Connecticut Historical Collections

Connecticut Courant, Xov. VJth, 1795. When the Editors of the Connecticut Courant and American Mercury first enlar- ged their papers, they flattered ihcmselves lliat they ^hould be able lo conimue ihcm at the original puce of seven shillings per annum, wiihoui subjccling themselves lo loo great a loss. But Irom the very great rise ol every article of family consumpiiun, and the consequent depreciation ol inoney, they hnd it no longer praciicajle. In do- ing it, they are subjecting themselves to a loss of nearly one half the real value of their labor. Allowing their papers to have been asgooil as they foimeily were belore their enlargement, ihey presume that their cuMumers would have justified them for increasing the price of Ihem in proportion to the increase of their size. And since every thing else has risen at least fiHy per cent and some aiiiclcsmore than a hun- dred, they conceive it but reasonable that they should, after previously notilying their customers, float along with the general tide, influenced by these motives, they hereby inform their custoineis, that frnm the first of January next, the price of the Connec- ticut Courant and Americair Mercury will be nine shillings per annum, or two shil- lings and three pence a quarter, which is only abuut half the advance of almost every other article. At tlie same time that they acknowledge with grateful sensations, the liberal encouragement which a gi-nerous public have given them, they engage that no e.xerlion on their part sliall be wanting lo merit a coniinunnce of il ; and ihai ihey will endeavor lo render their papers acceptafije lo their customers, by embracing every opporiuiiiiy w liich may ulier lor impioving them. IJUD^^ON & GOODWIN, ELISllA BABCOCK. P. S. Those who have paid for their papers in advance, will have them continued agreeable tocontraci. Conncelicut Courant, Jim. II, 1796. To the Towns of Hartford and East llarlji.rd. — You are no strangers to the abuses practiced at your ferry, but you do not reform them. They are become so enormous that lo be srient longer, wuuJd bea crime. I have only to charge the lerrvmen of East Hartford with e.xlortion — they are obliging and ailenlive : but ih(jse of Hartford with drunkenness, inaiienlion, delay and e-'ctoiiion. Wiiliin a few days jiast the ferrymen at Hartford refused to carry over two travelers unless they would uait half an hour, which as they were in haste, they refused, and went to Welhersfield lo pass the ferry. I often cross the ferry, and have complained in vain. A gentleman advised me io prosecute the ferrymen — Ihave neither lime nor inc'inalion to do so ; but 1 expect the impartial printers in Harifurd will publish this, and I promise ihem if they do so, and there is not a refonnation, 1 will use niy intlnence to have a peiiiion froin a very respectable number of injured citizens lo the General Assemblv, piaving for redress, in which I will enumerate facts lo show that 1 have not lold half in liiis paper. 1 will prove them all from the inhabitants of the two towns. II the (iresent fare be loo low, I have no objection to its being raised by law ; but two, three, and four lold, to be col- lected unlawfully, is too much, wilhoul adding delay and insult. A Travki.er. 8 58 H A R T F 0 n I> . Coiincclicut Courant, June I'ith, 1707. On Saturday the 10th inst. the sentence of ileaili was executed in this town upon Richard Done, a native of Ireland, lur ihe numier ot Daniel Melver, on the 4tli of July, A.D. 171)0. As thcie liiid not been an exeeulinn m this place for a considerable niiuiber of years, a lar'j:e conctMirse of people collected fruui the neighboring towns lo witness this tnelanchuly spectacle. It is generally ihuuyht there were from six lo ten thousand persons present. At one o'clock, P. M. the people congfregatcd on the east .side of the State House in this city, from the jjoriico of which the' Rev. Mr. Strong delivered a sermon (by par- ticular desire of the unhappy prisoner) from the Ibllowing words of the prophet Ho- sea, chapter vi. verse G. " For I desired mercy and not sacritiee ; and the knowledge of God more than burnt offering." About three o'clock the |M-isoner, guarded by two companies of militia, atlended'by several clergymen, the high slieriU ot the county of Hartford, and his deputies, proceeded to the place of execution ; and at hall past four, the scaffold was dropped Iroin under him. A.s he had from the fir.st, so he to the last moment of his existence, persisted in denying his having been guilty ot willhu murder. He told the same story uniturmly. On this occasion every pait of the exer- cise was performed with the greatest decency and j>roi>rieiy ; and we are happy to add, that amid such a number of pe.iple, no nnfoitunate accident took j-lace. Connecticut Courant, Hartford Dec. 30/A, 1700. In consequence of the alllicting intelligence of the death of General Washing:ton, divine services were perfotuied at the north meetinghouse in this town on Friday last. The town never exhibited a mine solemn and interesting appearance. INotice having been given to the inhabitants of this and the neighboring towns, the concoiuse of people was greater, than almost ever was known on any former occasion. The stores and shops were shut through the day— all busine.vs suspended— the bells were mullled, and tolled at intervals, from nine in the morning until the services commen- ced. The meeting house was greatly crowded, and ^lill a large proportion ol the people could not get in at the doors. The services were appropriate, solemn and im- pressive. A very ehxjiient and pathetic sermon was delivered by the Rev. Nathan Strong, to a most attentive, devout, and mourning audience, trom Exod. xi. 3. " And the man Moses was very great," &c. The music was solemn and sublime; and the whole scene exhibited in the strongest of all possible colors, the deep atiliction of the people at a loss utterly irreparable. The Hoods of tears, the badges of mourning which were univeisally worn, the church hung in black, a procession of many hun- dreds of persons, composed of men of all classes, and the solemn grief pictuied on every countenance, made impressions on the minds of the beholders, which many years will not efTace. We presume that the sentiments and feelings which inspired the persons present, pervade the country, on the distressing event which called ihera together. However divided into parties on political subjects, with respect to the char- acter of this great mau, we trust there is but one opin um in the United States. As he lived beloved and admiied, he has died truly lumented ; and his memory will be hon- ored lis long as wisdom, viiliu-and piciv shall he esteemed among men. " The beau- ty of lsr>u'l isslain up.ni the high places ; how are the mighiy fallen." I'ho following Hymn' was sung on the melancholy occasion — What solemn sounds the ear invade ! What wraps the land in sorrow's shade ! From Heaven the awful inaiid.ate Hies, The Father of his Country dies. Let every heart be filled with woe, L,et every eye with tears o'erilow, Each form oppressed with deepest gloom, , Be clad in vestments of the tomb. Behold that venerable band ! . , The rulers of our mourning land, AVith grief proclaim from shore to shore, '' Our guide, our Washington's no more !" ■ Where shall our country turn its eye ? What help remains beneath the sky 1 Our Friend, Protector, Strength and Trust, Lies low and mouldering in the duit. Written by Theodore Dwight, Esq. 11 A 11 T F O R D . 59 Almighty God, to thee we fly — JJefore thy Throne ;ibove the hky, In tieej) prostration hunilily buw, And pour the penitential vow. Hear, O Most Hi^'h ! our Ciiruesi prayer- " Our country take Ijeneaih tli}- caie, " When danycr5 piess, nnd Ibes draw neai "May future Wahhjnyiuns appear." The following epitaphs and inscriptions are copied from monuments in the ancient burying ground, back of the Center Church.* Here LYK'rn the dody of Mk. D.wid G-ardi.nch of GAiiDiM-.R.s Island Decf.ased Ivt.Y 10. 1G39 IN THE FIFTY FOViiTll MIAU itFHI.SAliE. WflI., SlCK, DeaD IN ONE UOVIIS SI'AUE Engrave the nEME.MRitANc e of ITIkatii on timne Heart WllE.N AS TIIOV DOST SEE HOW SSMFl'LY llUVIiS UEPAKT The above inscription is on a plain slab of red sandstone, a little north of the central part of the yard. David Gardiner, wliose death it records, was the first white child born in Connecticut. He removed, it appears, with his father, Lyon Gardiner, to Gardiner's Island, and coming to Hartford, probably on public business, died suddenly. The stone is placed horizontally over his grave, and (18o6) partly imbed- ded in the earth, and was with some diiriculty deciphered. John G. Gardiner, Es(|. the gentleman to whom the author is indebted lor the account of Capt. Kidd, ((). ^3,) menlious that his father erected a mon- ument to the memory of his ancestors on Gardiner's Island, in June, 1806. On this moiuunent il is stated, that Lyon Gardiner died in 1063. "David, his son, born at Saybrook, April 29, 1636, the first white child born in Connecticut, died 1 (j — . IMary, his wile, whom he married at W^estminster, England, dieil \('> — ." ll appears by this that Mr. Gardiner did not know at what time or at what place his ancestor died; it was stipposed by IJie family, (previous to the discovery of the monument at Hartford, by the author of this wtJik, in 1835,) that he Nvns buried somewhere on Ciardiner's Island. " Wc have," says JMr. CJardiner, *' an old J3ible in the house, which belonged to Lyon (nirdiner, upon a blank leaf of which tlie lollowing is written. " Jn the year of our Lord, 1G35, the 10th of July, came I, Lion Gar- diner and ]\Iaiy my wife from Worden, a town in Holland, where my wife was born, being the daughter of one Diricke \Villemson detu-eant ; her mother's name was Hachir, and her aunt, sister of her mother, was the wife of Wouter Leanerdson, old burger IMuster, dwelling in the liostrade, over against the Brtiser in the Un-icorne's head; her brother's name was Punce Garretson, also old burger IMuster. ^Ve came from