USA > Massachusetts > Hampden County > Hampden county, 1636-1936, Volume I > Part 28
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Mr. Chapin was always interested in public affairs and bore his share in every scientific, philanthropic and religious movement. When the city library was organized in 1857, he took a lively and practical interest in it. The library first opened in a room on Main Street, but was moved to the City Hall in 1860. At that time the books were few and ill-kept. In 1871 Mr. Chapin aided in buying the present site, and he continued to have a deep interest in the library's growth
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and success; but his most personal interest, the one that absorbed the greater portion of his thought and time, was science, and in that con- nection he wrote several very unusual books.
The Chapin family long occupied rooms at the Massasoit House, but in 1869 he bought a beautiful place on Chestnut Street, which he thoroughly enjoyed, not so much because it was more comfortable and convenient than the Massasoit House, but because it was more truly a home, and was therefore a better place for the family. He took great pains in remodeling and furnishing the house, studying to adapt everything to the comfort of the household and trying to make each part suit the needs and tastes of the one who was to occupy it. Many testified to the genial atmosphere that pervaded the place, the chief element of which was Mr. Chapin's unselfish spirit.
Mr. Chapin's natural tastes showed themselves in the books he chose for himself and his children. He never read anything trivial. Ordinary stories and novels gave him no pleasure, and he used to say, "I haven't time for those things," which simply meant he did not think them worth reading. If their contents had seemed valuable, he would have found all the time needed for reading them-and that with care. He often remarked of books: "I don't like to wade through so much to get so little."
In addition to scientific works, he valued histories, biographies, books of travel, and standard poetry. Sir Walter Scott's "Lady of the Lake" was a great favorite. Among his books was a small well- worn copy of this poem, which, like his Bible, was often carried about in his pocket, and was a much-prized companion. He often quoted from it with enthusiasm passages he had memorized. He was born in 1814 and died in 1889.
One noted man associated with Springfield is Charles Goodyear, whose name has a worldwide renown, and though he started his enter- prise elsewhere, he succeeded in bringing the manufacture of India rubber to a high state of perfection in a shop that stood on Mill River. He was born at New Haven in 1800. His father was an inventor of farming implements and a leader of that great company of inventors who have lined the streams of the Connecticut with their mills.
While engaged in business with his father in 1824, he married Clarissa Beecher, who in every way was fitted to be the companion
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and comforter of his life. In 1826 he removed with his wife to Phila- delphia and opened a hardware store.
In the winter of 1829 and spring of 1830 the health of Charles, who was the life of his firm, entirely broke down. He had a sudden attack of dyspepsia, a disease that pursued him to the grave, scarcely relaxing its hold on him for a day during the remainder of his life, and often confining him to his bed, so that at times the bed was his only workshop and was often covered with the implements of his experiments.
For ten years after this failure in business Mr. Goodyear was repeatedly imprisoned for debt and at the same time was trying to develop unfinished inventions, so that his creditors might in the end be paid. In after years when he began to receive returns for his long self-denying studies, the first appropriation of money above what was required for the development of his invention was made to these creditors, although time and law had released him from the obligations.
Gum elastic was originally brought from South America and used for the removal of lead pencil marks from paper. This was its first practical use and gave it the name of rubber.
A firm in Roxbury, Massachusetts, became interested in the improvements that were being made in the manufacture of rubber goods and conceived the idea of spreading rubber on cloth, thus pro- ducing a waterproof article. A great variety of goods were made of this product and several million dollars were invested in buildings, machinery and stock. Large stores were opened in the principal cities and much attention was given to the new material in the newspapers. These accounts met the eyes and aroused the curiosity of Mr. Goodyear.
Soon afterward, while in New York, he happened to pass the store of the Roxbury Rubber Company and stopped to make inquiries about life preservers, and it occurred to him that he could improve the construction of the tube. Some months later he exhibited to the agent of the company his improved tube. The agent was struck with the skill displayed in overcoming difficulties and told Mr. Goodyear that the whole business was on the edge of ruin; that twenty thou- sand dollars' worth of goods had been returned to them decomposed and emitting so offensive an odor as to make it necessary to have them
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buried in the earth. Other companies were in the same condition and large rewards awaited the man who would devise a way to over- come the difficulties. People became disgusted with an article that melted in the summer and stiffened to a stone hardness in winter and they would not buy the goods.
It was significant both of the fortune and of the character of Mr. Goodyear that his first experiment on rubber was made in prison.
A man in the city who asked how he might recognize Mr. Good- year was told: "If you meet a man who has on an India rubber cap,
FOREST PARK, SPRINGFIELD
stock, coat, vest and shoes, with an India rubber money purse without a cent of money in it, that is he." About this time he obtained a patent for some of his work and medals were given him at some of the fairs in 1835. Improvements in the manufacture of elastic goods secured him such a degree of confidence in the community that he found no difficulty in getting a partner with enough capital to start work.
Success now appeared certain. A building with steam power was hired and shoes, life preservers, articles of clothing and a great
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variety of useful and ornamental goods were manufactured. The trials of this long-suffering and persevering man seemed to be draw- ing to a close, and an almost unlimited opening for successful business seemed before him. He moved his family to Staten Island, where he might once more enjoy the comfort of his own home.
An unexpected trouble now broke over him and swept away all his prospects of success. The general failure in business which occurred at this time and made new enterprise impossible, took away the entire fortune of the partner with whom he had recently been associated. This disaster left Mr. Goodyear penniless. However, he finally secured a small loan of money and started for Roxbury, Massachu- setts, with a package of his best specimens. In that city immense amounts of money had already been invested and lost in the business, but again prosperity seemed to smile on the persevering inventor and he removed his family to that city with all his accustomed enthusiasm, both in the manufacture of goods and studies for further improvement in the process.
His beautiful articles had attracted so much attention that the government gave him an order for one hundred and fifty India rubber mail bags. It was valuable advertising of his manufactures and he seemed on the road to complete success. The mail bags were finished in the summer season and were exhibited in the factory. They were beautiful in form and color, and excited great admiration from the many visitors who saw them. His business called him away for a few weeks and when he returned great was his consternation to discover that his admired mail bags were decomposing and dropping from their handles. This misfortune led to the discovery of the vulcanizing pro- cess, but not until after he had once more gone through a complete business failure. He had spent four years in fruitless attempts to make the improvements he sought and an immense amount of capital had been sunk. Besides, the community had become exasperated by the losses. He took his family to Woburn and they started making rubber shoes in their own home. While working in his kitchen one night a piece of gum mixed with sulphur, which he held in his hand, accidentally came in contact with the hot stove. To his astonishment he noted that it charred like leather without dissolving and no por- tion of it was sticky. He nailed the piece of gum outside the kitchen door in the intense cold and in the morning he brought it in exultingly. It was found to be perfectly flexible, the same as when he put it out.
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This great discovery of the vulcanization of rubber was the turning-point in Mr. Goodyear's life, though terrible years of want were still before him. His friends regarded his important news with complete indifference. Fifty times before he had run to them rejoicing in some new discovery, and fifty times had they been disappointed. It was only after two full years of experiments that he was able to convince even one person of its value.
The invention was submitted to Mr. William Rider, an enterpris- ing merchant, who agreed to furnish sufficient capital to carry on the manufacture to their mutual benefit. The Goodyear family was now placed beyond want and they were never again brought to the verge of actual suffering. But before the difficulties in the way of preparing the rubber for manufacture were overcome, the strange misfortune that had attended Mr. Goodyear in his whole career was illustrated again in the failure of Mr. Rider and the loss of his capital.
Before this occurred he had begun manufacturing operations in Springfield and had succeeded in securing a simple cast-iron machine by the use of which he prepared sheets of the vulcanized rubber and also the shirred goods out of which suspenders and elastics were made. These immediately attracted the favorable attention of the public. Three years after this Goodyear felt safe in taking out his patent.
It was at this time, in Springfield, that he had his last experience of a debtor's prison in America. He was still very poor, and one day was arrested for the non-payment of a debt and put in the jail limits. A suit of clothes was being made for him in a Springfield tailor shop and on Saturday night, when the clothes were to be delivered, one of the firm said that Mr. Goodyear was at Sheriff Fos- ter's. But he said to the trotter-boy in the shop, "When you go home take Mr. Goodyear's suit of clothes to him and tell him he can pay for them at his convenience." The boy on his way to the jail stopped at his home for supper. A barrel of fine red apples had been delivered that afternoon at the boy's house, and his mother asked him to unhead it, which he did, and took out of the barrel one of the largest apples. That one he put in his jacket pocket, and then he started for the jail, which was near by. To his surprise he found Mr. Goodyear reading in Sheriff Foster's office, and he was not behind the bars, but only in
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the jail limits. He delivered the clothes and the message of his employer and then it occurred to him that perhaps the red apple would be to the liking of Mr. Goodyear. He took the apple out of his pocket and handed it to Mr. Goodyear, who thanked him very kindly.
On the first of January, 1854, this young man was in Paris. It was on Sunday and a holiday. Lord Palmerston and other notable Englishmen were there conferring with Napoleon about the allied army. The young man sat down to read some letters that had been received by him, and after he finished he saw in the next room, Mr. Goodyear. He was writing at a desk, but soon looked up and recognized the young man. "You are from Springfield," he said, "and used to be a clerk for the tailors. Do you remember a red apple which was once given me?" The young man replied that he did, and that he was glad circumstances had greatly changed. Also, he remarked that he had noticed with much interest what had been said of Mr. Goodyear in regard to the India rubber pontoons, which he was then making for the French Government. After a pleasant conversation, Mr. Goodyear asked the young man to step around to his hotel at twelve o'clock. He did so, and was invited to drive with Mr. Goodyear to the Bois de Boulogne. The only persons to drive that day up and down the avenue behind four horses were the Emperor and one other distinguished party-Mr. Goodyear and the young clerk from the Springfield tailor shop.
The famous inventor showed the young man marked attention later, and they were constantly talking about Springfield and Mr. Goodyear's connections with the town.
Thousands have found employment in Hampden County because of Goodyear's efforts, others have built up large fortunes; the whole world was benefited by his inventions, but he died with a debt of $200,000.
His last home was in Washington, where for a short time he lived comfortably and happily, carrying on his experiments with greater ease and success than ever before. The career of this great inventor, who besides living and working for a time in Springfield, also went to jail in Springfield, ended July 1, 1860. His discoveries added over five hundred useful articles to the world. .
Some Interesting Items
CHAPTER XXII
Some Interesting Items
One of the Merriam school books was "The Village Reader," published in 1841. Its only illustration was a full page engraving of Springfield's town pump. The pump had curbing, a stout handle and spout, and besides it supported a tall lamp-post. The source of illum- ination was probably whale oil. The pump was in the town square, where there was a background of trees and substantial buildings. Among the buildings was a meetinghouse.
Human activity in the scene was furnished by an old man waddling past supported by a cane, and by a man who had one hand lifted while he drank. Also, there was a farmer in a smock frock wiping the sweat from his brow. The only person in a hurry was a running boy. In the distance a lady was parading with a parasol, and a yoke of oxen were patiently waiting with a load of grain. Lastly, a dog was eagerly lapping his share at the town pump.
The text that goes with the wood cut is in the middle of the book, and we are informed that the scene is at the corner of two principal streets where the town pump is talking through its nose. The time is noon, the sunbeams hot. "I am the head of the fire department," the pump says, "and I am one of the physicians of the board of health. As a keeper of the peace, all water drinkers will confess me equal to the constable. I perform some of the duties of the town clerk by displaying public notices when posted on my front. Summer or win- ter nobody seeks me in vain; for all day long I am seen at the busiest corner, just above the market, stretching out my arms to rich and poor alike; and at night I hold a lantern over my head, to show where I am, and keep people out of the gutters. At this sultry noon-tide, I am cup-bearer to the thirsty public, and like the dram-seller on muster- day, I cry to all in my plainest accents, and at the very tip-top of my voice : 'Here it is gentlemen! Here is the good liquor! Walk up,
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walk up, walk up, walk up, gentlemen, here is the superior stuff ! Here is the ale of Father Adam-better than strong beer or wine of any price; here it is by the hogshead or the single glass, and not a cent to pay ! Walk up, gentlemen, and help yourselves.' Who next? Oh, my little friend, you are let loose from school, and come hither to scrub your blooming face and drown the memory of certain taps with the ferule in a drink from the town pump. The Indians formerly drank here from time immemorial until the fatal deluge of firewater swept away the entire race of the red men."
Endicott and his followers came next, and often knelt down to drink. The richest goblet then was of birch bark. Governor Win- throp, after a journey on foot from Boston, drank here out of the hollow of his hand. For many years it was the watering-place and wash- bowl of the vicinity, whither all respectable folks came to wash their faces and gaze at them afterward in the mirror which the water made -at least the pretty maidens did.
'One of the notable visitors to the Springfield Armory in its early days was Jacob Abbott, famous for his "Rollo" books and other lit- erature for young people. His popularity was widespread, and deserved to be.
The armory interested him, and about 1840 he made it the subject of one of his mildly adventurous and informative juveniles. The title of the book is "Marco Paul's Adventures in Pursuit of Knowl- edge-Springfield Armory."
Marco and an older cousin named Forester were going from New York City to Vermont by way of Hartford and Springfield. It was early in April, but there were mountains in sight still covered with snow. On their way they concluded to stop and visit the "great National Armory at Springfield," where, as Forester said, "the gov- ernment of the United States had a wonderful building that manu- factures muskets for the national armies, and it is a very curious and interesting place to visit."
At Hartford, where they stopped for the night, they were told there was a great freshet on the river and they went out in the evening to get a view of it from the Statehouse cupola. There they had a grand sight of the river expanding over the valley, with groves, farm- houses, orchards and even the streets of the city rising out of the water.
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After looking for a while they went down and walked toward the bank of the river, but long before they got there they found the streets filled with water. Barrels and boxes were floating about; piles of merchandise, which had been taken out of submerged cel- lars, were arranged along the sidewalks, where they were out of the water's reach, and men were busy getting other goods to places of safety. By this time it was becoming dark and Forester and Marco returned to the hotel.
They were called the next morning at six o'clock and told that a boat was going to start at seven for Springfield. So they dressed with all speed, ate breakfast, and had hardly finished when the coach was at the door to take them to the boat. They got in and soon came to a street full of water. Next there glided into view a little skiff from behind a block of brick buildings. There was a man in it rowing, but he soon disappeared.
The horses had now reached the brink of the water, and to Marco's surprise they did not stop, but advanced slowly into it, draw- ing the coach after them. The water grew deeper and deeper until the horses were up to their knees, but now Marco could see the end of the bridge that led across the river. That was some relief, for he did not like navigating in such deep water in a carriage.
Just before they reached the bridge the water grew shallower, and they stopped where there was a piece of dry land big enough for them to stand on. Here, too, a little steamer came in sight that was to take them up the river. By scrambling through a store and over planks and along the edges of piers, they succeeded in getting on board. The steamboat had a great paddle-wheel at the stern and two small ones at the sides. It had a small forecastle, which was below the level of the main decks, and there was a little cabin near the bows. The ladies' cabin was toward the stern. It sheltered them from wind and rain, but the several who were passengers on the boat did not stay there long. They wanted to look about and see the effects of the flood and the strange aspect which was given to all the surrounding region by such a deluge of waters, in which everything seemed submerged.
Presently the crew began to push off the boat from the pier and the great paddle-wheel at the stern began to revolve. Then they were swept out into the stream just above the big wooden bridge which
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stretches across the Connecticut at Hartford. Some of the men said it was very fortunate that no ice was running.
"Why?" Marco asked. And the man replied: "Because it would soon make a jam above the bridge and carry it away."
Marco went forward to the forecastle. The wind was northeast and it blew the cold rain into his face. He tried to hoist his umbrella, but a sudden gust caught it out of his hands and swept it along the upper deck. Marco scrambled up the steps and ran after it. Fortu- nately, it lodged under the bows of a small skiff which had been placed on the deck in order to be taken up the river. If it had gone over into the water, it would have been so hopelessly damaged it would not have been worth while to detain the steamboat for it.
When Marco got his umbrella again he went back to the fore- castle, but was careful not to open the umbrella so the wind would get under it. There he sat peeping out to see the wide waste of waters which extended as far as he could see. It was a melancholy sight to see the farmhouses, some with the water up above the floor, or even to the windows, and others located on a little spot of ground, which the water seemed just ready to cover, and the family standing at the door gazing while the steamboat crossed their mowing fields. Every- where the water was deep enough so the boat was not obliged to con- fine itself to the ordinary channel of the river, but made a straight course over fields, fences, yards and gardens.
At some of the farmhouses men were busy saving their goods and furniture; at others, they were gliding about in skiffs, and in one case Marco saw a man and his boy going out to the barn to take care of the cattle on a raft made of barn doors.
Halfway between Hartford and Springfield is a fall where boats cannot go either up or down. Going up is impossible, because even when the water is deep enough they cannot stem the current; and they cannot come down, because the current would sweep them along too swiftly and dash them against rocks on the shore. So they made a canal around the fall to take the boats up, or let them gently down, by means of locks. However, the canal was now submerged and the steamboat had to stop below it at a little village called the Point, and from there the passengers were to be taken the rest of the way by stage. On arrival at this village they sailed along in front of the principal street, and then turned into another at right angles in which
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the tavern was situated. The helmsman guided the boat to the piazza of the hotel, as if it were a wharf, and the passengers stepped out on it. The piazza was covered with people of the village who had col- lected there.
Around the tavern on every side was water, and from there a large part of the village could be seen, with streets, yards and gardens entirely submerged. Barrels, boxes and planks were floating about. Everyone stood on steps or piazzas watching the scene. First, a wheelbarrow came slowly drifting into the tavern yard. Then a boy came on a raft made of two planks. Next was a little boat full of children going home from school. There was a bridge made of a series of planks leading across from the platform to the land behind the tavern, and the ends of the planks were supported on horseblocks for piers. Marco ran back and forth across this bridge several times until at length the stages were ready. They were backed down through the water to the step of the piazza and the baggage was put on. Finally the stages were driven out on dry land and the passengers, one by one, went over the long plank bridge, took their seats, and all proceeded to Springfield.
Most New Englanders disclaim a belief in signs, yet a confiden- tial acquaintance is apt to reveal some that their own inner conscious- ness or their experience have convinced them are true. The person who is not affected at all by these old sayings is the exception. A few of them, as for instance, certain of those about the weather, sometimes have a scientific foundation, but it is not always easy to decide which sayings have truth to back them and which only fancy. If you listen to the relation of them, some of the most fantastic will be told with such detail and so stoutly championed that you are tempted to question if the days of miracles really are past. A man will tell you about horse hairs turning into snakes, and you will hear of wart cures and of the good or ill effect of one thing and another, till you begin to think that your own knowledge of the supernatural is very narrow and bigoted.
Perhaps none of the current signs and sayings of the past are natives of New England by right of invention. Yet if Yankee cute- ness did not share in the originating of them, it has given its peculiar local twist to a large number.
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