USA > Massachusetts > Worcester County > Spencer > Historical sketches relating to Spencer, Mass., Volume IV > Part 9
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GOLD HUNTERS.
Vessels of all description were pressed into the service, for the passage around the "Horn," loaded with men, food and such paraphernalia as was supposed to be necessary for mining operations. This long, tedious and doubtful route was soon abandoned, however, and a bold push was made for what ap- peared to be a more feasible one, overland, through a wild and unknown country and over an alkali desert, reaching from the Mississippi river to the foot-hills of the Rocky mountains and known, in the early geography of the country, as the "Great American Desert."
Expeditions for this route, were rapidly planned and early set in motion and this desert, as if by magic, soon became alive with men, horses, oxen, mules. wagons and nondescript vehicles, all heavily laden with provisions and miners' outfits. At first, this great, excited, living mass, pushed on with high hopes and expectations. but as the days wore on. it very soon became evi- dent, that a struggle for life had been deliberately planned, with fearful odds against them, yet one expedition followed closely upon the tracks of another, and with little, or no thought of danger, or hardship, each boldly pushed on.
It proved a most daring and reckless attempt, for the sacri- fice of life before the Rockies were reached was appalling. Their pathways became distinctly marked by dead men and animals, broken and abandoned wagons, the whole route a scene as distinctly marked as the tornado's path through a dense forest. The mad rush only proves, if proof is needed, that wherever the new Eldorado may be. there will be tens of thousands who will spurn the comforts of civilization, and face all dangers, to find it.
Spencer was not exempt from the get-rich-quick effect of this gold craze and some of its citizens proposed to form a syndicate, and furnish the necessary funds for supplies and transportation, to the field of operations, the net proceeds to be divided between miners and syndicate share and share alike. Eight young and vigorous men responded, eagerly, to their call and at once set about the work of preparation, for this voyage into the unknown.
It was learned that a company, from the western part of this state, was on the eve of departure for the gold-fields and the Spencer contingent, viz: Dr. F. K. Roberson, Albert Stone, Wallace Whittemore, Alanson Green, A. H. Dodge, William B. Adams, W. H. Dunbar and George Craven, arranged to jom them without delay. They left Spencer, December 29, 1848, for New York, where they joined the greater party January 29, 1849, which sailed from that port, on the schooner John Cast-
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ner and were towed out to sea at eleven o'clock a. m., for the first grand move in the direction of the gold-fields.
On this small vessel were eighty-four adventurers, viz: forty-seven from Hampden county, eight from Spencer, and the balance from Connecticut, New York and surrounding country. They had planned a route which to them seemed altogether possible, more expeditious and with fewer elements of danger, than by a voyage around the "Horn." It was, to follow the coast from New York to the Gulf of Mexico, thence across it to the mouth of the Rio Grande river. From this point they were to proceed up this river as far as Camargo, a distance of about 150 miles, thence across Mexico to Mazatlan on the Pacific coast, by horse and pack mules. Here they ex- pected to meet a vessel that had been dispatched around the Cape, in which they were to take passage to their destination. A very simple program, on paper, but a more difficult one to execute, as the sequel will show.
They were jubilant as they left the "Castner" at Brazos, for the Rio Grande, with the prospects of early entering upon the journeying overland. Fifty miles up this river they made their first landing at Brownville, and to their great dismay they learned that cholera had made its appearance there, with two cases of death the previous night and ten more at the close of the next day. The situation took on a very serious aspect, at once, and they concluded to hasten on to their next sched- uled stopping place, viz: Camargo, but before this point was reached, one of the Connecticut party was stricken with cholera and died two days later.
What followed, in the next few days, is taken from a diary. kept by Wallace Whittemore, as their trials progressed, viz: "On the 28th of February, we landed five miles from the city of Camargo, and pitched our tents beside the Rio and made preparations for a few days' stay here. The doctor was taken sick, here, also A. Stone and Levi Parsons ... On the first of March the captain went to Camargo to procure teams for trans- porting our baggage to the city. They arrived in the after- noon and the captain had all the tents packed, except the doc- tor's, and also the provisions, but said nothing about getting the sick from there. The doctor and Parsons (of New York) were sick with cholera at this time and only William Adams was with them, to attend to their wants, the rest having gone away with the teams. ", Stone and myself were just able to walk and as I was somewhat better than he, helped him to some trees where we could screen ourselves from the hot sun, when the company went off and left us. They had been gone about an hour when three of the company, who had been out hunting,
:
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GOLD HUNTERS.
came back and seeing how matters stood, went to a rancho, not far from the Rio and engaged one of the shanties, for us, over night. They then moved the sick and made preparations for the night.
"We had been to the rancho but an hour, when I was taken sick and in two hours, was insensible and did not recollect any- thing that passed, until the 8th or 9th. I took some food, for the first time since I was taken. On the 10th I was able to sit up a short time and found that one man of the company, Ker- cher, had died, and the company had disbanded and gone and left us, a week before. We were moved from the rancho and taken to the city and were in tents two or three days and moved to Dr. Smith's home, where I found myself, when my senses re- turned. There were three of us sick at the doctor's and two left to take care of us. On the 11th I sat up nearly half-day. "The doctor (that is F. K. Roberson) began to grow worse and died in the afternoon about six o'clock. We buried him the 12th and then took the back track."
When at Camargo and while most of the Spencer contin- gent were sick, or caring for them, the property of the com- pany was divided, leaving what was supposed to belong to them, and the party separated, each to proceed on the journey, on his "own hook," or turn back, as he pleased. Many choose the latter, after the demoralizing experience of the last few weeks, and six of the Spencer adventurers turned their faces homewards.
Whittemore arrived in Spencer three months after leaving home and most of the living found their way back except Dodge and Dunbar, who finally reached San Francisco. But little, if anything, was ever heard of them.
After disbanding, many of the party made their way to the Isthmus, with the hope of obtaining passage, from there, by water, but they found it in a very congested state, with fully 5,000 people waiting for transportation to San Francisco and the gold-fields.
To the whole party and especially to those from Spencer, it was a sad expedition and with an inglorious ending.
The Pot of Gold.
Some sixty or seventy years ago, the exact time is not es- sential, a married man by the name of Bigelow lived in the northern part of the town. By a stroke of good fortune his wife inherited the farm now owned by the heirs of Tyler J. Putnam. She was one of those women who in a certain bodily condition, called a trance, are said to see things not discernable
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by mortal eye. But if the wife in this case was mediumistic, a daughter was said to be much more gifted, and it was through her mediumship, that a pot of money was seen to be buried near the Bigelow homestead. It was also seen that this money had been buried by Indians, who in the palmy days owned the country and perhaps had a mint of their own. Of course the wise thing seemed to be to dig and secure the treasure, for the exact spot where the money was buried was located and its possession meant an easier road to wealth than by farming. Mr. Bigelow was a man of faith, of strong faith in this story of the pot of gold and proceeded with one or two others of like faith to demonstrate its truth by hard work. They dug and dug, picked and shoveled, and sweat, until a large area had been worked over some four feet deep, but to no good purpose. These old Indians were wily, or at least their spirits were and every night while the poor mortals, so hungry for their gold slept and dreamed dreams of wealth, these disembodied red - men were busily at work changing the location of the pot, and so it was never found, for the Indians managed to get in their work in advance every time. After a while it dawned on Bigelow's mind that he was no match for the unseen powers with whom he imagined he had been contending and gave up the hunt to attend to the more reliable business of farming.
LOT BERRY'S GOLD MINE
Some twenty-five years ago, Lot Berry, an apparently well- to-do farmer, living near Sugdenville, found on his farm what he believed to be indications of gold and being a studious man purchased and read books on the subject until in his min there was certainty to the proposition. He probably never had read the United States geological reports on gold-bearing
HOISTING APPARATUS AT BERRY'S GOLD MINE.
rock and soil, or he would have learned that no gold was to be found in all New England except along the Appalachian range of mountains, which extend from Alabama to Nova Scotia, crossing Vermont and New Hampshire, but not Massachusetts. However, true to his convictions he set himself to tunneling the hill immediately east of his house and worked at the job in be-
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tween times, until perhaps a hundred or more feet had been ex- cavated, but all this was done without any show of the precious metal. The picture shows the portal in rather a dilapidated condition, having been taken a few years after active work on the tunnel ceased. Mr. Berry's next plan was to sink a shaft in the bed rock underlying his farm and for this purpose chose a place near the road and east of the barn. Here he erected hoisting apparatus as shown in cut, to be run by horse power, that would do credit to a Western mining camp. This was
PORTAL TO LOF BERRY'S GOLD MINE.
originally enclosed by a high board fence and the view was taken soon after the fence had been taken down and the enter- prise abandoned. Mr. Berry sank quite a shaft and perhaps would have been making his way China-ward now if the water question had not come in to make him trouble. It was said that at the last water enough. would leach in through the night to keep the hoisting apparatus busy all a forenoon. This left only a short time to do advance work in. No gold had been discovered, and Mr. Berry quit his undertaking.
ASHER RICE
James Draper says, "Asher Rice in 1736 came on to the west part of lot 7." Mr. Thomas Rice, father of Asher, was the first settler in Westborough, then a part of Marlborough, and was for several years representative for the town of Mari- borough in the General Court. His house was made a garri- son in 1711 and stood on the plain in the village of Westborough and on the spot now occupied by the house of Mr. Fayer- weather. On the 8th day of August, 1704, as several persons were at work in the field a party of eight or ten Indians rushed from the woods and killed Naher, son of Mr. Edmund Rice, and captured two more of his sons, Silas and Timothy, and also Asher and Adonizah, sons of Thomas Rice, and carried them to Canada. Silas, Timothy and Adonizah never returned, but Asher was redeemed by his father and returned in about four years. When taken by the Indians he was about ten years old.
His house was on the western side of the Waite road, about half a mile northerly of the Wire village, where vestiges of the cellar may still be seen. While among the Indians he imbibed many of their peculiarities, some of which he retained through life. He erected forts and garrisons to guard against the Iu- dians long after they had all disappeared. His eccentricities in other things were no less singular. He spent much time in building a grist mill, so arranged as to have the under stone move around instead of the upper one. This movement he said was natural, "as a man's under jaw moved in reducing his food."
The old Waite road runs in the same general direction as the Turkey Hill pond brook from Thompson's mills to Sugden- ville. To find it, start from the north end of the upper wire mill, cross the bridge but a short distance away and there com- mences the famous Waite road, once in common use, and shows more clearly perhaps, the kind of highways the early settlers traveled over than any other old road in town. In fact the road is in its primitive state and as the forefathers left it. The grist mill and dam, small affairs, were built on Turkey Hill pond stream, easterly from the house of Mr. Rice. September 6, 1885, Mr. Lewis Snow, who was born in that section of the
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ASHER RICE.
town and the larger part of his life lived there, celebrated a part of his seventieth birthday, with the writer hunting in the stream for the Asher Rice mill stones. The under one, the one of greater interest, was found, having on its under side a square mortice for the timber on which it was secured while the whoie revolved. This stone was placed in the Spencer Museum, where it is now an exhibit.
BIOGRAPHY OF WILLIAM SUMNER WITH SHORT SKETCH OF FAMILY
BY JOSEPH W. TEMPLE.
William Sumner, son of William and Lucina (Fletcher) Sumner was born in Spencer, April 9, 1817, and died April 16, 1893, aged seventy-six years and seven days.
"His ancestry were large land-holders in Roxbury, th's state, and they were also owners of unsettled land in the towns of Brookfield, Sutton and Leicester. One of the children of Edward Sumner, the original owner, viz: Increase, was gover- nor of Massachusetts in the years 1797 and '98, and was elected for '99, but died before taking his seat."
Deacon Sumner, grand nephew of Increase and father of the subject of this sketch, was an honored citizen of Spencer and deacon of the First Congregational church, for many years, by occupation a farmer in a small way and owner of one of the most important saw mills and privilege, in the town. In and around this mill, his son passed the earlier years of his life, or until the decease of his father in 1839.
He early developed a remarkable talent for music, which seemed, in his case, an inborn gift, and to be the owner of an in- strument with strings, soon became a passion. At the age of seven years, he began to exercise his child's ingenuity, with ref- erence to the accomplishment of this object, and before the close of his eighth year, he was deservedly proud of the success of the undertaking.
The old homestead was an unpretentious, one-story dwell- ing, situated at the foot of "Sumner Hill," so called, and in it was a board partition, so firmly set between floor and ceiling, as to form almost a perfect sounding board. Young William discovering this fact, conceived the idea of producing an in- strument, of two octaves, by an arrangement of perpendicular wires, made fast to the partition and manipulated by the fingers, "a la harp." This device was a pleasing success and for many
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years, neighbors, near and far, enjoyed the music of this unique instrument, played by him.
He was next attracted to the violin, but to possess one of his own, was a luxury his people could not indulge him in and believing in his ability to produce this instrument also, he set about the task. In due time, a violin was a real thing, and he was its happy possessor. From this time on, it became a source of great pleasure to him and until the latter part of his life, the violin was his constant companion. Later on he owned one, more artistic in design and make, which by accident was
WILLIAM SUMNER.
broken in many pieces. These he collected, and with glue and an untiring patience, restored it in form and tone, and as dear to him as though it bore the name of Cremona. It remained in his possession until his decease.
This same instrument caused the deacon many moments of painful anxiety, as the younger element, then, as now, were wont to indulge in the "giddy dance," in a quiet way and Wil- liam and his violin were indispensable, on those occasions. At one of these social gatherings, he had been detained until the small hours of morning and during the restless watching for his
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WILLIAM SUMNER.
return, the parents felt it their pious duty to read him a lesson of solemn warning, on the baneful influence of such fleeting pleasures.
William had grave suspicions of the reception awaiting him, and rising early he quietly entered the family room, seized his Bible and was at once in his accustomed seat, seemingly ab- sorbed in the customary morning lesson. He presented the picture of innocent meekness, yet there was nothing vicious in his simulation, while it produced the desired effect, viz: the forgiveness of both, the good deacon and mother.
Handicapped, as he was, by force of circumstances, yet his genius had served him well in the past; why not now attempt to produce a pipe organ, that king of instruments, which was to him a source of unbounded delight ? So with the rudest of tools and material at hand, he passed his leisure hours in the accomplishment of this object. He found this, however, a task too difficult, yet while the result was not altogether a failure, it was not the desired success.
In 1838, pianos were quite unusual in country towns, and but two were owned in Spencer, one in the south part and one, by Mr. Josiah Green, in the center. The latter required tun- ing and it occurred to him that Mr. Sumner was equal to the task. At an interview for the purpose, Mr. Sumner was doubt- ful whether the request be a joke, or whether made in good faith, and was naturally suspicious, as the transition from tending a saw mill to tuning a piano, seemed quite ridiculous, to say the least, even to him, but with that force which masters con- ditions he consented to look the situation over. In doing so, he saw that to turn the pins that carry the wires, was the difficult problem, but saw no reason why this could not be done with the aid of the old-fashioned iron bed wrench, and armed with this formidable tool, a hammer and a file, he made this his first lesson in the art of piano tuning. At the close of the day, his sensitive ear assured him that this experiment was a success, for which he was justly proud.
He, afterwards, became a skillful tuner and this was a part of his profession, for many years.
First Experience Along This Line of Work.
During these early years, and while attending to his duties at the saw mill, he occupied his leisure hours studying the science of music as best he could, with the meagre information and opportunities at his command, with the view of making music and its accessories his profession. In order to gratify the desire to listen to good music, he, many times walked io
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Worcester and back and once he covered the entire distance to Boston and return, on foot.
His first experience, in directing, was as choir master in the First Congregational church in Spencer, leading the service with his violin, and he occupied this position for many years. He entered upon his work with an untiring devotion to it, and the proficiency of his choir and chorus work were an evidence of this fact. The high standard of music which Spencer en- joyed was due largely to his efforts and it is fair to suppose that the influence which created that standard among the fathers and mothers of his, and the following generation, is felt at the present time, among their children. His methods were those derived from the teachings of the old fashioned singing school and he was a successful pioneer in this mode of instruction. He always manifested a deep interest in the wel- fare of his native town and watched, with pride, its growth in population and expanding business and musical enterprises. Of the latter, he most enjoyed the Mendelssohn Society, musical organization, of which he was promoter and director for many years and it was his boast that there were few, if any organizations of the kind in the country towns, that could so satisfactorily perform the leading choruses from the great oratorios, as could this one. With few exceptions the chorus and orchestra were resident musicians.
While his residence was Worcester, during the greater part of his active life, he never, for a moment forgot that Spencer was his Alma Mater. He was the youngest of a family of seven children, the six older being daughters, and "Abby," as she was familiarly called, was his vocal and musical companion. Among the many visitors, at their home, for a season of song and other musical recreation, was Miss Marion Josephine Howard of New Braintree and Mr. David Hitchcock of Brim- field. These four constituted a vocal quartette of rare quality and their singing was the delight of social gatherings and enter- tainments. A happy episode was the result of these musicals, for on the 24th of August, 1846, Miss Howard became the wife of Mr. Sumner.
Music was his individuality. In hymnal he especially ex- celled and his idea of the adaptation of music to poetry, or vica versa, was very marked. It was his custom to first analyze the hymn, that he might fully understand its meaning, then introduce the instrument in harmony with the sentiment ex- pressed in the same, as he understood it. His moving force was-first-a devout interpretation, coupled with an artistic, yet sincere rendering, second-intensely in earnest, but never
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WILLIAM SUMNER.
seeking popular applause. His musical sense was so keenly developed that embellishment for effect, solely, was exceedingly distasteful. The tremolo, so much used by vocalists of the present day, produced in him a painful sensation and he dis- couraged its use, in all his teachings.
He was gifted in improvisation and when seated at his favorite instrument, the organ, with its endless variety of com- bination and effect, he revelled in its delightful harmonies, oblivious of audience or listener. His playing was with a spirituality and religiousness that was a part of his being.
He delighted in the grand oratorios of the old masters and whenever called to teach, or direct, selections from these works were made the class or chorus study. Musically, he worshipped at the shrine of these great composers and was particularly at- tracted to Mendelssohn, because of his noble character and as- piring devotion to his art. To Mr. Sumner, these qualities entered largely into the life and work of a true musician, as he felt to reach the soul of the auditor music must come from the soul.
Serious thinkers about the art may disagree in the details, yet they unite in the opinion that it can only be expressed in the broader emotions. Mr. Sumner possessed a strong poetic, as well as religious nature and at times and on short notice, supplied both words and music for special church occasions. His compositions showed a delicate blending of light and shade and for pleasing harmony and effect, he had no peer among the musicians of his time.
He left no published volumes of his works, but many of his church tunes are found in the singing books of his day, such as the "Voice of Praise," "Sanctus," "Temple Carmina," etc. The late Edward Hamilton of Worcester, a composer of much merit, was author of the two former works and was a close friend and contemporary of Mr. Sumner.
Mr. Sumner made Worcester his residence in 1845, en- gaging in the sale of pianos and tuning, at the rooms, No. 263 Main Street. Later was co-partner with the late Mr. B. D. Allen, a Worcester musician, they continuing in the same line of busi- ness. He was one of the originators of the Beethoven society, in that city, which was later merged with the organization known as the Choral Union and in time this became the Worces- ter Musical Association-now Festival. This body was in- corporated in 1879 and he was elected its vice president and continued in this office until his decease.
After his marriage he took up his residence at No. 15 Chatham Place. Mrs. Sumner survived him, at their long
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cherished home, about seven years, but soon after his decease, she began to feel the effects of an extremely active, and stren- uous life and finally passed away May 16, 1906. She had been a remarkable woman in her profession as teacher of vocal music and elocution. Full of enthusiasm in her work and possessing a happy faculty for imparting her theory of vocal culture, to teacher, or pupil, she was an acknowledged success. She proved herself a rare helpmeet to her music loving husband and her connection with the musical sphere in which they moved, was little, if any, less prominent than his.
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