Norwalk After Two Hundred & Fifty Years

HE gathering of the school children in the State Armory was a memorable event. The great building was crowd- ed and the decorations in blue, white and yellow with national flags, were highly praised. Possibly, the Armory decorations were never so complete and perfect as on this occasion and well served for the further events connected with the cele- bration. The decorations were under the charge of the ladies and were well planned by Mr. Charles Miller. The school children took up the line of march toward the Armory at 1 130 p. m., and the streets as they ap- proached presented a brilliant appearance. A body of well trained ushers, under the direction of Captain How- ard J. Bloomer were verv efficient in seating the assem- bly." Abiathar Blanchard, secretary of the board of school visitors, was chairman of the exercises in the ar- mory. The first number was the singing of "The Star Spangled Banner" by the scholars. The great drill hall rang with the refrain, "O'er the land of the free and home of the brave." Secretary Blanchard then made a few introductory remarks, closing by introducing Miss Mary Merriman Abbott, president of the Connecticut State Federation of Women's clubs, who made an address on "Yesterday, To-day and To-morrow." Mr. Blanchard spoke as fol- lows: "Ladies and gentlemen, fellow citizens of Norwalk and visiting friends, teachers and pupils of the schools of the town: — As presiding officer during these exercises, allow me to extend to you greetings on this auspicious occasion. "It is well within the bounds of truth to say that the exercises of the present week have a quite remarkable significance. We are commemorating the 250th anni- versary of the founding of this town. Two hundred and fifty years, a quarter of a millennium, this is a long period in human history, even in the history of the nations and towns of the old world. In this newly discovered Ameri- ca such a period carries us back almost to the beginnings of Colonial history, to within a generation of the land- ing of the Pilgrims at Plymouth. Certainly there are comparatively few American towns which can boast an antiquity equal to our own. "We do not, however, pride ourselves chiefly or even greatlv, on our longevity. The question that history asks inexorably of nations, of towns and of men is not How long have you lived? but What have you done? That question will be answered for Norwalk in many ways in the course of the present celebration. In con- nection with the exercises this afternoon I wish to call attention to the action of a town meeting held May 29, 1678, when it was "voted and agreed" to hire a school- master to teach all the children in the town to read and write. Such is the record and it was fitting that in these anniversary observances the schools of the town that has continued faithful to this tradition should have a foremost place and that for them one day of the week should have been set apart. "It may be remembered that the Hon. Joseph H. Choate, our minister at the Court of St. James, on a cer- tain occasion when the virtues of the Pilgrim Fathers were highly lauded, took it upon himself to say a word for the Pilgrim Mothers, telling us that they not only en- dured all that the Pilgrim Fathers endured, but had to endure the Pilgrim Fathers besides. In this sub- ject of the witty advocate, which has come laughing down the years, there is a truth that gives it its point and force. In all our educational history we notice in the actual work of the school room the predominant in- fluence of woman. Of the 86 teachers at present em- ployed in the public schools of Norwalk, yy, or more than 90 per cent, are women. I suppose that the same proportion would hold good in other places. We are honored to-day by the presence of a lady who holds a position as teacher in a sister city of the state famed for its excellent schools. This lady has also won dictinc- tion as a writer and lecturer on educational topics. It gives me great pleasure to present to you Miss Mary Merriman Abbott, who will address you on the subject of 'Yesterday, To-day and To-morrow.' " Miss Abbott pleased everybody by her witty, de- lightful manner. Her subject dealt chiefly with the schools of Connecticut. She told of the honorable rec- ord of our schools in the past. After touching on the schools of to-day she stated her hopes for the future of Connecticut's educational system. The scholars sang, "Columbia, the Gem of the Ocean." Next on the program was an address by Rev. Rom- illy F. Humphries, rector of Trinity Episcopal church, South Norwalk, who spoke on "Citizenship." He was introduced in the following words by Chairman Blanch- ard : "Ladies and gentlemen: — On two occasions during the school year just closed, when classes were graduated from our high school department, many of us listened with pleasure and profit to addresses by one of our fellow townsmen. When it came to a choice of speakers for this afternoon, the name of this gentleman at once occur- red to the committee having this matter in charge. It is a great pleasure to introduce the Rev. Romilly F. Hum- phries, who will address us on the subject of 'Citizen- ship.' " "Fair America" and "Hail Columbia" were then sung. "The Men Who Made Connecticut" was the sub- ject of an address by Walter Seth Logan, Esq., president of the Sons of the American Revolution. Mr. Logan, who is a large, stately looking man, made a hit with his audience from the start. He opened his address in a voice that could easily be heard in all parts of the hall, and the little ones forgot their discomfort to applaud his witty points. His subject was "The Men Who Made Connecti- \ cut," but this was thrown to the winds, as he started in | to relate some funny stories that promptly convulsed his ; hearers. He didn't know whether it was a good thing for New York when he removed to that state, but he knew it was good for Connecticut when he left. He ob- jected to the heat; he had 250 pounds heated, while most of his hearers had less than 100 pounds. "I haven't much to say, and I can't say it very well," was the prom- inent lawyer's plea, and it tickled the youngsters nearly to death. "If I'm not talking loud enough, just let me know," bellowed the speaker. "When I was a baby I could yell louder than any other baby in Litchfield coun- ty." He believed in the rights of children and one of these rights was that they should not be cooped up in a building on a hot September afternoon. This was a government by representation; let your teachers repre- 116 sent you, and you go out and play in the grass. The children promptly climbed in their seats and yelled for Mr. Logan. Mr. Logan referred to the signs Concord and Frank- lin, which referred to the schools, and said the names were of Revolutionary significance. He spoke of Franklin's victory over nature and said that the victories of science were greater than those of war. "The men who made Connecticut are living to-day," declared the speaker. "Those who will make Connec- ticut are before me to-day." "I am proud of my descent from the old makers of Connecticut. One of my forefathers was Rev. Thomas Hooker, who carried the Bible in one hand and a gun *"""> in the other. He fought the devil on Sunday and wild / Indians the other six days. Connecticut was settled by the purest of the Saxon blood, a race that is noted for its \ determination and self reliance." 117 THE EVENING OF SEPTEMBER TENTH F all great crowds that ever assembled in or around the Norwalk armory that which gathered this evening, to attend the "Evening With Aboriginal Nor- waake," the opening festivity of the quartermillennial celebration of The Norwalks, was the greatest. With public celebrations, as with county fairs, the crowd makes the success. The entire western section of the state seemed to have turned itself inside out to make this night's affair a success. Hundreds and hun- dreds of people clamored at the doors of the great hall an hour before it was opened. As many more congrega- ted around the scene of the opening ceremonies of the evening, which were held in the Marvin lot near the ar- mory, the ushers found it almost impossible to control the crowd, and the armory, the largest available building, was filled long before the Indians arrived. The jam at the door was terrific. Women and chil- dren were all but trampled under foot, and after a min- ute or two of the struggle left the building only to be re- placed by as many more anxious ones. Tickets for re- served seats found no respect in the crowd and the par- ticipants who arrived late were scarcely able to get through with the aid of the policemen. Some gave it up and went home. During the ceremonies in the open air trees in the neighborhood were lined with youngsters who tore off limbs in their anxiety to see the doings of the Red Men. ^he line-up on the top of the bill boards in the lot was so close that when one lad lost his balance in the middle of the ceremony and fell to the ground, fifteen feet below, he took four or five of his companions with him. The opening ceremony was the burning of Ischoda or peace fire, famous in the nation's history and originally presided over by the chieftain Uncas on the banks of the Hudson. This fire was always built before a celebration. The braves would smoke the pipe of peace around it and then march around it three times, bearing the miniature wigwam of beads, all of which was an invocation to the spirits. The evening's functions were a repretition of these ceremonies by the Improved Red Men of to-day, the 118 whole being given under the direction of Rev. Charles M. Selleck. It was a portrayal of the lesser Ischoda, or camp-fire of the Connecticut Mohawks. This was a cus- tom of the Mohawks, from whom the Connecticut tribes came, and not of the Pequots. It was always built on a meadow.