Norwich, CT residents have a fascination and a romanced view of the past. It seems that this search for the good old days, the better days has always been. Take for example this Norwich Bulletin article from March 15, 1902 titled The Spirit of Uncas at a Norwich Seance. The article is a tad on the hokey side but it was this kind of attitude that eventually became the basis for the silent screen movies, the westerns of the 1950’s and 60’s and later the base for the modern horror stories and movies and dare I say the romantic view we have of Norwich past.
“Thumps a Salute on the Table which Resounds Like a Blow from a Chief’s Club – He is Much Happy – His opinion of the Pale Faces Not Greatly Improved – No Rum or Pale Faces Where Uncas Is.”
The circle was seated around the long table, the lights had been subdued to the degree of faintness which is supposed to best agree with the constitution of a healthy ghost, and everything was in readiness for a message from “behind the veil.” The medium had induced in herself a due degree of obliviousness to material surroundings, and was ready to voice whatever was to come from “the other side.”
“Ugh! Whoop! Me Uncas!”
“Well, Uncas,” said the leader of the circle, “we are glad to have you come. What can you tell us about things where you have been living for so long?”
“Ugh! Much happy over there. Much venison. No big hatchet chop trees. No shoot Iron scare game. No smoke wagon. No stars on trees. Moon good enough. Heap big country. No fire water. No pale face.”
“Glad you have found so happy a place. What did you think of the pale face before you went away?”
“Ugh! Pale face wise. Make Indian give up hunting ground. Indian fool. Now Indian gone. Pale face fool.”
“Can you tell us anything about the fight you had with the Narragansetts?”
“Ugh! Talk leaves tell heap big story. Uncas no ‘member.”
“But you caught the big chief, Miantonomo, did you not?”
“Talk leaves so tell. Uncas no ‘member.”
“What do you think of the changes in your old hunting grounds that you see?”
“ Indian no like ’em. Too heap big wigwams. Much things in ’em no use Squaws put on heap much blankets.”
“Cost big strings wampum. Make pale face brave work. Squaws stay in wigwam. Have soft fingers. Indian squaws no that way.”
“What do you think of the big wigwams where pale faces go to worship the Great Spirit?”
“Big high. No good. Manitou no climb. Get dizzy. No hear preach.”
“Have you ever looked into the big wigwam where pale chiefs meet in council?”
“Ugh! What Indian want there? Big pow-wow. Heap talk. Little do.”
“What do you think about our water works?”
“Ugh! Indian no trouble. Indian always go to water. Pale face make water come to him. Much big thing. Take heap strings wampum. Pale face no have wampum. The talk leaves for wampum. More big thing. Heap palaver. Biggest thing.”
“What do you think of our new post office? I mean the wigwam where the pale faces go for their talk leaves?”
“Pale face no wise. Want too heap big much wampum. Big father chiefs no pay. Chiefs wise. Make their own wigwam. Chiefs good. “
By this time it was evident that the old Mohegan chief had but a contemptuous opinion of the institutions which have grown upover his old stamping ground since he was here in the flesh. The forests mostly gone; the wild game nearly annihilated; his fishing-places destroyed by works which to him were an abomination; the graves of his ancestors, desecrated;- what could there be in this new time to interestthe dusky son of the forest! Finally the leader propounded the question: “What do you think of our board of trade?”
“Ugh! Uncas tired. No talkee blankee fool. Uncas go.”
The lights were turned up, and the séance was over.”
It is good to see the past but as a city we must move forward into a new future.

Thank you for reading and sharing my history and Norwich Community blog freely with your family or friends or anyone you think might be interested or in a position to take on some of the suggested projects. Don’t hesitate to contact me for further information. I am happy to pass along anything I can. Together we can make a difference. Email comments on this blog to berylfishbone@yahoo.com View my past columns at http://www.norwichbulletin.com/section/blogs.

On Monday, March 19th I gave this speech in front of the Norwich, CT City Council. I did not realize there would be others speaking on the observed behavior of the members of the City Council as well. Just in case my words were lost amongst the other speakers I am printing them here for all to read.

As we hear words being used in the media they begin to creep into our vocabulary while we don’t know their precise definition.

A word I began hearing on the national news has been creeping into the local vocabulary and also being used to describe local political situations and events.

The word is collusion. I looked it up and its definition per merriam-webster is a
“ secret agreement or cooperation especially for an illegal or deceitful purpose.”

I know that such is not the case here in Norwich, CT. But I would like to remind you (Mr. Mayor and members of the City Council) that much of the world is about appearances. On occasion it’s good to look at situations from afar and visualize how they might appear to those people not directly involved. How phrases can be misinterpreted. For example,

“There is a lot going on behind the scenes.” Does that mean payoffs? Not quite perfect permits? Something sneaky and illegal?

“As we discussed in caucus.” Brings visions of old style backroom agreements. Was there brandy and cigars like we see in the movies?

“We can’t disclose . . .” Then why was it brought up? What is being hidden?

“We met on this date but can’t tell you why or what was discussed.” Then why did you bring it up?

“You have to trust us.” “It worked in other places.” There is a profit to be made for someone involved and not necessarily a legitimate investor.

“We talked about it in the kitchen don’t you remember.” That is a heart stopper. The people who elected you are thrilled you are speaking with your constituents but they are also counting on you to do what is best for everyone in the city and not just one portion. That phrase means you are out and about, talking and listening but your buddies and pals have an advantage not available to others.

Modern policies speak of transparency which the public not only expects, but deserves. The time has come for no more private discussions but open and honest public discourse on topics even the ones that might be uncomfortable.

Thank you for reading and sharing my history and Norwich Community blog freely with your family or friends or anyone you think might be interested or in a position to take on some of the suggested projects. Don’t hesitate to contact me for further information. I am happy to pass along anything I can. Together we can make a difference. Email comments on this blog to berylfishbone@yahoo.com View my past columns at http://www.norwichbulletin.com/section/blogs.

I posted notices. I put all food and snacks away in glass jars with lids. Trash was taken outside immediately. Bird food was moved to weatherproof sealed containers outside. But still every night it was party time and in the morning I had to clean up their debris. Personally I think they were just letting me know they were angry that their food supply was no longer available to them. Yes, you may have guessed it, my visitors were mice.

I am not good at setting the traps. I don’t want to kill them. I don’t like the sticky ones. Someone mentioned that mice don’t like mint and I should mix some mint oil, rubbing alcohol and water in a spray bottle and apply it along the baseboards and wherever I saw evidence of the critters.

Time for comparison shopping. I went first to the grocery store and the assembly of the products is under $10. That’s not too bad. There is even enough for another set of traps. Yes. I am guilty of being a one time only trap user. Then I stopped at the dollar store. Honestly, I thought I would just get a better deal on the rubbing alcohol but was I in for a surprise.

There on the rubbing alcohol shelf was a bright green bottle of rubbing alcohol with wintergreen. It is already mixed and smells pleasant. So I brought a bottle home and switched the cap for a spray bottle top. I sprayed it on the baseboards and counter and around the door and sink. Then I checked the next morning. No evidence of a party. So I have been repeating the spritzing twice a week. My guests appear to have moved on.

Now I want to make a personal request to the cleaning product companies who add the smells of fresh linen, lemon, lavender, wild flowers among the host of other lovely and wonderful scents to please add the scent of mint to the cleaning products.

Thank you for reading and sharing my history and Norwich Community blog freely with your family or friends or anyone you think might be interested or in a position to take on some of the suggested projects. Don’t hesitate to contact me for further information. I am happy to pass along anything I can. Together we can make a difference. Email comments on this blog to berylfishbone@yahoo.com View my past columns at http://www.norwichbulletin.com/section/blogs.

Times and tastes have changed since March 7, 1902 when these “Tested Receipts, of Value to the Housekeeper,” appeared in the Norwich Bulletin. Let me know if these are on your menu by these or another name.

Kedjeree. – One cup of cold boiled fish picked in small pieces, one cup of boiled rice, two hard boiled eggs chopped fine. Put in the frying pan with a small lump of butter, add the fish, season with salt and pepper, stir until very hot and serve with toast. [Great for fresh fish leftovers. It makes a unique spread on crackers when mixed with celery leaves or parsley and served with tomato soup.]

Tripe Salad. – Cut the tripe into small cubes. Rub the bottom of salad bowl with clove or garlic, arrange lettuce leaves, with some cress, put over the tripe and cover with a French dressing made by rubbing together a half teaspoon of salt, a little cayenne, four tablespoons oil and one of vinegar, add one teaspoon of tomato catsup. [Sorry I have zero experience with this.]

Potatoes and Chicken. – Season three cups of mashed potatoes to taste, add two tablespoons of butter, one-half cup of breadcrumbs, a teaspoon of finely minced onion and a well beaten yolks of two eggs. Mix thoroughly together, roll into small cakes, cover rather quickly with minced chicken, and put on another layer of the potato mixture. Fry to a light brown in boiling lard. [This is great on the grill and add a slice of cheese in the center for variety. No need for the lard.]

Tea Cake. – One pint milk, one-half pint flour, two eggs (whites and yolks beaten separately), one teaspoon butter, add the egg yolks, salt, then milk, then flour. Beat well, and lastly add the beaten egg whites. Drop in well buttered gem tins that have been heated quite hot. Bake in a quick oven. Serve hot. [ A quick oven is 375 – 400 degrees]

Fig Sandwiches. – Split a dozen dried figs, scrape out the soft portion, rejecting the skins; rub this to a paste. Butter either white or brown bread, then cut the slices from the loaf as this as possible. Remove the crusts and spread the paste over the bread. Another thin slice may be placed over this to form the sandwich, or it may be rolled and tied with baby ribbon. [ I have never tied a sandwich with baby ribbon and I like the crust so I leave it on. Fig is a great spread on canned brown bread, pumpernickel, whole wheat or white. Makes a great energy treat on a hike.]

Orange Cups. – Select twelve medium sized oranges of good shape and color. Cut a small circular piece from the stem end of each and remove the pulp in small pieces with a spoon. To the pulp add one small can of pineapple (sliced), two ripe bananas, quartered and sliced, one-quarter pound of Malaga grapes. Sweeten to taste. Fill the orange shells and garnish with candied cherries. [Malaga grapes are sweet and juicy green grapes. I like this with fresh crunchy fennel. The fronds can be an edible decoration.Yum!]

Thank you for reading and sharing my history and Norwich Community blog freely with your family or friends or anyone you think might be interested or in a position to take on some of the suggested projects. Don’t hesitate to contact me for further information. I am happy to pass along anything I can. Together we can make a difference. Email comments on this blog to berylfishbone@yahoo.com View my past columns at http://www.norwichbulletin.com/section/blogs.

Mills in Norwich, CT were built and torn down, and opened and closed but those interested in the history of our city concentrate only on the ones whose buildings we have photographs of. The stories of the rest are lost forever unless someone looks in the old newspapers such as this portion of an article from the March 3, 1902 titled, “ Norwich Town Otrobando Mill.”

“The Otrobando mill will be opened for work this Monday morning by the Shewville company for the purpose of filling orders unable to be supplied by the output of the latter mill. In engaging help those living in the vicinity of the mill have had the preference, and will continue to have it, though it is probable a few families may move from here to Shewville, and occupy some of the many vacant mill tenements on Sturtevant street. The cloth to be manufactured is the best for men’s wear, the yarn for the same being at present spun in the Shewville mill. Later it is possible ladies’ cloth may be made here. The former manager, Walter G. Hitchon, is in charge, and with James Fraser, and John Shea, who has had charge of the premises during the long period of inaction, has been busy during the past week getting the mill ready for operation. Heavy golf suiting was the last material manufactured here.”

Please stay tuned to this blog to learn more about the history of golf in Norwich, CT.

Thank you for reading and sharing my history and Norwich Community blog freely with your family or friends or anyone you think might be interested or in a position to take on some of the suggested projects. Don’t hesitate to contact me for further information. I am happy to pass along anything I can. Together we can make a difference. Email comments on this blog to berylfishbone@yahoo.com View my past columns at http://www.norwichbulletin.com/section/blogs.

When I get the chance, which is not as often as I would like, I peruse the New York Times. That means I don’t read it thoroughly but glance thru and read the articles that interest me. On February 5, 2018 I happened on an article by Jacob Bernstein titled “A Farewell to Liz, the Queen of Gossip.”

Liz Smith had died November 12, 2017 at age 94. One of the last true gossip columnists and the article was a summary of the speakers at her memorial service held on what would have been her 95th birthday, February 2. “Liz was the most bighearted connoisseur of scuttlebutt that God ever made,” said CBS correspondent Lesley Stahl, to a nearly full house of Liz Smith admirers at Broadway’s Majestic Theatre. “Liz forgave everyone and everyone forgave her.”

NBC correspondent Cynthia McFadden introduced the star studded program with “As Lizzie would have said: Greetings friends, enemies and those of you who aren’t yet decided!”

I won’t go thru the whole list of entertainers or the entertaining tales re-told in the article except for one, Billy Norwich. I need to check if his books are at Otis Library and just for the record, I sent him my very first ever, tweet. I just don’t know how to discover if he answered it. Anyway, here is the tale that caught my attention.

“Billy Norwich—the Vogue writer and editor, former gossip columnist and novelist—recalled how Smith took him under her wing, wrote letters of recommendation, and found journalism jobs for him when he was broke and struggling in Manhattan.
“She was the mother of my invention,” said Norwich, whose parents died before he reached the age of 20.
Norwich—who was born Billy Goldberg and hailed from Norwich, Connecticut—said he changed his byline at Smith’s suggestion, and that Smith engineered his gig as a sharp-penned gossip columnist at the Daily News—and then generously opened her Rolodex to him.
“I became Billy Norwich of Goldberg, Connecticut,” he joked, recalling that unlike Smith, who had a knack for smoothing things over with celebrities who didn’t always enjoy what she wrote about them, Norwich made powerful enemies right away.
Once, at a big society dinner, he was sitting at Smith’s table when one of his targets, Oscar de la Renta, came up in a rage and took a swing at him.
Smith blocked the blow with her arm, Norwich recalled. “She said, ‘Oscar, you can’t hit him! He’s a Jew wearing eyeglasses!’”
The audience at the Majestic roared with laughter.”

Thank you for reading and sharing my history and Norwich Community blog freely with your family or friends or anyone you think might be interested or in a position to take on some of the suggested projects. Don’t hesitate to contact me for further information. I am happy to pass along anything I can. Together we can make a difference. Email comments on this blog to berylfishbone@yahoo.com View my past columns at http://www.norwichbulletin.com/section/blogs.

The buildings that we currently refer to as the Reid & Hughes had a life as a dry goods store even before it was called the Boston Store. My source for this information is the February 6, 1893 Norwich Bulletin obituary of Leonard H. Chester.

Buildings themselves are great to trigger a fond memory or two but it doesn’t hurt to pay attention and to honor the individual people who made the fond memories possible.

“News was received in this city on Saturday that Leonard H. Chester, formerly of this city, had died suddenly at his home in Buffalo, N.Y., the evening previous. Mr. Chester was a native of Norwich, and for many years, almost from boyhood, was identified with the dry goods business in this city. Previous to his removal to Buffalo, which was about twenty-two years ago, he was the junior partner for several years in the firm of Williams & Chester, which did a large and lucrative business in the handsome block now occupied by Reid & Hughes and known as the Boston Store. He was a general favorite and universally esteemed for uprightness and strict business integrity. He was one of the five sons, all of whom made their mark in their different callings. But one survives – the Rev. Anson G. Chester. The elder son – Albert T. Chester, D.D, died in Buffalo a few months since, who for many years was a prominent clergyman of the Congregational church in western New York. Joseph L. Chester, another brother died in London after several years’ residence there, became an expert and an authority as a genealogical and archaeological student, and was acknowledged to be a savant among the many distinguished scholars of Great Britain. One of his works which brought him into prominence, was his book of several hundred pages entitled “Westminster Abbey Registers,” the fruit of many years’ hard labor and research. Queen Victoria, as a testimonial of her high appreciation of this work, sent him an autograph letter, complimenting and thanking him for the great service he had rendered England in devising and completing so great an undertaking. After his death, his memory was honored with a marble tablet in Westminster abbey, the only American – and he a Norwich boy – who has ever been thus honored in that famous mortuary of Great Britain.

Mr. L. H. Chester leaves a wife and a son, Carl Thurston Chester, who is one of the most prominent lawyers in Buffalo.”

Next time you are in London ask to see the memorial for American genealogist Colonel Joseph Lemuel Chester in the south choir aisle of Westminster Abbey. It is made of various coloured marbles and was put up in 1883. The inscription reads:
“Colonel Joseph Lemuel Chester L.L.D. of Columbia College, New York City as also D.C.L. of the university of Oxford. Born 30 April 1821 at Norwich, Connecticut U.S.A. Died 26 May 1882 in London where he had resided for many years. The learned editor of The Westminster Abbey REGISTER. In grateful memory of the disinterested labour of an American master of English genealogical learning this TABLET was erected by the Dean and Chapter of Westminster”

Thank you for reading and sharing my history and Norwich Community blog freely with your family or friends or anyone you think might be interested or in a position to take on some of the suggested projects. Don’t hesitate to contact me for further information. I am happy to pass along anything I can. Together we can make a difference. Email comments on this blog to berylfishbone@yahoo.com View my past columns at http://www.norwichbulletin.com/section/blogs.