USA > Connecticut > New Haven County > Waterbury > The town and city of Waterbury, Connecticut, from the aboriginal period to the year eighteen hundred and ninety-five. Volume III > Part 34
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In 1895 the charter of the Industrial school was amended, so that the corporation could hold property to the amount of $100,000.
THE KING'S DAUGHTERS; CENTRAL BAND.
The Central Band of King's Daughters was organized in May, 1888, by Mrs. Augustus I. Goodrich, Mrs. I. N. Russell, Elizabeth Platt, Alice Platt and Annie Russell. It is in affiliation with the national organization, which has headquarters in New York and is under the presidency of Mrs. Margaret Bottome. The motto "Bear ye one another's burdens " and the name Individual Workers were adopted, with constitution and by-laws. The objects of the band and the methods of its work are indicated by this motto and name. All the members work independently, and each may report at the regular monthly meetings what she has done, or not. Money is only a ninor element in the work. The funds are small and consist of monthly dues, nominal in amount and voluntary. Little effort was nade to enlarge the membership, and little was known of this inobtrusive but pervasive influence for good, until the winter of 893-94, when the drain upon its resources led those who knew its sefulness to make public its work and seek to increase the means
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at its disposal. The number of active members at that time was fifty-eight. The officers are: President, Mrs. A. I. Goodrich; vice- presidents, Mrs. L. H. Schuyler and Mrs. A. A. Benedict ; recording secretary, Mrs. B. F. Ball; corresponding secretary, Mrs. R. E. Colby; treasurer, Mrs. M. J. Fogg.
Other bands have been organized in Waterbury and are doing good work.
THE BOYS' CLUB.
The Waterbury Boys' club was opened on January 8, 1889, the eighth club established by the Connecticut Committee on work for boys, of the organization for Christian Workers in the United States and Canada, of which Frederick J. Kingsbury and Charles F. Mitchell were members. The number of boys who joined the club on the first night was eighty-four, and the total membership during the first session, which closed April 27, 1889, was 268. The com- mittee in charge consisted of Dwight L. Smith, chairman ; Gordon B. Lawrence, secretary; Charles F. Mitchell, treasurer, and W. H. Bush, auditor. W. P. Jarrett was superintendent. The club room was on the corner of North Elm and Kingsbury streets. The club re-opened on October 5, 1889, at No. 151 South Main street. Super- intendent Jarrett resigned and was succeeded in February, 1890, by S. N. Hansell, who resigned in September, 1890, and was succeeded by Nicholas Combellack, the present superintendent. The rooms were removed to No. 4 Market place at the beginning of Mr. Com- bellack's work, classes in calisthenics, physiology, drawing, reading, writing and arithmetic were started and a bathing room was opened. The location of the work since September, 1891, has been at No. 21 Harrison alley. A dormitory was established there during the winter of 1892-93 and an average of a dozen boys were given lodg- ings at night. The average evening attendance at the club in winter is over 100, but this declines as warm weather approaches. Superintendent Combellack obtained permanent employment for ninety-nine club boys during the season of 1894-95 and temporary work for 1508, and secured homes for fifty-two homeless ones. Het acts constantly as agent to bring together the boys and those who will employ them and give them homes. The sum of $881.31 was earned by boys at odd jobs of house cleaning and the like, and $189.99 by caning chairs, and the money is spent for the education of those who do the work. Supplies of clothing and food are sent in or collected at the homes of those willing to give them. The total annual expense is about $1800, and is met by voluntary sub-
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scriptions. The Rev. John C. Collins, general superintendent of the work for boys, has said that the Waterbury Boys' club is per- haps the most successful one in Connecticut and Massachusetts.
In May, 1895, the Boys' club was incorporated, under the general joint-stock law, and D. F. Maltby, D. L. Smith, A. C. Mintie, C. S. Chapman and C. F. Mitchell were elected directors. Mr. Maltby was made president, Mr. Smith vice-president, Mr. Mintie secretary, B. G. Bryan treasurer, and Mr. Combellack superintendent.
THE YOUNG WOMEN'S FRIENDLY LEAGUE.
For many years it had been the desire of Mrs. S. E. Harrison and a number of other women of Waterbury to institute an organi- zation such as is now represented by the Young Women's Friendly league; but it was through the influence of the Mission circle of the Second Congregational church, of which Mrs. P. B. Norton was president, that the subject was first presented to the public. A meeting was held at St. John's chapel on November 15, 1889, with a view to the formation of a club for wage-earning and self- supporting young women and girls. It was attended by the pastors of the city churches and a few other men, and by a number of prominent women. Henry W. Scovill was chairman and Mrs. S. E. Harrison secretary, and a committee was appointed to nominate a general committee of twelve or more who should organize and take charge of the work, and to draft a constitution and by-laws. A week later a second meeting was held at the same place, when a con- stitution and by-laws were presented and adopted, and the follow- ing officers were elected:
President, Katharine L. Peck; vice-president, Mary M. Abbott; recording sec- retary, Mrs. George S. Abbott; corresponding secretary, Constance G. DuBois; treasurer, Helen E. Chase; auditor, Mary K. Parsons; directors, Mesdames J. J. Jacques, A. I. Goodrich, T. J. Peck, S. E. Harrison, E. S. Quintard, J. S. Elton, G. H. Cowell, Daniel Kiefer, S. W. Kellogg, P. B. Norton, Jesse Minor, Miss Helen Merriman, Dr. Caroline R. Conkey.
The directors held their first meeting on December II, with Mrs. Jacques as chairman. Mrs. G. S. Abbott was made permanent chairman of the board. Mrs. Jesse Minor was made secretary, but ifter a few weeks was succeeded by Miss DuBois. Mrs. Amos S. feer was secured as matron, and a room in the Abbott building, on he corner of Abbott and Phoenix avenues, was rented.
This room was first occupied on January 1, 1890, and during that ear and subsequently educational classes were organized for the
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pursuit of practical studies. These classes have continued, with but slight interruption, although varying in the number of members. They are taught by voluntary instructors, and the subjects are reading, arithmetic, penmanship, stenography, typewriting, history, elocution, instrumental and vocal music, plain sewing, mending, millinery, dressmaking, embroidery. There are also classes in phy- sical training, and the courses of the Chautauqua Literary and Social circle are pursued.
During the first year the membership increased to such an extent that a larger room became a necessity, and on December 31, 1891, the league removed to the Platt building on East Main street. For the next year and a half there was but slight change in the method of work or in the personnel of the management; but on May 17, 1892, the board of officers declined a re-election and a new board was elected. Mrs. Geer also resigned her position as matron, and Mrs. William S. Rogers was engaged as superintendent. From this date the room was open two hours during the day in addition to the regular evening hours.
Again, owing to the bringing in of new members and the increase in the general attendance, it became necessary to have enlarged accommodations. To meet the want a generous donation was made in October, 1894, by Elisha Leavenworth, whereby the league was enabled to rent one-half of the second floor of the Platt building. On November 27, possession was taken; but on Decem- ber 28, the building was destroyed by fire, and the league was with- out a home. Four days later they were settled on the third floor of the Castle building on North Main street. The quarters here, how- ever, proved inadequate, and on July 1, 1895, the league removed into the building formerly occupied by the Bronson library (pic- tured on page 41).
The officers for 1895 are:
President, Mrs. George N. Ells.
Vice-presidents, Ellen R. Townsend, Martha C. Wells, Mrs. O. W. Noble, Caro- line Goss.
Secretaries, Ella Hart, Harriet E. Tuttle.
Treasurers, Florentine H. Hayden, Anna L. Ward.
In May, 1892, the league joined the Connecticut association of Working Girls' clubs, the fourth state convention of which was held in Waterbury, May 23, 1894. On April 14, 1893, a charter, incorpo- rating the league, was procured from the legislature. This charter, as amended in 1895, permits the league to hold real and personal property to the amount of $50,000, and provides for the appoint- ment of a self-perpetuating advisory board. The following were
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appointed : A. S. Chase, F. J. Kingsbury, J. S. Elton, H. L. Wade, E. S. Hayden.
The object of the Friendly league, which is non-sectarian and undenominational, is the development of intellectual, industrial and social character in self-supporting and wage-earning girls and young women. It aims to assist girls to help themselves and thus to become better fitted for life's duties, responsibilities and pleas- ures. Its expenses are met by the monthly dues of active club members and entertainments given by them, fees from classes, annual dues of associate and subscription members, and the con- tributions of friends.
HEBREW BENEVOLENT SOCIETIES.
In 1873 a number of the Hebrew residents in Waterbury organ- ized a lodge of the Independent Order of B'nai B'rith (Sons of the Covenant) under the jurisdiction of the Grand lodge of the order. On September 7 of that year, this lodge was initiated under the name of Melchizedek lodge, No. 200. On the day of its institution, there was a larger number of visiting Hebrews in Waterbury than at any time before or since. About seventy-five persons sat down to a banquet which the young lodge had prepared for them.
Joseph Ehrlich, who afterward removed to Albany, Ga., was its first president, Jacob Johnson, now of New Haven, was the first vice-president, and Joseph Pollak the first secretary. The first meeting was held in the hall of Speedwell lodge of the Knights of Pythias; the meeting place was afterwards removed to Lampson's hall on Bank street, and finally to Johnson's hall, where the mem- bers now meet. The lodge has prospered and now (1895) counts eighteen resident and a good number of non-resident members. Its object is mainly charitable. It extends aid not only to its members, but to others. For the past twenty years it has paid out for chari- ties and benevolent purposes about $17,000.
For reference to Melchizedek cemetery, which was established by this lodge, see page 789.
The Russian refugees also have a lodge, called the Waterbury City lodge, No. 105, of the Order of B'nai Abraham (Sons of Abraham). It is under the jurisdiction of a Grand lodge situated in New York city, and was organized December 9, 1888. There are about thirty-five members, all residing in Waterbury.
The Hebrew Ladies' Benevolent society was organized Sep- tember 4, 1878, with a membership of sixteen. The officers chosen were: President, Mrs. Maier Kaiser; vice-president, Mrs. Adelia
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Pollak; secretary, Mrs. Lena Thalinger; treasurer, Rosa Buckner; collector, Mrs. Celia Levi. The present membership is eleven, and the officers (1895) : President, Mrs. I. H. Kamak; vice-president, Mrs. Jacob Buckner; secretary, Mrs. Maier Kaiser; treasurer, Mrs. Isidore Chase. The society was re-organized a few years ago.
THE CONNECTICUT HUMANE SOCIETY; WATERBURY MEMBERSHIP.
Plans to organize a Humane Society for Connecticut were per- fected in Hartford in 1880, and the act of incorporation was passed on April 14, 1881. The vice-presidents for Waterbury in the orig- inal organization were the Rev. Joseph Anderson, D. D., and Fred- erick J. Kingsbury. Before her journey to the west, Miss Caroline J. Welton of this city had interested herself in the organization of a society. The work involves rescue and relief for helpless and oppressed old men and women and little children, as well as hungry, abused and abandoned dumb animals, wherever found. The aim of the state organization is to secure a membership in all parts of the state, with local agents to receive complaints and prosecuting officers to bring offenders into court. Mrs. Elizabeth M. Gates has made annual visits to the local branches since 1885. The receipts and expenditures for the state society for the year 1893 were about $10,000. The number of persons relieved was 944, animals relieved 1383, animals humanely killed 522, prosecutions 138, convictions 124.
In Waterbury there are thirty-five "active " members (annual dues $5), nine " associate " members (dues $3), and thirty - one "branch" members (dues $1). So that although no local meet- ings are held, the annual contribution of the local branch to the society's fund is $233, and the total contributed in the past ten or twelve years is more than $2500. Waterbury has had two life members of the society, John C. Booth (deceased) and Edward Atkins. The vice-presidents for Waterbury are the Rev. Joseph Anderson, D. D., the Rev. Francis T. Russell, D. D., and Frederick J. Kingsbury. The number of local agents in the town is twelve.
CAROLINE JOSEPHINE WELTON.
Caroline Josephine Welton, daughter of Joseph Chauncey and Jane E. (Porter) Welton (page 337), was born in Waterbury, June 7, 1842. She was educated at Miss Edwards's school in New Haven and at the Mears-Burkhardt school in New York city, and studied drawing and oil painting with James and William Hart and their sister Mrs. Beers. She was very fond of riding, and on her spirited
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black horse "Knight " was for several years a familiar figure in the streets of Waterbury, sometimes in weather that would have kept
THE WELTON DRINKING FOUNTAIN AND THE CITY HALL.
most people within doors. After the death of her father, in 1874, she decided on an extended course of travel, and thinking that she ought first to see her own country, spent several months in Cali-
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fornia and the vicinity, visiting the remarkable places on the Pacific slope. For awhile her plans were interrupted by ill health, but in 1883 she resumed her journeyings and visited the Rocky mountain region, making a temporary home at Colorado Springs. She made several ascents of the higher peaks of that region, and also wrote brilliant descriptions of the scenery and of her experiences to her friends.
It was her fondness for mountain climbing that led to her death. On Long's peak on September 23, 1884, she was overtaken by a vio- lent snow storm, and being enfeebled by exertion and by cold, her heart, which for some years had shown signs of failure, suddenly ceased to act, and despite the best efforts of the guide to sustain her she sank down and perished before assistance could be procured.
For some years Miss Welton gave one-tenth of her income to charitable objects, placing one-half in her rector's hands and giving the other half to the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Ani- mals, of which her friend, Henry Bergh, was president, and in whose work she took the greatest interest. She was very fond of animals, especially of horses. By her will (which was unsuccessfully contested), she provided for the erection of the drinking fountain which is so conspicuous an ornament to our public square,* and gave the greater part of the remainder of her estate to her favorite soci- ety, making Mr. Bergh her executor. Miss Welton had much per- sonal beauty, was tall, erect, and of fine carriage and striking per- sonality.
THE "EARLY CLOSING" REFORM.
Forty-five years ago the advocates of early closing did not go further than to ask that the stores close at half past eight during the summer months. The extent and the success of this modest effort are indicated by an agreement reached in 1850, which reads as follows:
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The undersigned, believing that all the ends of trade may be fully accomplished by closing our stores at an earlier hour during the summer months, and thereby offering to those in our employ the benefit of such extra leisure as it may afford them, decide to close at half past eight o'clock. We respectfully invite our even- ing customers to lend their influence to its support by making their purchases at an earlier hour.
Waterbury, April 29, 1850.
* The fountain was completed and first used on November 10, 1888. The base is of Quincy granite, eight and one-half feet high, and supports a bronze horse weighing 2500 pounds, representing Miss Welton's favorite " Knight." The designer was Karl Gerhardt of Hartford, and the horse was cast by the Ames company of Chicopee, Mass.
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This was signed by Henry Merriman & Co., Brown, Holmes & Co., Thomas H. Oakley & Co., Orin Slate, Nirom B. Platt, H. J. Johnson, and J. Sands, names representing probably a considerable majority of the stores in town at that time. But the advance achieved was not permanent, and the fight had to be made over again year after year, sometimes with good results but usually with only partial suc- cess. In June, 1871, the hour of closing was fixed at eight o'clock, and all the prominent merchants agreed to that hour, except the grocers- Benedict & Merriman and R. D. Gibby being the only firms in this trade to enter the agreement.
Reform was slow and faltering, and in the spring of 1890 the only stores that were closed in the evening were the leading dry goods houses, and they but two evenings a week. There was a gain in time, however, as early closing now meant closing at six p. m. In July of that year the Waterbury Early Closing association was organized with a membership of about 200, and a spirited campaign was opened. The officers of the association were: President, George Barnes; secretary, William Shepard; treasurer, R. J. McGranor. An effort was made to arouse public opinion and an effective instrument to this end was the Early Closing Advocate, a four-page paper pub- lished by the association and edited by John Littlejohn. Thousands of copies were distributed throughout the city, month after month, and in this way general interest and sympathy were aroused. The association was materially assisted in its work by the press of the city, and most of the pastors indorsed the movement. The Young Men's Christian association also gave it organized support. After a period of four years the hopes of the association have not been wholly realized, but much has been accomplished. At the close of 1894 nearly all the stores were closed at least three even- ings a week.
THE CONNECTICUT INDIAN ASSOCIATION; WATER- BURY BRANCH.
The Waterbury branch of the Connecticut Indian association was formed June 15, 1888, by Mrs. Sara T. Kinney, then of Hart- ford. The officers elected were Mrs. Frank E. Castle, president; Mrs. Charles F. Chapin, vice-president; Mrs. Charles L. Stocking, secre- tary; Mrs. Thomas Donaldson, treasurer. The number of members reached thirty during the first year and has increased to seventy- four, that being the highest number for a single year. The objects of the association are four: To loan money without interest to Indians wishing to erect houses; to assist Indian boys and girls in
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obtaining a higher education; to support lay missionaries; to pay a practical farmer to teach the Indians agricultural arts. An annual fee of one dollar is charged to each member, and these fees, together with money raised by lectures and entertainments, have been used for some definite object, such as the education of an Indian girl to be a physician, the building of a farm and mission house at Fort Hall in Idaho, or the support of a farmer there, to instruct the Indians in practical farming. The amounts raised during the first five years were respectively as follows: $105, $75, $114, $120, $110. Meetings are held quarterly, and the annual meet- ing is held in the third week in October.
RECORD OF TEMPERANCE REFORM.
Modern work in temperance reform, as carried on in Waterbury and represented in the history of the following societies, is com- paratively a recent development. But almost the first appreciation of the evils of intemperance was conceived and the first organized resistance to its destructive power was made so near to Waterbury that its influence was felt here nearly a quarter of a century earlier than the religious and philanthropic undertakings described at the beginning of the chapter. In May, 1789, a pledge not to use distilled liquors and to stop the general custom of supplying it to laborers was signed by thirty-six men in Litchfield, and the list includes the familiar names of Julius Deming, Benjamin Tall- madge, Uriah Tracy, Ephraim Kirby, Moses Seymour, Daniel Sheldon, Tapping Reeve, Frederick Wolcott and John Welch. Judge Church in his Litchfield Centennial address expresses the belief that the first temperance association in this part of Connec- ticut was formed among the iron operatives at Mount Riga, in Salisbury. In 1806 came the sermon of the Rev. Ebenezer Porter, of Washington, in this state, preached after the finding of a dead man in the snow with a bottle of spirits by his side. It created a deep impression and was widely distributed as a tract. Mr. Porter's statistics showed that 7,641,207 gallons of foreign spirits and 2,604,207 gallons of wine were imported annually into the United States, and that 30,000 distilleries added their native pro- duct to the stock. A description of the general prevalence of the drinking habit at this time is a graphic revelation:
Strong drink was considered a luxury, a necessity and a universal panacea. It was in all families and on all tables, in all pleasures, recreations and labors, a reg- ular ration in the hay and harvest field, in all manufactories and ship yards, in fishing, boating and coasting, in the cold of winter and the heat of summer. It
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was the universal proffer of hospitality, freely given and partaken of at weddings and funerals, at ministerial calls, at ordinations and associations, without the least sense of impropriety, provided it was not used to excess. It helped the lawyer plead, the minister preach and the physician go his rounds of duty. None could tell its work, but all were made to feel its curse.
Mr. Porter's sermon stirred the churches to a sense of duty, but not to courage of action. Committees were appointed and were discharged without practical recommendation. The idea of disuse as a remedy was too radical for prompt acceptance.
The first decided movement toward abstinence was made by the Fairfield West consociation, which on October 13, 1812, resolved "that the customary use of ardent spirits shall be wholly discon- tinued from this hour." This resolution, binding only on the ministers themselves, was accompanied by a recommendation of abstinence to the community at large. The Connecticut Society for the Reformation of Morals was an outgrowth of this attempt at reform, but the war of 1812 interfered with its work and the end of it revealed increased demoralization. In 1821 the editor of the Connecticut Observer of Hartford was advised by ministers and church members that his paper would be ruined if he continued to publish the short caustic articles favoring total abstinence written by Dr. Calvin Chapin. In the same year the memorable " six temperance sermons" of Lyman Beecher had a mighty influence.
On May 20, 1829, the Connecticut Temperance society was organ- ized, and its first annual report showed that there were in the state two rum distilleries, ten gin and whisky distilleries, and 300 smaller distilleries, chiefly of cider. There were 1026 licensed retailers and 400 licensed taverners. Every twenty-fifth family among the 45,000 in the state (the population was 275,248) was en- gaged in supplying the rest with intoxicating drinks, There were in the state 6881 common drunkards.
In 1833 the national convention in Philadelphia declared the liquor traffic morally wrong, and that of 1836 at Saratoga Springs adopted the pledge of total abstinence. To the requirements thus laid down the Congregational ministers and churches conformed. The conflict was hard and bitter with those church members who were rich through liquor selling, but in the end the principle was established that the traffic as well as the use must be abandoned by all who professed the Christian religion. In 1840 six young men in Baltimore, recovering from a debauch, during which they had discussed temperance to more purpose than they were conscious of, took the pledge of total abstinence and made the beginnings of the Washingtonian society. They carried the banner through New
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