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No. XVII.
PROCEEDINGS
OF THE
Calorrester Boristy of Antiquity,
FOR THE YEAR 1881.
CIETY
OF
WORCESTER INSTITUTEO
HISTORIA.
ARCHEOLOCIAMI
LITERA
SCRIPTA
MANET
ANTIQUI
JANUARY, 1875.
THE
TY
G
WORCESTER, MASS. : PUBLISHED BY THE SOCIETY. 1882. U. S. A. CVI.
Worten historical semites de salão, 25. COLLECTIONS 11
--- OF THE C
Valorrester Society of Antiquity,
VOLUME V.
SOCIETY
STER
OF
WORCI
INSTITUTEO
AHISTORIA
ARCHEOLOGIAIS
LITERTA SCRIPTA
MANET
ANTIQUI
JANUARY, 187.5.
3HJ
TY 18
WORCESTER, MASS. : PUBLISHED BY THE SOCIETY. 1883. U. S. A. CVII.
LIBRARY OF CONGRESS
1898 CITY OF WASHINGTON.
PROCEEDINGS
OF THE
Worcester Society of Antiquity,
-
FOR THE YEAR 1881.
SOCIETY
WORCESTER ILL INSTITUTEO
OF
HISTORIA
ANTIQ
ARCHEOLOGIA
JANUARY, 1875.
LITERN SCRIPTA MANET
THE
WORCESTER, MASS. : PUBLISHED BY THE SOCIETY. 1882. U. S. A. CVI.
WORCESTER : PRESS OF CLARK JILLSON. 1882.
OFFICERS FOR 1882.
PRESIDENT, ELLERY BICKNELL CRANE.
VICE-PRESIDENTS, ALBERT TOLMAN, GEORGE SUMNER.
SECRETARY, HENRY LORISTON SHUMWAY.
TREASURER, HENRY FRANCIS STEDMAN.
LIBRARIAN, SAMUEL ELIAS STAPLES.
Departments of Work.
ARCHÆOLOGY AND GENERAL HISTORY. CHARLES R. JOHNSON, Chairman,
William H. Bartlett, Francis T. Blackmer, H. W. Hubbard,
Thos. A. Dickinson, Alfred Waites, Thomas Stansfield,
John W. Brigham,
Chas. F. Washburn, John G. Brady,
Henry F. Stedman,
Charles A. Morgan,
Samuel E. Staples,
F. E. Lancaster, Edward B. Glasgow,
James L. Esty, Franklin P. Rice,
E. H. Thompson,
William L. Clark,
Theodore C. Bates,
William T. Harlow,
Eben. F. Thompson, Reuben Colton,
Ellery B. Crane,
LOCAL HISTORY AND GENEALOGY.
ELLERY B. CRANE, Chairman.
Alfred S. Roe, Samuel E. Staples, Charles A. Chase,
Harvey B. Wilder,
Thos. E. Bartlett,
James A. Smith,
Franklin P. Rice,
E. R. Lawrence,
Henry M. Smith, Ephraim Tucker, W. H. Bigelow, Manning Leonard, Frank E. Blake,
Daniel Seagrave,
Albert A. Lovell,
George A. Jordan,
E. H. Marshall,
Burton W. Potter, Nathaniel Paine,
ANCIENT MANUSCRIPTS, PUBLICATIONS AND ENGRAVINGS.
CLARK JILLSON, Chairman.
Wm. B. Harding, Chas. B. Whiting, Reuben Colton,
Albert Tyler, Chas. W. Estabrook, Theo. S. Johnson,
Augustus Coolidge,
Nathaniel Paine, Chas. W. Fenno,
Merrick Bemis, Fisher A. Bosworth, George Sumner,
Samuel E. Staples,
Augustus E. Peck, Addison Prentiss,
Charles C. Baldwin,
JJohn Cort, Albert P. Marble,
Albert Tolman, Henry L. Shumway, Alfred Waites,
Edward I. Comins, William A. Smith, Josiah Pickett.
RELICS, COINS, AND CURIOSITIES.
SAMUEL E. STAPLES, Chairman.
Ilenry Phelps, Jerome Wheelock, Richard O'Flynn, Augustus Stone, William B. Howe, Joseph N. Bates, Edgar W. Warren, Norton L. Cook,
Nelson R. Scott, George Sumner,
Franklin C. Jillson, Olin L. Merriam, Edwin Ames,
Edwin H. Marble, Frank J. Kinney, Geo. E. Boyden,
Pardon A. Lee,
Albert G. Mann, Stephen C. Earle, Charles F. Rugg, A. K. Gould, Geo. F. Thompson,
Henry King, Fred. G. Stiles.
Albert Tyler,
Clark Jillson,
Benj. John Dodge, William T. Harlow, A. B. R. Sprague,
Henry P. Upham,
J. Chauncey Lyford.
Sullivan Forehand.
Charles. W. Clark,
COMMITTEES FOR 1882.
EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE.
ELLERY B. CRANE, GEORGE SUMNER, ALBERT TOLMAN, HENRY. L. SHUMWAY, HENRY F. STEDMAN.
STANDING COMMITTEE ON NOMINATIONS.
CHARLES R. JOHNSON, FOR 1 YEAR ; EDWARD R. LAWRENCE, FOR 2 YEARS ; DANIEL SEAGRAVE, FOR 3 YEARS.
COMMITTEE ON BIOGRAPHY. HENRY L. SHUMWAY, ALBERT TYLER, ALFRED S. ROE.
COMMITTEE ON PUBLICATION.
CLARK JILLSON, SAMUEL E. STAPLES, HENRY M. SMITH, FRANKLIN P. RICE.
PUBLICATIONS OF THE SOCIETY.
No. I. Proceedings for 1875-1877. (pp. 70.)
No. II. Constitution and list of officers (com- prised in No. I.).
No. III. Proceedings for 1877, with Inscriptions from Old Burial Grounds in Worces- ter. (pp. 168.)
No. IV. Inscriptions from Old Burial Grounds in Worcester. (comprised in No. III.)
No. V. Proceedings for 1878. (pp. 150.)
No. VI. Early Records of the Town of Worces- ter, Book I., 1722-1739. (pp. 142.) No. VII. Proceedings for 1879. (pp. 150.)
No. VIII. Early Records of the Town of Worces- ter, Book II., 1739-1753. (pp. 145.)
Nos. IX. to XII. Records of the Proprietors of Worcester, 1667 to 1788, with nearly 300 plans. (pp. 336.)
No. XIII. Proceedings for 1880. (pp. 80.)
Nos. XIV. to XVI. Worcester Town Records from 1753 to 1783. (in press.) No. XVII. Proceedings for 1881. (pp. 164.)
Nos. I. to XVI. are arranged to form four volumes under the name of Collections. A pamphlet containing Title Pages, Indexes and directions for binding the first three volumes will be furnished by the Librarian. No. XVI., now in press, will contain title page and index for volume IV.
PROCEEDINGS
Page 15, line 16, for 1754 read 1755.
17, " 21, " Tonsley read Towsley. 20, ', 19, " Cutler read Cutter. 66 23, " 1, " 82 read 81.
PROCEEDINGS
FOR 1881.
T HIE first regular monthly meeting of the year was held at the Hall of the Society, on Tuesday evening, January 4, 1881, and was called to order by the President, Mr. Ellery B. Crane.
Present, Messrs. Clark Jillson, Shumway, Ames, J. A. Smith, Potter, Staples, Roe, F. C. Jillson, Sea- grave, Lovell, Marshall, Metcalf, Tucker, Summer, Paine, Lee, Dodge, Barton and F. P. Rice-20.
The oath of office was administered to Clerk Shum- way and Treasurer Smith by the Hon. Clark Jillson. The President in assuming the duties of his office made the following address :-
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Members of The Worcester Society of Antiquity :- Through the change of certain events over which I had no immediate control, yon have seen fit to select me as the presiding officer of this Association for the year 1881 ; an honor which was certainly not expected, and a position which I feel myself illy prepared to occupy ; and while with much diffidence I accept the responsi bility and return sincere thanks for this distinguished mark of your esteem, I cannot forget the valuable services rendered this Society, by those who have so ably filled the office of President in times past, and the great difficulty under which I shall labor, with my short comings, not to make my efforts comparative failures.
To me the re-election of our late President was by no means a surprise ; but his prompt and unqualified resignation of the office was a complete surprise, and it is to be regretted that we were so summarily deprived of the valuable services of one so well qualified by long experience as a presiding officer, and in the possession of such rare qualities, so essentially needed in the chief officer of this Society. I trust, however, that although he declined to accept the office of President, we shall continue to have the aid of his good counsel and untiring zeal.
In looking over my morning paper, one of the first items that impressed me was, that an address was to be made by President Crane. This certainly was news, for that was my first intima- tion of it, but I consoled myself by thinking that it was a mis- print, the fact of the case being, that the President had sent a notice that an address would be delivered this evening, meaning of course his valedictory, and that the adding of my name was a most serious mistake. Another thought that impressed me, was the need and existence in our midst, of so great a number of societies, I say need, for their very existence proves their necessity. Men are so constituted that they are not satisfied with their own narrow limitations. Believing in progression. they are ever striving to enlarge the circle of their information and usefulness. From their varied inclinations and sensibilities spring up these varied and numerous societies of which there are about 100 in this city. Their objects are mainly to promote Charity, Sociability, Education, Temperance, Development and
11
Reformation. Well conducted they are all useful agents for good. There are those who must have their Debating Clubs, Social, Temperance, Reform and Commonwealth Clubs, Masonic Conclaves, Horticultural and Agricultural Societies, in which they are helped and elevated.
It is with supreme satisfaction. and this is said with no spirit of boasting, that we can look back over the history of this young organization. Six years ago this present month was held the first preliminary meeting, and from that event this Society dates its existence. There was no ostentatious display at its birth, and the beginning of the second year of its usefulness found but twelve members upon its official register. Firm and steady has been the growth. In April, 1877, there were thirty-seren names upon the roll, while we begin this new year with a list number- ing one hundred and twenty-six; 88 active, 21 corresponding, 17 honorary. So well were the foundations laid for a stable structure that not a single backward step has been required. The gennine interest and manly determination everywhere dis- played by the members of The Worcester Society of Antiquity has given this organization a well deserved prominence among kindred societies throughout the country, and it is fair to con- jecture that no effort, however arduous it may be, will be spared to retain that honorable position.
Our first publication (No. I.) appeared in March, 1877, and since that date we have given to the public 10 numbers, each averaging about 188 8vo. pages, containing much valuable his- torical matter, a considerable portion of which is now to be found only in the publications of this Society. Surely we have been so far true to the objects of our organization. It is especially gratifying to thns contemplate the progress made in the past, and I sincerely hope that our growth has not been so rapid but that the future may give us a picture none the less pleasing to look upon. Certainly never were our prospects more promising than now. These well filled shelves and this crowded room are indeed symbols of prosperity and success. The Librarian in- forms us that already more room is needed to enable him to display to advantage our rapidly increasing collection of books and curiosities, a fact that would at once suggest the enlarge-
12
ment of our quarters, necessitating an increase of the annual expense. Additional room would certainly be a most welcome aquisition, and it would no doubt be greatly to our advantage to have it, but I hope that careful attention will be given to the subject before any action is taken that will tend to increase our running expenses. Perhaps it would be better, for this year, to be considerably crowded by the voluntary contributions of friends, than to crowd our friends to assist in paying for more spacious rooms ; however, this matter is in your hands, and whichever way you may decide, will no doubt tend to promote the best interests of the Society.
Our monthly meetings have always been one of the chief fea- tures of this organization. They are exceedingly social, and there is a certain amount of inspiration to be derived in coming together in this room at least once a month and enjoying a brief discourse on some subject in harmony with our personal relish or in the interest of the objects of the Society. It is hoped that every member will value these meetings, and not only be pres- ent, but contribute in every way possible to their enjoyment. An earnest effort will be made to have something in the form of an essay read before the Society at least once a month during the year, and to secure such a result I would invite every mem- ber to contribute, and would esteem it a special favor if those willing to so contribute would hand in their names and give the time when they can be called upon.
A word or two on finance. It ought to be said to the credit of our Executive Committee, that should all dnes to the Society, including the $3 tax levied for the year 1881, be paid to the Treasurer, there would be funds sufficient to pay all probable obligations for the present year and leave us free of debt Jan. 1, 1882. We must not overlook the fact that our success as a Society has been mainly due to the united exertions of individ- ual members, and that by our own hands we must stand or fall.
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Hon. Byron Weston of Dalton, Mass., was elected an honorary member; and Theodore C. Bates, Ed- gar W. Warren and Reuben Colton, of Worcester, and Frank F. Starr of Middletown, Conn., were elected active members.
Mr. Lovell presented resolutions complimentary to the Hon. Clark Jillson and Mr. Daniel Seagrave upon their retirement from the offices of President and Secretary in which they had so ably served the Society. They were unanimously adopted and ordered to be printed in the Proceedings of 1880, where they will be found. Brief remarks were made by Messrs. Roe, Paine, Jillson, Seagrave, Bar- ton, Potter and others, and after some unimportant discussion upon matters pertaining to the conduct of the Society, the meeting was adjourned.
The next regular meeting was held Tuesday eve- ning, Feb. 4, President Crane in the chair. Twenty- two members were present. Correspondence from several societies and institutions and the following letter from the Hon. Byron Weston were read :-
Commonwealth of Massachusetts, Council Chamber.
Boston, Jan'y 19, 1881.
HENRY L. SHUMWAY, SEC'T'Y ;
My dear sir :- Please thank "The Worcester Society of Antiquity" for doing me the honor of electing me an Honorary Member. I appreciate their kindness and accept with great pleasure. I am, dear sir,
Yours truly, BYRON WESTON.
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The Committee# appointed at the December meet- ing for procuring additional room, made a report recommending the hiring of the apartment next east of the one occupied by the Society. The report was accepted and the committee authorized to engage the room.
Mr. Thomas A. Dickinson read an interesting sketch of the life of Eleazer Smith, the inventor of the Card-setting Machine, from an autobiographical manuscript in his posession. This with some modi- fications is here printed. Mr. Dickinson exhibited a portrait of Mr. Smith, and also one of the first machines made by him.
Sketch of the life of Eleazer Smith, the inventor of the Card-Selling Machine, from a manuscript written by himself, about the year 1828.
BY THOMAS A. DICKINSON.
During the revolutionary war, and directly after, hand cards for carding cotton and wool were made in a few places in New England, including Boston, Framingham and Cumberland. The process of manufacture was almost wholly by hand. In 1785; Edmund Snow began the manufacture of hand cards in Leicester. In 1790, Pliny Earle made the first machine cards for Samuel Slater. The holes in the leather numbering 100,000 were prick- ed by Mr. Earle with two needles in the end of a stick. From this commencement the business of card making rapidly increased in this town until Leicester became the great center of the trade in this country, and before the introduction of card setting machinery, cards were made here to the value of $200,000.
* Messrs. Lovell, Crane and Dodge.
15
The holes were pricked in the leather and the teeth cut and bent by a machine (of which we have one here to-night, made by the subject of this sketch, for Pliny Earle & Brother, of Lei- cester) and all set in by hand, giving employment to hundreds of families in the vicinity. In 1837 there were 17 Card Facto- ries in the town of Leicester, and from this center grew the other manufactories which were started about this time in Worcester, Enfield, Philadelphia and other places. The manuscript from which the following sketch is drawn, was obtained from Mr. Eli- jah Thompson, of Walpole, (now deceased) who was with Mr. Smith during his last sickness, and received it as a gift from him. It is now in the possession of Thomas A. Dickinson of Worcester. It is written in Mr. Smith's own hand, plain and (listinet, and is entire with the exception of the first two pages, whien relate to his .boyhood.
He was born in Medfield, Mass., April 1, 1754, but in early life removed to the adjoining town of Walpole. His house and shop which stood on the highest elevation of land in the north- ern part of Walpole, and one of the finest locations in the town, was long since demolished. The cellar hole, a few old bricks and some old poplar trees only remain to mark the spot.
His education was simply what the village schools of those days afforded. He was a good reader, possessed a very reten- tive memory, and had considerable knowledge of astronomy, chemistry and botany, and was also quite skillful in certain branches of surgery. It is said that he was frequently visited by professional gentlemen among whom was Dr. Jackson, of Boston. But it was in mechanical inventions and operations that he displayed his greatest genius. When a boy he made a wooden spring trap for catching rabbits, very similar to the common steel trap now in use.
At the age of 15 he made a watch complete, the case being made of pewter. He says "The construction of this watch movement was so calculated that it had to beat a third quicker than common, to go fast enough, until I put in a crown wheel with a less number of teeth." The tools which he used consisted of a pocket knife, a three-square file and compasses. The watch he presented to Mr. Aaron Wight, of Medway, who was so
*
16
much pleased with his ingenuity that he gave him his board for four months, and helped him make tools for watch and clock making. The next year he made a wooden clock, using a wine glass for the bell, the wheels being made af apple-tree wood.
This attracted the attention of one Simon Pettee, a clock maker of Wrentham, who wished to take young Smith as an apprentice, but his father could not spare him, nor had he any faith in that kind of business. And here he says "My father found so much of my time employed in this way that he deter- mined to put a stop to it, and forbade me working at such things. saying that it was no profit to me. I soon found myself embar- rassed, and to give up the taste for these things, I found impos- sible ; but not wishing to disobey my parents, I thought if I redeemed time and did nothing for myself when he set me about. other business that it would not be criminal. However, this was distasteful, so the only means was to steal time or work in secret, which I did many an hour by fire-light in the evening."
The next thing which he speaks of is a wooden gun lock which he applied to a stock of wood, with an iron barrel in the inside. This he carried on training days much to the ammsement of the soldiers, who fired it a great number of times. From this time to the commencement of the revolutionary war, his desire for mechanism increased, and was chiefly confined to clock work. A clock which he made about this time is now running in Wal- pole, Massachusetts .*
"In the summer of 1776," he writes, "there was a requisition for men to enlist for Ticonderoga, and as the soldiers were very loth to 'list, and I conceived the cause of liberty to be good,
* This clock is now in possession of Mr. Lewis Bowker, of Walpole Mass. It has been running over 100 years, keeps good time, and is probably the only one of this pattern ever made by Mr. Smith. The construction is sim - ple and curious. The workmanship would do credit to any clock maker of modern times. The face is of brass, about 7 inches in diameter, with the figures well cut, and the name ELEAZER SMITH neatly engraved on the same.
It has but three wheels, and pendulum which beats seconds. The man- ner of winding is peculiar, the key being inserted through the arbor on which the hands move, and wound once in 24 hours.
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induced me to try the military life, although I had no taste, nei- ther had I a constitution for the task. We set out to march the 29th of July, and reached Ticonderoga sometime in August. We were quartered in tents. The long march and exposure brought on the camp trouble-dysentery-making me unfit for duty. While in the hospital one of the company, Ephraim Smith, had a watch which was out of order and would not go. This I repaired with my pen-knife. On the 14th of September I was arrested and put under guard for passing bad money, the bill being so large as 40 shillings, 'Sword in hand' 'Massachu- setts,' that I did not pass it before, and had forgotten where I had taken it. While in prison the same fellow who had given me the bill was brought in for a like crime. In a moment it brought to mind the circumstance of my taking the bill of this man, who tended store for one Jones who lived below the fort. When brought before the court martial, they asked me if I knew it was a counterfeit bill? I told them yes, but did not know it when I passed it. On holding it to the light they showed me that it had been scraped out '4 and 6 pence' and made into 40 shillings.' I told them of the man I had taken it of, whose name was Amos Tonsley, then under guard. This man was brought in and denied giving me the bill, saying that he could prove that I told him I could not tell where I had taken the bill, in consequence of which they would not give me my oath, but condemned me to be guilty of passing the currency of Massa- chusetts, knowing it to be counterfeit. I pleaded innocence of the charge and asked them to enquire of the Colonel of my regiment about my character, being born in the same town and well acquainted with me. They asked me how I dared to call my Colonel to support my villainy,-that I was capable of doing it by examining my hand writing, and because I could mend watches with a pen-knife. So I was sent to jail, and my doom was twice read in general orders. Our Lieutenant was sent or came to me desiring me to own it, saying I should fare better if I did. I told him my punishment would be just if I owned to a lic ; that I was willing to die for innocence, but did'nt thank him for his advice."
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It soon became evident that young Smith was not a dangerous man, and he was allowed considerable liberty about the fort, and after 15 days was restored to his rank.
In another adventure at Ticonderoga, he came near being shot as a deserter. He was detailed with some others to go to Crown Point for wheat and hay. They made up their load by lashing two boats together, and returned to camp quite late. The others left the boat, but he got leave to sleep on the hay until morn- ing. During the night the wind came up and drifted him out into the lake a mile or more. "The guard boat came out and hailed me. At first I did not answer. The third time they fired a ball near my head which waked me up. I expected they would help me off but they would not. Being near the middle of the lake, and finding it impossible to row against a head wind, and seeing no signs of relief and being hungry, I started for the opposite shore, where near the land a boat overhauled me, and we returned to camp."
After this he was drafted to go on a secret expedition to Rhode Island, under Capt. Adam Peters, of Medfield. This was contrary to his ideas of liberty, and while stationed at the house of a Quaker in Little Compton, he conversed with them on the propriety of taking arms. The Quakers must have had consider- able influence upon him, for he seemed never to have previously had the desire to run away. However, he says, "I concluded to go, taking this resolution, that I never would take up arms again. I escaped safe home, and have never taken arms since. I wish to do good and not harm to my fellow creatures, and all mankind, and in the sequel of this narrative shall endeavor to show that I have contributed as much to the real advantage of the community as any person in America."
After his return home, and during the war, he seems to have been busy at work inventing machines for making cards, nails, tacks, pins, needles &c., in order, he says, "to do withont Eng- land." His father was something of a Tory, and always dispu- ted the possibility of doing without England, on account of all these articles which were brought from there.
One of his first machines after his return home was for ma- king solid headed pins, and also drawing the wire for the same.
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In one day he made 1500 pins, and he says most of the time was spent in pointing them on a grindstone. He was at work during this time for John Rogers, of Newton, clock maker. Jeremiah Wilkinson, of Cumberland, card maker, employed him to con- struct a machine for making card teeth, which he finished in one month, capable of cutting 3 sorts of wire. The value of a pair of hand cards at this time was 16 shillings. This machine, he says, answered the purpose well, and he soon had calls from three different parties who wished to employ him to construct like machines.
"By this time," he says, "I found great difficulty in doing work to my mind away from home, to convince people where I worked of the necessity of having proper tools and convenien- cies, therefore I resolved to have a shop of my own. My father consented to give me a piece of wild land and help me build a house. Everything excepting timber and stone, in the line of building material, was scarce and high." The chimney was made of. stone excepting 500 old brick which he obtained from Boston to furnish the fire-place and oven. "My building being enclosed and all the implements and tools I had collected being moved in, and likewise two of my sisters to keep house."
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