The Waterbury Democrat., 1935-08-30

The fiftieth anniversary of the famous crocodile club was held at Lake Compounce yesterday after noon, August 29th. Organized in 1875 by Cad Norton, one of the proprietors of Lake Compounce, this organization grew from an initial mem bership of 25 to one of several hundred. In 1924 1t was discontinued for a period of ten years and revived again last sum- mer by a very representative gath ering. At that time I. Edward Pierce and Percy l.. Norton were unanimously elected president and secretary. Others named on the committee consisted of George A.. Beers of Bridgeport, Judge A. C.. Bill and Julius Weiss of Hartford, Lieutenant Governor T. Frank Hayes of Waterbury, Sheriff Frank Burlington of Litchfield, Elliott Alderman of Burlington, George Gibbs of Terryville, Frank Hast ings and William Carpenter of Plainville, and Harry Russell, Le- roy P. Tucker and Harry Stone of Bristol.
 George A. Beers of Bridgeport was toastmaster and the speakers include City Clerk John A. Glea- son of Hartford, Mayor Joseph r. Dutton of Bristol, Senator John L, Purcell of Hartford, Sam Driver of Bridgeport, first Bristol high coach and state swimming champion; John Orr of Bridgeport, former Washington correspondent, Lieu- tenant Governor Hayes, Postmas- ter James F. Holden of Forestville, oldest postal head in the country in line of service and I. Edward Pierce. president of the club.
 MT. Beers, former commissions CT of Hartford County and one.of the best known veteran news papermen of Connecticut, was one of the organizers and Is the oldest member of the Crocodile Club. For more than 20 years he served as secretary, acted as toastmaster and attended to the many details in connection with the affair. The success of the club during the long period of its existence is undoubt- edly due to the keen interest and untiring efforts of MT. Beers moro than to any other individual.
 In recalling many of the pleas ant meetings of the club George told of one rather 'humorist inci- dent that happened several years ago. "In the old days many ar- rived early in the day and as the bar was open to all holders of a ticket 1t might be thought that there would be signs of over-indul- gence when the dinner hour came I can say that in all the years that was familiar with the affair never saw a person under the in. auence of liquor. The men who attended the affair were all high grade men. There was one year when Pierce & Norton, owners oi the resort, neglected to take out g license and when they applied tc the Hartford commissioner for 6 license May 1st when the resort was ready to open for business found that under the law they could not be granted license 0, the allotment for the town had al been granted up to the one fol each 500 inhabitants. What to dt was a puzzle to the proprietors O the resort. But a sheep barbecue dinner with the usual drinks ant cigars that went with the purchase of ticket was solved by the sec retary. went to the prosecuting agent of the county whose offic' was in Bristol and stated to hin that if he would not interfere tha
 he could be assured that not ; drop of liquor would be sold ant would be dispensed only to holder of a ticket and that when dime
 was over, the bar would be close, and that all liquors would be takel
 back to the original source. Tn prosecuting agent now a judge o the superior court did not inter fere and the barbecue went off il the usual form"
 It has always remained some
 what of a mystery as who sug
 gested the name Crocodile" fo the club or what the motive wa
 in choosing such name. Tn