The Waterbury Democrat., 1935-05-04

The younger generation will undoubtedly fail to pay much heed to the passing this week of James Dick, harnessnaaker. It will be due to their lack of knowledge of the importance of the deceased's place in the every day life of Waterbury In the days when dad was a youngster. They will neglect to link. Mir Dicks life work with an age that was more familiar with horse drawn conveyance than the "horseless wagons" or view in his death the vanishing of another craftsman. whose spe- cialty was in providing the acc cessories for what the we'll dressed horse sported in the late sos and early years of the pres ent century. Mir Dick passed out of life's picture more suddenly than many of the faithful steeds that he serviced so efficiently and for so many years.
 It was a common sight a few years ago to see a carriage pull up before Mir Dicks place of bus mess. go Grand street, just oppo- site the former Democrats home, and to have the proprietor of the establishment step out and meas ure the horse, or horses, for their new livery, At most any time of the day horse-drawn carriages, wagons and even sieighs in the proper season, would be seen lined up along Grand street awaiting MT Dicks personal att tention. He had the patronage of many of Waterbury's leading families and of the rurahties for miles around.
 Old Timer
 Mir Dick was one of Grand streets oldest merchants in point of business activities. He died practically on the street that he knew so we'll. Taken suddenly i'll in a. nearby restaurant he expired within a few minutes. Up to a. few months ago Mir Dick seemed in. excellent health. He was not a robust man, physically. but of the wiry, alert type. It is be- lieved that the merciiess beating he received recently from a hold up man undermined his health. At his trade he was a skilful worker. As a business man he was shrewd, honest and perhaps independent to many. He knew his business and prices to him were set by quality and not by the scarcity of rush of trade. They. were fixed things with him. For years his store was one of the largest ground establish ments" on Grand street, but as the auto replaced the horse and old time customers were won over to the horseless conveyances there was less and less need for his spacious quarters. Of late years. however. he had lconsid- ! erable mending to do. His leather goods remained popular.
 More old Timers
 The passing of Jim Dick, how. ever, brings back to memories the old time harness makers and men, rugged citizens of kindred trades, the village blacksmith, the carriage maker and in ones mind there Is pictured a parade of real old timers, of whom dad and mother and perhaps grand- dad might be able to tell the young people 8 few stories.
 Mir Dick learned his trade with stephen Lowe and succeeded that estimable gentleman. In carrying on the trade. Lowe back in the s0's had a store on the site of the present Buckingham Hall building, where the "old rink" was located and where the Sal vation Army held forth. There too, at Biakesiee square the Sai- yation sallies a. night sang their psalms and the juggling noise or the tambourine was not sugges- tive of Gypsy dances, or rumDas or whatnot.
 On Mensory's Roll
 But if the name of Love brings back memories, so will the J. U. Cutler Company, on North Main street. where the hfe-sized pic- ture of q horse of papier-mache looked out upon the passing thrcngs with all the dignity of an animal that he knew he was mans "best friend and shared
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