USA > Vermont > Rutland County > The history of Rutland county, Vermont; civil, ecclesiastical, biographical and military, pt 2 > Part 56
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Seldom did it fall to the lot of the early set- tiers to win a more brilliant crown than John Kilburn earned in this glorions exploit. Peak got the only wound of his party, receiving a ball in the hips. from exposure at a porthole ; which, unhappily, for the lack of surgical care, caused his death on the fifth day. The Indians never again appeared in that neighborhood, although the war did not terminate till eight years afterwards. John Kilburn lived to sce his fourth generation enjoying the benefits of civilization on the spot he had rescued from the savages. What amount of destruction he and his companions had made among the savages it was impossible to tell, as they carefully carried off and concealed their dead."
THE FIRST SCHOOL-HOUSE
Was built in the woods, near Willard Smith's. -made of logs. Capt. John Kilburn kept the first school. The first sawmill and gristmill were on the Sparhawk farm.
THE FIRST MEETINGHOUSE
Was built in 1805, at the middle of the town, where the church now stands. The church at Cuttingsville was built near 1840. The church at Northam was built in 1840. A church was organized in 1815. The churches in this town are all union churches. The Rev. James Hud- son was the first installed minister in town by the Union society. Rev. Noah Johnson and Rev. Charles Woodhouse installed him. Rev. Moses Winchester was installed soon after, and drew the ministerial land for the Union soci- ety. It was not an organized church.
The first male child born in town was Jona- than Smith, son of - - Smith. The first female was Anna White, daughter of Lemuel. White .* The first marriage was Abijah Foster and Fanny Rogers, June 1, 1790. The first death was Mrs. Rebecca Webber, April 19, 1782.
CUTTINGSVILLE
Was named for a Mr. Cutting, one of the first men that moved to Cuttingsville. It is a small village situated on the Rutland and Burlington Railroad, 9 miles from Rutland. Mill River runs through the village, which contains some 35 dwelling-houses, J church, 1 schoolhouse, 2 stores, 1 tavern, 1 blacksmith shop, 1 harness. shop, 1 tin-shop, I sawmill, 1 gristmill, I post- office. one millinery shop and 1 tailor's shop. Some 35 years ago there were quite extensive copperas works at Cuttingsville, that employed
* The Finney family also claim the same honor for Anna, daughter of Nathan Finney, and we believe cor- rectly .- Ed.
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some 50 meu. The ore was taken from the hill just east of the village. The business was not profitable, and has been entirely abandoned The buildings are all decayed or torn down, and nothing left to be seen but the holes in the mountain where the ore was taken from.
THE MIDDLE OF THE TOWN
Is 1} miles from Cuttingsville, where there is a church, postoffice, schoolhouse, blacksmith's shop, shoo-shop and cheese-factory.
Northam, another ville in the town, is 4 miles from Cuttingsville. It bas 1 church, a school- bouse, 1 store, a postoffice, a cheese-factory, a steam sawmill, blacksmith's shop, and 1 shoe- shop .- Ebenezer Johnson was the first settler in Northam.
Cold River, some 2 miles below Northam, has a sawmill, gristmill and steam-mill. There are in the whole town 3 churches, 15 school- districts, 3 stores, 2 tailor's shops, 1 millinery shop. 3 blacksmith's shops, 7 sawmills, 2 grist- mills, 7 coopers' shops, 2 wheelwright's shops, 2 harness shops, 1 tin shop, 2 cheese factories and 1 tray shop.
There are four grave-yards in town : at Cut- tingsville, the Middle of the town, Northam and the East part of the town.
STEPHEN GLEASON,
was born in Worcester, Mass., Jan. 9, 1783; married Betsey Curtis of Petersham, Mass., in 1806, and moved to Shrewsbury in 1807. He kept store and tavern many years, and held the office of postmaster many years longer than any other man ever held it in town, relative to which I have just received the following from the present postmaster :
" Shrewsbury, March 8, 1874. "C. W. HEMENWAY, ESQ. :
"Dear Sir :- In answer to your inquiries, I have to state, that I have examined the tables of postoffices in my office, and find Stephen Gleason was postmaster here in the year 1811. How long he had held the office then, I have no means of knowing. His name appears in all the postoffice tables as 'P. M.' from 1811, up to 1846. I find there was a postoffice in town called Finneysville, in 1825, and Levi Finney, P. M. I do not find this office in the tables before 1825, nor later than '36. I think Stephen Gleason was the first postmaster in town: there is no doubt about it.
" Anna White was the first child born. I cannot answer your question in regard to the Smiths.
" Respetfully yours, "Wx. F. MORSE, P. M."
lives with her son, H. C. Gleason, 1} miles from Cuttingsville, at what is called "The Middle of the Town," on the old homestead, where his father lived many years. H. C. Gleason has held a good many offices in town-has been representative, and is called the richest man in town.
REV. MOSES WINCHESTER
Was born in Westmoreland, N. H., March 1. 1798. He came to Shrewsbury when he was 18 years old, and commenced to preach. He was a Christian minister. He did not have a theological education, but was a very devoted Christian, and an earnest preacher. He was the first installed minister over a church in town, and drew the ministerial land. He preached in town two different times, and was very much loved by the people. He was a lit- tle peculiar in some things. At one time he went to a neighbor's for a visit. When they came to sit down to tea, the lady said that she had nothing fit to eat. He told her if she had nothing fit to eat, that he would not eat any- thing ; so he got up from the table, and went without his supper .- He died March 6, 1868.
GRANTEES OF SHREWSBURY.
Samuel Ashley, John Wheeler, Joel Wheeler, Joseph Ellis, Gideon Ellis, William Heaton, Nathan Heaton, Joseph Wood, Elijah Dodge, Benjamin Melvin. Jr Elijah Alexander, James Black, Isaac Savage, Abraham Savage. Wil- liam English, Ebenezer Foster, Berial Ward, Thomas Beauman, Abijah Willard, Abel Wil- lard, Samuel Stevens, Elijah Gront, Joel Grout, Elijah Dickinson, Israel Dickinson, Reuben Belding. Elijah Dodge, Moses Melvin, Gideon Ashley, Samuel Greeley, Jonathan Hubbard, Elisha Marsh, Joseph Lord, Joseph Lord, Jr., Jonathan Hammond, William Smeed, Jonathan Thayer, Robert Harris, Phineas Stevens, Nathan Willard, Levi Willard, Henry Foster, William Frink, James Putnam, Dunk Campbell, Joseph Stone, Joseph Stone. Jr. Jason Stone, Simou Stevens, Moses Wright, Jonathan Ashley, Phin- ehas Ward, Jr., David Hawlett, John Downing, Joseph Newmark, Joseph Hammond, Jonathan Haughton, George Watkins, Benning Went- worth, Sam Ashley, Jr., Ezra Carpenter, Clem- ent Sumner, John Frink.
TOWN CLERKS
Aaron Esty, John B. Phelps, John Kilburn, William Gillchres, Jr., Bishop, John Kilburn, Jr., Holden, Lowel W. Guernsey, William F. Morse, S. W. Pike, II. O. Gleason, E. O. Aldrich.
He owned a large farm. kept a large dairy, and accumulated a handsome property. He held the office 40 years ; El.jach Holden, Harry died Sept. 19, 1853, aged 70 years. His wid. ow is still (1874) living, in her 80th year. She"
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TOWN REPRESENTATIVES.
Capt. Lemuel White, Emanuel Case, William Marsh, David Holden, Philemon Adams, Bar- tholomew Chadwick, John White Benjamin Needham, Elijatı Holden, John Buckmaster, Harry Holden, Elisha Johnson, William Math- erson, William B. Brown, David B. Jones, John J. Bowman, Alvin Johnson, Allen Barney, Daniel Johnson, Nathaniel Lord, H. C. Gleason, T. G. Foster, E. W. Aldrich, N. B. Smith, Ly- man Russell.
CONSTABLES.
Zebediah Green, Lemuel White, Nehemiah Smith, Elisha Grant, William Clary, J. A. Bar- ney, J. Bishop, J. Onion, William Marsh, Jo- sevh Barney, A. Jones, Philemon Adams Rob- ert Reed, Jonathan Buckmaster, J. G. Warner, Elijah Jones, Otis G. Jones, E. W. Aldrich, Orrin Knights, Charles Johnson, John Kinsman. Allen Barney, Samuel F. Smith, A. P. Story, H. F Clark, Amos Pratt, Allen Sanderson, B. B. Aldrich, Nathaniel Lord.
JUDGE OF PROBATE. in 1861, E. Fisher. LAWYERS, E. Fisher and Crosby.
DOCTORS : - Pettis. - Hoten, Oliver Guern- sey, - Harvey, - Burroughs, H. Griswold, C. B. Marsh, - Edson, - Peterson, L. W. Guern- sey, A. E. Horton, G. J. Crowley.
GRADUATES .- Ziba Colburn, teaching (1870) in the west, Edgar Aldrich, Principal of the High School, South Woodstock.
LONGEVITY
The old people of Shrewsbury, or those who died aged 70 years and upwards. Nathaniel Aldrich, aged 93 years, Franklin Gates 79, Mrs. William Webber 90, Mrs. Franklin Gates 87, Moses Colburn 90, Jeffrey A. Barney 86. Wil- liam Russell 90, Abraham Gilbert 71, Nathan Russell 90, Isaiah Maynard 78, Mrs. Ziba Al- drich 93, Oliver Dustin 82, William Webber 83, Mrs. Oliver Dustin 86, Henry Waterman 80, Martin Dawson 76, Mrs. Martin Dawson 75, William Lincoln 80, Mrs. William Lincoln 85, Mrs. Alpheus Persons 70, Mary Jones 77, Jolin Huntoon 88, Mrs. John Huntoon 92, George Fish 70, Mrs. George Fish 83, Jeremiah Dow 76, Mrs. Thomas Campbell 76, Mrs. Stephen Moore 80, Calvin Robinson 74, Mrs. Calvin Robinson 80, Mrs. Rufus Bucklin 74, Mrs. Job Waterman 75, Mrs. John Daumel 75, Thomas Knights 77, Martin Pratt 70, Patrick Phalen 77, John Crapo SO, Mrs. John Crapo 72, Elijah Sherman 73, Nathan Smith 87, Richard Clark 72. David Holden 74, Mrs. David Holden 86, Mrs. Abraham Gibson 81, Mrs. Uriah Cook 75,
Mrs. Ziba Aldrich 87, Mrs. Lemuel White 82, Mrs. Nathan Russell 78, Polly Lowis 84, Capt. Nehemiah Smith 86, William Lord 88, Benja- min Needham 74. Mrs. Joseph Kinsman 82, William Smith 77, David Colburn 71, William Hitt 74, Mrs. William Hitt 80, Jonathan Col- burn 73, Jonathan Gwining 74, Philemon Ad ams 87, Mrs. Philemon Adams 85, Mrs. Seth Sumner 86, Ephraim Pierce 79, Eli Pierce 71, Cyrus Brown 73, Mrs. Cyrus Brown 75, Debo- rah Sargent 84, Elijah Holden 71, Mrs. Elijah Holden 81, Laban Pratt 80, Elisha Johnson 81, Mrs. Elisha Johnson 81, Mrs. Phinehas Page 88, Capt. Sanderson 77, Squire Morse 71, Con- stant Webber 83, Mrs. Moses Colburn 74, John Crapo 71, Joseph Fuller 71, Mrs. Israel Balch 81, Ziba Aldrich 86, Luther Graves 87, Mrs. Luther Graves 72, Stephen Gould 75, Mrs. Ste- phen Gould 72. Esther Case 86, Joseph Kins- man 82, Simon Gilman 70, Mrs. Simon Gil- man 79. Oliver Guernsey 84, Samuel Sargent 85, Stephen Gleason 70, Pearl Parker 83, John Buckmaster 70, Joseph Sanders 73, Mrs. Sam- uel Dennis 74, Henry Priest 74, Mrs. Henry Priest 79. Phillip Lord 73, Mrs. Phillip Lord 79, Elisha Johnson 76, Mrs. Elisha Johnson 73, Eb- enezer Rhodes, 71, Nathaniel Russell 70, Mrs. Nathaniel Russell 80, Abraham Eaton 83, Mrs. Abraham Eaton 89, Jonah Aldrich 72, Mrs. Jo- nah Aldrich 75, Abraham Sanderson 76, Tilly Olds 73, Mrs. Tilly Olds 77, Jonathan Finney 74, Chester Gould 70, Mrs. Joseph Kinsman 84. Mrs. Hannah and Betsey Aldrich 93 and 87.
William Adams, who has lived in this coun- try for about 9 years, died in Shrewsbury July 14, 1814, aged 90 years and 10 months.
Samuel Robinson, of Shrewsbury, was killed last summer (1874). He was in the woods drawing timber. and his horses becoming fright- ened at something. ran away and killed him.
SUICIDES AND MURDER.
There have been three suicides in town. A Mrs. Bullard and Newell Johnson hung them- selves, and Caleb Johnson shot himself
There has been but one murder .- Between the Plumley and Gilman families there had been a feud for years. They had generally quarrel- led-had lawsuits, and even came to blows be- fore. But one day in the spring of 1869, John Gilinan's cattle broke into Ziba Plumler's fields. Ziba Plumley and his two sons, Horace and Frederick, had another quarrel over it with Gilman, in which Horace went to the house for a gun to shoot Gilman, and his father told him to shoot. Gilman was shot. Plumley and sons
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were immediately arrested and brought to trial, right and honest man, and a friend to the for murder at the Rutland county court. Hor- poor." ace was convicted, April 6, '69, of murder, and MR. CASE, another of the earliest settlers- had the honor of wearing the first hat made in town. It was called a palm-leaf hat-but the palm was elm bark, braided in the way of the palm-leaf ones. He was so careful of bis hat that he used to lay it upon a stump while chopping in the woods. sentenced to be hung. His sentence was com- muted, Nov. 16, '69, to imprisonment for life- the last official act of Governor Stewart, before the expiration of his office. Ziba Plumley, the father, convicted of manslaughter, was sentenc- ed to the States Prison for life; and Freder- ick for 20 years. Frederick, the younger broth- er, although participating in the murder, had BY MRS. R. A. MASON. OBADIAH HOLDEN the greatest leniency of the court and jury, on Was born in Shrewsbury, January 27, 1803, being one of a family of ten children. He was a man of quiet, home-like habits, respected by all who knew him, for his strict integrity and honest dealing, ever ready to hely the unfortu- uate, and always had a cheerful word for any oc- casion. His mind conceived in youth the life he would be able to live, and the following lines, found in his possession at the time of his death, (September 5, 1871,) are a true type of his life : the argument of his council and fact in his be- half, that he was about half underwitted. It is related, that the night after their sentence, they were talking it over in the jail. and Fred- erick exulting considerably over his brother who had got a sentence to be hung. and his father of imprisonment for life, saying he thought he had come off pretty easy. "You do, do you ?" growled the old man. "I should think you had! twenty years in the State Pris- on, and called a d-d fool by them at that!"
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The three entered the State Prison together -the father, aged 69; Horace, 42, and Fred- erick 29; who was pardoned Oct. 10, 1874. The father, Ziba Plumley, died of apoplexy, Ang. 3, 1875, aged 75-as our correspondent writes, "dropped dead while feeding the hogs." Horace is still (1876) at Windsor.
ELISHA JOHNSON
Married Olive Ashley, and came from Walpole, N. H, to Shrewsbury. He was one of the ear- ly settlers. They had 10 children : Olive, Eli- sha, Jr., David, Josiah, Jolin, Lucinda, Rhoda, Daniel, Caleb and Willard. Olive will be 86 the 9th of April next (1876). She lives with C. W. Hemenway, who married her niece An- nis, daughter of Daniel. Elisha, Jr., is dead.
DANIEL JOHNSON,
Son of Elisha, was born in Shrewsbury, Oct. 14, 1803, on the farm where his son Holton C. now lives. He married Julia, daughter of Moses Colburn, one of the early settlers. They had children : Annis, Theophilus, Caleb, Loui- sa, Holton, Charles deceased, and Gracia. Ilis wife died in 1848. He never married again. He was a man highly esteemed, and beld many town offices. In 1860 and 'ol he was repre- sentative. In '65 he sold his old farm in Shrewsbury to his son, and moved to Ludlow, and from thence to South Woodstock, where he died of heart disease, July 30, 1575, aged 72.
He was buried by the side of his wife, in Shrewsbury-the spot he had ever loved best. His epitaph might be written : "A very up- | in Shrewsbury.
My first desire is, void of care and strife, To lead a soft, secure, inglorious life. A country cottage near a crystal flood, A winding valley, and a lofty wood. Happy the mau, who, studying Nature's laws, Through known effects, can trace the secret cause. And happy, too, is he who decks the bowers Of sylvans, aud adores the rural powers.
ROBERT RIPLEY,
Son of Mr. Jesse and Mrs. Harriet Ripley, of Shrewsbury, died at Camp Roberts, Barrancas, Fa., Sept. 28, 1863, aged 18 years. He was a member of Co. I, 7th Regiment Vermont Vol- unteers, and died of injuries received by the bursting of a canon, while engaged in regu- lar target practice. For ten days he bore his sufferings with heroic fortitude, and died in peace and resignation. He had many friends -was highly spoken of by all, and very much sympathy was felt for him in his Regiment.
In memory lives the Patriot youth, All honor to so dear a name; Who die for Freedom, Right and Truth, Shall shine upon the scroll of Fame.
Ont Fathers fought and Freedom won, Forever be their names renowned ; The fight renewed, with sire, the son Shall be with brightest glories crowned.
See on our Country's altar laid The young, the str ng, the true, the brave; A costly sacrifice is made, Our suffering Nation's life to save.
* By Rev. H. Eastman, Methodist Pastor, at the time,
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REMINISCENCES OF MRS. MEECH, WHO WAS BORN IN SHREWSBURY OVER 86 YEARS AGO-(FEB- RUARY, 1873.)
My father ( Nathan Finney ) was the fifth man who settled in town with his family-as I have often heard him say. He was born June 28 1758. in the State of Massachusetts. I think- it might have been Connecticut. He came on first with a party of young men (among whom was Jeffery A. Barney, a brother of my mother's) to clear up his land ; and when he had got a log- house up, he went back to New Hampshire and brought up his young wife to his new home in the wilderness. He married Urania Barney. Their children were Anna, Hannah, Lydia, Levi, Alvin, Cynthia and Nelson; all born in Shrews- bury.
Father was a large, fine looking man, quite tall, with sharp, black eyes. He dashed right into work and carried all before him. He built the first framed house in town, or certainly the first in our part of the town. I was a little girl when we moved from the log-house into it. It was a handsome house for the times, and painted, I think, before we moved in. It was painted red. Hle afterwards built on additions and opened a public house-being constantly pressed to give entertainment to travelers .- So many used to drop in and ask to stay over night, he and Mr. Robinson who lived above us both concluded to put up their sign. Father got prosperous right off. Uncle Jeff Barney settled at first on Cold river opposite my father : my father had the land on one side and he on the other; but he afterward moved to the east part of the town. He married about the same time as my father. His wife was an Aldrich, and her parents came on, I think, at the same time that he did. Uncle Jeff was a good live man, and his wife a smart woman. They had quite a large family. I used to go to school to his son Nathaniel, the oldest of un- cle's children. He had a son Allen who studied medicine at Castleton-located to practise in New York. He married and died within a year from the time. He was but in the prime of life-amiable, enterprising. much loved. His brother Nicholas was not so smart. Amherst is the only one of them now living. He has raised a family of ten children, all of whom are married and living.
wondering what he prayed for. Grandmother was a great woman to talk on church doc- trines. She would sit up with my father. per- haps twenty nights in a year till midnight to argue Calvinism against the doctrines of Balloy who used to preach there about these times, and was a great friend of my father.
Father's parents both died with bim. Father had a brother who also lived in Shrewsbury a few years-the tallest man in town-married and soon after removed. And my mother had a brother, Dr. Job Barney, who settled. I think in Shrewsbury. I remember my father sending in sickness for him when he was studying med- icine, to come and stay with us awhile. He was a finished doctor.
My mother's parents settled, after their daugh ter's marriage, in Arlington. Vt. I recollect their coming to visit us. My grandfather was a nice, large, beautiful man, and always dressed handsomely. He had the smallest serimp of 3 wife, with the homeliest little face you ever sa"; but every one of the children looked like bim.
Grandfather came again to visit us before I left Shrewsbury. He was ninety-five at this time. He was gay as a lark-had a tall, re: fect figure as ever I met at that age-his cheek rosy as a woman's, and he was strictly temper- ate. I heard it frequently said you would not take him to be over sixty or seventy. He was one of the most pleasant men I ever saw.
My sister Annie was the first child born is town: I remember her very distinctly. She was a lovely girl of 13 years when she died. She was born June 21, 1782 and died Ang. 5, 1795: When I was about 12 years of age. the Small-pox prevailed in town. and sister Hannah and I were sent to the pesthouse which was well filled with patients. Dr. Holton, who afterwards married my sister, was a physician. Hannah was slightly sick but one eruption filling. and that upon her eye-lash. Some of the patients were very sick, and one or two died-especially af ter the weather became warmer the sickness increased. We all had to get up early, and were not allowed any meat, butter or milk .- We were told if we were up early and weil starved, when we came to be sick the pi:s would not fill : to save the scars we starved. and were up in time. I was repeatedly inace- ulated while there, but they could not get me down with it, though thin as a skeleton. We hardly ever had anything to eat but dry bread and roast potatoes, without salt. The paties:s used to send me down to steal salt out of a
My father's parents came to spend their last days with him. They were members of the Baptist church. When a little girl I remember standing on the chamber stairs and hearing grandfather pray before he went to bed, and |meat-barrel in the cellar. I would bring it up
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and they would wash, dry, and use it. But the Doctor did not know it. He made us take an early morning walk, and a walk in the evening, and we had all kinds of plays but card-play- ing-blind-man's bluff, often.
After six weeks, not taking the small-pox, I was dismissed, happy to be released-though I had to diet for two weeks more at home, lest I might yet come down with the disease ; and after this, so many stories were told to moth- er of those who had not taken it in a pest-house, afterwards taking it, and dying with it, back I had to go to my great disgust, and stay another fortnight there, and was put every day to comb a woman's hair whose head was full of scabs. There was nothing to do but to submit to rules and regulations: but do all they could they could not make the small-pox take hold of me. I have escaped to this day.
The old Randall house was used as a pest- house.
The Robinsons were our neighbors-Mar- tin and Calvin-they were early settlers. It was about half a mile above to each. I was the most acquainted with Calvin's family. He lived there till he died. as did his wife and one son. They were the tip-top of the town-a little aristocratic. Calvin married one of the Hodges, a little aristocratic, too. The Robin- son girls used to dress and dash-Nabby and Ruth. Their mother, a fine old lady, originated in Clarendon. The boys were Calvin and Daniel. Daniel moved to the Messena Springs near the St. Lawrence, our side of the river. I have been there several times.
I knew Captain White, who was the first settler. The Captain had a family of daugh- ters, four or five. I used to visit them : I once went to a ball with his oldest son, Moses: the committee used to pick out what girls the young men should invite, and the girls must go with the one selected, or stay at home.
Capt. White was a queer man : a very de- cent, respectable man, but with peculiarities. He was once driving across the lots where there was no road ; his horse got frightened and so did Capt. White, so much so he kept crying, "Don't spit, wife ! don't spit !" He was an igno- rant man, a sort of outlaw in society, and used to be laughed at; but there was nothing bad about him. He died of the epidemic in 1813.
Esq. Marsh, another townsman, used to be at my father's often, but I did not know the family much, or do not remember it now; but Esq. Marsh was a part of the respectability of the town. He died of the epidemic about the same
time my father did. He was dead, but not buried, when I came home to my father's fuz- eral. I was married at this time, and lived in Glen's Falls, N. Y. Father died of the epi- demic, March 29, 1813. It was the time of the breaking up of the ice : we went-my hus- band and I-in a gig; and men came out at Castleton to help us ford the stream. When we arrived it was a terrible time in Shrewsbury : many heads of the families had died-all the town was in sorrow. How we sat down and talked about it and wept! The frightful dis- ease smote, not only in Vermont, but in N. York State, also. The heads of a family just below us at Glens' Falls both died of it.
Father was a hale, hearty man, and might have lived many years but for that epidemic. Uncle Jaffery died in Shrewsbury many years later.
Doctor Holton, who had married my sister, for six weeks slept only in his arm-chair. He kept several horses, and always one harnessed. He at length took it. His wife wanted to seni to Wallingford for Doctor Fox. "No-said he-I know all about the disease; it will do no good." She sent, however, for Doctor Por- ter of Rutland ; but he lived but a day and a half after he was taken.
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