USA > New York > Cortland County > Virgil > Festal gathering of the early settlers! and present inhabitants of the town of Virgil, Cortland County, N.Y., 1853 > Part 5
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It has been no less true with the sons than with the daughters of Virgil. Possessing from the earliest settlement of the country, and inheriting from their hardy pioneer ancestors from New England and Eastern New York, in a degree unsurpassed by any that sur- rounds them, those energies of character, that strength of mind and will, that desire to progress, and that real goodness and soundness
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of heart, all of which combine to form that foundation granted by Heaven for making up the perfect man, they needed but the oppor- tunity and the means to add to those precious gifts bestowed by nature's kindly hand, the improvements and accomplishments, the cultivation and refinement, which education and an acquaintance with' society bestows, to make them what they now are-both the sons and daughters of our native Town-" never surpassed in those gifts and virtues which God alone bestows, whilst they also now take rank with the foremost in those accomplishments and refinements derived from education, instruction and cultivation."
No one can say of us, however, in our early struggles for improve- ment, at the time when our means of improvement were the most meagre and limited, that we were ever discouraged, or that we failed to turn everything to the best account, and had I time, nothing could be more amusing to the book-gorged, academy-glutted student of the present day, than an account of the way we sought to become anatomists and chemists, physicians and lawyers, orators and debat- ers, poets and essayists, editors and journalists, and even tragedians and stage players. It would, indeed, be a picture of " the pursuit of knowledge under difficulties," and I feel almost inclined to promise when the leisure can be commanded, to give you a lecture, descriptive of our early struggles in the various departments of learning and literature.
But now I have only a glance to give at some of our most primi- tive attempts at improvement, for the purpose of proving that how- ever rude the material used, or unskillful the attempt, yet they were attended with most important results in the development of the re- sources, and in the formation of the character of the sons and daugh- ters of our maternal Town.
Almost in all cases the first effort towards intellectual culture in the early settlement of a country, is a combined effort to supply that greatest and foremost want of mental food arising from a scarcity of books, resulting in the formation of the circulating library. How well many of us remember the precise appearance of every volume contained in the Old Virgil Union Library, as they were arranged upon the shelves within the little white pine, unpainted clothes-press- looking book-case, being just five feet wide and six feet high, and one-half filled with books-oh ! how precious! From that sacred
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arcana I first drew, with trembling and delighted fingers, the first volume I ever read beyond the dignity of Mother Goose. It was " The Sorrows of Werter." Next we were more fortunate, and the Arabian Nights were cantered through day and night, by my friend, Carlo M. Woods, now clerk of Supreme Court, in Quincy, Ill., and myself, side by side, with such delight as the well fed reader of the present day can never enjoy.
Then in after years, when the few volumes remaining became dogs-eared, scattered and gone, and the fountain was no longer sup- plied, and its treasures exhausted, how wonderful the diligence with which we watched for and sought out any stray crumb of new food. Often have I, together with Phillip Roe, Carlo Woods and William Edwards, gone two, three and four miles on foot to borrow a book we had heard of, owned by some remote neighbor. I tell you that was comfortable reading. And then the delight furnished me by my good friend, Dr. Bronson, who was ever ready in my boyhood, to aid me onward in improvement, loaned me the gratuitous use of · his share of the Cortland Village Library. Oh, the riches ! the treasures. Mavor's Voyages and Travels, Clark's, Bruce's, Cook's, Lewis and Clark's, and others of voyages and travels, and then the opening of that rich treasury furnished by Cooper's and Sir Walter Scott's Novels, then in current publication.
It was with the rest of them as with me, and those early struggles and slender advantages have told upon our lives.
Next to acquiring the means of information, follows the discussion and the application of the new world of knowledge acquired. Then follows the debating society-not confined to students, merchants or lawyers, clerks or young mechanics, but bringing together the farmer and the day worker, for miles around, who had a taste for cultivat- ing the mind together with the controversial propensities, and the depth of the questions discussed; the gravity and learning with which each side was studied and weighed, would seem to settle for- ever without controversy, the comparative merits of Bonaparte and. Washington as generals, (no one thought of comparing them as men,) the respective abilities of Hannibal and Cæsar, the compar- ative benefits derived from Dr. Franklin and Columbus, from the art of printing and the magnetic needle; yet in those very clubs in which I have seen so familiarly many a face assembled here to-day,
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and in which I have so often wielded my sword of lath, against the trenchant blades of the Franks and Hydes and Woods and Terry and the Greens and the Edwardses and the Hunters and the Roes, have been elicited for the first scinctillations of intellects that have since proved themselves worthy of the highest cultivation, and have since rewarded richly the largest appliances of improvement. Many of us who are now occupying at least, comfortable and reasonable positions (and some ranking with the highest,) in the learned pro- fessions, would now but for the humble debating clubs in this good Town, have been but third rate hewers of wood and drawers of water amongst you.
Oh, pardon us, ye Goddess Thespis, that I should so long forget thy early votaries. Only think of the preparations and rehearsals for our exhibitions, a la dramatique, in the different districts of our common schools. Was ever Cæsar so foully murdered as by my friend Frank, over on Luce Hill ? Why ! the stab that even et tu Brute gave, was nothing to compare with it. And was ever Robin Roughhead made so much a clown as on the boards at the South Settlement ? And Deacon Homespun could never have more dressed and looked the stupid, superstitious, ignorant country doubter, than was put on by our then facetious friend, Hiram Green. But Rome's grand effort, " her greatest and her last, "-Frank as Pizarro, myself as Alonzo, our little, withered, yellow, dried, monkey-faced school- master, who shall be nameless, as Rolla, and the long galaxy of talent, male and female, that faithfully rehearsed through the long winter at the old white tavern on the hill, in the hall, at the weekly rent of a quarter pound of tea or its equivalent.
If Forrest could have seen our school master as Rolla, he never would have played more. His great heart would have broke, and - it was no wonder that the glorious winter for fun and rehearsals ended in a failure to give the final eclat by a public exhibition.
Persevering to the last, we had no press, no type; but by procuring foolscap paper to be headed with the printed words in Roman cap- itals, " The Spectator," we weekly issued our closely written columns to an admiring public; and imitating the great essayist Addison, in the style of our articles and in the manners we reformed, as well as in our paper's name, for three long years we continued the faithful monitors of the public through the medium of the press, composed
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of the fists of Frank, myself, Hyde, and other worthy contributors. And who shall say how much the tastes and facilities of writing thus and then acquired may have influenced and controlled the career and destiny of my friend, who was its principal conductor. But alas, I can dwell upon such pleasant reminiscences no longer. The rapidly declining sun warns me to a close. The happiest day must have an ending. The most joyous gatherings must be followed by a separation, and we must again become scattered abroad, and min- gled with strangers to our native soil in the strife of life, but let us all remember, one and all, that whenever duty may call us, wherever our lot may be cast, let each son and daughter of Virgil strive to reflect nothing but the sunshine of bright honor and worth upon their maternal brow.
On motion it was resolved that a committee of three be appointed to procure from the several speakers of the day, a copy of their ad- dresses, the sentiments presented and the odes sung, and arrange the same with the proceedings of the day, and have the whole pub- lished in pamphlet form; and that Dr. F. Hyde, R. O. Reynolds, Esq., and N. Bouton constitute said committee. The meeting then dispersed.
Members of the Choir.
E. P. SLAFTER, Chorister, MISS M. ROBINSON,
H. M. SHEERAR, Second C.,
M. FRANK,
J. B. SHEERAR,
WM. CHATTERTON,
DR. J. BALL,
MRS. A. SNIDER,
66 M. HAZEN,
66 L. SNIDER,
66 M. ROE,
66 J. M. HOTCHKISS,
66 J. GLEASON.
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Introduction to Supplementary Letters.
I T occurred to me that it would be well, as the original pamphlet giving the account of the Festive Gathering of Early Settlers of the Town of Virgil, was exhausted, and events have been con- stantly transpiring to the present time, that it would be very desir- able to renew the original work, not only, but to bring the history up to the present time and embrace the same in one publication, to be placed in reach of any one who should wish to become acquainted with a plain and authentic history of the Town, for the entertain- ment and gratification of those who will be desirous of reading the same.
Nearly four years since, I commenced a series of "Letters " con- nected with this subject, for the Press, and concluded to copy them nearly entire into the New Work. It was at first thought best to abridge them, retaining the substance in less compass ; but in look- ing it over, it seems to myself that this course would render the style much cramped and inflexible; and thus destroy that easy flow of ideas that now prevails-at least as the writer looks upon them. Errors will be corrected, parts withdrawn, and such additions made as shall appear to be proper and suitable.
Supplementary Letters.
NUMBER I.
A S the elections for the year are past, the crops gathered, and the greatest share of marketing produce is done, and winter is upon us in earnest, it may reasonably be assumed that the minds of the people are accessible to other considerations than those which have engrossed them during the busy months past. Taking this view of the situation, the writer, who has lived in the Town to be described more than seventy years, and has been familiar with most of the important events that have transpired in that time, has come to the conclusion that he will be justified in presenting some facts in reference to matters in the history of " Old Virgil." And he is the more inclined to do so from the fact that many seem to have erroneous impressions, greatly to the disparagement of our Town, in reference to the various items embraced in the standing or credit of a Town where a common, mutual, and general interest prevails. This diminutive opinion doubtless had its origin in the obscure beginning which the early settlers had, in the dense forest where they chose their homes, and where their daily business was to fell the forest and prepare the soil to yield its production for the suste- nance of man and beast. In this respect the Town differed but lit- tle from those surrounding it; but there were some disadvantages peculiar to this Town, not in so great a degree participated in by others. The settlers were generally poor, and had to purchase their land of those residing at a distance, involving the necessity of taking the money that could be realized from hard toil, away from us and paying it out in distant places, from whence it never returned to aid
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by its circulation, the success and prosperity of our people, render- ing money extremely scarce and bringing them to great straits.
Another permanent embarrassment was the lack of a heavy stream of water passing through centrally, for propelling mills and machin- ery. Others might be mentioned which had a depressing effect on the energy of the pioneers; but they did not prevent them from persevering in the determination to hew out for themselves and families respectable and comfortable homes, and to rear the institu- tions of religion and learning. The situation was very different from that now found in settling a new country. Everything must be taken in its primitive state. The first settlers must wait twelve or more years for a Post-Office. And though our office was estab- lished in 1808, yet as late as 1873, some have found it hard to believe that such an obscure place should have a Post-Office. There is one here, however, which is doing a business very creditable to the intel- ligence of the population.
Before the partially cleared farms produced a sufficient amount of grain for the sustenance of the people, it was common for the able-bodied, stalwart young men to go, as it was said, "out to the lakes, " to work during harvest, that they might supplement the scan- ty amount grown on their own narrow fields. I might mention as a specimen of difficulties to be overcome, the scanty remuneration re- ceived by ministers of the gospel. One who had labored several years in a church made a statement which is derived from an au- thentic source to this effect; that he had not received money enough from the church to which he ministered to pay the postage on letters which he had received on their account. Afterwards the same church secured the labors of a minister on a salary of fifty dollars. Another church passed a solemn resolution that they would endeavor to raise ten dollars to secure the labors of a minister two Sabbaths during the year. Such are some of the facts existing, incident to the settlement and progress of this Town. These have doubtless given rise to some of the disparaging things that have been said long since, and have been repeated in modern times, taxing heavily even the " Charity which suffereth long and is kind." It will be the object of the writer, in a series of articles, to show that such opinions if entertained, are unfounded, and merely indicate the ignorance or prejudice of those who express them:
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NUMBER II.
T N looking over what I had written in reference to the remunera- tion made to ministers of the gospel, it occurred to me that an inference might be drawn, reflecting on the generosity of members of the churches. I should be reluctant to leave such an impression, as they probably contributed according to their ability in the sub- stantials of life, to the comfort and convenience of those officiating in the " sacred calling." It remains to set forth some of the insur- mountable obstacles arising from the situation of the Town. It was one of those constituting what was known as the "Military Tract, " and was about ten miles square, with a ridge of hills extending from west to east through the centre. When the settlements were made they occupied, essentially the borders of the area, so that small com- munities were formed in each corner, causing great inconvenience in doing business of whatever kind; religious, literary or political, in- cident to the progress of the people. The result was that every in- stitution was feeble and essentially isolated; and when any impor- tant object was to be promoted, requiring the concurrence and aid of all those interested, they must hold their consultations and unite their influence at great expense and inconvenience. This state of things told unfavorably on the public mind. Then any cause was viewed in its results, compared with the whole population, as seen in the census reports; it would appear much disproportioned, and the inference would be against the intelligence, ability and public spirit of the people.
Each settlement would naturally urge its claims for privileges, such as town meetings, clerk's office, etc., which caused a constant struggle between the respective localities for participation in these and other common privileges. It would be difficult to set forth the . embarrassments arising from this cause, so as to be appreciated by those who have never experienced the like. This state of things continued, with many efforts for the division of the Town, all of which failed, till 1845, when it was divided into three towns, by a line east and west, identical with the original line of lots five miles from the north boundary, leaving the north part to retain the name of Virgil, and the south part separated into two parts. The west
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part having the name of Harford, and the east part that of Lapeer. This division has, on the whole, proved satisfactory, as it has placed each portion on its own responsibility, and given to each the oppor- tunity to labor and strive as best it might, for its own advancement.
I have hitherto occupied your space to set forth the obstacles with which we had to contend; and, let it be remembered that the merit of success is in proportion to the difficulties to be overcome. The writer has enjoyed no advantages for education outside the Town under consideration ; consequently your readers will not be enter- tained with flights of the imagination, finding their expression in gorgeous sunsets, with light, fleecy clouds tinged with gold, speed- ing their way towards the eastern horizon, or gurgling, sparkling rills pursuing their serpentine course through the lowly vale. The object will be to give the facts in plain language, such as none need misunderstand.
NUMBER III.
TT will now be expected by your readers that the writer of these articles will proceed, as was proposed, to give evidences of enterpise, thrift and advancement. That is now my object. It must, however, be premised, in order to present a proper view of the merit of success, that a portion of our population, embracing men of property and influence, have failed to harmonize with the, efforts made for the promotion of plans for the elevation of the Town in the scale of morality, education, or agriculture, causing the wheels of progress to roll heavily. There has also been a class of idlers subsisting on the thrift and industry of their fellow-citizens, that has added very much to the burdens of a community essentially laborious and enterprising. It may be said that such is true of every place. However that may be, it is certain with us every land- able enterprise has made its way, inch by inch, through the difficul-
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ties that have interposed. It has been said, that if a man should live where he could gain a subsistence by laboring two days in the week, he would labor but one. And if he could live by laboring four days, he would labor six, thus gaining a surplus. Such is very much the case in this Town. It is not claimed that it is the most fertile spot on earth, or even in the State or county. Here is, how- ever, encouragement for a good return for the labors of the husband- man. Few of the frugal and industrious, blessed with health, have wanted for the necessaries and comforts of life; and many have en- joyed its luxuries. The time has been, in the memory of the writer, when a man owning a property of three thousand dollars would be accounted rich; or, as the phrase then was, "forehanded." Now it would require fifteen to twenty thousand to entitle him to such appellations.
The soil is better adapted to grazing than tillage; yet, before there was a demand for the products of the dairy, the necessities of the people required the cultivation of grain to a considerable extent, especially of oats, which found a ready market, though at a very low rate, in Ithaca and other villages around. Cattle and sheep were also raised in large numbers, and were sold to be driven toward the seaboard for market. At length there arose in the cities, and especially in New York, a call for butter, and the labors of the peo- ple were directed to the production of that article. The cultivation of oats for export, always very exhausting to the soil, was then abandoned.
About twenty years since, an investigation was made with much care, by the writer, and it was ascertained that the butter made and sold from the Town, in one year (1852,) at the extremely low prices of that time, brought a return of $25,000.
Recently it has been impossible to form an estimate, approximat- ing correctness, of the amount made and sold, but it has, doubtless, doubled-and the price at which it has been sold has also doubled, or nearly so. Within a few years considerable attention has been given to the production of cheese; and during the passt season, an amount has been made and sold which brought a return of $8,000 or more.
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NUMBER IV.
1 proceed now to give some account of the productions of our Town. Allusion has been made to the cultivation of oats. Considerable has been done in wheat, corn, barley, etc., though it is long since grain was a leading production. Formerly much was done in raising potatoes for food, marketing and feeding. A single farm has been known to produce 2,000 bushels in one season. And in 1816-known as the "cold season "-the same farm produced some five or six hundred bushels from 32 acres. Every description of produce has had a beginning and a slow progress. This has been emphatically the case with the products of the dairy. After the call for these products became considerable, it was long before the article of butter was reckoned in a manner graduated by its merit. Butter was butter, and the product of every man's dairy went at about the same price. The writer once asked a butter-buyer if there was not a difference in the quality of butter ? The answer was that there was a great difference. The question then was, if there is a difference in quality, why not a corresponding difference in price ? The reply was, that the buyer could see the difference, but could not make it because it would give offense, and the disaffected individuals would be in his hair. Indeed, individuals have been known to in- dulge a life-long dissatisfaction towards the buyer because he de- clined to pay the same price for inferior butter that he did for that which was fine.
The following dialogue has, in substance, taken place in numer- ous instances :
Mrs. D. asks the buyer why he cannot give as much for her but- ter as for that of Mrs. A. ? The answer is that there is a difference in quality. Mrs. D. asks in great earnestness, is not my butter as good as that of Mrs. A .? The buyer answers (rather crest-fallen,) well, ha-rdly. Mrs. D. then says, you need not be troubled with my butter any more.
It will readily be seen that this state of things would operate to discourage efforts for the production of a fine article.
For the last few years the article has been graduated in price, essentially by its merit. One important instrumentality in produc- ing this result, has been the critical analysis to which the article has
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been subjected in the market where commercial favor is unknown. Another has been the competition among buyers, where such a vast amount has been produced, which is constantly seeking sale in the village of Cortland.
I would say that a few days since I called on a buyer of that vil- lage, when I found him surrounded by a crowd of firkins and tubs, when he said that the reception of this amount had been the work of that day-amounting to about $2,000-and he had been alone. He, moreover, said that in the sixteen, or rather fourteen days, of this month of December, his partner and he had purchased butter to the amount of about $20,000. And there has been a rush upon other buyers to an equal extent, more or less.
But I was writing about Virgil. Well, the matters and circum- stances here set forth have been common to this region; and partici- pated in equally by the inhabitants of this Town. For a few years the production of cheese has occupied the attention of a portion of our population. The success attending the efforts made in this di- rection has been of slow growth, owing to the various difficulties and embarrassments standing in the way. These have been mostly over- come, and during the few late years great improvement has been made, and now the "Virgil Cheese Factory Association " stands strong in the confidence of the people. And the product of the past season, owing to its very fine quality, has been sold at high figures-the last sale having been made at 14g cents per pound. For further information your readers will please wait for the annual report of the Association.
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