USA > Massachusetts > Massachusetts of today; a memorial of the state, historical and biographical, issued for the World's Columbian exposition at Chicago > Part 3
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MASSACHUSETTS OF TO-DAY.
The influence of Massachusetts educational methods upon the country has been of immeasurable value. It is everywhere acknowledged that here education has been reduced to a science which has been made as nearly per- fect as possible by legislation, and by intelligent educators. The seed of what is now a national system of free education was sown in Boston in an order adopted by the freemen of the town in 1635, as follows : "The 13th of ye 24 month, 1635 ; Likewise it was then genrally agreed upon that yt o' Philemon Pormont shall be entreated to become schoolmaster for ye teaching and nourtering of children wth vs." The record of the General Court of Massachusetts contains the ordinance of 1647, as follows : "Now that learning may not be buried in the graves of our fathers, every township in this jurisdiction after the Lord hath increased them to fifty house-holders, shall then forthwith appoint one man within their town to teach all such children as shall resort to him to write and read." The evolution of the common-school system thus modestly founded is the State's proudest achievement. Under the stimulus of public sentiment, united with the self-sacrificing zeal of such friends of education as Horace Mann, the system has grown until in 1891 there were seven thousand two hundred and thirty-nine public schools, with nine thousand two hundred twenty-seven teachers, and two hundred and forty-four high schools, with twenty-six thousand two hundred and ninety-four pupils. The number of scholars during the year ending May 1, 1891, was three hundred and seventy-six thousand nine hundred and eighty-six. The fund for the support of the schools was $8,554,545.57, or $22.72 for each child five and fifteen years. dred and sixty - six fifty - five cities and twenty-eight thousand three pupils of both schools number three eight, with an attend- sand five hundred and mal school system for to be teachers was es- now numbers five in- Bridgewater, Framing- and Worcester. There at Boston, founded in lient features in the of education are the instruction inthe ele- between the ages of There were two hun- evening schools, in towns, attended by four hundred and fifty- sexes. The private hundred and seventy- ance of forty-two thcu- forty-seven. The nor- fitting young women tablished in 1840, and stitutions located at ham, Salem, Westfield, is a normal art school 1873. Among the sa- Massachusetts scheme use of free text-books, PLYMOUTH ROCK. mentary use of hand-tools, and in the effect upon the human system of alcoholic drinks, stimulants, and narcotics, the establishment of schools for training young men or boys in nautical duties, and the transportation of children from their homes to the school-houses when at a distance, for which in 1890-91 the sum of $30,648.68 was expended by one hundred and forty-five towns. The introduction of the manual training idea as part of the school curriculum, which was the conception of Prof. John D. Runkle, President of the Massachusetts School of Technology, in 1877, marked an epoch in the American educational system. The desire for this excellent form of instruction, which is chiefly toward joinery and plain sewing, cannot fail to have a salutary effect upon the industry of the State. Among the special schools in the State are those for the instruction of the deaf, the blind, the feeble-minded, and wayward youths, all of which are maintained at the State's expense, and are doing a noble work. Of the academies and colleges of the State it is unnecessary to speak at any length. Suffice it to say that most of them have a national reputation for excellence, and attract students from all parts of the country, and some from foreign countries. In the city of Boston and vicinity alone are upwards of six thousand young men and women undergoing the higher instruction, most of whom are non-residents.
The passengers who disembarked from the " Mayflower " at Plymouth in 1620 numbered fifty-six, of whom fifteen were servants. At the census of 1890 the Commonwealth of Massachusetts contained 2,238,943 persons ; in 1885, the population was 1,942,141. The increase from 1885 to 1890 exceeded that for the previous five years. The gain in the last five years in municipalities within a radius of eight miles from the State House may be indicated by the fact that in the cases of Boston, Cambridge, Chelsea, Malden, and Somerville, there
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MASSACHUSETTS OF TO-DAY.
has been an increase respectively of 58,084; 10,370, 2,200, 6,624, and 10,181. Of the entire population more than 680,000 persons, or about thirty per cent, resided in the suburbs or the city of Boston. The cities and towns within a radius of twelve miles of the State House contained 872,482 persons or nearly thirty-nine per cent of the entire population. One hundred cities and towns, excluding Boston, in the Commonwealth, which lead in manufactures contained in 1890 more than sixty per cent of the population. The same towns and cities in 1880 contained more than fifty-six per cent, and in 1885 more than fifty-nine per cent of the entire population. The ten chief cities in 1890 were : Boston, 448,477 ; Worcester, 84,655 ; Lowell, 77,696 ; Fall River, 74,398 ; Cambridge, 70,028 ; Lynn, 55,727 ; Lawrence, 44,654; Springfield, 44,179 ; New Bedford, 40,733 ; Somerville, 40,152. The greatest gain since 1885 was in Somerville, 33.97 per cent. There are 479,790 families, averaging 4.67 persons to each. The density of the population per square mile exceeds that of any State except Rhode Island. There are more women than men, a fact which is due to the emigration to the West, to the death of soldiers in the war, and to loss of life at sea. One fourth of the working population is engaged in the textile industries. Two thirds of the men and one fifth of the women are in remunera- tive employments. In 1885, the date of latest State census, the boot and shoe industry employed 64,858 persons ; cotton goods, WHITTIER'S BIRTHPLACE. (Haverhill.) 60,132 ; building trades, 27,873 ; metals and metal working, 24,233 ; clothing, 18,325 ; machinery, 14,644. There were, in 1885, 324,828 occupied and unoccupied houses in the State, of which 297,958 were of wood.
The promotion of agriculture was an aim of the rulers of the Commonwealth in its early history, and numer- ous societies having that end in view were organized. To-day, Massachusetts is the least agricultural State of the Union, but nine per cent of the population being farmers. This result is due unquestionably to the development of manufacturing enterprises. The food supply of the State, which is naturally large by reason of the density of the population, comes mostly from the outside, and cultivation has been abandoned upon some unproductive and remote farming land. There are about 45,000 farms, employing 80,000 persons ; 41,000 farms are owned by their occupants. The farm valuation is $216,000,000, the total acreage being 3,898,429. The farm products aggregate $48,000,000, of which $13,000,000 represents dairy articles, $11,000,000 hay, straw, and fodder, and $5,000,000 vegetables.
By act of the General Court, the Bureau of Labor Statistics was empowered to investigate the subject of abandoned farms, and the causes thereof. The results of that investigation showed that " abandoned farm land in Massachusetts is principally confined to the western counties. Such land aggregates 3.45 per cent of the total farm acreage of the State, outside the limits of cities, and about 0.87 per cent of the value of such farm land. In Nantucket and Suffolk counties no abandoned farm land is returned. The per- centage of acreage of abandoned farm land of total acreage for the counties returning abandoned farm land, is highest in Hamp- shire County, reaching therein 6.85 per cent. It is lowest in Essex County, being therein only 0.06 per cent. While some of the towns containing abandoned farms show a recent decline in the value of agricultural products and property, this is not universally true and THE HOME OF LONGFELLOW. (Cambridge.) the decline in certain localities is overbalanced by increase in others in the same county, so that, notwithstanding the existence of abandoned farms, each county except Nantucket shows an increase since 1875 in the value of agricultural products, and every county shows an increase in the value of agricultural property. In some counties, also, an increase in the acreage of land under cultivation appears. Except in Barnstable and Dukes counties, the towns reporting abandoned farms show an aggregate increase in population."
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MASSACHUSETTS OF TO-DAY.
The abandonment of farms, in certain localities, is not necessarily an evidence of the decline of agriculture, nor is it confined to New England ; on the contrary, it is going on even in the West. It is one of the features of the civilization in which we live. Town life offers far superior attractions ; schools, libraries, water-works, electric lights, sanitation, not to mention those social advantages which inevitably accompany the settlement of people in communities, are influences which constantly operate against the growth of the farming population. It is not within the province of this article to question the wisdom of this movement city-ward. Time and changed condi- tions may bring about a different result. The important fact in the present connection is, that enough farms have been abandoned in Massachusetts to justify the State government in seeking the cause; the remedy may be found and tried later.
In this rough sketch of Massachusetts as it is, attention has been given only to those of its features which most prominently suggest themselves. It were possible to disclose many excellent features of its State and municipal governments, by way of showing that here the citizen enjoys the liberties of the Republic in their high- est realization ; to describe the operation of an admirable system of railroads, which minimizes the danger of travelling and furnishes quick transportation at low rates ; to enlarge upon the influence for good of its churches and their charities and notable humanitarian progress ; to point out the stability and far-reaching power of its finan- cial institutions, and their association with the material development of the West, a result made possible by the native thrift and prosperity of the people.
Enough has been written of the essential characteristics of Massachusetts to contradict the assertion that she has lost her prestige. She still enjoys the enviable, world-wide distinction of being the birthplace of political and social progress, the highest culture, and the loftiest patriotic spirit.
NOTE. The list of the passengers of the Mayflower shown upon the tablet of the Pilgrim Monument at Plymouth, Mass., as reproduced in the frontispiece of this book, does not comprise the entire number. The complete list as given by the best authority is as follows: -
Mr. John Carver (7); William Bradford (2); Mr. Edward Winslow (4); Mr. William Brewster (6); Mr. Isaac Allerton (6); Capt. Miles Standish (2); John Alden (1); Mr. Samuel Fuller (2); Mr. Christopher Martin (4); Mr. William Mullins (5); Mr. William White (5); Mr. Richard Warren (1); John Howland (1); Mr. Stephen Hopkins (6); Edward Tilly (4); John Tilly (3); Francis Cooke (2); Thomas Rogers (2) ; Thomas Tinker (3); John Ridgdale (2); Edward Fuller (3); John Turner (3); Francis Eaton (3); James Chilton (3); John Crackston (2); John Billington (4); Moses Fletcher (1); John Goodman (1); Degory Priest (1); Thomas Williams (1); Gilbert Winslow (1); Edmond Margeson (1); Peter Brown (1); Richard Britteridge (1): George Soule (1); Richard Clarke (1); Richard Gardiner (1); John Allerton (1); Thomas English (1); Edward Doty (1); Edward Leister (1).
John Ilowland was a servant in Carver's family, George Soulc in the family of Edward Winslow, Edward Doty and Edward Leister in that of Stephen Hopkins. William Butten died on the passage. To the number given above are to be added the names of William Trevore and one Ely, scamen, who were hired for a year and returned to England.
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MASSACHUSETTS OF TO-DAY.
G OVERNOR WILLIAM EUSTIS RUSSELL, the " Little Giant " of Massachusetts, and the young- est man who has ever been raised to the chief magis- tracy of the State, is to-day the most conspicuous and remarkable political figure in New England, and one of the foremost personalities in the country. The in- domitable pluck, persistency, and personal magnetism that have three times won the governorship against odds that were considered to be overwhelming, sin- gle him out as one of the most striking and interesting char- acters that the cen- tury has produced, winning the respect and admiration of the people of the State, irrespective of party. No more em- phatic example of his great popularity with the people could be given than that shown by the result of the last election, when he was returned for the third time to the gu- bernatorial office over his Republican oppo- nent in a presidential year, and when the State decided in fa- vor of the Republi- can electors by a vast majority. Governor Russell was born in Cambridge, Mass., Jan. 6, 1857; laid the foundation of his education in the pub- lic schools of that city, and from them entering Harvard College, graduating therefrom in 1877. He studied law in the law school of Boston University, received the first degree of Bachelor of Laws, summa cum laude, from that university in 1879, entered the law office of his father, and was admitted to the Suffolk bar in 1880. When but twenty-four years of age he was elected to the Common Council of his native city ; was elected to the Board of Aldermen the following year, and in 1883
WILLIAM EUSTIS RUSSELL.
was returned to the Aldermanic Board for a second term. He was elected mayor of Cambridge in 1884, and was re-elected the three succeeding years, twice without opposition. The fame of his distinguished services, as the executive head of his native city, was not confined within local bounds, and marked him out for still higher honor. In 1888 he was nominated as his party's candi- date for governor, and made an excellent personal can- vass' of the State. Although failing of election, he led the ticket. In 1889 he again led a bril- liant but unsuccessful campaign for the gov- ernorship, and so in- creased his vote of the preceding year as to promise success when next he should claim the suffrages of the people. That promise was re- deemed in 1890, when he was trium- phantly elected gov- ernor of Massachu- setts. In the fall of 1891 he was elected for a second term, and at the last elec- tion the people chose him for the third time as the governor of their choice. His administration has been distinguished as one conducted on sound business prin- ciples, while he has shown rare judgment in grasping the pop- ular demands in the way of legislation and in the exercise of his prerogative as guardian of the interests and honor of the State. As an orator, he is one of the most brilliant that has ever been elected to the governorship, while as a debater upon the stump he has well won the soubriquet of the " Little Giant." In 1885, he was married to Margaret Manning, daughter of Joshua A. and Sarah (Hodges) Swan, and is as fortunate in his domestic environment as in the success that has distinguished his political career.
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MASSACHUSETTS OF TO-D.IT.
W ILLIAM HENRY HAILE, the Republican can- didate for governor of Massachusetts in 1892, is a lawyer, a prominent business man, and a leader in public life. Mr. Haile's father was the first Republican governor of New Hampshire. William H. Haile was born at Chesterfield, N. H., Sept. 23, 1833, the son of William and Sabrana (Walker) Haile. When he was very young his father removed to Hinsdale, N. H., and in that town his boyhood days were passed and his earlier education ob-
tained. After gradu- ating from the Hins- dale public schools he prepared for col- lege at Kimball Union Academy, Meriden, N. H. Af- ter a year and a half at Amherst Mr. Haile entered Dartmouth College, from which he was graduated with high honor in 1856. Then he went to Springfield, where he studied law and was admitted to the bar. For a short time he practised law in Boston, after which he returned to Hinsdale, N. Il., to engage in the manu- facture of woollen goods. He became a partner of his father and Hon. Rufus S. Frost, of Chelsea, under the firm name of Haile, Frost & Co. The business was afterward transferred to a corporation called the Haile & Frost Manufacturing Company, of which William II. Haile is now president. Mr. Haile was married to Amelia 1 .. , daughter of Ethan S. and Louisa (Burns) Chapin, of Springfield, in Jan- uary, 1861. Mr. Haile resided in New Hampshire until 1872, when he returned to Springfield. During his residence in Hinsdale he was a member of the New Hampshire Legislature three terms, having been elected
WILLIAM HENRY HAILE.
a member of the lower House by the people of Hinsdale in 1865, 1866, and 1871. Nine years after his return to Massachusetts (in 1881), he was elected mayor of Springfield. In 1882 and 1883, Mr. Haile represented the First Hampden Senatorial District in the Legislature, serving as chairman of the Committee on Military Affairs and of the Committee on Mercantile Affairs, and being also a member of the committees on banks and bank- ing and on manufactures. Mr. Haile was nominated for lieutenant-governor in 1889 on the ticket with John Q. A. Brackett. The ticket was elected, but Mr. Brackett was defeated by William E. Russell. In 1890 Mr. Haile was re- elected and was again re-nominated in 1891, on the ticket with Charles H. Allen, of Lowell, Mr. Allen being de- feated and Mr. Haile again re-elected. In 1892, Mr. Haile was considered the strongest man the Republican party could nominate against Governor Russell, and it was expected by his political adherents that his popularity would carry him through. Governor Russell, however, was re-elected. In Springfield, ballots were found on which, through inad- vertence, an attempt had been made to vote for Haile and Wolcott Hamlin, instead of for Haile and Roger Wolcott, the voters having apparently been misled by the first name of the Prohibition candidate for governor. These ballots were thrown out, and it was at first thought by some of Mr. Haile's friends that mistakes enough of that kind had been made throughout the State to cover Governor Russell's plurality.
ISAAC N. KEITH
JAMES DONOVAN
LD
ELL
VIN
ITC
I STEARNS
ALONZO
H. EVANS
MOSES HOW
GEORGE F. MORSE
ELISHA MORGAN
MEMBERS OF THE GOVERNOR'S COUNCIL, 1892.
THE GOVERNOR'S COUNCIL, 1892.
T' THE governor's council is an institution peculiar to the New England States. Four only of them have it, and in no other State in the Union does it obtain. The governor's council of Massachusetts is composed of eight members, chosen in districts annually by the people, and presided over by the lieutenant-gov- ernor of the Commonwealth. The law provides that they shall rank next after the lieutenant-governor. In case of the offices of governor and lieutenant-governor becoming vacant, the council has full authority to do and execute all acts and matters within the power of those officials. It is the duty of the council to advise the governor in the executive functions of the government, and all appointments of the governor must be submitted to the council for approval and confirmation. The council of Massachusetts has ever been distinguished for the able and honorable men that have composed it, and the council of 1892 compares well with the best of its predecessors.
Isaac Newton Keith is councillor from the first dis- trict. This is his fourth year in this body. He is pro- prietor of the Keith Manufacturing Company, manufac- turers of railway cars. He started in business in 1867, the present company having been incorporated in 1889. Mr. Keith was born in West Sandwich, Barnstable County, Nov. 14, 1838, and his education was obtained in the public schools of that town. Subsequently he learned telegraphy, and, after two years' service as an operator, he became superintendent of the Amer- ican 'Telegraph Company, having charge of the Cape Cod and Cape Ann divisions, with headquarters in Boston. For seven years he held this position. Mr. Keith has always been a Republican. In 1875 and 1876 he was a member of the lower house of the Legis- lature, and in 1887 and 1888 he was senator from the Cape district. Mr. Keith was married Sept. 7, 1865, to Miss Eliza Frances Smith, of Provincetown. They have two children.
Edwin Vinald Mitchell, of the second district, is serving his first term in the council. He is a member of the firm of 'Searle, Dailey & Co., straw goods manu-
facturers, of New York, the factory, which is one of the largest and most important in the country, being located at Medfield. Mr. Mitchell is resident and managing partner. He was born in Sangerfield, Me., Oct. 2, 1850. At the age of seventeen he went to work for his brother in the straw business, and two years later was admitted to partnership. After a period of twelve years as super- intendent for D. D. Curtis & Co., of Medfield, he was admitted to the firm, and upon the death of Mr. Curtis, in 1885, the present firm of Searle, Dailey & Co. was formed. Mr. Mitchell served on the staff of Gov. Brackett in 1890. In 1885 he married Miss Blanche E., daughter of Mr. D. D. Curtis.
Ephraim Stearns, councillor from the third district, was born in Waltham, March 8, 1839, and was educated in the public schools. After graduating from the Waltham High School, he entered upon a mercentile life in Bos- ton. He entered an importing house, remaining with the same firm nearly ten years, and becoming thoroughly versed in all the details of the trade. He then established himself in business in the firm of Blake & Stearns, commission merchants and jobbers in woollens, which house still continues as one of the sub- stantial firms of Boston. In 1862 Mr. Stearns enlisted in the Forty-fifth Massachusetts Volunteers. He was sergeant, and served honorably through the term of his enlistment with his regiment in North Carolina. He has taken an active part in public affairs in Waltham, where he resides, and has been an ardent advocate of Republican principles, serving as chairman of the Re- publican Town Committee for several years. In 1884 he was a delegate to the Republican National Conven- tion at Chicago. He was a member of the committee appointed to draw the charter for the city of Waltham, and was a member of the first Board of Aldermen. He was appointed by Governor Robinson as a member of his staff with the rank of colonel, and by Department Commander Walker, of the Grand Army of the Repub- lic, as assistant quartermaster-general. He also served for three years as president of the New England Com- mercial Travellers' Association. In 1890 he was chosen
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MASSACHUSETTS OF TO-DAY.
councillor, and re-elected in 1891. He is one of the trustees of the Waltham Savings Bank, and chairman of the Park Commission of Waltham.
James Donovan represents the greater part of the city of Boston in the council, his district being the fourth. He is the only Democrat in the body, and also the youngest member, having been born in 1859, in Boston. He attended the public schools till he was eleven years of age, when he graduated from the Rice grammar school. When twenty-one years old he appeared in public life as a candidate for the Common Council in ward sixteen. He was elected, and returned to that body for two successive terms, making a reputation for loyalty to friends and constituents. He was next sent to the House of Representatives from his ward and served five years there. He was first elected to the Senate in 1888, served three years, and distinguished himself by his advocacy of labor legislation. He was elected to the council in 1891, and re-elected in 1892. He is a real estate agent.
Moses How, the councillor from the fifth district, is the senior member, and is now serving his second term in the council. He was for years a successful shoe manufacturer, but is now retired from active business life. He was born in Methuen, Mass., June 19, 1819, educated in the public schools, and when a young boy removed to Haverhill, where he has since resided and been identified with all that city's interests. His first situation was in the office of a coal dealer, and to him belongs the honor of bringing to Haverhill the first cargo of coal ever brought from Philadelphia. He be- came engaged in the shoe business and then in the manufacture of shoe machinery, and was one of the pioneers in the latter business. For sixteen years he was president of the First National Bank of Haverhill. Upon the incorporation of Haverhill as a city in 1870, he was a member of the Common Council. In 1882 and 1883 he was mayor of the city.
Alonzo H. Evans is councillor from the sixth district. He is president of the Boston Five Cents Savings Bank, one of the largest and soundest institutions in the city, having open accounts with 128,000 persons and deposits of nearly $20,000,000. Mr. Evans was born in Allenstown, N. H., in 1820. When fifteen years old he secured work in a Lowell mill, as a bobbin boy. A year later he moved to Boston. In 1854 he was one of
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