The Waterbury Democrat., 1935-09-21

lIOOC h0hAiC AttO AtAOtAAOAJ thC been dedicated previously.
 Appropriately to this event, 1t ts befitting 10 bring to light the marked personality and spirit of a pioneer, who typifies a symbol of what now is understood as Amer ican. Marked too, becomes the realization that a man of Brzezin- skis character strikes the keynote of our history.
 Born In 1S43
 He was a native of Poland. born there of Cymian and Mary Brzezinski, April 12, 1s43. His childhood and youth were that of the average European until we pick his trail while a student at the university of St. Petersburg Showing determination and a cour- age of his convictions, upon the failure of the Polish lnsurrection in 1863, he was exiled by the des- potisms of Russia, along with thou sands of his countrymen to Siberia, under a twelve years sentence.
 After a year and a half in the Siberian mines, he found an oppor- tunity to escape. Leaving Tobolek, in the recesses of forsaken Siberian bondage. he travelled over 1,500 miles on foot to Moscow, and went from there to St. Petersburg s Copenhagen and Paris, and finally arrived in New York.
 Tn Paris he learned the trade of cabinet maker. He was in the cab- inet making business and conducted store on East Main street, in which trade he is reputed to have been proficient.
 Here In '60
 NJ. J. BrZeZinski came to Water bury in 1869; the first Polish settler here. Two years later, in April 17, 1871. he married Mary Etta Lunny, daughter of MT. and Mrs. James Lunny. They had two children, James and Clara. James, who died three years ago, was in the civil service and served as guard to ex- President T. Roosevelt; whereas Clara, the present Mrs. Clara A. Forrestal. is married. has a twelve year old son Kenneth, and resides in Brooklyn, N. Y. She is music teacher in New York.
 About 1880. Polish people com menced to arrive here and BrZeZin- ski executed moral influence in their well-being. He aided them in securing work, acted as advisor, solved their problems and served as their interpreter, for which he gain cd deep respect and recognition not only from those of his nationality, but also from allothers. He also was contact man and collector for several business houses here.
 Publisher
 Late in 1884, after the then pub lishcd Weekly Examiner had pass- ed through several hands, it oc- cured to M. J. Brzezinski that 1t might be turned to good account as a weekly paper devoted principally to the interests, rights and duties of working men.
 He purchased it. became it's pro- prietor and applied himself ex- clusively to the building up of a journal which should have infiu- ence in the sphere he had selected for 1t. . His policy was, the Exam iner Is a free lance among newspa- pers, always outspoken in it's utter ances, and bound to no creed either of church or state. Its field Is an unique one, and it fills it in a unique manner" Devoted to the cause of labor, the Examiner at ,oIa t,. I'at ,,-,,'s journalism which had not hitherto been occupied.
 After Brzezinski's death, the Ex- aminer became the property of B. Witkowski and was published at 43 East Main stret.
 Labor Candidate
 In 1888, although his party was in hopeless minority, Brzezinski accepted its nomination as hte "la- bor" candidate for state comptrol- Ter Likewise, in 1892, he was a state delegate to the labor commit tee which met in Omaha on July 4, of that year, and which nomi- mated Wheeler as its candidate for president.
 M. J. Brzezinski won deep re- spect and valued friendship. In June 15, 1893, he was entered as the third chartered member of the Elks In Waterbury.
 In a letter, his daughter writes, Perhaps it would interest you to know that one of my cherished keep-sakes is an autographed photo of Madame Modjeska, the great actress, given to my father by her, whose friendship he valued. She too was an exile.
 M. J. Brzezinski died after a pro- Ionged illness at the age of 61 years, Nov. 16, 1904.
 Today, in his honor, the Polish residents of Waterbury celebrate the Polish day with appropriate at tho Erzazip Sxi |