The legalese is as thick as the Bridgeport summer humidity in this 1890s certificate signed by Connecticut Gov. Morgan Bulkeley on his letterhead. The to-do is over granting one Elliott B. Bimson the right to be a notary public. But the real star is Bulkeley's signature (7.5/10). He was the National League's first president and later became a U.S. Senator. Meanwhile, the 9- by 16-inch document (VG-EX) provides terrific insight into the workings of state government at the turn of the century.