Norwich bulletin., 1922-09-06
VETERAN sAILMAkER HAS
 PASSED SIND BIRTHDAY

Benjamin Franklin Bailey retired sail l maker Of New London was S2 years old l Saturday. having been born in Noank in l 1S40. His parents were Henry and Su- san Franklin Bailey and there were nine l other children. in the family. all of 1 whom have passed from earth. Mir. Bailey was twice married His first wife. Miss Perry. of Colchester died early. 1 leaving a daughter. The daughter grew to womanhood. but she died in early life. MT. Bailey was then married to Amanda l Frank in. who bore him two sons Fred N. and John B. Bailey, the former dying
 some 15 years ago. John B. Baiiev is now conducting the business started and | maintained by his father. Mrs Bailey l died in 1917, and the home at 27s Mon
 tauk avenue is now presided over bv
 her granddaughter Mrs. William A. Vain
 wright. In his pleasantly situated home
 MT. Bailey. after a long and busy life lives quietly. enjoys fairly good health,
 and Is contented and happy in his sur 1 roundings. Two little great grand daugh- | ters romp about the rooms and call him l grandpa. A few minutes walk from his l door lives his son John B. Bailey. the l main staff of his elder years and stable
 successor in the management of the sail maf{ing business. MT. and Mrs John B. Bailey have six children, two of whom are married
 l Mir. Bailey. like all the sons of poor :, parents. began work at an early age for Thomas and Holloway Latham. who oper-
 ated a quarry near the Haley farm in
 Noank. He drove a yoke of cattle and
 boarded with his employers. receiving
 monthly wage of s5. The hours were
 from sun to- sun and one day the men
 at the quarry demanded a ten hour day
 and got it. Some good people in com
 menting on the generous concession on
 the part of the Lathams, thought the end of time at hand. The Lathams
 did quite a large business for some years employing quarrymen, stonecutters and . l paving block makers. The stone was
 shipped in schooners that were loaded from the foot of what is new Brock street. Noank. There was large cutting shed at the works.
 MT. Bailey while driving Luke ani p:- amond about the quarry wae formulating
 some very definite plans of the future lie
 had made up his mind to be a sailmaker.
 He came to New London and called on
 Arnold & Beebe, who had a sail-making ) establishment on the third floor oe the
 office building of Perkins & Smith, , whaling men. now the Hotel Winthrop.
 MT. Bailey was Is 1-2 years old when
 he began to learn his trade and he was
 required to work until he was 21 at which age he would be a journeyrnan. Ten ! hours was to constitute a. days work and ] he was to receive $3O per year until
 he got out of his time. This arrange . ment included his board and he was to make his home with Gilbert B ,nbe, one . of the partners. For overtime he was : to get two cents 8 ~ard. On the day n he was q he notified hls employers and e got a present of $5. Compiimenied for
 his industry and faithful discharge ot . his duties. Mir. Bailey left the firm of l. Arnold & Beebe and got employment with t Benjamin Mallory. who conducted r large
 sail-making business in Mystic. Leaving l, Mallory several weeks later, MT. Bailey c returned to Noank and became partner : of Marcus Swasey, a man of Canadian I birth and an expert sail-maker, who con-
 ducted shop near the town wharf. In
 the year 1862 Mir. Bailey enlisted in
 Company c, Twenty first regiment at ) Mystic going to the war and particirat- : ing in all the engagements of his com pany that followed. It was while lis was z z 1 at the front that his first wife died. Aft d CT serving three years in the army he returned to Noank and resumed the ! sail-making business, becoming pros |, porous and doing business for vessels /, and yachts not only in Connecticut but - in Massachusetts and New Yor1 and he
 did considerable work for Robert Pal s :, 'n1er, the Noank shipbuilder.
 4 In 1892 MT. Bailey moved his equip. u ment to New London. where he occupied : the stand long tenanted by .Abner ster. : " and from there he went to the od z sail-loft of the late Carlos Barry, al ' which stand the business is now carried T on by his son. John B. BNieyl For many
 years after MT. Bailey started in sal ' making all the work was done by hand ' Such thing as an awning for store T T font or dwelling was not heard T 1T New London. All the stores in State !: street had wooden awnings and were T shabby affairs at the best.