The Waterbury Democrat., 1940-05-14
SOUTH
BRITAIN
BRIEFS
BY BILL GARRIGUS

No student OF Americana with
the sense TO come In out OF the
rain would overlook Little York.
/. There Is the stamping grounds Of
brawny men, fishermen, hunters,
heavy drinkers, and gentle SOUS
with what II takes. Little York Is
mostly gone now but there's the
fragrance OF romance about the
old cellar holes and lingering
mystery that brings you back no
matter how far you roam, We've
checked on Little York for years,
We've investigated the many tales
, OF Glee Wildman and the bold
stories about the wagon wheel
shop and the Little York distil-
lery. Al last our research has been
rewarded. We've found the man
who taught Clee Wildman how to
be tough. His name Is John y,
Schielke, Esquire,
when they cast Tobacco Road
they overlooked % bet In not sign
Ing our John Schielke. II Holly
wood ever discovers him, you'll
see his name In lights around the
world. Should one Of the long
winded authors find John, and be-
lisve Just half the tales he can
prove are true, VIC would find this
Valo memOriallzed In % novel big
CTR and longer than Gone with
the Wind . But John Schiclke
isn't gone, not by u jugful. Johns
right there, ready TO repel board
eiy. Buy q. quart Of Scotch, turn
IN the right before crossing Sandy
Hook Bridge looming from the
east and drive upstream until
you find q guy straight out Of
Dickens fishing In q swlrling pool.
Wave the Scotch and our hero
will come ashore, prepared TO UNI
timber and discuss almost any.
thing.
We found John F. Schielke to-
day, mellowed, soft-spoken, gen.
tlemanly. He had Just delivered q
bunch OF trailing arbutus to
lady, and he had fingered 10 tell
her how sorry he was that he had
forgotten Just when Mothers Day
was and how he regretted missing
May Day. Brown as an old Poota-
tuck chieftain, Squire John
Schielke searched his memory for
words TO convey the exact shad-
Ing OF sentiment desired but his
simple English was more than
enough. Johns eyes gave him
away, anyway, because Mr..
Schielke Is o gentleman.
John Schielke IN widely traV-
eled. When his pacing stallion was
In Its prime, Schielke often drove
from Little York TO Gallaghcr'S
Cafe four times every day. He got
around q lot with that stallion
and you want TO discount the
stories about the way that horse
Travelled. Some folks, mostly those
who are jealous. claim that the
colt was warped In seasoning and
that he thereafter paced sidcwiSe
like q hog louise. John says that's
incorrect. When Schielke was
sheriff OF Little York, a desperate
creased that stallion on the back
VvttB WIN ~ fo"tU anu TIC hUInlhf
favored the scar In his latter
years.
We talked TO a man who once
rode with Mr.. Schielke when he
was slightly sober and pacing
against time According TO our in
formant, 1t was two weeks before
he could hear a thing, and then
he had 10 pay a doctor to bore
the gravel out of his ears. John
never wore goggles when he was
racing; he just squinched up his
eyes and let EFF go That's how he
was so lucky. Jockeys who wore
goggles found that they offered so
much wind-resistence that they
were always handicapped. After
almost every race. somebody
would climb to the judges stand
and enter protest because John
didn't wear goggles. He finally
had TO give up racing on that ac-