USA > New York > Albany County > Albany > Bi-centennial history of Albany. History of the county of Albany, N. Y., from 1609 to 1886. With portraits, biographies and illustrations > Part 81
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A great source of financial success in this institu- tion comes of receiving prisoners from other coun- ties. Contracts are made with the Supervisors of other counties for the board and care of their crim- inals. Many have also been received from the United States Courts. For these board has been paid to this Penitentiary. These prisoners have been put at work, and their labor is let to con- tractors at remunerative wages.
Originally the prison had but 90 cells; now it has 625. The building has been enlarged to nearly six times its original dimensions. New work-shops have been erected, and the whole yard has been inclosed by a high wall.
The greatest number of commitments is caused by intemperance. In 1855, there were 801 com- mitments. Of these 771 admitted themselves to be intemperate.
The prisoners are confined in separate cells at night, but work in the shops during the day. The discipline seems almost perfect.
In 1872, General Pilsbury died, and was suc- ceeded by his son, Louis D. Pilsbury, who, by con- tinuing to improve in conducting the system begun by his father, brought the institution to its present prosperous condition. He has, since leaving this Penitentiary, been in charge of the institution on Ward's Island, and been Superintendent of all the New York State Prisons. Mr. John McEwen, since 1879, has held the position of Superintendent.
Each year the Penitentiary pays into the treasury a handsome surplus from the earnings of the insti- tution, and thereby lessens taxation throughout the county. Under the present Superintendent the amount paid to the credit of the county in actual money is about $75, coo.
All short-term prisoners are cared for without expense to the county. Without the Penitentiary, it is estimated that the expense to the county would be at least $50,000 per annum.
The following is a summary of statistics from the Report of the Superintendent, filed with the Clerk of the Board, February 3, 1885:
The number of prisoners received during the year has been 2,270; added to those in confine- ment October 31, 1883, 837; making a total of 3,107. Discharged by expiration of sentence, 2,012; pardoned by President, 4; discharged by order of Secretary of War, 2: pardoned by Gov- ernor, 6; commuted by Governor, 1; discharged by remission of fines, 8; discharged by court or mag- istrate, 25; discharged by appeal, certiorari, etc., 22; discharged by payment of fine to justices, 113; died, 15; total discharged during year, 2, 208; leaving in confinement October 31, 1884, 899.
Of these 785 were males, 114 females. Of the above number received during the year there were: Males, 1,962; females, 308; total, 2, 270.
353
LEGISLATIVE OFFICERS.
Of these there were born in the United States, 1,480; Ireland, 409; Germany, 115; England, 90; Scotland, 25; Canada, 75; France, 10; Italy, Poland, Wales and Norway, 17; Sweden and Switzerland, 20; Denmark, Holland and New- foundland, 4; Prussia, Australia and New Bruns- wick, 8; Russia, Nova Scotia and Prince Edward's Island, 17; total, 2, 270.
Of these 1, 644 could read and write; 216 could read only; 410 could neither read nor write; 1, 894 admitted themselves to be intemperate; 376 claimed to be temperate; 822 were or had been married; 1, 448 were single; 379 were sent from the City of Albany; 179 from the town of Watervliet; I from Bethlehem; 98 from the City of Cohoes.
Of these 1, 398 were sentenced for a term less than six months; 578 for six months each; 57 from seven months to one year; 84 for one year; 20 for one year, and fine from $100 to $500; 46 for terms over one year, not exceeding two years; 38 for over two and not exceeding three years; 29 for
three and not exceeding four years; 16 for four years, not exceeding five; 13 for terms from six to ten years; I for life. 273 were under twenty years of age; 906 were between twenty and thirty years; 527 were between thirty and forty years; 318 were between forty and fifty years; 246 were over fifty years.
Early in the Legislature of 1885, a bill was intro- duced to relieve the Board of Supervisors of Albany County, and the Mayor and Recorder of the City of Albany, from all responsibility in regard to the maintenance and care of the Penitentiary. On May 11, 1885, the bill became law.
The Penitentiary Commission consists of D. Cady Herrick, District Attorney; John Battersby, County Treasurer; and John Reilly. The Peniten- tiary has been under their control since May, 1885. The Superintendent receives a salary of $3,000 per annum. A deputy, two clerks, three matrons and several subordinates are employed. The shops are in immediate charge of faithful overseers.
LEGISLATIVE OFFICERS FROM ALBANY COUNTY.
SENATORS.
INDER the first Constitution of the State, the Senate consisted of twenty-four members, ap- portioned among four great districts. After the first election they were divided by lots into four classes, so that the terms of six should expire each year. An additional Senator was to be added to each district whenever, by a septennial census, it was shown that the number of electors in the district had increased one twenty-fourth. This increase was to be al- lowed till the number reached one hundred. The census of 1795 made the number forty-three. In 1801, the rule being found unequal in its opera- tion, the Constitution was amended so as to fix the number of Senators permanently at thirty-two, which has ever since been retained. By the Con- stitution of 1821, the State was divided into eight great Senatorial districts, each of which was enti- tled to four Senators, one being elected every year. Their term of office was four years. Under the present Constitution the State consists of thirty-two Senatorial districts, in each of which a Senator is
elected each odd year. The Senate district must consist of contiguous territory, and no county can be divided unless entitled to two or more Senators.
Abraham Yates, Jr., 1777-90; Dirck W. Ten Broeck, 1777-78; Anthony Van Schaick, 1777-78; Rinier Mynderse, 1777-78.
The first session of the Legislature of this State was in 1777, assembling at Kingston, September 9th. On October 7th following it was dispersed by the British troops. The second meeting of this session was held at Poughkeepsie, beginning Jan- uary 15th and ending April 4, 1778.
Rinier Mynderse, 1778-81; Dirck W. Ten Broeck, 1778-83; Philip Schuyler, 1781-84, 1786- 88, 1792-97; Henry Oothoudt, 1782-85; Volkert P. Douw, 1786-93; Peter Schuyler, 1787-92; Leonard Gansvoort, 1791-93, 1797-1802; Stephen Van Rensselaer, 1791-95; Anthony Ten Eyck, 1797-1801; Anthony Van Schaick, 1797-1800; Abraham Van Vechten, 1798-1805, 1816-19; Francis Nicoll, 1797-98; John Sanders, 1799- 1802; Stephen Lush, 1801-2; Simon Veeder, 1804-7; John Veeder, 1806-9; Joseph C. Yates,
45
354
HISTORY OF THE COUNTY OF ALBANY.
1806-8; Charles E. Dudley, 1820-5; John Mc- Carty, 1827-30; Peter Gansvoort, 1833-6; Friend Humphrey, 1840-1; Ira Harris, 1847; Valentine Tredwell, 1848-49; Azor Taber, 1852-53; Clark- son F. Crosby, 1854-55; John W. Harcourt, 1856-57; George Y. Johnson, 1858-59; Andrew J. Colvin, 1860-61; John V. L. Pruyn, 1862-63; Lorenzo D. Collins, 1866-67; A. B. Banks, 1868- 69, 1870-71; Charles H. Adams, 1872-73; Jesse C. Dayton, 1874-75; Hamilton Harris, 1876-79; Waters W. Braman, 1880-81; Abraham Lansing, 1882-83; John B. Thacher, 1884-85.
MEMBERS OF ASSEMBLY.
Gerrit Abeel, 1796; Mathew Adgate, 1780-85; Flores Bancker, 1779-80; Thomas E. Barker, 1798 -99; Daniel D. Barnard, 1838; Frederick Bassler, Jr., 1840; George Batterman, 1825; John Bay, 1779-80; Abraham Becker, 1784-85; John Beek- man, Jr., 1804; John H. Beekman, 1782-83; John James Beekman, 1780-83; Sidney Berry, 1791-92; James Bill, 1796-1800; Harmanus Bleeker, 1814- 15; David Bogardus, 1807, 1812-13; Leonard Bronck, 1786-93; Abraham Brooks, 1823; John Brown, 1808-9; Jonathan Brown, 1791; Jesse Buel, 1823; Daniel Burhans, 1804-6; John H. Burhans, 1808-9, 1816-17; Benjamin F. Butler, 1828; Asa Colvard, 1806-7, 1811-12, 1820; John Colvin, 1810; Philip Conine, Jr., 1796-97, 1800; Clarkson F. Crosby, 1845; Abraham Cuyler, 1784; Jacob Cuyler, 1777-78; John Cuyler, Jr., 1777-78; John Davis, 1839; Adam Deitz, Jr., 1804-6; Johan Jost Deitz, 1798-1804, 1807-9, 1811-14; Johannes Deitz, 1792-96; David Delong, 1811; Abijah B. Disbrow, 1832; John A. Dix, 1842; David Dorman, 1836; Prince Doty, 1798- 1802; James C. Duane, 1796-97; William A. Duer, 1818-19; John Duncan, 1788-89; Peter Flagler, 1840; Jellis A. Fonda, 1792-94; Jacob Ford, 1781- 85; Sylvester Ford, 1814-15 ; Michael Freeligh, 1816; Abel French, 1810; Philip Frisbie, 1781-82; John Frisby, 1803; John Fuller, 1847; John I. Gal- lup, 1 847; Leonard Gansvoort, 1778-79, 1788; Leon- ard Gansvoort, Jr., 1795; Peter Gansvoort, 1830- 31; James D. Gardner, 1829; John Gibbons, 1812- 13; Henry Glen, 1786-87; James Gordon, 1777- 81, 1784, 1786-90; Theo. V. W. Graham, 1794; Daniel Hale, 1807; Willis Hall, 1843; Isaac Ham- ilton, 1827; Ira Harris, 1845-46; John Haswell, 1827; And. N. Heermance, 1798-99; John V. Henry, 1800-2; Jacob Hotchstrasser, 1794-97; Gerrit Hogan, 1820-21; Lawrence Hogeboom, 1786; James Holcomb, 1796-97; Aaron Hough-
taling, 1841; W. D. Houghtaling, 1819; Cornelius Humphrey, 1779-80; Thomas Hun, 1794-95; Elishama Janes, 1812-13; Jonathan Jenkins, 1808- 9, 1820; Richard Kimmey, 1837; Francis Lan- sing, 1841; John Lansing, Jr., 1780-84, 1786-89; Jeremiah Lansingh, 1798-99; Philip Lennebacker, 1832; Leonard Litchfield, 1845; Aaron Livingston, 1834; Edward Livingston, 1833, 1835, 1837; John Livingston, 1786-87; Peter R. Livingston, 1780-81; Walter Livingston, 1777-79, 1784-85; James S. Lowe, 1830; Samuel S. Lush, 1825-26, 1830; Stephen Lush, 1792-93, 1803-6; David McCarty, 1792; James McKown, 1820-22; William Mc- Kown, 1822; Hugh Mitchell, 1779-80; Nich. V. Mynderse, 1804-5 ; Francis Nicoll, 1792-93; 1796-1800; William North, 1792, 1794-96; Na- thaniel Ogden, 1796-98; Henry Oothoudt, 1779- 80; Volkert D. Oothout, 1822; John I. Ostran- der, 1816-17; Cornelius G. Palmer, 1842; George Palmer, 1781-82; Stephen Platt, 1794-95; Will- iam Powers, 1787; John Price, 1814-15, 1820; John Prince, 1796-98; Henry Quackenboss, 1779- 80; Edmund Raynsford, 1838; Abraham Rose- crantz, 1823; James Sacket, 1818; J. W. Scher- merhorn, 1791; Maus Schermerhorn, 1803-4; John Schoolcraft, 1816; Jacob Schoonhoven, 1786; John C. Schuyler. 1836; Peter Schuyler, 1784; Peter S. Schuyler, 1802-4, 1820; Philip P. Schuy- ler, 1796-99; Stephen J. Schuyler, 1777-79; David G. Seger, 1835; Jacob Settle, 1833; Paul Settle, 1838; William Seymour, 1832, 1836; Thomas L. Shafer, 1846; Levi Shaw, 1844; Israel Shear, 1833; John P. Shear, 1822; Jonas Shear, 1842; Joseph Shurtleff, 1798-99, 1800-2, 1804-7; Thomas Sickles, 1787-88; Richard Sill, 1789-91; William N. Sill, 1828; John I. Slingerland, 1843; Jesse Smith, 1816; Moses Smith, 1804-5, 1814, 1820- 21; Barent P. Staats, 1834 ; Chandler Starr, 1829; Archibald Stephens, 1824; Samuel Stephens, 1844; John Stillwell, 1824; Henry Stone, 1827; Dirck Swart, 1780-85; Gideon Taber, 1816-18; John Tayler, 1777-81, 1786-87; Jacobus Teller, 1778- 79; Dirck Ten Broeck, 1796-1802; John Ten Broeck, 1792-93; Samuel Ten Broeck, 1781-83; Andrew Ten Eyck, 1826; Henry Ten Eyck, 1792; Jacob Ten Eyck, 1800-3; J. De Peyster Ten Eyck, 1788; Israel Thompson, 1781-82, 1784-85; Joel Thompson, 1798; John Thompson, 1788-89; Valentine Treadwell, 1847; Jesse Tyler, 1812, 1814-15; Ab. J. Van Alstyne, 1786; Cornelius Van Dyck, 1788-89; Dirck Van Ingen, 1788; Peter Van Ness, 1782-84; Hezekiah Van Orden, 1788; Andrews Van Patten, 1795; H. K. Van Rensselaer, 1788-90; J. Van Rensselaer, 1788-89;
355
COUNTY TREASURER.
J. Van Rensselaer, Jr., 1780-81; Killian Van Rens- selaer, 1777-79; Robert Van Rensselaer, 1777-81; Stephen Van Rensselaer, 1789-90, 1808-10, 1818; Aaron Van Schaick, 1843; J. Van Schoonhoven, 1791; Corn. A. Van Slyck, 1791-93; Abraham Van Vechten, 1800, 1808-13; Corn. Van Vechten, 1789-90; John G. Van Zandt, 1812; Jacob Vee- der, 1807-8; Simeon Veeder, 1844; Abraham Verplanck, 1837; David I. D. Verplank, 1828; Mathew Visscher, 1784-85, 1787; Isaac Vrooman, 1779-82: Peter Vrooman, 1777-79, 1786-87; Corn. H. Waldron, 1819; Tobias T. E. Waldron, 1835; Robert D. Watson, 1846-47; Rufus Watson, 1816- 17, 1839; Wheeler Watson, 1831; Edmund Wells, 1781-82; John H. Wendell, 1796-98; Peter West, 1798, 1800-2; Henry G. Wheaton, 1835-41; Malachi Whipple, 1826; Phineas Whiteside, 1779- 80; William B. Whiting, 1777-80; Stephen Willes, 1820-21, 1825; Erastus Williams, 1830; Prentice Williams, Jr., 1834; Jacob Winne, 1800-1; John D. Winne, 1814-15; John L. Winne, 1814; Peter W. Winne, 1831; Jesse Wood, 1824; Christopher Yates, 1782-85; J. Van Ness Yates, 1819; Peter W. Yates, 1784-85; John Younglove, 1782-85, 1788-90.
Charles H. Adams, 1858; William Aley, 1866; Cornelius W. Armstrong, 1858; Daniel L. Babcock, 1872; Robert Babcock, 1851; Dwight Batcheller, 1858; A. Bleecker Banks, 1862; Hiram Barber, 1849; Lewis Benedict, Jr., 1861; Robert C. Blackall, 1871; Martin J. Blessing, 1855; James Brady, 1856; Waters W. Braman, 1874-75, 1877, 1879; Henry A. Brigham, 1848; Israhiah Chese- bro, 1854; John C. Chism, 1868; Clark B. Coch- rane, 1866; Thomas D. Coleman, 1876; Lorenzo D. Collins, 1859-60; Hugh Conger, 1867, 1869; Almerin J. Cornell, 1862; Edward Coyle, 1871; James F. Crawford, 1866; Henry Creble, 1859; John Cutler, 1852; Edward Curran, 1877-78; Alexander Davidson, 1855; Archibald A. Dunlop, 1854; John Evers, 1857; Morgan L. Filkins, 1859, 1864; Wm. W. Forsyth, 1853; John N. Foster, 1878; Jay Gibbons, 1861; Samuel W. Gibbs, 1860; Hiram Griggs, 1878-80; Robert Harper, 1852; Hamilton Harris, 1851; Jonathan R. Herrick, 1877; Stephen M. Hollenbeck, 1854; Orville M. Hungerford, 1865; Henry Jenkins, 1856; Thomas Kearney, 1853; William J. Maher, 1876-77; Will- iam D. Murphy, 1870-71; Michael A. Nolan, 1865; Joel B. Nott, 1850; William L. Oswald, 1863-64; Harris Parr, 1864; Eli Perry, 1851; Henry R. Pierson, 1873; Oscar F. Potter, 1867; Robert H. Pruyn, 1848-50, 1854; Terence J. Quinn, 1874; John Reid, 1853; Alexander Robert-
son, 1865, 1867; Edward D. Ronan, 1870; John Sager, 1877; George M. Sayles, 1852; Fred. Schif- ferdecker, 1874; Peter Schoonmaker, 1874; Wil- lett Searls, 1862; William S. Shepard, 1850; Adam I. Shultes, 1851; John I. Slingerland, 1860; Peter Slingerland, 1875-76; Adam W. Smith, 1869; Henry Smith, 1867, 1872; William J. Snyder, 1863; Stephen Springsteed, 1872; James T. Story, 1878; Jackson A. Summer, 1868; William D. Sunderlin, 1871; Hugh Swift, 1852; John Tighe, 1869-70; Franklin Townsend, 1857; Lyman Tre- main, 1866; Adam Van Allen, 1857; David Van Auken, 1849; Cornelius Vanderzee, 1850; Harmon H. Vanderzee, 1865; John Vanderzee, 1862; James B. Van Etten, 1855; J. W. Van Valken- burgh, 1873; T. Van Vechten, Jr., 1852; Theo. Van Volkenburgh, 1868; Francis W. Vosburgh, 1875; Henry I .. Wait, 1863; William J. Wheeler, 1861; Isaac Whitbeck, 1856; Edward S. Willett, 1848; Joel A. Wing, 1849; George Wolford, 1858; Francis H. Woods, 1868; William A. Young, 1859; Alfred LeRoy, 1876; Leopold C. G. Kshinka, 1874-5; George B. Mosher, 1872-73; Charles Knowles, 1879; Thomas H. Greer, 1879; William H. Slingerland, Ignatius Wiley, Joseph Haynes, Thomas Liddle, 1880; Miner Gallup, Andrew S. Draper, Aaron B. Pratt, George Campbell, 1881; Michael J. Gorman, Aaron Fuller, Amasa J. Par- ker, John McDonough, 1882; Daniel P. Winne, Warren S. Kelley, Edward A. Maher, Joseph Dela- hanty, 1883; John Zimmerman, Hiram Becker, Edward A. Maher, James Forsyth, Jr., 1884; Lansing Hotaling, 1885.
ALBANY COUNTY COUNTY TREASURER.
This ancient officer was known before the revo- lution. He is the custodian of the funds of the county, and also disburses them. He is re- quired to give heavy bonds for the faithful performance of his duties. He is required to report to the Board of Supervisors annually. They audit his accounts. His salary is fixed at the annual sum of $5,000. Among his du- ties is to direct the sale of property for unpaid taxes-in fact he has large duties connected with the taxes of the county. Under the direction of the Board of Supervisors he often borrows money in the credit of the county, cancels taxes, etc. On the whole, it is one of the most important offices in the county. The Treasurer was formerly ap- pointed by the Board of Supervisors; but by the statute provisions of 1846, he is now elected for a term of 3 years by the people, in November. The
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HISTORY OF THE COUNTY OF ALBANY.
following is a list of the County Treasurers under the Constitution of 1846 : James Kidd, 1848; Cornelius Ten Broeck, 1851; Richard J. Grant, 1854; Adam Van Allen, 1857; Thomas Kearney,
1860; Stephen V. Frederick, 1866; Alexander Kennedy, 1869; Nathan D. Wendell, 1872; Henry Kelly, 1878; Albert Gallup, 1881; John Battersby, 1884.
JOURNALISTS AND JOURNALISM IN ALBANY COUNTY.
A1 LBANY has always been conspicuous for the ability of its editors, publishers and printers. Its history is embellished with the career of illus- trious journalists. Here the press has wielded an influence that may truly be called national.
The history of the Albany press began in No- vember, 1771, when Alexander and James Rob- ertson issued the first number of the Albany Gazette, a journal which had its birth and death within the space of one year. But it was the pioneer under- taking.
Down to 1811 there were but thirty-four news- papers in the State. "The paper," says Mr. Weed, "on which they were printed resembled ordinary wrapping-paper in texture and hue, and the type, in most cases, was worn well down to- ward the first nick. The New York Columbian was printed on a sheet as blue as indigo, while the Hudson Bee rejoiced in colors as yellow as Mrs. Skewton's bed-curtains." Considering the material and conveniences of that day, printing was done with wonderful rapidity. In Albany, as early as 1816, Governor Tompkins' last message was print- ed and republished in Canandaigua within five days. Canandaigua, at that time, was as far from Albany, in length of time, as San Francisco is now.
ALEXANDER & JAMES ROBERTSON, the pioneer printers of Albany, having established the Gazette in 1771, Albany was the second city in the State in which a regular newspaper was published. It was printed on a small sheet, about one-fourth the size of the Evening Journal.
At the time it was started, and during its exist- ence, New York was a province of Great Britain, though the growing spirit of liberty was fast pro- ducing the crisis which resulted in the revolution and American freedom. It was, doubtless, the turbulent state of the times that caused the Robert- sons to suspend the Gazette. They were loyal to Great Britain, and left, it is said, for Nova Scotia. The editors of the Gazette, January 13, 1772, make the following quaint apology;
"The printers of the Gazette, from motives of gratitude and duty, are obliged to apologize to the public for the omission of one week's publication; and hope the irregularity of the mail from New York since the first great fall of snow, and the se- vere cold preceding Christmas, which froze the pa- per prepared for the press so as to put a stop to its operation, will sufficiently account for it."
The liberal manner in which merchants adver- tised at that day, is indicated by the advertisement of Thomas Barry, a leading merchant of Albany, whose store stood near the Dutch Church, at the foot of State street. His advertisement occupies a column of the Gazette, giving a description of his goods quite as eloquently written as that of the popular merchants of to-day. Among the articles advertised, we find the following : "None-so- pretty of various colors, and black breeches pat- terns." Another firm, James Gourlay & Co., largely advertise, stating particularly that their "store is to be found in Cheapside street, next door to the King's Arms."
JESSE BUEL .- Among the most prominent names among the great journalists of Albany, is that of Jesse Buel.
He was born in Coventry, Conn., January 4, 1778, the youngest of a family of fourteen children. His father, Elias Buel, was an officer in the army of the revolutionary war. At the age of fourteen, he entered the printing-office of a Mr. Lyon, at Rutland, as apprentice. The first four years of his term were spent in unremitted atten- tion to his calling. Having purchased of Mr. Lyon the unexpired three years of his time, he began the life of a journeyman printer. After a brief stay in the City of New York, he worked a short time with Mr. McDonald of Albany; also at Waterford and Lansingburgh. In connection with Mr. Moffat, of Troy, he began in June, 1797, the publication of the Troy Budget. In September, 1804, he left the Budget. About that time he married Miss Susan Pierce, of Troy.
In October, 1801, he was in Poughkeepsie, pub- lishing a weekly paper called the Guardian. This was discontinued after about one year, He began
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JOURNALISTS AND JOURNALISM.
the publication of the Political Banner, which was also short-lived.
At the close of 1802, he established a paper in Kingston, called the Plebian, which he conducted with marked success until the close of the year 1813. Six years after he came to Kingston, he was appointed Judge of the Court of Common Pleas of Ulster County.
While at Kingston, he gained the lasting friend- ship of that illustrious jurist, Ambrose Spencer. Through Judge Spencer's influence, he removed to the City of Albany and commenced the Albany Argus. The next year he was appointed State printer. He occupied the editorial chair of the Argus with distinguished ability till 1820, when he decided to abandon the duties of journalist and printer.
Judge Buel, during all his career as a journalist, insisted upon spending a portion of his time in setting type and working at the press.
Disposing of the Argus, which he had founded, he purchased a farm near the City of Albany, and assumed the life of a farmer. While residing on his farm, he was a member of the State Assembly during the session of 1823.
His attention to agriculture met with such suc- cess, that he became one of the most distinguished agriculturists in the State. In March, 1834, the Cultivator was commenced, under the auspices of the State Agricultural Society, and Judge Buel be- came its editor. From a small monthly sheet, issued at the price of twenty-five cents per year, it rapidly increased in size and in subscriptions until, in March, 1838, its subscription list amounted to 23,000. On commencing the fifth volume, it was increased in size, and took its place among leading agricultural journals.
In 1821, he was elected a member of the Mass- achusetts Agricultural Society; in 1829, of the Horticultural Society of that State; in 1830, of the Monroe Horticultural Society of Rochester ; in 1831, of the Charleston Horticultural Society in South Carolina; in 1832, of the Hampshire, Franklin and Hampden Society in Massachusetts, and of the Hamilton County Agricultural Society at Cincinnati ; in 1833, of the Tennessee Agricul- tural and Horticultural Societies ; in 1834, of the Horticultural Society of the District of Columbia; in. 1838, of the Philadelphia Society of Agriculture; and in 1839, of the Albemarle Agricultural Society. In 1838, he was chosen President of the Horticul- tural Society of the Valley of the Hudson, and was several times chosen President of the State Agricul- tural Society. Thus is seen the regard in which he was held. Judge Buel's efforts were by no means confined to agricultural pursuits. The motto of his Cultivator was "To improve the soil and the mind."
His system of education, like his system of agri- culture, was practical. He would guide the effort of muscle by the direction of the mind. While cultivating the land he would enjoy the landscape. The efforts of Judge Buel greatly tended to make honorable, as well as profitable, the pursuits of agriculture. He delivered addresses before agri-
cultural and horticultural societies in various parts of the Union, and always drew large audiences to listen to him.
On September 22, 1839, while at Danbury, Conn., he had a severe attack of bilious colic, fol- lowed by bilious fever, which terminated fatally October 4th. His death produced a profound sen- sation and general sorrow.
Judge Buel was a practical illustration of repub- lican simplicity-always plain in dress and ap- pearance, and unassuming in his manners. He was hospitable without display, pious without pre- tension, and learned without pedantry. As a writer his style was well adapted to the nature of his com- munications. With him words meant things, and not simply their shadows. He came to the com- mon mind like an old familiar acquaintance, though he always brought new ideas.
His writings are principally found in the many addresses he delivered; in the six volumes of his Cultivator; in the small volume made up from ma- terials taken from the Cultivator, published by the Harpers; and in the "Farmer's Companion," the last and most elaborate of his works. It was written expressly for the Massachusetts Board of Education, and was one of the most popular works of the kind.
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