USA > New Hampshire > Grafton County > Canaan > The history of Canaan, New Hampshire > Part 42
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WHEEL CARRIAGES, TANNERIES, ETC.
were paid for at the rate of twelve and one-half cents per bushel for hard and ten cents for soft wood ashes. Money was not easy to get and the demand for ashes became greater than the demand for firewood. The ashes were very abundant from the great fireplaces built to receive three and four-foot logs. Stoves had not come into common use and the value of ashes as a manure was unknown. Mr. Wallace was also a trader. His store stood just south of the old house. After his death the old store was sold to Whittier & Balch, traders, at the upper end of the Street, where they moved it and is now the shed of the present Shrigley house. The back store was sold to J. C. Tilton and another man who occupied it as a wheelwright shop.
In 1828 John Fales and Elijah Blaisdell, who owned the mill privilege at the outlet of Hart's Pond, contracted with Moses Richardson to build the frame of the "Tontine" at the Corner. It was to be one hundred feet long, divided into five equal sec- tions, for $100. The timber was of clear pine, sawed at Greeley's mill at Goose Pond and hauled thence and put up according to contract. It was christened the "Tontine." Daniel B. Whittier who lived on the Frank Carter farm called it the "Spontoon." William and Moses Kelley put in a hat factory, Eliphalet Page a harness shop, John Fales a blacksmith shop, a grist mill, and Nathaniel Barber, cabinet-maker, a carpenter shop, filled the re- maining space. Horace B. Welch and Lyman S., his brother, in 1851 began to make felloes; the former went to California and for many years, up to 1883, it was used by Lyman S. Welch for the manufacture of felloes. When it burned May 28, 1883, the fire also destroyed the house occupied by Leroy Colby across the road, between the Robert R. Morey place and the brook. Mr. Welch transferred his business to Lebanon. In 1885 Ira Fifield, with capital furnished, built the present building for a shop, where all kinds of jobs could be done, the latter abandoned it and the building and water privilege passed back into the hands of Mr. Welch, who had given up his business in Lebanon. Mr. Welch used the mill for making shingles and plaining boards, and dealt in finished lumber in a small way up to the time of his death. Since that time the business has been owned by R. H. Haffen- reffer. The paper mill was first used as a casimere or woolen
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HISTORY OF CANAAN.
mill where the people could have their rolls carded and the woven cloth finished. At the time of the moving of Noyes Acad- emy it was owned and operated by Nathaniel Currier. There was a bell in its belfry and it was to be rung when the signal was given that the academy was under way. The signal to be given was the firing of guns. But the one who was to ring the bell did not do so, and Betsey Ham, who in 1842 married Joseph H. Tilton of Meredith, rang the bell. Mrs. Tilton's father was Joseph Ham, who at that time was employed in Nathaniel Currier's potash works at the village. This old build- ing was running as early as 1828, so Mrs. Tilton says, when she went to Factory Village into the family of Jacob Trussell, it was called the "Factory," and from it the village around began to be called Factory Village. Back in the 30's the village was called "Slab City." In June, 1857, it passed into the hands of Capt. William Gordon, whose family came the next August. He got it to running as a paper mill in the summer of 1858, being obliged to install new machinery and remove the old carding and woolen machinery. Captain Gordon ran it until 1862 when he leased it to William W. George and Horace S. Currier, and went to the war. He came back August 13, 1863, and ran the mill until 1870, when he sold it to William W. George. It passed into the hands of Stephen Peaslee, who refitted it with new machinery and enlarged its capacity. It never paid after Mr. Peaslee sold it and several owners subsequently kept up the manufacture of straw board. On December 3, 1890, it was de- stroyed by fire.
HAMMER SHOPS.
Phineas Eastman, Dan Balch and Jonathan Kittredge started the manufacture of steel hammers on the stream that flows out of Hart's Pond. William Butterfield, who built and lived in the house once owned by Sarah Richardson, succeeded to the business. He was succeeded in 1855 by Nathan Jones, who built the lower shop and sold the upper one to J. S. Lincoln. For twenty-five years, until 1880, Elder Jones made nail, shoe, blacksmith and farrier's hammers by hand with the aid of such simple machinery as he had until more advanced methods of
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manufacture made it impossible for him to any longer continue the business with a profit, then the shop was closed and now only the ruins of its foundation remain.
LINCOLN'S AWL SHOP.
Josiah S. Lincoln married Hannah Hoit; he came to Canaan and bought the old Jonathan Carlton farm of Elias Wolcott in 1861, he tried to farm for one year, and then turned his brains to making awls. He hired the upper hammer shop of Nathan Jones, who was using the lower hammer shop that was built by William Butterfield. Lincoln fitted up the upper shop and bought small rods of steel, set his forges and went to work. He would hammer the end down, cut them off the length he wanted, grind them on an emery wheel, put them in a small barrel with steel dust, which had a drum and belt to keep it turning, until they were polished and then box them for market. In 1863 he bought the upper shop of Jones. In 1867 he sold his farm to Alden E. Alford and bought the house built by Allen Hayes opposite Sarah Richardson's, which burned when William Kim- ball lived in it. When Frederick Simonds came back from the war in 1863 or 1864, he went into the shop to help Lincoln. The business was continued a few years and the shop and water privileges were sold to Lyman S. Welch.
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CHAPTER XXVII.
INCIDENTS.
On the occasion of the burning of Noyes Academy on March 7, 1835, Doctor Flanders with many others came up very much excited, inquiring here and there, "Who did it ?" "Can't some one tell us who was the villain?" "Ho, it must have been the d-d Abolitionists !!! " etc. Jonathan Kittredge came upon the ground while these queries were being put, remarking as he ap- peared, "Well, that's a better light than I ever expected to see from that institution." The doctor rushed up to him in great rage, and spoke thus, "You are a d-d Abolitionist, Sir!" "It was you who burned that building!" Kittredge was of course not pleased with that charge, and he sued Flanders for defama- tion and slander, before a justice from Lyme, taking him on behalf of the state, himself appearing as prosecutor. This court held Flanders to answer the charge at Plymouth. Meantime on the 12th at the annual town meeting, a motion was made and carried, as follows, "Voted that we hereby consign Jonathan Kittredge over to the Abolitionists."
This was but one of the long series of provocations that were heaped upon Mr. Kittredge by the patriots. He had some peculiarities of manner, in walking, spitting and coughing. In these he was followed, mimiced and mocked by several persons, and particularly by young John B. Dustin, who possessed a peculiar faculty for mimicry. Mr. Kittredge had borne pa- tiently all these insults, hoping they would cease of themselves, but when the charge of arson was laid to him, he thought it time to protect his reputation. Hence, the prosecution of Flanders who, finding himself outside the pale of "public opinion," in a spot where the old cry of "Abolitionist" would not relieve him, one day, in the absence of Mr. Kittredge, summoned thirty or forty witnesses, taking their depositions before Mr. Weeks, in order to prove justification for his slanderous words, but it was . of no avail. All this testimony was of a negative character. He thereupon, on the return of Mr. Kittredge, waited upon him
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and proposed a settlement. Mr. Kittredge consented to stop the suit on one condition, that if Flanders would sign such a retraction of his slanders as Kittredge might dictate. Flanders had no choice but to submit to any terms that Kittredge might impose. Mr. Kittredge drew up the paper in which, commenc- ing with a "Whereas," he recited the defamatory and slanderous. words that had been leveled at him, and closed it somewhat as follows: "In uttering these slanders, for the purpose of injuring the good name and fame of Mr. Kittredge, I have lied like a dog, I confess it with humility and shame, and I sign this confession and publish it to the world, in order that the suit now pending against me may be settled and discontinued. THOMAS FLANDERS."
This document Mr. Kittredge published in the Concord papers. It was indeed a source of humiliation to the "patriots." On the 27th of May Mr. Kittredge surprised his enemies by summoning young John B. Dustin to answer the charge of libel before Justices Turner and Flint of Lyme. John was sixteen years old, tall and reckless, and had made himself very offensive by his abuse of Mr. Kittredge. The trial caused great excitement.
Weeks was counsel for respondent. Kittredge for himself and the state. The trial commenced at ten in the morning and con- tinued through the night until four o'clock in the morning, when the testimony being all in the court adjourned till one p. m. for deliberation. At one the decision was announced, that John B. Dustin recognize in the sum of $600 for his appearance at the November court to be holden at Plymouth. His father and Weeks came forward and bailed him.
The trial was held in Willis' Hall, which was crowded until the close. Kittredge had received several anonymous letters, containing threats against his person and property, accompanied with oaths most horrid. The last one was received after he had issued the warrant. The evidence tended to fix the author- ship on John. But the case never went any farther. It was shown that the young man was acting by advice of older vil- lains, who were jealous of Kittredge's success, and for a con- sideration the case was compromised and dropped. After this Kittredge and young Dustin became fast friends. John had ability beyond his years, and quickly learned the ways of the
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world. Kittredge often employed him to serve his writs, which service he performed in a satisfactory manner.
Our laws in regard to debt were at one time very severe. The poor man had no rights which a grasping creditor could not reach, when execution for a debt was to be imprisonment if not paid. There was a young tanner named David March. Just about that time he married Phebe Dow; he was industrious and steady but he owed a sum of money in Croydon. His creditor sent the sheriff here, who took March away from his young wife and from his labor and carried him to jail at Haverhill. The day he started I was the small boy looking on, and just beginning to think. Someone expressed sympathy, hoping he might soon return. March replied, "If I were dishonest I should feel disgraced to be in the hands of the sheriff, going to jail, but the laws are not friendly to the poor man." No, indeed, they were not; and it was not until years afterwards that an enlightened public sentiment demanded the abolition of that wolfish law that put poor debtors in jail. I remember another case that occurred about 1831, and which to me seemed to be a very hard one. Old Doctor Tilton, who used to ride a black pacing horse, and was welcomed into every house in town, was in debt. In fact, he never was out of debt. He was a learned man, a good lawyer as well as physician; but all his learning could not save him from the sheriff's hands, and he was sent to Haverhill. His indebtedness was an endorsement for a friend. He used to say he hoped "the time for sending men to jail for debt would soon come to an end. It was no benefit to the creditor nor to the community to take an able-bodied man from his business and shut him up because he was unable to pay his debts." The doctor remained in Haverhill several months.
David Greeley, son of Matthew, was the clothier, at the village. Col. Daniel Pattee, Maj. Levi George, Jo Morrell whose occupa- tion was laying up stone wall, drinking rum and bragging about his accomplishments, and Bill Wood, would go down to David's shop, make a night of it, and go home sober in the morning. One night when the colonel was bragging heavily of his capac- ity, they made a paste of flour and rum and rubbed it into his
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INCIDENTS.
hair, and each one struck him with a codfish and christened him "Grand Bashaw," which he afterwards retained. Next morn- ing one of the neighbors called in and found his wife cleaning the paste from his head.
Nat C. Pierce in 1818 built the pound on the Pinnacle for $30, giving the land therefor. In placing the capstone over the gate it slipped and crushed his hand badly. A few months before the pound was built Nat had been raised in Mt. Moriah Lodge, No. 22. He swore very profanely at the stone, and so loudly that some of his Masonic brethren had him cited before the lodge, to declare why he should not be expelled for useless profanity, the stone was deaf, dumb, lifeless and senseless, therefore his swearing was wanton and unnecessary, and they expelled him, but afterwards restored him on his pledge to refrain from drink- ing rum and thus mistaking a stone for the heels of a colt.
He was a great beau among the girls, and he would drink rum and boast of his success among them. "He'd stayed with the Pattee girls, the Harris's, the George's, the Wells', and meant to stay with every decent girl in town, before he got married and then take his choice." He finally chose Dolly Pattee, and David Greeley married her sister. They emigrated to Princeton, Ber- nard County, Ill., where they took up lands, lived, labored, pros- pered and died. Old Squire Arvin used to furnish the rum.
There was one office in the early days, the duties of which could hardly have been agreeable. But then, as now, there were men whose capacities and temperaments adapted them to all the legal offices. The tithing-man was the terror of all the little boys and the Sabbath breakers. It was their special duty to see that all the members of each family attended public worship and to mark all violations of the Sunday laws. Some of these officers delight- ed in the legal espionage with which their appointment clothed them and never lost an opportunity to use their power to annoy their fellow-citizens. The office and the officer at length be- came so obnoxious that the duties were narrowed down to simply keeping order among the boys and girls during divine worship; and at length the office was abolished, and the vexatious annoy- ances of the man with the long white wand, with a ball at one end and a fox-tail at the other, have passed away forever. When the
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sermon became tiresome and men nodded in unconsciousness, they would find themselves rudely awakened by a rap from the ball in the hands of the soft-footed man, whose feet were muf- fled that his aproach might be like that of the thief in the night. To the ladies he was a little more considerate. Their awakening was secured by the brush of the fox-tail drawn gently under their noses. Many relics of tyranny and paganism were reproduced in our New England habits and customs by the men who had scorned to submit to them in another land. Several generations passed away before all these offensive offices and rules were abolished and the pure freedom of thought and action which we enjoy today was established.
But there was a humorous side to this annoyance which would sometimes crop out in the characteristics of the man who filled the office. Capt. Joseph Wheat was tithing-man during the earlier portion of his father's ministry. The old elder, when once he settled into his two hours' labor, was oblivious to all out- side occurrences. On one occasion Captain Jo., seizing his wand, started out to quell a riotous disposition among several chil- dren, whose guardians had ceased from their labors and gone to sleep. As he cast his eyes about the house, he was astonished to perceive the whole congregation nodding, wholly unconscious and careless of the thunders that resounded from the pulpit. He was quick-witted and eccentric, particularly when seized with a pro- fane sentiment. On this occasion he never said a word, but jumped up and jerked both his solid feet down square upon the floor. The concussion brought the whole astonished congregation to their feet. The old man stopped preaching, also, - lost his balance, in fact - but rallied in a moment and sternly de- manded, "Jo, why do you disturb this meeting ? Is that the way you keep order ?" "Sir," says Captain Jo., "it lies between you and me to entertain and instruct this congregation. You've been telling them awful truths for more than an hour and they all went to sleep. I gave one solid jump, and they roused up as if Satan were already shaking his spread wings to carry them off. Your arguments are very persuasive, but you see mine are powerful."
John Sullivan got mad at one of his neighbors, mad enough to
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INCIDENTS.
go to a lawyer and swear that he must have some law. He didn't care what it cost. The other fellow would have the bills to pay and the more there was, the better he would be satisfied. "But, you have no case," said the lawyer, "and you'll get beat if you begin on him." "Don't care a fig for that, - its law I want on the feller ; give him as much as you can, blast him." A summons was served upon the "feller" to appear and answer. He did answer satisfactorily, and John was adjudged to pay the several items of costs : "How much is it ?" he asked and laying down a V, told his legal friend to take it out of that. "The costs amount to $19.20," said his exact and muletive friend. "Howly Moses !" exclaimed John, "There's two dollars more, that's seven dollars, call it square and let me go." "Nineteen dollars and twenty cents, and not a cent of discount," was the slow response. John reluctantly drew his wallet, took out several bills, pinching them as he laid them down. "There's the money ; now I'm done wid ye, and if all the dirty haythen in this wicked world insult me, I'll never go to law any more; I've got enough of it."
There was years ago a bank started in this town. It was called the Goose Pond Bank and its place of business was not far from the Rainey house. Jacob Trussell was the president. They pro- ceeded to issue money, but the government got after them. Jo- seph Smith, Simon Blanchard and John Pearley were caught stamping money in Blanchard's barn. Selden Pattee, a brother of Robert Wilson's wife, and Rice Howard fled. Jacob Drew, who was a good deal at Trussell's courting one of the girls, dis- appeared when the arrests were made. Daniel Follensbee of Grafton was also under suspicion of being one of the gang. John Pearley served eight years in state prison for passing coun- terfeit money.
Some years ago Mr. and Mrs. Dimond of Orange sued the town for damages upon the highway, between the houses of Richard Hutchinson and George Hinkson. The town pleaded in defense that they were wrongfully parties to the suit, inasmuch as the Northern Railroad had graded the highway over the track, and had not properly finished their work. Having been repeatedly warned they had always neglected to comply with the law. The suit was continued in court for several terms, the railroad prom-
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HISTORY OF CANAAN.
ising all the time to settle with the parties and make the highway safe for travel. It remained unchanged until Onslow Stearns desired the nomination for governor. He was naturally anxious to be elected, and he started out upon a tour of inquiry as to the friendly views of the voters. When he reached Canaan he met William W. George and asked him what his chances were. The reply was: "Very small! Very small indeed !" "That's not very encouraging !" "No," continued Mr. George, "not for you. The fact is we have no confidence in you. For years you have promised to repair that road and relieve us from the burden of these suits and we don't believe you mean to do either. The people of Canaan have very foolish notions about truthful men. They've tried you and don't believe in you." "Is that all there is against me ?" "Well, ain't that enough ?" "Well, suppose I go and settle those suits and fix the road, will you forget all about it and be kind to me?" "Well, we will see the road fixed first, then perhaps there won't be anything to remember." That same season the road was repaired and the costs of the suits were assumed by the railroad, and Mr. Stearns was elected governor.
Benjamin Spencer came with a small family from Colebrook, in search of employment to Canaan in 1825. He was a black- smith by trade. He explained his wishes and his skill as a worker in iron to several persons, hoping to win their attention. James Wallace thought favorably of his capacity and built a shop for him on the north side of the road between Arvin's cor- ner and the Pinnacle House, then the residence of Dr. Thomas Flanders. He worked faithfully at his trade for months and then suddenly disappeared without leaving his address. It was not long after this that an officer appeared with an order of arrest, charging Spencer with uttering a note for a considerable sum, and presenting the same to the Grafton Bank of Haverhill and receiving the money thereon; but he disappeared before it was. discovered that the name of Ephraim H. Mahurin, a well-known citizen, the high sheriff of Coös County, attached to the note as. endorser, was a forgery. Spencer received the money and left, but it was believed that he must have had an accomplice, because. he was illiterate, with no skill in the use of the pen. It was be- lieved impossible for him to have written Mr. Mahurin's name.
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INCIDENTS.
so as to deceive the cashier of the bank. Suspicions attached to Doctor Flanders, from some remarks made by his enemies, and dwelt upon until they ripened into a belief that the doctor was really the guilty person. There was a comparison of his hand- writing by experts - they were not called by that name then - some of them even swore to their belief in the doctor's guilt. Doctor Flanders, like many others, felt a strong interest in secur- ing the arrest of Spencer, who had fled so rapidly, but not in a manner to cover up his tracks. Joshua Wells was deputized to follow him and bring him back.
Mr. Wells started in pursuit in his high-backed sleigh, driving a nice, well-kept roan horse - roan horses were always his weak- ness - tracking and following his victim like one of his own hounds, all the way into western Pennsylvania, where he came up with Spencer, resting unsuspicious of danger, arrested him and started on his long return journey, delivering his prisoner safely into the custody of the jailor at Haverhill. Spencer was tried for the crime of forgery and convicted, but utterly refused to name any person as his accomplice. He owned that he lacked skill as a penman and that was all. He was sentenced to state prison for two years. He entered that prison and after his two years' service, came out and said nothing. He came back to Canaan, spent a few days in the family of Mr. Wallace and then disappeared. He acknowledged his action in the crime - that he got some money by it, but lost everything else, honor, char- acter, business and all hopes of ever being able to hold up his head. He had been duped - had yielded to temptation, but he was not vindictive, and the law must be satisfied with one victim. Mr. Wallace and Mr. Wells, both very friendly to him, urged him to speak, but it was of no avail - he never named the man who instigated him. He did write a statement, however, vindi- cating Doctor Flanders, declaring his innocence of any know- ledge of the forgery. This statement was left in the hands of Mr. Wells, to be used at his discretion. He laid it away and for- got it, and its existence was for a long time unknown. It was found by his son, Charles H. Wells, among some old notes, re- ceipts and other papers. It is in Spencer's own handwriting, and is printed to relieve the memory of Doctor Flanders of the odium
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which unjustly attached to him during all his after life. The doctor was not popular. His impulsive temper often broke out without reference to propriety, and often gave offence. But he was regarded as a man of integrity, and incapable of committing an act of dishonor. These suspicions greatly annoyed him. To get away from them, some years afterwards he left town and died an old man in the town of New Durham. This is the state- ment :
Town Plot, Oct. 3d, 1827. To the President, Directors, and Company of the Grafton Bank:
No doubt you feel yourselfs injured by me and want to seek all the recompense you can. Very good; that is your privilege. But let me tell you not to seek of an innocent man. Because I have done wrong I will assure you my feelings have been wounded as bad as my char- acter, and was it in my power to make all restitution for all the in- jury done anybody by me I should be willing. Let me be called what I will yet I am not voyd of the natural feelings of mankind, and when I heard of Dr. Flanders being stripped of his property and his character my heart almost bleeds within me. My bosom is moved with pity and compassion, and can I pity, and not relieve I must try. I will tell you the truth as it is in Christ and lie not. Dr. Thomas Flanders is as innocent from signing Ephraim H. Mahurin's name to that note you al- lege against him or even seeing or knowing anything about it as the angels in heaven. I know it and God knows it; and I fear his enemies are intriving wrong evidences against him, and that is as bad as I have done. Mr. James Williams, if I am informed right has sworn to an absolute falsehood, and others have done no better. I am your well-wisher and never meant you no harm.
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