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NORWICH BULLETIN, THURSDAY, JANUARY 1, 1914 The Year 1914 will mark ther‘ Anniversary of a Local Eirm THE EATON CHASE COMPANY The Business now conducted by this frm was founded in 1764, one hundred and fifty years ago 1764 The Drawing on this page represents only dimly the contrast between the comforts of that day and the present fime and a% 50 f"'a difference n the merchandise carried in a hardware store in 1764 and 1914 Stoves were not known until 1741 and the fire-places Hardware 150 years ago, comprised forged nails, forged hinges and a few fire place fittings. Doorswere bolted by a wooden bar and the later locks were operated with keys a foot long, in strange contrast with the unit locks and flat master keys of Russell were combined to heat the house and cook the food. Some " of the old fire- places were 12 feet square and they are strange- ly in contrast with the small electric heater produced by the General Electric Companywhich & Erwin, Sar- gives both gent and Yale & warmth and Towne. light. L The long win of the time to which we revert were dependentfor illumination upon tallow candles. Dipping candles was a regular occupation of the housewife. ¥ 4 dream of Thomas A. Cranes, kettles, pot hooks and fine dogs were all necessary in 1764 to give the results of a modern chafing dish of the Manning, Bowman variety. pi n come true. illusirated on this page and also note the modern illumination of a Miller electric dome, with its cluster of Mazda lights—the = R The founders of The Eaton Chase Company didn’t have a paint department for the houses of Norwich were unpainted until the middle of the eighteenth cen- tury. Red was the first color used, then came yellow, blue, white and green and today we can see all the 57 varieties of Sherwin-Williams Company with the Parker, Preston stains in addition. \ [ :Q’ The only way to get out of town 150 years ago was by boat or on horse back, but a stage coach was started about that time and ran to Providence. A‘} Pewter dishes were the vogue and Landers, Frary and Clark’s cutlery and universal food choppers had not been invented. : 14 The evolution of a haid have been preserved and are machine now do the work formerly e store in 150 years is something to get interested in and the change still goes on. The early books of The Eaton Chase Company of neatness. Accounts were kept in pounds, shillings and pence, the old English denominations. The typewriter and adding ne laboriously with'a turkey quill pen and home-made ink. To trace the succession of a business back 150 years would result in the discovery in most cases of a great many changes in ownership. Not so with The Eaton Chase Company. The business has never been sold out or closed since it was founded by Gershom Breed in 1764. The Breeds owned and manage it 1856 when Amos W. Prentice was taken into partnership and Mr. Prentice’s son-in-law is presment of the corporation which conducts the business today. A v days ago one of the officers of the ccmpany, Mr. Thomas B. Leahy, pasaed away after a service of 53 years with the firm, but Mr. William M. Williams, whose con- nection with the business antedates Mr. Leahy’s, still renders active service. The small store formerly located at the Landing was altered, added to, and modernized frequently as the decades rolled on and finally left behind as business began to move towards Franklin Square and the fine modérn five-story building now occupied was erected for the firm some 11 years ago. The lines of goods carried are Cutlery, Cordage, Hardware, Kitchen Ware, Paints, Farming Tools, Electrical Supplies, Seeds, Iron and Steel, Blacksmith's Supplies, Fire Arms, Mill Supplies,- Wire, Baskets, Scales, Carriage Wood Work, Plated Silver Ware, Contractors’ Supplies, Motors, Portable Lamps, Gas Fixtures, Etc., Etc. THE AUTHORIZED CAPITAL OF THE EATON CHASE COMPANY IS $75,000 The officers are:- President, ALBERT H. CHASE; Vice Presidgni, LUTHER S. EATON; Secretary, FREDERIC W. CARY; Treasurer, HERBERT B. CARY. The directors of the company are the above officers and JOSEPH D. HAVILAND and EDWIN A. TRACY. | | | i |