USA > Maine > Oxford County > Norway > The history of Norway: > Part 12
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HISTORY OF NORWAY.
'over the collar-bone, proved mortal. The affray took place about eleven o'clock on Friday night, and he died near five o'clock Saturday morning. Totherly was immediately arrest- ed, and the next day committed to jail. At the following May term of the Supreme Judicial Court, he had his trial, but was not convicted, the jury not agreeing. The first indictment by the grand jury was for murder ; but at the October term the ease was put to the grand jury a second time, and a bill was found against him for manslaughter. The next spring he had a second trial, was convicted of manslaughter, and sentenced by the Court to one year's imprisonment in the County jail. After the expiration of his imprisonment, he went to Portland, and finally enlisted as a soldier in the Mex- ican war, where he was wounded, and died in a hospital. But I forbear to enlarge upon the subject, lest it should open afresh the deeply-wounded feelings of relatives and others. The mild sentence of the Court very plainly shows that they did not think all the blame ought to be attributed to him. Both the youngsters were about eighteen years of age at the time of this sad tragedy.
Town officers for 1844 : Simon Stevens, Clerk; James Crockett, Treasurer; Jonathan Swift, William Parsons, Jr., Mark P. Smith, Selectmen; George J. Ordway, Collector. Jonathan Swift, Representative.
Valuation, $153,173. Number of polls 321; number of scholars 667.
Highway tax, $2039,05.
State tax, - -
- $540.68
County tax, - -
-
- 374,26
Schools, - -
- 750.00
Poor, and town charges,
- 900,00
Overlayings, delinquency highway, supplement,
119,78
Total money tax, $2684,72
New immigrants : Noble Blossom, James Blossom, Ira Berry, Levi T. Boothby, America Briggs, John A. Bolster,
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HISTORY OF NORWAY.
Benjamin Robbins, Thomas G. Brooks, James Dow, Peter B. Frost, Samuel Favor, Joseph Haniford, Edward Higgins, Robert Noyes, William D. Paine, Reuben S. Rich, Amos Thurlow, Daniel Whitehouse, Charles Walton, Oren Wilbur. Old settlers' sons : David R. Everett, Joseph Hor, Henry H. Hobbs, Lorenzo D. Hobbs, George W. Knight, Newton Swift.
In the fall of this year, Richard W. Houghton's house, near the Steep Falls, was burnt; origin of the fire unknown. Also, on the night of the 19th of Nov., Holden's mills, on Crooked river, were burnt ; origin of the fire unknown, but thought by many to be the work of an incendiary.
Town officers for 1845: Simon Stevens, Clerk; James Crockett, Treasurer ; William Parsons, Jr., Mark P. Smith, Henry W. Millett, Selectmen; George J. Ordway, Collector. Mark P. Smith, Representative.
Valuation, $165,701. Number of polls 330; number of scholars 664.
Highway tax, $1592,29.
State tax, - - -
- $489,33
County tax, - -
-
-
322,63
Schools, -
- -
- 750,00
Poor, and town charges, -
- 700,00
Overlayings, delinquency highway, supplement, 90.10
Total money tax, - - $2352,06
New immigrants : Jairus Bryant, Zachary Carey, Aaron Chandler, John Davis, Johnson Edwards, William Evans, William Howe, David McAllister, Samuel L. Preble, John Penley, Joshua Richardson, David Rowe, Benjamin Wade, Daniel Stone, Moses Town. Old settlers' sons : Edmund Ames, Albion Buck, Cyrus Cobb, Jr., Robert I. Frost, Sam- uel Lord, Jr., Orren F. Millett, Ebenezer Marston, Prescott L. Pike, Daniel Pike, Otis Stevens, Francis H. Whitman, George P. Whitney.
This year seems rather remarkable for the record of many deaths of the early settlers of this town. Among those who
.
156
HISTORY OF NORWAY.
died were Deacon William Parsons, aged 85 years, Benjamin Herring, 84, Josiah Hill, 80, Job Eastman, 95, Mrs. Asa Hix, 64, Mrs. Peter Town, 59, Mrs. Joseph Bradbury, 79. Daniel Watson, 83, John Frost, 77, Joshua Crockett, son of Joshna Crockett, the old settler, 54, Mrs. Mary Hall, 51; and many others.
Town officers for 1846 : Simon Stevens; Clerk ; James Crockett, Treasurer ; Mark. P. Smith, Henry W. Millett, Simeon Noble, Selectmen ; Henry W. Millett, Collector. Isaac A. Thayer, Oxford, Representative.
Valuation, $172,036. Number of polls 320 ; number of" scholars 714.
Highway tax, $2355,24.
State tax, - - -
- $652,44
County tax, - - - Schools, - - -
-
322,65
- 750.00
Poor, and town charges,
-
- 500,00
Overlayings, delinquency highway, supplement,
129,64
Total money tax, -
$2354.73
New immigrants : Levi B. Abbott, James Corson, Ebenezer Carsley, Alva B. Davis, Ebenezer P. Fitz, Jameson Gammon, Edwin Plummer, Reuben Penley, Ansel Ross, Amos Smith, Joseph Tuttle, Joshua Weeks. Old settlers' sons : Cyrus W. Buck, Mahalon Crockett, Milton W. Hobbs, Oliver A. Hall, Samnel S. Millett, John H. Millett, William Marston, Stephen Merrill, Osgood Perry, John I. Pike, Jonathan G. Town, Albion Hall.
Town officers for 1847 : Simon Stevens, Clerk ; Ebenezer C. Shackley, Treasurer ; Henry W. Millett, Henry C. Reed, Solomon Noble, Selectmen ; Henry W. Millett, Collector. Simeon Noble, Representative.
Valuation, $182,039. Number of polls 327; number of scholars 668.
Highway tax, common roads, -
$1042,54
1042,54
Extra roads, - - Total highway tax, - - - $2085,08
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HISTORY OF NORWAY.
State tax,
-
-
-
$326,22
County tax, -
-
-
-
322,65
Schools,
-
-
750,00
Poor, and town charges,
-
-
900,00
Overlayings and supplement,
-
50,19
Total money tax, - -
$2349,06
New immigrants : Thomas Blake, Jairus S. Chipman, Charles Callahan, Sumner Frost, John S. French, Edwin W. Howe, Ebenezer P. Hinds, Charles Kendall, Clark Knight, James H. Merrill, Franklin Manning, Rev. Charles Packard, Horace Paine, Clemens Randal, Jonathan Richards, Levi Thayer, Thomas Thorn. Old settlers' sons : George L. Beal. James H. Cox, Barzilla S. Cobb, David B. Crockett, David W. Frost, Osgood French, William H. Foster, Daniel Holt, 3d, Isaac Jordan, Levi W. Pingree, Lewis Shackley, George Wilkins.
On the 12th of April, this year, Joseph York, Jr., a young man employed in the saw-mill at the Steep Falls, received a death-blow, by accident. He was assisting in placing a log upon the mill-carriage, and by some means a handspike was wrenched from his grasp, one end of which struck him upon the right side of the abdomen, producing mortal injury inter- nally. He survived the accident from Monday afternoon till Thursday morning.
On the morning of the 18th of November, this year, Cyrus Cobb, Esq., met an untimely death by a fall in his barn. He went to his barn for the purpose of feeding his cattle, and went up over the beams to throw down hay, when a board gave way and precipitated him into the barn-floor, killing him instantly, as was supposed, his neck being broken by the fall. This was a severe loss to his family, and also to the commu- nity, as he was a very industrious and useful man. Tho family still feel as though their loss was irreparable. He was the son of Ebenezer Cobb, who was among the early settlers of this town, and lived on the old homestead of his father.
158
HISTORY OF NORWAY.
Town officers for 1848 : Simon Stevens, Clerk ; Ebenezer C. Shackley, Treasurer ; Henry W. Millett, Henry C: Reed, Solomon Noble, Selectmen ; Samuel Favor, Collector. Ben- jamin Richards, Oxford, Representative.
Valuation, $193,575. Number of polls 363; number of scholars 752.
Highway tax, $1042,41.
State tax, -
-
-
$ 652,44
County tax, - -
-
-
376,43
Schools, - -
-
- 750,00
Poor, building roads, and other town charges, 2700.00
Overlayings and supplement, 52.38
Total money tax, - -
$4531,25
New immigrants : Elbridge G. Allen, James M. Abbott, James C. Bennett, Philander Barnes, Hosca B. Bisbce, Charles D. Bisbee, William Blake, Moses B. Bartlett, D. II. Blake, Cyrus W. Brown, William M. Cushman, Job Cushman, Be- zaleel Cushman, Leander Dorman, Albert B. Davis, Luke Fletcher, Jonathan Fairbanks, Charles. L. Francis, Freeman Higgins, Danforth Jordan, Joseph Judkins, Charles P. Kim- ball, Joseph A. Kendall, Amos T. Murphy, Ransom Morton, James P. Morton, John W. Noble, Charles Newhall, Peter C. Putnam, Isaac Pressey, Asa H. Phinney, Edwin F. Quinby, Alfred Raymond, Alfred Shattuck, Orsamus Smiley, Israel Swett, George W. Seaverns, John G. Swett, Jonathan M. Smiley, William Stone, Otis True, Ephraim H. Wood, John Walton, William Walton, G. B. Wentworth, Joseph Whitman, George J. Wardwell, Joseph Wilson. Old settlers' sons : Joseph Bullen, Isaac Bartlett, Benjamin Dale, Levi Frost, William P. French, Jonathan Holt, Cornelius W. Hobbs, Lewis Lovejoy, Theodore L. Lassell, Coleman F. Lord, Hiram Lovejoy, Ceylon Watson.
This year there was a great accession to the number of new immigrants, in conseqence of the railroad operations ; and if- they can all get a good living, and make money, or other
159
HISTORY OF NORWAY.
property, we bid them welcome ; but the old settlers have always found it necessary to attend closely to some regular business, and I guess the new ones will find the same course, eventually, for their permanent interest.
Town officers for 1849 : Simon Stevens, Clerk : Ebenezer C. Shackley, Treasurer; Mark P. Smith, Henry W. Millett, Solomon Noble, Selectmen ; Ansel Ross, Collector. Henry C. Reed, Representative.
Valuation, $200,982. Number of polls 369; number of scholars 742.
Highway tax, $1245,55.
State tax, -
-
-
$ 652,44
County tax, - -
-
-
484.91
Schools, -
- -
- 750,00
Poor, and town charges,
- -
1150,00
Overlayings and supplement,
- 153,55
Total money tax, - - $3190,90
New immigrants : James Anderson, A. A. Adams, G. H. Barnard, David N. Cushman, Rev. E. K. Colby, S. T. Dut- ton, David P. Flood, Eli Grover, L. D. Foster, William Hutchins, Benson Hawkins, Abner Jackson, John Johnson, William W. Kimball, George Kimball, Joseph Lovejoy, Jon- athan Ryerson, Thomas Richardson, George W. Stevens, Samuel Sumner, Joshua B. Stuart, G. E. Shattuck, Clark P. True, Charles Thompson, John F. True, George Hum- phrey, Henry B. Upton, William W. Virgin. Old settlers' sons : John D. Beal, Josiah Danforth, George A. Frost, Jon- athan S. Millett, 2d, Edwin Millett, Washington Noyes, Noah Pike, Henry S. Small, Edwin Stetson, Ezra Shackley, Wil- liam B. Upton.
Early in the morning of March 31, 1849, the store of Moses A. Young was discovered to be on fire. The store was saved, but the goods (a small stock) were considerably injured by fire, smoke, and water. The origin of the fire yet remains. unknown.
160
HISTORY OF NORWAY.
On the 21st of June, this year, Uriah Holt, Esq., died. His sickness was very short, about four or five days; his dis- order was gravel, combined with other complaints. His family felt their loss severely, as well as the neighborhood and town. He had been in town office much, from the time he came into Norway, and was a very correct man in any business which he undertook. I must be pardoned if I indulge my own feel- ings a little in regard to his death. We had been associated much in business from 1811 up to the time of his death, and many times on important affairs ; and, whether owing to his disposition, or mine, or both, we never had the first word of disagreement in any of our business. I was with him through the most of his last sickness, and with a heavy heart performed the last sad offices due to an old friend. His wife, Hannah Holt, who had been a youthful companion of my own wife, previous to the marriage of either, died of consumption, Feb. 4th, 1835.
Almost everybody, in this vicinity, knows that old Uriah Holt and old David Noyes have been practical surveyors for many years ; and from this circumstance, we were much to- gether in such business. We have traversed the woods in company through many wearisome days, and passed many dreary nights in the forest, with no other bed than some hem- lock or fir boughs, and no other shelter than the heavens, except in rainy weather, when we used to erect a little camp, covered with spruce bark, which we could build in a few min- utes. At one time, in 1835, we were in the woods, and saw no living person, except two Indians, and our own assistants, for sixty days ; and if those were not times to " try men's souls," they were to try their "stomachs," when the grub fell short ; and once, in particular, we had to pinch down to a small pittance, at only morning and night, for two days, and on the third day ate nothing till afternoon. By that time we had excellent appetites, and the food tasted good without many trimmings to make it relish.
161
HISTORY OF NORWAY.
At the annual meeting on the 5th of March, 1849, the town enacted, or, rather, passed a vote to adopt a code of by- laws, in regard to a bowling-saloon, and ball-playing in the street, and afterwards applied to the County Commissioners to ratify, or sanction, said by-laws. By these by-laws, the game of ball was not allowed to be played in any street, or public place, within ten rods of any house, store, or shop, nor, to be thrown by any person, a snow-ball, brick-bat, stone, or other thing liable to injure any person or property, under a penalty of one dollar for each and every offence ; and no person al- lowed to keep any place for playing at bowls, or other noisy game, within half a mile of any dwelling-house, meeting- house, or school-house, or within eighty rods of any public highway, under a penalty of five dollars, and any person playing at any such games in such places was liable to a penalty of two dollars. The Selectmen were clothed with power to appoint a police-officer, under the imposing title of " Inspector of Police," to carry out the provisions of said by-laws.
The thing, like other new notions, caused some little excite- ment among the boys and men, when the snow got off in the spring, and they began to hunt up their balls ; and a notice in the Village paper, warning persons not to visit particular places, was rather hard spelling and reading for some ; but happily, the threatened little storm has mostly blown over, and our atmosphere has nearly resumed its accustomed seren- ity. The bowling-saloon still stands, just south of where Denison's stable was burned, at the time of the calamitous fire last fall ; and, wonderful to relate, the poor little thing seems to stand as a monument of sparing mercy, for it must have had a shower of fire over it during the conflagration. It has been open but little since the fire.
A careful observation, at different times, and in different places, will convince any reasonable person that severe restraint is generally a weak preventative of common and civil recrea-
11
162
HISTORY OF NORWAY.
tion among almost all classes of the community ; and the more stringent the law, the more strong the inclination to taste the "forbidden fruit." For "still, still man's heart will draw the secret sigh for pleasures unenjoyed." Mankind are so constituted that something recreative and gratifying to the sense, (or reason, if you please so to call it,) in some shape or other, will be sought for by every human being, while physical and mental faculties are capable of enjoyment. For, as a great poet says-
" Behold the child, by nature's kindly law, Pleased with a rattle, tickled with a straw. Some livelier plaything gives his youth delight, A little louder, but as empty quite. Scarfs, garters, gold, amuse his riper stage, And beads and prayer-books are the toys of age.
Pleased with this bauble still, as that before,
Till tired he sleeps, and life's poor play is o'er."
No individual has a right to expect that the views and feelings of all others should exactly coincide with his own ; therefore it is not acting with candor to be too tenacious of our own opinions and practice, or too illiberal and censorious in regard to the opinions and practice of others, who do not tally exactly with us in all things. For "whatsoever ye would that men should do unto you, do ye even so unto them." And this is a Divine injunction, which all are bound to follow. Such illiberal, censorious persons do not seem to be very deeply imbued with the spirit of our Heavenly Father; for "He maketh his sun to shine on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust."?"
Now, to further illustrate the bearing and effects of the illiberal, overbearing, down-treading feelings and views mani- fested by a certain portion of mankind in regard to the feelings and views of other portions of the human family, the writer will relate a little anecdote of an affair which once took place in the town of -. In the dining-hall of a fashionable hotel, a splendid table was spread for regaling the appetites
163
HISTORY OF NORWAY.
of the numerous guests ;- there was one dish, in particular, containing a rare and choice delicacy. A certain gentleman, who counted himself as one of the " upper ten," after carving up this choice dish, took the pepper, and gave the whole a most liberal sprinkling, observing, at the same time, " Gen- tlemen, I suppose you all like pepper ; I am very fond of it myself." A little French gentleman, though not at all lacking in good manners, and good breeding, but wishing to impress a useful lesson upon the mind of this assuming gentleman, thereupon drew from his pocket a capacious snuff-box, and gave the same delicate dish a thorough sprinkling of good old maccaboy, and says, "Gentlemen, I suppose you are all fond of snuff; I like it very much myself." You can easily judge what were the feelings of the disappointed guests, in conse- quence of this improper assumption by one of their number, thus to endeavor to prepare the whole dish to suit his own particular palate, without regard to the tastes of others.
The effects are about the same where one, or a few, set out to regulate and restrain decent and common amusements in the community. For we all very well know that one likes to fiddle, another to dance, another to sing, another to thump the piano, another to play ball, another cards, dice, or back- gammon, another seeks amusement in the bowling-saloon, some drive fast horses and crack elegant whips, some fish, some hunt, others read frivolous, and even obscene tales and novels, while others choose useful and instructive books and periodicals, &c., &c. Now all these things, although not productive of any positive good, are nevertheless better than worse, and more corrupting amusements ; and if there are any who prefer no amusement at all. it is nobody's business ; and they, like all others, ought to have the privilege of self- gratification (avoiding all excess) in their own way, provided they do not infringe on the rights and enjoyments of others. This is a wide world-wide enough for all to get along pretty.
164
HISTORY OF NORWAY.
comfortably, provided each one will avoid running against his neighbor.
" In faith and hope the world will disagree, But all mankind's concern is charity."
It has, of late years, become very fashionable for many, especially from crowded cities, to make excursions into various parts of the country-sometimes on business, sometimes for pleasure, and occasionally for both-and they often wish to stop for a few days, or a few weeks, for the purpose of relax- ation from business, and to enjoy the social amusements of the place ; to view the beauties of lakes, ponds and rivers, of mountain, hill, dale, &c. We think our town, and Vil- lage, by due attention to the wishes and wants of visitors, may be made a very attractive and agreeable stopping-place for such persons ; and who, among our citizens, can indulge in any other feelings than a desire for the up-building and pros- perity of the place. We need not caution strangers, and others, not to visit us, or particular places in our town. It savors rather too strongly of the old Connecticut " blue-laws ?? for this enlightened age.
Such persons as delight in rural sights and sounds, whether strangers or residents, I would invite to take a ramble up the side of the "Pike Hill," and seat themselves, on a summer forenoon, under some refreshing shade, and listen to the con- tinual hum of business and pleasure proceeding from the busy multitude below, and around. Hark ! hear the busy clip, clip, clip, elip, of the saw-mill, the buzz of circular saws, turning-lathes, &c., the monotonous rumble of the grist-mill, in its various departments, the click of the mason's trowel, attended with the well-known cry of "mort, more mort," the clipping and hammering of stone by the stone-cutters, the lively clap of the joiner's hammer, the heavy thump of the carpenter's mallet, the clink of the blacksmith, (not forging fetters for serfs and slaves, but agricultural implements for a
16.
HISTORY OF NORWAY.
free yeomanry, who won't be fettered, ) and, in short, almost every sound attendant on the prosecution of almost every mechanical business ; all intermingled with the rattling of carriages, from a gig to a six-horse coach, or wagon, and oc- casionally the loud, rough voice of the teamster to his oxen,
" While down the rough slope the ponderous wagon rings,"
heavily loaded with rough granite for the foundations of nu- merous buildings in progress of erection ; interspersed with all these, occasionally you will hear the sweet notes of the piano, and other musical instruments; and the noise also of
" The playful children just let loose from school ; "
the tinkle of the tea, dinner, school, and factory-bell, and the beautifully toned church-bell; and to crown the whole, some- times, (when they used to roll) the low rumble of the famous bowling-saloon, which serves as a fine thorough-bass to the varied concert. And now let me ask, who, among the lovers of rural scenery, but must be delighted with such enchanting sights and sounds ?
The writer is no advocate for the bowling-saloon, or any other vain amusement, when carried to the least excess ; he never rolled a ball in the saloon, and hardly in any other place ; but thinks we all ought to live and conduct in such a manner, that, when we are young, we may consider that we may one day be old ; and when we are old, we ought also to consider that we have once been young.
We have in this town very many persons, of both sexes, possessing great intellectual and physical powers, exercising their minds, or bodies, or both, in laudable and useful em- ployments ; and some few idlers, loafers, and gossips, (would to God we had less) which seems to be the common lot of almost all places, of any note, or business. But perhaps it would be well for those who are so anxious to root out one
166
HISTORY OF NORWAY.
particular evil, to remember the parable of the tares and the wheat, and to act with candor and moderation, "lest while ye gather up the tares, ye root up also the wheat with them .?? For the command to the servants was, to " let both grow to- gether until the harvest ; and in the time of harvest, I will say to the reapers, gather ye together first the tares, and bind them in bundles to burn them ; but gather the wheat into my barn." But a word of candid advice to the lovers of pleasure and amusements I know will be received with good feelings ; and that advice is, to be "temperate in all things."
Town officers for 1850 : Simon Stevens, Clerk; Ebenezer C. Shackley, Treasurer; Mark P. Smith, William Hall, Ichabod Bartlett, Selectmen ; Jonathan Blake, Collector. E. R. Holmes, Oxford, Representative.
Valuation, $200,594. Number of polls 400; number of scholars 779; whole number of inhabitants, by census, 1962.
Highway tax, $1539,54.
State tax, - -
-
-
$ 652.44
County tax, - -
-
- 431,03
Schools, - - - - 750,00
Poor, roads, and town charges, - 1500.00
Overlayings, delinquency highway, supplement, 118,42
Total money tax, - -
$3451,89
New immigrants : Hiram E. Abbott, Francis Bennett, Thomas F. Barton, George W. Crockett, Bethael F. Drake, Mark H. Dunnell, Isaac A. Denison, George Eveleth, Ste- phen Fuller, William Getchell, Oliver Goddard, Ezra Jewell, George W. Johnson, Peter Kimball, Otis F. Mixer, Charles Mallett, John H. Moore, George H. Merrill, Ausburn Mer- rill, William P. Merrill, Jackson Pillsbury, Charles Pike, William A. Parsons, S. J. Seavey, Zephaniah Starbird, James Stanley, George W. Sholes, Franklin Sargent, Samuel Vance, Frederick L. Young. Old settlers' sons : Erastus G. Brad- bury, Franklin P. Bolster, Osgood N. Bradbury, Sewall Crockett, Grovesnor Crockett, Joseph A. Danforth, Albert
167
HISTORY OF NORWAY.
Gammon, Elijah Hobbs, Benjamin G. Holt, Jeremiah Hall, 2d, Hanson Lord, David F. Noyes, Aaron Noble, John Smith, Calvin Shed.
In December, this year, the grist-mill at the head of the Village was burnt. It is supposed the fire took from a defect in the stove-funnel. The fire occurred in the night, and the destruction of the building, with all its contents, was com- plete, as little was saved from the devouring element. The mill was large and commodious ; it had four run of stones, two bolts, a cleanser, and corn-cracker ; and much inconve- nience was experienced by the town until another was built. The establishment was owned by a wealthy company, viz : Levi Whitman, Ezra F. Beal, Ebenezer Hobbs, Nathaniel Bennett, and John B. Brown, of Portland, and was built new some fifteen years ago. Owing to their pecuniary circum- stances, the distress of the owners was not so great as often follows the burning of a poor man's buildings. In 1851, the Company rebuilt the mill in a very substantial manner, and have calculated a part of it for the manufacture of superfine flour, equal to the choicest fancy brands. They have, during the winter of 1851-2, purchased western wheat, from which they make very nice flour, said to be equal to the best.
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