the cellar.
There was one rom where it was sal
nobody ever stayed all night after tina
Whoever was put in there to sleep wa
always out before morning, demandfri
s. to know what the matter was with IL
room, there being strange sounds an
xt lights In It.
III Finally the building burned down ar
In clearing away the Debris sonneor
Id claimed to find human bones in the &c
lar.
tst Alec H. Ia4. ,.aa~, 49,
ig In Howard Valley in the town of HAM
ton where a man killed himself by Gu
ting his throat, where people claimed
'u hear and see strange things as they WEI
l.. by there at night. 7 don't think anyo1
ever lived there after he died, and as
is have been past it in daylight 1t look,
lonely and desolate enough to be haun
ed. think it is either burned or to-
down now and the kaunts banished a
cordingly. I suppose.
? According to the practical and cor
ee mon sense views of the present day
vel are all expected to regard such thin
er as the superstitions OF the past age, b
r. don't say that I either behave Or DO.
nd lively disbeHeve them. Personally
m, have never seen or heard anything
the kind but far be it from me to 81
". no one ever has. I think it was Shake
nd peare who said There are more thin
ke lin heaven and earth than Were ev
nd dreamed of" have in my mind anoth
as story of a blighted love romance but r
It letter is too long now so will save tn
py1 for another time and wish everybody
Cd the happiness for the holidays that {.
IT. come to them. It can't be hap
hit ChristmasAto all owing to the troubles
We this world and SO many have h
to friends PISS over to the other side in t
ne L last year that II must OF necessity he