USA > New York > Chenango County > Norwich > History of the first one hundred years of the First Congregational Church, Norwich, New York, 1814-1914 > Part 11
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They were also very liberal with gifts of money where the recipient was worthy, but not otherwise. They were large contributors to the church and its work, and to Missions, and the other benevolencies of the church.
Mrs. Hewitt also presented to the church the marble baptismal font now in use, "In memory of loved ones." She died December 29, 1900, at her home on Hayes street, aged 81 years, and was buried in Mt. Hope.
WARREN AND ISAAC SPRAGUE NEWTON.
Asahel Newton was a Revolutionary soldier. He came into very straightened circumstances and having a large family (most of them did in those days) it fell out that a very large share of the care of the family devolved on the oldest son, who, later became Capt. William Newton. He was very industrious and had a large share of common sense. He began to study on
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what his occupation should be. He was born October 15, 1786, in Colchester, Conn. He saw that folks must have clothes and he had faith that he could supply that need, so he became an apprentice to the trade and so diligently applied himself that in a few years he started out to find work. He came to Sherburne in 1806, the same year that Truman Enos came to Nor- wich and started in the leather business. William New- ton was then twenty years old. Mr. Enos was his senior by eight years. Young Newton obtained work very soon with Landon & Mills, at Bullock's Mills. He was frugal and industrious. He worked a while in New Berlin in 1807, and in Camden in 1809, August 22, 1810, he married, in Hamilton, N. Y.,, Lois Butler, who came into this country in 1794 with her father, from Weathersfield, Conn. He moved to Sherburne May 11, 1812, and spent the remainder of his life there. He bought 20 acres of land the same year and built a house on it. He also built a woolen mill near it, on the bank of Handsome Brook. This was burned in 1822. It was rebuilt in 1823. This second mill was burned in the winter of 1826-7, and was not rebuilt. He built a second dwelling in 1822, which be occupied until his death, August 13, 1879, at the great age of 93 years.
Eleven children were born to William and Lois (Butler) Newton-seven boys and four girls. The boys were all successful men, each in his chosen voca- tion ;- Warren, a lawyer first, then a banker; Isaac Sprague, also a lawyer; Lucius, a farmer on the home- stead; Huburt A., a professor in Yale; Albro, J., a manufacturer in Brooklyn; Homer G., a physician, and later a banker. Two of the daughters died in young womanhood, and two married and have homes in Sher- burne. But two of these children have a place in this history-Warren and Isaac S.
Warren Newton was born in Sherburne, N. Y., De- cember 31, 1817. He began his education in the village
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district school, and worked with his father in the woolen mill. Later, his father became a contractor for large public works, and soon the son was able to help in that also. It is told that when the boy was but ten years old, he drove alone a team of horses from his home in Sherburne, down into the middle of the State of Pennsylvania, where his father had a big job build- ing a railroad, the first in the country. The father also had a job on the Chenango Canal in this vicinity. In all of these endeavors Warren showed the same earnestness, vigor and integrity, which, later made him an ideal banker.
Although he was faithful in what he was then doing, it was not quite to his liking; so he in 1834, began to study law with the very learned but eccentric Benjamin F. Rexford; was admitted to the bar and became a partner with Mr. Rexford in 1844, in Norwich, where . he had decided to remain. Mr. Rexford was also > native of Sherburne. He came to Norwich and settled in 1833.
In 1852, Warren was joined by his brother, Isaac S., and they opened an office over the dry goods store of D. E. S. & D. Bedford, in the Old Stone Block, corner of South Broad and East Main streets, under the name of W. and I. S. Newton. In this office the Bank of Norwich was born and afterwards organized, June 15, 1856. Mr. Newton was a large subscriber and a leader, and I have no doubt was the leader in the interprise. In it the brother heartily joined. This led to the break- ing up of the law firm.
The Board at once elected James H. Smith, presi- dent; Warren Newton, cashier, and Isaac S. Newton, attorney. The present site was secured and a sub- stantial brick building was soon begun. As soon as the first floor was available, business was opened. Warren Newton was the controlling factor from the first and remained so to almost the last day of his life. No one
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disputed his control. Scrupulously honest and capable, he never for a moment used the money of the bank for his personal profit. He was utterly fear- less. He could afford to be for he had nothing to cover up. He had a peculiar way of saying " Yes " and " No." If he granted a customer a favor his " Yes " assured the man that Mr. Newton trusted him and believed he would do as he agreed. If he said " No " -it was not at all what Dr. Taylor called it in some people-a " no " with a " yes " in it-it showed at once that there was absolutely nothing further to be said on that subject. Warren Newton is not and will not be remembered in this town as a lawyer; and yet he must have been " learned in the law " to have held a partnership with B. F. Rexford in 1844 (he was then 28), but he will be remembered as a financier. Many times I have heard the remark made by level headed business men, " He is the best financier in the county." Whether this was true or not I do not know ; but I know this, that the Bank of Norwich was the cause of very much of the prosperity that came to this county, and that has developed in this town; and that the kindness of Mr. Newton and his undaunted faith in the business men of Norwich and Chenango county ever since the bank opened its doors for business, has been a steady- ing factor in all enterprises public and private. Many a man has had, and some of them often have had occa- sion to realize Mr. Newton's kindness of heart in his desire to help honest men in times of dire need.
I am confident that I am right in saying that the bank has prospered from the very first, and that it has not passed a year without adding something to its sur- plus ; and when it was reorganized a few years ago its stock had become worth three to one above par; and this over and above yearly dividends of six to eight per cent.
Mr. Newton brought from North Stonington, Conn.,
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in June, 1851, Miss Lydia Ann Wheeler as his wife. They were married May 28, at her home in that village. He soon after bought the house and lot, now 258 North Broad street, and it remained their home as long as their lives lasted, and from it their remains were taken to burial in Mt. Hope. Mr. Newton died December 25, 1891, aged but a few days less than 74; and Mrs. New- ton died February 22, 1896, aged 69 years. It will be noticed as a somewhat peculiar circumstance, that his death occurred on Christmas Day, and hers on Wash- ington's birthday.
Ever since Mr. Newton came to Norwich, he had attended The First Congregational Church, but had not joined it. His wife was received into membership in the spring of 1863; but it was not until April 7, 1872, that Mr. Newton became a member. A series of meet- ings, following the week of prayer for that year, was carried on by Mr. Scoville, until the latter part of March, and the forepart of April; finishing with Union meetings led by Rev. Mr. Potter. In these meetings Mr. Newton and Mr. T. D. Miller were converted, with several others, well known people and regular attend- ants of this and the other churches. From that time Mr. Newton was seldom absent from his pew on Sunday.
Mr. Newton could not have been called a pessimist. He was public spirited, but he wanted public affairs managed economically; therefore he kept close watch of the taxes and all public expenditures, and if he saw, or thought he saw, that wastefulness would ensue from the carrying out of any project, he fought it to the very last moment. He was in favor of public schools, but not of a public High School in Norwich; and from the time that the first proposal was made that the Academy be made a public High School, he set him- self against it. As the sentiment of the community grew more and more in favor of the change, his oppo-
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sition grew in intensity, and with the whole force of his nature he battled against it. His brother, Isaac, was very much in favor of the change. The part he took will be related in the sketch following this."
Mr. Warren Newton was a very different person- ality from his brother. He was reserved and reticent, while his brother was a good visitor, cheerful, and had a pleasant word for everybody. He was not a large giver to the church, nor to any other project; but when he was solicited for a gift he must thoroughly under- stand the object for which his gift was desired. If it appealed to his sense of right and fitness he gave what he thought was due from him; but if it did not so appeal to him no amount of urging influenced him one iota and he answered with his peculiar "No " and " the incident was closed."
No business man of our village was more attached to his home than he, and when the business cares of the day were over, it was rarely that he would not be seen wending his way homeward.
He was not a natural visitor, but if company came they were made very welcome in the beautiful home; and I am sure that invited guests were pleasantly entertained there by himself and family. This home was situated diagonally across the street from my father's, and as Mrs. Newton was a relative (though very distant) of my mother the families became very intimate, which continued until broken by death.
It has been said that " a man's first duty is to be well born." In this case the seven sons of Capt. William and Lois Newton amply fulfilled their first duty-they were certainly well born; and as evidence of the fact, they all reached mature years. Warren and Isaac did an immense amount of work while they lived, and they were very seldom kept from work by illness.
Isaac Sprague Newton was born May 18, 1825, In
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Sherburne. He used to say in jest something to the effect that he was named for Sir Isaac Newton, but that his parents got the initials reversed and did not think that "Isaac Sir Newton " would sound good, so they let the initials stand and changed the Sir to Sprague, which little scheme made it all satisfac- tory. The truth of the matter was that he was named for the man who was the pastor of the Congregational Church in Sherburne at that time and was therefore the one who baptized him-Rev. Isaac Newton Sprague. Mr. Sprague lived many years after the death of this babe to whom he had given his name and died finally at upwards of 90 years. Isaac's boyhood was, I sup- pose, the kind usual with boys in those days. The " Shenang Country " was new; the village of Sher- burne was not yet thirty years old, and boys, even of the well-to-do, had to work as well as go to school. He seems to have used his advantages to good purpose and laid well the foundations of an education in the district school and Academy in his native village, and had the further advantage of a course in Yale, in the class of '48. After a year passed in Sherburne, he began the study of law. In 1850 he was a student of Benjamin F. Rexford. He also was a student in the office of Finch & Lynde in Milwaukee. He then went into the office of Nathaniel B. Blunt, who was at this time District Attorney of New York city. This gave him much valuable experience. Coming back to Sher- burne he practiced for some months; then came to Norwich and formed a partnership with his brother, Warren, who had lately retired from the well-known law firm of Rexford & Newton. The new firm was styled W. & I. S. Newton.
In the fall of 1853 he was elected district attorney of Chenago County, and he filled it with so much abil- ity that he was re-elected in 1856. This year the Bank of Norwich was organized and Mr. Newton was made
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attorney for the bank; and this position he retained until his death, when his son, Howard D. Newton, suc- ceeded him both in this position and the law business. When Warren Newton was made president of the bank, in 1885, Howard D. Newton succeeded him as cashier.
The office of district attorney brought Mr. Newton fame and skill in his profession. He had gained a val- uable reputation for clearness and conciseness in state- ment of intricate questions of law and a memory in which facts and figures never became entangled.
In 1884 his son became a partner with him in the law business. For several years Mr. Newton was counsel for the D., L. & W. R. R. Then he became attorney for the N. Y., O. & W. R. R. This position the firm held at his death, and it passed to the son.
In 1855, Mr. Newton married in Canajoharie, N. Y., Miss Jane Campbell Dunlap. They came at once to Norwich, and early in the next year they both united with the First Congregational Church, Norwich, by. letters. Mrs. Newton died in 1864, and he married Miss Jane Newton. She united with the church in 1871.
Mr. Newton had a prominent place in the church ever since he came into it. He was many times a trus- tee; and very often selected to act on committees where good judgment and skill were needful. He had almost entire oversight of the large addition to the church building of 1873-4. He was a very busy man, but he always responded to the call of his church and gave hours and days willingly. He was rarely absent from the church services if in town, and very often at the Thursday evening prayer meeting and would offer prayer or say some helpful words. Many of these short talks were gems, which I would prize very highly if I had them. It was his duty at the dedication, after the repairs of 1873-4 to present the large audience room to Dr. Holbrook for dedication. He was sitting in one of
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the side pews in front of the choir (the rom was full.) When called upon by Mr. Scoville for the presentation, the side pews in front of the choir (the room was full.) more than five minutes, yet in very impressive manner and tone, made the presentation. It was the best speech by far of the whole dedication service. I went next day to get it for preservation. To my great disappointment he had not written a word and could not remember what he said well enough to write it out. I asked him several times if he could not call it to mind, but it was gone past recall.
He had a Bible class for many years, made up of the older people in the church. His marvelous familiar- ity with the Bible made him a very interesting teacher. All the time he had cases at law literally all over the state, many of them very intricate and important, yet he found time somehow to be in his pew in church when in town, and before his large class thoroughly prepared to teach the lesson of the day. He was for two or three years superintendent of the Sunday school.
He at one time wrote a lecture on the trial of Christ, showing from the standpoint of a lawyer the utter lack of reliable evidence, or any testimony which any modern judge would allow or even tolerate. Those who heard it praised it very highly. He gave it in some churches outside of Norwich, but he did not give it in Norwich. Mr. Newton was an orator, and had he chosen the platform or the pulpit as his life work, would have been widely known among the many or- ators of the generation last past.
I was intimately acquainted with him almost from the time that he began his residence in Norwich and I cannot recall a single instance when his unfailing good nature did not show itself. He was always ready with a pleasant word and often a joke. Not long after he came to Norwich to live, Miss Julia Mead had come down from the farm to visit my sister for a day or
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two, as was her custom with several of the young ladies on and around North Broad street. In the evening Mr. Newton called. Always a good conversationalist he never was at a loss what to say, and so the three were having a pleasant visit. In his talk he remarked that an Irishman came in the office and asked: "Is Loi-yer Newton in?" The laugh which of course fol- lowed had hardly got away when Miss Mead came out with " Synonymous terms." For once the young man was caught, but he enjoyed the joke just as much as any ore.
I have said that Warren Newton was very flatly opposed to building our High school, and that was true; but Isaac S. Newton was just as thoroughly and persistently in favor of it, and did all he could to bring it about. Several meetings were held in Breese's Opera House for the purpose of educating the mass of the people, women as well as men, that they might feel the importance of it. At most of these meetings Mr. I. S. Newton was chairman. His brother was usually pres- ent, but not being a public speaker he did not attempt any oratory at these gatherings. He confined his talking to individuals, in the bank, on the street, wherever he could get anyone to listen to his argu- ments. At one of the meetings after several had spoken, all very much in favor of the school, he sprang to his feet and made a short speech, which showed very plainly that the course of the meeting was not at all according to his liking. His voice quivered and he evidently was much excited. The chairman smiled and George W. Ray rose to speak. There were no philipics thrown at Mr. Newton. It was just a short heart to heart talk which Mr. Newton did not attempt to answer. There was a quisical look on the chairman's face which plainly showed that he was in favor of the High school just the same, and the large audience applauded vocif-
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erously. The High school proposition was carried by a strong majority.
He was a broad minded man, a good financier, and easily grasped any proposition made to him. He had a state-wide reputation as a lawyer and legal advisor.
Monday morning, March 18, 1889, himself and his son and partner, went to Bainbridge, where they had some business to attend to. That over, Mr. Newton took the train for Albany alone. The next day he had an important case to argue before a legislative com- mittee. Having finished his argument, he bid good-bye to Judge Follett and others, and went to the Central railroad depot about 7:30 to take the train for home. He was waiting for the train, when suddenly he sank down and was dead. This was Tuesday, March 19, 1889. His age was 63 years, 9 months and 1 day.
Mr. Cyrus B. Martin went to Albany and brought the body to Norwich. His brother, Prof. Huburt A. New- ton of Yale, also came from New Haven. They arrived at Norwich at about 10 P. M. Many were at the depot and escorted the body to the home on Hayes street. Friday the funeral was held in this church, the pastor, Rev. Clark C. Otis, officiating. Burial in Mt. Hope. The Chenango County Bar, the Board of Directors of the Bank of Norwich, the students from the schools were present at the funeral; and a very large concourse of citizens filled the large auditorium to over-flowing, who had come to honor their friend, for he was a friend to the whole community.
It is said of him: " He was a lawyer of broad and comprehensive grasp and distinguished for his power to lucidly and consisely present intricate questions of law. Facts and figures never escaped his memory. In the courts of record in our own county, scarcely any case of importance has been tried in which he has not bourne a prominent part as attorney or counsel. No member of our Bar has been called so often to the
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courts of other counties and the Appellate courts of the State as he."
When Mr. Newton was converted it was a thorough work of grace and no one can say truthfully that he did not fulfill the promise. He was also a very liberal man. He gave a great deal of money to Missions, and was very much interested in the work of the American Board-A. B. C. C. M .- and in a quiet way made many gifts to its treasury unknown to any one but himself ; I heard him at one time, say to the trustees, "I will give you $50.00 a year for a pew and you can give me any one you choose." He was also a large giver when any repairs were to be made, or anything brought for the church, whatever it may be. In view of these many valuable traits of his character he has been very greatly missed in the work of caring for the church.
DEACON JAMES McCAW.
(By his son, W. J. McCaw.)
James McCaw served this church as deacon the longest of any member throughout its hundred years of history. He was elected July 13, 1861, and served until his death in May, 1902, a period of nearly 41 years. His election was for life, a custom in the church previous to January 1, 1897, when among some changes in the polity, the elective term of deacon was limited to four years. The death of Mr. McCaw leaves but one life deacon-Mr. William Porter Chapman, elected July 9, 1876, and now in the 38th year of serv- ice.
James McCaw was the son of a Scotch shepherd, whose home was typical of his occupation-a stone- walled, thatched-roofed cottage, on a mountain side, looking down upon heathered hills and verdant valleys, the grazing grounds of thousands of sheep. Out of sight of any other human dwelling it stands today almost
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unchanged from a century ago. In a letter to a friend Robert Burns wrote regarding his early home: "A novel writer might have viewed the scenes with some satisfaction," and then adds moodily, " but so did not I." He described the daily life as " the cheerless gloom of the hermit with the unceasing moil of the galley slave." But Burns was a poet and a dreamer and his ploughboy lot was hard and unhappy. The family life on a farm was a constant struggle for ex- istence and his father was always in debt. His home was in the vicinity of Ayr and he was envious of the village " younkers"" who he thought had superior ad- vantages while he was "destined to drudge behind the scenes." When he went to a country dancing school he incurred his father's severe displeasure and gives that as one of the reasons for his dissipated career.
In cheery contrast to all this was the wholesome life in the shepherd's cottage, among the hills, far away from the voices and vices of the village, though sep- arated just as far from most of its privileges. Even the church and school were miles away. For six days of the week the life of the sturdy shepherd and his thrifty " wife " was simple nd strenuous enough and it was hardly less so on the seventh when this earnest, devout couple walked several miles to the nearest church that they might not miss the regular Sabbath services. Into his home, James, the first-born, entered May 25, 1817. When he was two weeks old his mother carried him in her arms to church. A friend of his latest years on hearing this incident exclaimed, And I don't believe he has missed a Sunday since." He was christened James Smith McCaw but so seldom was the middle name used that aside from the baptismal record it was all but forgotten. The advent of a son brought sacred cheer to the lowly, isolated home where sunshine reigned; but a deep shadow fell when the father, smitten by fever, died, leaving James, less than
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four, a brother, William, two years younger, and a baby sister, Jean, to the care of the mother, who for ten years carried on the farm in her husband's stead.
As soon as they were able to stand the long walk, James and William were sent to school. They learned their letters from the Bible, their first and only read- ing book. They not only became familiar with its text but its eternal truths became indelibly fixed in their receptive minds and laid the lines of their future living. It is easy to picture the pair poring over the sacred page as they read: " There were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field keeping watch over their flocks." Eagerly they read how to these same humble shepherds the Angel of the Lord brought the first, joyous news of the birth of Christ. How the quaint, sweet story touched and thrilled the hearts of these two lonely shepherd boys. How naturally and inevitably it helped to link their lives to that of the Good Shepherd who gave himself for his sheep.
In the vitalizing mountain air, aided and abetted by plenty of good Scotch porridge, the " younkers " grew and waxed strong in brain as well as body. Their school days were not all solemn and serene. For some breaking of the rules William was sentenced on Friday by the schoolmaster to select and learn an extra por- tion of Scripture to be recited before the school on Monday. Now William's memory was working well and didn't mind a few extra verses. He selected the 119th Psalm, the longest in the Book, and memorized all the 176 verses. When called upon to recite he responded promptly and kept right on continuously until the master was forced to cut him short. The mas- ter frowned ominously while the school children grinned decorously, and William saved the remaining verses for another recital. He early showed a literary bent. Later in his life when he had followed in his father's footsteps and became a shepherd he found
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