USA > Massachusetts > Worcester County > Worcester > Reminiscences of Worcester from the earliest period, historical and genealogical with notices of early settlers and prominent citizens, and descriptions of old landmarks and ancient dwellings, accompanied by a map and numerous illustrations > Part 1
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Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37
UMASS/AMHERST
312066008430414
MA
SSA
1863
DATE DUE
PR 6611993
11:3969663
UNIVERSITY OF MASSACHUSETTS LIBRARY
F 74 W9 W2
?
Ch 18
Pgs
300
290-299
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........
VIEW OF MAIN STREET, WORCESTER, IN 1836. (See page 392.)
REMINISCENCES
- OF -
WORCESTER
FROM THE EARLIEST PERIOD,
HISTORICAL AND GENEALOGICAL,
WITH NOTICES OF EARLY SETTLERS AND PROMINENT CITIZENS, AND DESCRIPTIONS OF OLD LANDMARKS AND ANCIENT DWELLINGS, ACCOMPANIED BY A MAP AND NUMEROUS ILLUSTRATIONS.
BY CALEB A. WALL.
WORCESTER, MASS .: PRINTED BY TYLER & SEAGRAVE, 442 MAIN STREET, Spy Building, opposite City Hall. 1877.
To PATRONS AND FRIENDS :
In many portions of this work, as stated in the preface, there doubtless may be many errors regarding localities, places of residence of early settlers, reference to ancient structures, dates, &c., arising from conflict of statements regarding them by those whose memory has been tasked to recall matters partially obliterated from their recollection. Any further information re- garding matters here spoken of, or any correction which parties may be in- terested to make, will be gladly received, and is earnestly solicited by the author.
Entered according to Act of Congress, Sept. 187;, By CALEB A. WALL, In the Office of the Librarian of Congress.
PREFACE.
The undersigned having during many years past collected together a large amount of material relative to the early history of Worcester, from various sources, has taken this method of communicating some of those facts to the public. They are not all arranged in the form of a regularly connected history, being, as their name imports, " reminis- cences" of particular periods, brought together under different heads or chapters. The field is so broad, and the material so vast from which to select such facts as are of more permanent interest and value to the public, that the greatest difficulty has been experienced in de- ciding what to omit, and how so to condense the multitudinous details as to enable the compiler to embrace the general substance of the whole. The subjects here enlarged upon, are but a few of those which it was at first intended to include in this publication, and it was found necessary to pass many of them over for some future opportunity. Should this volume meet with favor, it will be followed by another, in due time, taking up other subjects, or enlarging upon other branches of the local history of the place, going back to the earliest period and coming down to the present time. For instance, in the present num- ber the history of the three oldest churches in Worcester is given with much minuteness of detail, with the intention of taking up the others in their regular order, according to the date of their organization. The earliest beginnings and the progress of manufacturing, in the different branches of mechanical industry, are also subjects which it is proposed to take up, and this is a field of remarkable fertil- ity in interest, requiring especially great labor and pains taking to do it anything like justice. And then there are various and in- numerable organizations, military, literary, scientific, social, financial, &c., &c., necessarily demanding attention, and affording topics of lasting importance and interest to the public, to be properly treated.
iv.
Preface,
The subject of genealogies is one which the author has made some- what of a specialty in this enterprise, and which he would make still more of a specialty, should encouragement be extended for further in- vestigations in this regard. In the present work, the genealogies of some thirty of the oldest families settling in Worcester, are given, with more or less of detail, so far as facts were obtainable, and there are many others which it would be exceedingly interesting to look up and follow, as far as their connection with Worcester is concerned. This is a branch of research of remarkable interest, of important bearing upon general history, which it so materially illustrates.
Where so much has to be obtained from oral or traditional sources, on matters about which there may be conflicting testimony, it is natural that there should be more or less of statement not verified by facts subsequently obtained. Many errors, typographical or other- wise, discovered too late for correction in the text, will be found pro- perly corrected in the " emendations" a necessary accompaniment of almost every work of a genealogical or statistical character.
While this work was going through the press, some changes neces- sarily took place in certain matters referred to in the text, such as the decease of individuals, the destruction or removal of old landmarks, etc., which are noticed in the concluding chapter.
The map and accompanying illustrations of this work explain them- selves. The illustrations of buildings are not given according to their proportionate size on the map. This has been prepared at consid- erable expense, by an experienced artist, under the special direction of the author, who has devoted to it much time and labor. The loca- tions of the carliest settlers are given as far as it has been possible to designate them with present information. The earliest traveled roads and thoroughfares are designated with the heaviest marked lines, while those of latest construction are indicated by the smallest lines. The dotted lines from the termination of the "Jo Bill" road along the valley of Beaver brook to New Worcester indicate an old route conjectured to have been used before the permanent settlement of the town, and before the route through Main street to New Worcester had been opened, (see note at the bottom of page 23.) That this route was ever much traveled is doubted by many of those best posted on the subject.
The author would close this brief introduction by the expression of his profound thanks to the many friends who have aided him in this enterprise, by the contribution of facts, or the expression of words of
V.
Preface.
encouragement. The sources from which data of this kind must be gleaned, are numerous, and almost everybody has been drawn upon for information of some kind. To the officers of various public bodies, clerks of different associations, and others, whose means of information have been resorted to for facts, the writer is particularly indebted, and hereby returns his sincere acknowledgments, as well as to numerous friends who have rendered important aid.
The author presents this work as the result of labors for many years in the gathering of material, and trusts that it may be received as hav- ing contributed something to the local history of the place, in the rescuing from oblivion of many facts and details which might other- wise have been lost to the world. It is not put forth with any claim of literary merit, but as a series of narrations of simple facts, requiring more of labor than genius to glean or arrange them. C. A. W.
Sept., 1877.
EMENDATIONS.
Page 16, line 11th from bottom, read " 1715" instead of " 1815."
Page 17, line 9th, for " Daniel and Martha (Sergeant) Shattuck," read " Elijah and Sarah (Shattuck) Rice."
Page 21, line 22d, for " 1826," read " 1846."
Page 29, line 26th, for " Samuel," read " Stephen."
Page 31, line 6th, for " now lives," read " lived."
Page 31, line 16th, for "Jemima," read " Joanna."
Page 31, line 37th, for " son," read " nephew."
Page 31, make the last line, read that Azubah Ward married " John, son of Nathaniel Green."
Page 32, for first five lines, read " lines 20 to 25 on page 76."
Page 35, line 36, for " 61," read " 51."
Page 36, for " his," 1st word in 2d line from bottom, read " David Curtis."
Page 38, for lines 5th and 6th, read " lived 100 rods east of his brother, towards Millbury."
Page 41, line 19th, for " Uriah," read " Russell."
Page 43, line 26th for " cousin," read " sister."
Page 44, line 13th, for " Nathaniel," read " Thaddeus."
Page 45, line 2d, for " six sons," read " five sons," and in 4th line, for " five sons," read "four sons."
Page 45, line 3d, for "a Willington," read " Hannah Willington."
Page 48, line 21st, for " 1795," read " 1796."
Page 49, line 37th, for " 1817," read " about 1821."
vi.
Emendations.
Page 64, correct a statement in regard to the old " Compound building." It had no hall, the double roof being added after its removal. Ex-Gov. Washburn and others had their law offices in the two-story building adjoin- ing it on the north, erected after the time of the Chandlers.
Page 70, line 34th, for " sister," read " cousin."
Page 72, 3d and 4th from bottom, for " sister," read " cousin Sarah."
Page 73, 4th line from bottom, for " give," read " given."
Page 90, line 15th, for " Eliza," read " Elizabeth."
Page 90, lire 16th, for " Jan. 20," read " Jan. 29."
Page 90, line 22, for " 5d," read " 2d."
Page 90, line 23, for " now," read " deceased."
Page 103, for correction of last four lines, read page 352.
Page 103, 5th line from bottom, for " 1875," read " 1775."
Page 108, line 33d, for " Northern District of Worcester County," read " Worcester County District."
Page 111, line 10, for " Hannah," read " Mary."
Page 116, line 5th, for " Elijah," read " Elisha, Jr."
Page 126, line 16th, insert " Rufus D. Dunbar" after " Emory Perry." Page 143, line 29th, for " 1794," read " 1797."
Page 172, lines 12th, 13th and 14th, after "west quarter," read "location in Tatnuck ; south quarter, on Pakachoag hill, between Nathaniel Moore, Jr. and Wm. Elder's."
Page 191, line 29th, insert " to" before " 1781"; line 21st, read " in" instead of " to."
Page 196, line 2d, for " from," read " in."
Page 205, 8th line from bottom, for correction, read about Wm. Elder on page 380.
Page 220, line 23, for " Tafts," read " Tufts."
Page 229, 2d line in list of sheriffs, it should read " John Chandler, sheriff 11 years to 1762," instead of 1751.
Page 231, instead of the first two lines, read :- " County Treasurers- Benjamin Flagg to 1741; Daniel Heywood to 1754; Gardner Chandler to 1763 ; John Chandler to 1775."
Page 234, 5th line from bottom, insert " Jonas Sibley, representative from 1823 to 1825," after Lewis Bigelow.
Page 257, line 7th, for " Edward D. Bangs," read "Judge Edward Bangs."
Page 270, line 14th, after " Worcester Temperance House, " insert " Quinsigamond Hotel, City Hotel." Also, in 17th line, insert " Wm. Whitney" after J. E. Wood.
Page 308, 3d line from bottom, for " July," read " Jan. 22."
Page 323, 1st and 4th lines, for " Le Travelleur," read " Le Travailleur."
Page 327, for correct statement about " Evening Budget" and " Worces- ter Daily Sun," see page 375.
Page 328, at the 13th line, for " were." read " was."
Page 339, line 14, for Marcus Barrett and A. W. Ward, read " Wm. Goss."
Page 367, 16th line from bottom, for " Ewards," read " Edwards."
Page 380, 4th line from bottom, for " May 25," read " May 19." Page 382, line 23, for " William's son," read " Silas' son."
In the description on page 392 of the Frontispiece, it should have been stated that the old bank wall there represented was removed in 1869, and Chatham street, then greatly widened at that point.
TABLE OF CONTENTS.
CHAPTER I. EARLY HISTORY, page 9; First attempted settlement, 12; Second attempted settlement, 14.
CHAPTER II.
EARLY IHISTORY, continued. Third and permanent settlement, 18.)
CHAPTER III.
EARLY IHISTORY, continued. Organization of the town, 25 Earliest officials and prominent
families, 28.
CHIAPTER IV. GENEALOGICAL. The Curtis Family, 33 ; The Rice Family, 40.
CHAPTER V.
GENEALOGICAL, continued. The Bigelow Family, 44 ; The Goulding Family, 48 ; The Stowell Fam- ily, 53 ; The Jennison Family , 56.
CIIAPTER VI.
GENEALOGICAL, continued. The Chandler Family, 62 ; The Paine Family, 79 ; The Putnam Fam- ily, 90; The Upham Family, 101.
CHIAPTER VII.
GENEALOGICAL, continued. The Flagg Family, 106 ; The Grout Family, 108 ; The Perry Family, 109.
CHIAPTER VIII.
Ecclesiastical IIistory, 112 ; The FIRST CHURCH, 112; Sittings of the Old Meeting-house, 113 ; The Present Meeting-house, 114 ; The Pastors, 118 ; The Deacons, 125 ; Clerks, 126 ; Music, 126; SCOTCH PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH, 126; Worcester North and South Precincts or Parishes, 128.
CIIAPTER IX.
Ecclesiastical History, continued. The SECOND PARISH (First Unitarian) CHURCH, 131 ; Constitu- tion of the Church, 132; Parish Meetings, 133 ; First Meeting-house, 135 ; First Pew Owners, 135 ; Second Meeting-house, 137 ; Third and Present House of Worship, 139 ; First Pastor, 141 ; First Baptisms, 143 ; Second Pastor, 144 ; Third and Present Pastor, 146 ; Deacons, 146 ; Parish Clerks, 147 ; Music, 147.
CIIAPTER X.
Ecclesiastical History, continued. The FIRST BAPTIST CHURCH, 149 ; Constitution of the Church, 153; First Installation, 154 ; Original Members of the Church, 155; First Meeting-house, 155 ; Second and Present House of Worship, 157; Pastors, 158; Deacons, 165 ; Clerks, 165 ; Music, 166 ; OTHER CHURCHES, 166.
CHAPTER XI.
SCHOOLS AND SCHOOL HOUSES. First Schools, 169; John Adams a Worcester School-master 178 ; His Description of the Situation here, 174 ; School Progress since the Revolution, 181; Princi- pals of High School and School Superintendents, 186.
CHAPTER XII.
MUNICIPAL OFFICERS, &C. Selectrren, 188; Worcester a City, Mayors and Officers of Common Council, 190; Town and City Clerks and Treasurers, 191 : City Marshals, 192 ; Representatives to General Court, 193 ; Senators, 195 ; General Progress from 1722 to 1877, 196.
CHIAPTER XIII.
BURIAL GROUNDS. The First Burial Places, 199 ; Burials on Old Common, 204 ; Burials in Mechan- ic Street Cemetery, 207 ; Pine Street Burial Ground, 210; Rural Cemetery, 210 and 214; Hope Cemetery, 210 ; French Catholic Cemetery, 212; Other Burial Places, 212 ; Sextons and Undertakers, 215.
viii.
Contents.
CHAPTER XIV.
COURTS, COURT HOSUES, COUNTY OFFICERS, JAILS, &C. Courts and County Officers, 216 ; The Court of General Sessions, 219 ; Supreme Court, 221; Central District Court. 222; Court Houses, 222; Old Brick Court House, 223 ; Stone Court House, 224 ; County Jails, 225; Jailors, 228 ; Sheriffs, 229; Clerks of the Courts, 229 ; District Attorneys, 230 ; Treasurers, Registers of Deeds, Judges and Registers of Probate, 231 ; Court of Insolvency, 232 ; Criers, 232 ; Council- lors, 232 ; Representatives in Congress, 234 ; Other Distinguished Officers, 235.
CHAPTER XV.
WASHINGTON AND LAFAYETTE in Worcester, 237 ; Washington's First Visit in 1775, 237; Washing- ton's Second Visit in 1789, 239; Reception in Worcester, 239; Lafayette's First Visit in 1824, 243 ; Lafayette's Second Visit in 1825, 249.
CIIAPTER XVI.
WORCESTER AND ITS ANCIENT DWELLINGS. Original Boundaries, 250; Worcester in 1750, 251; Ponds, Streams, &c., 252 ; Ancient Dwellings and their Occupants, 254.
CHAPTER XVII.
HOTELS, POST OFFICE, TOWN HALL, 266 ; Old Central IIotel, 268 ; Eagle Hotel, 270 ; Waldo House, 270 ; Lincoln House, 271 ; Exchange Hotel, 274 ; American Temperance House, 276; Washing- ton Square Hotel, 278; Old United States Hotel, 281 ; Post Office, 279; Town Hall, 282.
CHAPTER XVIII.
RAILROADS, DEPOTS, &C. The Old Foster Street Depot and its Surroundings, 290 ; First Railroad Opening, 291 ; Old Depot, 292; Western Railroad Opening, 295 ; Norwich and Worcester Rail- road Opening, 296; Providence and Worcester Railroad Opening, 296 ; Worcester and Nashua Railroad Opening, 298; Fitchburg and Worcester Railroad Opening, 299 ; Boston, Barre and Gardner Railroad Opening, 299.
CHAPTER XIX.
PRINTERS AND NEWSPAPERS. Isaiah Thomas and his Distinguished Apprentices, 300; The Mas- sachusetts Spy, 305 ; The Daily Spy, 309; John Milton Earle and his Apprentices, 309 ; The National Ægis, 311 ; The Yeoman, 313 ; The Republican, 314 ; The Palladium, 314; Waterfall and Cataract, 316 : State Sentinel, 318; Christian Citizen, 319 ; Worcester County Gazette, 320 ; Other Publications, 320 : The French Newspapers, 322 ; Daily Papers, 323; Veteran Editors, 327 ; Veteran Printers, 331.
CIIAPTER XX.
ADDITIONAL GENEALOGIES. The Chapin Family, 337 ; The Lovell Family, 340 ; The Green Family, 341 ; The Lincoln Family, 345 ; The Allen Family, 347 ; The Mower Family, 351; The Upham Family, 352 ; The Boyden Family, 353; The Rice Family, 354 ; The Goddard Family, 356 ; The Tucker Family, 359 ; The Eaton Family, 360; The Harrington Family, 361 ; The Stowell Family, 362 ; Other Families, 362.
CHAPTER XXI.
FRAGMENTARY GATHERINGS. The Old Worcester Fire Society, 366; Worcester Fire Department, 369 ; Oldest Roads, 369; Delegates to Constitutional Conventions, 370 ; Presidential Electors, 371 ; Jury List for 1742, 371 ; Jury List from 1757 to 1760, 372 ; Relics of Thomas' Old Print- ing Office, 372 ; Other Newspapers, &c., 373; Street and Dummy Railways, 375 ; Old South Church, 376; Executions in Worcester, 376 ; Building Operations, &c., 378 ; The Duncan Family, 381 ; Burial Places, 383 ; Military, 384 ; Oldest Residents of Worcester, 387; Descrip- tion of Frontispece, 392.
ILLUSTRATIONS.
View of Main street in Worcester, in 1836,
FRONTISPIECE opposite page 9
Map of the Old Town,
Plan of ye lower floor of ye Meeting-house in 1763,
opposite 113
Old South Church in 1871, opposite 115
Old Meeting House, 1763,
- see map
Present Church of the Second Parish,
opposite 131 opposite 135
First and Second Churches of the Second Parish,
First Church of Baptist Society,
- see map
High School Building,
opposite 169
Old Summer Street School House,
- see map opposite 223 - see map
The Lincoln Mansion,
opposite 271
American Temperance House and Old Healey Mansion House, The Learned Blacksmith,
opposite 276 opposite 319
The Judge Barton Mansion,
- see map
Old Brick Court House,
Old Burr Mansion,
REMINISCENCES OF WORCESTER.
CHAPTER I.
Early settlements on the sea coast-neighboring settlements-Indian tribes-Gookin and Eliot -King Philip-Committee of General Court to investigate location and have charge of settlement -King Philip's war-Desertion of settlement by inhabitants and burning of houses by the indi- ans-Seeond attempted settlement and a re-survey-named Worcester by the General Court- Queen Anne's war and second abandonment of the plantation-Digory Sergeant.
EARLY HISTORY.
ORCESTER was one of the earliest places in the interior of the State to which the attention of the first set- tlers from the east was directed, the locality being described by the committee of explorers first sent out under the authority of the General Court to view the place, as situated in a pleasant valley about midway be- tween the sea coast and the older settlements of Springfield and Northampton on the Connecticut River.
Plymouth was founded on the first arrival of the Pilgrims, Dec. 22, 1620 ; Salem, the next oldest town in the Common- wealth, was settled eight years later, in 1628 ; Charlestown and Lynn in 1629; and Boston, Roxbury, Watertown, Dorchester, and Cambridge, in 1630. Concord was incorporated in 1635, and Sudbury, settled in 1639, colonized Marlborough, which was incorporated in 1660.
From those towns came the settlers of further west. Lan- caster incorporated in 1653, Mendon in 1667, and Brookfield in 1673, are the only towns in this county which preceded Wor- cester in time of first settlement, although one or two other
2
10
Reminiscences of Worcester.
towns in the county also antedate Worcester by a few years in time of incorporation, owing to the fact that our two first at- tempts at settlement proved failures on account of the depreda- tions of Indians, who twice destroyed the place, the first time in 1675, and the second time, twenty-five or thirty years later, during Queen Anne's war, the savages driving out all the white settlers and burning their habitations. Pakachoag Hill (on the border of Auburn,) a little south of where now stands the College of the Holy Cross, had been the seat or head-quarters of a tribe of Nipmuck Indians, comprising some twenty fami- lies, numbering about one hundred persons in all, under Saga- more John, who was one of the allies of King Philip in the Indian war of 1675-6. Another tribe of nearly the same num- ber, also dwelt on Tetaeset (Tatnuck) hill, under Sagamore Solomon, who also probably acted with the others on that direful occasion.
These Indians were visited in September, 1674, by the dis- tinguished Indian apostle and philanthrophist, John Eliot, of Roxbury, in company with his historian, Captain (afterwards General) Daniel Gookin, who figured so prominently in the earliest attempts at settlement by the whites in Worcester, and was Superintendent, under Eliot, by apointment of the Gener- al Court, of measures for the civilization and government of the Indians. These red men had then already made consider- able advances in civilization, and some of them professed Christianity. Those missionaries came here through Sutton, after visiting the tribe located at Dudley, and held a meeting with the Indians here, on Pakachoag Hill, with Sagamores John and Solomon, the only white man among them being their teacher, James Speen, selected for that work by the authorities at Boston. Here on that elevated site, surrounded by the abo- rigines of the forest, Eliot preached and prayed, in the Indian tongue, and Speen with his Indian choir sung psalms. In Sag- amore John's rude hut on Pakachoag Hill, Gookin and Eliot indicted an apostolic letter " full of Christian advice and coun- sel" to Sagamore " Sam," of the Nashaway Indians whose head- quarters were at Lake Waushacum, in Sterling, then Lancaster, imploring his subjects to abstain from their immoral practices,
11
Reminiscences of Worcester.
and receive instructions from their teacher by whom this letter was sent. For this purpose, civil authority was conferred upon one of their tribe there to aid the missionaries in the work.
King Philip visited Pakachoag Hill in July, 1675, where he met the Chiefs of both tribes here, to induce them to join him in the war by which the settlements in Mendon, Brookfield, Worcester, Lancaster, Marlborough, and other places were de- stroyed two hundred years ago.
Although there were no white settlements here at the time the apostle Eliot made his visit, yet the place had been visited nearly twenty years previous by settlers in and around Boston, and grants of land made by the government to different par- ties in the vicinity of Boston, in 1657, 1662, and 1664, were subsequently designated and set off by them on the westerly side of Lake Quinsigamond, by which name the settlement was long after known. A committee, consisting of Capt. Dan- iel Gookin, Capt. Edward Johnson, Samuel Andrew, and An- drew Belcher of Boston, was appointed by the General Court, May 15, 1667, to view the place, and report "whether it be capable of making a village, and what number of families may be there accommodated, and if they find it fit for a plantation, then to offer some meet expedient how the same may be set- tled and improved for the public good." This committee, hav- ing attended to the duty assigned them, made a favorable re- port, Oct. 20, 1668, recommending that this tract of " very good chestnut tree and meadow land, located about twelve miles west of Marlborough, be granted and laid out for a town, about the contents of eight miles square, in the best form the place will bear, it being conveniently situated and well watered with ponds and brooks, and lying near midway on the great road between Boston and Springfield, about one day's journey from either ; " and that "a prudent and able committee be appointed and empowered to lay out the territory, admit inhab- itants, and order the affairs of the place in forming the town, granting lots, and directing and ordering all matters of a pru- dential nature until the place be settled with a sufficient num- ber of inhabitants and persons of discretion, able to control the affairs thereof, in the opinion of the Court ; " that " due
12
Reminiscences of Worcester.
care be taken, by the said Committee, that a good minister of God's Word be placed there as soon as may be, that such peo- ple as may be there planted may not be like lambs in a large place ;" and that there be two or three hundred acres of land reserved and laid out for the Commonwealth," for a Common, ministerial land, school-house, &c., and " that the committee have power and liberty to settle inhabitants thereupon, for lives or times, upon a small rent to be paid after the first seven years." They estimated that this tract of " very good chestnut tree and meadow land," &c., comprising, besides what is now Worcester, Holden, set off in 1740, and a part of what is now Auburn, set off in 1778, might possibly with proper industry and effort, " afford support for sixty families;" a prophesy pre- senting a most astonishing contrast with the present fact of over fifty thousand thriving inhabitants now dwelling on less than one-half of that original eight miles square of hills and valleys, with their numerous and extensive manufacturing es- tablishments, magnificent public buildings, and elegant and costly private residences, and having the manifold products of our industries in all the markets of the world.
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