Connecticut Historical Collections

As I have never burthened the public to read or you to publish any of my produc- tions; I tlulter myself the. subsequent ^^llc•cinct suggestions will be foiy;iv'en. As econ- omy is the watchword of the reign, as candor «as ol the former, in the couitly and ministerial style, it has cru>sed the Atlantic, and is in high vogne in America as well as Westminster, the ciiy of the great Iving. The storv is this,— A few days since, a strolling mail in soldier's regimental garb, calling himself .lames McCannon, with a blazing woman, came into my house in early murn, hegged for cider, then three mugs deep, as I was informed; alter some admoniliuns given him, iny affairs pressing my immediate departure, I left him in the house, on which he soon became very bois- terous, attempted to pilfer suine things which my domestic discovered ; finally carried ofl' a brass save-all, of a stand of candlesticks," (then undiscovered;) -what else is at present unknown. This, though trilling in its value, intrinsically, but as an ancient patrimonial legacy of high estimation, not only as a standing eviilence of iheir jiru- clent economy, but ex vi termini a memento to ect)iiomy sive-ali. And hereby I beg leave to give warning to all families to beware of such strolling pilferers, if they would .save all. I beg leave also to ask the ])ubiic, whether it wouUI nut be of public utility, to have task masters in every town to ctnnjiel iliem lo labor, as they are passing every day in our streets, and will be probably more and more; or some other similar saluta- ry measure. I ask pardon for one more hint which pops into my head, while my pen is moving, as a supplemental suggestion to economy antl save-all. A respectable physician of the city of London, ot high renown in the faculty, told the subscriber that he required his servants to save all the rags, not that it was of the least avail to him, but only a spe- cimen of economy — save-all; and williall added, the rags in this city are worth sixty- thousand pounds sterling a year. I hojie the jiaper mill manufaciurers, will not es- teem the foregoing hint luuthensome, though the public may what i)recedcs. Gentle- men, if it appear more eligible to save your pains ;iiul jiaper than print this, remember and save all. I am vour most humble servant, jr.i//i/i-/w/-./, :> c'j.-r'., A^:rii •J:^^ e. Hali.. rrovi (he Connecticut Gazrttr. At a meeting of a number of the true sons of libcrly in "VVallinglbrd, in New Haven county, on the evening of the 13th day of January, iTtifi, after duly ibrmed by choos- ing a moderator and a clerk, the iblluwing resolves were come into, viz : Rcstdved, I. That the late act of Parliament, called the Stamp Act, is uncoustitu-' lional, and intended to enslave the true subjects of America. Resolved, C. That we will oppose the same to the last extremity, even to take the field. Resolved, 3. That we will meet at the Court House in New Haven, on the third Tuesday of Febiuary next; and we desire all the sons of liberty in each town in the county would meet then by themselves or representatives; there to consult what is best lo be done in order to defend our liberties and properties, and break up the stop to jmblic alfairs. licioLvcd, -1. That this meeting be adjouriied to the lirst Tuesday of February next, then to choose our representatives to ailcnd the aloresaul meeting. A true copy, examined, P. P. Clauk. * Holmes' Annals. WATKIlliUKY. i257 WATEllBURY. Wateubury is bounded n. oii Plyiuoutli and Watertown, k. on Wol- cott and Prospect, s. on Bethany and Oxford, and w. on Middlcbury. It is 8 miles iioni north to soutli, and 4 from east to west. The town center is 20 miles from New Haven, and 28 from llariford. With the exception of the alluvial lands upon the streams, the surface of the soil is hilly, rouL,di, and of laborious cultivation. But altliough nature has been sparing of lier gifts to constitute its inhabitants a great agricultural people, she has been profuse in the abundance of her water-lalls ; and experience has proved that where these two interests are made to bear upon each other, enterprise alone is wanting to produce magnificent re- sults. For tliirty years previous to the introduction of manufaclurcs into the community, the population rather decreased. The census of 1800, gave the number of 3,25G— in 1810, of 2,784— In 1820, of 2,822 — in 1830, of 3,070 exclusive of about 350, which about that time were ceded to Prospect, when the parish of Columbia was added to form that townsliip. The society of Salem yet remains a parish. The site upon which the borough of Waterbury stands, is situated in a valley which is washed by the Mud river on the east, and the JNau- gatuc on the west; and in its central part is about a mile in breadth. The main street runs east and west ; but since the increase of the man- ufacturing establishments within the last twelve years, a large share of the new buildings have been erected in their vicinity, which is in the southeast part of the village. On either side of the village, hills gradu- ally rise to a considerable elevation, presenting to the eye the galleries of an ampitheater, the village forming the area. The number of hou- ses is about one hundred and fifty, and the population fifteen hundred; u'hich it is calculated has doubled itself during the last twelve years; most of the factories having been established within that time. Some of the private dwellings may be called splendid, and a majority of them are neat and convenient, with handsome court yards in front. There arc four churches In the place ; 1 for Congregationalists, 1 for Ei)isco- palians, 1 for Methodists, and 1 for the Baptist society. The last two have been recently built ; and are highly creditable to the congregations, considering the weakness of their numbers. The former two, as the societies are more numerous and able, will soon give place to edifices corresponding \\ith the growth and prosperity of the place. The cut on the following page is a southeastern view of the central j)art of the village, and shows its appearance from the summit of a gen- tle elevation, about five or six rods east from the road to New Haven. The l^aplist church, with a square tower, is seen in the central part of the engraving ; the spire of the Episcopal church a])pears on the left, that of the Congregational church on the right. Of the articles manufactured in the village, those of gilt buttons, and the rolling of brass and copper metals for a great variety of uses, con- stitute the greatest business. There are three factories of this kind upon an extensive scale, two in the village, and one about two miles 33 253* AV A T E II n u n Y , iSuut/u(i-,ttni Lieu oj It (tlubiinj, (^( cndal pait ) nunli, i-,oiiiiL-t;iLil wiili wliiuli ib a yulJ luliiiuiy. Tliuit; aiu likuwisu l\>0 factoiies of gilt bullous, upon a considerable scale, unconnected with rolling' mills; one extensive rolling n)ill, connected with the brass wire and tubing manufacture ; two satinet factories, and one woolen factory ; besides a great number of minor establishments, in which buttons of va- rious kinds, and other articles, are mauuHictured to a considerable ex- tent. Tiie number of persons in the village of both sexes, who are employed in the manufiicturing establishments, is between six and seven hundred. It is not known precisely what amount is manufactured yearly, but it has been estimated by good judges to exceed a million of dollars, and is upon the increase. The route has been surveyed by a practical engineer, for constructing a canal to bring the Naugatuc on to the bank ai the west end of the town, which will, when completed, allbrd a sup- ply of water power, capable of employing as much or moie capital than lias been already invested. In consequence of the favorable reports relative to the interval lands bordering upon the river Naugatuc, in this vicinity, a numljerof the in- habitants of Farmington, in the autumn of 1G73, petitioned the As- setpbly for a committee to view INIaltaluck, (the aboriginal name of Waterbury,) and report upon the expediency of locating a plantation at that place. A committee, consisting of Lieut. Thon)as Bull, Lieut. Robert Webster, and Daniel Pratt, was ap[)ointed, who reported to the Assembly in May, 1074, tliat IMattatuck would probably alTord suifi- cient means to sustain a population of thirty families. Upon the re- ception of this report, a committee of five, consisting of John Talcat, Robert Webster, Nicholas Olmsted, Samuel Steele, nnd John Wads- worth, were appointed to manage and order the affairs of the settle- ment. This committee entered Imniediately upon their duties, and drew up a plan to regulate and establish the settlement, which docu- ment consisted of eight articles, bearing date the 30th day of IMay, 1674, in the foUowi' g words : ^y A T E n n u n Y . i*5i) Aiiiclc I. — Every pel son lli^l is acceplL-d lor an iiiliabitant shall have eight acres for a home lot. Article II. — The dislrihuiion of meadows shall be proportioned to each person ac- cording' lo estate — no person to have exceeding £ 100 allotment, excepting two or three allolinenis, which the comniiitee ma)' make according to their best discretion. Article III. — Taxes lor public charges to be according to meadow allotments, this article to be in force five years — at the end ol five years rales to be on polls and estate, according to the law of the cohmy. Article IV. — Every person that takes np an alloiinent, shall, within four years after the date hereof, build a good and fashionable ilwelliiig house, 18 by 10, and 'J feet be- tween joints, with a good chimney. Article V. — In case any peisonshall fail of Iniilding as aforesaid, he shall forfeit all his allotments at Mattatuclc, ami all his rit;ht and title, buildings only excepted, to be dis|)osed of by the commiitee to oiheis, who shall be accepted according to the cojidi- tion of these articles. Article VI. — All who have allotments, sliall personally dwell as inliabitants of Mat- tat(i(;k, or forfeit as aforesaid.