New Britain herald., 1927-03-26
RICH Vein OF LORE
IN Berlin HISTORY
Colonists Queer People, Judged
by Modern Standards

To turn back the history Of pages
to the early days of Berlin. the
mother settlement tof this city, is
to run across many human and
amusing anecdotes that would do
credit to novelist's pen.
Berlin has always been rich with
early Colonial stories. The town
still maintains a little OF the air OF
days when loopholes In the side
walls were as common as lighting
fixtures are now and when bears
and wolves took the place Of the
transient motorist who makes life
uncertain in these days as the wild
animals did in those far off times.
The sad part of all this romance
which has lived and died In anoth-
or day is that little OF 1t has found
its way into the records which may
be read today. Your old Berlin his
torian was more concerned with the
number and names Of family.
their fathers and their father
fathers, than in what they might
have done or said.
Stays Bear With Pitchfork
What little comes down to this
day and age is stilted with the au-
tomato styles Of the professional
historians. To them a life is moth
ing more than a connection in the
link OF a family chain and any hui
,,;I Itch tho lii Y
itself are swamped in a mass of fig
urcs and dates that discourage the
poor little anecdote. Once in a
while a personal anecdote seeps
through. For instance, history tells
us that in about 1921 Isaac Hart,
foretather of the Eensington Harris,
encountered a bear in his pasture
and mounting a trusty farm horse
and grasping common pitchfork,
a la knights OF Arthur, put the bear
to inglorious rout and later succeed
ed in Staying the animal after a
hard tussle.
One Bcckley crossing resident In
those days contributed his bit to the
mysterious activities of the town.
This gentleman. it seems. stopped
at the village cider mill one day to
refresh himself after hard day In
the fields. The cider certainly was
not of the country fair type and be-
fore long the old Bcrlinite was tell
ing the town folks the grucsome de-
tails of his having recently sold his
soul to the devil and prophesying
that thousands would attend his flu
neral. As the colony was at that
it is not known Just where the
thousand mourners would come
from, but the cider bibbor stuck to
his story and wandered home still
avowing that 1t would be quite an
occasion in the towns social aCtivi-
ties.
The mysterious portion OF the
story which, if the print Of the his
tory does not strive for effect too
much is that three days later, the
mans neiehbors were attracted to
his home by signs OF calamity and,
searching over the farm, IT was
found that the unfortunate creature
had become wedgcd between two
upright posts behind the haymow
and was quite dead. The cause OF
his death Was never explained but
theories of the cause of his death
were eypoundcd from nearly every
pulpit in the state on the next Sun
day.
To Heaven via Pine Tree
In 1S43. rather recently. consid-
cring the age Of Berlin, II 200, 900,
600 mile comet did its bit to lvcn
things up. At that time the Advcn-
fists OF the town We're banking on
the end OF the world and lights In
gravcyards where the dead were
supposed 70 be making all prepare
tons for the ascent were often re-
ported.
one unnamed resident decided
that the 100000, 900 mile comet was
rather slow in accomplishing its
purpose and climbed a tall pine tree
to make the sscent via the Elijah
route. Spreading his arms in sup
plicatlon, he lost his balance and
was carried from the scene on an
stretcher.
Builds Fort to Rcpel Indians
Very early history shows an in
tercsting sidelight on the colony. In
1904, when King Phillip wars ragged
throughout Massachusetts, Captain
Andrew Bclchor was detailed by the
governor of the colony 10 erect a
fort for the defnNsn Of Harlin Can.