USA > Massachusetts > Worcester County > Douglas > History of the town of Douglas, (Massachusetts,) from the earliest period to the close of 1878 > Part 11
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The constitution provided for an annual meeting, to be held on Fast Day of each year, the officers having the authority to call special meetings whenever it was thought desirable.
In April, 1877, it was voted that the society hold its regular meetings on the last Sabbath of each month, alternately at the two churches (Methodist and Congregational) in East Douglas, and at this meeting A. J. Thayer was chosen president. Through the earnest efforts of the president the meetings soon assumed unusual interest as well as profit. They were well sustained, also, and did much to aid the cause of temperance in the community.
During that year the Reform Club movement had been making great progress throughout the State, and its influence was felt in our
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own community. Several of the active temperance men in town who had lately reformed felt that there ought to be a society or- ganized with especial reference to this new phase of temperance work, under the auspices of men who had once been addicted to the use of intoxicating liquor, and the organization of a Reform Club was proposed. As it did not appear practicable to attempt to sustain two societies, the former society, although in a flourish- ing condition and doing a good work, was discontinued, and its officers and members united in helping to organize and sustain the · Reform Club.
THE EAST DOUGLAS REFORM CLUB
was organized May 1, 1878, with the following officers : Presi- dent, Leonard C. Belding ; Vice-Presidents, W. H. Jones, W. D. Jones, and Timothy Bernard ; Secretary, C. A. Hunt ; Treasurer, A. F. Jones ; Chaplain, Fielder Converse ; Executive Committee, E. Moore, A. F. Brown, C. A. Whipple, Charles Fairfield, and H. C. Metcalf.
The club is at the present time (1878) in a prosperous condi- tion, with a good prospect of future usefulness before it. Its pres- ident is an earnest and efficient officer. He is not only a reformed man, but he is also an advocate of gospel temperance as the only true basis of reform. The meetings are held monthly, and are well sustained.
CHAPTER XIV.
BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL DEPARTMENT.
DOCTOR WILLIAM DOUGLAS.
DOCTOR WILLIAM DOUGLAS, after whom the town was named, was born and educated in Gifford HIall, East Lothian. Scotland, receiving a part of his education in Paris also. He came to America while quite young, establishing himself in Boston as a physician in 1718. He is said to have been " a man of great learn- ing, but bigoted in his opinions, and ceremonious in his treatment of those who differed from him. Although defeated, he could argue still; and although he discovered his errors, he would not readily acknowledge them. To none of them did he adhere with a perseverance so unfortunate for his reputation as in denying the propriety and efficacy of inoculation, which he vehemently opposed."
The Boston Evening Post, of October 23d, 1752, in announcing his death, speaks of him as " a physician of the first character in this town," and adds the following tribute to his mental qualities : " His superior knowledge in the different branches of literature, especially those which related more immediately to his profession, rendered him eminently useful to the public, and has given him a distinguished name in the learned world." Among the works published by him are the following : .. A Summary, Historical and Political, of the First Planting, Progressive Improvements,
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and Present State of the British Settlements in North America ;" three essays on the subject of "Inoculation for the Small-pox " - the first two in 1722, and the last in 1730; and a " History of a New Eruptive Military Fever," which prevailed in Boston in 1735 and 1736. The first volume of his " Summary " was pub- lished in 1739; the second in 1753, the year subsequent to his death, which occurred Oct. 21, 1752. It was republished in Lon- don in 1755, and is said to have " comprehended a vast variety of information on almost every subject, but had little of the method of a history."
Dr. Douglas was " an attentive observer," writes one of the chroniclers of his day, " and not less careful to treasure up the knowledge he acquired, though he is frequently inaccurate. . He was liberal in his religious opinions, though he esteemed Whitefield no better than a vagrant, and considered the revivals of religion which occurred in New England as mischievous in tendency. He indulged in a more laudable zeal against, and contempt for, the paper money emissions of the Americans, in his strictures upon the government."
Among other collections which he made in natural history, it is mentioned that " one of them contained eleven hundred species of plants indigenous to America. He communicated to Dr. Mather a volume of the Philosophical Transactions, containing an account of the practice of inoculation at Constantinople, which led to the use of it at Boston in 1721." He also published an almanac in 1744, under the name of " Mercurius Novanglicanus ; " and of him Dr. Eliot says, " he wrote many political essays in the news- papers, which were generally filled with satirical remarks upon the magistrates, the clergy, the physicians and the people of New England."
The following very detailed circumstances attending his death and funeral may serve to give something like a fair impression of his social standing in the community at the time of his death, and also of the funeral customs prevailing a century and a quarter since. They are taken from a letter written by James Gordon, Esq., an intimate friend of Dr. Douglas, to Lieutenant Martin, to be communicated by him to the Doctor's relatives in England on his (Martin's) arrival in that country :
" About 1 o'clock in the morning (Oct. 21, 1752) he was sud-
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denly taken with a fit of asthma, thereby suffocated, and was gone before any physician could be called to him, or any of his friends or intimates at the house where his boy he called his adopted son lived, kept with his mother. Upon the full hearing of this, John Ewing, Esq., Mr John Moffat, and I met, as being his most intimate acquaintances, and early that morning applied to the judge of probate, who granted ns administration to take the keys of his rooms, etc .. and open his desk, etc., and search for a will, which we did in presence of a notary public, the mother of his adopted son, and some creditable persons, but we could find none.
" There was found that morning in his desk a kind of deed, or gift, executed by him (about the time Admiral Knowles commenced suit, against the Doctor, and caused attachments to be laid on all his real estate) in favor of his said adopted son, called William Douglas, of all the furniture, books, papers and writings, with his negro man Abba, which paper, or deed, is in the custody of the child's mother, called Mary Brown.
" After search being made, and finding no will, we ordered a coffin to be made for the corpse, and to be removed to his own mansion house, where he usually lodged, the evening following, which was Saturday ; and on Sunday we got the corpse emboweled. as it was represented that it would not keep till such time as was necessary to prepare for the decent interment thereof, during which time we prepared a suit of mourning for his adopted son, escutch- eons for his coffin, and hatchments to be affixed to his mansion house, and appointed pall-bearers, viz. : The Hon. Wm. Dammer, Esq., late Lieutenant-Governor ; the Hon. Col. Paul Mascareine, Esq. ; the Hon. Josiah Willard, Esq., Secretary to the Province ; Thomas Leechmer, Surveyor-General ; - Fairweather, Esq., and Mr. James Smith, whom, together with the present Lieutenant- Governor Phipps, and the Rev. Messrs. Welsted, Gray and Hooper, with us three and the adopted son, had gloves, rings and escutcheons ; and his negro was put in mourning, as usual ; and as the family where he died, viz., the child's mother, grandmother and two sisters, insisted on it, it is proposed to give each of them a suit of mourning and rings, which we were obliged to promise on condi- tion the family would not appear in the funeral procession as chief mourners or relations, which they pretended a right to, and might revive and bring scandal, or obstruct the procession in such an
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honorable method as we intended, so that only the child and one of his aunts, in quality of waiting maid on one hand, and the negro on the other, walked first after the corpse ; next our three families, with his chief intimates and acquaintances, to the number of about fifteen families, as mourners ; next the practitioners in physic in the town, with their wives, who had all kid gloves ; then all his tenants, with their wives and children, had each gloves ; and after followed promiscuously a large number of people of note and distinction, by whom he was respected, the chief of whom were dis- tinguished by having gloves sent to them.
" In the decentest manner he was followed by the above, to- gether with a numerous attendance of chariots, coaches, etc., from his mansion house to the burying ground of King's Chapel, where he was interred in a brick tomb belonging to one Mr. Isaie Decor, an intimate friend of his. So far as we have proceeded, and at all convenient opportunities we are in search of a will, but can find none as yet among his papers, nor can we hear or find of any left in the hands of his acquaintances, tho' in his lifetime he constantly averred that he was never without a will, and seemed to reflect on the imprudence of those that neglected it ; and yet we cannot so much as find out any one person that can say they were witnesses to any will made by the Doctor. When we come to take an inven- tory of his papers, etc., we shall make a more diligent search.
" As I am not acquainted with the relations of my dear deceased friend, I give you this account that you may inquire for them, and acquaint them of the circumstances relating to the affairs of the Doctor and what we have already done. And as you are well acquainted with all these our proceedings, and other circumstances relating to the affairs of the deceased, you will oblige us and the Doctor's friends in communicating them to the nearest relatives, that proper care may be taken in regard to the estate for their interest if no will is found. And you may assure them, on account of the great affection and esteem I always had for the deceased Doctor, my dear friend, I shall do everything in my power to serve his heirs or their representatives.
" I am, dear Martin,
Your most affectionate
(Signed) 10
JAMES GORDON."
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HISTORY OF DOUGLAS.
This writer gives the valuation of the Doctor's estate at the time of his death, inchiding his property in Boston and in Hampshire and Worcester counties, with his books, mamiscripts and pamphlets, and his negro man Abba, at £2,932. Hon. John Ewing was appointed administrator, succeeded by Cornelius Douglas of Edin- burgh, nephew of the Doctor, in 1753.
Ilis funeral charges included three dozen men's and two dozen women's white lamb gloves, at £5 10s. ; eleven dozen gloves " for fimeral," at £20 6s. ; mourning for Mrs. Orange's two daughters, €17 16s. 6d. The negro man ran away, and for .. taking him up" the charge was 10s. 8d.
In the introduction to the second vohune of his .. Summary. Historical and Political," the author has the following pointed paragraph referring to some legal trouble in which he had been involved :
" The writer of this historical summary does not affect a studied eleganey. This is a plain narrative of incontestible facts, deliv- ered with freedom - a collection or commonplace of many years' observations, designed at first only for the writer's private amuse- ment or remembrance. But at the desire of some friends it is pub- lished for the benefit of the public and for the use of future histo- rians. Deus nobis haec otia fecit. As the writer is independent, being in no public office, nor ringleader of any party or faction. what he writes may be deemed impartial. If facts related in truth offend any magistrate, governor, commodore, or other great officer, lie will not renounce impartiality and become cycophant."
In the purchase of the tract of land bounded on the Mendon Sherborn Grants, in 1723, he was associated with Habijah Savage. Esq., John Binning (merchant), William Tyler Brazier, Tyler Goldsmith and Benjamin Brouldson. The tract was divided into six parts on the 20th day of September, 1727.
Doctor Douglas prepared " A Plan of the Four Governments of New England, Showing the Townships in Each," from actual survey. It was published in London.
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BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL DEPARTMENT.
COLONEL EZEKIEL PRESTON.
Colonel Preston was an honest, straightforward man, of genuine business ability. He was square in all his dealings, and was pos- sessed also of much executive talent, together with many singu- larly eccentric traits. Strictly honest himself, he admired and encouraged it in others. His likes and dislikes were exceedingly marked, promptly conceived, and as openly expressed. In his grist-mill, and indeed in every place where he had control or su- pervision, the influence of his strong and pronounced opinions was felt. He would not allow his workmen to "even" a measure of grain with their hands, but only with a " straight-edge." His motto, often expressed, was, "I would rather grind a grist toll free than take a kernel too much."
His accounts were kept in an open, plain hand, " debt " and " credit" with every man ; and in making his charges and settling his accounts he used the utmost freedom in recording on his books his opinion touching the person with whom he was dealing, whether from casual acquaintance or based on longer observation. He always enjoyed a good joke, however, even when it was at his own expense. Generous and open-hearted, he was always ready to respond to the appeals of the needy or to reward the honest. When he left home for the Western journey detailed below, he settled his affairs with every man with whom he had an account. except one, for reasons best known to the parties interested.
He left quite full records of the views and feelings which his long-cherished habits of observation had begotten, and we feel that we can in no way so well bring out what sort of a man he was as to let him appear before the reader in the garb of his own writ- ings. The first extract we give is from the very full journal of his experience as a traveler, having left his home for Columbus, Ind. :
May 7, 1827, 2 o'clock P. M. - " I now take the stage at my own door, to go to Columbus, county of Bartholomew, State of Indiana. Went that night to Clark's stage tavern in Ashford, Conn." He reached Hartford the next day, whence he started for Albany, riding all night with 'some good company - some awful poor,' but got along very well, intirely contented."
At " Albana " (as he spells Albany, N. Y.), five days on his journey, he writes that he " enters a cannal-boat - what they call
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a " Marchant Pilot Line," at one and one-half cents a mile. Board me at nineteen per meal."
At Anburn, N. Y., besides visiting the State prison, he " went with Deacon Boll to see the theological seminary, where they make ministers ! They had sixty-five of them on hand, part done, who looked and talked very well, and appeared to be worthy carrictors ; and no doubt they were !"
May 17 .- " Went to jail in Canandagna, where William Mor- gan was confined. Went all over the jail - to the room where M. was in. Went up chamber, and spent about an hour with Lawton and Cheesbro, Royal Arch Masons, confined in jail by sentence of the court - Lawton two years, and Cheesbro one year. Found all Masons I conversed with spoke well of those two in prison. Found the people in that place have different opinions respecting where Morgan is gone to. They say he was a dissipated fellow."
The following shows a relish for a good joke, always one of his characteristics :
May 22. (Near Buffalo, N. Y.) - " Went to Timothy Whit- ing's, and found him in the field. He didn't know me. I made a prisoner of him. He asked me what it was for. I told him for helping others kidnap Morgan. He declared he was innocent - wanted to get counsel. Went home in order to go to Buffalo. I told him who I was, and gave him his liberty, and stayed with him that night. I think Tim is doing very well."
May 30. (In Pittsburg.) - . " In fact, they appear to me a making nearly everything in their works go by steam, from fire made by coal dug out of the ground clost by, and sold to them all over the city for two and one-half cents per bushel ; and they say that one bushel of that is worth two of coal made of wood. Most of the people use it for all their fires."
June 4 .- " Started on a steamboat down the Ohio for Cincin- nati. She run nine miles in one hour - struck a rock, broke in and sunk. They stuck in their old clothes as well as they could, pumpt and dipt water, but to no purpose. . Continued on deck forty-seven hours before even a keel-boat or anything suit- able came down the river that I could go forward on my route." -
June 10 (Sunday). - " In Wheeling, O., went to a very good Methodist meeting, and went to an evening meeting. I reconciled
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BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL DEPARTMENT.
myself remarkably well." The next day he says, "One place on the (river) bank they bile water into salt. They git it out of a hole, they say, bored in the ground 500 feet.
June 13. - " Now I say I was wide awake. The steamboat started at 9 in the morning, and glad was I, for I had lost 11 days by unavoidable disappointments. . . Got to Merryetta 7 in the evening. The boat stopped, so dark and foggy, till morning. Slept pretty well all night on the floor by putting a straw each side of my hip bones." The second day after this he says the boat " went into the line of Contuckey at 8 o'clock, it being on our left, Ohio on our right."
He completes his journey June 21, in forty-five days' time, 1,363 miles, at a cost of $32.27. In a letter to Mrs. Preston he expresses himself much pleased with the country and people - found the society there far better than he had any idea of, and said if he was not more than forty years old he would sell his mills and move out there. He often said if he could have one acre of such land as he found there in Massachusetts on his farm he would give $500 for it.
His book accounts reveal perhaps still more strongly his peculi- arities, and we permit a few of these also to speak for themselves. The first is as follows :
" Dr. Society of Mr. Holman's in Douglas, Cr. Paid, in 1816, a town tax of $326.34. In 1817, $320.59.
A correct statement of incorrect doings in Mr. Holman's Relig- ious Society in Douglas. I find, under No. 1 (there follows here quite a tabulated statement, which explains his allusions to " No. 1,', &c.), names of people who were taxed for preaching. Under No. 2 for 1816 ; under No. 3 for 1817 ; under No. 4 either gain or lost ; under No. 5 for what sum. At the very time Ezekiel Preston's poverty was increasing equal to the unreasonable tax put on him at that time, by reason of the destruction of cotton factories wherein he was greatly interested, E. Preston was con- stantly informing the society that he was overtaxed in proportion to property, and begged of the assessors to deal honestly with him, and he would continue to be a good fellow in the society, and if not he should quit them ; for Preston asked Deacon Balcome why he raised his tax and lowered other people's, and Balcome's answer was that he supposed that it was all done by reason of the fractions
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in casting ; and this was all the information I could git out of him. David D - was the other assessor, and I never considered worth while to ask him about it any more than I should why water runs down hill."
At the bottom of an entry in his ledger frequently oceurs his opinion of the man whose name he records. Thus, in July, 1824, he closes his account with Old P -: " Never to be trusted by me, for he is an awful lier !" " A poor old fellow !"
Miss Hannah Thayer fares better at his hands, for after charg- ing her with money paid to her at sundry times, he adds, "You came to live in my family - stayed 6 weeks - a good girl, too."
Not so, however, with another, whose account current ends with " you came at night, July 2d or 3d. Your time is all out, for you are a good, smart girl, but at the same time you are not worth keeping, and I would not give you your board for all your unsteady work."
The next one has this for her " character : " "' You came to live in my family Dec. 29. Left off after working 7 weeks, at $1 per week. All settled. This moderate child did not earn what she had, and I don't want her any longer !"
At the close of one entry an account running eleven years is closed with, " very well, he settled like an honest man, I found." leaving ground for inferring that he had formerly distrusted him.
" All is dead, all is lost," finishes another account.
Speaking of the difficulties before an executor in settling an es- tate with several heirs, he writes, "it is impossible for him to give any satisfaction to the heirs, for they want that which is as desti- tute of honesty as the devil is of holiness. April 10, 182 -. I do absolutely write the above on principles of honesty. knowing their motives and doings a great while."
EZEKIEL PRESTON.
Before he started on his journey to Columbus he employed Lois and Fannie Southward to make him a suit of clothes, and, after enumerating the various garments made up, such as " a good woolen coat," a " pare do. pantaloons," adding this item about their making, "good wooling and cutting all," he says, "I con- sider that any person who is a calculating on saving his property, and not too full of foolish pride, will git their clothes all cut and made by these very young women sewers. Young men who fail of
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BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL DEPARTMENT.
this are apt to have to borrow money to pay men-tailors' large bills for their folly ; and that is the way fools are always poor !" A good card for those girls, whatever it may have been for the young men of that day.
An account with another man, which has written at the bottom " all settled for always," is supplemented with this stinging nota bene: " Nothing good in trading with a man who has been a pren- tice in the State's Prison !"
Here is frankness for you, in earnest : "I have paid Z- -, for spinning the mule yarns, and I do really think he has ab- solutely wasted in weaving of it half a ton of cops, which were tan- gled ; average No. 12, worth 84c., $940.80. At that time it was worth half price, as above, in cash -$470.40. And I am thank- ful he did not waste it all, for that would have been a little worse yet. He don't waste his own yarn so. I question who is to be trusted."
John N. W --- is posted thus : " Due me on balance, 35c., Oct. 8, 1825. This evening you was drowned -Oct. 8, 1825. Settled."
E- - C- is credited " by discount in full, 1.84. E -- is a very honest fellow, but he is not to blame for that. He would'nt be if he could help it !"
After having recorded, " settled all accounts between us, and made even, fully to our satisfaction -Amen " (a frequently occur- ring finality in his ledger), after both signatures he appends this : "He is a mean man. No more trade with you!" This seems hardly fair, in view of the explicit assertion, just before, of full satisfaction to both parties, and modifies not a little the force of the animadversions in which he indulges so profusely.
P -- T- is both " Dr." and " Cr.," but no items given. Then this is appended : " All settled for always."
This singular man built a tomb in the Douglas Center burying ground, the top or roof of which consisted of a single granite slab. It was taken from a ledge in Uxbridge, and was so heavy that twenty-five pairs of oxen were required in hauling it to its destina- tion.
Colonel P. was always very much interested in military displays. It is related that a general muster took place in Uxbridge on a cer- tain occasion, of which he took the principal direction, and, accord-
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ing to the testimony of some witnesses now living, it came near being a very grave affair. Early in the morning of the appointed day a company of Indians (white men, in full Indian costine and fully armed) were drawn up in line before the Preston Mill, at the Lower Village, for inspection, and also to be instructed in the part they were to take in the rare proceedings of the day. After passing a bucket of " black strap " along the line, of which the men partook quite freely, they were marched by the old pike to the scene of action, and took their stand in a thick belt of woods on the hill overlooking the spring tavern and the adjoining fields, where the military were going through their maneuvers. At a given signal the Indians made a sudden attack upon the militia, swooping down upon them with violent gesticulations and contortions of the body, accompa- nied with screams and yells in imitation of the Indian war-whoop, giving the whole scene the appearance of a terrible reality rather than a farce, especially to many. if not all of those who were unfor- tunately in the ranks of the militia. All parties were soon engaged in a hand-to-hand combat, and in the very midst of the heat and excitement of the struggle a bucket of red paint was dextrously poured over the Colonel's white charger. Soon the rumor that " his horse had been shot " passed from one to another through the now thoroughly excited crowd of spectators, and the whole scene became one of the wildest imaginable, - but little short of what would have ensued had it been indeed a repetition of what has often in New England history proved a fearful reality.
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