USA > New Hampshire > Rockingham County > Candia > History of the town of Candia, Rockingham County, N.H., from its first settlement to the present time > Part 27
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My muse commands a parting toast To all I've published on this post: " Long life and health, unnumbered joys, Peace in the camp, fine girls and boys."
During the intermission on the following Sunday, many of the attendants at the church quietly passed to the broad aisle and read the curious document upon the post, the Sunday School, in the meantime, being in full session. The late Dea. Francis Patten was at the time engaged in teach- ing a class of boys in a pew very near the post, and one, or perhaps two of the pupils, even now, distinctly remember how the women smiled and tittered as they read the toast of the retiring clerk, and how the cheeks of the wife of Aaron Rowe, formerly Polly Cass, became more rosy than
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ever as she exclaimed in an under tone: "Lor', that's Peter all over."
The wedding generally took place within three or four weeks after the marriage intentions had been published. A short time prior to the great event there was a very busy time at the residence of the prospective bride in putting the house in order, making the wedding cake, and preparing for the coming feast. The making of the wedding dress was also an important matter to be attended to. The marriage ceremony was generally performed at the house of the bride, but sometimes it took place at the minister's residence. The ceremony was generally performed at about noon, after which a sumptuous dinner was served.
In early times, the bride and bridegroom with their guests rode on horseback in procession from the home of the former to that of the latter, the ladies sitting on a pillion behind their masculine companions; but when good sleighs and chaises were introduced, many of the best sleighs, and all of the chaises in town were engaged for the occasion. The price charged for the use of these vehicles for wedding occasions was told in the following couplet, which was often recited by the young men of the period, who were most interested and experienced in such matters:
' A dollar a day for a horse and sleigh, A dollar a day for a horse and shay.
The readers of Dr. Holme's poem entitled "The One Horse Shay," need not be informed that the word chaise was regarded by the unenlightened of seventy years ago as a plural noun, andso, in speaking of a single vehicle of that kind, they called it shay. The wedding party partook of a nice supper at the house of the bridegroom, after which, they spent the evening in singing, and the enjoyment of other entertainments.
On the Sunday following the wedding, the married couple usually rode together to church. As the husband escorted his bride up through the broad aisle and, for the first time, opened the pew door and bowed her gracefully to her seat, a good many heads were turned towards them, and, for a few moments, they were the subjects of a pretty -close examination. The new dress and Leghorn bonnet of
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of the bride, with all the trimmings, were especially criti- cised by the women of the parish.
In the good old days, when many of the farmers of the town were prosperous and "forehanded," it was customary for the parents of a family of children, to give each of their daughters a first rate cow on the occasion of their marriage and also a quantity of household goods, consisting of a lot of nice bedding, a bureau, tables, chairs, a pair of andirons, candlesticks and kitchen furniture, including a bread trough, a cake board and a rolling pin. The gift of these wedding presents was called, in Yankee parlance, the "fix- ing out."
WEDDING ANNIVERSARIES. -
Within a few years past it has become the fashion among many people to celebrate the anniversaries of the wedding days of their married friends, sometimes the tenth, the twenty-fifth, and much more rarely the fiftieth, when a man and wife have lived happily together alf a century. This custom has been observed in our town to a consider- able extent, and the relatives and particular friends of long wedded wives and husbands have, in many instances, called upon them as they passed certain mile posts in their journey of life and presented to them some testimony of their kind regards and sympathy.
In the early summer of 1881 some of the friends of the late Nathan Carr and his wife Sally Carr, who was the daughter of Dea. Josiah Shannon, remembering that, for many years, they had extended a great many courtesies to those members of the Congregational Society and others, who lived at a considerable distance from the church, con- ceived the idea of celebrating the fiftieth anniversary of their marriage in a public manner. Many of the members of the society and other persons who resided in Manches- ter, gladly endorsed the suggestion, and proceeded at once to make arrangements for a golden wedding that would be a credit to all concerned. The ladies of the parish prepared a sumptuous entertainment at the vestry, and adorned the table with flowers. The bride and bridegroom of half a
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century, accompanied by Mr. and Mrs. John Rowe, who officiated as best man and bride's maid, and "stood up" with them when they were married, proceeded to the vestry and occupied a conspicuous position upon the platform in front of the audience. The vestry was crowded. William Crane presided and made an interesting introductory address. Addresses were also made by Rev. W. C. Reed, Austin Cass, Dea. Francis Patten and others belonging to Candia, and also Ex. Gov. Smyth, Francis B. Eaton, J. G. Lane, J. Bailey Moore and others of Manchester. Poems, pertinent on the occasion, written by F. B Eaton and Mary Ann Robie, were read to the audience. Various presents were made to Mr. and Mrs. Carr, among which was a purse containing about twenty-five dollars in gold, which was presented by their Manchester friends.
It may be stated that a year or two after Nathan Carr's golden wedding he died suddenly of pneumonia. In the. course of a year or two atter that event, his widow was married to Charles H. Butler, a widower and an octogena- rian, who, fifty years ago, was a citizen of Candia and a neighbor of the Carr family. Soon after the marriage Mrs. Butler purchased a cottage near the Village in Raymond. After residing at that place two or three years, Mrs. Butler suddenly died, leaving her property to her husband. Her remains sleep by the side of those of Nathan Carr, her first husband, in the old cemetery. Mr. Butler lingered a short time and then he, too, died and his remains were buried by the side of those of his first wife in Massachusetts.
ARREST AND TRIAL OF EDWARD R. INGALLS FOR ALLEGED EM- BEZZLEMENT.
A very remarkable event took place in the town in March, 1879. On the morning of the fourth day of that month, Edward R. Ingalls, the town treasurer, was found by Parker M. Towle, a near neighbor, and others tied to a ladder in his barn with handcuffs on his wrists and a gag in his mouth. After his release, Mr. Ingalls stated that on the previous evening he sat up until 12 o'clock, arranging . his accounts as town treasurer. About 4 o'clock the next
-
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morning, he heard a noise which seemed to proceed from his barn as if his cattle or horse were loose. He remained in bed half an hour longer, when he again heard the noise. Then he got up, lighted a lamp and started for the barn. As he stepped into a passage way leading to the barn floor, a dark lantern was thrust into his face and he was seized by two men, while a third man held the lantern. He stoutly resisted, and, after a short scuffle, he got clear for a mo- He ment, but was immediately seized again and gagged. was then taken to an upright ladder, and one of his arms. was placed under one of the rounds and handcuffs were placed upon his wrists. His assailants then left him. He tried to make a noise, but could not at first succeed. At length, his wife got up and came to him in the barn. He "appeared to be completely exhausted and went to bed. J. Maeder Young came to him and cut off the handcuffs. Ingalls stated that, at the time of the assault, he had the sum $5,435.35 of the town's money in his possession, and that the largest part of this sum, amounting to $3,700, was placed in a bureau drawer in one of the rooms of the house while the sum of $800, together with notes, amounting in all to the sum of $1,735.35, was deposited in one of the pockets of his pantaloons, which were placed under the pillow in his room where he slept. He said, that after the assault he found that the first and largest sum referred to had been stolen, while the smaller sum was safe in his pantaloons pocket. He also stated that his gold watch was stolen at the same time.
The story of Ingalls produced a great sensation in the town and elsewhere. The people were divided in their opinion concerning the story. When the robbery took place the people of the town were greatly surprised and chagrin- ed upon learning that Mr. Plumer and Mr. Brown had neg- lected to require Ingalls, their associate, upon the board of selectmen, to procure new bonds, when they re-appointed him treasurer, and that, as a consequence, the town had suffered a loss of nearly $4,000. At the annual town meet- ing, which took place in less than 'a week after the robbery, it was voted to make a thorough investigation of the affair. A committee was chosen, but all the members declined to
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serve. It was then voted to instruct the selectmen to appoint a committee of three to make an investigation, and take such action upon the case as was deemed expedient. The select- men appointed Moses F. Emerson, William Crane and George Emerson, members of the committee. After taking into account all the circumstances, the committee laid the whole matter before the county solicitor and the attorney general. As a result, the evidence on the part of the state was given to the grand jury at Exeter in the following April, and Ingalls was indicted on the charge of embezzle- ment. He was immediately arrested by Sheriff Smart, of Newmarket, and ordered to give bonds for his appearance for trial. For some reason, the trial was put off until the following November of the same year. Ingalls gave bonds for his appearance and came back to Candia.
At the assembling of the court at Portsmouth, Nov. I, 1879, the trial of Ingalls was put off until the 18th of the same month. Ingalls, who was present again, gave bonds and returned home, but he was shortly re-arrested, as his bondsmen gave him up, and he was taken to the jail at Exeter.
The trial took place at Exeter in January. Attorney General M. W. Tappan and County Solicitor Walter Harri- man appeared for the state and Gilman Marston of Exeter and William R. Patten of Manchester appeared for the respondent.
J. Maeder Young testified that he was tax collector and and one of the auditors in 1878, and that there was a little over $3, 300 in the hands of Treasurer Ingalls. He said he sold Ingalls a gold watch in 1874.
Plummer W. Sanborn, one of the selectmen in 1877 and 1878, said that soon after the town meeting in March, 1878, he asked Ingalls if he would take the appointment of treas- urer for that year and file new bonds, whereupon he said he had been told by counsel that it was not necessary to file new bonds: Soon after the robbery, the witness said, he asked Ingalls what counsel he had consulted in the matter, and he answered Judge Cross of Manchester. The next day he asked him the same question and he replied, Mr. Huse. Witness then inquired why he said Cross the day before,
1
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when he answered that if he said Cross, it was a mistake, he meant Huse.
Wm. Crane, one of the auditors, testified that he found that there should be $1,735 in the treasury, and asked Ingalls to produce it. He replied that he would do what he could, and brought forward $800, together with notes amounting in all to $1,735.
Henry A. Huse, of Manchester, testified that he did not know Ingalls, and never consulted with him in regard to bondsmen holding over the second year.
Daniel Prescott, of Manchester, testified that, being called upon by F. P. Brown, he went to Ingall's house and made an examination of the premises. He spoke of a hole that was bored in the panel of the door in one of the rooms, and produced the handcuffs that were found on Ingalls. Witness said he had experimented with them by tying himself to a ladder, but could not get away alone.
Ingalls was placed on the stand and testified that he asked Mr. Huse if a bond covered, the appointment of a person the second year. He answered that in his opinion, it did.
John G. Mead and a Mr. Kelly, of Northwood, and Alonzo Griffin, and Noah Davis, of Deerfield, testified that they saw suspicious persons passing by their residences or near Ingalls' place about the time of the robbery.
Frank P. Langford testified that three men called at his house at East Candia at 2 o'clock, A. M., March 4, and inquired the way to Hooksett,
Elder James Adams, J. R. Batchelder, George C. Goss, Jonathan Hobbs and several others testified that Ingalls bore a good reputation.
Frank P. Brown, one of the selectmen of the town, testi- fied that by the desire of Ingalls, he employed D. R. Pres- cott to make an investigation of the case. He also testified that Ingalls bore a good reputation.
The above testimony in court was gleaned from a report of the trial published in the Candia Banner, owned and edited by J. J. Lane at the time. After arguments by counsel on both sides, the case was given to the jury.
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They were unable to agree and stood six for conviction and six for acquital.
A second trial of the case took place a few months after the first, and the testimony was in most respects the same. Ingalls' wife and young child were present in the court room and probably excited the sympathies of some of the audience.
This trial, like the first, resulted in a disagreement of the jury. They stood nine for acquital and three for conviction. Ingalls, who was allowed to go at large without bail, re- turned home.
Mr. Ingalls came to Candia in 1864 and sometime after- wards found employment in A. D. Dudley's shoe manu- factory. He was a Republican in politics during the first period of his residence in this town, but became a Demo- crat. He soon became quite popular, and joined the order of the Free Masons and the Freewill Baptist church. He was a very active politician and was chosen town clerk, a member of the board of selectmen, and filled various other offices In 1877, while he was serving as one of the select- men, the other two members of the board appointed him town treasurer. His bondsmen were Woodbury J. Dudley and J. Harvey Philbrick.
When the late Benjamin Dearborn left the town to reside in Chester, Mr. Ingalls bought his farm and residence in
He was re-appointed in 1878.
the Village. He was married to a daughter of the late Thomas R. Bean. She died, and some time afterwards, he married her sister, another daughter of Mr. Bean He had many very warm friends in the town who were unable to believe that he was guilty of the charge brought against him.
On the other hand, many citizens were of the opinion that Mr. Ingalls became embarrassed in his business affairs several months before the alleged robbery took place and that, as a consequence, he was tempted to use some of the public money from time to time with the intention of returning it before the town absolutely needed it, to meet its obligations; but, finding, at length, that full repayment was impossible, he endeavored to escape from his dilemma by pretending that he had been robbed. This class of
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citizens believed that he had a confederate who procured the handcuffs and otherwise assisted him in his attempt to make it appear that he had been the victim of burglars. All persons, who have any interest in the case must form their own theory as to why he seemed to be anxious to make it appear that the law did not require him to furnish new bonds when he was re-appointed treasurer.
DARK DAYS.
October 21, 1716, was a terribly dark day in New Eng. land. Animals were greatly terrified and birds at midday went to rest. May 18, 1780, was also a day of great dark- ness. The sun in the morning had a lurid and ghastly ap- pearance and was soon obscured by clouds. Then there was lightning and thunder, followed by rain containing burnt matter with a smell of soot. At about eleven o'clock it began to grow very da:k. The laborers in the fields ceased work, the cattle came to the barns and the fowls went to roost. Candles were lighted in the houses and the people were greatly alarmed. Some believed that the day of judgement had arrived, and dropped on their knees to pray; but a few persons were cool and courageous. The Connecticut State Legislature was in session at the time, and a motion was made to adjourn. A Mr. Daven- port, a member, arose and said "Mr. Speaker :- This is
If it is not, there either the day of judgement, or it is not. If it is, I desire to be found do- is no need of adjourning.
ing my duty. I, therefore, move that candles be brought in and that we proceed to business." The motion prevailed. The following night was intensely dark, and it so con- tinued until midnight, when a light breeze began to blow from the northwest and, in a short time, the unusual dark- ness was dispelled. On the following morning the sun rose in great splendor.
In July, 1814, there were two or three days of unusual darkness, and July 15, 1818 was an intensely dark day in a section of Canada bordering upon the gulf of St. Lawrence.
The 6th. day of September, 1881, was a day of darkness that will be long remembered. The atmosphere was of a
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yellow tinge and very smoky. Lamps were lighted, and the flames were white like silver, while the grass and the foliage on the trees appeared of a blueish green. Many of the schools were closed for a few hours. This extraordi- nary darkness occurred upon one of the days of the week when public ceremonies in token of the sorrow of the peo- ple on account of the death of President Garfield took place in all the cities and large towns throughout the United States.
Though some people have thought that the occasional da-k days are due to volcanic action, it is now generally believed that they are caused by great thick clouds of smoke high up in the atmosphere above the earth, accom- panied by dense fogs; and it is supposed that the smoke comes from great forest fires in the north and west, or from the burning of great peat bogs in Labrador. The smoke and soot, uniting with the heavy fogs, form a thick stratum in the atmosphere. that almost completely shuts out the light of the sun. For several days before the dark day of 1780, the wind was blowing from the northeast.
ECLIPSES.
Upon June 16th, 1806, there was a total eclipse of the sun. The total obscuration lasted about four minutes. the stars appeared bright and sparkling in the sky, the cat- tle came up from the pasture to the barn, much frightened, and the fowls retired to their roosts. Some very ignorant and superstitious people were greatly alarmed.
In February, 1831, there was an annular eclipse of the sun. As the moon passed over its disk, the latter was so covered that it appeared in the form of a beautiful narrow ring of burnished gold. The public schools in our town were in session at the time, and many of the pupils were supplied with pieces of smoked glass, and were greatly delighted and instructed by the wonderful display.
There have been many partial eclipses of the sun during the past one hundred and fifty years, but only one where the luminary was completely covered.
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Eclipses of the moon have been frequent, and a consid- erable number of them have been total.
TRANSITS OF VENUS.
During the latter part of the last century the planet Venus passed between the earth and the sun. This very slight eclipse of the sun was called a transit. European astromo- mers of the time availed themselves of the event to measure the distance of the earth from the sun by triangulation. On account of the imperfection of the telescopes and other instruments of the time the exact distance from the earth to the sun was only approximately secured, before that time, though it was considered to be about 95 millions of miles.
On December 6, 1882, another transit of Venus took place, commencing at about II o'clock in the forenoon as seen by the people living in the longitude of Candia, about 71 degrees west from Greenwich. The United States Gov- ernment sent out parties of observation to various sections of the earth, including points in the United States, equipped with instruments of the most perfect sorts. Various Europe- an governments also sent out parties of skilled scientists to observe the transit. A temporary observatory was erect- ed on Wilson's Hill in Manchester for the accommodatian of several scientific gentlemen and others belonging to that city and elsewhere. The forenoon of the day was cloudy, but at midday the sky became clear, and many saw the transit through smoked glass. About seven years after -- wards another transit of Venus took place, but it was invis- ible to the people of New England.
COMETS.
A large number of comets have appeared in the heavens at various times within the historic period, the most of which, being at an immense distance from the earth, were apparently small, while a few others were of great magni- tude. Within recent years the grandest and most important celestial visitor of this kind was Donati's comet, so called n honor of its discoverer. This comet appeared in October,
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1858. It was from twenty to thirty degrees in length, and its tail was somewhat curved. It shone with great brilliancy a few days and then gradually disappeared not to return, perhaps, for hundreds of years.
In the summer of 1861, another comet apparently of much smaller dimensions appeared high up in the heavens in the northeast, about thirty degrees from the zenith.
During the next ten years there appeared three or four comets of moderate size.
In the winter of 1882, another magnificant comet appeared in the southeast. It seemed to be about five-sixths the size of Donati's comet. It rose about 2 o'clock in the morning, and many left their beds to witness the wonder- ful display. This comet finally slowly faded away in the southwest.
METEORS.
Meteors, or shooting stars, have been observed in all ages and in all parts of the earth. In ordinary cases they come singly, but sometimes they come in vast showers, . covering the entire sky from the zenith to the horizon. Such exhibitions occurred in 1202, 1366, 1799, 1803 and 1833 and at various other periods. The display of 1803, as ob- served in Virginia, was at its maximum about 3 o'clock in the morning. The alarm of fire had called out many of the inhabitants of Richmond, so that the phenomena was generally witnessed. - The meteors seemed to fall from every point in the heavens, in such numbers as to resemble a shower of sky rockets. Some were of extraordinary size. One, in particular, appeared to fall from the zenith of the apparent size of a ball 18 inches in diameter.
The great meteoric display of 1833, which took place on the morning of Nov. 13 was one of the finest ever witnessed in America. This display was observed from the West Indies to British America, and from 60 to 100 degrees west longitude from Greenwich. Many people now living in Candia enjoyed the extraordinary and truly wonderful dis- play.
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AEROLITES.
Many of the oldest people now living in Candia have seen, at rare intervals, balls of fire passing across the heavens, leaving a train of brilliant light behind. These balls of fire which generally appeared to pass horizontally across the sky were unlike the ordinary meteors or shooting stars and contained a vastly greater quantity of matter in the solid form, which at last reached the earth in fragments of various dimensions and weight. These solid bodies are called aerolites. Many instances of the fall of aerolites have been recorded in various countries and at various times.
It is related that, in the year 478 B. C., about the time when Socrates was born, a solid mass of matter of the size of two millstones fell in Thrace.
An immense aerolite fell into a branch of the river Tiber in Italy, in 821 A. D., and projected three or four feet above the water.
In 1511, a monk was struck dead at Crema, Italy, by the fall of a fragment of meteoric rock of immense weight.
Ir 1674, two Swedish sailors were killed on shipboard by the fall of an aerolite.
Dec. 14, 1807, a large meteor exploded over the town of Weston, Conn. The meteor when first seen seemed to be half the diameter of the full moon and had a train of light like a burning fire brand. It continued in sight about half a minute and three loud reports like those of a four pounder near at hand were heard. The appearance of the meteor was as if it took three successive throes or leaps, and at each explosion a rushing of stones through the air was heard, some of which struck the earth. The first fall was in the town of Huntington, those of the second explosion fell five miles distant in Weston, and at the last explosion a mass of stone supposed to weigh two-hundred pounds, fell in a field a few rods from the residence of a Mr. Seely. It plowed up the ground and scattered the earth and stones to the distance of nearly a hundred feet. Some of the frag- ments of this aerolite now belong to the mineralogical cabinets of Dartmouth and Yale colleges.
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