USA > Rhode Island > Washington County > South Kingstown > A history of South-Kingstown > Part 2
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After that I had got entangled with him, a cred- ible man informed me, that he had broke almost all the men that he undertook to befriend; and that he had cheated the widow and fatherless out of about one thou-
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sand dollars. After he and I made a part of a settle- ment, the greatest difficulty was I scrupled his note, and his word, for fear he would not pay me according as he promised, for he promised to pay me thirty dol- lars the next day by ten of the clock in the forenoon, and if he did not pay it by that time, he promised to forfeit fifty dollars, and called witness of it. I thought that I would try him once more, and see if he would keep to his word; for I thought that was not common- ly his practice; but I did not know but there was a re- formation in him; for he made himself affronted, be- cause that I scrupled his word. I remember of my un- cle James Comstock's having a boy, that was bound an apprentice to him, and he was so bad, and cunning and thievish with all, that he concluded it was best to get up the indentures, and let him go to his mother. Some time afterwards, the boy enlisted into the army. After he had been in the continental service some time, he re- turned to see his old master, which was my uncle ;- and he told him that he had got to be steady, and had left off all his old tricks, and in order to convince him, he stole a number of articles out of the house.
in order to convince me that his word was good, and that he was a punctual man, and kept his word, never came that day, and did not pay me thirty dollars, as he promised me. I think the Indian boy's word, and - word, were just alike. Although is a common liar, he talks sometimes of going to heaven: I cant see what expectation he has, except he purchases a right there. I believe that if the king- dom of heaven could be purchased with money that he would be willing to give his note for a large sum. If he could contrive to get a bank of paper money, and have it depreciate fifteen dollars for one, or contrive to cheat the Deity by fair promises, as he does his fellow- citizens, there would be no difficulty in his succeeding.
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I do not know but that the devil has promised him some such thing, or given him some encouragement that way. I do not think that the devil will be any ho- nester with him, than he has been with me, and the rest of the people that he has undertook to befriend. It appears to me that he will deceive him, for I think he has got to be almost a finished drunkard; and if what has been reported be true, the prayer of David is coming upon him. Some say that he has been guilty of carrying a bottle of rum with him, to one of his own townsmen, in order to get him drunk, so that he might get his land for half the value of it; and got his arms round him, and hugged him, and pretended a great deal of friendship to him. David prayed that his enemies might be catched in the same device that they had devised against him, or in words to that im- port. Now if it be really so, that he has made a league with the devil, the same light that shews him that he has made such a league, will direct him how to break it, if it is strictly adhered to. What a pity it is, that he cant know himself as he is, and not deceive himself; for he has but little comfort in his mind that I can discov- er, his mind being almost continually perplexed, night and day; yet he calls himself an honest man, and so deceives himself. Now if he could see himself as I see him, or as he might see himself, I believe he would turn back the property that he has cheated people out of; for what is it for aman to gain the whole world, and lose his own soul. So I shall leave him, and re- commend him to that light, that will show him evil of his ways, if he will take heed to it.
There is a little village in this town, where the court-house stands, called Little Rest. Some people call it Restless Hill. I think it resembles a hornet's nest; for the people are some like hornets. There are some B2.
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men that live at that hill, who are men of good charac- ters, who do not join the hornet's nest cunning ;- for many of them glory in their shame, which I shall more fully set forth hereafter. There are some young men that live there, who are not in so full communion with the hornet's nest cunning, although they are sometimes drawn in; for bad company bears a great sway upon the youth. To those my advice is, not to join in with that sort of wit, which leads them from the truth, and not to learn that sort of craft, that leads them to im- pose upon strangers, or any body else; for that will mar their beauty. My mind feels for them that they may be kept from being drawn into evil habits. My advice further is, for them to keep close to the truth, and attend strictly to that which teaches their minds to live soberly and godly in this present evil world. I could say much more to them, but that is not the subject. I sot out to write the history of South-Kingstown; there- fore I shall return to the subject I set out to write upon. I think it proper to describe something of the hornet's nest religion. Some call them nothingarians. That sort of religion if it is proper to call it religion, puts me in mind of what a man said about his religion. Be- ing asked what religion he was of, his answer was that he thanked God that he had no religion. Having giv- en a small description of their religion, I shall endeavor to describe their wit, which I shall call hornet's nest cunning; which is as follows. And after the readers of this pamphlet have read it, they perhaps will be able to form a judgment, whether they glory in their shame or not. There is one who lives
at the hornet's nest, and is at the head of that sort of people which I shall hereafter describe, who are the rabble of that village, and its vicinity. One of the hornet's nest company told me that
who is a very fat man, fatted on lies. The above said
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told me, that he had broke up people from getting drunk at the hornet's nest; for his practice was to pour water in their sleeves, and that had broke up their getting drunk there. That I believe has been practiced frequently to strangers; and boasted of by the above said . It is frequently the
case, when men are at the hill, that they are very much imposed upon by that hornet's nest company: Some- times men that are old, and sometimes young; for men in the country are not so well versed in lying as that company. And I saw this and
a number of others making sport of an old man that was somewhat intoxicated. The old man told them that he had a note upon William Nichols. Some of the company told the old man that they did not believe he had got such a note. He said he had; and they told him if he had such a note that it was a forged one ;- for they would lay a wager with him, that he had not got one, and if he had one, it was a forged one. Then this sent for a young man, and
when he was come, called him William Ni- chols, and asked him if the old man had a note against him, and he said that he had not, and the old man said that he had, and they disputed about it, and the young man said he would indict him for forgery if he did not give up the note, and pay him two dollars; and told the old man, that he
was his friend; and advised him to give up the note, and pay the two dollars, or he would be cropt and branded. And they made much sport, and abused the old man shamefully with their lies and their hornet's nest cunning.
I am credibly informed that an old man got in- toxicated at the hornet's nest, and
poured one quart of water in his sleeve, and pretended that he was the old man's friend, and said that he
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would find the rogue, and got the old man to go to the door with him, and got there one of the company to blow out the candle, and one stood at the door and threw a pail full of water in the old man's face. Such sort of wit I call hornet's nest cunning. That sort of wit boasts much of; and it is what I call glorying in their shame. When they cant find any body that is not acquainted with their sort of cunning, they will get drunk and quarrel amongst themselves; and sometimes they will get to fighting; and then they will get into the law, and that makes business for officers and lawyers: For they are full of law; for they are fond of taking the advantage of each other; for they have very little principle, or govern- ment in their minds; and for such people the law is their dependence: For I believe they dont care what they do, if they can clear themselves by law, or else their actions dont correspond with their conduct. They are fearful of each others word; for words are useless with them; for if they can get any thing by it they will say any thing; and if they are ketched in a lie, they will say that they were in jest; and they can shift ear- nest into jest, or jest into earnest; and will say any thing; for truth does not dwell much in their breasts; for they are full of vanity; and there is not much room for the truth.
They term squaw hunting, hunting black rats; and when they say that they have ketched a black rat, their meaning is that they have had to do with a squaw. There is one , the hatter, who has fre- quently told me that he had been a hunting black rats; and that he had ketched black rats; sometimes very large ones; and he did not appear to be ashamed of it. being a deputy sheriff, and belong- ing to the hornet's nest company, and being full of hor- net's nest wit, and activity, bethought himself that he
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would make April fools of some of his fellow hornets. He goes the first day of April to Asa Fellows, who was his brother in law, and told him that Miss Potter wanted to see him; others he told that somebody else wanted to see them; and made April fools of them. This Asa Fellows being well acquainted with the hor- net's nest cunning, the next year went and got a blank writ, with a Justice's name to it, and made out an ac- count against Pemberton Belcher, and got his writ fil- led up, and the first day of April in the morning, went to and told him that he wanted him to serve a writ for him, upon Pemberton Belcher .--- told him that he could not do it, for he had a vendue to attend at Boston Neck; and told him he must get some other officer to serve it. Fellows told him that he could not get any other officer, and told him further that the man lived out of the state, and that he was afraid he should lose the debt, and insisted upon going to serve it; and he told
that he would be likely to find him at a house about 3 miles from the Hill, which he named; and when got there, they told him that they did not know such a man; and told him there was a man by the name of Joseph Belcher, that lived about two miles off, and went there also; but could not find
a man by the name of Pemberton Belcher; and I dont suppose there was such a man to be found. In the mean time Fellows acquainted the people on the Hill, what an errand was gone on; and when he
came back, the people called him April fool; and his wife April fooled him too, amongst the rest; and he was very angry; and swore that he would prosecute Fellows for serving him such a low dirty trick. I sup- pose he did not consider that it was a low dirty trick for him to call or send his neighbors out of their business by his lies, I suppose he thought himself very cunning
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when he was in that business; and when he was ketch- ed in his own craft, then he could see that it was a low dirty trick, and I suppose that when he was a pouring the water in the old man's sleeve, he thought he was very witty indeed; and I have no doubt in my mind, that if he was to go into company, and they were to contrive a plot against him, and pour water in his sleeve, he would call it as low and dirty a trick, as he did when he went to serve the writ on Pemberton Bel- cher. It is an old saying that they who live in glass houses, should be careful of throwing stones into other men's windows.
This hornet's nest company are very fond of of- fice; are often proud of it, if it is a Constable's office; for they are fond of being where liquor is passing a- bout freely. It is generally the case, that men that are proud of an office, are not fit for it. This
being witty, and very lazy, and very fond of office, and a deputy sheriff, and an auctioneer in the town where he lives, and supporting his family by his offices, he and put their heads together.
wanted to have the title of a colonel, and want- ed to contrive to get another office. They contrived a plan to have a cat-trade, that might bear the
title of colonel, and whose wit and genius run
very much in cats, (for he had a very enterprising in- genu in cats, and wanted it to be discovered to the pub- lic) bethought himself that he would contrive a cat- trade; and that if his knowledge in cats could be made known to the public, he might obtain the honor of the office of a Cat-Inspector-General. And being very wit- ty to obtain his ends, agrees with that he should
be a cat-merchant, and himself a cat-purchaser; in hopes that this would introduce a cat-traffick. In order to obtain their ends, they set out to execute their plan to obtain their offices, or to get the title of them; for
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the name of an office, in such peoples view, is a great thing with them. I being at Joseph Reynolds's, and being a stranger to me, came, in and set down in the room, it being in the evening. By and by came in with a calico gown on; and when he
came in, took him by the hand and said how
do you do . And said to me, Mr.
Comstock, this is ., of New-London; ---
and said to , this is Mr. Comstock, he lives
in the great house that was formerly John Potter's. And , knowing that I wanted to purchase a quan- tity of butter to carry on to Nantucket, asked
what was the price of butter at New-London,
said eleven cents. asked him if he could fur-
nish Mr. Comstock with a quantity of butter,
said he could furnish him with three or four thousand weight, with his having a few days notice, as he kept a large store at New-London. I told that I
should want it on a credit of sixty days; and
told him that Comstock was an honest man, and there was no doubt but that he would pay him honestly. And I told that I would take one thousand weight first, and when I made the remittances, I would take two thousand weight more: And we agreed. After we had agreed about the butter, he asked me if I knew where he could purchase a quantity of mules. I told him that Connecticut was the place for mules; for we did not raise but a few in this state. said they were all bought up in Connecticut, and shipped off .--
asked him what he would give a head for mules. He said if they were likely ones, he would give sixty dollars a head for them. Then tucked
my elbow, and asked me to go aside with him; and when we were aside together he told me that Sylvester Hazard had two mules, that were very likely ones, and he wanted to sell them, and I could by them on a long
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credit. And as I was much embarrassed, (for he held two executions against me, returnable in about ten days) and as said that was very anxious to get the mules, for he had come there with two bags of money; and said further, that he thought that he would give seventy dollars rather than not get them, for he offered sixty dollars; and said that I might get through my raising the money. without straitning me, and make money by the bargain; and further, that Sylvester Hazard was at young James Helmes's, and that I had better go down there and see him, and talk with him about it. Accordingly I went; and when I went into the house, I asked if Sylvester Hazard was there. The answer was, that he had gone home. In about two minutes and and a
number of young men that lived at the hornet's nest, came in. And when they came in, enquired for Sylvester Hazard; and the answer was, that he had gone home. He said that he must see him that night, or ve- ry early the next morning. said to me that
I had better go and see Sylvester Hazard that night, for would go there that night or very early the next morning. asked if he would
give seventy dollars for likely mules. said that
he would not give but sixty dollars a head for them, if they were ever so likely. asked him if he want- ed to buy any Jacks. said he did not.
told him that the cats were destroyed in two of the W. India Islands; and that he had better carry some cats along with his mules; for they would fetch a great price. said that he intended to carry a quanti- ty of cats with his mules. agreed with him
to furnish him two hundred cats, at seventy five cents a piece; and he entered into writings; and I and two more men joined with in partnership. And
when he was a writing the agreement, he wrote it to
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have twenty that night, and if 20 could be procured that night he would take two hundred at seventy-five cents a piece. I told Gardner that it was too late to get any cats that night Gardner said I and George Douglass could go to Squire French's for he had got six or seven cats, I told him that he would be abed, and Gardner said that I could call at his window and he would get up, Gardner said further, that he had got five or six and that he and his partner would go to his own house and get them, and meet us at the coffee-house, and that we could furnish the cats in half an hour; I told Gardner that I would not call any body up to buy cats, accordingly I and Douglass went to Squire French's, and he was abed, and Douglass asked me to call him up, and I told him that I should not call him up, and Douglass called him up himself, and when he got up, Douglass told him that we wanted to purchase some cats, and asked him if he had got any, he said he had got seven, I told him that I was a going to bring some pigs next week to sell, and that I would pay him in pig pork for the cats if he and I could agree, and I asked him what he would take a head for his cats, and he said three pounds of pork for one pound of cat, and I told him that I thought pig pork was worth as much a pound as cat's meat, and I should not give that price, and while we was talking about it, Gardner and his partner came up and told me that I must not stand, for Cook had a notion of flying off from the agreement, I told Gardner to go away, for that was not the way to purchase any thing, to show so much anxiety; Gardner went aside and I agreed with French to give him three pounds of pig pork apeace for his cats, and when we went to look for the cats French found but two, and Gardner said that Colonel Cook was at Joseph Reynolds's, for they were abed at Barker's, and accordingly they went to Reynolds's and Reynolds and his wife was abed, and Cook took the cats and said
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they were likely ones, and handed the money to Gard- ner; Reynolds said that he had got some cats and said that his daughter might sell them, for he was willing to take pig pork for them, and his daughter went and looked up the cats, and brought two, and Cook took them also, and the girl went up chamber and found the old cat as they called her, and she had six kittens, and Cook said he must have four kittens in lieu of one cat, and we agreed and he paid the money to Gardner, for we were all part- ners together, and I told Cook that I had agreed with French for five more cats, and that I would give him an order for them, and he said he would take it, and Gardner said that he had been to James Helms's, and that he had got eight cats and he would take pig pork also, and said further, that Elipha Potte had seven and he would take pig pork likewise, and that Barker had five and he would take pig pork likewise, and the orders were, written and I signed them, and after we had got through Gardner openly declared that he had received all the money for all the cats, and for all the orders that Mr. Comstock had turned in, and he had received twenty dollars for Mr. Comstock, and Cook said that he had agreed with Lunt to go on to New-London and carry two-hundred cats, and that he had bought a cow, to give milk to find them, and that he wanted twenty delivered to Peter Boss's next day by ten of the clock in the forenoon, and said that if I would deliver them he would pay me one dollar extra, for delivering them to Boss's.
And it was agreed upon by the Cat Company that I was to wake up George Douglass earley the next morn- ing, and I awakened him accordingly, and he and I went to Gardner's and roused him up also, and he and his partner was to go one way, and I and my partner to go another way, and accordingly we went to Silvester Haz- ard's to get his mules, and we could not buy them so that it would answer, and Douglass said that he knew where
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we could buy some-cats, and we went and bought two for six cents a piece, and then went to Doctor Aldrich's and he gave us one cat, and then we went to the hill, and there was a man at the hill that said he had some, and I went with him, it being about one hundred rods and got two more, and I returned back to the hill. In the mean time the people that had got cats that they wanted to part with, had brought them to the above Reynolds's and shut them up in a closet, about sixteen in all: and the time of day was nearly come that I was to deliver them at Peter Bosses, and Silvester Robertson came and told me that it was all a joke, and James Helms told me also that it was a joke, and that the man that Elisha R. Gardner had recommended to be Colonel Cook of New-London, was Cook the hatter; that they said lived at the hill, and I told them that I had got the cats and that I intended to deliver them according to my agreement, and that I in- tended that Cook should pay for them or I intended to sue him.
Afterwards I found out that he lived within the gaol bounds, and that he was a learning French's son the hatters trade, and that suing him was like the old saying, "sue a beggar and catch a louse." I knew nothing of his being so poor at the time, I was carrying the cats to Boss's, and I called for the time of day, and they said it was almost ten o'clock; and I waited about one hour, and I asked Boss for a room to put the cats in, and asked him if he would furnish Cook with the rest of the cats in case Cook should come for them, and he said that he would furnish the rest in case that he came, but he would not let me have a room to put the cats in, he thought it best for me to carry the cats and deliver them to Cook, and let him know that I had fulfilled my part of the contract, and then it would stand clear to bring an action against Cook and as I was returning to the hill, I met Elisha R. Gardner and James Helms jun. and Elisha R. Gardner
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said that I had better take the cats off the mare and he would inspect them, and see if they were merchantable, and I took the cats off and he took them out of the bag one by one, and inspected them, but did not brand them under the tail, for he had no branding iron, but he got the title of a cat inspector general, and he viewed their eyes and I believe inspected them faithfully, and I dont think that they can get a better cat inspector in the whole state, so he got the title of the office, and I think he is likely to retain it, for his judgment I believe is very good in cats. I suppose that it is necessary to see whether their eyesight is good, that, I believe, he is very careful about, for when he inspected the above said cats, he found two that he said could not see out of their eyes, for he said that there was but twelve merchantable cats, for there was two that could not see, so that I am confident that his judgment is very good in cats; whether his judgment will be so good in bitches I cannot tell yet, but I think it is likely to be good, for his abilities lies very much in cats and bitches, and filling pipes with powder and tobacco, he is gifted in that sort of business.
The place where the cat inspector let out the cats, was right against Adam Gold's house. I believe the hor- net's nest company have reported abundance of lies about the business, for they reported that Adam Gold had pre- dicted that the newlights would turn into cats, and when the cats went into his house he said that they were new- lights turned into cats according to his prediction; and that company said that he went to preaching to them, and afterwards they reported that they turned into hogs, and that Gold had fourteen hogs, for when the inspecter inspected them, he said that there was twelve merchant- able cats, for there was two he said that could not see out of their eyes. The Cat Inspector said further that he had turned in forty cats to Colonel Cook, that he had not got his pay for, and he intended to sue him .- There is one
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circumstance that I think is much in favor of the cat inspector, that is a few days after the Cat Inspector, inspected the aforesaid cats, I went to the Hornet's Nest, and Silvester Hazzard being there, he mewed and scratched me on the shoulder and the Cat Inspector being in the room, and I took Hazzard by the collar and I told the Cat Inspector that I wanted this cat inspected, and I went out of the room so that he might have a chance to inspect him, and I returned again, soon, and asked the Inspector whether he had inspected this cat and he said he had, and I asked him what he was and he said that he was a mofferadite cat; but I believe he had not branded him under the tail, for he had no branding iron, and I was much pleased with his judgment, for I thought he looked some like a mofferadite, and went to Cook and told him that I had got Silvester Hazzard inspected and the In- spector said he was a mofferadite, and I sold him to Cook for half price, for Cook said he wanted a pair of moffra- dites, and he asked me to get another that was suitable to span him, but I could not find one that I thought was suitable to spann him, whether Cook has got him spanned or not, I do not know. This Elisha R. Gardner is very fond of office, for he has been laying a plan, in order to get another office, and I think he is likely to obtain it, if he gets his branding iron and comes over to Newport and brands the cats when he is requested to, for cats will not sell in the town of Newport unless they are inspected and branded with the letters, E. R. G. under their tails, as cat inspector, for they will not buy them unless they are actually branded by the Hornet's Nest Inspector, and if he is nearly faithful, I think he stands a good chance to obtain the other office that he has mentioned to me in private that he had a mind to bring on a bitch trade for I suppose he thinks that the inspection of bitches will be as good as the inspecting of cats, though his faculties lies much in cats; people has not seen so much of his faculties
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