USA > Maine > Androscoggin County > Wales > History of Monmouth and Wales, V. 1 > Part 12
USA > Maine > Kennebec County > Monmouth > History of Monmouth and Wales, V. 1 > Part 12
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In early years the election of hog-reeves was attend- ed with much sport, and even more recently when no duties have been incumbent upon the person honored with that official position. it has not been without in- terest. As a rule, recently married men were com-
164
HISTORY OF MONMOUTH.
pelled to serve in that capacity. Sometimes, how- ever, individuals would be nominated for the office by persons desiring an opportunity for revenge. And who can imagine a keener revenge than to watch an enemy in his frantic and vain efforts to secure a stubborn porker who has chosen the public highway for a prom- enade ?
Tything-men, also, were officials vested with greater authority than those elected in recent years at our town. meetings; or, if vested with no greater, they exercised more. Their duties were to keep people orderly on the Sabbath; to prevent traveling, laboring, and all acts inconsistent with a due and respectful observance of the day. The office generally fell to those who were religiously inclined-friends of sobriety and morality. Zadoc Bishop and Joseph Allen, the first tything-men in Monmouth, were of this character. They always respected the Sabbath, and expected all within their domain, and especially within reach of the long poles they carried at all religious gatherings. to follow their wise and just example.
The sight of one of those grave guardians of the peace reaching over three or four pews with his badge of office, to give some frolicsome youth a gentle rap of admonition, or some indifferent sleeper a poke in the back, would ruffle the risibles of anyone with as keen a sense of humor as a tired ox; but woe to the one who dared to smile! Perhaps it looked a trifle war-like to see men armed with long poles guarding the entrance of a church, and it may have been a bit annoying to a man driving with furious haste for the doctor to have one of those faithful functionaries catch his horse by
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A LEGAL SEPARATION.
the bridle and set it back on its haunches to inquire whether he was not desecrating the Sabbath by riding for pleasure; but, all things considered, it is an open question if the exit of the tything-man was not a day for lamentation rather than for rejoicing.
One of the laws of the commonwealth provided that no person of poor circumstances should enter a town with the intention of settling without first obtaining the consent of the selectmen. All who ventured to come in without consent were warned out by process of law. In the year 1792 Hannah Abbott, who was afterwards a charge of the town of Wales, made an attempt to settle in Monmouth. Below are given copies of the warrant and return that were issued in this case.
"LINCOLN SS. To Robert Withington, Constable for Monmouth, GREETING :- You are in the name of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts directed to warn and give notice unto Hannah Abbott, late from Greene, in said County of Lincoln, who has lately come into this town for the purpose of abiding therein, not having obtained the town's consent, therefore that she depart the limits thereof with her children, if any she has, within fifteen days, and of this precept with your doings thereof you are to make return into the office of the clerk of the town within twenty days next coming, that further proceedings may he had in the premises as the law directs.
Given under our hands and seals at Monmouth, this 27th day of Ang., 1792. JOHN CHANDLER, ) Selectmen of JONA. THOMPSON. § Monmouth.
RETURN.
".Pursuant to the above precept I have notified and warned the above named Hannah Abbott to depart the limits of said town by reading the same to her.
ROBERT WITHINGTON, Constable.
We have cause for pride that when Maine began to make her own laws, this as well as many other unjust
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HISTORY OF MONMOUTH.
statutes was laid aside. Here, perhaps, was an honora- ble woman who could not find employment in her native place, and not wishing to become a town charge. came to Monmouth where there was a better chance for her to gain a livelihood. To meet her in the highway, and drive her back as one would head off a wandering ani- mal, may have been policy, but it is difficult to make such an act seem compatible with a Christian civiliza- tion. Yet that is what was done in our own town one hundred years ago. Thank God that in the midst of many retrogressions from the firm Christian principles of our fathers. we do occasionally find some slight mark of improvement.
A third meeting of the voters of Monmouth was held at John Welch's, Friday, Nov. 2, 1792. The only noteworthy matter that came before this meeting was the question whether or not the town would agree to let a certain part of the school money of the upper part of the South district, lay in the treasury, to be expend- ed in a women's school the following summer. But no action was taken in relation to this proposition. There were then only two school districts within the limits of the town-the North and South districts. The North district included all the territory north of the Center; the South, all in the other portion of the town. The Cochnewagan stream was the line of division. Capt. James Blossom and William Allen living on the north side of the stream were included in the upper district. For convenience's sake, they were soon transferred to the other. In 1793, the report of the committee appointed at the general meeting of the previous year to divide the districts was accepted.
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A LEGAL SEPARATION.
Under the provisions of this report the two districts were to be divided into five-one at East Monmouth, Daniel Allen, agent; one on Norris Hill, James Norris, Jr., agent; one at the Center, James Blossom, agent; one including all the territory from the Center district to the north line of the town on both roads-the direct road to Ellis Corner, and the one now known as High street. This was called the North district, and boasted the first, and at that time the only, school house in town. This house was built on the ledge about five rods east ot the residence of B. S. Ellis. It was destroyed by fire. Gilman Moody was the agent of the district. The last district provided for was the old South district, with its limits intact, except for the severing of a small portion from the north end, which was merged into the Center district. Philip Jenkins was agent. Several years passed before other school-houses were built,and, in the meantime, schools were held in private houses.
The life of a school boy one hundred years ago was as unlike that of to-day as anything that can be imag- ined. The stern discipline, based on an expanded interpretation of King Soloman's sage advice, the methods of instruction, the form and furnishings of the school-room-all are changed. The lad who forgot to remove his hat when the "master" appeared could count on an intimate and protracted association with a birch switch, a far preferable form of punishment to the "stool," which consisted of standing the victim on "tiptoe" with his knees bent as if sitting on a low stool, and at the same time not allowing the weight of the body to rest on his upturned heels. Any one who will try the experiment will see that this posture can not be
I68
HISTORY OF MONMOUTH.
retained five minutes without causing intense pain; yet for some trivial offence our grandfathers were some- times obliged to hold it an hour at a time. The penalty for spelling "cat" with a "k" or two "t's" was to sit on a bench in sight of the entire school with a high, conical paper cap inscribed with the word, D-U-N-C-E, on the head. The first school-rooms were built with an aisle through the center, from which a slightly inclined plane rose to the wall on each side. On these inclined platforms the benches were placed, running parallel to the central aisle. At one end was an enormous fire- place, which was kept roaring and sputtering with a green wood fire in the winter, and was filled with fragrant pine boughs in the summer. No books were used in the early schools. The master prepared all the lessons on huge sheets of foolscap, and passed them around. One of these sheets, which has been carefully hoarded by one of the pioneer families, is now before me. It is embellished with heavily shaded titles. which resemble the frequently-mentioned autograph of John Hancock. With many a flourish and a super- abundance of capitals the following problems are pro- pounded :
"How many shillings, sixpences, 4 pences, 3 pences, 2 pences. pence, half pence and farthings, of each a like number will dis- charge a debt of £335-8-4?"
"A General of an Armey (confisting of 5000 men) after a very Sharp engagement, loft 2380 men : but coming off victorious, he for their gallant behaviour gave 1000 guineas to be equally Divided among them. & the remainder (if any,) to be given to a little errand hoy : how much did each man receive ?"
"In 26 Ells english how many quarters and nails?"
"In 217 Square yards, 5 feet. how many Square feet, Inches, and square quarters ?"
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A LEGAL SEPARATION.
"A Farmer agreed with his Servant to thrash all the corn he had. And the servant was to receive a guinea for every 7 quarters : now, he thrashed in all 15 loads i quarter, and has received of his mafter at different times. by cash and goods 9 guineas ; I Demand how the reckoning stands between them?"
The obsolete terms employed in these examples are explained by tables from the same sheets :
CLOTH MEASURE.
22 Inches make
I nail.
4 Nails
I quarter of a yard.
4 Quarters “
I yard.
3
66
I ell Flemish measure.
5
66
" " English
6
" " French 66
LONG MEASURE.
3 Barley-corns make I inch.
12 Inches
I foot.
3 Feet
I yard.
2 Yards
I fathom.
5₺ “
I rod.
40 Rods
1 furlong. I mile.
3 Miles
I league.
20 Leagues 66
I degree.
360 Degrees the circumference of the earth and sea.
DRY MEASURE.
2 Pints make I quart.
4 Quarts "
I gallon.
2 Gallons " I peck 1 bushel.
4 Pecks "
8 Bushels “
I quarter of a load.
5 Quarter or 40 bushels I load.
The annual meeting for the year 1793 convened at the house of John Welch, on Monday, the first day of April. Simon Dearborn, Esq., was chosen moderator,
S Furlongs, 6 6
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HISTORY OF MONMOUTH.
John Chandler, clerk. At this meeting it was "voted to allow the Selectmen's accounts sums as follows:
S d
John Chandler's account.
I I
I5
Lieut. Jonathan Thompson's account, I I 2 O
Capt. Levi Dearborn's, as Selectman and Treasurer. 2 O
Capt. James Blossom as Treasurer for years past, O
9
18 0"
Matthias Blossom, Major James Norris and John Chandler were elected selectmen and assessors; Ichabod Baker, treasurer; Robert Withington, constable. The custom of selling the collectorship at vendue was again broken, and it was voted to give Mr. Withington four pence on the pound for collecting. The following surveyors of highways were chosen: For the north district, Simon Dearborn, Esq .; for the Norris Hill district. John Blake: for the Center, Ichabod Baker; for the South, Philip Jenkins; for the Neck, Daniel Allen. The surveyor of the Center district had charge of the road from Daniel Gilman's, where Rev. J. E. Pierce now lives, to Morrill's ( Ellis's) corner, and thence back. by way of the Academy. as far as Gen. Chandler's. Dearborn's district comprised all the north part of the town, where there were roads. John Blake took all from the Center to, and over, Norris Hill ; Philip Jenkins, all south of Daniel Gilman's, and Daniel Allen, all the roads in East Monmouth to the Winthrop line.
To protect the crops of the more thrifty farmers from the ravages of cattle which their slack neighbors allowed to run at large, it was determined at this meet-
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A LEGAL SEPARATION.
ing that a pound, forty feet square, should be erected on the land of John Welch, and that Welch should serve as keeper.
James Harvey, James Blossom and Benjamin Clough were elected a committee to examine accounts against the town, and to settle with all persons, officers and committees who had "been entrusted with the town's or, heretofore, plantation's, money, and to discharge them, on settlement." "Voted that the Town Treas- urer be instructed to buy a selectmen's book."
The chamber of John Welch's house had long been used as a place of public gathering. It was, of course, unfinished and unfurnished. At this meeting it was voted to give him eighteen shillings for the use of his house the ensuing year, "he fixing the same with floors, and seats to raise." The sum of one hundred and fifty pounds was appropriated for the improvement of the highways. This was to be paid in work. Six shil- lings per day were to be allowed for labor during the months of June and July, and four shillings per day, from the first day of August to the tenth day of September. "All of said money to be laid out by the tenth day of September, 1793." "Voted to allow for plows 4 shillings per day, and carts 2 shillings per day." "Voted to raise 30 pounds for schooling." "Voted to accept the road laid out from Benjamin Dearborn's barn to Winthrop line." This road led from Dear- born's Corner down through East Monmouth and over the Neck to Winthrop.
"Voted to raise six pounds in corn at 4 per bushel to defray town charges for the year." Ichabod Baker and Caleb Fogg were allowed 4 s. shillings each for one
172
HISTORY OF MONMOUTH.
day's service on the committee elected the 20th of March, 1792, "to settle with the treasurer, collectors and all other persons, creditors or debtors to the plan- tation of Wales preparatory to acting under the incor- poration." Simon Dearborn and Joseph Allen were allowed four shillings each out of the money appropri- ated to provide for the preaching of the gospel, for services as "minister committee last year." Four shillings were allowed Timothy Wight for services rendered in laying out a road. The road referred to lay between Dearborn's corner and the head of Cochnewagan Pond where Wight had then settled. having exchanged his clearing at N. Monmouth with Gilman Moody for this. It was furthermore voted to exempt Wight from a highway tax until the road lead- ing to his house was completed and to give him the portion of his preceding year's tax which he had not worked out, amounting to about one day and a half. Capt. James Blossom was also exempted from a high- way tax "until he has a road laid out, and from last year's tax." Blossom lived, as has been stated in a preceding chapter, in the field lying between the "upper dam" and Mr. Clifford's. He had a large orchard in the vicinity of his house, but it is stated that not a vestige of it remained nearly half a century ago.
Joseph Allen and James Blossom were chosen a "minister committee." Ministers were not as plentiful then as they are to-day, and sometimes the office of "minister committee" was far from being a sinecure.
The valuation for 1793 showed that nine framed houses had been erected in the previous fiscal year. Five barns had also been built, and seven shops.
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A LEGAL SEPARATION.
Another mill had been added to the list of taxable property. This was the saw mill on the Cochnewagan stream at the Center. It was built by Ichabod Baker, William Allen and John Welch, on the site on which the present mill was afterward erected.
The voting list showed an increase of nine, and twelve new names had been added to the list of taxable polls. The number of families had increased from 55 to 62.
The new citizens were Col. Seth Fogg, Abner Bing- ham, Dudley B. Hobart, James Harvey, John Johnson. John Morgan, Joseph Hoyt. James Brackett and Robert Niles.
Col. Seth Fogg was the father of Rev. Caleb Fogg. He could not have been a resident of Monmouth a considerable length of time, as his name does not ap- pear on the assessors' list at a slightly later period.
Abner Bingham came from Epping. His wife was Abigail, daughter of Phineas Blake, sen., who, after her first husband's decease, married James Nichols. Bingham lived in a house that stood on the "heater" piece between Fred K. Blake's and Rufus A. King's, at East Monmouth. He made a clearing on land now owned by N. M. Nichols.
John Morgan was the first settler in North Mon- mouth. He took up the place now owned by Henry Norris, near the Wayne line. His cabin was in towards the pond several rods farther than the house now occu- pied by Allen. It is not known when he came into the town, but it was undoubtedly earlier than 1793, when his name first appears on the tax-book. He was very poor, owning nothing but a cow and pig. As he lived
174
HISTORY OF MONMOUTH.
away in the woods by himself, the town voted, in 1794. to absolve him from taxation.
Hoyt settled, it is supposed, in the northern part of the town.
Dudley Bradstreet Hobart, of Exeter, N. H., married Sophia, eldest daughter of Gen. Henry Dearborn. In 1793, soon after their marriage, they came to Mon- mouth and settled on the General's farm. Mrs. Hobart. it is claimed, had, prior to their marriage, made the journey from Exeter to Maine sixteen times on horse- back. Mr. Hobart was elected to a place on the board of selectmen, which shows that he was not lightly es- teemed. After a few years he removed to Gardiner. Me., and engaged in mercantile pursuits. He was moderator of the first town meeting of Gardiner, a member of its first board of selectmen and its first representative to the General Court. In 1804 he was appointed collector of the port of Bath, in which city he died in 1806. Mrs. Hobart died May 19, 1814. Our citizen, and last representative of the Dear- born family, Dudley Hobart Dearborn, commonly known as "Hubbard" Dearborn, was named for Mr. Hobart. The military tone of the Dearborn blood was not lost in the veins of the Hobarts. Of eight children six were sons. Four of these died at an early age. leaving only two, William and Thomas J. The former was an artillery officer in the war of 1812, and was killed at the battle of Fort George; the latter was col- onel of an Illinois regiment in the civil war. and ac- quitted himself in a manner to win distinction. Sophia. the younger daughter, married Eben Blake, who set- tled in Winthrop.
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A LEGAL SEPARATION.
James Harvey came from Nottingham, N. H. He married a daughter of Robert Judkins, who lived in a large, two-storied house on the farm now owned by J. D. Donnell, one mile north of Monmouth Center. This house was, in later years, moved to the "Blake- town" road, and cut down to a one-story building. It was destroyed by fire about twenty years ago, while the property of James Cullinan.
Mr. Harvey lived, it is supposed, in a part of the house now owned by Miss Charlotte Harvey, whose father, John Harvey, Esq., also came from Nottingham, but was very distantly connected with James Harvey.
Although he remained in town only about five years, Harvey secured, in that brief period, a grasp on the hearts of his townsmen that few men gain in a life- time. Nature had endowed him with attributes that were calculated to win respect and esteem. He was above six feet in height, of noble physique, and pos- sessed of a native grace of manner that was captivating and blinding. Every honor that could be bestowed by hi- admirers was lavished upon him. He was elected second captain of the town militia, and having a decid- ed military turn, was not long in making his way to the head of the regiment, with the title of major. His company was placed on the right of the regiment and acted as light infantry.
With a blindness unprecedented, the voters, in 1798. allowed the office of town treasurer and the collector- ship to fall to Major Harvey; and to add to the tempta- tion. no bondsmen were required. Toogreat confidence in an individual's honor does not always prove an incentive to honesty. Thus indulged and tempted by
176
HISTORY OF MONMOUTH.
opportunity, Harvey became a defaulter to quite an extent. Disgraced by his lack of principle, and de- spised by those who had placed the temptation before him, he soon left the town, and settled in the town of Bradley, in the eastern part of the state, where he died. Some years later his brother-in-law, John Judkins, vis- ited his sister at her new home. When he returned to Monmouth, he remarked that he "had the pleasure of walking over Major Harvey's grave" during his absence. This trivial remark was but a voicing of the popular sentiment toward one who might have remained an honored citizen and a leader of the masses, but for that curse of civilized humanity-the love of money.
John Johnson settled first on the "Kincaid farm," in the Lyon district. He appears to have remained there but a short time. We next find him living in a log cabin on the farm now owned by the Ricker heirs, on Pease hill. This cabin was built, it is supposed, by the father of "Jeff" Southard, the wealthy ship-builder of Richmond, Me. Southard moved over the line into the edge of Litchfield.
Johnson left the Ricker place, and settled on the farm now owned by Wilbert True, in the Lyon district. One winter day, while living in this place, he drove across Cobbosee-contee pond to Manchester, on the ice, with a load of shingles. Late that evening, John Plummer, who lived on the farm lately owned by his son, Joseph, heard a scream from the direction of the pond, but, as it was not repeated, gave it no attention. In the morning Johnson's wife, who was greatly alarmed by his protracted absence, called on Plummer to assist her in searching for him. Plummer went immediately
.
177
A LEGAL SEPARATION.
to the shore of the pond. Off a little distance from the land, he could see a pair of mittens; and as he ap- proached them, he caught sight of an object at the mouth of the outlet that proved to be Johnson's horse. Summoning help, he drew the horse and sled out, and found the dead man clinging to the shafts with his bare hands. He had taken a wrong course and driven over the tender ice near the stream.
CHAPTER VIII.
GLIMPSES OF CABIN LIFE.
The pioneers worked hard, and fared harder. The women often assisted their husbands in the performance of out-door tasks. Doubtless, planting and hoeing corn, junking and piling logs, and harvesting crops were as distasteful to the ladies of that day (for many of them were ladies) as they would be to the average female of to-day. Our grandmothers were, to use a trite aphorism. "helpmeets as well as help-eats." If they were obliged to work hard, they were highly compensated in having no time to spend in littering their homes with "air- castles," "scratch-my-backs" and "crazy patchwork." Blessed period! O, era sublime! The men, too, were well acquainted, and, unlike some of their posterity, on the best of terms, with honest toil. Thanks to the rough condition of the roads, they could not trot horses, it, indeed, they had any. Nor could they spend their time in assisting trains to arrive at, and depart from, the railway station. And being deprived thus of many of the privileges of the present generation, they had no
179.
GLIMPSES OF CABIN LIFE.
way of killing time, but in laboring. It is said that every deprivation has its compensation. If the fathers were compelled to deny themselves every indulgence to secure a competency, the sons can live sumptously -until the mortgage is foreclosed. If the fathers worked wearily, with aching limbs, to fell the massive oak, the son finds the stump a restful seat while dis- cussing politics.
With what keen satisfaction would the rugged pioneer, looking down into the nineteenth century to see his posterity smoking the fragrant "Colorado Ma- duro," or masticating imported "fine-cut," have re- turned to his "cob" of sweet fern and his quid of slip- pery elm !
The women of that day did not sit in lounging chairs and read novels. They were women of the pristine mold, concerning which God said "It is not good for man to be alone; I will make him a helpmeet for him." While they were not at all deficient in the qualities which mark the true lady, they considered the develop- ment of muscle by manual labor no discredit, and were by no means backward in giving exhibitions of their vigor when put to the test. Dearborn Blake's wife, Hannah, whose wonderful bravery is mentioned later in this chapter, was as powerful as she was fearless. As a clinching argument in a discussion which she and Ruth Torsey, the doctor's mother, were holding with Phineas Blake, Jr., the women playfully threatened to deposit his mortal remains in the hog-pen. "You can't do it," he boastfully exclaimed. The words were scarcely out of his mouth before he was struggling to free himself from the iron grip of a pair of resolute
180
HISTORY OF MONMOUTH.
females. and a moment later he wofully picked him- self out of a bed, soft, indeed, as a king's couch, but in no other respect bearing the marks of royalty.
Probably the most marked example of diligence and bravery was furnished by Mrs. John Chandler, who used to walk alone through the forest, in which wild animals were constantly roving, guided only by a line of spotted trees, to John Herrick's, in Lewiston, to get tow to spin on shares.
The settlers at first lived in log houses. Their fur- niture consisted of a few kitchen chairs, bottomed with split ash or elm-rind, and a square plain table and bed- ding. And in many instances the chairs were substi- tuted by benches hewed from a split log. Nothing more was needed; nothing more wanted. Utility had not yet become the slave of ornamentation. Turkish rugs, plush-covered parlor suits and marble-topped chamber sets were not known even by name. Neither was bankruptcy.
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