USA > Connecticut > New Haven County > History of New Haven County, Connecticut, Volume III > Part 11
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While very successful from the teaching point of view, the scope of the tutoring school was very limited. For the boy who wished to spend a short time in intensive preparation for college these schools were ideal. But their success in this field was bought at the sacrifice of the other-and probably more important- aspects of school life. At Milford the problems arising from this state of affairs were especially pressing. The school had rapidly grown to a size large enough for the spontaneous development of school life. Furthermore, it had begun to attract more and more of the younger boys who planned to spend several years at the school and for whom it was imperative to provide the proper ex-
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tra-curriculum environment. To meet the situation school activ- ities were sufficiently diversified to provide all the manifold needs of the normal boy. These are supervised by members of the faculty bringing teachers and students in more intimate contact. At the same time there is no loss in class-room efficiency. If any- thing, the greater variety of interests tends to improve the scho- lastic standards by taking the tedium and grind out of the work.
Thus Milford has gradually developed into a preparatory school-with a difference. It has gravitated toward the normal secondary school atmosphere, yet has retained its individuality. It is the intimate school. The personal note, the easy camaraderie obtaining between the teachers and student body has persisted throughout its changing history. This has enabled Milford to maintain its high standard of intellectual efficiency. But of far greater importance is the fact that Milford builds healthy bodies, active minds and character. Milford does not keep a boy down by compelling him to conform to a multitude of petty rules and regu- lations but gives him every opportunity, within reasonable limits, to stand upon his own feet. Clean living, fair play and systematic attention to the day's work is the threefold objective that Milford tries to instill into its students, who are drawn from many sec- tions of the country and represent different types of environment. From the sharing of experiences with friends and acquaintances, in the contacts of daily life, there is developed tolerance, under- standing and a broader appreciation of life's values.
Beginning with June, 1916, the entrance examinations for the leading colleges were broadened in scope and a higher standard of thoroughness was demanded of the candidates for admission. The secondary schools were not meeting this problem in a satis- factory manner chiefly because of mass preparation, which was retarding the development of the bright boys, who found their classes dull and tedious, losing whatever incentive they had to make more rapid progress.
By limiting the number of pupils to but five boys to the class The Milford School can and does instill an interest, if not a love for the subject. The bright boy can travel with the winds. His desire and application are the only considerations which govern his progress. The slower boy is taken along at a pace suitable to his ability and temperament, but what he has learned he under- stands.
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The method of instruction at Milford symbolizes the individual character of the school. There is no fixed routine, no classes of fixed size. Some subjects, such as mathematics, are best taught individually, while others, such as English and history, are more adapted to class work. In the languages the size of the class de- pends on the aptitude of the students. The instruction at Mil- ford is the very antithesis of cramming. Every student is taught at a rate suitable for his particular development.
Situated halfway between New Haven and Bridgeport, Mil- ford is a typical old Connecticut town, an ideal place for a boys' school. The grounds of The Milford School comprise about twelve acres, on which several substantial modern buildings have been erected. Laurence W. Gregory, who received the Bachelor of Arts degree from Yale University, is headmaster of The Milford School, which now has an enrollment of about one hundred and twenty-five pupils. The faculty is comprised of men with wide experience in the work of preparing boys for college. They are, perhaps, the highest paid faculty in the country, guaranteeing the very best in their respective branches. The high rating of The Milford School is further indicated in the fact that its average in the college board examinations for the past three years was eighty-two and one-tenth per cent of examinations passed against sixty-eight per cent for all of the eastern private schools.
IRVING MICHAELS
Irving Michaels has been successfully engaged in the whole- sale jewelry and diamond business at New Haven since 1916 under the firm style of Irving Michaels & Company. Twelve retail jewelry stores, all bearing the name Michaels, have also been established, one after another, in the larger cities of Con- necticut and Rhode Island.
Irving Michaels was born in Halifax, Nova Scotia, December 7, 1880, his parents being Abraham L. and Clara Michaels, natives of Germany and of Canada respectively. The family moved to New York city in 1899. Irving Michaels was educated in the public and high schools of Halifax, and his first position was as a junior clerk with the Peoples Bank at Halifax. In 1899 he started in the jewelry business as a clerk for a jobbing jeweler
BACHRACH
IRVING MICHAELS
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on Maiden Lane, New York city. Five years later he purchased the business from his employer, and continued the business at that location until 1916, when he transferred his business and brought his family to New Haven.
On the 11th of June, 1906, Irving Michaels was united in mar- riage to Martha Isabelle Bauer, of New York city. They are the parents of four sons, namely: Howard I., who attended Culver Military Academy and is now completing a course at Yale Uni- versity; Arnold Lester and Roy A., who are attending Culver; and Irving, Jr.
Mr. Michaels is a member of the Rotary Club and the Race Brook Country Club.
CHARLES BERUBE
Starting as an automobile mechanic, Charles Berube has steadily progressed in his chosen line of work and is now a pros- perous business man, well known to motorists of Waterbury and the surrounding district as the proprietor of an up-to-date garage and service station. He was born in this city, January 29, 1898, a son of Leon and Letcie (Ludriquez) Berube, the latter a native of Spain. The father was born in France and has passed away.
In the acquirement of an education Charles Berube attended the St. Regis Academy in New Hampshire and afterward became an acrobat. For two years he traveled with Wheeler Brothers' Circus, performing as a tumbler. He soon tired of that line of work and decided that mechanical pursuits afforded greater op- portunities for advancement. Accordingly he served an appren- ticeship with the E. H. Trice Motor Company, Studebaker dealers, with whom he remained for five years, and during that time be- came thoroughly conversant with the mechanical construction of automobiles. Afterward he was employed in the Blue Ribbon Garage for five years and because of his skill as an automobile mechanic and his dependability was placed in charge of the serv- ice department.
In 1927 Mr. Berube started in business for himself on Welton street in a one-car garage, doing general automobile service work, and a year later was forced to seek more commodious quarters, opening a nine-car garage, with four well trained mechanics as
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his assistants. The business has continued to grow at a rapid rate. A Raybestos testing machine has been installed, and the Raybestos brake lining is used exclusively. Particularly efficient work is done in that connection, for this is the official Raybestos brake service station. Mr. Berube employs only men who have had long years of training and experience in getting every possible atom of power out of motors, and the cars repaired in his garage always perform with one hundred per cent efficiency. He has what is termed a one-stop superb auto service station, with nine expert mechanics, rendering a complete service which includes washing, polishing, greasing, wheel lining adjustment, battery service, electric and general repairs. Mr. Berube also does repair work for other garages, especially in connection with brake lining and acetylene oxygen service, and he is likewise sales representa- tive for the Blue Ribbon Garage Dodge cars, trucks and used cars. To the upbuilding of his business he has devoted much time, thought and effort, developing a model institution which is a de- cided asset to the city.
On the 28th of December, 1920, Mr. Berube was married in Waterbury to Miss Adelaide St. Hilaire, of French descent, and they have become the parents of a daughter, Adeline. Formerly Mr. Berube was a member of the Connecticut National Guard, serving in the drum corps from 1920 until 1923. In politics he is a republican but not a strong partisan, regarding the qualifica- tions of a candidate as a matter of prime importance. He is broad in his views, progressive in his standards and high in his ideals, a man of substantial worth and a native son whose record reflects credit and honor upon the city.
GEORGE MORRIS PECK
Although one of the younger members of the New Haven bar, George Morris Peck has thoroughly demonstrated his ability to cope with the intricacies of the law, while he also has business in- terests of importance. He was born in West Haven on the 3d of July, 1902, and is a son of George Leete and Katharine (Tolles) Peck, the former a native of Jamaica, Long Island, and the latter of Connecticut. The father is one of New Haven's leading attor- neys, well known as a member of the firm of Clark, Hall & Peck.
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In the public schools of his native city George M. Peck obtained his early education and in 1922 was graduated from the Hopkins Grammar School. Afterward he attended the New York Law School, which awarded him the degree of LL. B. in 1925, and in January, 1926, he was admitted to the bar. He has since been associated with the law firm of Clark, Hall & Peck, with offices at 129 Church street, and devotes much time and thought to the pre- paration of his cases, which he presents with clearness, logic and force. In addition to his legal work he is serving as a director of the New Haven Real Estate Title Company and as secretary and a director of Thompson & Peck, Inc.
Fraternally Mr. Peck is a Mason, belonging to Annawon Lodge, No. 115, F. & A. M .; Joseph Andrews Chapter, No. 46, R. A. M .; and Orange Council, No. 34, R. & S. M. He is a mem- ber of the New Haven Colony Historical Society, the New Haven County Bar Association, the Connecticut Bar Association and the American Bar Association. To the discharge of his duties in con- nection with professional and business affairs he brings the vigor and enthusiasm of youth as well as the keen discernment and sagacity so essential to successful achievement and possesses those qualities which inspire respect and friendship.
HOBART HASWELL RICHARDS
Hobart Haswell Richards represents the third generation of his family active in the control of the H. H. Richards Lumber Company of West Haven, which was founded in 1848 and of which he is now president and treasurer. He was born in Topeka, Kansas, April 11, 1888, his parents being Edward Augustus and Harriet Eliza (Haswell) Richards, the former a native of West Haven, Connecticut, and the latter of Hardinsburg, Kentucky. Extended mention of his father, who passed away in March, 1930, may be found on another page of this publication.
In pursuit of an education Hobart H. Richards attended the schools of West Haven and the Hopkins Grammar School of New Haven, Connecticut. The lumber industry has claimed his time and energies since the beginning of his business career, and it was in 1913, when twenty-five years of age, that he was made secre- tary of the H. H. Richards Lumber Company of West Haven, be-
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ing associated therein with his father and the latter's two brothers, Benjamin F. and George O., who is now deceased. Since his father's death he has been president and treasurer of the cor- poration, his associate officers being George B. Tompkins, vice president, and Mrs. Florence (Richards) Lewis, secretary. He possesses untiring energy, is quick of perception, forms his plans readily and is determined in their execution, and his close appli- cation to business and his excellent management have brought to him the high degree of prosperity which is today his. It is true that he became interested in a business already established, but in controlling and enlarging such an enterprise many a man of even considerable resolute purpose, courage and industry would have failed, and he has demonstrated the truth of the saying that success is not the result of genius but the outcome of clear judg- ment and experience.
On the 19th of October, 1910, Mr. Richards was married to Miss Lorraine Banks, of West Haven. They are the parents of a daughter, Marjorie Lorraine, born September 21, 1911. Mr. Richards is a member of the New Haven Kiwanis Club and the Race Brook Country Club and enjoys high standing in social as well as business circles of his community.
LUIGI JAMELE
Luigi Jamele, proprietor of a grocery store and meat market at 899 Bank street in Waterbury, where he also conducts a steam- ship ticket agency, has been actively engaged in business on his own account in this city during the past twenty-three years and has gained a gratifying measure of success in his undertakings. A native of Italy, he was born in the town of Celenza Valfortore, in the province of Foggia, January 7, 1880, a son of Pasquale and Mary (Gelsi) Jamele. His public school education was supple- mented by five years' study in a seminary. He was a youth of eighteen when he came to Waterbury, Connecticut, and obtained employment in the brass shops of the Plume & Atwood Manu- facturing Company, in the service of which he continued for seven years, while subsequently he spent two years as operator of an automatic screw machine in the plant of the Scovill Manufactur- ing Company. It was in 1907 that he embarked in the grocery
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and meat business on Bank street and throughout the intervening period of twenty-three years he has successfully carried on the establishment, his patronage steadily growing by reason of the fact that he has always put forth his best efforts to please and satisfy his customers. During the past fifteen years he has also conducted a steamship ticket agency, principally for the conveni- ence of such of his countrymen as are coming from or going back to Italy.
On the 19th of December, 1907, Mr. Jamele was united in marriage to Lena Di Pietro, of Celenza Valfortore, Italy. They are the parents of five children, as follows: Idea, who has received two years' high school training in Waterbury and who during the past two years has been studying music and voice under Walter J. Damrosch in New York city; Primo, who is a graduate of the Crosby high school and is now in business with his father; Fulgie, a graduate of the Wilby high school, who is employed in the office of the Waterbury Clock Company; Vera, a graduate of the Leav- enworth high school of Waterbury, who is now studying art; and Louis, Jr., a little lad of five years.
Mr. Jamele maintains an independent attitude in politics, supporting men and measures rather than party. Fishing and hunting constitute his favorite forms of recreation. He has never regretted his determination to establish his home in America, for here he has found the opportunities which he sought and in their wise utilization has won not only material prosperity but also the warm regard and esteem of his fellowmen.
ROGER W. TUTTLE
Roger W. Tuttle is president of the printing and office equip- ment business conducted in New Haven under the style of the Tuttle, Morehouse & Taylor Company, with which he has been continuously connected since the beginning of his active career thirty-five years ago. He is a native son of New Haven, Connecti- cut, born April 30, 1875, his parents being George H. and Bessie S. (Collins) Tuttle. Excellent educational advantages were af- forded him in his youth, for he attended both the Hopkins Gram- mar School and Yale University, being graduated from the latter institution with the Bachelor of Arts degree in 1895. In the fall
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of that year he joined his father in the conduct of the business of the Tuttle, Morehouse & Taylor Company, in which he has re- mained active to the present time and of which he is now at the head. He has proved an able successor of his worthy father in its successful control and has long been numbered among the repre- sentative and prosperous business men of New Haven. He is a director of the Broadway Bank & Trust Company and the Young Men's Institute of this city.
On the 22nd of May, 1901, Mr. Tuttle was married to Miss Lillian May Hopton, and they reside at 161 Linden street in New Haven. The military record of Mr. Tuttle covers service as a member of Company F, Second Regiment, Connecticut National Guard, from July 8, 1897, to 1902. He is a member of the Rotary Club, the Graduate, New Haven Lawn and New Haven Country Clubs, the New Haven Colony Historical Society and is an associ- ate member of the Connecticut Academy of Arts and Science. He also belongs to the Yale Alumni Association of New Haven, to the Yale Club of New York city and to the Association of Class Secre- taries. Mr. Tuttle is a member of Trinity Episcopal Church, of which he is junior warden. He is very fond of golf and frequently finds needed recreation in a game on the links.
JOHN M. KENNEY
As clerk of the probate court John M. Kenney is doing import- ant work in the field of public service and performs with equal thoroughness and ability the duties which devolve upon him as resident manager in Naugatuck for the Republican-American of Waterbury. He was born August 2, 1895, in the town where he still makes his home, and is a son of John J. and Nora (Dorgan) Kenney, natives of Ireland and now deceased.
Leaving high school at the close of his sophomore year, John M. Kenney pursued his studies under private tutors, and when his education was completed he turned to journalism. While con- nected with the Naugatuck Daily News he gained practical ex- perience in various phases of newspaper work, particularly its mechanical aspect, being employed principally in the linotype and stereotype departments and in the press room. During the World war he enlisted in the United States Army, going first to Camp
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Devens, Massachusetts, and from there to Camp Upton, New York, where he prepared for overseas' service with Company E of the Three Hundred and Eighth United States Infantry, at- tached to the Second Battalion, which formed a part of the Seventy-seventh Division. While at the front he was head runner with the command of Major George McMurtry, whose battalion participated in the Meuse-Argonne and Chateau Thierry drives, and in June, 1919, he returned to the United States.
When mustered out of the service Mr. Kenney resumed his newspaper work, becoming a reporter for the Republican-Ameri- can in Waterbury, and satisfactorily filled assignments there un- til 1925, when he was promoted to the position of resident man- ager. Since that time he has represented the paper in Naugatuck, working earnestly and effectively to promote its interests. In 1922 he was clerk of the probate court for a brief period, and in 1928 was appointed to the office by Judge Martin E. Gormley. Accurate, painstaking and efficient, Mr. Kenney meets every re- quirement of the office, amply justifying the confidence reposed in his ability. A stanch democrat, he is a recognized leader in the ranks of the party and has successfully managed a number of political campaigns. His fraternal affiliations are with the Red Men, the Eagles, the Modern Woodmen of America and the Knights of Columbus. He also belongs to the American Legion and the Young Men's Christian Association. He enjoys outdoor sports, particularly those of fishing and hunting, but never neg- lects his work, for fidelity to duty is one of his salient qualities. Mr. Kenney is a young man of pleasing personality, genial nature and much force of character and enjoys the esteem of all who know him.
HENRY CRUISE HIGGINS
Henry C. Higgins, clerk of the common pleas court of New Haven, was born in Brooklyn, New York, October 15, 1887, a son of Charles S. and Anna W. (Murphy) Higgins, also natives of that city, where the father engaged in business as a soap manu- facturer, his product being well known under the name of the Higgins German Laundry Soap.
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At the usual age Henry C. Higgins entered the public schools, and in 1908 he was graduated from the Hopkins Grammar School. He was next a student in the Yale Law School and re- ceived the LL. B. degree in 1911. In the same year he was admitted to the bar and practiced in New Haven for a few years. In 1915, however, he was appointed assistant clerk of the com- mon pleas court and acted in that capacity until 1924, when he was appointed clerk of the court by Judges Booth and Simpson. He has since served in this capacity, capably and faithfully per- forming his duties and thus receiving the strong endorsement of the general public. He has membership in the New Haven County Bar Association and belongs to the Masonic fraternity, conforming his conduct to the high ideals and purposes of these organizations. During his leisure hours he enjoys fishing and other outdoor sports.
R. F. WORDEN & SONS, INC.
The history of R. F. Worden & Sons, Inc., of Waterbury is a record of continuous progress and noteworthy achievement. This enterprise had its inception in 1904, when the late R. F. Worden started in the milk business on a small scale on Manhan street, later removing to the rear of 42 Walnut street and subsequently, as the business expanded, to 152 Cherry street, where the large dairy and ice cream plant, one of the finest of the kind in New England, is located at the present time.
Mr. Worden was a man of first class habits; congenial; ap- preciative; and had a wonderful personality; and he often said to his boys: "In order to attain success, we must first obtain the confidence and good-will of the people of Waterbury." These are the principles the Worden organization has at all times tried to carry out since their dear friend and employer has left them. Starting with a small milk route of less than 250 quarts of milk daily, the Worden Company have increased their sales to be- tween 16,000 to 17,000 quarts of milk daily, the result of what a modern, sanitary, and up-to-date dairy, plus quality, courtesy and service means to a community. How well and how wisely R. F. Worden builded when he organized R. F. Worden & Sons, Inc., is indicated by the great strides made by that organization
R. J. Worden
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in the comparatively few years of its history. Some years ago a newspaper man asked "Art" Worden what his one great aim in life was. Mr. Worden replied, "To maintain the high ideals of my father. I want R. F. Worden & Sons, Inc., to grow as my father had planned it should because I know his whole purpose in life was to maintain the highest business integrity and to help his city."
The housewife who finds her milk on the porch every morn- ing and whose sole responsibility in the matter is to put out the empty bottles, little realizes the intricate organization through which she is supplied. In these days of hustle to get the where- withal with which to live, few have time to know much of what other men's troubles and worries are, it is interesting, therefore, to read of the machinery which men have built up to help supply the daily needs of a city.
Worden's is a household word in Waterbury and for that reason thousands of visitors have inspected the Worden plant within the past five years and were amazed because of the size of the organization and the evident indications of the great finan- cial investment. Every day is visiting day at Worden's, although visiting nights are every Friday. Special visiting nights are arranged for fraternal organizations and clubs. In this institu- tion, which is a model of its kind, the New York city ordinance concerning pasteurization is observed and everything is carried on with the most scrupulous regard for the purity of the milk and the health of patrons. One of the most notable things about the entire plant is its atmosphere of cleanliness. The floors are concrete and scrubbed daily with boiling water and every piece of piping used for conducting milk is uncoupled and thoroughly cleaned with live steam.
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