USA > New Hampshire > Hillsborough County > Milford > Celebration of the one hundredth anniversary of the incorporation of Milford, New Hampshire, June 26, 1894 : including the proceedings of the committee, addresses, poem, and other exercises of the occasion > Part 7
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be one rule and one law for all who live in this community. The rights and privileges of all are to be equally respected. There must be no per- secution for the sake of opinion, and no interference with the free ex- pression of opinion within the bounds of the law. On the very eve of this celebration I read in the public prints, with shame and indignation, that a speaker, addressing a public meeting, was pelted and driven from this hall. I know and care but little who or what he was. He may be a fanatic. He may have been indiscreet. To some he may have been offensive. But he had a right to be heard by those who chose to hear him. In this town, where my parents and family have been known for nearly half a century, I do not think I shall be suspected of bigotry, or of any race of religious prejudice, but to make the matter clear, let me say that I hold all good citizens of whatever race or faith in equal esteem. I have not a particle of sympathy or respect for this unwise, un-American and unchristian crusade of one sect or church against another. Your fellow-citizens of foreign birth who have come and cast their lot with you are welcome, and will always be welcome. They have helped to build up this Town; they share its burdens and its fortunes. But one thing must be understood. They must obey its laws. This country, and this Town, are not for Catholic or Protestant. They are for law-abiding American citizens, without distinction of origin or belief. Whatever is done here must be done decently, and in order. It has been the pride and boast of the people of Milford for a hundred years, that in this place liberty of conscience, and the free expression of opinion have been maintained against all odds. Have the old times gone with the old men, and is the public platform in Milford no longer free ? If so, this is an empty celebration, and the American flag, with which you have hung your walls, has no place in it. If I were a citizen of Milford-and as a son of Milford I hold an interest in her good name-sooner than have it published to the world that Milford can be terrorized by a mob, or that a public meeting cannot be peaceably held here for the expression of any decent opinions on any subject, I would see the banks of the Souhegan laid as waste and barren as before they were trodden by the foot of man. I know there are here still honest, self-respecting, and law-abiding citizens of Irish birth or descent. Some of them are my personal friends. They should be first to rebuke this outrage, and first and last to see that the like never happens again in this town. I would that every Irishman in Milford were within sound of my voice, that I might say to him, -Have you forgotton your brothers, the brave and patriotic Irishmen whose names are written on yonder memorial tablets ? Have you forgotten that they gave their blood and their lives for their maintenance of law and order in New Hrmpshire, no less than in Virginia or South Carolina? And do you forget that by overturning the law, or suffering it to be overturned, in this town, you outrage their memory and trample on the very principles for which they fell? Away with this petty jealousy of creeds. There is no place for it beneath that" flag. Away, too, with the thought that
HON. RODNEY M. STIMPSON.
¡DAVID HEALD, ESQ.
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violence at the hands offthe mob can be suffered to disturb the peace of this New Hampshire town. We are one people, sharing one common . lot, subject to one rule, and that the rule of liberty and order ; and all good citizens, of all races and all faiths, must and will stand together to maintain and defend it.
I have said this because these things are of vital importance to the future of this town. At one hundred years Milford is in vigorous youth, with her history but just begun. It is for you to make it as you would have it, and first of all it is for you to preserve her good name. It is the best legacy of the past century. That ,Milford will prosper there is no one here who doubts. That procession of the trades and in- dustries which we saw and admired this morning will move, and grow as it moves. You have found a new source of prosperity, greater per- haps than all the rest. To-day, the stubborn granite of these hills, which yield no crop to the farmer, is turning into gold under the blows of the quarrymen. You will become populous. You will grow rich. You may expand into a city. But there is more than this to be looked for and worked for. Good towns are made only of good men. The in- fluence and example of one public-spirited citizen will do more for a community than the wealth of a dozen sordid or indifferent men. A hundred years hence, when this anniversary returns the most interesting question about you will be, not how many factories you built, or how much trade you carried on, but, what manner of , men and women were these people of Milford ? How did they live, and think and feel? What did they do for good morals, good government, public intelligence, social progress, the elevation of their community above the level of mere com- mercial enterprise? Fortunate, indeed, if it may then be written of you, and of those who are"to follow you: "They were enterprising, courag- eous, and successful. They built and"traded and prospered. But in their prosperity they never forgot that their best inheritance was a good name. They never forgot that the most precious possession of towns, as of men, is not the riches that; perish, but the character that eudures. They held fast to the sober Saxon virtues of industry, thrift, temperance, order, respect for rights,'obedience to law. They maintained freedom of opinion, and liberty of speech. They kept the precepts of religion, each according to his own belief, not only in their churches. but in their lives. They upheld the ancient reputation of Milford for intelligence, virtne and public spirit, and made this town a place in which good men and women could grow up, live happy and die content, a centre of good in- fluences, an example to other communities, an anchor of the state."
HON. RODNEY M. STIMPSON.
President Wallace :- One of the sons of Milford descended from one of her oldest families, has wandered far away to the State of Ohio, where his useful and honorable life reflects credit upon himself and his
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native town, which he has not forgotten after these long years of ab- sence, but has returned to pay a grateful tribute to her on this occasion. The Hon. R. M. Stimpson, of Marietta, Ohio, will now address you, giv- ing you some of his reminiscences of the town.
LADIES AND GENTLEMEN :
If I had a prepared address, which I have not, I should not want to deliver it now, after you have been sitting here nearly three hours. Nor will I uncork the bottle of reminiscences, for then if you would stay, you would be here three hours longer.
I wish to emphasize the suggestion of Mr. Ramsdell, a few minutes ago, to name this square in front of us, "Crosby Square." There is a fitness in it.
Also, I wish to emphasize the remarks of Mr. Pillsbury, in relation to the mob spirit showing in this hall last Friday night. There are dan- gerous classes in this country, chiefly foreign-born, who must obey the laws; and with this there must be free speech, surely in Milford, where it is a sacred right by all the traditions of the town.
Gratifying it is to me to meet here the people of Milford, a name so highly prized by me that my son was christened " Milford." Here I was born, nearly seventy-two years ago, on the spot where now stands the old Town Hall, a few rods to the north of this. Around, and close by this Square, were the days of my childhood. Here were passed in pleasantness the days of my youth. Here I played ball, trundled the hoop, swam and skated, and went to school. Here were centered my hopes and aspirations as a young man. From the north to the south, and from the east to the west lines of the town, I rambled over the hills and the valleys and the winding streams, and through the roads, the lanes and the by-paths. And to-day, as at whatever distance, and through the years agone, every spot, as it were, is clearly photographed on my mind. In 1840 I could call hy name every one of the three hun- dred and forty-eight voters in Milford. Now but eight of these are still living here: Granville Turner, James M. Burns,-over to my right, who was a friend of mine when I needed friends. I had other friends here, Daniel Russell, Rev. Dr. Humphrey Moore, Solomon Kidder Livermore, Charles R. Wallace. The others of the voters of 1840, now living here, are John Lovejoy, Wm. G. D. Burt, Abel C. Crosby, Edmund P. Hutch- inson, William Jones and Benjamin F. Hutchinson,-who just now was sitting here on the stage. Here, a half century ago, I cast my first vote. Left Milford in 1845 to become a citizen of Onio.
Two points only I will now mention.
First, The exceedingly beautiful topography of Milford. Take down five and a half miles from Dram Cup Hill, so-called by Jonathan Dan- forth, a surveyor in 1670, when he established the northwest corner of the old town of Dunstable; from this hill, near Jones' Corner, to the little brook, some two miles below here, where Jacob T. Fuller used to live ; and then take in the sweep up to the hills of Mont Vernon and Lynde- borough, and across the valley to Federal Hill, and the Burns' Hill on
HON. JOHN MCLANE.
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the south, and if there is a more lovely spot anywhere, I have never seen it,-charming, enchanting. In the midst of this beauty, is a village, with its winding river joined in the centre by the brook, with its delight- ful streets, all form a picture of loveliness nowhere else known to me.
Second, The high character of the people of Milford. In 1840- I speak by recollection,-of the three hundred and forty-eight voters, there were forty Hutchinsons, eleven Lovejoys, eleven Guttersons, eleven Burnses, nine Crosbys and eight Clarks,- more than one-quarter of the whole. This was a first-class stock, industrious, honest, intelligent, char- acteristics which have extended down to this day through all the gener- ations from the first settlement, permeating all the people of Milford natives and adopted, and will soon extend down through time. When I was a boy and a young man in Milford, I never knew one of anywhere near my own age to touch intoxicating liquors, and to hear one of them swear was very infrequent. Theft and personal assaults, misdemeanors and crimes, were almost wholly unknown in Milford. It is a place to be proud of, in its past and its present, and wherever on earth you find a son of the town, you find one enthusiastic for Milford.
HON. JOHN McLANE.
President Wallace :- There is present here one of Milford's adopted sons, who, although he had not the good fortune to be born in Milford, had the good sense to select this place for his home, one whom Milford delights to honor and have represent her in the legislature, the Hon. John McLane, President of the New Hampshire Senate, who will now address you. Our Scotch ancestors, we will sing their songs and remem- ber their virtues.
MR. PRESIDENT, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN :
I desire to make my grateful acknowledgement for the privilege of addressing you on this interesting anniversary.
The spirit of the past is upon us to-day; reminiscence and retro- spect rule the hour and the occasion. Your presence in such large num- bers, indicates that you appreciate the great honor which attaches to any man or woman who can claim the good old town of Milford for a birth- place. A beautiful town with an honorable history. I cannot claim this town as the place of my birth, but for a quarter of a century it has been my home. One of your daughters honored me by becoming my wife' and here my children have been born. My attachment to this place could not be stronger, and my love for this people is as deep and lasting as life itself. And yet I cannot forget that where I first saw the light many of your ancestors were born, and the Scotch blood that flows in my veins is still traceable in yours.
For this reason, the few moments of your time which has been as- signed to me, will be spent in some reflections on what the people of New Hampshire and New England owe to Scotland and the Scotch.
.
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First to be considered, and of the most vital importance, is the character of the early settlers which Scotland sent to people these shores. They were strong and rugged in health, inured to hardships from their birth, prone to industry, and cultivators of the moral virtues. Their great national characteristics which is manifested in all conditions of life is, and always has been, love of God and human liberty. These funda- mental principles of life are taught by the songs they sing in the High- land hut, and from the lips of the preacher in the lowland kirk. The world pays true homage to Scottish bards, for his songs are the songs of all people in all climes where home is held sacred, and friends most dear. From such a people came John Knox and the great reformation, and the fires of religious liberty and toleration enkindled by John Knox and his faithful followers will continue to burn brighter and brighter as long as man shall exist with a brain to think or a heart to feel. Scotland fur- nished New England with her common school system without which an enlightened people and a free government would be impossible. The school house is the rock on which is founded our security for the present, and our hopes for the future; by it come honor and prosperity, and through it we may look forward to a more perfect and higher civilization, greater progress in the arts and sciences, and governed by moral princi- ples, a more lofty ideal of American citizenship.
The military spirit and love for home and country shown by the Scotch people has been demonstrated on countless occasions. About the first we hear of the Scotch is in Roman history, where we learn that after the Roman legions had overrun Europe they invaded Britain, sub- dued the people, and held them subject to imperial Rome for four hun- dred years, but the whole Roman army could not conquer Scotland, and no other nation has since had better success.
From such a race came the pride of New Hamshire, the brave Gen- eral Stark, who commanded the troops from New Hampshire at the bat- tle of Bunker Hill, and it was his countrymen who thrice that day re- pulsed the British at Pebbly Beach on the Mystic. The battle of Bunker Hill was won by New Hampshire soldiers, commanded by generals from the old Granite State; the same John Stark saved the day at Bennington which was one of the most decisive battles of the war. The glory of his achievements are of such lasting nature that this very year the State of New Hampshire, by legislative enactment, will place in Stat- uary Hall, in the capital, at Washington, a marble statue of heroic size of Major General John Stark.
Friends and fellow citizens, we who have the red blood of Scotland in our veins, may well be proud of the achievements of our countrymen wherever they may be found, in town, state, or nation. Twelve of the presidents of the United States, five of the chief justices of the Supreme Court, claims to be of Scotch origin, while the grand list of scholars , orators and and statesmen, who have the same blood in their veins, are without number. The Scotch emigrant needs not not to be American- ized; he brings with him no old world race of national antipathies, but
CHRISTOPHER C. SHAW, ESQ.
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a love of our country and our institutions. Americanism is a question of spirit, convictions and purposes and not of creed or birthplace. To . be successful over the dangers that confront us, to achieve true greatness and reach the lofty ideal which the founders and preservers of our mighty republic have set before us, we must be true Americans in heart and soul, and in spirit and purpose. We must be proud measure of the glorious privilege of calling ourselves Americans.
Friends, and fellow citizens of Milford, time will not permit further discussion of this, to me vastly interesting subject, for I am a Scotch- man| and am proud of the fact, and as a citizen of this one hundred years' old town I am proud of its past history and hopeful for its future prosperity. May our descendants be loyal to the principles of truth, loyal to justice and liberty, and loyal to the blood of their ancestors.
CHRISTOPHER C, SHAW, ESQ.
President Wallace :- Agriculture was once the only business in Mil- ford. It has always been, and is now, one of the most important inter- ests. I call upon Christopher C. Shaw, a son and life long resident of Milford, who has always been engaged in and taken a deep interest in agriculture to speak for that interest.
MR. PRESIDENT, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN : -
Most highly do I appreciate this opportunity of participating in the exercises of this historic occasion. Milford and her associations have always been dear to my heart. For more than three score and ten years, indeed, for the larger portion of the century that has now passed into history, have I been familiar with her people, her industries, and her social, political and religious associations, and while there has always been enough of the spirit of rivalry to promote a vigorous progressive growth in the various interests of the town, there has at all times existed that fraternal union of sentiment which has kept the town fully abreast with the march of improvements.
Indeed as a town noted for her agriculture, business relations, tem- perance and other reformatory, moral, political and religious works, and more especially her good schools, and the number of teachers sent out, she has stood in the very front rank, not of the towns of New Hamp shire only, but of New England.
Coursing through my veins, as does the blood of the first Benjamin Hopkins, John Burns, Captain Nathan Hutchinson, Andrew Burnham and William Shaw, and those of my family, of William Peabody, two of whom served their country in the Indian wars, two more in the war of the revelution, and still another in the war of 1812, it affords me great satisfaction to embrace this opportunity to voice the love aud re- spect I bear to them and their associates, the early settlers of this town for the grand inheritance that has come to me and my fellow citizens through their rugged courage, industry and perseverance.
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Well might they have felt a just pride, when they were clearing away their forests, constructing their log houses, and planting their hills of Indian corn here and there among the stumps of their newly cleared fields, or pounding their corn into meal, preparatory for food, with stones from their fields, or carrying it some 15 or 20 miles on horseback through the bridle paths of the unbroken forest, to the nearest mill to get it ground. Well might they have felt a just pride, I say, could they have looked forward to the town of to-day, with its improved agricul- ture, its beautiful homes, manufactures, railroads, schools, churches, free library, water system, electric lights, and best of all, its intelligent, in- dustrious, happy people.
But Mr. President, it was assigned to me to speak of the agriculture of the town. What shall I say of it ? Agriculture, as a subject, has been talked threadbare times without number, and still it comes up fresh and full of interest every returning season. And why should it not ? It was the first calling of man, and through all ages it has continued the first of importance, and the underlying industry. It furnished more than three-fourths of the entire exports of the country. So also of the freights of our great lake and rail transportation companies. It fur- nishes the principal factor of the commerce of our great cities, and gives employment to nearly one-half of the population of the country. In- deed upon it depends not only the prosperity of all other industries, but in fact their very existence.
But of the agriculture of our forefathers, it must be said that it was not only primitive but crude in the extreme. They found themselves in a land of unbroken forest, the clearing and burning of which had first to be done before the arts of the agriculturist could be introduced. The implements with which they had to do with, were crude, cumbersome, expensive and, to the agriculturist of the present day, would be deemed entirely unfit for the purpose they were designed for. Labor was scarce, and seeds were limited in varieties, and hard to get. Their crops con- sisted mainly of Indian corn, rye, barley, oats, flax, and potatoes, also beef, pork, mutton and poultry, while the beautiful handmaid of agri- culture, pomology, was scarcely known.
Little grain beyond the necessities of the home demand was raised, while they depended largely upon their animal industry for their cash receipts. I recollect listening to the tales of one of my grandmothers as she narrated her recollections of the methods and experiences of her great-grandfather, Benj. Hopkins (or Gov. Hopkins, as he was familiarly called), how he employed the friendly Indians in carrying on his great farm, known as the Charlestown School farm, comprising all the present farms lying on the river road between Mr. Matthias F. Crosby's home farm and the covered bridge at Jones' crossing, so-called. And how he paid them for their labor largely in rum and tobacco; and how he used to gather his cattle together in the fall of the year and drive such as could be spared to Boston to market. Their conveniences for travelling were crude, being mostly upon horseback. It is within my recollection
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DECORATIONS ON TOWN HOUSE.
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that the wagon known now as the farm, or family wagon, set upon springs, was introduced. So also of the mowing machine, reapers, horse- rakes, thrashing machines, iron and steel plows, cultivators, seed sowers and all dairy utensils, the dash churn, cheese press, and earthern pans alone excepted.
Perhaps there is no period in the history of the town's agriculture of more interest than the years from 1810 to 1850, when the culture of hops so largely prevailed. Most of the above years there was scarcely a farm within the town that did not have from one to five and six acres, and there was one that had twenty odd, while it was my privilege as a boy to ride horse to plow thirteen acres besides the two or three acres of corn and one or more of potatoes. The riding of horse to plow hops when the vines are well up the poles, as they usually were at the last hoeing, was peculiarly interesting as all will testify who have experi- enced the drawing of a good strong vine across the face, neck or arm.
The harvesting or picking of the hops was a season of great inter- est, for the reason that they were picked mostly by young ladies, gath- ered from the neighboring towns and employed from two to three weeks, varying in numbers from two or three to twenty or thirty, and some- times more, seldom ever less than twenty on our farmn. The canvassing the neighboring town, hunting up and engaging the girls (hoppickers as we called them), two or three weeks previous to the harvest, then col- lecting them in big two horse loads and returning them after the nops were picked, gave us boys at least a very interesting experience. The culture of hops, for the reason of their being mostly used in the brew- ing of beer, finally, under the influence of the temperance movement, which became strong in the town, gave way gradually to other crops, perhaps I might say to the raising of milk, which has continued to be the leading crop to date.
Next to the above in interest, perhaps, the cultivation of improved varieties of fruits, has made as great strides as any other. The science of grafting, budding and hybridizing were not practised in the early history of the town. Indeed, it is within my recollection that the first apple grafts were set in my part of the town, at which time I had never known or heard of a sale of a barrel of apples. The cultivation of small fruits was unheard of, and there were but two pear trees in town that I knew of, and perhaps my knowledge was as extended on that sub- ject as that of most boys.
To-day we have fine orchards of luxurions apples upon most every farm, while their reputation has become world-wide, and the markets of the old world our best customers. We have also our pear orchards, vine- yards and fields of small fruits, all contributing freely to the revenues of their enterprising growers, as well as to the health and cheerfulness of all who participate in their consumption.
Not so with the dairy. The cow has always kept pace with the civilization of man, and came to town with our ancestors, but what of her ? She was the best known here at the time, but like most of her as-
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