New Britain Herald Newspaper, November 21, 1928, Page 20

TO GHEK INDUANS Sam Colt Koew White Man Was. “The success of Hartford in the | business world is due to Samucl | Colt, inventor or the first revolve: said George long, general manager of the Gray Telephone Pay Station Co. of Hartford, speaking to the members of the Exchange club last evening at the Burritt hotel. Elmer W. Pape, president of the Kiwanis club, was a guest of honor at the meeting. He spoke briefly | and said that he believed that the five service clubs in the city could | accomplish more if they worked | more closely together. At present, he stated, cach club is working to- ward the same end but independent of the others. | The Exchange club voted to fur- nish b ets of food to the needy on Thanksgiving Day. Suteliffc was appointed charge of the work. * Invention of Revolver Mr. Long spoke as follows: “Phe revolver is distinctly an American invention and to a Hart ford boy, Saumuel Colt, is given the credit for its creation. Sam Colt | was born in Hartford, July 19th. | 1814, and died in Hartford January 2, in his 49th year. He was one of 10 children including half- Lrothers and sisters by his father's second wife, his own mother having died when he was six years of age. {is father being 4 man of smail ;means necessitated Samuel at an carly age heing apprenticed out to a | sarmer in War for his board und clothes and gh this was a Tard life for a strong-headed, im- pulsive and affectionate boy, in one particular it was distinctly the best thing that could have happened fto | Vim. That one particular which | would probably have been the ruin of any other boy was the freedom from parental control. “Sam Colt seemed to have an in- born love for firearms and when ne was a young boy this was a dominant trait of character. He obtained pis- | tols and guns from several farmers in Ware and he used to take them apart, clean and reassemble them, which was considerable work for a small boy without mechanical tral ing, considering that they containad many small parts thdt had to he as- #embled in sequence. Whittles Model of Revolver “Sam had but little schooling and £t the age of 15 he became a sailor, making his first trip to India and it was during this voyage that he con- cived the idea of a pistol that would shoot several shots without re-loading. He received this idea | fter reading of the Indians attack- | ing the whitc man because they knew that after th 18 fired it is voy- g model ol wh RO fous re- voiver. This model is now on ex- Libition in the Wadsworth atheneum | in Hartford. “While examining to this model | MARCKL and FINGER WAVING at BOSCO'S LADIES' BARBER SHOP AND BEAUTY PAKLOR Muke Yeur Thanksgiviog Appolntment Karly \ PHONE 1543 StoveRepairs Complete line of stove repai. parts carried in stock. NEW BRITAIN STOVE REPAIR CO. 66 Lafayette St. Tel. 772 The O‘yste;' Season Has Returned The Headquarters For the Best HONISS'S 22 State St Hartford, Conn (Under Grant's Store) | platform, he | LO-GLO. which was practically all done with a jack knife it was found that Sam had no means of getting the round holes in the cylinder of his model with the result that he took hot irons and burned these holes! “‘Upon his return from the sea in 1831 he drew $50 which was coming to him as wages and returned to Hartford and engaged Anson Chase of Hartford a gunsmith, with an order for a revolver. After the pistol was completed Colt naturally | want=d to try it out so he went to the door of the little shop and took a shot at the water barrel with the result that the. pistol was blown to | pieces in his hand. “Thus without employment, money or a particulyr knowledge of any form of work, he gave up his in- terest in firearms for the time being | and for the next three years he travelled under the name of Dr. Samuel Coult, giving public lectures on laughing gas which was then being exploited. “He traveled extensively through- out the United States and Canada and again returned to Hartford a full grown man, standing over six feet in height and of fine appear- ance. He had Chase, the gunmaker, ake up a sample pistol and rifle embodying his ideas of the cylinder carrying the different charges and with these niodels and the experi- ence he had gained on the lecture organized a company known as the Patent Arms Manufac- turing company of Paterson, New Jersey. They received a few orders for -pistols. Competition in Europe “Shortly after this he made his first trip abroad and was surprised to find out that he was not the first man to produce a pistol that would fire more than a single shot without re-loading as other inven tors in foreign countries had worked along lines of this same nature. “It was, however, proven that he was the first to make a pistol where by the cocking of the hammer would automatically revolve the cylinders thus bringing into position the un- exploded charge to be fired. After that the name of the revolver and Colt always linked togrther. Upon his return from abroad Colt found the company in Paterson dis- couraged as few orders had been re ceived. Colt. with the little means he had hought ont the interest of his partners and again returned to Hartford. “He first started as a pistol maker under his own name at the corn-r of Trumbull and Pearl streets where the old Hartford Tire Insurance compary building now stonds, He later moved to Commerce strec where other manufacturers were Jo- cated and while doing quite a good business there encountered his first experience with the spring floods. It was then that he got the idea of purchasing all the low land while Makes Girls More Attractive Wouldn't you, toc, like a face pow- der that will keep shine away—stay on longer—spread smoothly clog the pores—and always be so pure and fine. It is made by a’ new French Process and lled MEL- It is surcly a wonderrm Powder. Just MELLO- were Face 0. try Two Registered Pharmacist | In charge of C. W. Bruinerd, formerly 1 ot “Old Company’s Lehigh Coal” THE SHURBERG COAL CO. Phone 2! 55 Frankhin st Just In Time For Your XMAS PHOTOS At Moderate Prices ARCADES1U310 PLUMBING ~~2 AT I, witn HOT WATER, STEA! PE or WARM AIR. OIL BURNERS Established 1902 That Thanksgiving Turkey .. . Will taste better .. . if the slices a re thin and smooth. One of our Stainless Steel Carving Sets will add to Dad’s enjoyment of serving the Thanksgiving dinner. 73 ARCH ST. Opposite South Church , NEW BRITAIN,CON™ the Colt's armory now stands and erecting a dike to keep the water out. Records show that at his awn expense he agreed to do the work providing that if it were satisfac- tory, the city would not increase the taxes on his land. “This undertaking was not only successful but today, three-quarters of a century later, we are about to continue the diking proposition which Colt so successfully startel. !In this new project it is intended to reclaim a great deal of the low land jof the meadows including the pres- ent Brainard aviation field. “Sam Colt was probably the best | known inventor of his time. This is | fully proven by the wonderful gifts recoived from the different crowned heads of Europe in recogni- {tion of his ability. These gifts comprising as they do, diamonds. !gold medals and various works of jart are on exhibition in the athe- {neum in Hartford. Money As Well As Fame “While few inventors realize the | ideals they originate or derive wealth from their inventions; Colt was an exception as within ‘a dozen years from the time he commenced manu- facturing pistols in Hartford, he had | erected the Colt's armory, which was the largest in ?‘ world at that time and had actually turned out over a | million pistols, making a clear profit of $3,000,000. His efforts also added 00 people to the population Hartford. “About this time Colt erected a factory in Millbank, England, Charles Dickens wrote in his weekly journal in January, 1854, an article entitled, “A Trip Through Colt's Fac- tory in Millbank.” This factory em- | ployed dbout 200 people, the wages recelved being from three to eight shillings per day and the ontput hout 600 pistols per we Tt was lin this factory that the interchange- | able system of manufacture was first in Europe. | “The fact that Colt was far ahead | of his time has not only heen proven | by the diking proposition bhut also by the building dedicated in 1856 known as the Charter Oak hall cr hetter known today as the old Flat | Tron building. 1In this building Colt | nrovided for a real community cen- ter in order that his employes might |bave the benefit of concerts. a b- ' | brary, the study of music and many | other things that community of today are offering. Tt w his famous Colt’s band gave its concert. “As regards Colt's armory itself, it |is surprising to find probably one of | construction in this country. This |is In the older buildings with their metal columns, the drched brick cellings and in general all the princi- ® lused when abros ples of full fire-proof | [pal fire-proot devices as we know | them today. § “Colt’s ideas as regards his ar- imory were never fully carried out as he intended eventually to erect buildings similar to the armory for the manufacture of leather goods, I harnesses, saddles. and so forth and |in the other bullings he planned to ! make uniforms and; in fact, all mili- tary equipment was to be turned lout at Colt’s, in much the same ! manner as the famous Krupps can- inon works In Germany which later | developed. ; | Planned Engineering School “In 1859 Sam Colt was ready to |found a school of engineering in {Hartford. This school was to be |opened for youug men, first with I preterence to the sons of employes lat Colt's armory. next to inhabitants of Hartford, then inhabitants o. | Connecticut and lastly to such peo- | ple as the trustees might see fit to admit. A most desirable site for | {the location of the buildings was | {selected by Colt and at that time he | was not only willing to erect the buildings but offered to endow the school with a half million dollars lana stated so in his last testament. | Owing to a controversy about the| highways which had arisen between him and the city of Hartford, hia offer was withdrawn and abandon- ed. Thus Hartford lost an oppor- | tunity for the founding of a school | that might have been today one of |the largest scientific institutions in |the country. | “In Colt'’s armory many tions in addition to the !have been produced. The automatic screw machine, printing presses, thy first lawn mower and also the first | machine for setting up type, which of machinery took all of Mark money after he was long ast middle age and which disas trous experience spurred the great humorist on to better work, some examples. | “As an advertiser Colt was far, lin advance of his time. He did no believe in having signs on his arm- ory. 1In place of this he had a| mosque or dome on his roof. This was painted blue with gold stars. There being no railroads in the vi- cinity of his armory, travel then was up and down the river by boat and naturally this mosque o(‘r‘;\'dnn»i ed considerable interest which led | preople to inquire what purpose nh.r' inven- | revolver i building was used for. unique method Colt calling on nobl men, to have several revolvers finely engraved and at the top © {the barrel delicately engraved | hammered gold the name of Say |Colt. Thus in place of the card ! sent in one of the revolvers ar had no difficulty in gaining a. audience.” READ HERALD CLASSIIT | “Another | the indemnity ASKS STATD OF NASS, FOR CHEAP INSURANCE Cummings Urges in Letier t0 Gov- ernor for Reduction of Rates ' for Autos. Boston, Nov. 21 (UP)—If the in- surance companies are unable to lower their rates for compulsory &u- tomobile insurance, the state should provide cheaper insurance, John J. Cummings said in a letter to Gov- ernor Alvan T. Fuller yesterday. Cummings, candidate for the dem- ocratic nomination for governor at | d the primaries last summer, outline: the plans offcred by George A. Parker, registrar of motor vehicles, and former Registra Frank A. Goodwin, and proposed that some plan along the lines suggested be followed. “If it appears from a study of the limited experience at hand that it would be unfase to attempt any saving by a reduction of the loss cost or pure premium as computed y Commissioner Linell from the information given him by the com- panies and their rating bureaus, it does not follow that a saving eould nct be made on the other element which goes to make the gross pre. mium charge, namely the expense fector,” the letter read. “Goodwin estimated that the private insurance companies up to Sunday September 2, 1928 paid ou! to injured persons some $11,000, 000 and that the expense of doin. so was about $9,000,000. “The basic idea of all these prc positions is that when the at compels a man to insure his autc mobile it owes him a duty to provi some agency which will administ. fund with as litt expense as possible or, as Captai Parker and Mr. Goodwin express it ! give him service at coast.” Drifting Steamer Safely Under Tov Horta Island of Fayal Azores, Noy 1 (A—The Greck steamship Alex andra which was in distress off the Azodes yesterday was taken und: ow last night by a sccond stegm lip and taken out of danger. At noon today the Alexandra was in sight of Horta and was being DANDRUFF FiR GNTINE 'WASHABLE WINDOW Come in and prove fo yourself that your shades can be kept as clean as your windows Of course you've heard of du Pont Ton- vears of service. strations. See a soiled drenched with Lot before your eyes, be crumpled and but you will ot see QUPONY [y Tel--106 tine—the washable window shade that can’be kept clean and bright through window shade specialist of the du Pont Company, is holding demonstrations of Tontine in our store. Come in and see . these dramatic and sensational demon- water and washed clean and new creased sign of a crack or pinhole. Prove to yourself that your shades can be kept as clean Proc: It us your windows. Tontine is made by a special du Pont is waterproof, just like the famous du Pont Duco finish used All this week Miss Natalie Shaver, year after y Tontine shade It will And when basic substance. and true. on fine motor cars and furniture, be- cause it is impregnated with the same Both are enduringly beautiful—and keep their good looks ear. It cannot crack or and true. It lasts for years. 1t lasts for year. it is old and soiled, you can quickly, and easily wash it new and spot- u ! W Miss Natalic Shaver, wi dow shade of the du I ote. u.s. oAt o, 26 CHUR CH ST. demonstrations. ess again. Don’t miss thes(! All this week at our store. TaY WASHABLE WINDOW SHADE See Demonstration In Our Window —Thursday, Friday and Saturday THE D. MILLER CO. towed toward the harbor. The name | be and nationality of the rescue ship || was not known here. Throughout yesterday.when the Alexandra lost her rudder, looul launches were dispatched to the north of Fayal and made numerous atfempts to reach the helpless steamer but in every case the fury of the waves drove them off. The Alexandra drifted dangerously until last night when she succeeded in hailing a passing steamship which took her under tow. CANTERBURY MEETS Canterbury, Eng., Nov. 21 UP— The dean and chapter of Canterbury, confirming their previous selection, Announcement Made Of Hoover’s Itinerary Washington, Nov. 31.—UP-Her- bert Hoover's Itinerary down the west coast of Central and South America includes a stop at Amapala, Honduras, November 25, te viait Amdpala and La Union, Salvador, which is nearby. The remainder of hip route as contained in a message {from the battleship Maryland, to the met today and with due formality navy department follows: lected Dr. Cosmos Gordon Lang to% Corinto, Nicaragua, November 26 It's Not Next Monday . Alone— It’s the following Monday and the Monday after that and the next Monday—and the next—and the next. Every singlé week;,. the same un- pleasant task—wash day—to look forward to. Is it worth it? You gain nothing by washing at home. feeling. Face next Monday with a happier CALL 904 AND THE,DEED IS DONE be visited. Cszecho-Slovakia exported nearly $165.000,000 worth of linens in the past year, hreaking its post-war rec- ards. Wash We do all of the wash- ing—and send your bundle back to you just about ready for irening at home, The cost is modest—35 pounds (& normal family bundle) $1.00 4c each added pound No: 2 Soft Dry One of our popular services, Everything washed. All wearing apparel dried soft and flufty. 9¢c $1.00 is the minimum bundle for this excel- lent service, Economy Wash Everything washed and returned just damp enough for home irom. "$1 1 25w 12 of your largest pieces, bedspreads, sheets, etc, ironed ready for use—-45c. WAS NoT!! WHEN PHIL. GORMAN CLEANED OUT NI BUTCHER SHOP TODAY, SETM Pouk FOUND IS STEEL RIMMED SPEXTACLES HE LOST EARLY LAST SPRING