History of the town of Plainfield, Hampshire County, Mass., from its settlement to 1891, including a genealogical history of twenty-three of the original settlers and their descendants, with anecdotes and sketches, Part 4

Author: Dyer, Charles Newell, 1850-
Publication date: 1891
Publisher: Northampton, Mass., Press of Gazette printing co.
Number of Pages: 216


USA > Massachusetts > Hampshire County > Plainfield > History of the town of Plainfield, Hampshire County, Mass., from its settlement to 1891, including a genealogical history of twenty-three of the original settlers and their descendants, with anecdotes and sketches > Part 4


Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).


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58


HISTORY OF PLAINFIELD.


Leavitt Hallock, and many others prominent in the history of the town. A receiving tomb was built in the northwest corner of the yard in 1884, by the town, and is used during the winter months. We regret that the yard is not cared for as it should be. It is proposed to organize a Cemetery Association, composed of a number of our citizens, who would be authorized to control it, and by whom it might be enlarged and properly laid out. A small fee would be charged for burial lots, which have heretofore been free, the income from which would be used in caring for and beautifying the grounds. It is hoped that the project will be promptly carried out, as it is necessary that the grounds be enlarged within a year or two, and every citizen should be interested in it.


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In that village on the hill Never is sound of smithy or mill; The houses are thatched with grass and flowers, Never a clock to tell the hours; The marble doors are always shut; You may not enter at hall or hut. All the village lie asleep, Never a grain to sow or reap; Never in dreams to moan or sigh- Silent, and idle, and low, they lie.


In that village under the hill, When the night is starry and still,


Many a weary soul in prayer Looks to the other village there, And weeping and sighing, longs to go Up to that home from this below ; Longs to sleep by the forest wild, Whither have vanished wife and child, And heareth, praying, the answer fall,- " Patience: That village shall hold you all! "


Rose Terry Cooke.


59


BILL OF MORTALITY.


So live that when thy summons comes to join The innumerable caravan that moves To that mysterious realm where each shall take His chamber in the silent halls of death, Thou go not like the quarry slave at night, Scourged to his dungeon; but, sustained and soothed


By an unfaltering trust, approach thy grave Like one who wraps the drapery of his couch About him, and lies down to pleasant dreams.


Bryant.


BILL OF MORTALITY.


This town is regarded as a very healthy locality, and 58 per cent. of the deaths in the last 25 years, have been of persons over 70 years of age. The early church records furnish by far the most complete list of deaths for the period which they cover. Unfortunately in the church records the ages are not given till 1802. Dr. Porter says, "The following table exhibits the most complete list that I have been able to obtain of the deaths from 1785, inclu- sive, to the present time, with the name and age of the oldest person who died in each year from 1802." His list ends with the year 1833, and has been continued by the writer up to the present year:


1785


2


1794


18


1786


2


1795


2


1787


8


1796


11


1788


6


1797


8


1789


2


1798


0


1790


3


1799


10


1791


6


1800


13


1792


7


1801


18


1793


3


1802


9


Widow Macintire,


83


1803


30


John Carr,


94


1804


15


Jacob Gloyd,


71


60


HISTORY OF PLAINFIELD.


1805


11


Dea. John Packard's wife, 60


1806


15


Widow Whiton, 86


1807


14


Dea. John Packard, 71


1808


18


Moses Curtis,


86


1809


8


Jacob Hawes,


68


1810


15


Widow Snow,


81


1811


11


Seth Ford's wife,


86


1812


12


Jacob Joy,


1813


17


Dea. Joseph Beals,


61


1814


16


Ebenezer Beals,


83


1815


13


Jepthah Pool's wife,


60


1816


11


Widow Hannah Colson,


96


1817


12


Caleb Beals,


60


1818


14


Widow Hannah Smith,


75


1819


14


Widow Shaw,


81


1820


7


John Joy's wife,


39


1821


12


Benjamin Pool,


56


1822


10


Widow Daniels,


76


1823


13


Joseph Pool,


84


1824


15


Samuel Whitman, 93


Dea. Gideon Shaw,


80


1826


16


Levi Stetson,


80


1827


8


Caleb Joy,


76


1828


9


Ammon White,


82


1829


13


Noah Packard's wife,


75


1830


17


Benjamin Carr's wife,


82


1831


13


Widow Abigail Vining,


71


1832


9


Gideon Hammond, 90


1834


15


Abraham Clark,


83


1835


6


Ebenezer Bisbee's wife,


78


1836


10


Widow of Andrew Cook,


96


1825


13


Jacob Clark,


77


1833


61


BILL OF MORTALITY.


1837


13


James Dyer,


95


1838


12


Benjamin Carr,


92


1839


11


Widow Silence Clark, 83


1840


9


Caleb White,


96


1841


11


Mary Ann Noyes,


34


1842


21


Dea. James Richards,


85


1843


13


Paul McCoy,


85


1844


16


Samuel Streeter,


90


1845


9


Daniel Gurney,


80


1846


12


Ebenezer Dickinson,


94


1847


15


Barnabas Packard,


83


1848


10


Olive Torrey, 85


1849


14


Sarah Beals,


90


1850


22


Sally Warner,


85


1851


19


Vincent Curtis,


91


1852


17


John Hamlen,


89


1853


17


Jacob Snow,


94


1855


12


Elizabeth Hayward,


87


1856


9


Alice Gloyd,


86


1857


12


Lois Nash,


92


1858


17


Sally Beals,


88


1859


8


Whitcomb Stetson,


84


1860


8


Jacob Beals,


7


1861


10


Jacob Jones, Sr., 90


1862


12


Samuel Davison,


88


1863


22


Polly Holdridge,


85


1864


11


Esther Baldwin,


98


1865


8


Consider Stockwell, 74


From 1866, for comparison, the number of births occur- ring in each year is placed at the left of date.


7 1866


9


Sally Dyer, 73


11 1867 10


Polly Shaw, 93


62


HISTORY OF PLAINFIELD.


14


1868


8


Levi Cook,


85


12


1869


12


Nancy Pease,


90


13


1870


9


Polly Tirrell, 95


6


1871


10


Samuel White, 94


9


1872


6


Jacob Whitmarsh, 83


8


1873


8


Julia Butler,


85


10


1874


11


Levi Campbell,


88


4


1875


2


Sally Bradley,


' 72


7


1876


6


James Joy,


82


Samuel Thayer, Jr.,


88


6


1878


5


Abigail Torrey,


82


11


1879


9


John Bisbee,


93


5


1880


9


Hannah Cook,


87


6


1881


12


Stephen Hayward, 94


Jerusha King, 93


3


1883


13


Samuel Loud,


88


5


1884


12


David Shaw,


90


4


1885


Sally Packard, 91


9


1886


4


Ezra W. Haskins,


85


6


1887


10


Delia Warner,


87


6


1888


Mary Joy,


91


8


1889


8


Seth S. Williams,


87


3


1890


James Warner, 91


1877


8


1882


12


Total births in last 25 years, 187. Deaths, 214. The greatest age attained by any person was 98, Esther Baldwin in 1864. In 1794 and 1803 the scarlet fever pre- vailed; in 1806, the typhus fever. In 1798 there were no deaths. In 1834, 11 of the 15 deaths were children under 5 years of age, and it does not appear that there was any prevalent disease. In 1850, dysentery prevailed, there being 15 deaths from that cause. On Aug. 29 of that year, three children lay dead, and also on Sept. 15 .- Oct. 7, 1857,


63


SUDDEN DEATHS.


three adults died, viz .: Phebe Hitchcock, Beza Reed and Sarah Jones. Their funerals were attended on the same day, Oct. 9 .- May 7, 1855, Daniel Streeter suicided by hanging himself to a tree in the woods near the southeast corner of Stephen Parsons' farm .- April 5, 1873, Dr. G. H. Taylor took his own life by hanging himself in his barn. The following deaths seem worthy of particular notice: Jan. 9, 1804, Lucinda Packard was found dead in her bed. May 19, 1804, James Thayer was drowned at Cummington, aged 21. June 22, 1812, Levi Stetson, Jr., aged 35, was killed almost instantly by the fall of a tree. Aug. 11, 1812, the wife of Gideon Hammond died in her chair at work, in- stantly, as is supposed. Her husband awoke from a short nap after dinner, and found her sitting at her quill-wheel, dead. Her age was 51. Oct. 22, 1817, a son of Jetson Stetson died from a bean in the windpipe, aged 5. May 4, 1820, Daniel Brown was killed instantly by a log rolling over him. May 10, 1828, the wife of Benjamin Towne, aged 39, was found after a long search by many persons, dead in the woods in Hawley, having wandered from home several days before, while insane. Oct. 28, 1831, Clarissa Stetson, aged 8, died in consequence of burns received from her clothes taking fire. July 11, 1833, Samuel Swift, aged about 50, was killed instantly at Cummington by the fall of a tree. March 8, 1834, Charles Bela Dyer, 2 years old, died in consequence of a piece of apple in the wind- pipe. Jan. 30, 1842, Matthias Crittenden, aged 60, fell dead while returning from attending church. Marcus M. Lincoln, aged 7, son of Isaac K. Lincoln, was drowned July 15, 1845, while bathing with other boys in a small pond, west of Joseph Gloyd's. Dec. 19, 1880, Joseph Gloyd, Jr., aged 74, died very suddenly. He rose in the morning as


64


HISTORY OF PLAINFIELD.


usual and had partially dressed, when he complained of feeling ill, and expired in a few moments. Dec. 16, 1886, Joseph Sears, aged 66, died suddenly of heart disease. He had just returned from a neighbors, apparently in his usual health. He sat down on entering the house, being somewhat out of breath, and soon after expired. John Joy fell, or was thrown from his horse, on the hill above Nelson W. Cook's, breaking his neck, Aug. 21, 1848, while on his way to church. His age was 69. Jacob Jones, Jr. died suddenly while at work near his barn, Dec. 15, 1873, aged 71.


CHAPTER VIII.


STORES AND MANUFACTURES .-- JOHN MACK .-- I. K. LINCOLN AND OTHERS. - JACOB AND LEVI CLARK .-- LEONARD CAMPBELL .-- STORES AT PRESENT TIME. -- ROBINSON'S CORN MILL .- WARNER, WHITING & CO .- STREETER'S FACTORY .- TANNERY .-- OTH- ER MANUFACTURES.


Tradition says that one Perkins kept the first store in town, but his given name and place of business are not known. His business was probably unimportant, else some account of it would have been handed down. With the above exception, the first store established was that of John Mack, some time previous to 1816. The building used stood a rod or two south of Clark Smith's house. About 1820 he erected the brick store on the common, now occupied by H. S. Packard. This was considered a very elegant structure at that time, and is really a fine, sub- stantial building. Here he did business until his death in 1833. He was for some ten years or more the only mer- chant in town and did a thriving business. The goods kept 75 years ago were very few in number and variety. Liquors of various kinds, molasses, salt, codfish, a little brown and loaf sugar, chintz cloth, and possibly one or two other kinds, thread, etc. Isaac K. Lincoln built a store in the southeast part of the town, and carried on the mercantile business for some 20 years. Much of the trade was an exchange business. Eggs, cheese, tow and linen cloth were taken in exchange for goods. These commodi- ties were taken by teams to Boston, which returned loaded


5


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66


HISTORY OF PLAINFIELD.


with goods for the store. It took about eight days to make the round trip. Iram Packard built the house now occu- pied by Levi Clark as early as 1825, a portion of which he used as a store. This was afterwards kept by Aaron Saw- yer, and about 1839 by Shaw & Stowell; then by Jacob and Levi Clark. Mr. Clark discontinued the business in 1855. G. G. Keyes afterwards leased the rooms and kept a store there from about 1859 to 1862 or 3. Lyman Dawes also had a store there for a short time. Leonard Campbell opened a store here in 1855 in the building formerly occu- pied by Ira Hamlen, as a hatter's shop. In a few years he enlarged the building, and has continued in business until the present time. For nearly 20 years this was the only store in town, except while Keyes and Dawes were here, which was only a short time. For some 25 years up to about 1875, and even later, the palm-leaf hat industry was a profitable part of the merchant's business. This was carried on mostly by the Messrs. Clark and later by Mr. Campbell. The prepared leaf was furnished by the mer- chants, and by them given out to the different families. The hats were braided by the women and girls, and although the pay was small, it amounted in the aggregate to quite a large sum. At one time probably three-fourths of the families in town were engaged in the business. Mr. Campbell for about 25 years made a specialty of the milli- nery business, in which he had a heavy trade from this and adjoining towns. He was in trade here a few years previous to 1855, but discontinued the business for awhile, and re-opened that year. Abner Gurney kept a store for a short time in the L part of the house formerly occupied by Rev. Mr. Hallock, the post office being kept there at the same time. The business of John Mack was


67


STORES AT PRESENT TIME.


carried on by John Mack, Jr. for a year or two when it was bought by Whitney J. Hitchcock. He was not here long, and was succceeded by Shaw & Stowell. Afterward W. C. Gilbert bought and carried on the store for some years, or until about 1852, when he left it for a farm. Then Charles Mack, who had been clerk for Gilbert, bought the stock and carried on the business for two or three years. Then S. W. Streeter took the business, and after him E. A. Clark and Eugene Shaw were in it for a short time; but the business was closed up in 1856. No store was kept here from this time until about 1873, when the store was purchased by Chas. R. Burt, who stocked it with goods and carried on the business for some four years, when he sold out to Mrs. Eliza A. Packard, who kept the store with the assistance of her sons for about seven years, when the business was transferred to her oldest son, H. S. Packard, by whom it has since been conducted. He has lately enlarged the main store room (which had been divided by C. R. Burt) and filled it with a large and complete stock of goods. C. N. Dyer opened a small grocery store in his house in 1880. The business increasing, other lines of goods were added, and interior changes in the building were made to accommodate it. When F. W. Gilbert was appointed postmaster in 1886, the post office was removed to this store and placed in charge of Mr. Dyer, who was Asst. P. M. In 1887 Mr. Dyer sold the place, including the farm, and bought of D. H. Gould the corner lot east of the Town Hall, on which he at once erected a building to be used for a store and tenement, to which he removed his business, including the post office, about Sept. 1, 1887, and where he still carries it on. There are several dealers in farmers' produce. L. W. Joy, who


68


HISTORY OF PLAINFIELD.


has been in the business many years, and disposes of his produce in Northampton; A. N. Gurney, who carries his produce to Adams, his specialty being pork in the whole carcass, which he sells to retail dealers; he also sells flour, meal, etc., and some heavy groceries. J. N. Benjamin also does a produce business, disposing of his stock at Adams. His specialties are butter, whole pork, and apples.


MANUFACTURES.


[The author is largely indebted to an article in the Hampshire Co. Gazetteer, by F. W. Gilbert, for the substance of this article.]


It is believed that the grist mill, or " corn mill," as it was called, of Jeremiah Robinson, said to have been estab- lished in 1789, and the saw mill of Samuel Streeter, both on Mill brook, were the first mills of any kind established here, being mentioned in the records as early as 1791. In 1798 the grist mill was purchased by Joseph Beals, "the Mountain Miller," who managed the business until his death in 1813. His son, Dea. Robert, then conducted it for a number of years, and about 1827 or 1828 built the present mill, which stands several rods further down the stream than the original structure. Jared Bisbee, Horatio Lyon, Dexter White and Edwin Torrey succeeded in turn to the management. In 1861 James A. Nash purchased the property. He has greatly improved it and still carries on the business. Samuel Streeter's saw-mill stood just above the site of Streeter's factory. A saw-mill operated by his sons and grandson, also his great-grandson, was continued on the same site until about 1870. On the brook in the northeast corner of the town is a saw-mill. The original mill on this site was built by Levi Campbell, and was for many years operated by his son, Levi N. Campbell.


69


MANUFACTURES.


MILL OF "THE MOUNTAIN MILLER."


70


HISTORY OF PLAINFIELD.


About 1884 or 1885 it came into the possession of George W. Billings. He substituted a circular mill for the old style, and carried on the business until the mill was burn- ed in April, 1890. Mr. Billings has rebuilt it, and pur- chased new machinery. His specialty is the manufacture of cloth boards. The stream which runs near Wm. H. Dyer's has been from early times the scene of many at- tempts at manufacture, most of them being for the time successful. Probably the first enterprise of this sort was the grist mill of Thomas Shaw, which was situated some distance north of W. H. Dyer's, near the old brickyard. Evidence exists that places the date of its erection before 1800. It was abandoned about 1830, and no trace of it remains. Who first opened the brickyard near it is uncer- tain, but brick were made there early in the present cen- tury, probably by Joshua or Thomas Shaw. The Warner brothers made brick there for several years in the vicinity of 1840 and later. About 1871 or 1872 O. S. White and S. W. Clark re-fitted the yard and made brick for two or three seasons; since then none have been made there. On the stream just below this in the earlier part of the cen- tury was the cloth dressing shop of Jacob Clark. About 1830, on nearly the same site, Randall Whiting, James and Cushing Warner, under the firm name of Warner, Whiting & Co., built a factory for the manufacture of satinets, and for general custom work. A boarding-house was also erected. About a dozen hands were employed in the factory. After some years the firm failed and the business was suspended. Subsequently, Wm. Gurney made an attempt to revive the business, but without much success. The buildings were removed about 1857. The site of the factory was about six rods south of the road on


71


MANUFACTURES.


the west side of the stream, near W. H. Dyer's. Rem- nants of the dam and raceway are still visible. Still lower on the stream, John White built a mill for the manufac- ture of broom handles about 1836. This was in operation for eight or ten years, and the buildings were then re- moved. A saw-mill on the same site was continued a few years longer. Further down was the ancient saw-mill of Ziba White. This mill was probably erected soon after 1800, and was in use about 40 years. A mill privilege below this was improved by Warner & Gloyd about 1845. They erected a saw-mill, and afterwards a cider mill. The saw-mill was not used after 1856, and both were soon after- wards torn down. The small stream by the side of the road just below Campbell's store seems hardly sufficient to turn a boy's water-wheel, yet on this rivulet, about 65 years ago, a pretentious tannery was erected by Dorn & Remington. Their water-wheel was an overshot, of unu- sual size, 18 feet in diameter, and their buildings were quite capacious. The preparations proved unavailable, and they went down the valley, and settled on Mill Brook. On this brooklet at about the same time were the potash works of Iram Packard. At the time Dorn & Remington removed to the valley, in 1830, they built a large tannery 100x30, covering 80 vats, nearly opposite the present resi- dence of Lester Streeter, where they did a large business. Mr. Dorn sold his share to a Mr. Parsons, and later the new firm disposed of the property to Giddings & Latham. After a time Giddings disposed of his share to Latham, who carried on the business until his death in 1851. The business was not afterward revived. The beam house was fitted up for the manufacture of broom handles a number of years later by Nelson C. Clapp, but not much was done


72


HISTORY OF PLAINFIELD.


at the business. On the small brooklet referred to near the village, before Dorn & Remington began their prep- arations there, Cyrus Joy had a small tannery for tanning upper leather. There was also about that time, a small tannery a few rods east of Homer Cook's. There were but a few vats, and no water power, the bark being ground at Samuel Streeter's saw-mill and drawn up the hill to the tannery. At the upper water privilege on Mill Brook, Isaiah Stetson, in 1817, built a saw-mill and managed it for several years. Afterwards David and Wm. Stowell purchased it, and continued the business until 1854, at which date it passed into the hands of W. C. Gilbert. In 1855, George W. King bought, and still owns the property. He manufactures broom and brush handles, besides custom sawing and planing .- Adjoining Samuel Streeter's saw- mill, before referred to, in the early part of the century was a cloth-dressing shop conducted successively by Daniel Richards, Mr. Gleason and others. On the site of this, in 1820, Arnold and Nahum Streeter built a factory for the manufacture of satinet, flannel, and other woolen goods. This was burned in 1825. It was rebuilt and managed by the Streeter family until 1876, when it was again destroyed by fire, and has not been rebuilt .- On the other side of the road from Willcutt's saw-mill, in 1810 was a flax-dressing mill, owned and run by Noah and Iram Packard. About 1816, Reuben Hamlen and Otis Pratt built on the same site a factory for the manufacture of satinets and woolen goods. In 1820 the building which is now the Willcutt mill was removed across the road where it now stands. Mr. Pratt sold his share to Erastus Bates, who moving West in 1834 left Mr. Hamlen to manage the mill alone. After a few years the business was given up. Later, Jason


73


MANUFACTURES.


Noyes used it for a chair factory. Elbridge King rented it for awhile. Capt. James Cook finally bought the prop- erty, and it was used for a saw-mill. He sold to Daniel Ingraham, who made baskets there. In 1867 William Willcutt bought the plant from Ingraham, repaired it thoroughly and put in entirely new machinery, including a circular saw-mill. He now uses annually from 30 to 50 thousand feet of hard wood lumber in the manufacture of whip butts, which are sold in Westfield, Mass. He also makes some broom and brush handles, besides doing custom sawing and planing. Several men are employed. His son, George L., has an interest in the business .- A few rods below the present grist-mill of J. A. Nash, was once a saw-mill, long since abandoned. Portions of the foun- dation walls are still visible. In 1852 Wm. J. Shattuck built a saw-mill on the west branch of Mill brook. The supply of water proving insufficient, the mill was after several years practically abandoned, and the building was removed in 1884 .- The saw-mnill at the outlet of the crooked pond in the extreme northwest part of the town, now owned by Onslow Taylor, was built by Lyman Morton, more than fifty years ago. A circular mill was put in by the present owner a few years since. Mr. Morton also built a dam on the " Grant " brook near David Packard's, and erected a small shop there about 1825. The power was used for operating a trip-hammer for forging heavy iron work. Isaac Saddler, more than 60 years ago, had a cloth- dressing shop on Mill Brook, near the residence of the late Philander Packard. Later Homan Hallock had a shop near by, where he manufactured Arabic type, using the same water power. In 1840 there was a tack shop near where Shepard Dyer lives, conducted by Roland Shaw,


74


HISTORY OF PLAINFIELD.


where six or eight men were employed. No power was used. Tacks were also made in a shop at the upper vil- lage not far from the same time. Early in the present century, Ira Hamlen operated a hatter's shop, which to- gether with his house was burnt in 1824. It was rebuilt, and business carried on for some time. The building used is now the south wing of Campbell's store.


CHAPTER IX.


PHYSICIANS .- DR. TORREY .-- DR. PORTER .- DR. SAMUEL SHAW .- " HIT HIM ANOTH - ER."-LATER PRACTITIONERS .-- JUSTICES OF THE PEACE.


The first physician practising in town was Dr. Solomon Bond, his name occurring in the town records as early as 1789. He was succeeded by Dr. Barney Torrey and Dr. Jacob Porter. The latter, although a highly educated man, gave his attention mostly to literary pursuits, being well versed in botany and mineralogy. His medical prac- tice was very inconsiderable. He was the author of a his- tory of Plainfield, published in 1834. He died Nov. 15, 1846, aged 63. He was interred near the front of the prin- cipal cemetery under the shade of six tamerack trees which he had set out there some years previous. They have since been removed .. All the young trees of that variety in the cemetery and vicinity sprung from seed from these six trees, as it was scattered by the winds.


DR. SAMUEL SHAW,


who spent his life here, deserves more than a passing no- tice. He was a son of Josiah and Anna Shaw, who came from Abington, Mass., and settled here in 1792, on the homestead occupied by the late Freeman Shaw. Dr. Shaw was born in Abington, Mass., May 6, 1790, being less than two years old when his parents settled here. After attend- ing for some time the school of Rev. Moses Hallock, he


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76


HISTORY OF PLAINFIELD.


studied medicine with Dr. Peter Bryant of Cummington, father of Wm. Cullen Bryant. In 1819 and 1820 he attend- ed medical lectures in Boston. He became Dr. Bryant's partner in practice, the partnership being continued until the death of the latter. In 1821 he married Dr. Bryant's daughter, Sarah Snell Bryant. He was licensed as a medi- cal practitioner the same year. The following is a copy of his certificate:


S L. s. S COMMONWEALTH OF MASSACHUSETTS.


We the subscribers, Censors of the Massachusetts Med- ical Society, duly appointed and authorized, have examined Samuel Shaw of Cummington, in the County of Hamp- shire, a candidate for the Practice of Physick and Surgery; and having found him qualified, do appoint and license him as a Practitioner in Medicine, agreeable to the law in that case made and provided. Dated at Northampton, this 3rd day of May, A. D. one thousand eight hundred and twenty-one.




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