History of Hillsborough County, New Hampshire, Part 169

Author: Hurd, D. Hamilton (Duane Hamilton)
Publication date: 1885
Publisher: Philadelphia : J.W. Lewis
Number of Pages: 1168

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"The schools were well attended, considering the distance to walk ; there was some very cold weather ; it made cold hands and feet, to say little of ears and noses. Such an article as a thermometer was not known to us children ; no doubt we had zero weather with quite a number of degrees below-children were not provided with the warm clothing that they are blest with now, yet they were punctual at school. Teachers many times boarded in different families to lengthen the school-the summer schools passed off with little variation, sewing was taught with reading and spelling ; the lesson was learned from Perry's spelling book ; this was the guiding star from 1807 to 1812.

" The larger scholars in the winter schools required help from the teach- ers more than the smaller ones ; they had to be a grade by themselves. The school-house that was built near the oldl meeting-house is nearly ninety years okl. I attended school in it seventy-eight years ago ; the dis- triet was large theu.

" In I×16 a school-house was built on the extreme west part of Mr. Gil- man Mansur's field, on the north side of the road; since then a new house has been built about half a mile toward the French village. Such a thing as bringing a pail of water into a school-room would have been thought out of order ; how many times the scholars had to run to the well which belonged to the house, later owned by Dr. Parkhurst ; how sweet the water wohl taste from that 'moss covered bucket' that hung to the sweep ready to drop into the well ; we could rest it on the curb and slake our thirst ; a dish or tumbler was not provided in those days.

" The old meeting-house on the common ! how many have worshiped in it ; I can see them now, by imagination, almost eighty years ago.

" I hear the voices of Mr. Joshua Blanchard, Deacon John Burton, Mr. Jeremiah Abbot ; what alto sounds Mr. Blanchard and Mr. Abbot produced ; Deacon Burton had a strong tenor voice and the pastor, Rev. Thomas Beede, was one that conkl perform his part well.

" The old meeting-house where our forefathers worshiped, how sad that it was destroyed with ruthless hands. How many times I have sat, when quite a child, looking to the golden dove, wondering she did not fly and find some other resting place than on the sonding board.

" Many times I sat with cold hands and feet wishing the long sermons wonkł end ; the foot-stove would be passed from one to another, to keep the fret comfortable ; yet the pews were very well filled, very few stayed from church in those days ; a warmer meeting-honse was not conceived of then. The town was mostly settled by farmers ; every family manu- factured their own cloth ; they could raise the wool and the female part ot the house could card, spin and weave it ; it was very hard work for the

shoulders to draw the wool through the cards, and not unfrequently there would be parties among the young people to help each other in breaking wool, which was considered half carded, when they had fin- ished their afternoon work.

" Then Uncle Nathan Martin would find his way to the house. Though blind he could fiddle. Very few in those days but could trip the light fan- tastic toe, if accompanied by Uncle Nathan's violin.

"Every day's wear was of home manufacture, such articles of comfort as undershirts, drawers and even lined pants, I never heard mentioned before 1812. The first carding machine near Wilton, was in New Ips- wich, not earlier than 1808, wool was carried there to be carded. Flax was raised by the majority of farmers, summer clothing was mostly made from Flax and cotton.

" Anciently I never heard of any dissension of religious opinions until 1808. The first minister of the town asked dismission, why I never heard, but always heard him spoken of as a truly good man, he never wasted words, whatever he said he meant. He was once conversing with a friend about the cost of a liberal education, said he, " Had I known that my son, whom I have educated, would have chosen a legal profession, I never should have expended so much for him.' His friend made answer to him, 'It is possible for lawyers to be Christians.' 'I believe it,' said he, 'but it is very rare.'

"Ilis death was very sudden, soon after he retired something unusual appeared in his breathing, his wife spoke to him, he made no answer, she went for a light, when she returned life had departed. He was the first person buried in the South Cemetery. Rev. Abel Fisk was the next min- ister. I think he was very much beloved by the people, and they felt his loss. Rev. Thomas Beede was the next ordained minister, some of the people were so pleased that they expressed themselves as having their loss more than made up to them.

"Mr. Beede was a gentleman who could win the youth by his teach- ings in school, and ont of school, his kindness in various ways, his judi- cions advice in little difficulties, ever ready to render assistance to the needy, if it could not always be in deeds it was always in words of sympathy and encouragement which had the effect to do good. How many have been blessed in their education by his efforts, not only for minor schools, but many for their collegiate course. The few advantages with which I was blessed I owe to Mr. and Mrs. Beede. He was my first teacher and my last in school.

" Mrs. Beede was a lady one could not get acquainted without loving her as a friend, in every thing good she was ever active, in disappoint- ments or crosses she ever gave advice charitably. 'To err was human, to forgive divine." In 1811 Mr. Beede invited all the children who would like to learn to sing to meet at the school-house, near the meeting-house and he would instruct them. At the day appointed there was a great turnout, the school was quite a success, there were some most excellent voices, it did not take long to learn the rules for vocal musie in those days, the rising and falling of the notes were soon accomplished ; the first tune was ' Little Marlborough,' the second was 'Plymouth ;' when we could call the notes to those tunes, we imagined ourselves quite singers, with the praise of our instructors. Very few of that school are left to remember it now.

" In the ministry of Mr. Fisk they had what is termed congregational singing. They sang from David's Psalms; the Deacon would read a line, commence the tune, all the people would follow him, then another line and they would finish the psalm in that way. At last the younger singers wished to improve, and a Mr. Henrick was hired to teach. He had three sessions a day, the tunes were lively and they had a great inter- est in them. After a while they had a desire for instrumental music with the singing ; this was most bitterly opposed by a number of men advanced in years, they would leave the church every time singing commenced, their prejudice was at such a length they did not stop to hear, one said he did not wish to hear the devil's fiddle (base viol) played on at any place, he could not bear to hear it in church, another did not like the devil's baboon (bassoon). At last one of the men joined the Baptist Church in Mason, it was some years before the Baptist Church was organized in Wilton.

"There was one veteran that was very much prejudiced against a cer- tain minister who exchanged with Mr. Beede, the old gentleman did not mind him when he seated himself in the body seats. Ile started for the door as soon as he found who was to preach, as he passed to the door a man said to him. ' Stay and hear the rest.' Ile replied, ' The di'el a bit of it, I have heard enough of it already.1 * * * * % *

" In 1815 there was a society called the Literary and Moral Society, for the benefit of the young people. The exercises were writing themes, de- claiming and the discussion of such questions proposed as would give in- struction to the members. Rev. Thomas Beede was the instructor, many

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WILTON.

of his remarks have been a blessing to me to the present day. Questions in Philosophy and " Mason, on Self-knowledge," were for our study. I

believe it ended in a Lyceum.

" In 1801 an epidemic visited the town something like the typhus fever, many families were sadly afflicted. Rev. Abel Fisk and the physician, Dr. Rockwood, were the first who were taken with it. 1 think there were but twofamilies that escaped, they lived on the outskirts of the town. The physician that attended was Dr. Preston, Sr., of New Ipswich, he rode night and day until Dr. Rockwood was able to assist, one family lost six (Simon Keyes), father, mother, three sons and one daughter. Many suffered for want of proper care, there were not enough to care for the sick who were able. Very few were willing to come from out of town for fear of the fever. The North cemetery will tell of the numbers by the gravestones which years have not obliterated. A pedler was thought to have introduced the disease.

" In conclusion, I look back on the friends in the town where I had my earliest associations, I know not if any near my own age are living. Echo points 'over there,' or 'crossed the river,' the old land-mark, the church on the hill, has gone from sight, where my parents, brothers and sisters worshipped. Change, change is written on many things, and Wilton has had its share.

"Although my lot has been cast in another locality, I still cling to the memory of the early associations of my childhood, and the boatman will call for me to land me on the shore 'over there,' where many are gone before, and not a great while hence it will be my lot to go as they have gone."

CHAPTER VII.

WILTON-(Continued).

PAUPERISM AND INSANITY.

IN the earlier stages of New England civilization the condition of the abnormal members of the com- munity, such as panpers, the insane, orphans, slaves and criminals, was a hard one. Puritanism made men and women stern, resolute, firm, severe, but not particularly gentle, compassionate, sympathetic or humanitarian. God himself was looked upon as King and Judge, rather than as the Universal Father. If men suffered, the feeling was that they ought to suffer. It was the Hebrew code, rather than the Christian,-an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth. The Indians were regarded and treated as the children of the devil and worthy of extermina- tion. They were often sold into slavery. Slaves were made even of white men. Little compassion was felt for those who fell out of line and did not keep step with the march of society. The poor were sold at auction, for their maintenance, to the lowest bidder. The insane were regarded with superstitious awe, and often shut up in cold and filthy out-houses, sometimes chained, without fire, suitable clothing. proper food or medical attendance. I knew, in one town, where a man was confined in a cage for thirty years, from which he had never been out but once. The treatment of criminals was harsh and vindictive, and the condition of jails and lock-ups was a reproach to civilization and Christianity. Orphan children, apprentices and the friendless often experienced little mercy or commiseration from those who had them in charge, or from the community. Domestic and school

discipline, even to the more favored, was grounded on the proverb of "sparing the rod and spoiling the child." Such was the general character of the times, to which there were, of course, many notable exceptions worthy of all commendation.

But all these features are so changed now that they appear as almost incredible to later times. There have been no reforms more remarkable than those of the amelioration of the condition and life of the weak and suffering classes. The leaven of Christian- ity has been leavening the whole lump, and reaching out and down to the very outskirts of society. The spirit of Him who came not to destroy men's lives but to save them, and to seek and save the lost, is be- coming the corporate spirit of States and cities. When we consider the progress of the last one hun- dred and fifty years in the direction of humane and benevolent activity, we cannot but hope for still greater and more beneficent changes in the near future.

The Centennial Pamphlet tells us that

" The first pauper in town was by the name of Stratton, who received aid from the town before the Revolution. From this time till 1830 there were but seven families-and these but in part-who were supported by the town. Some other individuals, but very few in number, have occa- sionally received aid. In 1830 a farm for the poor was purchased and was carried on by the town for some years. The products of this farm were nearly sufficient, in most years, to pay the wages of the overseer and family and for the support of the poor."

Town Farm .- At the annual town-meeting in March, 1830, the town voted to purchase a farm on which to support the poor. Joel Abbot, Oliver Per- ham and Daniel Batchelder, selectmen, and Jonathan Parkhurst and Jonathan Livermore were appointed a committee to purchase a farm, stock, tools and furni- ture, and employ a man and his wife to manage the same.

The paupers were supported on this farm thirty- eight years. At the annual town-meeting in March, 1868, the town

" Voted, That the selectmen appoint a committee of three to dispose of and sell the town farm."

" Voted, That this committee sell the personal property on the town farm on the 1st day of April next."

" Voted, That this committee be authorized and empowered to dispose of, sell and convey said farm and to give a deed of the same."

The farm comprised lot No. 8, in the eighth range, and about three-fourths of lot No. 8 in the ninth range of lots. The farm was formerly owned by Nathan A. Whiting. After the town sold the farm the paupers were provided for by contract.

Hillsborough County Farm .- The increase of manufacturing at Manchester, Nashua and other vil- lages in the county, and the law passed in 1841 mak- ing void all " settlements" gained in the towns prior to 1796, added much to the number of the paupers to be supported by the county.

The county judges-Hon. Jacob Whittemore, of Antrim, and Hon. Jesse Carr, of Goffstown-at that

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HISTORY OF HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, NEW HAMPSHIRE.

time had the superintendence of all matters relating to the county paupers. For the purpose of lessening the expenses to the county of maintaining the pau- pers, in the latter part of the year 1849 they pur- chased of Noyes Poor, Esq., of Goffstown, a farm, for which was paid ten thousand dollars.

At the session of the Legislature of 1851 the Rep- resentatives of Hillsborough County met in conven- tion for the purpose of examining the financial af- fairs of the county, and the following resolve was passed :

" Resolved, That Jonathan D. Clement, of Weare, be and is hereby ap- pointed, in behalf of this convention, to make examination into and thoroughly investigate the financial affairs of the county for the last five years, and to make and report to the next county convention a general statement of the affairs of each of said years, and a full and particular statement of said affairs in detail, for each of the two last years, and that said Clement have power to send for persons and papers in making said investigation."

This resolution, having been considered by the con- vention, was, on motion, adopted by unanimous votes.

Mr. Clement submitted his report to the Conven- tion of Representatives of Hillsborough County, in convention, June session, 1852. From that report we take the following account of the expenses of the county for paupers in the years named in the report :

Cash paid October term, 1846 $4,328.13

Cash paid January term, 1847 . 379.03

Cash paid April term, 1847 5,003.50

Cash paid October term, 1847 . 5,931.18

Cash paid April term, 1848 4,098.83

10,030.01

Cash paid October term, 1848 6,563.55

Cash paid April term, 1849 6,096.76

12,660.31

Cash paid October term, 1849 . 7,518.94

Cash paid April term, 1850 6,554.53

14,073.47

Cash paid October term, 1850 2,346.90

Cash paid January term, 1851 . 214.58

Cash paid April term, 1851 2,487.32

5,048.80

Cash paid for support of County Farm.

Cash paid October term, 1850.

1,650.40

Cash paid January term, 1851 . 1,764.77

Cash paid Apri! term, 1851. 1,707.76

5,122.93

Total for the years 1850-51 $10,171.73

In February, 1850, the judges notified the several towns that the establishment in Goffstown was ready to receive paupers.

In the report of 1850 is the account

For repairing and fitting up the building 8183.73

For stock, farming tools and furniture 1,678.91

$2,162.64

Cost of Farm

10,000.00

Total outlay . $12,162.64

The first report of the justices was dated September 3, 1850, the institution having been occupied about six months.

At that time there had been one hundred and seventy-six paupers at the farm, eighty-eight having been the largest number at any time, and seventy- seven being the average number.

The law passed by the Legislature in 1855 re- modeled the judiciary, abolished the offices of county justices and road commissioners, and created the office of county commissioners, with the same duties and powers of those of the county justices and road commissioners.

In the report of the commissioners, dated Decem- ber, 1857, for the year previous, the expenses of the paupers are as follows ;

At the county farm $4,546.33

Paidto towns for support of county paupers . 5,544.73 To pay special contracts, New Hampshire Asylum, printing, etc. 614.32

Total . $10,705.38

Whole number of paupers at the farm, 281.

Average number, 1041/2.

Number of weeks' board of panpers, 5434.

The Legislature, in 1860 or 1861, passed a law making void all settlements gained prior to 1840, that threw the support of most of the paupers upon the county, and caused the sale of the farms that were owned by the towns on which the paupers had been supported.

The next report we have is for the year ending January 1, 1868, which was the year the paupers were removed from Goffstown to Wilton.

Late in the year 1866 the buildings at the farm in Goffstown, with the exception of the barn, stable and corn-barn, were destroyed by fire.

The representatives of the towns of Hillsborough County, in convention at Manchester, in January, 1867, instructed the county commissioners to sell as speedily as possible, consistent with the interest of the county, at public or private sale, the county poor farm at Goffstown, in whole or in parts, and such parts of the personal property connected with the farm as they deem advisable, and directed and author- ized them to purchase the Whiting farm, in Wilton, so called, at an expense not exceeding the sum of twelve thousand five hundred dollars, and directed and authorized them to erect such further buildings on said farm as may be necessary for the accommo- dation of the county, at an expense not exceeding ten thousand dollars.

The county took possession of the farm April 1, 1867, and a building was erected of wooden materials, eighty-two by forty feet, three stories high, with cellar under the whole, cemented bottom, and par- titioned into rooms suitable for the purposes needed.

The farm is bounded on the west by Temple, and the north line is one-half mile from the south line of Lyndeborough, and contains four hundred and thirty-six acres ; also, northwesterly from the build- ings, a lot of one hundred acres, that is bounded on the north by Lyndeborough line, is included in the farm. Since the farm was purchased by the county, there has been expended in building, including the

$9,710.66

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WILTON.

boiler-house and boilers, over twenty thousand dol- lars.

In 1884 a wind-mill, with the necessary apparatus, was put in for raising water into the building, at a cost of five hundred and twenty-one dollars. This arrangement has proved satisfactory.

A number of years since the establishment was made a county House of Correction, which adds to the number of those that are able to work.

While Captain Bumpus was the superintendent, twelve acres of the pasture west of the buildings, to- wards the intervale, were cleared of rocks; and since the present superintendent, Mr. Charles A. Stiles, has had charge, twenty acres north of the buildings and ten acres east of the road have been cleared of the rocks, with two acres that have been commenced, which, when completed, will make forty-four acres changed from rough pasture land to smooth fields.

The old walls have also been cleared off, making but one field on the west side of the road. On the southerly part of the farm is a large orchard of nearly all Baldwin apples, from which, in 1883, were taken twelve hundred bushels of marketable fruit.

We extract from the report of 1873 the following statistics :

Number at the almshouse Jannary 1, 1872, 108.

Admitted during the year, 146. Deaths during the year, 11. Weekly average during the year, 118.

Number at the almshouse January 1, 1873, 120.

Of the one hundred and forty-six admitted during the year, twenty-nine were sentenced to the House of Correction.

Cost for the support f panpers at the farm . $9,287.80

For support of paupers away from the farm 5,791.52

Total . $15,079.32

From the report for the year ending April 30, 1884, we take the following statistics :

Number at the almshouse May 1, 1883, 244.

Admitted to May 1, 1884, 253. Discharged to May 1, 1881, 243.

Supported and partially supported, 497.

Births, 11.

Deaths, 27.

Weekly average, 266.

Number at the alms-house May 1, 1884, 254.

For support of paupers at the almshouse

$23,430.45

For support of paupers in towns and cities 13,673.12

Total cost of supporting paupers in the county of Hillsbor-

ough from May 1, 1883, to May 1, 1884 £37,103.57

Since the county farm has been established in Wil- ton, three chaplains have held office,-Rev. S. C. Fletcher, Rev. I. S. Lincoln and Rev. George C. Trow. Messrs. Fletcher and Trow are Baptists, and Mr. Lincoln Unitarian. The last gentleman officiated for ten years, ending May 1, 1884.

There have also been two superintendents,-Captain G. G. Bumpus and C. A. Stiles Esq.

Crimes and Punishments .- In the time of our

fathers, whipping was a common punishment for small offenses, such as petty larceny and assault and bat- tery. This custom is revived in several States of the Union, as the proper infliction for wife-beaters and other despicable criminals. But cruelty in general only begets more cruelty and barbarism. Wife-beaters are almost without exception drunkards. To prohibit liquor-making and liquor-selling is the sure method to stop wife-beating.

At the County Court held at Amherst October, 1771, Jonas Stapleton was sentenced to be whipped twenty stripes, and to be sold as a slave for seven years, pro- vided he could not pay his fine. It is not stated what his fine was.

An oak on the Wilton common was, in very early times, the whipping-post. A culprit, condemned to this punishment for stealing clothes from a clothes- line, while undergoing the lash, made his shrieks heard across the valley, a mile away. An old lady relates that, at a later period, a whipping-post, eight or ten feet high, stood at the southeast corner of the common. Here justice was administered by the offi- cers of the town to all violators of the law. The same post was also used as a bulletin-board for no- tices.

Aggravated crimes have been very rare in Wilton history. Robbing graves was at one time carried on to some extent, but though the offenders were strongly suspected, and almost certainly identified, no positive proof could be obtained sufficient for an indictment and conviction. A document still exists in which it is recommended to the town to ferret out such heinous doings, and to re- munerate a detective who had been employed to visit Boston and bring the criminals to justice. But though some persons fled from town, no arrests were made, and the whole affair subsided. At another time a native of the town, no doubt deranged, dis- interred a body in the North Cemetery, and carried the bones to another State and showed them to some persons.

In 1865 a supposed horse-thief was passing through town and was arrested and indicted, under the name of W. J. Hunter, alias George Brown, but the evidence failing to convict him, the man was discharged.

Some years ago an altercation took place on the pub- lic street in East Wilton, on Sunday, in which Thomas Broderick, of Milford, struck one Doyle on the head with the edge of a board. Doyle fell and died in a few minutes. Broderiek was convicted of man- slaughter and sentenced to the State Prison for a term of years. After about one year's imprisonment, he was pardoned out by the Governor, on a peti- tion signed by a large number of the citizens of Mil- ford.

About the year 1868 two young men-Newgent and Howard-committed several burglaries at East Wilton, but were arrested in Peterborough, and tried and senteneed to the State Prison for three years.

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HISTORY OF HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, NEW HAMPSHIRE.

Less than a month elapsed between their crime and their punishment.

About the year 1870 a young man by the name of Barry was convicted of committing a burglary at East Wilton, and sentenced to the State Prison for two or three years.

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History of Hillsborough County, New Hampshire, Part 169

Author: Hurd, D. Hamilton (Duane Hamilton) Publication date: 1885 Publisher: Philadelphia : J.W. Lewis Number of Pages: 1168

Author: Hurd, D. Hamilton (Duane Hamilton)
Publication date: 1885
Publisher: Philadelphia : J.W. Lewis
Number of Pages: 1168