History of Plymouth county, Massachusetts, with biographical sketches of many of its pioneers and prominent men, Part 51

Author: Hurd, D. Hamilton (Duane Hamilton)
Publication date: 1884
Publisher: Philadelphia, J.W. Lewis & co.
Number of Pages: 1706

USA > Massachusetts > Plymouth County > History of Plymouth county, Massachusetts, with biographical sketches of many of its pioneers and prominent men > Part 51

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on various subjects, principally on German literature and history. He has also written a " Life of Schamyl, the Circassian Chief," and " Life of Tai-Ping-Wang, Chief of the Chinese Insurrection."

Mr. Mackie has been residing for many years in Great Barrington, Mass., and has been as successful in agricultural pursuits as he was formerly in literary.

COL. BARTLETT MURDOCK .- Col. Bartlett Mur- dock was a native of Carver, Mass., but came to Wareham in his youthful days, and here resided until his decease. His connection with the iron-works in different parts of the town makes him a conspicuous figure in the history of Wareham fifty years ago. There were but few among the early business men that did as much for the interests of the place.

He was a man of imposing presence, full of good humor, an admirable story-teller, and he was beloved and esteemed by all classes.

He held numerous local offices, and more than once represented this town in the General Court.

He reared a large family, and some of his sons have stood, and still stand, high among the merchant princes of New York City, His death occurred Jan 20, 1847, at the age of sixty-three.

JOSHUA B. TOBEY .- Joshua Briggs Tobey was, for a long series of years, one of the leading manu- facturers of this town. In early life he was engaged in cotton-manufacturing, in the stone factory at South Wareham, and his beginning in business was humble. Afterwards the iron industries occupied his attention chiefly. By his great ability, good judgment, keen foresight, and untiring perseverance he rose steadily, until he stood in the front ranks of the wealthiest and best business men of Southern Massachusetts. His principal business in Wareham was in iron and the manufacture of cut nails, being one of the earliest manufacturers of this novel product ; but in addition to this he was president of the Ware- ham Bank for twenty ycars, and president of the Ware- ham Savings-Bank for twenty-three years, and it is no disparagement of others to say that those institu- tions have never had a more capable or faithful officer. He was also the president, director, and managing officer in other parts of the country in railroad and mining enterprises, and in cotton-factories, iron-manu- factories, and other industries, with which he was connected from time to time.

It is worthy of remark that during all the reverses and panics that occurred during his life of more than threescore years he never failed in business, nor omitted to perform his obligations and undertakings faithfully.

Besides his great financial tact, and numerous other

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HISTORY OF WAREHAM.

qualifications, he excelled as a public speaker in ex- temporaneous debate, and yet his efforts in this direc- tion were mostly confined to local topics in the annual town-meeting. Had he been educated for the bar he would have ranked among the ablest. He invari- ably declined every proffered nomination to political office, but at times held a commission as staff officer in the militia. He had great fluency of speech and a pleasing address. and his sound logic, pertinent illus- trations, apt witticisms, and merciless sarcasm always entertained, if they did not always carry conviction.

Maj. Tobey, as he was popularly known, was posi- tive and outspoken in his convictions, a self-reliant, in- flexible man, a strong ally and a sturdy foe, but always true, and hence had warm friends and bitter enemies.

When we take into account the enterprise and efforts which he developed, and the fact that for many years he gave employment to large numbers of men. and always paid them what he agreed to, and that the taxes on his large and varied property went for the general good, it must be conceded that he was a public benefactor.

To favored works and objects which met his approval he always was liberal in his donations.

He was married, October, 1835, to Susanna K., daughter of Isaac Pratt, Esq., of Middleboro', and four sons were born to them.

His death took place Dec. 25, 1870, at the age of sixty-three years. He left a vast estate, which since his decease has been ably managed by his elder sons.

SAMUEL TRESCOTT TISDALE, EsQ .- Among the names of the manufacturers of this town who have passed away, prominent stands the name of Samuel T. Tisdale. He was born in Taunton, Mass., Nov. 7, 1802. In boyhood he was a clerk for Lazell, Per- kins & Co., at Bridgewater, Mass. At the age of twenty he came to Wareham, and entered the store of I. & J. Pratt & Co. as clerk. Here he was highly esteemed for his courteous manners and high sense of honor. He was at that time, as ever after, a great reader and admirer of Shakespeare, and at one time during his youthful days seriously thought of be- coming an actor.

One day Mr. Lewis Waters, an old resident of this town, entered the store, and after passing the saluta- tions of the day young Tisdale said, "Mr. Waters, Shakespeare says, ' There is a tide in the affairs of men which, taken at the flood, leads on to fortune,' and I am going to try it. Next week I am going to New York." His rise was rapid, and in a few years he had become one of the princely merchants of that great metropolis. His ventures were so bold as to frequently startle his partner (the late John Sampson,

Esq.), but were almost invariably successful. During his early mercantile career in New York City his eye turned toward (Agawam) East Wareham as a proper place for iron manufacture, and here, for thirty years, he carried ou a large business for a country town, making cut nails and, a portion of the time, hollow- ware, giving employment to hundreds of men.

A large portion of his life was spent at Agawam, where he had his country residence, and where he was always popular with his workmen and with the citizens generally ; and well he might be, for his efforts were ceaseless and untiring to make it a beautiful village. Trees were planted, the roads greatly im- proved, and the tenements he built for his workmen bore a neat and inviting aspect. His generosity was proverbial. He educated several of his nephews and nieces at Bristol Academy, Taunton, and assisted many a poor boy and girl in obtaining an education at other schools, and the poor of the village had a friend indeed in him. He said on his death bed (in reply to an interrogation) that he had during his life expended in making improvements at Agawam five hundred thousand dollars.

The Rev. Dr. Bellows, who officiated at his funeral at All Souls' Church, New York City, said, on that occasion, " I know not what we should have done at one time (in our financial history as a church) had it not been for this friend."

Mr. Tisdale was a man of fine literary culture. His reading was very extensive, and he was perfectly at home with the best poets and prose writers of this and past centuries. He knew Shakespeare almost from lid to lid, and it was a pleasure to listen to his apt quotations from this (his favorite) author in pri- vate conversation or read them in his epistolary corre- spondence. He was a critic of no mean order, and his review of some recently-published works was sometimes masterly and always entertaining.

He enjoyed the acquaintance and friendship of the great Marshfield statesman, Professor Agassiz, Donald G. Mitchell, and many other noted men.

In the summer of 1851, Mr. Webster and his son, Fletcher, spent a week with Mr. Tisdale, at his hos- pitable residence at Agawam, enjoying, with their generous host, the pleasures of hunting and fishing in Plymouth woods and the waters of Buzzard's Bay. The following correspondence will explain itself:

Mr. Webster to Mr. S. T. Tisdale.

" MARSHFIELD, August 2, 1851 (Saturday morning).

" MY DEAR SIR,-I send the Alderney heifer to Plymouth, this morning, to Mr. Hedge's care. With kind treatment and good keeping, she will be a treasure for ten years. But they are a delicate race of animals, and cannot endure hunger or ex-

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HISTORY OF PLYMOUTH COUNTY.

posuro. Always, unless when the grass is fresh and abundant, she must have a little meal daily. Her milk is excellent, and she now gives twelve quarts a day. Her mother gives sixteen, and she will equal her mother next year.

"So much, my doar sir, for the little Alderney. And now let me do two things. The first is to renew my thanks for your hospitality, and that of Mrs. Tisdale and your daughter, during my very pleasant visit at your house. I hope I shall see the ladies in New York.

" The next is to express my regret, and that of Mrs. Webster, that you could not stay with us some days, as we had expected. I trust you found your partner on the recovery. With great regard, and kind remembrance to the ladies, I am, dear sir,

" Yours truly, "DAN'L WEBSTER."

The preceding letter was sent to Mr. Fletcher Webster, with the following from Mr. Tisdale :

"NEW YORK, June 21, 1853.

" MY DEAR FRIEND,-I annex a copy of a letter written by your father a few days after my pleasant visit to Carswell. It may be new to you. The gift of the ' little Alderney' was as unexpected as it was agreeable, and thus far has proved a ' treasure' in the milky way. She has been a pet at Agawam from the day of her arrival there, and to my family and myself invaluable. Beside her now stands her second self, a yearling heifer, sired by an Ayrshire bull, the gift of a nobleman in England to Capt. Ezra Nye, a native of Sandwich, but now commander of the 'Pacifie' steamship, belonging to the Collins line, which animal, by the way, is now owned by Mr. Lewis Kinney, of Agawam. Both of these gentlemen are well known to you, so you will pereeive, through the thoughtful and kind regard of your father, an amply supply of rich milk and an important breed of cows are destined to be among the provisions of a small portion of the south side of the Cape.

" The manner which your father adopted, and the delightful conversation he seemed to revel in, when he gave me this cow, it would be happiness to recall. As we rose from dinner, taking my arm, 'Now,' said he, 'you shall see my herd of cows, and you shall tip the horn of the best one in the flock, and I will send it to Agawam.' Proceeding to a spacious field beyond the little fish-pond the whole herd were displayed, from which I selected one with eyes, as he said, like those of a gazelle, and in five minutes ho uttered a treatise on stock of this deseription which seemed to me a digest of the whole raee.

" I can never forget it. At some time hereafter I will recall some of the conversation. I hopo that time will come when, at my own quiet place at Agawam, as before, we may refer to past scenes and live anew on pleasant memories.

" With much regard, your friend, etc., " SAMUEL T. TISDALE."

On the fly-leaf of a book in Mr. Tisdale's library may be seen, in his own handwriting, the following : " The last time I saw Mr. Webster was at my resi- dence in New York in July, 1852. The hand of death was then upon him. After a pleasant inter- view he arose to leave, and, taking Mrs. Tisdale and myself by the hand, said, ' If I can do anything for you in the future command me,' and with courtly manners left the room. He died in October follow- ing." Mr. Tisdale died at East Wareham, Dec. 31, 1869, aged sixty-seven years. His death was greatly

lamented, and generations to come will learn of his virtues and benefactions, for as long as the beautiful elms planted by his own hand along the streets of Agawam shall wave in the winds of heaven, so long will his memory be fragrant.

HON. THOMAS SAVERY .- Thomas Savery was born at Carver, Mass., Oct. 25, 1787, and was the son of Peleg and Hannah (Perkins) Savery. He was married Oct. 30, 1814, to Betsey Shaw (daughter of Joseph and Lydia Shaw, of Carver), by Benjamin Ellis, Esq., and in the following July (1815) moved to Wareham. Previous to his marriage he was vari- ously employed, part of the time in getting iron ore from the ponds to be used in the blast-furnaces in the vicinity. When the furnaces were in opera- tion he worked at moulding various culinary articles. After the blast of the furnaces was stopped, he made up his mind to make wagon-boxes and buy the iron, which he did. He would take his boxes to Belcher- town and exchange them for carriages. He was probably the first man to bring and offer for sale wagons in the southern part of the State.

During the war of 1812 he worked at moulding shot and shell. He was twice called off as a minute- man to guard the coast between Boston and Plym- outh ; he was also one of those who came to Wareham at the time the frigate " Nimrod" was in the bay.

The first four years after his removal to Wareham he was engaged with others in carrying on a store (near where the Wareham Bank now stands), building and fitting out vessels for cod- and mackerel-fishing. The ship-yard was located where the depot now stands.

Mr. Savery sold out this business to Messrs. Nye & Thompson, and soon after became interested with I. & J. Pratt & Co. in an air-furnace at Tiho- net. About 1824 he moved to Agawam, where he built a cupola-furnace, as at that time it was not un- derstood how to melt iron with hard coal. About 1825 he was induced to take and run a tavern and grist-mill, which he did for eleven years. When the present method of melting iron was discovered he dis- posed of his cupola, and with others built a store and furnace. Some years after he sold out to Samuel T. Tisdale, Esq., and was never again in business.

He never liked the selling of distilled liquors, although, according to the custom of the times, liquor was sold in all the stores and hotels. Some four or five years before he gave up the tavern he decided to abandon the sale of liquors. He had a sign eight feet by eight inches suspended about eighteen feet above the ground (just under the old tavern sign), on which was inscribed, " No Ardent Spirits Sold Here." This was a great departure from the customs then prevailing.

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HISTORY OF WAREHAM.

He was an ardent Freemason, and it is said of him that he clung to Freemasonry as his household di- vinity, and on all proper occasions stood up boldly in its defense.

He was much respected, and enjoyed the trust and confidence of the citizens of Wareham. Three times he represented them in the popular branch of the Legislature, and served with great acceptance and fidelity eight years as one of the selectmen.

About 1839 he was nominated by a county con- vention of the Whig party for the office of county commissioner, and was not aware that he had been thought of as a candidate until duly notified of his nomination. He and the other candidates on the same ticket were elected, and refused to grant licenses indiscriminately to stores and inns for the sale of liquor. He held this office for twelve years in suc- cession.

He was chosen by the Senate and House of 1853 as one of the Council for Governor Clifford. He knew nothing about the use of his name in that con- nection until notified of his election. Indeed, it was his frequent assertion that he never in any way solic- ited any office that he ever held. In 1854 he was one of Governor Emory Washburn's Council.

He served many years as justice of the peace, and was familiarly known among his townsmen as Esquire Savery.

After he gave up active business and public life he occasionally bought and sold woodland, did surveying, administered on estates, served as referee, wrote deeds, wills, etc.

His parents were poor, but always respected for their virtues and uncompromising integrity, which characteristics were inherited by their children (eight in number).

His education was what could be obtained by at- tending the common schools a few weeks in the year. Although possessed of an ardent desire for a better education, and in later years regretting his lack of it, he nevertheless magnanimously waived what few op- portunities he had in favor of his younger brothers and sisters. He had a retentive memory and was very fond of books, and made use of his leisure time in treasuring up stores of knowledge. He was un- commonly familiar with the Bible, especially the New Testament. It is said of him that, at one time, he could repeat it word for word. It is certainly true that his wonderful memory enabled him to correct any misquotation in an instant. This remarkable tenacity of memory he retained to the very end of his life.

He was a Universalist in the best and broadest

sense of the term. During a period of his life in Agawam he furnished a free hall for temperance lec- tures and religious mectings, without any regard to sect. The variety of talent at these meetings was great. On one occasion a sort of clerical tramp de- livered a scathing attack upon Universalism, at the close of which he was approached by Esquire Savery, who, in his usual quiet way, said that he had given them " a very smart and ingenious discourse." The self-styled " Rev." smiled complacently until Esquire Savery remarked, " It is a curious circumstance, but I have the same in a book, with an answer, and should be pleased to show it to you," when his air was very much changed, and he soon left the hall.

He was cool, deliberate, and self-possessed, without austerity of manner. He was not a person to tell a good story, although he could enjoy one; yet he never laughed or talked very loudly about anything. He was fond of music, and occasionally played on the violin. He was very fond of his dogs, gun, and line, as much so as his friend Daniel Webster, and when they were together in their sports their humorous playfulness would remind one of school children at recess. One trait of his character was very remark- able, viz., his power to read men at a glance. Fre- quently, as new professional men came to this town and vicinity, his opinion of them would be sought, and the sequel would prove his opinion marvelously correct.

He died of paralysis at his home in East Ware- ham, May 15, 1873, leaving a widow and one son. Both are still living, the former at the advanced age of ninety-four years.

CAPT. JAMES C. LUCE .- Capt. James C. Luce, although not a native of this town, was well known by the citizens of Wareham. Here he married his two wives, here he spent most of his time between his early voyages, and here he and his family were buried.

The fearful catastrophe that made his name known all over the world has not yet faded from the minds of men. A graphic account of the terrible disaster, recently published in Deven's "Our First Century," has brought it freshly to mind. The following ex- tracts are taken from that work :

" Leaving Liverpool, England, on the twentieth of Septem- ber, 1854, the magnificent steamer ' Arctic,' of the Collins line, plying between that city and New York, was on the seventh day out, at noon, while running in a fog, totally engulfed, with hundreds of souls, millions of treasure, and a heavy mail of in- calculable value, in consequence of collision with the French iron screw-steamer ' Vesta.' The ' Arctic' was commanded by Capt. James C. Luce. At the time of the collision Capt. Luce was below, working out the position of the steamer. He imme-

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diately ran on deck, and saw the iron steamer under the star- board bow, and passing astern, grazing and tearing the guards in her progress. The bows of the strange vessel seemed to be literally crushed or cut off for ten feet, and seeing that she must probably sink in ten minutes, Capt. Luce took a glance at his own ship, and believing her to be comparatively uninjured, the boats were cleared, and the first officer and six men left with a boat to board the stranger and ascertain her damage. The en- gineers were immediately instructed to put on the steam pumps, and four deck-pumps were worked by the passengers and crew. The ship was at once headed for the land, and several ineffec- tual attempts were made to stop the leak by getting sails over the bows. Finding that the leak was gaining very fast, not- withstanding the very powerful efforts made to keep the ship free, Capt. Luce resolved to get the boats ready, and have as many ladies and children in them as possible.

" No sooner, however, had an attempt been made to do this than the firemen and others rushed into the boats in spite of all opposition. Seeing this state of things, the captain ordered the boats astern to be kept in readiness until order could be restored, when to his dismay he saw them cut the rope in the bow, and soon disappear astern in the fog. Another boat was broken down by persons rushing in at the davits, and many were precipitated into the sea and drowned. This occurred while the captain had been engaged in getting the starboard guard-boat ready. He had placed the second officer in charge, when the same scene was enacted as with the first boat. He then gave orders to the second officer to let go and tow after the ship, keeping near the stern, to be ready to take the women and children as soon as the fires were out and the engine should stop. The quarter-boat was found broken down, but hanging by one tackle; a rush was made for her also, some fifteen get- ting in, and, cutting the tackle, were soon out of sight. Not a seaman was now left on board, nor a carpenter; there were no tools to assist in building a raft as the only hope, and tho only officer left was Mr. Dorian, tho third muate, who worked nobly for the success of all.

" To form a raft it became necessary to get tho only remain- ing boat-a life-boat-into the water. This being accomplished, Mr. Dorian, the chief officer of the boat, taking care to keep the oars on board the steamer to prevent those in the boat from leaving the ship, proceeded to work, still hoping to be able to get the women and children on board his boat at last. They had made considerable progress in collecting spars whon the alarm was given that the ship was sinking, and the boat was shoved off' without any oars.

" In an instant after, at about a quarter past five, P.M., the ship went down, carrying every soul on board with her.

"Cuptnin Luce soon found himself on the surface after a brief struggle with his child in his arms, then again found himself impelled downward to a greater depth, and before reaching the surface a second timo had nearly perished, losing the hold of his child as ho struggled upwards. On thus gotting to tho surfaco of tho water once more the most awful and heart- rending sceno presented itsolf; ovor two hundred men, women, and children wero struggling togethor nmid pieces of tho wroek, culling upon each other for holp and imploring God to assist them. Amid this struggling mass of human beings ho dis- coverod his child, and was in tho act of trying to save him, whon a portion of the paddlo-box como rushing up odgewards, just grazing the captain's hond, and fulling with its wholo weight upon the hend of tho helpless child. The last sound Captain Luco heard from his drowning invalid boy was the hoart- rending cry, ' Papa, tell mamma, Good. by !'

" Captain Luco sneccoded in getting on the top of the paddlo- box, in company with olevon othors; one, howover, soon loft

for another piece, and others remained until relieved by death. Those who were left stood in the water up to their knees, the sea frequently breaking over them ; and the suffering party were soon reduced by death to Captain Luce and one other, who, after an exposure of forty-six hours, were rescued by the ship ' Cambria,' Captain Russell, bound to Quebec.

"Captain . Grann, who was a passenger on board, says the conduct of Captain Luce was calm, manly, courageous to the last ; he declared, ' The fate of the ship shall be mine.' Every possible effort was made by Captain Luce to have the women, children, and passengers first cared for. Thus, when one of the men attempted to leave, the captain caught him and tore the shirt off the man's back to prevent him from going, exclaiming, ' Let the passengers go in the boat !' He also seized a kind of axe, and attempted to prevent the firemen from reaching the boat ; but it was 'every one for himself,' and fiually no more attention was paid to the captain than to any other man on board."

After this terrible experience Capt. Luce never sailed upon the " high seas" again, although he lived for a quarter of a century afterwards, dying July 9, 1879.

His first wife was Mary B. Leonard, a daughter of Roland Leonard, Esq. She died April 13, 1836, aged twenty-six years, during her husband's absence on a voyage to England.

His second wife, Elizabeth Fearing, who was a daughter of William Fearing, Esq., and a grand- danghter of the brave Gen. Israel Fearing, died March 29, 1882. They are all buried in the ceme- tery at Wareham Centre.

NAMES THAT MUST NOT BE OMITTED. - Rufus Lincoln enlisted at the commencement of the Revo- lutionary war, rose to the rank of captain, and fought in the battle of Bemis' Heights, Princeton, and other battles. He was at one time taken prisoner and kept for a long time in a prison near Philadelphia.

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History of Plymouth county, Massachusetts, with biographical sketches of many of its pioneers and prominent men, Part 51

Author: Hurd, D. Hamilton (Duane Hamilton) Publication date: 1884 Publisher: Philadelphia, J.W. Lewis & co. Number of Pages: 1706

Author: Hurd, D. Hamilton (Duane Hamilton)
Publication date: 1884
Publisher: Philadelphia, J.W. Lewis & co.
Number of Pages: 1706