New Britain herald. [microfilm reel] (New Britain, Conn.) 1890-1976, 1923-07-21
THE OBSER YER
Makes Random Observations
On the City and Its People

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Roger Babson's prediction that the
manufacture of airplanes would rank
with the automobile industry few
years hence has failed to create ans
challenging comment, probably be-
cause, as people, we are accustomed
to seeing things done on grand scale
If the airplane Is made safe as COM
mercial and passenger vehicle, there
Is no reason to believe that 1t will not
meet with the same measure of sue
cess as the automobile.
| When the first motor cars were put
on the market. q few intrepid souls
tried them but the majority of people
hesitated because of the possibility
that they would have their bones
broken or lose their lives. A man
who bought a "horseless carriage"
and ran it down the street was re-
garded as more or less of q hero.
Those whose thoughts ran to the ex-
IRENE, quickly branded him as a hair
Drained fool for trusting his life in
such contraption. 1t was predicted
that the automobile would never be
used universally because, it was ar
gued, no one but mechanical engin-
eer could operate it. But the motor
car, while not yet foolproof. has been
so simplified that q person of average
intelligence can count on returning
home safely If the rules Of the road
are respected and care is exercised
Most of the accidents are the result of
human, rather than mechanical. fail
ures
Today, there is one automobile for
every nine persons in the United
States and its territories. Registered
automobiles in this country total 49,
o4s,12s. a gain of 100000 in the
past year. The world was startled in
1919 when it was announced that $751;
61S passenger cars and 10000 motor
trucks had been turned out In that
year in American factories. Produc-
ton has been SO speeded up that those
figures are small compared with the
present day output.
Shall we ever see the day when
airplanes will be turned out in such
volume? There is no reason to be-
lieve otherwise. The machine that
will carry future generations through
the air as easily and as safely as the
present generation glides along the
turnpike Is being perfected every day.
Each failure discloses necessary ad-
justments. Many of the best engin-
eering minds of the country are con-
centrated on improving the machine
with wings. It would be questioning
cur own ability to solve any problem
to say that they cannot develop the
airplane so that it will become COM
mon possession, as common as the au-
tomobile.
In respect to salaries paid, New
Britain outranks the average for the
New England states. ~ According to
government statisticians the average
paid In Massachusetts, Is $1,262, in
Connecticut $1,124, in Rhode Island
5000, in New Hampshire $75s, In
Vermont 1857 and in Maine 1903. 1t is
said that the average pay Of New Brit
ain teachers is approximately $4,000,
significant of the importance which
Is attached to the teaching profession
in this city. In fact, this figure is in
excess of the best state or district
average for the country, the District |
Of Columbia leading the national rat
ing with 1850.
A bulletin issued by the bureau of !
education, department of the interior. |
which was reviewed in yesterdays
Herald speaks a good word about |
the New Britain situation, so far as |
teachers are concerned 1t saws:
Teachers salaries have been put on |
a fair basis in New Britain and a
standard of qualification set which |
lnsures reasonable protection for the
schools against incompetence"
The story of how the Hubbard"
squash originated is brought to light
In connection with the sale of it's
birthplace in Marblehead, Massachu-
sets. The homestead of the late
James H. J. Gregory of that place,
who amassed a fortune through the
fame of the Hubbard Squash" has
will recall the estate be-
cause the natives never failed to point
20 1t with pride as the spot where the
Hubbard Squash" sprang into fame.
According to town tradition, man
wrote to the New England Farmer"
FOR a nice winter squash. Mr.. Greg
Dry had taught school in various
towns-including Hing
nam and Lunenberg-and was then a
,eacher in the Marblehead High
school, having graduated from Am
lerst college in the class of 1850. Mr..
Gregory heard of the inquiry for a
1ice winter squash and he knew his
ather had a nice squash which he
,alled Marin Hubbard's" squash, be-
cause he got the seed from an old
ady whose name was Hubbard.
The seeds were sent to the CORE
pondent of the New England Farm
n" who tried it and liked 1t SO much
hat he wrote an article about the
hubbard squash in several news
papers. And even in those early days
was good thing, and be-
ore Mr.. Gregory realized it he was
,etting orders for Marin Hubbards
quash seeds from all parts of the
country and literally landed in a
thriving business. At first he trans
Lcted business in his home. Then he
ook a small building which had been
Used by his father for an office. This
vas once the porch of the Unitarian
hurch and is pointed out to visitors
IS the original home of the Hubbard
Quash.
AS business increased, Mr.. Gregory
his buildings, and in 1863
vas known as one of the largest en-