USA > New Hampshire > Sullivan County > Newport > The history of Newport, New Hampshire, from 1766 to 1878 > Part 6
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Paul J. Wheeler held the office of cashier until his decease, Sept. 19, 1862. On the 7th of October following, Frederick W. Lewis was chosen cashier, and continued to hold the office until the reorganization of the bank as a national bank, Feb. 17, 1865, when he was elected cashier of the national bank, and has continued to hold the office until the present time.
April 24, 1865, the capital stock was increased from $50.000 to $100,000. The present board of officers is as follows : Dex-
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HISTORY OF NEWPORT.
ter Richards, president; F. W. Lewis, cashier ; Dexter Rich- ards, Worthen Hall, Henry G. Carleton, Daniel R. Hall, Josh- ua W. Booth, John P. Knowlton, and Edmund Wheeler, direc- tors ; Dexter Richards, F. W. Lewis, and H. G. Carleton, financial committee ; Edmund Wheeler, Dexter Richards, and Daniel R. Hall, examining committee.
Besides the officers already named, the following persons have been members of the board of directors at various times : Amasa Edes, Oliver Booth, Horace Metcalf, and Daniel J. War- ner.
The dividends, for thirteen years since its organization as a national bank, have averaged 9160 per cent. per annum ; and the bank now holds a handsome surplus.
The NEWPORT SAVINGS BANK was incorporated July 1, 186S, and was organized and commenced business in September of the same year. The first board of officers consisted of the fol- lowing persons : Dexter Richards, Henry G. Carleton, Amasa Edes, Shepherd L. Bowers, Edmund Wheeler, Isaac A. Reed, Albert S. Wait, Levi W. Barton, Samuel H. Edes, Francis Boardman, Benjamin F. Sawyer, Edmund Burke, John Blan- chard, and Harvey Huntoon, trustees ; Dexter Richards, Hen- ry G. Carleton, and Amasa Edes, loaning agents ; Edmund Wheeler, Francis Boardman, and Isaac A. Reed, auditors ; Dexter Richards, president ; Henry G. Carleton, vice-president ; Frederick W. Lewis, secretary and treasurer.
This bank has made semi-annual dividends of 23 per cent. from its organization ; it also made an extra dividend in April, IS73, amounting to [ 66 100 per cent. per annum up to that time. In April, 1878, it reported,-Deposits, $321,500 ; guaranty fund, $5,500 ; surplus, $5,694.18.
The present board of officers consists of the following : Hen- ry G. Carleton, president ; Worthen Hall, vice-president ; Fred- erick W. Lewis, secretary and treasurer ; Dexter Richards, H. G. Carleton, and Francis Boardman, loaning agents ; Francis Boardman, E. C. Converse, and F. A. Rawson, auditors.
CHAPTER XI.
COUNTY.
T' HE towns now included in Sullivan county once formed a part of Cheshire. The old county being so long. the peo- ple had been subjected to a large amount of unnecessary travel and expense ; and one term of the court had for many years been holden at Keene and the other at Charlestown, the better to accommodate the public. A law was passed, Dec. 28, IS24, removing the May term of the supreme court of judicature from Charlestown to Newport. June 23, 1826, the legislature sub- mitted to the several towns of the county the question of divid- ing the county. July 5, 1827, the act incorporating the county of Sullivan was passed, to take effect the following September. The question whether Claremont or Newport should be the shire town, submitted to the people at the same time with that of the formation of the county, was decided in favor of New- port by a majority of 3,728 votes.
That Newport was made the shire town of the county, even after this decisive vote, was in a good measure due to the efforts of Col. William Cheney, who, almost single-handed and alone, combated an imposing array of legal talent in the legislature, whose interests were in the western portion of the county, and won the victory.
COURT-HOUSE. At a meeting held Jan. 13, IS25, the town voted, by a voice nearly unanimous, to raise the sum of $2.000 to assist in building a court-house and town-hall building. the remaining $1.500 to be supplied by individual subscriptions. the two sums being required to meet the estimated expense of the building. The lot on which the building was erected was purchased of Aaron Nettleton, Jr., for the sum of $410. A build- ing committee, consisting of Col. William Cheney. James Breck,
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HISTORY OF NEWPORT.
Esq., and Col. James D. Walcott, were appointed to superin- tend the work. On the 11th day of February, 1826, Oliver Jenks, James D. Walcott, and David Allen, selectmen of New- port, and Salma Hale, clerk of the court, certified that the new court-house was built and ready for occupation. This building, after several modifications, continued to be occupied by the county until 1873, when it was deeded to the town, and the court was removed to the new building.
NEW TOWN-HALL AND COURT-HOUSE. For a long time the town, in its frequent large gatherings, had suffered great incon- venience from the want of a hall with sufficient capacity to ac- commodate the crowd, and especially so on occasions of unusual interest, which drew together large numbers. This need was felt by all our people ; and when, after the close of the war, the state assumed the debts of the towns, the proportion which fell to this town being some $16,000, this was thought to be the opportune moment in which to build the long-wished-for hall, as it would save the expense of collection and cause less incon- venience to the public. Accordingly a meeting was called, and various plans and estimates presented. After a long and some- what exciting controversy, a location and a plan were agreed upon ; and the town voted, Nov. 21, 1872, to erect the building. Frederick W. Lewis, Levi W. Barton, Shepherd L. Bowers, Francis Boardman, Martin L. Whittier, and William Kelley were appointed a committee to take charge of the work. The site on which it stands was occupied by the residence of Dr. J. L. Swett, for which they paid him $6,000. The plan of the work was drawn by Edward Dow, architect, of Concord ; and the building was erected by W. L. Dow & Co., of this town, at a cost, when completed, of nearly $40,000. It is considered one of the finest edifices of the kind in the state. The entire expense was paid by Newport, Claremont having pledged itself to furnish a suitable building and safes without expense to the county, provided the courts should be removed to that town. In part compensation, however, for this, the town had the old court-house and grounds, which they needed for graded school purposes, and also the former safe and grand jury rooms.
JAIL. The old jail at Charlestown continued to be occupied by the county until April 1, 1842, when it was set on fire by a
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COUNTY.
notorious robber by the name of Hicks, and burned. The same season a new one was built in this town. It was erected by the Hon. Nathan Mudget, at a cost of $3,300. It was remodelled, under the direction of the county commissioners, in 1876, at an additional cost of some $5,000.
COUNTY SAFE. The old County Safe building was erected for the county in 1843, by Jonathan M. Wilmarth, Esq., at a cost of $1,100. The town voted, Aug. 1, 1843, " to lease to the county the south-west corner of the court-house common, for the purpose of erecting county offices and safes, to be held so long as used for that purpose."
The citizens of Newport, at various times since the forma- tion of the county, have held the following offices. Several of them, however, resided in other towns at the time of their elec- tion or appointment to office.
CLERKS OF THE COURT. Benjamin B. French, Thomas W. Gilmore, W. H. H. Allen, William F. Newton, George E. Dame.
SOLICITORS. Edmund Burke, Samuel H. Edes, Levi W. Barton.
SHERIFFS. David Allen, Frederick Claggett, Rufus P. Clag- gett.
TREASURERS. Jonathan M. Wilmarth, Paul J. Wheeler. COMMISSIONER. Francis Boardman.
REGISTERS OF DEEDS. Cyrus Barton, Calvin Wilcox, N. B. Cutting, Henry E. Baldwin, Henry G. Carleton, Matthew Harvey, John Towne, Levi W. Barton, Arthur H. Ingram, Elisha M. Kempton, William E. Brooks.
JAILORS. David Harris, James L. Riley, Martin A. Barton. JUDGE OF PROBATE. W. H. H. Allen.
REGISTERS OF PROBATE. Aaron Nettleton, Jr., Ralph Met- calf, Henry E. Baldwin, Henry G. Carleton, Edward Wyman, Shepherd L. Bowers, George R. Brown.
CHAPTER XII.
MILLS.
G RIST-MILLS. The first settlers took care to provide themselves with early and ample mill accommodations, as will be seen by the following vote of the proprietors :
At an Adjourned Meeting holden on the 29th day of October, at the house of Zephaniah Clark aforesd by the Proprietors of Newport aforesd, Mr. Stephen Wilcocks, Moderator-
Voted that Benjamin Giles now Resident in Newport have One hun- dred Acres of Land, laid out by the Proprietors Committee to him his heirs and assigns for Ever, and to be so laid out as to secure to said Giles his heirs and Assigns that part of the East Branch of Great Sugar River so called near where sª Giles is about to sett up a Corn Mill and a saw mill, so that said Giles may build a Damm aCross said River, with all the priviledge of said River, so far as is necessary for the ben- efit of sª Mills with the land Adjoining said River so as to take in a Suf- ficiency of Land for to sett said Mills and what may be convenient around the same, and also to be so laid out as to take apart of the White Pine Timber, and also to Procure a Pair of Mill Stones for said Giles at said Mills. Also that said Giles have a Tax or Rate to the Vallue of Four days Labour on Each Proprietors Right or Share, the aforesd Grants given for sª Giles's Encouragement towards his Building the aforesaid Mills in Newport aforesd.
The site selected on which to build the mill is the one now occupied by the Granite Mills of Coffin & Nourse. The mills were completed and ready for operation Sept. 24, 1768. The old mill-stones are still pointed out, and the single tree which constituted the original dam is now doing the same service to the present mills, and is in a good state of preservation. Pre- vious to the completion of this undertaking, the milling was mainly done at Charlestown, which was reached by a rough
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MILLS.
road, leading over Pike hill. The mills and privilege were sold to Jeremiah Nettleton in 1779. They were afterwards owned by Ebenezer Merrit, Samuel Endicot, in 1812; Ruel Keith ; and jointly by Amasa Edes, Joseph Sawyer, Jr., and S. S. Wilcox, who purchased them in 1836, at the time of the Mirick speculation, who, in 1867, sold to Coffin & Nourse, the present owners.
The village grist-mill was built previous to 1787. Daniel Dudley furnished the means, and John Dudley and Constant White superintended the construction. It was purchased by Roswell Kelsey, who sold it to William McAllister. It was rebuilt by Col. William Cheney in IS15. It has since been owned by Nathan Nettleton ; Durkee & Cutting, 1826; Albert Wilcox ; Wilcox & Whittemore ; Edes, Wilcox & Breck, 1836 ; Benj. Farrington ; J. & E. S. Barrett ; Emerson & Booth ; Augustus G. Savory ; C. C. Shedd, 1865 ; Gerry Morgan, 1868 ; Horace Adams, 1869; Bennett & Woodbury, 1869 ; Bennett & Rowell, 1870; Bennett, Rowell & Wright, 1873; and now (1878) by Wright & Stockwell. The mill was burned in Jan- uary, 1866, while owned by Mr. Shedd, and was rebuilt by Mr. Morgan some three years after. In 1870 this mill ground 19,000 bushels of grain, valued at $33,000.
The grist-mill on the Goshen Branch of Sugar river, origi- nally built by Rev. Abijah Wines, son-in-law of Benj. Giles, who built the first mill, and subsequently owned by Reuben Bascom and Ezra Parmelee, previous to 1779, was on the south side of the river. It had one run of stones, and the power was applied to the wheel by means of a hollow log running from the top of the dam. Mr. Bascom sold his inter- est to Josiah Stevens. It was purchased by Reuben Bascom in 1791. It was rebuilt on the north side of the river by James Whipple and Samuel P. Hawes, previous to 1812. It has since been owned by Elisha Bascom, Reuben M. Call, Adams & Dummer, Henry Chapin, and Abijah W. Tenney. The original logs put in at the building of the dam are nearly two thirds of them still there, in a good state of preservation, where they have been for nearly or quite one hundred years.
Benjamin F. Haven had a grist-mill in operation for several
6
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HISTORY OF NEWPORT.
years in the basement of his saw-mill at Northville, commenc- ing in 1866.
Frank P. Rowell, in 1877, erected a steam grist-mill on Corn alley, near Railroad square, where he has ground a large amount of corn-about 12,000 bushels annually.
SAW-MILLS. The first saw-mill, built by Mr. Giles, has al- ready been described in connection with his grist-mill. Mr. Ezra Parmelee sawed the first boards.
The Comstock saw-mill was built by Dea. Asa Hurd, about IS30. It has since been owned and operated by Josiah Hurd, Bascom & Tenney, Oliver Comstock, Montgomery Craige, Coffin & Nourse, and King & Small. In IS70, King & Small produced 220,000 feet of boards and 100,000 shingles.
Roswell Kelsey, Jr., built the dam at the Sugar River Mills for a saw-mill. The mill was placed on the south side of the stream, so as to better accommodate the large tracts of timber on East mountain. It was sold to James D. Walcott in 1812, and was rebuilt by Jonathan Cutting on the north side of the river, and occupied by him until IS39, when it was burned.
The village saw-mill, built by Daniel Dudley, stood on the north side of the river until IS15, when the grist-mill was re- built, and the saw-mill was placed where it now stands, on the south side of the dam. This mill has been owned since by Jonathan Cutting, IS26 ; Seth Richards ; Albert Wilcox ; Jacob Reddington, 1837; Garry Tompkins, 1849; George E. Wil- marth, 1858; and by Daniel Nettleton. This mill manufac- tured 550,000 feet of lumber and 150,000 shingles in 1870. 'It was burned, Sept. 22, IS7S.
The Staniels saw-mill was owned and run in connection with the grist-mill. In 1836, it was purchased by Stephen Call and Frederick Claggett. It has been owned since by A. W. Ten- ney, John Wilcox, Hiram Staniels, and David E. Carr. The latter, in 1870, produced 100,000 feet of boards, 25,000 laths, and 15,000 shingles.
Ephraim Towner, one of the earliest settlers, had a saw-mill on Towner brook, near the junction of the Goshen and Break- Neck Hill roads.
Allen's mill, at Northville, was built by Samuel W. Allen in 1871. The Richardson mill and canal, at the same power, were
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MILLS.
built in IS36 by Samuel Larned & Co. Allen's mill, when operating at its full capacity, can produce 7,000 feet of boards, 9,000 shingles, and 15,000 laths per day.
Ichabod Morse, soon after his arrival in town, built a saw- mill near the mouth of Morse brook. The mill was shortly carried away by the high water.
The Haven mill at Northville was built by widow Joel Wake- field, in the early part of the present century. It was rebuilt by James Haven in IS31, and has since been owned by his son, B. F. Haven.
The saw-mill, dam, and canal at Kelleyville were built by Israel Kelley in 1827. He was assisted by the contributions of some sixty-five of his neighbors, who were interested in the enterprise. The mill has since been operated by William and Franklin Kelley, his sons, and by Nehemiah Dodge and David G. Fowler. In IS70, Mr. Fowler sawed 100,000 feet of boards, and made 200,000 shingles.
Nathan Hurd, in the earlier days, had a saw-mill opposite the Endicot farm, which was carried away by a freshet and never rebuilt.
Randall's mill was built by Lewis W. Randall and Carroll W. Peabody. It was soon purchased by Mr. Randall, who, after operating it for several years, sold to Ira F. Chandler, its present owner. In 1870, Mr. C. produced 150,000 feet of boards, 150,000 feet of lumber, and 75,000 laths.
The saw-mill in the north-west part of the town, on Perry brook, has been owned by Henry Chapin, Ezekiel Powers, and Abijah W. Tenney.
The saw-mill in the north-east part of the town, on Long Pond brook, was built by Peter Wakefield, who sold it to Ste- phen Reed, a son-in-law, who rebuilt it, and from whom it fell to his son Jackson Reed. Mr. Reed sawed, in IS70, 100,000 feet of boards.
CHAPTER XIII.
HOTELS.
T r HE favorable position of Newport, situated as it is in the valley of Sugar river, and at the confluence of its two branches north and south, has enabled it to enjoy much of the advantages of the through travel, as well as a wide local patron- age ; and hence hotel-keeping has always been an important and prosperous branch of business. Its palmiest days were prior to the introduction of railroads, when an immense amount of travel and freighting, by stage and teams, passed through this town on its way to and from market. The accommodation of fashionable summer boarders from our cities seems to give promise of another harvest for that calling.
The first mention we find of a public house is among the records of the proprietors' clerk, where the proprietors ad- journed Oct. 13, 1767, " to meet on the 16th inst., at 12 o'clock, at the house of Zephaniah Clark, innholder, in said Newport." Tradition says it was a humble log cabin, standing near the residence of Mr. Claggett, on the Unity road. That spot con- tinued to be the favorite location for a hotel until after the building of the Croydon turnpike, and the consequent transfer of business to the present village. The house of Mr. Claggett was built by John Lane, and occupied by him, David Lyon, and Ruel Keith, as a tavern.
Benjamin Bragg had a tavern at the Fairbanks place in 1782. The first building, made of logs, was burned, and a two-story framed house was erected in its place, and used as a tavern. He sold out to Phineas Wilcox, who continued the business at the same place.
The first framed house within the limits of the present vil-
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HOTELS.
lage stood upon the site of the present residence of J. H. Hunton. It was built by Isaac Reddington, and was designed for a tavern and store, and was occupied by him as such in 1793 and 1794. It was sold to Jesse Wilcox, Jr., who continued the same busi- ness from 1797 until the time of his death.
The F. Claggett house, the second one north of the Congre- gational church, was built by Gordon Buel for a hotel. It was kept by him in ISI1, and afterwards by Sylvanus Richards, Seth Richards, John Silver, in IS26, and by J. Black. It was known as the " Rising Sun."
" The Newport Coffee-House," now the house of Mr. W. A. F. Ladd, standing nearer the river than now, and fronting south, was built by Sargent Heath, in 1825, for a tavern, and was kept by him for a number of years.
Luther Delano kept a tavern for a while at the Tontine, on the east side of the common.
Peter Wakefield kept a tavern in the north part of the town, in 1798, near Baptist hill.
Ichabod Morse kept a tavern at the G. P. Haven place. It stood upon what was then the Cornish turnpike, which was new and much travelled.
Willard Wakefield and J. Rice had a public house at North- ville for a number of years.
Sylvanus Richards kept a tavern for many years in the west part of the town, on the S. HI. Cutting farm, where he had a nice place, and one of the very largest stocks in town. A Mr. Rice also kept a tavern on the same road, but nearer the Claremont line.
The house of Mr. B. Marshall, on the new road to Claremont, was used for many years as a tavern, commencing with the opening of the road. It was known as the " Half-way House." It was kept first by Stephen Perry, and afterwards by Mr. Ken- nerson, Mr. Walker, and Harvey Bingham.
Col. David Fisher had a tavern at the foot of Claremont hill in 1794 ; and Col. William Cheney was licensed to keep a tav- ern at the same place in IS13.
Hon. David Allen kept a tavern for many years at his place on the Goshen road, where Mrs. Page now resides, commenc- ing in ISII. It is still remembered with pleasure by the once
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HISTORY OF NEWPORT.
weary travellers who enjoyed its home comforts and bountiful table.
Joseph Buel had a tavern in 1793 at the L. W. Darling place on the East mountain.
The Isaac Quimby house, at Kelleyville, was occupied as a tavern for several years. It was kept by Jonathan Comstock.
A public house was kept for a number of years at the Gold- thwait place, on the old Croydon turnpike, by James White.
Asa Hurd kept tavern at the S. S. Wilcox house in the east part of the town.
The Newport House was built and kept by Col. William Cheney in 1814, and was also kept for a while by Col. Luther Delano. It was shortly after purchased and greatly enlarged by Capt. Joel Nettleton, and kept by him for more than twenty years. Since his day it has been kept by Parker Nettleton, James Kendall, Stephen Day, W. C. Colston, Samuel Emmons, Milton Glidden, Ira M. Clark, David B. Jones, Cross & Ayer, and J. & H. G. P. Cross. The original edifice was burned in 1860, and the present structure was erected the same year by the Messrs. Cross, assisted by liberal contributions from the citizens of the village, at a cost of $10,000. It was inaugurated with a most brilliant leap-year party on the 14th of December of that year. It was purchased by E. L. Putney, its present owner, in March, 1866. The French roof and observatory were put upon it by him in 1871, and the large new addition at the north in 1874, nearly doubling its capacity. It was leased to H. A. Averill in October, 1872, for a short time. It has always received its share of patronage from the time of its erection by Mr. Cheney. It is three stories high, with a Man- sard roof, 120 feet long, 44 feet deep, and has 100 rooms.
The Eagle hotel, now Eagle block, was built by James Breck and Josiah Forsaith, Esqs., in IS26. It was first kept by George Sparhawk, and subsequently by James Cameron, John Doughty, John Preston, John Silver, Samuel Emmons, Mat- thew Parker, Asa Richardson, S. Day, Jr., Joseph Nutting, D. IV. Watkins, Jonathan Silsby, and C. & H. A. Averill. It was purchased by S. H. Edes, and converted into a business block, in 1856. It enjoyed its greatest popularity with the fashion- able public, who constantly thronged it with rides and dances,
NEWPORT HOUSE
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HOTELS.
while under the management of Mr. Silver, whose lady had rare gifts for her position.
The Phenix hotel was built by Orange Whitney in IS70, be- ing assisted in the enterprise by citizens interested in the prog- ress of the village, and was under the management of his son, Calvin H. Whitney, until 1873, when it was sold to James H. Brown, the present proprietor. It is three stories high, with a French roof, has a long ell in the rear, a balcony in front, and has 50 rooms. It is built upon the site formerly occupied by the Sugar River House, which was built by Milan Booth in 1858, and was kept by Mr. Booth, Charles W. Jenks, E. L. Putney, N. B. Hull, and G. L. Cass, and which, in 1867, was destroyed by fire.
CHAPTER XIV.
TRADERS.
N EWPORT, by its favorable location, has always been able to command a very considerable trade. The merchants, as a class, have done a thriving business. Several of them have accumulated fortunes.
Tradition says the first article of merchandise brought into town was a barrel of rum, individuals contributing what they were disposed to ; but when it arrived, no one of their number had sufficient knowledge of figures to divide it equitably among the owners, so the matter was deferred until the arrival of Mrs. Christopher Newton, who was able to solve the problem.
The first store in town was kept by a Mr. Hicks, a son-in-law of Jedediah Reynolds, at the place now occupied by the old Boardman house. Josiah Stephens, Esq., kept a stock of goods at his house on the Unity road, at the William Emerson place. Isaac Reddington and David Lyon had a store at the Col. Carr place on the Unity road. William Cheney had a store at the E. Noyes house, at the foot of Claremont hill, when he first commenced trade in town.
Isaac Reddington, Jesse Wilcox, Jr., Solomon Clement, Eras- tus Baldwin, in 1812, Calvin, Albert, and Jesse Wilcox, in 1833, and Amos Little, have in turn traded at the J. H. Hunton cor- ner, in what was known as the old red store, the first framed building in the village.
The brick building at the corner of Main and Elm streets was built by James Breck, in 1816, and was occupied by him as a store, a portion of the time in connection with Hugh McAllister, and a part with his son. Martin B. Breck.
William Ward had a store at the Harvey corner and at the Tontine.
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TRADERS.
Calvin and Albert Wilcox, Daniel Wilcox, William and George W. Nourse, George H. Fairbanks, and Philip Royce have traded at the store south of Burke's block. James Cush- ing, James Breck, J. W. and J. II. Parmalee, Thomas Wallace, Asa Webster, George Herrick, Aaron Matson, and Ransom and Ariel Huntoon have kept in Burke's block.
Little & Story, Alfred Story, and Mudget & Higbee have traded in the store now occupied by C. H. Whitney & Co. Jo- seph Farnsworth, J. D. Walcott, and Moses P. Durkee traded in a building standing at the east of Wheeler's block in 1824.
Johnson & Averill, George E. Bartlett, William Dunton, Milton S. Jackson, F. A. Rawson, William O. Hopkins, N. J. Smith, Whitney & Sibley, and Charles Brockway have been in trade at Wheeler's block.
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