The Waterbury Democrat., 1939-12-01
SOUTH
BRITAIN
BRIEFS
BY BILL GARRIGUs

Who said Yankees wouldn't CO.
operate? Over in Bridgewater they
are busy working nights setting up
a fire station under the hoodlights.
On Main street In Southbury, as
sembled members of the new scien-
tific cattle breeding coop are like
wise busy digging postholes on the
Ely Hicock farm.
Ely Hicock has moved his pigs
away from the barns and INSTALL
ed them down near the brook. The
coop plans artificial breeding for
bovine stock, not for porkers. Ely
doesn't aim to get his pigs mixed
up with the bulls, or anything else.
Colonel John Henry (Machine
Gum Parker, U. S. Army retired,
came to South Britain over the
weekend to enlist veteran Coop
Grafton In the drive against COM
munism In the Elm City. Probably
no officer on the retired list wears
more decorations or can claim more
citations than Machine Gun Parker
one-time commanding officer of the
102nd infantry of the Yankee di-
vision. He is the toast Of every vet.
eran, member of the Legion OF
Honor, a gentleman unafraid. And
he knows that fighters are bred In
the smaller towns. John Henry Is
originally from Missouri, but he's
full Pledged Yankee now. If Ma
chine Gun Parker had his way, AM
erica would be q cleaner, safer place
In which to live. Communists meet
with short shift from Colonel Park
er.
Mrs. Robert Brinley Of Georges
Hill has returned from a visit with
her parents, Mr.. and Mrs. ID. Nj.
Croucher Of Port Jefferson, Long
Island.
Mr.. and Mrs. Robert Healey Of
Providence recently visited the Rev.
and Mrs. Bourne at the parsonage
in Southbury.
Howard G. b. Clark is sporting
a new station wagon.
George Mclaughlin is caretaker
at the Trailer Colony while the
colonists are away for the holiday.
George attends to the fires, puts out
the cats, makes sure that nobody
trifles with a trailer until the own
ers returned. Only a few people
know that George was once IN
charge of an estate In Bridgewater
owned by great director Of mu-
steal shows.
People who complain about
transportation costs are usually
those who never rode the stage
from Southbury Depot to South
Britain, by way Of shady Flood
Bridge road, and paid a full two
bits for the acc0mmoda ton. The
trip took thirty-five minutes, back
in the horse and buggy days.
Speed came to the valley when
Sam Pierce, Ed Scovill and Oliver
Gilbert bought Stanley steamers.
Oliver still remembers his steam
wagon with considerable affec-
ton. except for the one time that
his boiler failed and he had to hike
home from the foot Of Ben Sher-
man hill.
Registrar Of Voters Oliver Gil
bert was also noted coon hunter.
City sports came to the Gilbert
farm on the Purchase and begged
to be taken out for an evenings
sport, and Oliver was usually
ready to 60. One night the dogs
started quickly and the hunters
forgot their city guest as they ran
thrashing through the laurel after
the dogs. The city man followed
the trail by sound, until he fell
on q fifteen foot ledge and barked
his shins. When the man regain
ed his wind, he saw the faint
giimmer Of the single lantern far
ahead. The hunters had set the
lantern down and were resting in
the nearby shadows when the
guest arrived and, with q hearty
kick, demolished the lantern and
plunged the woods into deepest
darkness. The coon hunt was
ruined and all hands stumbled
hcmeward, discouraged.
Radio waves only II inches long
now form a straight glide path for
Use hV nlanns In blind LANDINGS