Document text
Mr George Richmond
Thomaston, Conn.
(Clockmaker)
The query:— "Is religion necessary? How do people feel about
the Church in these villages where recreatlonal
opportunities are few? What about the &lurch in
the 'good old days?"
"Seems to me people paid a great deal more attention to their religion
a few years af7o than they do now. My folks were kinda taken with
Spiritualism...I guess that's kinda dyinl out....I had an aunt went
an
in for it. ,She was kinda upstanding, independent sorta woman,
didn't knovv whether to believe in it or not but, she went to a-
meetinl one time.
"The medium tried to get in touch with her husband....Finally
she sed; /Ts there anyone here named Marthy?'"
"'That's me,Isays my aunt!"
"'Well,' says the medium,. 'Henry is here, and he's knockine to
erne in.'"
"'Leave him come in,' says my aunt. 'He never had to knock
when he was to home, and he don't have to knock nowt. Somebody
started lauchinl and that broke up the meetini."
"11.t my dad and mother had experience one time. I can remember
hearin/ them tell about it often. They was in bed, both of them,
and my dad felt his side of the bed kinda raise in the air. He
t ouFht she was playin' some kind of a trick on him, so he didn(t
say nothin' at first, but it happened two -three times, and finally
he says to her: 'What in blazes you trying to do?'
says, '',!hy, ain't that you movin the bed?'
"And he says, /No, by gosh, it ain't me movinl the bed.'
3
"He got a can opener, and he opened:both these cans tight on the
counter. !Vow, Lady,' he says, loctit here.' And he took about
half a dozen big slices outa Pete's can. 'And look here he says,
and he took about four small ones out of the other can. 'You: see
that?' he says. 'You *Et still think you're gettinl et bargain over
there? I tell you, Lady,' he says. 'You get what you pay for, no
matter where you get it. Only sometimea, if you ain't careful, you
get less.' Now, he was right, absolutely right, thekiray I look at it."
Mr George Richmond continues:
"How'd the people used to liver back
forty -fifty years ago? 'Aired the seine's they,do now, hand to mouth.
don't know's they was so much better off, they was and they weren't.
They might have save(9 money, buyinl: in bulk, true enough, but some
things used to be high, samds theythernow.
"Winter time, especially, thinged be high. Used to stook up on
everything they could, potatoes and the like of that, and the women
always did a lot of canninl. Put up enough .preserves in the fall
to last 'em all winter.
"You couldn't get oranges and fresh fruits. Pineappples eerie high.
So they used to put up a lot of. pearl; ad peaches. lay mother used
to put up 75 to 100 jars of fruit and berries in the fall. We used
to have squash pies in the fall, tee, but we'd keep the hard squash,
(HubLard), until Christmas and make Christmas pies. In the winter
time we'd get more fresh meat. The farmers would dress off their
stock and turn it into market and it Troilld be fairly cheap. -Butter
and eggs was usually high in the :winter. George Bradstreet over
here, he got 65 cents a pound for butter. Some of the farmers when
the supply was plenty would put it down in jai's,. andJa011. It later
when the demand was greater. But of course all tho,Creamel'ieit do
that kind of thing today. Summer time we lived mostly on salt teats,
4
and fresh vegetables. Most everybo47 raised something, if they:
had a yard at all.
"Sp.E:akinl about farmint, never forget the time Lizzie C,1
Gleason's brother and four other lads got the ides they'd like to
try farm life. They went to Goshen had to go in a wagon up from,
Torrington.. When they got to the place, the farmer asked who could
mow. Well, none of 'em could, it -seemed.- So he asked could they
do anything else. Gleason said he: could milk. The farmer put them
to hayin' an told the other two to feed the horses. They didn't
know how to go about it, and they scared the animals darned near
outa the barn. That night they went in to supper; and the farmer's
ee
wife, she set out the feed. Waln't nothint but some cornmeal puddin'.
The boys says to the farmer: 'Is this all they be?' Says the far-
mer: 'There's some bread there, ant crackers. What more d' you want?'
That night they went to'bed, and they had to sleep on one of them
old cord beds, without springs; and a straw -mattress. Straw was so
thin, when the boys woke up in the.morninl they
d you could uv
played checkers on the marks on their backs. They lugged in the
milk in the mornin, and the woman she says, "What's smatter with
them cows; be they a-shrinkin'?" They got more cornmeal puddlnl
for breakfast, They stayed on a week and quit. Said they thought
they'd get at least three square meals a day, but all they got was
cornmeal puddinl, and boiled pork and beans once in awhile, When
they quit, the farmer said: 'What did ye Ispect, roast beef and
chicken livers every day?"
"That was farm life, in the go6d old daysi
"Sorta wanderin', ain't I? Well, before the traleys Came, Duff
and the other merchants all had teats. Freight came by train from
Waterbury, up the Naugy Road, and they all used., to go over to the
de)ot and get it. The trolley killed that practice.
5
"Wa'n't no bakers. Everybody bought flour by the barrel or half,
and the women all made bread. Then bakers started Oomin' up from
'aterbury once a week to peddle and a lotta. folks began buyin'
bakers' bread. There was Kelly and Trott and a dutchman baker.
"You worked from 6.30 in the mornin' 'til noon; you went back at
1 o'clock and worked 'til 5.30 that afternoon; then you went uptown
and did your tradinl. Lottsa folks used to hang around the stores
and visit; or gab in the Post Office. Stores was open Itil ten and
the saloons was open 'til twelve. There as quite a little drinkln,
but wa'n't many heavy drinkers.
"Tothin, to do at night, as a rule, 'lets. there was sumpin goinl
on at the Oprly Mouse,. Used to have. some pretty good shows there.
I remember the first night it opened., show called "The Two Orphans."
I was just a young lad then, helpini.out at home, and like a lotta
others, I didn't have the money to go, Gus Blakeslee and Ed Fenton
run the place and Ed Bradley, he was sheriff then. There was an old
wood house and water closet right outside over on C ay.Street, and
I'll bet there was fifty lads on it .tryinl to see. I was one.
Bradley came out, and he says, 'You fellows get off, or you'll get
in trouble.'
"But they was a young lad named ,Judd', son of the man who run the
farm for 2mtk Aaron Thomas,...they-lived there then, and Judd, he
says: 'My Father hires this house, and you can't put'us off here.'
Bradley went back in, and the lade began to throw stones small
pebbles...up against the window to attract attention. Bradley came
out again and he siad this time someone was goinl to the lockup.
But then Gus Blakeslee came out, and he says to Ed; 'We don't want
to have no/ trouble here, Don't you arrest nobody. 1811 fiX it.'
And he goes inside and pulls down a cut am an that'Avindow.
6
"Say, 'fore I forget it, I want to tell you a story about Seth
Thomas, the original Seth Thomas. 'Twas told to me by Old Man
Cassel who used to drive team for him you remember the Cassel
Youse? Ike was morein eighty years old when he told it to me...
a good sixty years ago.
"Seens he wanted to go to Waterbury to do some tradin' one day,
and when old Seth came down to the barn that marninl Ike asked him
could he go. !Go ahead,' says Seth. 'I'm vine down myself and
if I didn't have such a heavy load I'd give you a ride. Maybe I
will have room for you on the way back, but I won't promise.'
"So Ike roes to Waterbury afoot, and. he does his tradinl, and along
atout 12.30 he met old Thomas.. The old' man says to him; vWell,
Isaac, you better start for home. I got a heavy.load here, and a
couae of men with me, and here it is Comint on to snow, and I guess
I won't be able to take your.
"So Ike, he says it's alright, and he starts for home. Up by the
Gate House, old Seth passed him out, and he hollers: !Peg along,
Isaac, peg along. I'd like to pick you up, but I Egotta heavy load
here.'
"Just above Frost's Bridge, Ike sees a black object stickin' out,
of the snow, and he picks it up, and whit is it but the Old Man's
wallet. Ike knows whose it is, the minute he sees it. Well, it
wa'n't long before Ike met the old man camin' back, and the men
with him, and two fresh horses. 'Fore Ike got a chance to say a
word, the old man hollered: 'Get back home as fast as you can and
take care of them horsest! and on he goes in a tearing hurry.
7
"So Ike goes home and he left his bundles at his house, and then
he went up to the barn...stobd right there on Litchfield 4Street
where Ben 'Curtis used to live....and took care of the horses, The
old man came back about nine o'clock, and he was in a very snappish
mood, says to Ike....1llere, take care of the horses! These men are
about done in. They walked most of the way to Waterbury, and most
of the way back.'
"1Mr Thomas.. says Ike.
"tDontt Mister -Thomas me,' says the Old Man. 'Do as you're to1d11
"Next rornin the old man cave down to the ba/7n, still snappish,
and when Ike tried to talk to him he was told to mind his own busi-
ness. Old Seth went down to the shop, and he called all the help
together, and he told them how he'd got the money to pay them in
Waterbury the day before, and how he'd lost it somewhere.. 'Now
Boys, 1 he says, 'You'll just have to work unti 1 we make some
more clocks and sell 'em, and then,you'll get what's comin to you.'
"Well, Ike hung around and helped do the chores. Late that after-
noon the old man called in the others, around the barn, and told
them the same story. When they'd all gone about their business,
Ike pulls out the wallet, and he says to Old Seth: 'Do you know
who this belongs to?'
"The Old Man grabbed it and he says: You keep your mouth shut,
and say nothint.1 Just like that. That was all he said. No
'thank youst, or anything else. Well, coupla days later,. he called
all the help, and he says he'd got .a loan somewhere, and he was go
in' to pay their wages.
neither did Ike.
he never let on what really happened„ and
8
"Ike said he let him go to Waterbury.just to see_ what the Old Man
would do, and then he didn't have the nerve to bring out the wallet
in front of the help, so he waited 'til he got Old Seth alone to
show it to him. Said the. Old Man would uv been madderin blazes, if
he thought Ike was tryinl to put soMethin, over on him.
"Well, Sir, the Old Man never said no more about it, but when spring
came, he began to build that house up on Grand Street where Mose
Ariel lives now. And early in the fall, he says to Old Ike;
'Cas-sel, I got Oomethinl to show you.'
"And he took Ike up and showed him the house.
'Well, Isaac, what do you think of it?' says he.
"Ike said it looked like a pretty good house.
"Old Seth handed him the deed....'Here' he says, 'that's for.
keepin' your mouth shut.'
-30-
'.)n another theme, George Richmond continues the march:
"The clock
business is gone...all gone. We used to have great times in this
town. The young lads these days are too smart. I was down to the
gas station the other day, cold enough to freeze the ears off a brass
monkey, it was, and a lad came intin a big car, says to the young
feller that works there: vGinme a change of oil.' And the young
ii***Isie lad says, smart as can be: 'What'll you have...Light summer
oil?' And the young immixaxgxxxxmirrt feller in the car just steps
on the gas and drives away; didn't say nothinl.
9
"The young folks these days wouldn't be satisfied to live the way
they had to when I was a kid. Nothinl goinl on in town at all.
Not a thing. Remember when they organized this fire department?
They only wanted fifty in each company, and they must have had about
two hundred applications each one. They had their pick...took the
ones they thought was the best. It was quite a thing to belong to
the fire department, I tell you. Had some big times, the firemen
did. They used to go to paraded all over the state, and they come
off with a few prizes, too. They had a bunch of kids marchinl with
'em one time, somewheres they went, and the boys had each a big
white letter on their breasts...spelled 7C-R-E-S-C-E-N-T1..the name
of the company. Well, later on the Hooks. had a big argument with
the Hose company ,and they split away and formed their own outfit.
Called themselves, Number One and Number Two.
"hey had some great affairs up at the Oprly House. I see one
hundred and twenty couples on the Oprly House floor. Dancinl the
California reel. They form a circle on the outside and one on the
inside for that, and then they interchange. It's quite a sight.
Gus Blakeslee was prompter. They had to pay for each dance. Each
man had to pay five cents a dance; the women danced, free.
"Kids never had no money to spend. Families were big, and there
was a lot of mouths to feed, and no extra cash to spare. Do I think
they were better off? Sure I do. WhatIve they got today? Cars
and radios and what not, but still. they ain't satisfied. A Man with
a big family ain't got the time to get dissatisfied..
"They were in debt to the stores all the while, most of them.
Couldn't meet their bills lots, of times at the end of the month.
Shops used to pay off once a month, years ago, and then they'd all
settle up with the storekeepers. They're in debt all the time now,
ain't they? In debt for their cars and their radios, and as soon
as they get one thing paid up for on the installment plan, out
they go and get something else. And what've they got to show for
it in the long run.
."They was one merchant here, during the panic had over $2500 owed
him. And I heard him say once, he didn't lose eight dollars of it,
all told. That's the way people tsed to be about debts.
(Note.: Unfortunately the informant did not specify what panic.)
"When the car came along, and people began to buy on the install-
ment plan, things changed fast. The fellow :i.rtrho owns a car takes
money away from local merchants and puts it into pleasure. Years
ago, a lad would hite a team and take his girl to Waterbury, and
see a show and have supper. And he wouldn't do it again for a coupla
weeks.
"Maybe the cities are better off today, but the small town ain't.
The bi72uer man is Tetting the trade today. Cars take out the money
just like the chain store takes it out. They're runnin' the small
merchant outa business. JOdut When the trolley came in, and then
the car, and the movies, and the radio, then things in this town
began to chana:e; Ispose they did everywhere.
"I Remember the first trolley that came up from Waterbury,.
carried back everybody that could crowd onto it for a free ride
down. Gave 'em a' free ride back at night, too. Got to be quite
a thing to go to Waterbury, after you could get home at 12 or 12.30
at night; before thpt you wouldn't go once a month.
"'The mcdtxx movies drove out the old shows and the radio hurt the
movies. Fionething will come along to drive them out, you wait and
see.
11
Andrew MacCurrie, Scot, came to America 46 years ago, entered the
employ of Seth Thomas Clock Company, worked for the company about
20 years. His comments on•the advantages of employment at the
"Old Company", his feeling for the "good old days,", are worthy
of record,
one thing," he says. "You were always sure of a job. if you
got laid off in this clock shop here, you could always go to another.
These days they favor their home -town boys. Look what they did over
in Bristol last summer....laid off all their out-of-town help, and
told them when they did come back they'd better be prepared to
make their homes in Bristol.
"Another thing, they didn't push you like they do these days. Nowa-
days every/thing is rush, rush, rushl A man had a job years ago,
he could damn near do what he wanted to, within reason, and as long
as his work was satisfactory.
Now, I used to have piecework jobs. I was buff in' for awhile, and
I did other work, too, in the case shop. Some of them were hard
and some were easy, and sone of the prices were tough and some were
good.
"Know what we used to do? When we got a good job we'd get some
work ahead...wouldn't put it in on the ticket, understand...then
when we got a po,r job, we'd use that extra work and still be able
to make a little money. You can't do that now, they watch you too
damn close. You've got to account for every minute of your time."
12
Henry Odenwald, Andrew MacCurriel and George Richmond meet in the
Barber Shop, where Mr Odenwald has been "polishing chins" for forty
years. There's bad blood between MacCurrie and Richmond. The latter
slips on his overcoat and walks away toward the firehouse.
"GeOrge gave you an earful, okay," remarked Odenwald.
"iTost of it balooney, no doot," from Mac.
"George has a preety Eude memory. I heard him lining up that old
Opra Hause crowd yesterday....Ah, they did have great ti3nes
I belonged to the Liederkranz Singing Society; once a year we used
to give a concet there. We had some fine artists come from all
over the state, some fine artis ts."
"But they'd put the Aghts out on you at 12 o'clock," Mac grouched.
"Why I remember when they had a gas -light up in that tower clock."
"They needed it, too, on a dark night. When the lights went out
you couldn't see your hand in front of your face. Old Tan Grimshaw,
over at the Power House, used to go by the moon. He figured the
moon was out 15 days in a month, and the other 15 you didn't need
street lights. One time I had taken a few drops too many. aboard
and I ,c)t on the wrong street, comin, home
was, that's the God's truth. So I had to
do.n to the Town Hall and look up at that
kinda get me bearin's."
Didn't know where I
travel all the way back
light in the clock and
"That's right. I used to go down to the Liederkranz of a Saturday
night after I'd closed up and sometimes it was so dark I could hardly
find my way home.
T didn't have any too much to drink, either, only
a few beers.
13
"You didna go out much nights in those days, anyway. 14o place to
through the week, unless there was something going on at the
Opera House. Of course all the boys used to come to the Fire House
and play cards. You'd see three or four tables going on each side.
You could always come down here, if you didn't have any place else
to fc). I lived in aterbuly for awhile, one time, and I didn't
have any place to co at all. I couldn't stand it."
"But we had clubs and lodges. There was the Criterion Club, and
there was another one down under Bradstreet's Block where they
used to play poker."
"On Sundays...now I was telling this up at the house the other day
and the ids c-ot a great laugh out of it...on Sundays about 4.30
there'd be a copupla hundred people over on the depot platform to
watch the train come down from Windsted. Nothing else to do, and
it was someplace to go. Just walk over and stand there, and watch
the train come in and wait until it nulled out and then go back.
Sundays was awful quiet.. You come downtown and you didn't see a
soul on the str ets. Once in awhile, you'd see a team co by."
"I used to work for Thompson over at the old Hotel," MacCurrie said;
"and sometimes it wa'n't quiet on Sundays over there. There'd be
a bunch outside waitint to get in for a drink. Of course, he wa'n't
'sposed to sell but the idee was to let 'em in and give Ism their
drinks and then shoo 'em out. He'd hurry tem along, and ask 'em
had they got enough, and herd 'em all towards the door. There'd
he another bunch waitint outside. And half the ones had been in
there fust tud come back with the second gang."
"I never liked the beer they sold over there," complained Odenwald.
4
"Twas good beer; Ballantine's Ale. 'Tv/as better beerin they make
now....some new people has got it, since repeal. The boys over in
the castint shop used to come out durin' the day, in su=er time,
and get a shot of liquor and a beer chaser. Called is a 'casters'
cocktail'. Nobody ever said nothinl to them. I guess they knew
'twas being done. They'd drink ice water in there on the casting
floor all day long an' they'd sweat, and then they'd feel the need
of somethinf_- else, and over they'd come for their li(jlor. And they'd
go back. and sweat all the more."
Mr. Odenwald continued: "Thr't Thompson, he as a funny chap. I
went over there one time to get a room for some musician we had
coming for the Liederkranz, and he told me they never held rooms
for anyone. I asked him if he couldn't make an exception and he
said Th01, it was a rule. ,So I said, 'What am I goin' to do with
this feilow?' and he said; 'Nell, send him over and we'll take
care of him.
hard."
lie knew he could do it, but he had to make it look
"He ran a nice place," MacCurrie defended;
"Drummers used to come
from all around.. If they had to call anywhre in
they'd put up here. There wasn't a good hotel in
the only one that could compare with this one was
in Torrl.ngton.
Mr Odenwald;
this section,
Waterbury, and
the Conley Inn,
That was th,e best hotel around here."
"I never liked their beer."