USA > Massachusetts > Essex County > Topsfield > History of Topsfield Massachusetts > Part 39
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Under date of August 4, 1852, the Danvers and Georgetown Railroad Company, informs the stockholders that 450 shares of the capital stock, have been subscribed for. In September, 1852, a meeting was held in Danvers, says the Haverhill Ga- zette, where $15,000. was subscribed for the stock. It con- tinues :- intercourse with Salem will again be placed on the most convenient footing. The writer well remembers when long processions of country sleighs, gave employment to half- a-dozen taverns between Haverhill and Salem, over roads now overgrown with grass. Four hours were then consumed in the journey at the old five mile jog of farm horses.
The Danvers Railroad Company was chartered March 15, 1852, and was authorized to unite with the Danvers and Georgetown Railroad Company, under the name of the latter. The following June the stockholders of the Danvers and Georgetown authorized their directors to lease their railroad to the Boston and Maine or Eastern Railroads. All the stock required by the charter was subscribed for at this time, but evidently neither the Boston and Maine nor the Eastern cared to assume the rest of the stock, for neither would entertain the proposition to lease the road.
In the Salem Gazette of April 7, 1853, under the heading Topsfield, April 6, we read, ground is being broken today for the making of the Georgetown and Danvers railroad. There will be a new location of railroad from Danvers to South Reading, which makes a new route from Newburyport to Bos- ton through Topsfield. At about the same date, the contrac- tors commenced work at North Danvers. The first work in
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Topsfield on the grading was begun in what is known as Col- rain, and Benjamin P. Adams, postmaster for many years, threw out the first gravel. The shovel he used is still in ex- istence. He also filled the same role at North Danvers, when the first work was done on the plains below the Putnamville station, the gravel for filling being taken from the pits on the neighboring hillside.
On May 27, 1853, an agreement was entered into by the Newburyport Railroad, the Danvers and Georgetown, and the Danvers Railroad, wherein it was agreed to run their cars over each others' tracks, and no others, except the tracks of the Boston and Maine, and it also was agreed to make the fare from Haverhill to Boston, not less than by the Boston and Maine. They were to divide all fares pro rata, and pay extra for cars exceeding three passenger and one freight car per day. This agreement was to continue in force 100 years, and was to be void if an agreement between the Danvers and Bos- ton and Maine Railroads was not executed in 60 days. This agreement was executed and signed by Charles J. Brockway, the first president, and M. E. Hale, the second treasurer of the Newburyport Railroad; William D. Northend, the first president, and William N. Cleaveland, the second treasurer of the Danvers and Georgetown Railroad; and William D. Northend, the first president, and George F. Choate, the first treasurer of the Danvers Railroad. In consequence of this agreement, the power given on May 2, 1853 whereby the three roads might unite under the name of the Newburyport Rail- road Company was lost.
On January 28, 1854, the time for construction of the Dan- vers and Georgetown was extended to Sept. 1, 1854. By May 27, 1854, eight hundred tons of rails had arrived and the process of putting them down was about to begin. Andrew Gould of Topsfield obtained the contract to supply the sleep- ers and to construct the fences for the railroad. The sleepers were of chestnut and cost 25 cents each. They came from a grove which he purchased in Derry, N. H .; some of the other material came from his land in Boxford. He received his pay in bonds. The Irishmen employed in the making of the road- bed were brought into Topsfield in 50 tipcarts, just at the edge of evening, and in the middle of the long line, perched high above the others on a great pile of bedding, rode one lone Irish woman. They used the southerly store, in what is now Bailey's Block, for mess room, and occupied the hall on the floor above for their sleeping quarters. Later they occupied shanties located above the railroad bridge which crosses West
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street. It was reported that one of their number was mur- dered here but no proof remains. The superintendent of the gang, one Mead, encountered an obstacle when he proceeded to break ground through the land of a Topsfield man who had objected very strenuously to the advent of the railroad. This man who tipped the scales at over two hundred pounds, as a last resort, had calmly seated himself directly on the centre line of the proposed road, immediately in front of the ap- proaching builders, apparently for the purpose of making Mead and his gang cease work. But Mead was equal to the oc- casion and though the task appeared difficult, he succeeded without much apparent effort in picking up the obstruction as he would a baby and placing it gently down on the other side of the fence. The work was then resumed.
The Salem Gazette informs us that on August 12, 1854, the cars ran for the first time into the village of Topsfield from Georgetown. In the Gazette of August 19, 1854, under the Topsfield items we learn that our Georgetown, Topsfield and Danvers Railroad is just drawing to a completion. The whistle of the engine has for the first time within a week disturbed the quiet slumbers of our village. The rails are now laid as far as the Ipswich River, south of the village one mile. In one week more the rails will be laid as far as North Danvers, and by the first day of September the cars will commence running over the road, which will be a day of much interest to the towns through which it passes. This road is said to be one of the best graded roads in the country, and from present ap- pearance, promises all that its friends ever claimed for it. On August 31, 1854, the passenger cars on the Danvers and Georgetown Railroad ran for the first time between Topsfield and Georgetown, to carry a party of one hundred and fifty to a picnic in Little's Grove.
On September 1st the railroad was opened, in connection with the Danvers Railroad, through to South Reading, and the Topsfield correspondent of the Salem Gazette gives a lengthy account of the opening. The directors, with a few friends, after returning to Georgetown, made the opening an occasion of a very pleasant dinner party. The road was not opened for public travel, however, until Oct. 23, 1854.
In February, 1855, the business of the Danvers and George- town was suspended for a large portion of the month on ac- count of the destruction of the river bridge at Topsfield by a freshet. Benjamin Poole of that town, and shortly afterwards to be the second president of the railroad, was moving into town during that month and was obliged to cart his furniture
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from Putnamville over the road to Topsfield. On Feb. 9, 1855, this road was given the power to form a corporate union with the Newburyport Railroad Company under that name which was done and thereafter the entire road to Danvers was known as the Newburyport Railroad.
It is to the Boston and Maine Railroad that credit must be given for the completion of the Danvers and Georgetown Rail- road, as is shown in a report of an investigating committee of the Boston and Maine, presented to the stockholders on Sept. 29, 1855. The Danvers and Georgetown had imported their iron, but were unable to pay for it, and authority was given the president to advance the money to pay the cost and duties, retaining the iron as security for the advance. This loan was intended to be temporary but as the Danvers and Georgetown could not proceed without the iron to lay down, this $70,000. finally (August, 1854) was converted into a note of that corporation with indorsers, due twelve months from date. The Danvers road by this time was experiencing the difficulties of the money market and called on this road to make an advance. In November and December this road ad- vanced $45,060. to the Danvers as prepayment of rent until 1862. These extraordinary advances exhausted the immedi- ately available funds, and for the purposes of a dividend, five days after this last payment, the Treasurer borrowed money on the notes of the corporation as well as discounting some of the notes receivable. Thus was inaugurated the policy of borrowing to pay dividends, when earnings were greatly in excess of the legitimate expenditures of the road. The New- buryport Railroad also was loaned $26,400. on notes at this time. The report goes on to tell why the Boston and Maine helped the Danvers and Georgetown saying that the commit- tee express their regret that a rivalry in business between the Eastern Railroad and the Boston and Maine should ever have led these corporations into the policy of building or sustain- ing roads from one line to the other whose legitimate business was inadequate to their support, and which could only become profitable or valuable by diverting traffic from the other great road leading to Boston. It is said that the Boston and Maine and Eastern Railroads spent $2,500,000. in fighting each other.
In 1858, there was considerable talk about turning the Dan- vers and Georgetown over to the bondholders, and they in turn, not seeing any chance to get any money for paying the interest on the bonds, conceived the plan of tearing up the iron and selling it with the other property of the road. Several editorials appeared in the newspapers concerning this
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proposition. It was finally decided that as the Boston and Maine had breathed life into the road, and as it could pay running expenses, they would keep it going. An effort also was made at this time to unite the Danvers and Georgetown, which was made a part of the system of the Newburyport Railroad, with the Boston and Maine, but it was not success- ful. Some of the bonds were taken at this time for seventy- five cents on the dollar, but the Boston and Maine gave only sixty cents on the dollar, in 1860, when it leased he road.
A Topsfield man, although having received large damages for land taken by the road, was much opposed to it, and at- tributed all calamities, even the weather, to the corporation. He termed the locomotives smoke-carts, and as he reserved a right of way across the railroad from one of his pastures to the other, he made it a point to cross in front of the train so that it would be obliged to stop for him to pass.
On April 30, 1852, the Danvers and Danvers and George- town Railroads were given the power to form a corporate union under the name of the Danvers and Georgetown Rail- road, and also power to enter on the Newburyport Railroad at Georgetown, and in addition could lease their roads to the Eastern or to the Boston and Maine Railroad. The charter of the Danvers Railroad was petitioned for by the directors of the Danvers and Georgetown for the purpose of extending their railroad to the line of the Boston and Maine at South Reading. So small a part of the stock required by the char- ter was subscribed for that the directors in January, 1853 applied to the Boston and Maine for assistance, but without success. In February, following, a bill was put before the Legislature to allow a consolidation with the Danvers and Georgetown and the Newburyport Railroads, and requesting authority for the company to receive subscriptions to their capital stock from the Boston and Maine to an amount not ex- ceeding $40,000. The Eastern Railroad made a strong effort in both branches of the Legislature to prevent the passage of this bill, but finally offered to withdraw opposition on con- dition that the company should have the same authority to re- ceive subscriptions from the Eastern and the Essex Railroad
Companies as from the Boston and Maine. The bill, as amended, was passed to be enacted May 2, 1853. Application was then made to the Boston and Maine to avail itself of the authority conferred by the act. This it declined to do, but at last offered to take a lease of the Danvers Railroad, provided an agreement could be made with the Danvers and George- town and Newburyport for the joint operation of their re-
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spective railroads. This arrangement was made, and on May 30th a lease of the Danvers to the Boston and Maine was ex- ecuted for one hundred years.
The Boston and Maine agreed to pay at the rate of 5 per cent per annum on the cost of the railroad, payable semian- nually, the cost of the road being limited to $150,000, and also agreed to render to the Danvers Railroad Company a re- port of all the receipts and expenditures one month after the make-up of their annual accounts, and if it appeared that they had received more than the cost of maintenance, they were to return the excess to the Danvers Railroad Company. The Danvers Railroad, on its part, was to execute $125,000. of notes or obligations, with interest coupons; these and the cou- pons were to be endorsed by the Boston and Maine, and paid by them at maturity. The cost of the Danvers was limited to $150,000, although it was capitalized for only $100,000, but with the ending of the year 1854, shortly after the cars had commenced running for public travel, the nine miles and 1048 feet had cost $118,031.36, which did not include many damage suits against the road, nor were the stations completed. The next year the cost was brought up to $195,414.17, and in 1860 it was $236,277.36, and of the capital stock only $65,580. had been paid in; the rest was charged to a funded and a floating debt. While the Danvers and the Danvers and Georgetown Railroad were opened for inspection on Aug. 31 and Sept. 2, 1854, they were not opened for public travel till Oct. 23, 1854.
The Boston Transcript of Oct. 24, 1854, states: It was a great day for the hard working citizens of several towns of Essex County on Monday, October 23d, when a new route be- tween Boston and Newburyport was opened to the public. This road connects with the Boston and Maine at South Read- ing (Wakefield), and passes through Lynnfield, Tapleyville, North Danvers, Topsfield, Boxford, Georgetown, Newbury and Newburyport. We understand that a large number of persons from Georgetown, Boxford and Topsfield, who had never travelled with a steam horse, ventured the experiment of jumping on and trying him.
The schedule of trains on and after Oct. 23d was as follows : Trains leave Newburyport for Boston at 7.45 and 11 A.M. 1.45 and 5 P.M., arriving at Boston at 9.19 and 12.40 A.M. and 3.23 and 6.40 P.M. Trains leave Boston for Newbury- port at 8.05 A.M., and 12. M .; 3 and 5.30 P.M., arriving at Newburyport at 9.43 A.M., 1.33, 4.33 and 7.04 P.M. This made the trip from Boston to Newburyport last about one hour and thirty-four minutes, and it was accomplished by
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THE COMING OF THE RAILROAD
wood-burning engines. In 1858 a saving of 36 per cent, or $1500. a year, was accomplished by the substitution of coal for wood. Engines were changed at North Danvers, but the cars ran through from Newburyport to Boston. The fare was near- ly the same as it is today. Though many said the road could never pay, others were more hopeful, and said in its favor that the road passed through the village of Byfield that has much improved within the last half dozen years, and George- town that is full of Yankee shoemakers, and Boxford where lots of lumber is shipped from, and Topsfield that is now reached by the steam horse for the first time, and continuing, said that the new road is in prime order, and is furnished with a lot of first-class cars and obliging conductors.
After the Danvers and Georgetown became a part of the Newburyport Railroad Company, that company's credit seems to have vanished, for the third President of the road, George Cogswell of Bradford, together with George J. Tenney and Samuel Little of the directors, were obliged to become person- ally responsible for all bills. The shippers along the line of the road were given annual passes in consideration of their freight business. One man, for a loan of $400, received a pass for one year for himself and family.
The Newburyport Railroad, through its president, George Cogswell, on Dec. 17, 1855, reported that the Boston and Maine Railroad, and the Eastern Railroad Company made an indenture, each with the other, on July 14, 1855, by the terms of which the through business between Boston and the differ- ent stations upon the line of the Newburyport Railroad is par- celed out and divided between them. This agreement, taken as a whole, meant that anything above the actual expense, could not come back to the Newburyport or the Danvers Rail- roads, and that all business from Haverhill to Boston was to be considered as Boston and Maine business, and all from Newburyport to Boston as Eastern business. The Boston and Maine, in their agreement, had promised the Newburyport Railroad, that their trains should be run express to Boston from South Reading. This they did not do, and the Legisla- ture, at last passed an act compelling them, which act was not repealed for several years. The Danvers also made trouble for the Boston and Maine, as they had refused to pay for the increase of expense over the sum set for the outside cost of the road. They also taxed them with the fact that they were not consulted regarding the agreement with the Eastern and that they were not paying any attention whatever to the time advertised for the starting of the Newburyport trains from
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Boston. An appeal was made to the Legislature to put the matter into the hands of the County Commissioners of Essex County. This was strongly fought by the Boston and Maine and was of considerable importance in the legislative session of that year. There is an abundance of material in relation to these controversies. During the controversy, however, the Boston and Maine acknowledged their only reason for helping this middle road was as a means of offence and de- fence, against the Eastern, if occasion should require its use. On May 30, 1857, an act was passed in favor of the Danvers Railroad, but it was repealed March 10, 1860, as a lease of both the Newburyport and the Danvers was made stronger for the Boston and Maine at this time.
The Eastern Railroad, during the few months prior to the lease of 1860, had cut the prices on freight just one half, making it impossible for the Newburyport to get any busi- ness from the city of Newburyport. The latter railroad therefore was limited to Haverhill for its principal freight receipts from which city it was carrying about 6,000 cases of shoes per month. On November 3, 1859, at a meeting held in Georgetown, the directors of the Newburyport Railroad Company were unanimously authorized to lease and on Feb. 21, the road was leased to the Boston and Maine for one hundred years. The directors of the Newburyport Railroad, not exceeding five in number, were to be allowed at all times, to pass free over said railroad, and the Boston and Maine agreed to advance and pay the sum of $225,000. which was payable on bonds due at future dates. Some of the bond- holders had obtained these bonds as low as 10 per cent, and by this lease the Boston and Maine stood back of all the bonds, which amounted to about $400,000, and a third of which were held by the Boston and Maine. The stock at this time sold for about one dollar a share. The total cost of the Newburyport Railroad, 14 miles and 3073 feet in length, and the Danvers and Georgetown, 12 miles and 2095 feet in length, which composed the Newburyport Railroad Com- pany, was $597,386.33, as shown in the report for 1860.
The Danvers and the Danvers and Georgetown Railroads both began to run trains before their stations were finished. The Danvers, according to the lease made with the Boston and Maine, was to have a station house at North Danvers, Tapleyville, the junction of the Danvers and the Salem and Lowell, Lynnfield Centre, and South Reading. The present Danvers Junction station was built in 1887; the Collins Street in 1895; and the Lowell Street in 1894.
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When the Danvers and Georgetown was first operated, there was some opposition to stopping the trains at South George- town, as it was so near the Georgetown station. John A. Lov- ering of South Georgetown accordingly placed a building on his own land convenient to the track and this was used as a station for several years, though a flag station. For a short time this stop was discontinued, and another used about one- eighth of a mile lower down the track. The present South Georgetown station was built in 1893.
The present Boxford station is the original building that was erected in 1853. It differs from other stations on the line in that it was built to accomodate the family of the agent, and the first agent was S. Page Lake of Topsfield. At the begin- ning of the Civil War several regiments were quartered on the old Boxford training ground near the railroad and a side track and small station were built for their accomodation.
The Topsfield station was formerly on Main Street. The new station on Park street was built in 1897. Topsfield used to be the watering place for the Danvers and Georgetown en- gines, the water supply being taken from Price's hill, so called. Fred Merriam the first station master, occupied that position for many years. In his spare moments he used to make cigars in the station, and sold them about the town.
John W. Pillsbury and Batchelder were two of the early conductors and Joe Hoyt was an early brakeman. Wil- liam Smith, engineer, and James Carey, fireman, operated one of the early engines.
On Sept. 7, 1905, the Newburyport Railroad Company, voted to pay three dollars a share for all outstanding stock and on Oct. 11, 1905 the Danvers Railroad Company took the same action. The president, treasurer and directors of these companies at that time were the officers of the Boston and Maine Railroad. Most of the stock was purchased, but few of the certificates were found to be in existence. On Sept. 28, 1906, the Boston and Maine Railroad was authorized to issue $306,000, 20 year 4 per cent bonds to acquire title to the New- buryport Railroad and also to acquire title to the Danvers Railroad. These roads accordingly passed out of existence for- ever.
CHAPTER XXVIII PHYSICIANS AND MEDICAL PRACTICE
In the early days of New England there was no distinct class of men following the profession of medicine, but the practice was taken up in connection with some other calling. In every community either the minister or the schoolmaster or some skilled mid-wife was expected to act in cases of need. In taking care of the sick, the neighborly interest stood in good stead, in fact, in olden days much had to depend upon kindly neighbors. At the period when Massachusetts was settled, medicine was an art rather than a science.1. There was no record that any of the early Topsfield ministers practiced medicine, but one of the early practitioners was also a school- master.
Some of the early remedies are at times amusing and at others disgusting. Manifold are the remedies to "chear the heart," to "drive melancholy," "to cure one pensive," "for the megrums," and "for a grief," and without doubt the lonely colonists often needed them. We also learn from the old records that "things ill for the heart were beans, pease, sadness, onions, anger, evil tidings, and loss of friends ; a very arbitrary and unjust classification." Our ancestors were troubled with insomnia. Here is a cure: "bruise a handful of anis-seeds, and steep them in Red Rose Water and make it up in little bags, and binde one of them to each Nos- trill, and it will cause sleep." Among other things we learn that, "picking the gums with the bill of an osprey is good for the toothache," for fevers it was customary to take "two salt white herrings and slit them down the back and bind them to the soles of the patient's feet."
Little by little, however, these curious remedies were drop- ped, and in their places came the herbs and simples of our grandmothers. The family that did not provide itself with a plentiful supply of herbs was considered negligent of its duties. Every household had its simple domestic remedies
1 This chapter is reprinted, in part, from a paper by Henry F. Long in Topsfield Hist. Coll., Vol. XVI.
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for common complaints, and few were the families that did not possess some old book containing manuscript receipts for all sorts of ordinary ailments. Some of the more common herbs used for concoctions, were wormwood, tansy, yarrow, dandelion, burdock, plantain, catnip, and mint (all these herbs came here by importation), and ellicampane, angelica, gentian, St. John's wort, betony, and the like.
The early practitioners of medicine had a fondness for bleeding, and leeches were generally used, and always kept on hand by apothecaries. The ministers used to bleed and pray in all severe cases. Then there were the barber surgeons, who wielded with equal facility the razor and the lancet, as well as using the jaw-breaking key on the aching teeth of their un- fortunate customers. Many of the early ministers also played the part of apothecary, buying drugs at wholesale, and com- pounding and selling medicines to their parishioners. Dur- ing the generation immediately preceding the Revolution the science of medicine in Massachusetts was making progress by slow and steady steps. The bond of union with the clerical profession existing from the earliest days of colonial life had been cut, and there was no longer any practical connection between the two callings.
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