New Britain herald., 1929-04-13
b0YHOOD DREAMS
 0F AN OLD TIMER
He Finds Former Pathways De- stroyed by Ruthless Progress

llV TlnuS TUlllOl IdluHdyo DV'
 stroyed by Ruthless Progress
 Although 10 a son of New Britain, irturning home after an absence Of i , or 2b years the city so far as Main street and ts "nvirons are con- c~rned would surprise him: he would have a hard time recognizing the places where he once rOamed us a boy. Places that. 15 years ago, were far out from the city. were green fields, pastures and woodlands. have and expansion and where once nature alone held absolute domain, now there rear 10 the skies, dWell- ineS and buildings. testimony to the rapid growth of the Hardware city.
 This fact is brought home no more forciblv than in the north and northeast section Of the city. Mem ory carries one back over the trails Of bOyhood [ O Andrew $ let. the main  athletic field Of q younger genera ton; 10 Rhodes ice pond. probably the most popular rendezvous of lovers of skating and the Big Woods' which once skirtcd Me Chinook road near the summit Of the hill past Allen street
 Only a short time ago, one who used 10 roam this section as a youngster, who used to shoot lions and tigers" amid the leafy silence Of tn" Big Woods" and who used 10 build Indian camps and hideouts for bold and daring modern Jesse James adventures went in search of th" landmarks and aWoke 10 the painful realization thai. like the boy from home who made good and re turns home 70 revisit the scenes of his boyhood the old thrill was gone, the old places departed with them.
 Standing with closed eyes on the summit Of the hill on McCHntock road. 1t was barely possible 10 visualize how the thick grown woods, oyerrun with rabbits and squirrels, used 10 look in the lazy heat of q mid-summer's day; how ln- viting were the hidden and cool re- cesses of the lazy. bowers which sheltered many Knight Of the road in his pilgrimage from here to Hartford.
 Then memory started 10 awake and the happenings or the old days passed in review
 First there Were the uninterrupted visits 10 Andrews lot to watch the ball games every Saturday and sun day afternoon and in the fall season the Nutmeg football team in action. There were in" winter hiking parties 10 the ice house 10 enjoy an afternoons sport on the "bonders" for which the pond was noted. Then. the hot dog roasts and toasted marshmalIow parties in inc Big Woods"
 He could remember the Sunday afternoon years ago when. after week of excitement over missives dispatched hirher and thither in the city by the dreaded Black Hand" almost the entire population Of tho north end went to the Big Woods" 10 sec the Black Hand' collect a thousand dollars from an Italian cobbler from North street
 Ii -iQr0l no solution ..-.r uac made Of the demand and the usual panyme threats the story runs as follows. 4 hard working shoe maker with q small shop on North street. received letter one day de- manding $1.oG0 Or his life He was 10 take the money. pIare ii in bag and put if in hollow in an old oak tree in the big woods at o'clock sunday afternoon.
 IIe communicated with the po- l.ce and on the Sunday in question. not only members Of the police force. but hundreds o- others troop -d 10 the Big Woods" to watch the transa ction.
 \ thorough search revealed no one lr tho woods and. as was usually the oaS" in those days, no reprisals were mad" because the money was not delivered
 Today, however. f is difficult to find any ot these places Where once th" ~ell-trod paths wound through trees and brush over the grassy slopes behind I.asallo street. now th"r" is d thriving part of the city. built up with two and three family houses and with well-paved streets.