USA > Massachusetts > Worcester County > Spencer > Historical sketches relating to Spencer, Mass., Volume II > Part 6
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It was with deep feelings of sorrow that the Shakers learned of her withdrawal from their communion. Her daily life and ministrations among them had been such that she was endeared to them all, and today she is affectionately remembered and kind- ly spoken of by all those now living there who then knew her.
The Congregational church voted Jan. 20, 1828, to "sus- pend Widow Chloe Loring from the communion of the church, she having connected with the Shakers, also to send her a letter of admonition." Chloe Draper married Thomas Loring Sept. 27, 1803. They lived on what is now known as the Chandler Taft place. Her husband died May 10, 1805, aged twenty-six; so she had been a widow some twenty years before her suspension from the church, and did not fully unite with the Shakers until seven years later.
Story of Becca Prouty and Nancy Gleason.
The Congregational Church also voted, Jan. 30, 1828, " to choose a committee and the two deacons to converse with Mrs. Becca Prouty, wife of Willard, and Mrs. Nancy Gleason upon the neglect of their believing the faith of the Shakers." Feb. 28, another vote was passed to "suspend Mrs. Prouty until she should satisfy the Church that she had renounced the faith of the
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THE SPENCER SHAKERS
Shakers." Voted "to defer the case of Mrs. Gleason until the next meeting." Becca Draper married Willard Prouty Jan. 18, 1807. Mr. Prouty owned and operated the Hillsville grist mill built by his grandfather, John Prouty, and which at that time had been in the family about ninety years. They lived in a large, two-story red house, now destroyed, which stood on the same side of the road only a short distance easterly of the home- stead of the late John ; Hindley. Mr. Prouty died by suicide in the attic of this house by hanging himself with a skein of yarn, Jan. 4, 1834, aged forty-eight. This occurred one Sunday morning after he had built a fire in a room where religious services were about to be held. It is said that previous to this time Mrs. Prouty had lived for a while at Shirley, which so ex- ceedingly worried her husband that he prevailed upon her to re- turn to his home, and after this they had considered the question of both becoming Shakers, had talked the matter over pleasantly, and reached a decision to enter that communion; but later Mr. Prouty became despondent, and was fearful, to use his own ex- pression, that he " could not live their religion." The presump- tion is that this worry brought about temporary aberration of mind. It was not, however, until five years later that Becca Prouty became a Shaker, in full connection although she went to Shirley soon after her husband's burial, and took with her, her daughter Harriet A., then a young woman of twenty-one. They probably joined on probation, but did not join the church family until Oct. 16, 1839. Becca Prouty died July 5, 1860, aged eighty-six, and Harriet A., Aug. 2, 1899, aged eighty-nine. It is said of Harriet A. Prouty that her Spencer relatives and friends strongly objected to her becoming a Shakeress and this is doubtless true, since she had a large circle of intimate ac- quaintances. It is also said that she went to Shirley against her will, but as she at that time was of legal age, there does not ap- pear to be any good reason for thinking that she was acting contrary to a determined purpose. However that may have been she became a willing worker in the order and for many years was superintendent of the dairy.
Nancy Draper, mentioned above, married Samuel Gleason Feb. 3, 1811. They lived in the second house west of the place now occupied by Edwin A. Hill at Hillsville, formerly called the Bush farm, now owned by C. W. Pierce. There is no doubt but that Mrs. Gleason's choice was to depart for Shirley. Mr. Gleason, however, was unwilling to go or to have her go, and so like a good woman she adhered to her original promise to love and cherish him until death should them part. He died July 7, 1864, aged eighty-five. Mrs. Gleason at that time had
Kindness of Foster Bisco.
reached the age of eighty-one. Foster Bisco, a nephew, called to see her and asked, " Well Aunt Nancy, where are you going to
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go now?" "Well, Foster," she said, " I should like to go and live with you." "And," said he, "I should be delighted to have you. " This plan was consummated. She had two hun- dred dollars, and for this sum Foster Bisco kindly cared for her ten years, or until her death, Sept. 5, 1874, at the ripe age of ninety-one. Beside this he erected a suitable headstone at her grave in the old cemetery. A gentleman now living, who knew Mr. and Mrs. Gleason says, " No better persons ever lived."
In 1850 Dwight Hyde and Timothy N. Upham kept what was then called the Hillsville store, under the firm name of Hyde
ABIGAIL, PROUTY.
& Upham. They both came from Sturbridge and were brothers- in-law, Hyde having married Upham's sister.
Timothy N. Upham.
Timothy N. Upham was born in Sturbridge, July 8, 1805. His family were well to do and gave him an excellent education. He was a fine linguist, a most agreeable companion, and had studied theology and medicine. At this time the Shakers were doing a large business in the manufacture of brooms and raising of garden seeds. They were sold by trustees, who made annual visits by team to all the stores throughout the surrounding country in order to dispose of their wares. It is supposed that Mr. Upham entertained them at his house whenever they came to Spencer; he was a very hospitable man and his wife a noted
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THE SPENCER SHAKERS
cook. However this may have been, he went to Shirley in 1852 and became a Shaker. His wife was Lucy Ann Adams, a sister of the late Amos Adams of North Brookfield, and also of Levi Adams, who formerly owned the estate on Pleasant street now oc- cupied by his son, Daniel W. Adams. She was born at Brook- field, Dec. 16, 1811. She did not go with Mr. Upham but kept a boarding-house for a long time in Fitchburg; then for a few years was cook at the Jenks tavern, and after this a nurse, with headquarters at North Brookfield, where she died Feb. 12, 1891, seventy-nine years of age. While Mr. Upham was a man of great ability in some directions, he lacked so far as manual labor or business energy was concerned, what is now called the power of initiative. He was several times sent by the Shakers to Bos- ton and elsewhere on business, but most always returned without having accomplished the purpose for which he was sent. He said he " couldn't do the task assigned him." So far as physi- cal labor of any kind was concerned it was said of him by a man of large observation, not a Shaker, "Mr. Upham would rather starve than work;" and another person equally well informed said " he would sooner freeze than build a fire." It will thus be seen that the Shakers had some difficulty in placing Mr. Upham where he could render efficient service, but finally he was ap- pointed teacher of the boys and young men, who had by them been taken to bring up and were mostly orphans. Mr. Upham in this role was an eminent success. He liked to teach, his pupils liked him, and made rapid progress in their studies. So far all went well. One of Mr. Upham's pupils was a youth named Samuel A. Burns, son of a Shakeress, and a boy of promise. As he grew to manhood it was nothing strange that one of the young Shaker women of about his own age should have regarded him with tenderness, and should have told him of her love, nor is it remarkable that he should have reciprocated her affection. That is, these things would not have been re- markable had they occurred in most communities, but at Shirley it was more unusual since the life of a Shaker must be the life of a celibate. Young Mr. Burns was in a quandary what to do.
Mr. Upham's Advice Brings Disastrous Results.
He consulted Mr. Upham, and his teacher advised him to marry. The couple lost no time in acting on the suggestion of Mr. Up- ham and so in Shaker costume Samuel A. Burns and Sarah E. Whiteley were quietly married by Rev. Mr. Dutton, a Baptist clergyman, at Shirley, Jan. 7, 1866. The contracting parties, with four children, are still living. Miss Whiteley was the daughter of the chief elder of the society, John Whiteley, familiarly called " Uncle John." He is now living, a man of
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SKETCHES.OF SPENCER HISTORY
ability, an excellent administrator, a man of unblemished life, a Yorkshire Englishman by birth, and a life-long friend of the late Richard Sugden of this town, who was born near the same place in England. The marriage was a great shock to Elder Whiteley, as well as in a lesser degree to the whole community, and a meeting was at once called to see if any of its members had previous knowledge of the purpose of this young couple. Mr. Upham made a full acknowledgment, but it became evident that his usefulness in the community was at an end.
In previous years several young people had left the Shakers for the purpose of marriage, thus disarranging their plans and crippling their organization. When, therefore, Mr. Upham, knowing the facts, advised a course so subversive of what by them appeared to be the best interests of the order, it was clear that neither his example nor action could be condoned, and, since the position of teacher was the only one in the community he could creditably fill, he was for these reasons dismissed. He then repaired to the almshouse of his native town, where two years later, Nov. 10, 1867, aged sixty-four, he committed sui- cide, by severing the jugular vein with a penknife. A few days after his burial a letter was received from a wealthy though distant friend offering to pay for his support at some more con- genial place of residence. Mr. Burns became an evangelist, and some may remember him as a worker in that capacity in a series of meetings held in the audience room of the M. E. Church dur- ing the pastorate of Rev. A. W. Mills. Later he became a com- mercial traveler.
Some years after Mr. Upham had abandoned his wife and home for the Shaker faith, Mrs. Upham supposing on the ground of desertion she had a legal right so to do,-married Joseph Dean, a citizen of Spencer. After a time, some of her most in- timate friends suggested that her marriage was not only illegal but that she was living in violation of the Seventh Command- ment. Becoming alarmed, she took the case to Wm. T. Har- low, a lawyer then living in Spencer, who confirmed her fears. Proceedings were at once instituted in court praying for absolute divorce from both Upham and Dean, and after a full hearing her prayer was granted. This was the first case of the kind before a Massachusetts court and attracted much attention from the legal fraternity, nearly every lawyer in Worcester being present at the hearing.
The Old Church Bell.
In the belfry of the Universalist church, now remodeled and known as Hill's block, once hung a bell which for richness of tone has never been equalled in this section. The town of Spen-
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THE SPENCER SHAKERS
cer used to pay thirty-five dollars a year for ringing this bell at noon and at nine o'clock in the evening of each of the working days of the week, and also tolling the same for each death in town, striking the age of the person deceased. This continued until 1858 when George H. Livermore and David A. Drury purchased the church for use as a boot factory, under the firm name of Livermore & Drury. They sold the bell to the Shirley Shakers through the instrumentality of Mr. Upham. It was taken overland to Shirley by Selby Richardson and placed by them in their church belfry, where ever since it lias been rung morning and evening.
The Shakers for a hundred years or more have demonstrated their moral right to exist as an order by the consistent example they have set as to industry, frugality, honesty, temperance, kindness and every other virtue. No sect or people in any age have excelled and few have equalled them in those qualities ac- cording to universal testimony. Some object to their life of celibacy, forgetting there are thousands outside that fold who voluntarily have chosen the celibate life without adverse criti- cism. In reply to critics the Shakers adduce the fact that the great Teacher Himself was a celibate and the home he most loved to visit was that of Mary, Martha and Lazarus, the typical Shaker household.
Spencer Shakers Lead Exemplary Lives.
The Spencer Shakers as a whole were consistent and exem- plary in their lives, and their memory should be cherished by all who are interested in the practical demonstration of a high stand- ard of living. The fact that those who lived and died in that communion averaged to live seventy-seven years speaks well for the possibilities of general longevity as a principle based on a strictly temperate life.
The Shakers are systematic in their affairs, and a copy of the rules for visitors is subjoined, taken from the History of Shirley, "to show the precision with which the United Believers, as they call themselves, conduct their minutest affairs."
'First-Those who call to see their friends and relatives are to visit them at the office, and not to go elsewhere except by per- mission of those in care at the office.
" Second-We wish it distinctly understood that we do not keep a public house, and wish to have our rules attended to as any would the rules of their own private dwelling.
" Third-Those who live near and can call at their own convenience are not expected to stay more than a few hours; but such as live at a great distance and cannot come often and have
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SKETCHES OF SPENCER HISTORY
near relatives here can stay from one to four days according to circumstances. This we consider a sufficient time as a general rule.
" Fourth-All visitors are requested to arise and take break- fast at half past six in summer and half past seven in winter.
" Fifth-At table we wish all to be at home, but dislike the wasteful habit of leaving food on the plate. No vice with us is less ridiculous for being in fashion.
" Sixth-Married persons tarrying with us over night are respectfully notified that each sex must occupy separate sleeping apartments while they remain. This rule will not be departed from under any circumstances."
GEORGE PROUTY.
How About the Future?
The present membership at Shirley and Harvard is very many less than it was fifty years ago, and is now composed of persons mostly beyond middle life. Increase in numbers, and houses, and lands is today largely a thing of the past. The com- mercial spirit of the age has appropriated to its own use and profit most of those industries which were first established by them and on which they long depended for support. The Shaker government is a religious commonwealth. In its past it has probaby been the most notable example extant of practical
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THE SPENCER SHAKERS
socialism, and there has also been all long through its history so much of the poetic, that pastoral tales rivalling even that of the Land of Evangeline might be garnered from its history, as well as opportunity for some future Goldsmith to find in its an- nals a rich field for the production of another "Deserted Vil- lage." There are those among them who predict a revival of interest in this once flourishing order when the waste places shall all be built up and prosperity smile again as in former days. But, should this not be the case, and, should the curtain fall, there will disappear from view, one of the most unique, gentle and charming peoples the world has ever seen.
To Be a Man.
BY W. O. BEMIS.
How hard for man to be a man, Severest struggle of his life, Though angels for his glory plan, He's never ready for the strife. His hands will grasp at shining gold To use it for some selfish end,
Till his strange heart grows weak and cold And none the poor of earth befriend.
Inclined to walk forbidden ways, To shun the clear and open light, Through length of years and toil of days And nowise aiming for the right. But sometime in immortal life He'll clearly see a better plan And deep regret that in earth's strife He strove no more to be a man.
Dividing the House.
Before Spencer owned a public hall the town meetings were held in the Congregational Church. When the voters ap- peared to be about equally divided on a question and each side thought they were in the majority the moderator ordered the voters out of doors and to arrange themselves into long, single file yea and nay rows, facing each other with a few feet interven- ing between, through which centre the moderator and tellers walked, counting all one side going and all on the other side returning. This was a more accurate method of getting at the real sentiment of each voter than has since prevailed, as each man showed his colors and stood his ground until the count was finished.
BIOGRAPHY OF JOSEPH FRED- ERICK WARD
Joseph Frederick Ward was the son of Dennis and Mary Ward, who in their day were among the most highly respected inhabitants of the town, and was born in Spencer, Nov. 26, 1843.
Col. Joseph Ward, of Newton, grandfather of the sub- ject of this sketch, was one of Washington's most efficient and trusted officers during the long struggle for independence, and interesting letters from Washington to Col. Ward are still preserved in the family at their High street home. They also have as prized souvenirs, a pair of silver mounted pistols pre- sented to Col. Ward by Washington as a special mark of his ap- preciation of Col. Ward's bravery and patriotism.
Mr. Ward attended in his boyhood days the old red school- house of Dist. No. 3, near the Aaron Watson place and later the grammar and high schools.
After this he worked at boot making until July 19, 1862, when he enlisted in the 34th Massachusetts Infantry, served in the reg- imental band throughout the Civil war, being in Sheridan's cam- paign in the Shenandoah Valley and with Grant during the Rich- mond campaign, including the surrender of Lee at Appomattox. He was mustered out July 13, 1865, and the month following, after a visit to his old New England home, turned his face towards the setting sun and started westward to seek fortune and a home of his own. Success along botli these lines he has won, but not beyond what he deserved as the result of a consistent life and well directed effort. In Aug. 1865, he obtained employment with the large wholesale boot and shoe jobbing house of C. M. Henderson & Co., of Chicago, and continued in their service un- til Sept. 1899. He began work for them on the lowest round in the industrial ladder or as a worker in the stock room with the duty of sweeping out the store after the rest of the help had gone home, but by intelligent application and faithfulness to the inter- ests of his employers he was enabled to rise one round after another until he became a partner in the company and at his retirement from business was manager of the sales department, had charge of the traveling men on the road, selected their routes and gave instructions as to their going and coming. It was also his duty to meet all the large customers of the concern when they came to Chicago. It was while in this department that by the aid of
JOSEPH FREDERICK WARD
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JOSEPH FREDERICK WARD.
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SKETCHES OF SPENCER HISTORY
large lithograph cards he not only advertised his employers' busi- ness and the "school shoe;"' but the little red schoolhouse of his youth was portrayed thereon and sent to every shoe store throughout the West and South. This was a most successful advertising idea and has since then been extensively adopted. When he left the Henderson Shoe Co. he purposed retiring from active business, but at the earnest solicitation of the citizens of the City of Evanston, Ill., where he resided, he was induced to take the presidency of the City National bank then being formed. This position he accepted and has continued to fill since that time with great credit to himself and satisfaction to the officers and patrons of the institution. On Nov. 10, 1869, he married Miss Ella Bradley of Chicago. They have five children and a model home, as those who have had the pleasure of a visit with himself and family can testify.
Cheerful Hearts.
BY W. O. BEMIS.
Oh, when I was a merry boy How often was I told
It was a very saddening thing To grow sedate and old, So when I looked upon a man Whose hair was thin and gray I said alas : I pity him Whose youth has passed away.
The fields of grain are beautiful That ripe and waiting stand
And bow their golden heads to meet The sturdy reaper's hand. The clouds that hang above the sun To bid adieu to day Glow with his golden radiance Then gently fade away.
I really thought there was no love, No happiness, no joy
In all this bright and pleasant world For any but a boy
Tell not the gay and joyous youth When he is old and gay
His heart will be both sad and cold And life a sunless day Ah, then I often wondered why We should grow sad and cold Hearts mnay grow cold and callous Hearts can keep young and warm When we had reached declining years And ever joyous as the lark Or years that made us old.
That soars above the storm.
When the Jocktown Baptist Church was first sold, it was purchased by Capt. Daniel Green, a fairly well-to-do farmer living in the northeast part of the town. In his way he was a famous local character and a little unbalanced mentally. He took great pride in owning "a whole church" and often told what great works he was there going to have done. It is re- ported at one time during his ownership of the church that re- vival services were being held and he strayed into one of the meetings. When opportunity was offered for remarks, he arose and said, "I approve of these meetings. It is a good place to hold them. I don't know where in H -- 1 you could find a better place." And this was said in all sincerity and with due respect in his own mind for both place and service.
REMINISCENCES
Of What Happened in Old Spencer and at the Old Jenk's Tavern
MORE THAN SIXTY YEARS AGO
BY AN OLD CITIZEN
In the first place I will state that I took tea with old Madam Jenks and I will tell you how it all happened. My old grand- mother invited Madam Jenks, old Mrs. Mason and old Mrs. Watson, Squire Draper's wife's mother, to spend the afternoon with her and take tea, and I was called up to the table at supper and sat beside my grandmother. I recollect distinctly how old Landlady Jenks looked at that time. She was somewhat short in stature and walked with a cane. After tea my father walked with the old lady to her home at the Jenks Tavern and I followed along behind, being then about eight years of age. I recollect the old lady dropped her cane once or twice while going down the old Mason hill, which was very steep at that time and crooked around under where now George H. Marsh and Dr. E. W. Norwood's houses stand. I recollect hearing my father say that old Mr. Jenks was somewhat jolly and inclined to play jokes, sometimes upon travelers. At that time all travel from Albany to Boston by team and stage was through Spencer and Worcester, and some of the old teamsters were "so close," one old fellow in particular, that he made his brag that on one trip from Belchertown to Boston he did not spend but "four and six- pence." He took his provision and feed with him and only stopped at hotels to warm up. At one time he carried into the Jenks bar-room a panful of baked beans to warn at the bar- room fire, and while his attention was called away and he had temporarily left them, Mr. Jenks took the spoon that was in the dish, poked away the beans, put in a large quid of tobacco and covered it to be heated with and to season the beans. When that tight, parsimonious old teamster undertook to eat his dinner, he
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found he could not eat the beans with any relish whatever, and went away very angry, swearing like a pirate.
Landlord Jenks had at that time a colored man servant called Elliot. Isaac Mason, then a young man, lived with his parents at the old Mason house in the I. Prouty & Co. shop yard. He was somewhat of a dude or dandy in his dress. He got himself a bright scarlet coat and buckskin breeches and a high silk hat to wear to church on Sundays. Old Landlord Jenks, to play a joke upon him, had a nice scarlet coat and buckskin breeches made for his negro, just like Ike Mason's, and then instructed his negro to start off and go right behind Isaac to Church, keep- ing step with him and marching like a soldier. The mortifica- tion of young Mason was extreme but old Jenks was exceedingly pleased. My father said Isaac went to court Betsey Muzzy and he and my Uncle questioned him about it and asked him what luck he had during his first visit. He said the first time he asked her to become his wife she refused him, but the second time he carried his pocket full of raisins and she assented quickly enough.
About that time a merry crowd assembled around the old tavern. They had a mock trial and had up old Hagar for stealing a pig and old Cunningham, an Irishman, was one of the wit- nesses. The lawyer, Mr. Lincoln, cross-questioned the witness and bothered him considerably. Finally Cunningham got out of patience, and says he, "Lincoln, Lincoln, keep your tongue. I am an older man than you are and I will tell my own story." It pleased the court and jury so much to hear the old Irishman that all burst out with loud shouts of laughter. I recollect the old sign that swung on its high arm from a post set in the ground down on the grass plot in front of the old hotel; also a liberty pole with a gilded spread-eagle perched upon the top. I also recollect the old bowling alley that was located on the west side of Cider Mill pond near the dam; also that on muster and town meeting days the old and young farmers about town chose sides and rolled tenpins and the side that got beaten had to pay for toddy for the whole crowd. I recollect there was some feel- ing in regard to locating the Postoffice. Some wanted it down the hill at the old Jenks tavern, and those living on the hill wanted it at the old Harrington or Bemis hotel. I know there was a very careless mode of sorting and changing the mail at that time and I wonder that more letters and papers were not mis- carried. The bag, or bags, would hold three or four bushels of mail matter, all thrown into the bags helter-skelter, and the drivers threw thein off the old stages in a hurry, they were then taken into a small office at the end of the bar, unlocked in a jiffy, and the contents dumped onto the floor in such haste that they
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