Connecticut Historical Collections

twelve pence should be paid to the town fur every tun of stones taken. As earlj' as this, ihey were transported in vessels to otlier places. By several subseciiient resolves, they appear to have been rej^'arded as valuable, and to have been considerably sought. Some time after 172G, the town sold this quarry, and it has since passed into several hands, for forty year.s past it has been extunsively improved, and the stones to the depth of thirty feel from liie surface, are now removed over an area of an acre and a half, back from the river. The stone in this quarry is covered in some places with four or live feet of earth, and m others with four or five feet more of shelly rock. It is not perfectly solid, but lies in blocks, eight or ten feet thick, and fifty and sixty feet long. The seams and joints facilitate the process of removing these from their beds; and when removed, they are reduced by the wedge and chisel to any size or form which is wished. In this quarry thirty hands have been employed for several years, eight months in the year, and from four to six teams. The quantity of stone prepared for market, and sold to the inhabitants of this and the neighboring towns, and exported to distant parts of the country, has been very great; and has yielded a handsome profit. Fifty rods south of this quarry, an opening was made about 178;?, now spreading over half an acre. Here the stone is covered with about ten feet of earth. In this opening as many as twelve hands liave been sometimes employed. Ve-sselscome to this and the above quarry, and load from the bank. The bed of stone in which these and the smaller openings in the neighborhood have been made is im- mense, and lies at different depths from the surface in dilil-rent places. It has been discovered in sinking wells, for half a mile in northern and southern directions, and has been opened at a greater distance eastward. Wherever tlnmd, the stone possesses the same general properties, but varies, like the freestone in Middletown, in the fine- ness of its texture."* " About 17G'2, a cobalt mine wn-s opened at the foot of Great hill, under the directiim of Dr. Slephaunes, a German, and improved for a little time. About 1770, he renewed the improvement of it, in connection with two gentlemen by the name of F.rkelin and Khool, and continued it for two or iliree years. Many ca^ks of ore were obtained and shipped fur Europe. But as all the persons concerned in ihe mine, laborers as well as jirincipals, were foreigners, and as the ore was exported, little was know'n of its character or value. After they left it, it was entirely neglected, till last autumn. Since then, several men have been employed in searching for cobalt, in and near the former openings, and have been so successful, aS to encourage the hope that the mine will be permanently improved. The scarcity of this mineral, and its uses in porcelain and linen manufactories, render it highly desirable that llie contents of this mine should be thoroughly explored. — Coal was discovered at Indian hill about ihiny years ago. But whether it exists there or in any other ])art ol the town in any considerable quantities, must be determined by future researches." EXTRACTS fllOM .NKWSI' AI'ER.S. , MiJ(lkt07ni,Junc ll.'i, 17?'?. Tny.hxvscn.—Miirc „f the U'.hulcn M'alls vf (",./« win;.— Yesterday at 3') mimile^^ and Iseeoiiils past five P. M. the United .States Ship Cunnci-ticut was safely depuMted on the bosom l)f the majesiic stream whence she lierives her name. No words can convey an adequate idea of the beauty and brilliancy of the scene. Nature, as inclin- ed to do honor to the occasion, had furnished one of the most delightful days that the vernal season ever witnessed. While old father Connecticut eager to receive liis beautiful offspring, had swollen his waters bv the liquefaction of snows, reserved lor the occasion, near his source, in order to facilitate her pa.-sage to liis wave ; and exten- ding his liquid arms, welcomed her to his embrace. Flora decked in her richest at- tire, smileii gleefully around, and a brilliant concourse of spectators from this and the neighboring towns, whose countenance expres.sed the liveliest sensibility at thus wit- nessing the progress of our nautical armament, destined to protect our commerce and hurl the thunders of Columbia on her shrinking foes, formed a most magnificent mov- ing picture, in addition to the brilliancy of nature which shone around. The prepara- tion for tiie launch was exquisite, and evincive of the consummate skill of the architect who superintended the operations of the day, and wiiuse orders were given with dig- nity and obeyed with punctilious nicety. When the momciil arrived at which the elegant fabric was to leave her earthly bed never more to return, the anxiety of the crowd was witnessed by a solemn silence, awful and profound. The stroke was struck, the blocks were removed, when lo ! with the grace and majesty of the divine Cleopatra, or the wonder-struck Cydnus, she glided into the arms of her j)arent river, and as if reposing herself to sleep upon a bed of roses, sunk upon his breast. In a moment the Field's Statistical Account of Middlesex Countv- (; 11 K S T E u . 521 peal of Federalism burst forth, the pagans of ihc gazing lho\isaiids iiu-l ihc heavens, and echo faintly expired on the distant hills. While shad and salmon feel the patriot glow. And iiirong in minierous shoals the watery way, And sturdy sturgeon Irom the depths beluw, Leap up her rnaichlebs beauty tu survey. [♦«* The above I'ostonian paragraph, translalci! in the vcriimiil.ir tongue, reads thus: The United Slates ship Connecticut, which is to be ruininanded by Capt. Closes Tryon, was yesterday, in the afternoon, safely launched Jinni the sliip yard at Chat- ham, into Connecticut river. J The follovvitig arc from monuments In the yard on the niaigin of the ground, above one of lite quariies. Here lyes the body of Samli. 1 [all, who died February the i2-M 17 I i in llic lUlii year of his age. The hist j)ers()U laid in this yard. This monnment sacred to the meirinry t>l the Rev. Moses Bartlil, for more than 'M years the faithful Pastor of the Ch''- ol'' Christ in this place, who dec''- Dl-V 27lh, 17HG, JE\. 58, is gratefully reared by the people of his charge. He was a sound and faithful divine, a I'hvsician of Soul and Body, a sincere Friend, a iaithtul luisbund, and an atleclionaie I'"athcr. Tlie inemoiy of the just is bles;5ed. CHESTER Chester, formerly a parish of that name in Saybrook, was incor- porated as a town in 183<i. ^onah Dibble, from Haddam, appears to have been the lirst settler in this town : he was a resident here in 1692: Andrew Warner, from IladJcy, came about 1G9G. "The ancestors of the Parkers, Shiprnans, Walerhouses and Webbs, from Saybrook par- isli, were early settlers in this place. George AVillard and Andrew Southworth, from the same j)ari3h, Joel Canfield and (iideon liCet, from Durham, settled in it aijout 1745. The inhabitants were vested with palish iirivijc^es in IT-IO. Thuir first pastor was the Uev. Jared Harrison, wlio was ordained at tlie formation of the churcii in 17'1'2. Chester is about 5 miles in length from east to west, and upwards of 3 in breadth, bounded n. l)y Haddam, e. by Connecticut river, s. by Saybrook, and w. by Killingworth. The western part of the town is rough and hilly. It is estimated that there are in the town about 1,200 inhabitants, most of \vhom are in the eastern part. Tlicre are 2 churches in the town, 1 Congregational and 1 Baptist. The following shows the appearance of the Chester Hotel, and some other buildings at the iiead of the cove, about one mile from t,he river, in the central part of Cliester, about 17 miles from Middletown, 5 from Haddam court house, and 30 from New Haven. The Congregational church is about 80 rods north, and the Baptist about half a mile west- ward of this place. Several streams run into the cove, affording fine sites for manufacturing purjjoses. L'llonunedieu's auger and hammer factory is finely located, and more than 20 hands are employed in liiis business. The Chester INIanufacturing Co. manufacture coach springs : there is one cast iron foundery ; also, one lactory for the manufacture of hard ware, recently erected. Messrs. Southworth and Stephens have 66 522 ]) U R II A M . >\i)i-lln:rii view of C/icsUr, {antral jmrt.) a very extensive saw mill and lurnlxT }ar(l, wliich furni'^lies lumber and sliip plank in large quanlit'es, beini:; it is believed oiu; of ilie most ex- tensive cstablislnnenls of the kind in the stale. 'J'be manufacture of ifimbleis, axe helves, (for which there are 2 factories,) inkstands, and some other articles, is carried on extensively. The quarrying of stone is also an important branch of business in this town, and tlie inhabitants are generally distinguished for their mdustry and enterprise. DURHAM. TiiF, tract of land comprising Durham was formerly supposed to be included in the limits of the neii^hboring l.)\\ii>, until they were sur- V(>yed, when a tract was founil to be left. This was considered small foi- a distinct plantation or town, and does not apjiear to have been con- temi)lated with that view for a long period. The 1 legislature however granted many lots or farms in it to persons who had peiformed impor- tant services to the colony. In this way more than 5,000 acres became the property of individuals widely disi)ersed in the state, before any set- tlement was made.