Newton, Garden City of the Commonwealth , Part 9

Author: Brimblecom, J. C. (John C.)
Publication date: 1902
Publisher: The Newton Graphic
Number of Pages: 212


USA > Massachusetts > Middlesex County > Newton > Newton, Garden City of the Commonwealth > Part 9


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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GEORGE WASHINGTON BISHOP, one of the railroad commis- sioners of Massachusetts, was born in West Burke, Vt., Oct. 4, 1849, and is the son of Truman G. and Harriet N. Bishop.


He was educated in the common and select schools and in the St. Johnsbury Academy. Mr. Bishop early conceived a fondness for the railroad business, which he followed for twenty-seven years, for twenty-two years of which time he was roadmaster of the Fitchburg Railroad. On Aug. 1, 1895, Mr. Bishop was ap- pointed a member of the Board of Rail- road Commissioners of the state. During his service as roadmaster of the Fitchburg Railroad Mr. Bishop lived in Athol and was a member of its board of selectmen, serving as chairman in 1891.


On his appointment to the railroad com- mission Mr. Bishop removed to Newton- ville, erecting a charming residence on Walnut Street.


Mr. Bishop is an attendant of the Uni- tarian Church, West Newton, is a member of the Newton Club, a thirty-second de- gree Mason, past master Star Lodge,


GEORGE W. BISHOP.


93


JAMES H. NICKERSON.


Athol, past commander Athol Com- mandery, past deputy 12th Masonic dis- trict, and past senior grand warden, Grand Lodge of Massachusetts.


Mr. Bishop married Miss Annie B. King, and they have one daughter, Miss Nellie Maud Bishop.


JAMES H. NICKERSON, presi- dent of the West Newton Savings Bank, was born at Provincetown, Mass., Dec. 20, 1830, and is the son of Caleb and Bath- sheba ( Freeman) Nickerson. He was ed- ucated in the public schools and the Spring Hill Academy of his native place, but has been a resident of Newton for many years. Mr. Nickerson was for twenty years in the clothing business at West Newton, but re- linquished that trade between 1885 and 1887, when the National Bank and the West Newton Savings Bank were estab- lished. He was the first president of the former and treasurer of the latter institu- tion. Mr. Nickerson was for a long time a member of the city government, serving in the common council in 1881, '82, '83, and on the board of aldermen in 1884,'85, '86, '87, '88, where he was honored with


many important committee assignments. Since retiring from active political life, Mr. Nickerson has served as an overseer of the poor and is now chairman of that board. He is a member of the First Uni- tarian Society and has been chairman of its standing committee. Mr. Nickerson also claims membership in the Odd Fel- lows and the Royal Arcanum. Mr. Nick- erson married Miss Mary A. Cowing, and they have two married daughters, Abbie M. Elwell and Emma L. Harring- ton.


FRANCIS GEORGE CURTIS, M. D., a well-known physician and chair- man of the board of health, was born in West New Brighton, N. Y., Dec. 5, 1857, and is the son of George William and Anna (Shaw) Curtis.


He was educated at St. Paul's School, Concord, N. H., Harvard College (A. B. 1879), the College of Physicians and Sur- geons, Columbia College, New York (M. D. 1883).


Dr. Curtis was surgical interne at St. Mary's Hospital, Brooklyn, N. Y., from 1884 to 1885, and was then settled in


FRANCIS GEO. CURTIS, M. D.


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REV. SAMUEL F. SMITH. AUTHOR OF "AMERICA."


Brooklyn until 1887, when he removed to West Newton, where he now resides. He has always been a warm friend and advo- cate of the Newton Hospital, and has rendered gratuitous and valuable services for years as its superintendent. In 1894 Dr. Curtis was appointed to his present position as chairman of the board of health, and his work in this field has been of the utmost benefit to the city.


Dr. Curtis is a member of the Century Club, New York, the Neighborhood Club, Newton Club, Massachusetts Medical Society, Massachusetts Association of Boards of Health, American Public Health Association and the Brae-Burn Golf Club.


He was married to Ruth W. Davison, and with their four children resides on Temple Street, West Newton.


EDWARD PALMER HATCH, president of the First National Bank of West Newton, is a son of James and Sophronia J. Hatch, and was born at Vine- yard Haven, Mass., Oct. 7, 1862. Upon completing his studies at the West New-


ton English and Classical School, Mr. Hatch engaged in the banking business at Milton in 1883, and became cashier of the First National Bank of West Newton in 1888. He is also a trustee and on the board of investment of the West Newton Savings Bank ; treasurer of St. John's Episcopal Church, Newtonville, of which he was one of the original members; is treasurer of the Newton Masonic Hall Association, and was the originator and an ex-president of the National Bank Cashiers' Association of Massachusetts. Mr. Hatch is also prominent in Masonic circles, being a thirty-second degree Mason, a member of Dalhousie Lodge and Geth- semane Commandery, and past high priest of Newton Royal Arch Chapter. He is also a member of the Newton Club, the Royal Arcanum, American Legion of Honor, of the Sons of Martha's Vineyard, and a life member of the Boston Young Men's Christian Union. His political service embraced one term in the Newton common council in 1893. Mr. Hatch married Jane E. Emerson of Milton, Mass., and resides on Highland Avenue, Newtonville.


EDWARD P. HATCH.


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HERMON ELISHA HIBBARD, the eighth mayor of Newton, was born in North Hero, Vt., March 28, 1848.


He received the usual education of a country boy, and when eighteen years of age came to Boston to seek his fortune. Here he found employment as an office boy in Bryant & Stratton's Commercial School. He studied as he worked, and soon became a teacher in the school, and in 1868 became the proprietor of the school. Since that time he has devoted himself to his business, so that the name of Bryant & Stratton is widely known throughout New England.


In 1873 Mr. Hibbard moved to New- ton and has always taken a deep interest in its affairs. In 1889 he was the Citizens' candidate for mayor against Mayor Burr's second term, and was defeated by a narrow margin. In 1890 he was again the leader of the Citizens' movement and was elected mayor over Alderman George Pettee by the narrowest margin ever received by a mayoralty candidate, and after a campaign of extraordinary interest. Mr. Hibbard served a second term as mayor in 1892, and since his retirement from that office


MITCHELL WING.


HERMON E. HIBBARD.


has been a member of the Sinking Fund Commissioners and a trustee of the Read Fund.


Mr. Hibbard married Miss Mary A. Holyoke of St. Albans, Vt., and they have one daughter, Effie Mary, the wife of Al- derman Walter B. Trowbridge.


Mr. Hibbard has large real estate inter- ests in Newton and lives upon a fine estate on Hunnewell Hill.


MITCHELL WING, an ex-president of the common council of Newton, was born at Nantucket, Mass., May 26, 1854, his parents being Captain Isaac H. and Sarah M. Wing. He received his edu- cation at the Friends' Boarding School at Providence, R. I., after which he taught school for two years.


He then filled the position of clerk of the Lake Mohonk House, Lake Mo- honk, N. Y., for two years, followed by work as a bookkeeper in Boston for ten years. At the age of twenty-eight he es- tablished his present business of soap and laundry supplies, in which he has been very successful.


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Mr. Wing came to Newton in 1887, and in 1894, 1895 and 1896 served in the common council, the last year as its presi- dent.


He is a regular attendant at Channing Church, a member of the Newton Club, Hunnewell Club, Newton Royal Arch Chapter, Gethsemane Commandery, and is the present Worshipful Master of Dal- housie Lodge of Masons.


Mr. Wing married Miss Abbie Brad- ford Freeman, and they have two children Alfred Hall and Esther Mitchell Wing, They reside on Hunnewell Ave., Newton.


CHARLES EDWIN HATFIELD, chairman of the Republican city commit- tee, is a native of Medford, Mass., where he was born Sept. 30, 1862. His parents were Charles and Ann L. Hatfield.


He received his education in the pub- lic schools and at Dean Academy, and is now engaged in the practice of law, with offices in Boston.


Mr. Hatfield is a director in the Boyl- ston Market Association, of the Cohasset Electric Light Company, of the Working- men's Co-operative Bank, of the West


WALTER M. JACKSON.


CHARLES E. HATFIELD.


Newton Co-operative Bank, is clerk of the Vermont & Massachusetts Railroad Company, and is the present chairman of the Republican city committee.


Mr. Hatfield represented Ward 3 in the common council in 1894-95, and has also served as assistant clerk of the police court of Newton.


He attends the Unitarian church of West Newton, is president of the North- gate Club, president of the Allen School Alumni Association, president of the West Newton English and Classical School, treasurer of the Newton Boat Club, treasurer of The Players, and is a member of the Newton Club, Neighbor- hood Club, I. O. O. F., Knights of Pyth- ias, Knights of Honor, and of Revere and Dalhousie lodges of Masons.


Mr. Hatfield married Miss Martha Pelton of Chicago, and they have one daughter, Margaret Hatfield.


Mr. Hatfield resides on Cherry Street, West Newton.


WALTER MONTGOMERY JACKSON, one of the most successful business men claiming Newton as a birth-


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place, is of the seventh generation from Edward Jackson, one of the first settlers in Newton, whose house was the prede- cessor of that now known as the Jackson homestead, 527 Washington Street. Mr. Jackson was born at Newton Lower Falls Sept. 10, 1863, his father being William Ward Jackson, who was a member of the board of selectmen of the town for many years and of the first city government. His grandfather was the Hon. William Jackson, a Representative in Congress and one of the prominent men of the state. His mother also was a member of an old


As a salesman at twenty years of age he conceived and successfully executed the scheme of introducing American books into the British West Indies, Lesser Antilles and British South America, where American books had never sold before.


At twenty-two he was made a member of the firm, and until his retirement in 1897 had general charge of the publishing end of the business, and at the same time founded several corporations for special publishing work. In 1897, with a part- ner, he started in the publishing business


CANOES ON THE CHARLES RIVER.


Newton family and a niece of the late Governor Alexander H. Rice.


He was educated at the Newton High School and admitted to Harvard when but sixteen years of age, but was unable to pursue the course on account of family circumstances, and entered the employ of the publishing house of Estes & Lauriat. His advance here was rapid, and before he was eighteen years of age he was given entire charge of the manufacturing department, involving the annual dis- bursement of several hundred thousand dollars.


in London, England, after carefully look- ing over the field, and the success was immediate, so that to-day it is one of the largest publishing houses in the world, and employs several hundred clerks.


Branches have been established in Australia, New Zealand, India, Burmah, Ceylon and South Africa. Mr. Jackson is also interested in the publication of the Encyclopedia Britannica, the great- est book of reference in the world, and still retains some business interests in America.


Mr. Jackson lived for some years at


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RESIDENCE, CHARLES R. BATT, WASHINGTON STREET.


Newton Lower Falls, and then built a house on Mill Street, Newtonville, where his mother and sisters still reside.


In 1897 he married Miss Mary A. Chapin of Meriden, Conn., daughter of Rev. J. H. Chapin of St. Lawrence Uni- versity, Canton, N. Y., and with a family of two children resides in Surrey, England.


Although a resident of England, Mr. Jackson still retains his interest in his na- tive city, and he has been a generous giver to its churches, including St. Mary's Epis- copal Church, St. John's Episcopal Church, and will present the new Congregational Church at Newton Centre with a memo- rial window in honor of his grandfather.


RESIDENCE, FRANK J. HALE, WALNUT STREET.


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GEORGE D. HARVEY.


GEORGE DANIEL HARVEY was born in Walpole, N. H., Dec. 20, 1840, his parents being Daniel and Fatima (Shedd) Harvey. He received his educa- tion in the public schools and the acad- emy of his native town, and when four- teen years of age entered the employ of Norman H. Farr, a dry goods merchant at Bellows Falls, Vt. In 1857 he came to Boston and received employment in the firm of Farley, Bliss & Co., dry goods, where he remained until 1865. From 1865 to 1868 he was in the wholesale department of Jordan, Marsh & Co., and then became the junior member of the firm of Farley, Amsden & Co., the name being changed to Farley, Harvey & Co. in 1874; Mr. Harvey becoming the senior member of the firm on the death of Mr. N. W. Farley in 1891. The firm have been burned out twice, the first time at the great Boston fire of 1872, and again in 1889.


Mr. Harvey is a member of the Au- burndale Congregational Church, of the Home Market Club, the Republican Club, St. John's, Free and Accepted Masons, St. Andrew's Chapter, Boston,


Gethsemane Commandery, Knights Tem- plar, and is a director in the National Hamilton Bank of Boston.


Mr. Harvey has been twice married. His first wife was Miss Abba S. Briggs, by whom he had two sons, William D. and Fred P. Harvey ; and his second wife be- ing Miss Carrie V. Balch of Saratoga Springs, N. Y.


Mr. Harvey resides on Central Street, Auburndale.


WILLIAM HOBART EMER- SON, one of the successful young busi- ness men of the city, was born in Charles- town, Mass., Nov. 23, 1854, and is the son of Nathan and Esther (Bigelow) Emerson. At the age of seventeen Mr. Emerson entered the employ of D. G. Rawson & Co., boots and shoes, and after eight years' service was employed by W. D. Brackett & Co. as a salesman. Five years later Mr. Emerson was admitted to the firm as an equal partner.


He is a member of the Ancient and Honorable Artillery Company, of the Hull Yacht Club, Newton Club, Boot


WILLIAM H. EMERSON.


100


CHARLES B. FILLEBROWN.


and Shoe Association, of the Claflin Guards Veteran Association, and is a member of the standing committee of the Channing Church.


Mr. Emerson married Miss Emma L. Graves, and with their three children, Louise, Hobart B. and Edward F. Emer- son, resides in a beautiful home on Wash- ington Street, Newton.


CHARLES BOWDOIN FILLE- BROWN, merchant, manufacturer and single-tax propagandist, was born in Win- throp, Me., Dec. 26, 1842, son of James Bowdoin and Almira Butler Fillebrown.


His great-grandfather, John Fillebrown, married Sarah Kenrick of the old Newton family of that name. His grandfather, Thomas, served four terms of enlistment, five and a half years, in the Revolutionary army, his widowed mother having a home meantime at the old Kenrick homestead on Waverley Avenue.


Mr. Fillebrown received his education at Kent's Hill, Me., 1858-61, Phillips Exeter Academy, 1862, and Massachu- setts Institute of Technology, 1866-67. He served in the Civil War from 1862 to


1866, - nine months in the 24th Maine Infantry, three years in the 29th Maine Infantry, 19th Army Corps. Was aid-de- camp brigade staff Banks's second Red River expedition, and division staff Sheri- dan's Shenandoah Valley campaign.


Mr. Fillebrown began a dry goods career in the employ of Jordan, Marsh & Co. in 1868; in 1869 was in the employ of Sargent Bros. & Co. and in that of N. W. Farwell & Son in 1872; was a partner in the firm of Sargent Bros. & Co. from 1874, and since 1877 has carried on busi- ness under the name of C. B. Fillebrown & Co. as dry goods commission merchants. Since 1881 he has been the president and general manager of the Glenark Knitting Company of Woonsocket, R. I., with offices in Boston.


Oct. 9, 1873, he married Miss Mary Louise Hall, a granddaughter of Hon. William Jackson of Newton, who died in 1887, leaving one daughter, Louise Jack- son, wife of Mr. George McGregor Mur- ray, and an adopted daughter, Margaret A. Clifford, now Mrs. J. C. F. Slayton of Melrose, Mass.


Mr. Fillebrown has been prominently before the people of the city and state as an earnest advocate of the single tax, and has written several monographs and delivered many addresses on that subject. He was treasurer of the Massachusetts Single Tax League in 1892 and president in 1899. He was for five years president of the Newton Single Tax Club ; is also a member of the New England Free Trade League and of the Newton Civil Service Reform League.


Mr. Fillebrown was for twenty years a member of the Newton Universalist society. He served twelve years as super- intendent of the Sunday school, and at various times as clerk, treasurer and as chairman of the board of trustees prior to his connection with the First Church of Christ Scientist of Boston in 1893.


Mr. Fillebrown has resided at 230 Belle- vue Street, corner Newtonville Avenue, since 1874.


IO1


DANIEL COLLAMORE HEATH, educator and publisher, was born in Salem, Franklin County, Me., Oct. 26, 1843, son of Daniel and Mila Ann ( Record) Heath. He received his early education in Salem and Farmington, Me., and was prepared for college at the Nichols Latin School at Lewiston, Me., and was graduated at Am- herst College in 1868, receiving the degree of A. M. in 1871. For two years he was principal of the high school of Southboro, Mass., and in 1870-72 was a student in the Bangor, Me., Theological Seminary. He then spent a year in travel in Europe, and was afterward supervisor of schools at Farmington, Me., for a year.


In 1874 he became the representative of the schoolbook firm of Ginn Bros. in Rochester, N. Y. He opened a branch house for this firm in New York City in 1875, and in 1876, when he became a member of the firm, the name was changed to Ginn & Heath. He disposed of his interest in that business in 1886, and es- tablished in Boston, Mass., the publishing house of D. C. Heath & Co., of which he is still the head.


1


SETH DAVIS.


DANIEL C. HEATH.


In November, 1895, D. C. Heath & Co. became a corporation, with D. C. Heath as the president ; C. H. Ames, sec- retary ; W. E. Pulsifer, treasurer ; and W. S. Smyth, vice-president; and in extent of business nowranks third among the school- book publishing houses of the country.


Mr. Heath was president of Amherst Alumni in 1897, and was president of the Pine Tree State Club of Boston for three years.


He is also a member of the Municipal League, the Twentieth Century Club, the New England Free Trade League, the University, Schoolmasters' and Congrega- tional clubs of Boston and of the Aldine and Reform clubs of New York City.


He has resided in Newtonville, on High- land Avenue, for about twenty years, and is a member of the Newton Club and president of the Newton Education As- sociation and of the Katahdin Club of Newton.


He was married Jan. 6, 1881, to Mrs. Nellie (Jones) Knox of Colorado Springs, Col. He has four sons, Stanley, Arnold C., Daniel C., Jr., and Warren Heath, and a stepson, James Lloyd Knox.


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ALBERT CYRUS WARREN, cap- tain and an aid-de-camp on the staff of Brigadier General Whitney of the 2nd Bri- gade, Massachusetts Volunteer Militia, was born in St. Louis, Mo., March 18, 1852, and is a son of Herbert M. and Eliza (Copp) Warren.


He was educated in the New Church School, Waltham ; Union Hall Academy, Jamaica, L. I. ; Newton High School and the Massachusetts Institute of Tech- nology.


Mr. Warren is engaged in active busi- ness as treasurer of The Warren Soap Manufacturing Company, and vice-presi- dent Warren Brothers Company, both of Boston.


Captain Warren has served in the Massachusetts Volunteer Militia for a long period, and has a record covering eight years as private, corporal and ser- geant in the Claflin Guards, Newton ; six years as quartermaster sergeant, 5th Regi- ment Infantry, Massachusetts Volunteer Militia; eleven years on the staff of the same regiment, his position being that of paymaster, with the rank of first lieuten- ant, from Dec. 27, 1889, to April 3, 1900,


JULIUS L. CLARKE.


ALBERT C. WARREN.


and captain from April 3, 1900, to May 15, 1901. On the latter date he was ap- pointed captain and aid-de-camp on the staff of the 2nd Brigade, Massachusetts Volunteer Militia, commanded by Briga- dier General J. H. Whitney, which posi- tion he now holds. His service has been continuous since 1883.


Mr. Warren is a member of the Old Guard of Massachusetts, Newton Club, Neighborhood Club, American Whist Club, of the Boston Chamber of Com- merce and of the Newtonville New Church society, and resides on one of the most beautiful estates on West Newton hill, formerly owned by his father, who occu- pied it for about twenty years with his family. A noteworthy feature of Mr. Warren's home is that the house was built and occupied for several years by Horace Mann and for some time by Haw- thorne, who resided there when writing " The Blithedale Romance."


JULIUS LAURENS CLARKE, the first city clerk of Newton, was born in Chatham, now Portland, Conn., Nov.


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RESIDENCE, G. FRED. SIMPSON, FRANKLIN STREET.


13, 1813, and is the son of Rev. Eber Liscomb and Mary Starkweather Clarke. His parents during his childhood lived in Granby, Conn., Winchendon and Berlin, Mass., in each of which places he attended school. He worked for about a year as a clerk in Hartford, Conn., and then en- tered the Kimball Union Academy to fit


for college. His voice failing him, his col- lege course was abandoned and he came to Worcester, where he was employed in the dry goods business, first as clerk and later as proprietor. Afterwards he was asso- ciated with Elihu Burritt in the editorship of the Christian Citizen, and began the publication of the first daily paper in


RESIDENCE, WILLIAM H. COOLIDGE, GRAY CLIFF ROAD.


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Worcester, called the Worcester Transcript, now the Telegram. Some years later he became one of the editorial staff of the Springfield Republican. In 1857 he en- tered the State Auditor's office, and became State Auditor in 1864, serving until 1869. Governor Banks appointed Mr. Clarke as bank register, the entire business in that connection passing into his charge. As a charter member of the Worcester City Guards, Mr. Clarke was anxious to go to the front on the outbreak of the Civil War, but at the personal solicitation of Governor Andrew, who wanted Mr.


again served the state as insurance com- missioner.


Mr. Clarke's municipal services cover a term as assistant town auditor in 1872-73, city clerk in 1874-75, a trustee of the Free Library since 1876 and its secretary since 1879, and for several years a mem- ber of the city school committee. He is also chairman of the library committee of the American Statistical Association, and trustee and clerk of the College of Physi- cians and Surgeons.


Mr. Clarke became a member of Worcester Lodge, I. O. O. F., in 1844


-


OLD KENRICK HOUSE, WAVERLEY AVENUE.


Clarke's services in connection with the expenditures on account of the war, he retained his position and rendered valuable services in adjusting war claims.


In 1869 Mr. Clarke was appointed in- surance commissioner, retaining that office until 1876, when he was again elected State Auditor. In 1872 he was invited by the Russian government to the inter- national congress at St. Petersburg, where he was the recipient of special favors. He was re-elected State Auditor in 1877, 1878 and 1879, and in 1880, 1881 and 1882


and has been prominent in the order ever since, serving as grand master of the grand lodge in 1874 and as grand treasurer from 1 876 to 1899. He has also been a mem- ber of the Second Congregational Church at West Newton since 1862, and was elected as its clerk in 1863, and as deacon in 1868, resigning both offices in 1900.


Mr. Clarke married Miss Sarah Sawyer of Berlin, Mass., and they have had two daughters, Sarah Maria and Helen Frances, the wife and younger daughter now being dead.


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NATHAN PARKER COBURN was born in Sugar Hill, N. H., Feb. 6, 1817, and was educated in the public schools of that town. After leaving school he worked on his father's farm and in a tannery until he was nineteen years of age, when he went to Hopkinton, Mass., where he commenced in a very moderate way the manufacture of boots. Having in a few years acquired a small capital, he formed a business association with the late Hon. Lee Claflin, which continued until 1854, when Mr. Coburn became a member of the firm of Claflin, Coburn & Co. of Hopkinton, which under his able management was for many years one of the leading manufactur- ing firms in the boot and shoe trade of the country.


He remained a member of this firm un- til 1877, when he became a partner in the Boston firm of William Claflin, Coburn & Co.


On the 31st of December, 1891, after an active and uninterrupted business life of more than fifty years, and upon the final dissolution of the firm with which he had been so long and prominently connected, he retired from business with a fortune gained by intelligent and patient industry, and with the confidence and esteem of all his business associates.


For many years Hopkinton was his home, and he represented that town in the Massachusetts legislature. During the war of the Rebellion he rendered signal serv- ice in recruiting men for the war from Hopkinton and adjoining towns, and was one of those patriotic and energetic men scattered throughout the Commonwealth who by their untiring efforts kept thequotas of the state always full.




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