Putnam patriot., 1930-06-12
The Echo of the Cascaquon quins.-A Respectable or
 Tavern
Legends and Anecdotes of Pomfr.,
 Factory

10 special name seems to be found m records t1Ts6 and thereabout) of a respectable tavern" in the Pom. fret Factory Village but as the Dam Tavern was well known by that some what humorous name as "Jupiter'' held sway over the castle, suppose Tor convenience the tavern be known as The Echo" for short, while it's Hull name might be "The Echo of the 1ascaquonquin or Cargills Falls" We shall not be allowed to say Caseas quonquin Falls. though we do talk about widow women but wonder why there are widow women and no widow men when there are widowers.
 The rocks and forest clad hills were the reverberating galleries which sent the echoes of the waterfalls and their thunder crashing down upon the rock-bed beneath. Here in the small Long Pond is revealed work of ere ation of unsurpassed grandeur.
 Gushing streams and waterfalls
 Murmur God is Good.
 His voice is heard by his chosen human instruments. Citizens in the centre of Putnam hear. when there Is high water, the thunder of these faiis; even SO the upper falls. Our ears are so accustomed to the sound of the rushing waters that they know not what they hear. Listenl As the hills catch the voices of nature and echo and re-eeho so along the river to time out of the shadows of early history we gather from the past a group of memories. Our future hap piness depends upon re-echoing the happenings of the past.
 In 17s6
 Until 17s6 there were no residents at the mill beside the Cargill family and the people employed by them. A block of three wooden houses was built west of the grist mill by Captain Cargill about this period which sur vived some years after Putnam be- came a town. About the time of the adoption of the Constitution of the United States u7s9b new life and spirit came into the Quinebaug val ley We are reminded of a clergy man, who received a jar of cherries from one of his parishioners. In ex- pressing his thanks the parson said he didn't care much for the cherries but he did appreciate the spirit in which they were sent. Captain Cargill bought land east of the river; set up a gin distillery and built new mills and houses. Just before the adoption of the Federal Constitution he com pletei a new grist mill, fitting 1t up with the best machinery of those days. There were three complete sets of grist mills, a bolting mill. a blacksmith shop, a fulling mill, a mill for grinding seythes and "churn but ter" There were four mills all told, the third being partially used for meetings; the fourth granary. Pom fret village became religious, q literary, as we'll as a business centre.
 A genera. store was opened in one of the Cargill houses. \ dozen years later Cargill sold all of his property in the valley and ever afterward lived unhappily in the state north of us because of ill health and atfliction.
 Advent of the Wilkinsons
 A few years went by and we find the WilkinsOns in possession of the valley with much added land on both sides of the Long Pond adding the Peculiar and some of Bundy's land. During the second war with Great Britain HsI2-13) cotton was secured from Philadelphia and during the period of readjustment the mills pros pered The factory farms were brought under good cultivation -one of especial pride in good big now ing lot near the Upper falls-on a part of which the Trade and High School are located. The railroad was cut through this hay field. It was said that thirtv-five haymakers swing ing their scythes in time and tune with each other could be seen. "Umph. Umph. one. two, three. :" Ugh, Umph, one, two, three. In those days the usual time for begin ming of having was Fourth of July week. and about that time men would come around for a job of having They were professional mowers. Each one carried a snath (handle) and two scvthes. their other belongings tied up in handkerchief. During their workday they drank copiously, pref erably of hard cider. which at that time found a place in the farmers cellars as well as the factory or gen. eral store. IL was the custom to be- gin moving at sunrise, or before, as the grass cut easier when wet with dew. and continue until about ten o'clock. Then they spread the swaths and opened the hay, which they had cooked up the day before. The hay thus treated was ready for the barn bv afternoon. At that time the hay was mostly got in with oxen yoked to two-wheel carts. When the hay was in. the grass cut in the morning was raked and cooked and the greatest precautions were taken to have the hay receive a proper curing. The work of the day was not generally comnleted until after sunset and of- ten continued until afted dark. On some farms the men would have sup per at five o'clock, finishing the days work after that. but most of the men preferred to finish the day before supper. Having is expeditiopsly done nowadays with the improved machin- cry. but in the olden times it lasted through August or into early Septem- ber. But the odor of that new-mown hay was compensation for much of the hard work, and never to be for gotten.
 The MIX Delivery
 Though Mir. Smith Wilkinson was a worshipper at the First Congregation al church on Killingly Hill. he was a |. - lYs.,... .,m Nfa@klJs..., H. g,.a