The shell-fish grounds belonging to the State are an important source of revenue; and are protected by strict regulations under the careful watch of the Shell-Fish Commissioners, who keep the grounds guarded by patrol boats in ail but very inclement weather, Railroad and Other Companies.—The rail roads are the New York, New Haven and Hartford, with 851 miles operated in the State and a total mileage of 2,004.58; New London and Northern, with 56.10 miles in -the State, total mileage, 58.60 (operated by the Central Vermont) Central NCNii England, with 83.08 miles in the State, total mileage, 522.80; Central Vermont, with 58.60 miles in the State, total mileage, 572.60; Hartford and Connecticut Western, leased by Central New England, with 77.26 miles in the State, total mileage, 123.96; Norwich and Worcester, with 53.16 miles in the State, total mileage, 71.07 (operated by New Yorlc, New Haven and Hartford); South Man chester, total mileage, 3.15; Branford (freight only), total mileage 4.20. The total mileage in the State is 999.58, and the total miles operated by companies in the State, 5,638.01 (all tracks). Since the government has taken over the railroads, it is difficult to give figures for receipts, expenses, and profits, which in fact may vary from month to month.
The Public Utilities Commission reported, in 1915, 25 electric companies, 2 express com panies, 12 gas companies, 15 gas and electric companies, 8 railroad companies, 22 street rail way companies, 3 telegraph companies, 10 tele phone companies and 87 water companies, most of these companies showing an increase of business.
'Banking and Finance.— In the banking business of the State, the most important item is the deposits in the 82 savings banks, January 1915, maldng a total of $335,086,694.93, and an increase during 1914 of $25,448,326.74. The State ranks third in the number of its savings bank depositors, if mutual or trustees savings banks only are considered, those being the pre vailing kind in New England and the East. Considering stock savings banks, which are found in the other parts of the United States, California is third and Ccmnecticut fourth. In 1915, the number of depositors was 629,655. There were 73 national banks of deposit, with aggregate capital of $19,784,300, and surplus of $11,121,000; 58 State banks and trust com panies, with capital of $8,098,200, and surplus of $4,168,388.29; 5 investment companies, with capital stock of $664,150; and 4 Morris Plan companies with gross resources of $421,125.30; and 20 building and loan associations.
The oldest bank of deposit in the State and the fifth in age in the United States is the Union Bank and Trust Company of New Lon don, chartered in 1792, and still doing business under its old charter. Still earlier, in 1732, Thomas Seytnour and others, of New London, secured a charter for banking purposes, but it was revoked within four years. The four old est banks in the State, in Hartford, Middle town, New London and New Haven, are well on in their second century, and are still very prosperous. The Middlesex Banking Company,
of Middletown, chartered in 1872, is the oldest mortgage company in the country.
Insurance.— The insurance business of the State centres in Hartford, where are 7 of the 8 stock fire insurance companies, which represented, in 1916, in all, capital of $15,750,000, and surplus of $25,618,617.38; 12 mutual fire insurance companies report, in all, a surplus of $2,447,520.61; and there are many other mutual companies. The 6 life insurance companies are all in Hartford, and reported, in 1916, aggregate assets of $343,203,670.66. There were also 6 indemnity companies and 6 miscellaneous insurance companies. Of the many fraternal benefit societies, 8 reported in 1910 assets amounting to T107,649,937.50.
The ecclesiastical history of Connecticut would fill a large volume, and is an interesting study of the development of religion in this country. It is enough to say that, at the beginning, the colony stood unique as a compromise between the rigid ecclesiasti cism of Massachusetts Bay and Plymouth colonies, and the religious liberty which Roger Williams was, at the time, establishing in Rhode Island. Unique though it was, it can be called a theocracy only at the beginning, for the State was then the Congregational Church, pure and simple, and though others than church members could vote, they were obliged by the early code to vote taxes for the support of the church. The process of emancipation from these theocratic conditions was slow, and did not reach perfection until the adoption of the new Constitution in 1818. Through this period of nearly two centuries there were executions for witchcraft at Stratford in 1651; at Fair field in 1653; and possibly at Windsor in March 1646 or 1647, if the journal of John Winthrop is to be taken as an authority; and in the theological tenets which were adopted from time to time under direction of the general court and otherwise, we pass through a maze of solemn discussions of the Half-way Cove nant, the Cambridge Platform, the Saybrook Platform, with the later New Lights and Old Lights arrayed against one another as Separat ists and Conservatists. Legislation exempting the Church of England from taxation for sup port of the Congregational Church was had in 1727, and in 1729 was extended to cover cases of the Baptists and Quakers. In 1791, the right of incorporation was allowed, under certain restrictions, to all religious bodies. The first Baptist elder was ordained at New Lon don in 1726, but the sect did not gain largely until the beginning of the 19th century. The Protestant Episcopal Church was not estab lished under a regularly ordained bishop until After 1784, although it had made beginnings before that time, but was practically exter minated during the Revolution, owing to the Toryism of its clergy. In 1789, the first Metho dist Episcopal church in the State was estab lished at Stratford. The first Roman Catholic church in Connecticut was established in 1830, and in 1843 the diocese of Hartford, embracing the entire State, was established.