The Waterbury Democrat., 1940-03-21
SOUTH BRITAIN BRIEFS
BY BILL GARRIGUS

South Britain came within an ace of having the American Brass right here beside the Pomperaug. The Pomperaug is cleaner without any brass mills, of course, but it's fun to think of what might have happened. Der1ing & Haw- kins almost enticed the big brass outfit to this valley; but the ABC moved the tube mill machinery to Hastings gs-on-the-H Hudson instead.
 Deming & Hawkins operated in that mill where a hopeful wood working outfit recently carved out a few samples. It's a beautiful spot. One of the biggest trout ever captured in Connecticut was snagged down there. The state noticed the beauty of the place and built a bridge that Henry Garfield says is too big for the town. A New Yorker bought the Charley Bradley place just across the stream from the old brass mill, and fearfully awaits the spring frcshets. The mill has water right and dank, moss grown .raceway favored by water snakes, small boys and minnOws. It's hard to believe that screaming draw benches, smoky annealing fires, and dirty dip tanks once featured Shis locale.
 MT. Deming was a dreamer and an educated gentleman. He had some sort of secret process for making tubing, and tubing used 10 be in great demand when al- most everybody had a cider brandy still. Deming joined works with our Ira Hawkins and the pair started manufacturing brass tubes. Shoppers carried the news to the brass tycoons in Water bury. It wasn't long before we lost the industry, MT Deming went away, and Ira Hawkins gave all of his time to making traps, organ springs, tacks and an envi- able reputation as first citizen. Manufacturing never took much more than half of MT. Hawkins time; he spent the rest on fox hunts and fishing trips.
 To MT. Deming belongs the honor of reviving the silkwOrm in- dustry in town. About 1906, when the tube mill was flOurishing, this wideawake newcomer again start ed people raising mulberry trees to feed the worms. We still have few bushes in the village but the bug hunters will find them end eliminate them if we have patience.
 Investigations at the New Ha- ven office of the Commission to Build New Training School for Mental Detectives discloses the fact that our local employment agent took a lot for granted when he started accepting applications for employment at the school. Ac- cording to the letter received at this desk Anybody up in that area is welcome to suggest to good people that they apply to us for positions, or to write recom- mending certain people for posi- tions. A fellow by the name of Bill Garrigus, the literary gent, who lives in South Britain, has suggested two or three people and they look very good .. No one is a receiver of applications" (Take that straight from the feed oox, don't get unduly excited, and watch the newspapers0
 If we only had barber shop in Britain, perhaps we could post the lists of available openings. Barbers have tough sledding here. One Martin Crane, a lad Out East in Waterbury, thought he saw chances to make money barbering In this town and opened shop on Nigger Mound. Crane failed to attract the necessary patronage. Folks went to Sandy Hook for a Fairfield County hair trim and glass of ale. Som of them walked back; others stayed over until next day. There isn't even trace of barber shop here now and young Bill Platt is growing a beard.
 One thing we might watch for. come election time, would be for some minority party representa- ton on the board of assessors. Perhaps we can find a statute about that. or some ruling about relatives serving together on the board. Lloyd Fowler owns & Statute Book. (Nepotisn, the be- Eowal of patronage by reason of relationship sometimes runs . Ittle heavy in the small town .faitaaA