Connecticut Historical Collections

town, and which fnn.M-rly l.,!.,,.. I ,„ ih. • W . 11, s lamily," ai pn-s.nt in the care of the Hon. John Wei OS 01 Jlo.. ..„, M;,.s W ulua a lew y.ar, jK-st, huwfvcr, .h,s land ha.s nearly all been taken u|,, dnd IS nuw uiidfr goud culnvatiun. ^ ' ' Tlietown oi' Chaplin is intej-.sected by llie Natchaiig river, a never failing stream of water, which pa.sscs throngJi it diagonally fruin the iioitlieast to the southwest. On this stream are many valnahle mill seals and eli-iblc sites for factories or water works ol any descriplion. The surface of the town i.^ ^'cnerally uneven, with a soil consid- erably strong and fertile, pariiculaily in the valley of the Kaichaug, where maybe Jound as good land as in any part of the state. The principal village is located near the center of the town, on the west side and within a short di.-tance of the river upon a small elevation of land, and consists of about 30 dwelling houses, a Congi'egational meeting house, school house, post ollice, 3 mercantile stores, 1 jeweller's shop 1 tav- ern, 1 hat factory, and a number of shoemaker's shops, all situated on one street of more than a mile in extent. The distance from Brooklyn, the county sea* is 11 miles from Norwich 2-J miles, and from Hartford 33 miles. Great attention is paid m this' l"\«^'.'?^ ^''?",^^ "^ '''^ adjoining town of iMansfieUI, to the cultTTre of silk. About 1,200 lbs. of the raw material are annually produced here, which would brin<^ when wrought into sewings, $9,b(.ni The labor of learing the worms, reeling and spinning the silk, and preparing it for market, is whcdly performed by females, who make it quite a lucrative business. Aboul 10 hands are al.so employed in the manufacture of calfskin boots and brogans, who turn out work annually tu the amount of ^30 000 There are likewise in this town 2 grist mills, 5 saw mills, and 3 shingle mills from which more than $12,000 worth of oak and chestnut lumber is sold yearly. A card- ing machine and clothier's establishment are also doing a respectable business. Dui- ing the year 1835, the iVIessrs. Lyons of Do^ton purchased a site on the Natchaug riv- er, half a mile .south of the village, and erected a paper mill, upon an extensive scale with 4 run ot engines, where they manulacture paper, i)riiicijially for the New York market, to the amount of ^'(io.OOO annually. Owing to the rapid descent of the water near these mills, some of the finest privileges are here to be found for manufacturing- purposes of any in the state. A county road passes north and south ihroii"h the towr^ adjacent to the river, on which a tri-weeklv mail is carried, connecting with the Hart- ford and Providence stages at Ashford and Windham. In the summer season the wild scenery of nature, which meets the eye of the traveler in passing up and down on this route, winding his way along the banks of the Natchaug, is deliglitfully ro- mantic. The present population ol Cjiaplin is aboul 1,(100. The following is the iiiscripiion copied fruia the monument in memory of Deacon Chaplin. ■' r.I,'?.V"' '"••^•'^^"^•■"V"^'','"" '■';';',•'".' ^'•'". "'" MM.pwl.rn, tl„.S.at,., that ormnM-nt nf the Chnrcli, who, hiuiMcwilurs.MMl., ;;ood ( 'oiilr^.M, .ii lori !.,■ iKk I n iirs of ^M■a.■c• lor thr ooiilv and p-Mmty ol ,u,l,l„- worshi,,, a lailhlol .-l, w.nd ol h,.s J.ord'.s ^.„o,l.s, provido.l liberally ' ■ trslaiii.Mil inuar. .s a iH iiiiiiiii.iii lini.llnr Tl„. .,.Mi,,i..„.. " - i J' - .. - ill and he C.'i.sprI mipiisliy, and, ali.T he had served his own generation, by the will of (iod, fell ,m sleep, March' ^iilh, 17'J5,' n the 7tilli year of i age, 'Tis bnt a moment hnnnd.s our latest breath A span hath well de.si-rih'd the nar.ow .-^nare O! be il thine, that iva.l'.sl, I.Mbink nl death,' Jleil Ihv prayer to know the r^„\ inr'.s o ac; : For soon Ihc Arr.ban-el'a truiop will lend the air, The dead shall hear, and lieanii-, all r,h,,ll rise All that hav.,' died shall in lh..l t,ummoiis .sh uv ' And Mand before the ,li,ad Iribnnal of I'bc sk'ie.s. Itm, idi ! how dillei enl their hoi„..s and leans ! l)escri|ition e.mnot paint the awful day ! rorscjme will ri.se to p.iin of endless years, Darknes.s and woe, withont one cheering ray. Bill ri.siii-. saints will lift theirjoyfid eyes, Will see the earth ilp|iart, and all terrestrial good, Will then be blest, and mount above the skies. To dwell within the mansions of tlieir God.