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 36
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sembled the old-fashioned bellows-top chaise. A piece of ribbon in the form of a sort of bridle was attached by its two ends to the front edge of the bonnet, by which it could be moved backward or forward over the head at pleasure.
In 1860, hoop skirts again became fashionable. Then skirts, which were at first of small size, were made of whalebone or rattan. They were soon afterwards made of steel and called watch-spring skirts. In the course of a few years the hoops were made of great size. At length they became gradually smaller and now but few are worn. About the year 1878, the bustle was first worn. This ap- pendage which was small at first, soon became larger and larger, until at last some women seemed anxious to deform themselves as much as possible. In 1892, the bustle went out of fashion and women appeared once more in the shape in which they were created.
Jewelry of some kind has been worn to some extent by both sexes ever since the town was settled. A few men have appeared with brooches, studs or pins of some kind of various degrees of value; while the women have orna- mented their ears, their necks and their fingers, as well as their bosoms, with jewels of some sort. A hundred years ago and later, elderly ladies in good circumstances wore a string of gold beads. In many cases the beads were con- veyed by will to a favorite daughter, sister or other relative as a testimony of their regard. Fifty years ago young women wore breast pins made of various kinds of precious stones. Sometimes they wore very large cameo pins upon which were cut heads and figures of various kinds. At one time the ear rings were furnished with long ear drops. .
Forty years ago a married woman by the name of Bloomer of New York state introduced a new fashion for ladies, apparrel, consisting of a dress like a frock extend- ing three or four inches below the knee and was worn with clothing for the lower extremities resembling gentlemen's pantaloons. It was argued by those who favored this style of dress that it was far more comfortable and convenient than long dresses and heavy skirts. This style which was named after the inventor and was adopted in some quarters, went out of fashion in a year or two.
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AMUSEMENTS.
Seventy years ago the young people of Candia, in com- mon with those of other towns, had but few amusements as compared with those of the present age. The most of the boys and girls were employed at an early age in use- ful labor upon the farm, and were allowed but little time to amuse themselves, except in the winter during the re- cesses at school. In those days there were no very artistic and costly dolls, closely resembling the form and features of living beings, in beautiful dresses, and the little girls had to content themselves with rag babies with heads stuffed with cotton or rye bran, with a few rude, black marks upon one side to indicate the face, the eyes, nose and mouth. Neither were there miniature sets of crock- ery, including kettles, plates, tea pots, knives and forks, so that they could give a tea party to their little friends. None of the little boys at that period were furnished with nicely painted wagons, carts, railroad locomotives and cars. rocking horses, balloons, block-houses and thou- sands of other representations of objects of art and nature. The boys of olden times had to make their own playthings and many of them had ingenuity enough to saw out of a piece of board a pair of wheels, or trucks'as they were called, and to make a respectable whistle out of a section of a willow sapling or a branch of elder, while others could make a cross stock or a bow and arrow with which they could hit a robin or striped squirrel. There were a few others who could whittle out a little water wheel and set it in rapid motion below a fall in a brook. In 1822, T. Wilson Lane, a son of Thomas B. Lane, the blacksmith, who lived on the place the second south of the Congrega- tional meeting house, made a miniature saw mill complete and set it in operation upon a brook in that vicinity. Pieces of boards four or five feet long were sawed into sections or thin strips to the entire satisfaction of the young mechanic, who afterward achieved considerable reputation as an inventor.
In 1824, the late George Gilbert of Auburn, who then lived in the Ordway house on the site of the present house
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on the south side of High Street above the Congregational meeting-house, made and sent up a very large paper kite: Mr Gilbert kept the kite floating four or five hundred feet high in the air for hours at a time on pleasant days. It was fastened by the line to his dwelling house and was so large that it could be seen at points three or four miles distant. After that date, many were the boys in the town who made nice kites of their own, and were greatly de- lighted to watch them as they waved backward and for- ward or upwards and downwards in the atmosphere.
The sports of the boys at school consisted partly in play- ing ball, "I Spy," Foot racing, "Winding tobacco," "Break- ing out," "Snapping the whip," snow balling or rolling great masses of snow into a huge ball upon which were placed other snow balls of lesser magnitude. Also in sliding or skating upon the ice of a pond if one was within a short distance of the school house. Sliding down a long hill upon single handsleds or upon two sleds connected together by a board six or seven feet long, upon a bright frosty moonlight night was a favorite pastime with many boys and girls.
Among the sports of the boys were fishing in the large streams and brooks, snaring partridges and shooting grey squirrels and other game. In the fall many of the boys and girls delighted to wander in the woods and pastures in search of chestnuts, walnuts and butternuts, then called oilnuts. When they were getting chestnuts under a clump of great trees, it often happened that three or four grey squirrels high up in the branches would gnaw off a large quantity of the prickly burrs out of which the boys and girls picked the chestnuts without thanking the poor squirrels for their pains. Sometimes, on a bright October day, the seekers for nuts were amazed at the sight of thousands of crows many of which had evidently come from points a dozen miles distant and gathered upon the top and sides of a great hill. On such occasions it seemed from their movements that they were holding a grand mass meeting to devise ways and means for promoting their mutual welfare. It was not a great stretch of fancy to suppose that three or four patriotic old crows addressed
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the great multitude assembled, one after another, and that all of the speakers were greeted with loud cheers, such as crows only know how to give. These annual conventions were generally in session more than an hour, when they rose simultaneously into the air, bade each other adieu and returned to their several homes.
In the fall and winter, the young people sometimes met each other at the home of some one, when the old folks were absent, and played "Blind-man's buff" "Hunt the slipper," "Dropping the handkerchief." "Button," "Rolling the plate." "Hiding the thimble," and various other ring plays. The forfeits, which were paid by the losers in the games, such as "Going to Rome," making" Double and twist- ed Lordy Massys," making a "Sled," etc., were always con- sidered the most interesting parts of the plays.
Playing cards was a kind of amusement which was in- dulged in by a few persons seventy years ago. The word cards was pronounced by giving the letter "a," the short sound as in fat. Seventy or eighty years ago, for some rea- son, playing a game of cards was thought to be very sin- ful by those who regarded themselves as very pious, while 'the game of ' Fox and geese," was played without rebuke from anybody.
SEWING CIRCLES.
About forty years ago some of the women belonging to the two religious societies in town, formed organizations -called "Sewing circles" for promoting the welfare of, their several churches. Soon afterward, it became the custom of the circle to give evening entertainments in the vestry of their church buildings, at stated periods, consisting of a nice supper, songs, recitations, instrumental music and other well ordered amusements to which all respectable people in the town, of all creeds, and all organizations of every name and nature, or of no creed or organization at all, were invited without pass words or other conditions except that they would aid in paying the necessary ex- penses. At first this custom was regarded by some very fastidious people as a dangerous innovation, and even a
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march around the vestry to the sound of music was thought to be immoral as well as irreligious. But so far as heard from no person has been much damaged in character by joining in festivities such as these. Well instructed people now perceive that the frequent assembling of the people in a manner so that they can meet each other in close friendly intercourse without pass words or unnecssary ceremonies- of any kind, tends to overcome the spirit of exclusive- ness and clannishness which is much too prevalent as well as to allay all personal jealousies and animosities.
TEA PARTIES, ETC.
In the summer time many of the women in the several neighborhoods of the town were in the habit of giving tea parties. On these occasions the best set of crockery, and the whitest table cloth were brought out. The good strong cups of young hyson tea were sweetened with lumps of loaf sugar, which was thought to be a great luxury in those- days and the table was supplied with "drop cakes," pound cake, cup custards and other niceties.
Ninety or a hundred years ago it was no uncommon thing for a thrifty farmer to hitch a yoke of oxen to a sled and take his family of children three or four miles through the snow to visit some of their relatives or friends.
THE MOWING MACHINE AND OTHER IMPROVEMENTS.
The mowing machine first came into use to some extent in Candia and vicinity in 1854. The common sewing machine was also introduced about 'that time. The silos, or the process of preserving corn fodder in a green or fer- mented state, came into use in Candia about the year 1880.
SHOWS.
In 1818, an elephant was exhibited near Master Moses: Fitts' store. In 1831, a menagerie containing a good col- lection of wild animals was exhibited at the Corner, With- in the past forty years, a variety of exhibitions and enter-
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tainments have been given in the town, many of which were of a high order of merit. Between the years 1860 and 1881, public exhibitions were given in the vestry of the Methodist Church, Since the latter date, the most of the entertainments appear to have been given in Moore's opera house.
THE POTATO ROT, COLORADO BUGS, ETC.
The farmers of the town were first troubled by the potato rot about the year 1853. Since that date there have been several seasons when the rot has reappeared, In 1890, the farmers in New Hampshire lost more than half their crop, and potatoes sold for $1.25 a bushel at retail in many places. The Colorado beetle, or potato bug, first appeared in New England about the year 1872. In the course of a year or two after that date, the pests arrived in Candia and from that time to this the potato crop has been more or less damaged by this cause.
OTHER ANECDOTES.
Many years ago it was no very extraordinary circum- stance for an irresolute schoolmaster to be turned out of the school house by a set of rude and uncivilized pupils. A story used to be told in Candia of a district school in a town not many miles distant, where some excellent teachers had been thrust out of doors by several of the largest pupils and it was found to be a difficult matter to find a man who had the courage to take their place. Atlength a stout, reso- lute looking man, a stranger who had just arrived at the tavern in the place, was told of the condition of affairs. After being strongly urged he consented to take charge of the school. The very next morning he commenced, and opened the school with what appeared to be a fervent prayer for strength to perform his duties. He made a few remarks upon the necessity of preserving perfect order. He then took from his pocket a stout rawhide and a pair of double barreled cavalry pistols, and laid them carefully upon the desk. He then locked the door and called
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up all the young men and large boys one by one and gave each a most unmerciful thrashing. He then returned the pistols to his pocket, gave some wholesome advice to his pupils who were smarting from the punishment they had re- ceived and said he was about to leave the school room for a few moments. He then passed rapidly to the tavern close by and calling for his horse and carriage, drove off and was never seen in the town afterwards. It was shrewd ly suspected by some of the people that one or two of the dethroned schoolmasters had something to do with plan- ning the affair.
CLIMBING THE LIGHTNING ROD.
In 1828, while extensive repairs were being made upon the Congregational meeting house, Dudley N. Lang and Nathaniel W. Moore climbed up the steeple and up the spire a few feet above the dome of the belfry, by the light- ning rod which was fastened to the wood work of the steeple by iron spikes. It was a very hazardous undertak- ing, butboth of the boys who were then about eighteen years of age, came down without suffering any harm.
AN ENCOUNTER WITH THE DEVIL.
In 1830; during the progress of a great religious revival, Isaiah Stewart, a colord man who then lived in the family of Mr Duncan, the trader, while passing up the Baker road one dark evening, met with a very strange experience ac- cording to his statement at that time. He said that while walking along in the road in a very tired condition, the devil all at once appeared to him in full form, with a most hideous countenance and with eyes of fire. He said he tried to get rid of him by running, but the more he tried the worse off he was, because in his efforts to get away from the great enemy of mankind, he fell frequently, but he fin- ally escaped by running into Mrs. Baker's house.
Isaiah's story was believed by most of the people, and Rev. Mr. Weeeler referred to this wonderful event at a re- vival meeting one Sunday evening at the Congregational
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meeting house as a solemn warning to unrepentant sinners. It must be remembered that most Evangelical Christians, then as now, believed that the devil was a real personal being endowed with power to be anywhere and every- where at the same moment, like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. Some men who lived close by Isaiah and knew his habits, said he had been on a spree when he thought he had seen the devil and was affected with delirium tremens. When Isaiah left off drinking rum he was no more troubled by personal devils of any sort, real or imaginary.
AMENDMENTS TO THE CONSTITUTION.
The constitution of the state of New Hampshire was framed and adopted in 1784. In 1792, the Constitution was revised by a convention of delegates and various amend- ments were adopted. The Constitution thus amended was the fundamental laws of the land for nearly sixty years. In 1850, various amendments were made by a convention of delegates among which, was one abolishing the law re- quiring that certain state officers should be possessed of a specified amount of income annually and another abolish ing the law providing that certain State officers should be believers in the Protestant religion. The former amend- ment was ratified by the people but the latter was rejected. Jonathan Martin was a delegate to this convention. In 1876, the Constitution was amended by a convention of delegates by abolishing the religious test and by providing that the Governor and the members of his Council, mem- bers of the Senate and House of Representatives should hold their offices two years and that the Senate should consist of twenty four members. These and other amendments were ratified by the people, Plumer W. Sanborn of Candia was a delegate to this convention. At a Convention of dele- gates in 1889, various amendments were made to the Con- stitution, among which was one changing the time for in- augurating the Governor and the commencement of the regular sessions of the legislature. Jonathan C. Hobbs of Candia was chosen a delegate to this convention.
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POLITICAL PARTIES.
For many years after the National Government was es- tablished, a majority of the citizens of Candia acted with the Federal party. In 1824, when John Quincy Adams was elected President, the Federalists called themselves National Republicans and the Democrats were called Dem- ocratic Republicans. A majority of the voters of the town supported Mr. Adams against Andrew Jackson in 1824 and also in 1828. In 1831, the Democrats of the town came into power and held that position until 1845. In 1834, the Federalists, or National Republicans again changed their name and were called Whigs. In 1854, the American par- ty was organized, It was a secret organization and was sometimes called the Know Nothing party. Its members professed to be opposed to Catholicism and maintained that foreigners should not be allowed to vote until they had re- sided in the country twenty years. It was also pretended that the Catholic religion was in conflict with republican institutions. The members of the party in Candia held their secret meetings in the upper part of the store at the Corner which is now occupied by the Free Masons. In 1855, that party had a majority of votes. The Know Noth- ing party had an existence in the country of only one year and, in 1856, all the opponents of the Democratic party in the Northern States united and formed a new political or- ganization called the Republican party. The Republicans of Candia were in the majority in the town until 1868 when the Democrats elected their candidates for office. Since 1868, the Democrats have been in the majority in the town every year, except two or three.
PENSIONS TO SOLDIERS.
Soon after the close of the war of the Revolution, the dis- abled soldiers of New Hampshire were provided with pen- sions by an act of the legislature. In 1818, the U. S. Con- gress passed an act giving pensions to disabled soldiers throughout the Union. The surviving soldiers in Candia at that time received comfortable pensions under that act.
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The last Revolutionary soldier in the United States who re- ceived a pension was named Samuel Downing of New York state. He died in 1867, aged 105 years. In 1891, nineteen widows of Revolutionary soldiers who were then living, received pensions. About the year 1854, the U. S. Congress passed an act giving each of the surviving sol- diers who had served nine months, 160 acres of Govern- ment land, eighty acres to those who had served four months and forty acres to those who had served but one month. Between forty and fifty of the soldiers trom Can- dia, who fought in the war of 1812, or their widows, were living at the time the act was passed. The most of these soldiers served in the defense of Portsmouth. Two or three of their widows are still living. In 1856, John T. Moore, Esq., of Manchester and his brother, Henry W. Moore of Candia bought up the land warrants of the Can- dia soldiers and those of their widows. Two or three widows of Candia men who served in the war of 1812 still survive. A very large number of the Candia soldiers who served in the war of the rebellion or their widows have been granted extremely liberal pensions.
AN AGED COLORED WOMAN.
Mrs. Flora Stewart, who lived several years in Candia as a servant for William Duncan the trader, was born a slave in Londonderry in the family of a man by the name of Wilson. She took the name of Wilson from her owner and lived in his family until her marriage with a colored man named Stewart. She had two sons who also lived with Mr. Duncan and worked upon his farm several years. After leaving Candia, about the year 1835, Mrs. Stewart re- turned to Londonderry where she resided until her death, nearly twenty years ago. From the circumstance that she was born on about the same day as that upon which a child of her master's came into existence, it is known that she lived to a very remarkable old age. Many of the peo- ple of Londonderry and others who were well acquainted with her history are confident that she was about 118 years. old when she died. A few years before she passed away
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she was brought to Manchester by John D. Patterson of that place and a photograph was taken of her form and features.
It may be mentioned here that no person who reached the age of one hundred years nas died in Candia so far as can be ascertained. The two oldest persons who have died in town were Mrs. Timothy Bagley and Mr. Benjamin Smith, Senior, who were each ninety-nine years of age.
AN IDIOT.
In 1812, a son was born to Obededom Hall and wife who lived on the cross road which leads from High Street near the North Road. The child, who was named Obed, grew up but never manifested the least intelligence. He could walk but was unable to feed himself or masticate solid food. It was necessary to feed him with a spoon. During the greater portion of his life he had a habit of swinging his arms and striking his fists heavily upon the prominent bones of his cheeks doing himself much injury. Under these circumstances, his arms were confined behind his back during his waking hours. In this pitiable condi- tion, he was a great affliction to his parents and other rela- lives, but he was always tenderly cared for throughout the whole period of his life. He died in 1869, aged 57 years.
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CHAPTER XXX.
RELIGIOUS HISTORY CONCLUDED.
For some years after Candia was settled it was gener- ally believed that God created the illimitable universe con- sisting of many millions of worlds, the most of which are many thousands of times larger than our earth, in six literal days of twenty-four hours each and rested on the seventh day, and that in commemoration of the event, he com- manded the people of all nations to rest on Saturday the seventh day. A body of Christians in the United States of considerable numbers called Seventh Day Baptists keep Saturday as the Sabbath and claim that there is no war- rant in the Scriptures for keeping Sunday, the first day of the week, instead of the seventh day. The people of Can- dia, for many years regarded it as a great sin to engage in any kind of recreation on Sunday or to neglect to attend church services at the Congregational or Free Will Baptist churches, except in stormy weather.
In 1829, Rev. Justin Edwards of Andover, Mass, pub- lished a small volume entitled "The Proper Mode of Keep- ing the Sabbath," in which he endeavored to prove that God often sends terrible judgements upon those who break the Sabbath day and referred to various cases where per- sons were drowned, thrown from carriages or struck dead by lightning, heart disease or appoplexy. He also under- took to prove that God often causes the ruin of Sabbath breakers in their business enterprises, but he did not ex- plain how it was that many others got rich in various cities in America and Europe by carrying on their ordinary busi- ness on Sundays, nor why pious ministers have often dropped down dead in the pulpit while preaching or praying. Neither did he explain why it was that many pious church members have been thrown from carriages and killed while
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returning from church on Sunday. The volume was placed in the library of the Sunday School connected with the Congregational Society. Such books have not been publish- ed of late years.
Sixty or seventy years ago the sermons of the ministers were quite lengthy and were divided into heads, some- times to the number of "ninethly," "once more," "lastly," and "finally." During the intermission, if the weather was pleasant, many persons visited the old cemetery, while others, who came from the various sections of the town, talked with each other in the porches or shadows of the meeting house. Sometimes the women and girls looked over into the flower gardens of Mrs. Joseph Carr and Mrs. Peter Eaton and admired the red and white roses, the pinks, the hollyhocks, the pansies and prince's feathers. Small groups of men gathered around the horse sheds and talked of politics, the state of the crops and the news of the day.
Sometimes a third service was held at a school house or at the residence of a private citizen in an outlying district. In the latter cases, seats were provided by placing in some of the rooms long rough boards supported by sections of small logs. When the logs were too far apart a board was broken and half a dozen or more persons of both sexes found themselves sprawling upon the floor. Of course the boys and girls laughed at the ludicrous condition of affairs; but the damage was soon repaired and "order reigned in Warsaw."
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