The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1922-03-01
By JULIAN H. STERLING.

scenes of my childhood,
 | When fond recollection presents 1 them to view!''
 1 Do you remember when Father 1 Matthew came to this country from | Ireland and delivered a series of ser mons in the old brick Catholic church which stood facing Washington ave- nue, ii on the corner of Arch street? Father Matthew was a strong advo- | cate of temperance. He visited many | cities in this country and won the
 respect and admiration of his hear CTS. This same brick church. which | was called St. James, was the first
 Catholic church in Bridgeport, being | built in 1843. and boasting a parish of three hundred.
 | Do you remember when Seaside | Park was a wilderness. and large l part of its broad acres was farm
 land owned by George Bailey2 When
 the Civil War started, the l7th Con ! necticut regiment, Col. William H. | Noble in command. was encamped 1 there. Also the First Light Artillery battery, under command of Captain | John Sterling.
 | Do you remember when rom l Thumb" Charles Stratton, was born. I in 1s42. in that little house which | stood at the foot of Hubbelrs lane,
 near the old Housatonio railroad | tracks. just south of Lumber street7 l After he made a fortune. by being l exhibited by P. T. Barnum. he re- | turned to Bridgeport and built the house which stands at the corner Of North avenue and Main street. al- though it is now much changed by a1terations.N When Tom Thumb was
 married to Lavinta Warren, they
 held their wedding reception in that same house, after their marriage in Grace church. New York, and they
 received thousands of enthusiastic Bridgeporters while standing on the
 grand piano in. one of the large par
 lors. Tom Thumb. as will be re- me ny7hn fyUn weighed less than 6 pounds. He
 died in the seventies and is buried in | Mountain Grove cemetery. His mon ument Is topped by a miniature fig ure of himself.
 Do you remember when great 1 blocks of marble were brought on flat cars down from Lee. Mass, and | switched by "Old Sar' onto Simon's Miller's Lumber yard is now and "O1d SaP' was a switch engine.
 They were named in those days, not
 numbered. These blocks were ship
 ped in three-masted schooners and
 carried by water to Washington to
 be used in the completion of the na-
 tional capitol and also for the begin
 ming of the Washington monument.
 Do you remember when the first horse care were placed in operation from the old barns where now stands a section of the U. M. c. plant? The first route was over East Washington
 
 and out State street.
 Dou you remember when Dr. B. B. Middlebrooks struck Lawyer w. K. Seeley in open court and fled, never to return until brought back to be buried in Mountain Grove cemetery?
 Do you remember Calthrop's Select School for Young Men2 The build ings stood upon the site of the Fartst Steel works. later burned and today replaced by a new concrete structure.
 Do you remember when Calthrop's pupils challenged the "All-Eleven of England" a cricket club made up of Oxford students, and the famous game that was played on the Common in East Bridgeport? The Common was large open field where now other buildings. Assisting Calthrop's pupils was Blacksmith Serritt, a fa- nous cricketer, and an Englishman. ford men. to the delight of S. R. Cal throp, master of the school, himself an Englishman, and the townspeople went wild with enthusiasm.
 Do you remember when Samuel S. Sanford, noted musician. gave an inn personat:on of Mrs. Jarley." in Mrs. Jarley's Waxworks,'' which was given 1 in Lyeeum hall oyer Hall & Reads, peared in female attire and delight l ed his audience with his falsetto sing ing and his wonderful piano selec- ttons, given during the presentation
  :ous well-known citizens, both male and female, and the production had the distinction of being the first ''1iv- ing pictureS' presented in Bridgeport. The entertainment ran for a week, and a large fund was raised for the soldiers of the Civil War.
 Do you remember when '1ranistan" was burned? This was the residence of P. T. Barnum. and stood we'll back from Fairfield avenue and west of l Tranistan avenue of today. which was named for Barnum's home. It was built in 1s4s. of Oriental style of architecture 1t was strictly a show place, the grounds being peculiarly attractive. Deer, ostriches. a mum per of tame bears, parrots and cock. grounds, and among the shrubbe-y. Ten years later, when "Iranistan" was burned Barnum at once built Ldn- dencroft," on. Fairfield venue, near Yale street, the last owner being the late Mrs. E. c. Bassick. Just berore he Civil war, Elias Howe bought the IT acres of land which compr1sed the nome lot of 'Iranistan." MT Howe intended to build a beautiful home lpon the site of the frame Oriental yilla. But the war came; Mir Howe and shortly after the close of the war MT. Howe died.
 Do you remember how Elias Howe looked before he enlisted? His long flowing locks of hair fell to his shoul- ders, and his bearing and physique re- one or 6oHJdHiAA 1NhhAh. No words can tell the worth and mo- | bbe character of this peerless man. His cherished hair was cut. he enlist | ed as a private, donned a private uniform, and became a member of the 1 l 17th Connecticut regiment, which was recruited and encamped on land that | Is now Seaside park MT. Howe went into "quarters,'' slept on straw. ate soldiers rations and marched away | with the 17th to the front. He refus- ed all commissions. preferring to fight shoulder to shoulder with his fellow citizens, of which sshe rank and file of the 17th was largely composed Dur ing the darker days of the Rebellion, when the government was embarrass- ed by the "shoddy aristocracy." just like the ''profiteers' of the recent war. and Uncle Sam was hard put to raise for the soldiers pay, Elias ! Howe drew out of his home bank in | Bridgeport his private funds and paid | off the soldiers of the 17th and 14th | regiments. This he con | tinued to do for several months. until |