USA > New Hampshire > History of New Hampshire, Volume IV > Part 11
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The legislature of 1868 enacted a statute providing for a "thorough geological and mineralogical survey of this state, with a view to discover and examine all beds or deposits of ore, coal, clay, marls, and such other mineral substances as may be useful or valuable, and to perform such other duties as may be necessary to complete such survey." Accordingly Mr. Charles H. Hitchcock was secured as State Geologist to superintend the survey and annual reports were made till 1878, when the work was completed and published in three large volumes, with many illustrations, maps and charts. Mr. Hitchcock was assisted by George L. Vose of Paris, Maine, afterwards professor in Bowdoin College, whose work was principally in the White Mountains; by J. H. Huntington of Norwich, Conn., whose field of labor was Coos county; by Prof. E. W. Dimond of Hanover, chemist; by Prof. E. T. Quimby of Dartmouth College, who had charge of the United States Coast Survey and made a trigonometrical survey of the State; and by six students from the class of 1871 at Dartmouth College. A station was established on the summit of Mount Washington, and here a party of men spent a winter, connected by telegraph with Hanover. One result of this survey was the raised map of New Hampshire that hangs in the entrance hall of the State House, a wonderful representation of the mountains, rivers, towns and general lay of the land. The survey revealed no deposits of precious metals more than had been known before. Gold, silver, lead and iron were found in small quantities in many places. Fossils and coral formations indicate that northern New Hamp- shire was once beneath the ocean, and boulders and glacial drift show that an enormous sheet of ice has moved even over the summit of Mount Washington. The Creator has taken millions of years to get New Hampshire ready for the abode of man.
In the presidential election of 1876 New Hampshire cast 41,525 votes for Rutherford B. Hayes and 38,450 for Samuel J. Tilden, while the candidate of the Prohibition party received only eighty-seven votes and no votes are credited to the candidate of the Greenback party, Peter Cooper. That party does not seem to have made much impression upon New Hampshire, although it polled 81,737 votes throughout the United States. At its begin- ning in 1874 it advocated paper currency only, "based on the faith and resources of the nation," exchangeable on demand for
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interest-bearing bonds-and the bonds were to be exchangeable for more paper currency. A great many simple-minded people thought this would be an easy way of making money, and that thus the nation might pay off its debts and bring a lot of money into circulation. In 1878 the Labor-reform and Greenback parties united and in the State elections of that year the fusion party polled a million votes, of which New Hampshire cast 6,507 for Warren G. Brown for governor. The party elected fourteen congress- men, and quite a furore resulted. "Fiat-money," "rag-money" were the epithets hurled at it. Men who knew nothing about banking and had never entered the world of finance were talking glibly about the profoundest problems in political science. The labor-reformers had something worth saying and these floated the party for a while, demanding a shorter work-day, abolition of child-labor, and a living wage. In the presidential election of 1880 this party cast only 307,306 votes for their candidate, James B. Weaver of Iowa, and four years later the Greenbackers united with the Anti-monopolists, under the leadership of Benjamin F. Butler, and polled 133,825 votes. The labor-reformers had aban- doned the Greenback party, and it died of paucity of ideas and im- pecuniosity.
In the election of 1877 the Republicans triumphed, giving to Benjamin F. Prescott 40,755 votes, over four thousand more than were thrown for Hon. Daniel Marcy of Portsmouth. Asa A. Kendall had three hundred and thirty-nine votes. Benjamin Franklin Prescott was born in Epping, February 26, 1833. After being educated at Pembroke Academy, Philips Exeter Academy, and Dartmouth College, where he was graduated in 1856, he taught school and studied law four years. In 1861 he became associate editor of the Independent Democrat, then the leading anti-slavery paper in the State. From 1865 to 1869 he was special agent of the United States Treasury Department for New Eng- land. He was secretary of the Republican State Committee for fifteen years from 1859. From 1872 to 1877, except the year 1874, he was Secretary of State. He was re-elected governor in 1878 by a majority of fifteen hundred over Frank A. Mckean. Both Dartmouth College and the New Hampshire College of Agricul- ture and Mechanic Arts made him one of their trustees. His services as a public speaker were in demand to a wide extent.
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He took a conspicuous part in the one hundredth anniversary of the battle of Bennington, was present at the laying of the corner stone of the monument there in 1887, and participated in its dedication in 1891. To the anniversary of that battle, in 1877, New Hampshire sent three companies of militia at public expense. Governor Prescott was for six years one of the railroad com- missioners. He led the movement of collecting for the State House, for Phillips Academy, and for Dartmouth College, portraits of distinguished sons and alumni. Through his efforts nearly three hundred portraits were secured. He died in Concord, Febru- ary 21, 1895, remembered as a man of excellent ability and spirit, an honor to the State in all the positions he filled.
Governor Prescott's messages to the legislature have length and breadth. Of necessity they deal with many commonplace mat- ters and follow the usual line of suggestions. Here is what he says about the faultiness of legal procedure.
"For many years, certainly so far back as my memory goes, there has been much complaint of the slow pace of legal pro- ceedings. That can hardly be called an administration of justice which keeps suits so long in court that the rich cannot afford, and the poor are unable, to contend for their legal rights. The law's delay has long been a by-word. The complaint is, that cases remain on the docket year after year, awaiting trial; that parties, exhausted by trouble, anxiety and cost, abandon their suits and their rights in despair, and go out of court with dimin- ished respect for free government; that many suffer serious wrongs and losses, without resorting to the legal remedy, because they believe it is not likely to improve their condition, and that, for these reasons, the law is employed too much for revenge, and too little for relief and redress. Some, no doubt, may desire a quicker decision than is possible in the nature of the case, and unreasonably complain of the delays that are unavoidable. But the fact of delay is so notorious, and the complaint so general, as to demand investigation and the adop- tion of remedial measures, if any are necessary and practicable. I have taken some pains to ascertain facts from the clerks of our courts, in order to speak from the figures and not generalize. One year ago there were 4,400 continued cases; and on the dockets of the circuit court more than 6,000 have been entered
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since that time." The remedy he recommended was an in- crease in the number of judges. Also he would abolish the custom of allowing the defeated party a retrial of his case, a custom that prevailed in no other State. A man condemned to the gallows or to imprisonment for life could have a second trial only on showing adequate reasons therefor, but property was considered of more value than human life, and a civil suit about an unimportant matter must be tried a second time, if one party demanded it, although the cost of a jury court was estimated to be one hundred dollars a day. The money saved from abol- ishing the second trials would more than pay the expenses of additional judges needed.
The referee law, enacted about this time, removed a great number of small suits from the courts and greatly decreased the expense of litigation. The poor thus had some chance of success in contending against the rich, and the decision of a referee was more acceptable than that of a jury, in small cases. The ancient, oriental system of trial before a judge that sat in the gateway of the city has some points of superiority over the trial by a jury of twelve men, especially when the judge, or referee, has the requisite wisdom and character; otherwise it is the worst system imaginable. The ignorant judge, or one that can be bribed, is a curse to all parties.
At this time tramps were investing the state. Governor Prescott recommended strong action to abate the nuisance and menace to society. A large number of able-bodied men, singly and in bands, were wandering about, refusing to work even for a night's lodging or a meal of victuals, "filthy, lazy, idle and vicious." Such vagrancy had become a profession, and a sent- ence to a short period on some county farm, where they did no work, were well fed and provided with the comforts of life, was just the sort of punishment that the tramp liked. It was a pleasure and a luxury to him. To be compelled to work with- out compensation was the remedy suggested. Accordingly the legislature of 1878 enacted a law, which sent a tramp to the State Prison for fifteen months or more, where he was sub- jected to hard labor, and a reward of ten dollars was offered to anyone who would secure the conviction of a tramp. Immedi- ately such vagrants disappeared like mists before the wind. Governor Natt Head, in his message the following year, said
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that the law had "proved to be nearly perfect. It has rid us of a class of vagrants whose presence was a constant annoyance and danger, and whose support was a heavy burden." The law was adopted by several other States. It still remains upon the statute book, but a revival of its enforcement is well worth considering.
A new State Prison was erected at this time, for which the legislature appropriated $230,000. It was built about a mile north of the old one, and twenty-seven acres of land were se- cured for its use. On the old site dwelling houses have been erected.
Natt Head, as he was generally called, was elected governor in 1879 under the new law of biennial election. It had been the custom for a long time to re-elect a governor if possible, so as to give him two years of office. Henceforth he was elected for two years, and no effort has been made down to the present time to re-elect a governor, although the Constitution does not prohibit it. Now there might be as much prejudice against a second term of the governor of New Hampshire as there is against a third term of the president of the United States. It is hard to break an old custom, even if there is little reason in it.
Natt Head was born in Hooksett, May 20, 1828, of Welsh and Scotch ancestry. His education was received in the com- mon schools and Pembroke Academy. Early he became in- terested in military matters. Hooksett was represented by him in the legislature of 1862. Governor Gilmore made him adjutant, inspector and quartermaster-general in 1864, and Mr. Head did much for the recruiting and equipping of soldiers in the last year of the Civil War. His reports as adjutant-general are of great historical value, including the whole military history of New Hampshire as to enlisted men. He was elected to the State Senate, as many thought, in 1875, and unseated through a technicality, though the Justices decided against him. The people remembered it and gave him an unexpected majority for governor over both Democratic and Greenback candidates. He served in the Senate in 1876 and 1877, being its president in the latter year. With his administration as governor there was general satisfaction. He died in Hooksett, November 12, 1883.
Kimball
CHARLES H. BELL
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The governor's message shows that the State paid in premiums to fire insurance companies, during the preceding year $417,764 and received back in settlement of losses $360,848. The difference shows what it cost the State for protection. Policies covered risks to the amount of $64,000,000. The amount paid for accident and life insurance was $260,383, and the amount received by representatives of insured persons was $219,484. This was exclusive of the amounts received from various mutual relief associations. Insurance Commissioners had been created by law some years before, and they have con- tinued ever since to watch the insurance companies and guard the rights and interests of the insured. At that time only one fire insurance company of State origin was doing business.
The sixty-six savings banks were paying four, four and a half, and five per cent. interest on over twenty-six million dollars deposited, a falling off of deposits to the extent of five or six millions, because United States bonds were paying full as well and by some were considered safer. Hence money was with- drawn from the savings banks for the purchase of government bonds. The State tax then was one per cent. of deposits, and thus the savings banks paid about three-fourths of the taxes of the State. The governor suggested that a tax of three- fourths of one per cent. might relieve the situation. A bill to that effect was indefinitely postponed.
In 1881 Charles H. Bell of Exeter was elected governor by a vote of 44,432, the largest vote cast up to that time for a governor, about three thousand more than all his competitors. received. The Greenback party had shrunk to one-twelfth its size two years before. Gov. Charles Henry Bell came of a family of governors and jurists. He was born in Chester, November 18, 1823, son of Gov. John and Persis (Thom) Bell, nephew of Gov. Samuel Bell. He was fitted for college at Pembroke and Phillips Exeter Academies and was graduated at Dartmouth in 1844. Admitted to the bar in 1847 he practiced a few years at Great Falls and removed to Exeter in 1854. Taking an active part in politics he was elected to represent that town in the legislature in 1858-60, 1872-73. He was a member of the State Senate in 1863 and 1864. He served as Speaker of the House and President of the Senate. For a short time he sat in the United States Senate by appointment in 1870. In the constitu-
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tional convention of 1889 he was the presiding officer. Dart- mouth College gave him the degree of Doctor of Laws and elected him a trustee. He was also trustee of Phillips Exeter Academy and of Robinson Seminary. After 1868 he did little law business and devoted his time to literary pursuits, making extensive historical researches and publishing a History of Ex- eter, a Biography of John Wheelwright, with extended and learned examination of the so called Wheelwright Deed, and similar works. From 1869 to 1887 he was President of the New Hampshire Historical Society. He died at Exeter, November II, 1893. For general scholarship and ability, for integrity of character, for calm dignity, for sociability of nature, and for clear and condensed style of writing, Gov. Charles H. Bell ranks among the very first.
The governor's message shows an acquaintance with law and its defects. In his judgment the laws of marriage and divorce ought to be so changed as to decrease the evil of hasty marriages, followed by too frequent divorces. The law in New Hampshire until very recently required no publication of inten- tions prior to the date of the marriage, and parties came into the State from across its borders for the sake of a privilege not accorded in their own States. The party guilty of conduct that is cause for dissolving one marriage should not be allowed another at pleasure. It was also recommended that, since the sale of intoxicating liquors as a beverage was prohibited by law, its manufacture should be forbidden and made unlawful. If one is wrong, the other must be. He says that "the improper use of money to influence popular elections is a crying evil of our times. It has become so general that little or no secrecy is made of it, and that well-meaning men assume to justify it. But nothing can be more fatal to the security of our free institutions. When the longest purse secures the election to office, we may bid farewell to liberty and virtue in the government." He suggests ignominious punishment to stamp out the practice so degrading to the voter.
In the legislature of 1881 the question arose whether a United States senator should then be elected to suceed Senator Rollins in March 1883, or whether his sucessor should be elected by the next legislature, which would not convene till June 1883, or three months after the expiration of Senator Rollins' term of
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office. The question was referred to the committtee on the ju- diciary, who made both a majority and a minority report. The former was signed by William E. Chandler for the committee and favored a postponement of the election of a senator till 1883, suggesting that if necessary the governor could appoint somebody to fill the vacancy from March to June, as was done in the appointment of Senator Charles H. Bell in 1879. The minority report was a long one, signed by Henry Morrison, and favored an election by the legislature of 1881. The opinion of the Supreme Court was sought by the Senate without consult- ing with the House, and their opinion was treated as only that of six lawyers, countermatched by six equally good lawyers in the House. It was not a strictly party question. The issue seems to have been, that if the legislature of 1881 elected, then the senator in office, Edwin H. Rollins, would probably be re-elected ; if the election were postponed, he might be defeated. The ma- jority report was defended by Mr. Chandler, General Marston and Harry Bingham, the last being at his best in arguing a con- stitutional question. The Rev. Alonzo H. Quint of Dover argued for the minority report. The election was postponed, and in 1883 Austin F. Pike was chosen to succeed Senator Rollins, to serve from three months before he was elected. Since the United States senate was not then in session, the need of an acting senator from New Hampshire was not felt. It was thought better so to decide than to elect a senator two and a half years before he would be able to take his seat. It is easy to interpret almost any law to suit desired ends.
The State Board of Health was established by the legisla- ture of 1881.
Samuel Whitney Hale was elected governor by a small majority in 1883, receiving 38,402 votes. He was born at Fitch- burg, Massachusetts, April 2, 823. The district school and academy, with the farm, gave him an education. At the age of twenty-two he began a business career with a brother at Dublin, whence he removed to Keene and became a manufac- turer of chairs, employing one hundred men in the shop and five hundred women and children outside. He also engaged in the purchase and sale of shoe pegs, exporting great quantities to Germany and sometimes selling a thousand bushels in a day. In 1882 he bought and managed a woolen mill in Lebanon. He
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was a member of the legislature in 1866-7, and in 1869-70 he served on the governor's council. In 1880 he was a delegate to the Republican national convention at Chicago. In earlier life he was a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church, but after his removal to Keene became affiliated with the Congrega- tionalists. He died in Brooklyn, New York, October 16, 1891, and was buried in Keene.
His was a business administration. There is little to relate outside of the ordinary routine of State affairs. Since it is not the plan of this work to chronicle the political history of New Hampshire later than the year 1884, we may note more particu- larly the state of public affairs and institutions. The State In- dustrial School had been in operation twenty-five years, built upon the old Stark farm in Manchester. It had ninety-two boys and eighteen girls as inmates. Up to that time eleven hundred boys and girls had been received into the institution, and only two had died there. Careful records showed that seventy-five per cent. of the discharged inmates became exemplary and useful citizens. The only thing needed was a greater variety of in- struction in those branches of industry which would furnish to the graduates the means of obtaining a respectable livelihood, and a preceding legislature had made a liberal appropriation for this purpose.
The State Normal School at Plymouth had graduated four hundred pupils, the majority of whom came from the northern counties, Grafton county furnishing more than one-third. In 1883 there were only forty pupils in the school. Some thought its location was unfavorable. Many who had teaching in view went to the Normal Schools of other States. A second Normal School was then under consideration, which has since been built at Keene.
The Asylum for the Insane had been in operation forty years. Of its 4,473 inmates during that time 1,593 had recovered. Then there were 284 patients. The State had made liberal appro- priations and new buildings were erected as fast as they were required.
There were one hundred and twenty-one convicts in the new State Prison, all but one males. No prisoner had escaped for thirteen years. The number of prisoners diminished after the enactment of the tramp law, which drove the lawless and lazy
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out of the State. Under the contract system of labor the institu- tion fell short of paying its expenses by $3,522.
The State continued to send its deaf, dumb and blind to special institutions. Twenty were in the American Asylum at Hartford, Conn., two at the Clark Institute at Northampton, Mass., and two at the Horace Mann School in Boston, all insti- tutions for the education of the deaf and dumb. The State paid $175 annually for each pupil. New Hampshire had three pupils at the Massachusetts School for the Feeble-Minded and Idiotic, and ten at the Perkins Institution for the Blind, in South Boston. The census of 1880 showed that there were forty deaf and dumb youths growing up in New Hampshire without any instruction.
The indebtedness of the State was $3,383,060. The revenue for the year ending May 31, 1883, was $935,675, and the expendi- tures were $792,286. By having biennial sessions of the legisla- ture the State was saving $168,000 in two years. The State was in no hurry to pay off its war debt, preferring to pay heavy in- terest for many years and pass along the burden. A slight reduction of the public debt was made annually.
The first savings bank in the United States was chartered in Massachusetts in 1816; two were chartered in New Hamp- shire in 1823, and in 1883 there were sixty-six such institutions, with deposits aggregating $39,124,000. The Ashuelot Savings Bank had recently failed. Two commissioners received three dollars per day for actual services. They had been paid by the banks, but a law made in 1881 put this obligation upon the State, for greater safety.
The system of insurance under the direction of Commis- sioners had been in operation thirteen years. During this time the aggregate of premiums paid in New Hampshire was $5,993,- 286 for insurance against losses by fire, and the aggregate pre- miums paid for life insurance were $5,978,545. For seven years there had been no loss through the inability of insurance com- panies to pay. New Hampshire had only one fire insurance company and no company for life insurance. The fire and life insurance companies of other States were paying annual taxes to New Hampshire of $7,578.
The National Guard consisted of three regiments of infantry, of eight companies each, fifty-three men and three officers to a company. There were also two four-gun batteries and two com-
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panies of cavalry. The officers numbered 117 and the enlisted men 1,098. Their annual encampment lasted only five days, and they drilled occasionally. The National Guard had taken the place of the old militia.
For thirteen years New Hampshire had maintained a Board of Agriculture at an expense of $50,000. The relation between this board and the College of Agriculture and Mechanic Arts was not close, the professors of the latter institution not com- ing into contact with the farmers of the State. Literature and lectures were used to enlighten the farmers, yet agriculture did not keep pace with manufactures. A whole library of informa- tion will not enable rocky farms at some distance from a railroad station to offer sufficient inducement to hold ambitious young men.
Fish-culture had cost the State, in seventeen years, $29,953. Ponds and lakes had been stocked with black bass and salmon. The efforts to entice salmon back to the Merrimack river had not been successful. The State owned a hatching-house at Plymouth.
The State had done something in building good mountain roads, and the business of caring for summer tourists was esti- mated at from five to eight millions of dollars annually. The forests were fast disappearing, the public lands having been sold, and a commission was then considering means for the preservation of the forests. The rain-fall and water-power were seriously affected. The people were beginning to think of mak- ing the White Mountains a public park for the entire country.
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