The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1922-12-11

About a year ago, Sinclair Lewis published a book called Main Street. which enjoyed considerable popularity The story described viv- idly Main street in a. Middle West ern town, running, no doubt. true to form. But. because of it's too truth fUlne ss in details both pleasing and displeasing, it was received in it's home town and state with much dis favor.
 This contretempts leads one to try out how Bridgeport's Main Street, Of 1922 would receive a description of Bridgepor'i's Main Street, of 1850, in the nature of a comparison.
 Going back to those early days, it might be interesting to hear how Main street looked seventy odd years ago. The sidewalks, from North ave nue down as far as Golden Hill street, were dirt. There were io gutter curb ings, no sewers, no gas or water mains All the year round residents the highway. It was quite a usual sight to see folks carrying pans and buckets of ashss and scattering the contents in all directions. When a was waited into dooryards and on stoops that 1anked this thoroughfare
 A Smile less Man.
 Along toward noon time Prosper horse behind a drove of steers col lected from the farmers as far back as Newtown. MT. Nichols always wore a long, black frock coat and a. stovepipe silk hat, more or less Wcatherheaten. He was a shrewd and clever buyer of cattle and made handsome fortune at it. This we'll known man seldom smiled and never was known to laugh. His droves of cattle always kicked up a cloud of dust as it moved down Main street.
 Then. in the opposite direction, great carts would roll up Main street loaded with huge bags of rags col lected in New York and consigned to the Fairchild Paper mills, situa- ed near Parlor Rock, somewhat above what is now Beardsley park. The ruins of this once busy mill are still to be seen.
 Then there were the teams employed by Bunne1Ps mills in North Bridgeport which constantly travelled between the factories and the stores and docks in Bridgeport proper. These meant more dust.
 As the town expanded. so did traf- fc, and the dust on Main street be- ca me so unbearable that, some time in the sos, "SoP' Simons, who took what little cane there was of the roads. laid the first macadam pave ment in Bridgeport. It was a poor job, and residents along the line were taxed accordingly, but it was on Main street and Bridgeport was proud of it.
 An Arch of Green.
 A very agreeable and striking fea- ture of Main street in those days was the shade trees These were planted from North avenue down almost to Seaside park. Many of them lasted till the late sos. Little by little, however, these beautiful trees were cleared away to make place for the charming trolley poles, the graceful telegraph poles and the symmetrical telephone poles. Main street now has these street ornaments to point to with pride in place of the beauti- full shade trees of the dim and distant past.
 Some time before the Civil War, the city laid curb and gutter lines from North avenue down as far as Golden Hill street, and a strip of fagstones about three feet wide was placed In the center of the dirt side walks. Each property owner was obliged to put down his own walk. Later on these walks were made
 In 1885 the first horse railroad tracks were laid through the center cl Main street. running from East Washington avenue down to State street. There was a turnout in front of the residence of Legrand Sterling, nowadays Bradley Nichols block, in which Fred Enos once conducted a business college. Now there are stores there, while at the north end of the block Joe" Hartigan sells drugs and soda water.
 Later on, the horse car tracks ex- tended to Seaside park, then out State street and Fairfield avenue to the old button-ballI tree, which stood at the foot of Clinton avenue.
 Now that the streets condition and general appearance have been dis posed of, perhaps it will be interest ing to tell a little about the residents on this more or less famous thorough fare.
 Home of Famous Dwarf
 On the side Main facing North avenue, stood, and still stands. for that matter, the home of General Tom Thumb. the dwarf made ia nous by P. T. Barnum. This large and once mposing-looking house was built by the boys father, Sherwood E. Stratton, for in private life Tom s name was Charles s. Stratton. The family consisted of the little son, two daughters, the mother and father who was truckman. MT. Stratton's money came not from his trucking busin ess, but from exhibiting his son. who made the family all wealthy.
 Many citizens of Bridgeport attend ed the reception given in this house by the General and his new bride, La vinia Warren, soon after their mar riage in Grace church, New York. The newly-wed midgets received their guests standing upon the closed top of grand piano. They were mar red February 10, 1863.
 No story about Main street would be complete without a mention of the circus which came to Bridgeport once a year, usually in the early summer. The cavalcade would come from Dan bury. travelling overland, in huge cov- cred wagons. These would stop, near Tom Thumbs house, the occupants would dress up, and parade down Main street, to the joy of hundreds of street urchins, who were thrilled with the sight of the animals and gay trappings. just as they are to- day. The parade would end at Broad street, near where the Prospect school stands today, a tent would be erected and the show would go on in all the glory of one ring
 Dan Rfce's circus was the more popular even though it was smaller tran Van Amburghs, which boasted two rings and a small menagerie. There were troops of horses, one clown, a ringmaster. a few men and lady riders. but lots of sawdust and heaps of fun. Everybody o. Hetn MT-