Selected from the pages of the Windsor Locks Journal and lightly annotated by Wendy Taylor, Kent Memorial Library.
February 6
The school children of the Center grammar schools will give a circus in the auditorium of the new school building on Bridge street…The proceeds will be used to buy necessary equipment for the auditorium to make it available for the needs of the community. There has been a need of a community hall for a long time and there is no doubt that the public will respond to this call and will give the circus liberal patronage… The three Rs – red lemonade, roasted peanuts and ruddy popcorn will be dispensed in abundance and the more you buy the happier you will be.
The auditorium is to be available for the uses of the entire community, so that when you are helping the circus you are helping yourself, permanently.
February 13
At the second of a series of meetings held by some of the Polish residents of the town in Academy hall…secession from the Polish Catholic church is said to have been one of the principal points of discussion. The meeting, advertised as a Bible class, was addressed by several speakers on religious subjects. It is claimed, however, that the speakers were interested in a separate church movement and that most of the discussion was from a non-Catholic standpoint. Out of nearly 2.000 members of St. Joseph’s parish, fifty are said to be active supporters of the movement. Several persons present at Sunday’s meeting indicated that the independent church movement would be considered from many angles yet before anything definite would be announced on the question.
The fog and rain of the past few days have given the farmers an opportunity to finish the work of taking down the tobacco. It is said that about a quarter of the acreage was taken down this week. The warehouses now have enough tobacco to keep them going the rest of the winter. The rains have also helped to fill the cisterns and ponds, but as yet the springs and wells have not shown the effects of it to any great extent.
February 20
Four cows belonging to Walenty Drensik of North street were found dead in the stable Tuesday morning and it is believed that the animals were poisoned, as an autopsy by veterinarians from the state board of health and Dr. J. H. Prophett of this place showed the stomachs of the animals to be in an inflamed condition. The stomach and other organs were sent to the Hartford state laboratory for analysis.
Drensik has twenty milch cows, and eleven were in the stable where the animals were found dead. The poisoned animals were the best ones in the herd. One of them being a thoroughbred Ayrshire purchased the week before for $150. It is the opinion of the officers working on the case that the poison was administered by some one as the cows were all fed the same feed out of the same bin the night before, and the animals killed were scattered through the herd.
Dr. Prophett received word from the state laboratory this morning that while the analysis was not completed, the chemists were satisfied that the poison used was not cyanide, but were inclined to the belief that it was some form of arsenic. Further analysis will be made to determine the exact nature of the poison used.
Bryant and Chapman of Hartford have been taking about 250 quarts of milk daily from Drensik, but have cut off the milk until a report is received from the state chemist. This means another loss to Drensik, as he had no way of disposing of the supply in any other channel.
February 27
FOR SALE Automobile; touring car model; in good condition. Price $75 if taken at once. MRS. E. A. LOVELL.