Essex County, Massachusetts - Chapter 37, 1888 (part 1 of 2)

Miscellaneous

Temperance. - It is a fact too well known for comment that a typical New Englander of a century ago loved rum. It was potent at " raisings," it added to hospitality, it lent wisdom to council, eloquence to speech, strength to effort. It was as necessary to settle a minister as to swap a horse. It was the article most often charged on the grocer's day-book ; it was absolutely common. And it made men drunk. After the revolution home production greatly increased, and during the first part of this century intemperance became a crying evil.

In the year 1812 a temperance society was formed. It was the first in this State, perhaps the first in the world, - The Massachusetts Society for the Suppression of Intemperance. Three Danvers men were of its members, - Hon. Samuel Holten, Rev. Dr. Wadsworth and Joseph Torrey, at least two of them leaders anywhere. And this accounts for the fact that so early, two years after the parent society, a temperance society was started here. It was called the Danvers Moral Society, and had for its officers a fine set of men who neither shrank from the work nor feared the opprobrium of an unpopular reform, - Dr. Holten, president; Rev. Messrs. Wadsworth and Walker, vice-presidents; Drs. Torrey and Nichols, secretaries; Fitch Pool, treasurer; Eleazer Putnam, Samuel Page, John Endicott, Sylvester Osborne, James Osborne, James Brown, William Sutton and Nathan Felton, counsellors. Deacon Samuel Preston gave in his old age some reminiscences of his early connection with the society, himself one of the early secretaries. The board of managers, he said, met once a month. "As cases one after another came up, to jjarticular members of the board was assigned the duty of visiting and trying to persuade the fallen one to break off his habits and to lead a sober and useful life. This was followed until reform was effected or the case became hopeless, when his or her name was added to a list of names which were to be handed to the selectmen of the town to be ' posted ' as common drunkards, and the dealers in intoxicating drinks were forbidden to sell or give to any person whose name was so ' posted.' Several lists of some eight or ten names were so made out and posted in i)ublic places. The process created so much bitter feeling that it was abandoned after some years of trial. The binding principle of the societies was not, in the beginning, total abstinence; other methods had to be tried before." The Moral Society at first went no farther than to declare against the daily use of ardent spirits. It took nineteen years of progress to strike out, in 1833, the word " daily."

The first indication of the new reform upon the records of the town is a vote passed at the annual meeting of 1818, thanking the selectmen (Nathan Felton. Jonathan Walcot, Sylvester Proctor, Daniel Putnam, Nathaniel Putnam), for the measures by them adopted " to prevent those given to intemi)erance in drinking, from wasting their health, time, and estates by the excessive use of ardent spirits; and that the present board be instructed to pursue the system commenced by their predecessors."

Nine years later. May 27, 1827, Caleb Uakes carried a motion for a committee of nine to enforce the laws and " to give notice to the selectmen of every licensed person known to violate the laws that their approbation of such person may hereafter be refused." This committee consisted of Caleb Cakes, Fitch Pool, Samuel Fowler, John Peabody, Samuel Preston, John W. Proctor, Elijah Upton, Nathan Poor and Samuel Taylor. It was in this year, 1827, that the first public address advocating total abstinence was delivered in Danvers. The speaker was a young physician, Ebenezer Hunt, who thus early took the advanced stand upon this question, which throughout the course of his well-rounded life he fearlessly took on other great questions which later agitated the country.

In 1830 the town were asked to take certain measures " agreeable to a request of the Danvers Moral Society." The next year the overseers of the poor were instructed not to furnish liquors at the almshouse, except as recommended by the attending physician.

Two years later, and at a meeting held at the Brick Meeting-House in the north parish March 4, 1833, public sentiment had been so far affected that the first no-license vote was passed. John W. Proctor, a lineal descendant of the original settlers of that name, a young lawyer whose name must appear often and honorably in any chronicles of his native town, then wrote in lead-pencil certain resolutions which were offered to the meeting by a young man whose birth was contemporaneous with that of the century, and who to-day is still with us, despite his advanced age maintaining the active superintendence of the one of the most important departments of town affairs, of whom more may be learned in the biographical sketch which follows, Samuel P. Fowler. The resolutions were these :

" Whereas in consequence of the Change that has taken place in public Opinion in regard to the use of Spirituous liquors, it is very generally believ^i that the Public convenience does not require licenses to be granted for the vending of Ardent Spirits.

"And icliei-eiis it is desirable to discountenance the use of Ardent Spirits in all reasonable and practicable ways, Therefore voted as tlie sense of the town that it is not expedient to license the Sale of Ardent Spirits within the town, and that the Selectmen be hereby instructed and requested to withhold their Approbation of such licenses."

Col. Jesse Putnam headed a petition for no-license next year, and Daniel P. King, Alfred Putnam, Abner Sanger, Robert S. Daniels and Joshua H. Ward were appointed to correspond with other towns on the question. Women were in no ways backward in the temperance movement. At the annual town-maeting of 1836, this ])etition signed by about eight hundred of them was presented :

" We, the undersigned, your IMothers, wives, sisters and daughters, ask your attention for one moment to the temperance cause, as it now exists in this community. We are aware that you are not unmindful of this cause, and that you have heretofore done much in support of it, and the present year have instructed your Selectmen not to approbate the sale of Ardent Spirits within the town. We are also aware that you were among the first publicly in town meeting to denounce the trallic in ardent Spirits and to proclaim its evils. All this is well, but still much remains to be done. Notwithstanding all your efforts, there are many still intemperate, and the means of gratifying their insatiable appetites are still at hand.

"Yes, and they who furnish tlicse means go unpunislu'd Miid disregarded. Of wliat are laws or resolutions in word only ? Better by far to have uo laws, than permit them to be violated with impunity. Have you not again and again resolved that the sale and the u^e of ardent spirits are destructive of the Teace and well-being of Society ? Do you not all feel and see that this is true? Then why permit it? We beseech you delay no longer. Banish the evil fnun among y(ui. Beseech those who transgress, in kindness to desist. But if they will not, in kindness, compel them to do it. Never hesitate or falter in doing that you know to be right. We your friends, your own consciences, and the God of lieaven, will sustain you in the path of duty. As you love us, as you regard yonr own welfare, both here and hereafter, suftcr not the evil of drunkenness to be any longer witliiii yoiu' borders; and unite with us in prayer that our neighboring Citizens may share the same blessing."

At a special meeting held A})ril 3, 1837, a committee, in the nature of a temperance vigilance committee, and the first of the sort, was appointed ; it consisted of John Peabody, Rufus Wyman, Jesse Putnam, John B. Peirce and Samuel P. Fowler. At this meeting a resolve was passed which reveals a state of things unremedied to this day and which might with greater pertinence than effica<'.y be at any time reenacted :

"Whehkas, this town for several years past, while endeavoring to prevent the sale and use of intoxicating liquors within it, has found its etfovts thwarted, and its citizens allured and enticed away to their injury, by (he Licensed shops and bouses on its borders in the City of Salem. Therefore

" li'esnlred, That the Selectmen in behalf of the town bo requested respectfully to beseech the Authorities of the City (if such dram shops shall still be tho\ight necessary in the City) not to lucate them immediately upon our Borders ; but to remove them as far off as possible."

There followed a period of inactivity for some seven yeai's. Then, in 1844, more resolutions were passed, and another vigilance committee was appointed, on which with others previously mentioned were Joseph Osgood, Elias Putnam, William and Joseph S. Black,

Samuel Tucker and Samuel Preston. Four years later and another committee, another in 1849, several in the fifties, and one, the last, as late as 1871, upon the earlier of which appear as leading temperance men of the day these additional names : Allen Knight, Israel Adams, Deacon Frederick Howe, William Walcott, Gilbert Tapley, Nathan Tapley, Wra. J. C. Kenney, Eben Putnam, Israel W. Andrews, Edward T. Waldron and Moses Black, Jr. In 1819 these rather unique votes were passed :

" That each minister, each Lawyer and each Doctor be requested to 'leliver to the citizens of the Ttiwn, one Lecture at least, each, during the year, on the subject of Teniperance and Gambling

" That the Town Clerk send a certified copy of the above vote to each of the gentlemen referred to and to publish it in the Dfinvers Courier.

About 1849, too, the subject of lotteries received the attention of condemnation, and committees were especially instructed to prosecute violations of the law.

Agreeable to the law of 1855, the selectmen appointed as the first liquor agent of the town, Needham C. Millett. He was required to keep pure and unadulterated liquors, for medicinal, chemical and mechanical purposes only, at his place of business on Maple Street; to sell for cash only at twenty-five per cent, net profit ; to make quarterly returns to the town treasurer; and his compensation was one hundred dollars. His successors as liquor agents were : 1856- 57, Olive Emery, High Street; 1858-61, Hiram Preston, Maple Street; 1862-65, Levi Merrill, Maple Street; 1866, Daniel Richards, corner High and Elm Streets; 1867, A. Sumner Howard, Cherry Street; 1869-72, Abram Patch, Jr., Maple Street.

From the stand taken so early, when the resolutions of 1833 were adopted, neither the old nor the present town of Danvers has ever receded. Once only, in 1883, the vote went in favor of license, four hundred and twenty-one to two hundred and eighty-three; but by a singular coincidence, the proceedings of this meeting were technically illegal, through the omission to use check lists in balloting for moderator, and on a subsequent trial the result was reversed by a close vote, four hundred in favor of license, four hundred and thirty-eight against. The first vote under the local option law of 1868 was a negative answer, one hundred and forty-nine to five, to the question "Shall licenses be granted for the sale, to be drunk on the premises, of either distilled or fermented liquors?" Late votes on the license question have been : 1884, 476 no, 275 yes; 1885, 391 no, 233 yes; 1886, 384 no^ 183 yes.

Not always, however, has the real state of the temperance question been in harmony with this showing. A dozen years ago the saloon element, for a time, successfully defied the law, and endeavored, by terrorizing prosecutors, to avoid prosecution. At least one exteiis've fire has been traced to such a source. Rut the people at length aroused to meet the emergency, and, under a police who deserve great credit for so well performing their duty, have brought back the town to a place essentially of law and order, where liquor-selling timidly skulks and drunkenness is not common.

Within recent years a number of temperance societies have been organized. Apparently the oldest is the Catholic Total Abstinence Society, whose good work cannot easily be over-estimated. It was organized November 19, 1871, and bought and fitted up its present building some four years later. Its hall was dedicated February 17, 1879. The Danvers Reform Club was organized, January 21, 1876; the Woman's Christian Temperance Union of Danversport, January 17, 1876 ; a similar Union at the Plains, February 6, 1876.

Fire Department. -The first action of the town regarding fire-engines was in the first year of this century. On the 25th of August, 1800, Robert Shillaber, Israel Putnam and Edward Southwick were chosen "to i)iirchase two fire engines for the use of the town, whenever a sum of money shall be raised by subscription equal to one-half the cost of said engines, and deposited in the hands of the committee aforesaid for that purpose."

" Voted : Said engines shall be kept in repair at the expense of the town and one of them shall be placed near the house formerly called the Bell Tavern and the other on the neck of land near the new mills so called provided the inhabitants who may be likely to receive the most benefit therefrom will at their own expense erect suitable buildings to receive them."

By a law of the Commonwealth, the selectmen of towns owning fire-engines were empowered to nominate " engine-men." At the beginning of 1801, the selectmen made these appointments:

The names of Edward Southwick, William and Daniel Reed, Jr., Caleb Osborne, George Stone, John Pierce and Samuel Mclntire were subsequently, for some reason, erased.

Officers known as " fire-wards " were first chosen at the annual meeting of 1801. The persons then chosen were Eben(!zer Sprague, Samuel Page, Edward Southwick, Ebenezer Shillaber, Simon Pindar and Israel Hutchinson, Jr. Ten years later Page and Southwick were both on the board, and with them

Some records of the meetings of No. 2, about this time, have been preserved. At Nathaniel Putnam's store certain preparations were made one day in February, 1808, which show that charity went hand in hand with festivity.

Voted, The committee be authorized to invite the minister and schoolmaster to sup with US in free cost, and that tliey invite the fire ward in said district to sup with us in club.

Voted, That the remaining part of the fines that may be had after paying for said supper, &c., be given to the most needy persons in said district.

At the adjournment the report was accepted and the committee duly thanked. They received from the clerk thirty dollars for distribution, and fourteen persons received from one to four dollars each.

In 1810 the " Columbian Fire Club " is first mentioned in the town records. The club petitioned for an additional number of buckets to be placed under it s care. Three good men and true considered the subject, - Jona. Ingersoll, Jas. Foster and Samuel Page ; but whether the club secured the buckets or not is a question of distressing uncertainty. A survivor of this club relates that each member was required to keep a fire-bucket, a bed-key and a canvas bag, hanging ready for use in the front entry.

In 1815 there were ten fire-wards, - Sylvester Osborne, Benj. Crowninshiekl, Caleb Oakes, Thomas Putnam, Joseph Ct. Sprague, James Brown, Moses Black, John Upton, Jr., Samuel Fowler and Ward Pool. In that year the New Mills engine was thus manned :

Appropriations, by direct vote, for the fire department were few and far between in the early years of its existence. In 1837 the selectmen were authorized " to furnish the new mill engine company with fire Buckets, as they think proper, provided they do not find those they lost at the late fire" and the only other recorded appropriation for the first twenty years was on a vote in 1819, authorizing the repair of the hook-and-ladders belonging to the town, and the purchase of as many new hooks, ladders, pikes, not to exceed fifteen, as the fire- wards should think proper.

a new engine. The first thing was to inquire into the status and condition of the old engines. It was evidently an important matter. Notice the number and character of the committee of inspection : Ebenezer Shillaber, Andrew Nichols, Nathl. Putnam, John Upton, Jr., John Page, Sylvester Osborne, Caleb Oakes, John W. Proctor, Danl Putnam, Warren Porter and Samuel Fowler. But the committee was considered still lacking somewhat in weight and five more were added, - Briggs R. Reed, Oliver Saunders, Eben Putnam, Jr., Joseph Spaulding and Allen Gould. All these were appointed by the moderator, yet " the inhabitants " were not quite satisfied. They voted " to add two more to the above Committee, the Town to have the liberty of nominating them, and Edward Southwick and Nathaniel Watson were added." Verily, if the old engines were not thoroughly overhauled, it was not the fault of the townmeeting. Subsequently it was voted to procure two new engines and repair the old ones, provided half the cost of the new ones be raised by subscription. Squires Shove, Caleb Oakes, Nathaniel Putnam, Ebenezer Shillaber and Wm. Sutton, were delegated to pass around the hat.

In 1826 two sets of sail cloths were provided at an expense of one hundred and fifty dollars, one set to be located near the south meeting-house, the other at New Mills. The men who ran with the machine this latter year at New Mills were

In 1830 another engine was purchased for the south parish ; the same year an act of the Legislature was passed " to establish a Fire Department in Danvers." The act provided for the choice of twelve fire-wards ; changed the power of appointment of engine-men from the selectmen to the fire-wards; limited the number of engine-men to forty " for each hydraulioD or suction-engine, twenty-five to each common engine, four to each hose-carriage, twenty to each sail-carriage and twenty for a hook-and-ladder company ;" authorized the engine-men to organize themselves into distinct companies under the direction of the fire-wards ; and made the fire-wards custodians of all fire-apparatus. The first board chosen under this act consisted of R. H. French, Lewis Allen, Caleb Low, Richard Osborne, S. P. Fowler, Moses Black, Caleb L. Frost, Benjamin Wheeler, Henry Cook, Edward Upton, Enoch Poor and Jacob F. Perry.

engiue-house, and secured it. The same year -" Johnny " Perley, the storekeeper at the little village which was springing up at Porter's Plains, petitioned for a fire-engine, to be located near Berry's tavern, and the next year Philip Osborn and others wanted a new engine-house at the "Pine Tree Corner " (Wilson's Corner), and secured an appropriation of three hundred dollars for that purpose.

Mr. Perley's petition not having met with success, another store-keeper, Daniel Richards, headed a petition in April, 1836, " for a good and sufficient fireengine to be located at the Plains, and to provide a convenient building for the same." The fire-wards at this meeting presented a report which, doubtless, influenced favorable action, - "The engine Niagara, No. 1, is not suitable or fit to work with the Salem engines, they being suction . . . ; the Forrest, No. 3, is in good order and well manned . . . ; the Erie, No. 2, is in a bad condition and not man'd, wants repairing and altering . . . ; the ,

No. 4, a good, new engine, is wanted at the Plains, with hose and a house for the same." A vote was passed to raise two thousand three hundred dollars for the purpose of purchasing two new engines, one to replace the old " Niagara," the other for the Plains, -and for hose, etc., and the repairing of the ''Erie." Richard Hood's bill "for finishing the engine-house at the neck " in 1836 was $102.85.

But the new engine for the Plains was not immediately forthcoming. At the March meeting of 1837 one of the articles was " To inquire of the Fire Department what they have done towards obtaining a Fire-Engine to be located at the Plains, agreeable to the request of Eben Putnam." At an adjournment a committee which had been appointed to consider the report of the fire-wards reported "that it is expedient to procure a middling-sized engine of good construction to be located at the Plains, provided an efficient company of thirty men can be found in that vicinity ready to take charge of the same ; that, in case an engine is procured, a suitable house should be built for the accommodation of the same." These recommendations were adopted, and eight hundred dollars appropriated. But the committee added in their report, - " It is worse than useless to expend a thousand dollars for an engine and to have it, when the alarm of fire is given on a cold night, frozen up and unfit to be used." Two hundred dollars was soon after added to the appropriation of eight hundred dollars.

In 1842 Otis Mudge and one hundred and twentyeight others petitioned for an engine and house, "to be located near the North Parish Meeting-House (Rev. Mr. Braman's) ; " the matter was referred to Mr. Mudge, Miles Osborne and W. J. C. Kenney, but when a vote was taken - this was a meeting held in the South Parish - only 51 voted for the measure, and 59 voted against it. It was " tried again." Mr. Mudge and John W. Proctor were appointed tellers. They reported 65 in the affirmative and 65 in the negative. Then the house was polled, and the tellers having reported " 68 for locating an engine, and 78 against it," it was then voted that the subject be dismissed. In 1843 the engine at New Mills was replaced by a new machine, called the "Ocean," at a cost not exceeding a thousand dollars ; and what became of the old Niagara appears in this item of the fire-wards* report for 1844 :

"No. 2. - This engine, with its apparatus, is in good order, it having been removed from the Neck to the Tapley Village, and is now under the charge of Perley Tapley, who has engaged to furnish a house for it at his own expense."

In this report the story is told at length of the great fire which swept through what is now Peabody Square, burning the South Meeting-House, the old Essex Coftee-House and many other principal buildings in the vicinity. "The sun, this morning, rose upon a scene of desolation never before witnessed in our town, disclosing more fully to view crumbling walls and smouldering ruins in the place of those buildings which the devouring element had .swept from our view. The destruction of property was very large." Further details will doubtless appear under the sketch of the history of Peabody.

Perley Tapley soon requested the town to purchase his engine-house, and the fire-wards were directed to buy it unless they could do better otherwise. In 1849 Tapleyville was given a new engine, and the "Niagara" was finally disposed of.

The number and value of the several fire-engines, houses and apparatus belonging to the town at the time South Danvers was set oft" as a separate town, will be found in the inventory of town property in this sketch, where the history of the division of the town is given. A few days after the act was passed which incorporated South Danvers, the Legislature amended the act of 1829, which established the Danvers Fire Department, so that the town of Danvers was required thenceforth to choose five fire-wards annually instead of twelve.

The men elected as the first fire-wards of Danvers, after the division of the town, were Winthrop Andrews, R. B. Hood, A. G. Allen, W. B. Richardson and Josiah Ross.

Only certain grandfathers remember the halcyon days. Now and then an item in old newspaper files recall them, days of reception or visitation, the carefully polished machine, the well-drilled company of choicest young manhood, rivalry not a little, admiration unbounded. There was such a day in the fall of 1849, when a great event happened in Wenham, - its first new engine came. On the shore of the big pond where Hugh Peters preached in the wilderness of Enon, there was a grand exhibition oi' prowess, and Danvers was there by her board of firewards, and the " General Putnam, No. 4 ; " the company dressed in uniform of white frocks, dark pants and glazed caps.

" They marched lender the direction of that pattern of directors, William J. C. Kenney, to the music of Osgood's excellent band, and the way they performed the military evolutions would have done honor to a company of veteran soldiers."

The idea of having a " steamer " first came up in town-meeting in 1866, on the petition of Henry F. Putnam and others. It was then referred and indefinitely postponed. Two years later George W. Bell headed a similar petition, and on the last day of March, 1868, a series of votes were taken on the motion, "that the town purchase a steam fire engine." The first hand vote was declared lost ; it was then voted to poll the house ; the motion was again jJUt and declared carried, eighty to forty; the minority, not satisfied, doubted the count ; the voters passed in front of the moderator, and were counted as they passed, and the motion was finally declared carried, seventy-six to twenty-five. No money was immediately appropriated, but at the annual meeting of 1869 it was voted, after another close fight, sixty-seven to sixty-five, to appropriate five thousand dollars, and the fire-wards, namely, Timothy Hawkes, George W. Bell, Charles T. Stickney, Wyatt B. Woodman and John C. Putnam, together with Winthrop Andrews, William L. Weston, R. B. Hood, H. A. Perkins and Nathan Tapley were entrusted with the weighty business of buying the only " steamer" which the town ever indulged in. Three thousand dollars more was appropriated for apparatus for the new engine and fifteen hundred dollars for accommodations. And, at a final adjournment, each of these votes were reconsidered, and the whole matter indefinitely postponed. Thus it is ever with town-meetings. But the next year and the next the steamer agitation was renewed, thi-ee self-acting extinguishers, "soda fountains," having been purchased in the meantime, and so on until in 1873, the first and only steam fire engine came to stay - but a short time. The fire wards, who were entrusted with its purchase, were G. W. Bell, George Kimball, J. C. Putnam, Thomas Curtis and William J. Murphy. The basement of the building known as Bells hall, on Maple Street, was fitted up as a steamer-house.

sentiment had been laboring to bring up the rank and file to the belief that Danvers was ready to indulge in the metropolitan luxury, nay, necessity, of a water-supply system. It is now some eleven years since the pure water of Middleton Pond first appeared in our streets and kitchens. Who would part with it? Yet it came only after much agitation and much honest opposition. The matter of water supply was first brought up in town-meeting in 1870, and was referred to S. P. Fowler, Daniel Richards, Oliver Roberts, C. T. Stickney and W. L. Weston. They reported next year, recommending acceptance of certain terms offered by the city of Salem for supply for five years, keeping an eye to Middleton and Swan's Ponds for an ultimate supply. Nothing further until November 17, 1873, when another committee of consideration was appointed. They reported at the annual meeting of 1874 in favor of building a reservoir on Will's Hill, in Middleton, at an estimated cost, with pipes, etc., of two hundred and fifty thousand dollars. The following April, 24th, the Legislature passed the Danvers Water Act, authorizing the town to take water from Middleton and Swan's Ponds, to issue bonds to three hundred thousand dollars, payable in not exceeding thirty years, to choose three water commissioners, and to provide for a sinking fund.. The validity of the act depended upon its acceptance by the town within two years. In the meantime another factor entered into the water question. The State needed a new insane asylum ; sites were examined here and tliere ; finally the summit of Hathorne Hill, in Danvers, was fixed upon as the most eligible. The asylum commissioners wanted water and were willing to co-operate with the town. Their hill lay almost in a direct line from the square to Middleton Pond and about midway. They offered the town a part of the hill for a reservoir, thirty thousand dollars towards the cost of works and one thousand dollars aimually for their supply. The proposition gave new energy to the water men. A motion to raise two hundred thousand dollars June 15, 1875, received 364 yeas to 314 nays, but, two days before, a law went into effect requiring a two-thirds vote for such extraordinary appropriations, and the proposition thus failed of being carried. They tried again very soon, July 2nd. Then the Water Act was accepted, 506 to 290, but a motion to proceed with construction still failed of two-thirds, - 512 to 336.

George H. Norman, the great contractor, in September, 1875, made this offer ; to put in the works, including a five million gallon reservoir, twenty miles of pipes and one hundred and fifty hydrants, and keep them as a private speculation or sell them to the town for two hundred thousand dollars. The offer was accepted September LStli. The first water commissioners were elected September 21st; they were John R. Langley, Otis F. Putnam, Harrison O. Warren. Then the question arose as to the authority of the town to transfer its rights under the act to

Mr. Norinau, and the matter was dropped. The next month the town of Beverly made a proposition to supply Danvers, and a vote was passed to take water from this source provided a fair bargain could be made, but no bargain was made. In the meantime the asylum people would wait but little longer for further action on their offer. The question was put to vote April 28, 1876, on proceeding to introduce water, in connection with the State, at an expense to the town, not exceeding one hundred and fifty thousand dollars. Yeas, 409, nays, 230, - not two-thirds. The water men kept at work. May 13, 1876, they were successful. Then, on the same ques tion, the whole number of votes - the largest number ever cast up to that time - were 933. ( )f these 637 were yeas ; 296 nays. Samuel Waitt, an old man of eighty-four, threw the last vote, a yea.

Early in July following, the water commissioners closed a contract with G. H. Norman for complete works and twenty-one miles of street pipes for one hundred and sixty-two thousand five hundred dollars. The State built the reservoir, paid twelve thousand five hundred dollars, and agreed to pay one thousand dollars annually for twenty years. Thus the net first cost of the water-works to the town was one hundred and fifty thousand dollars, which was met by the issue of five per cent, bonds. The principal main was completed to the square August 17, 1876, and water first appeared, direct from the pond, the reservoir not being completed, Wednesday, November 8th. Early in December the reservoir was ready for use, and on Thursday, December 23d, the entire system was in working order and opened by a formal trial. The head was found to be strong enough to throw a l|-inch stream, not only over the highest buildings, but well over the flag-staff" to a hight of over one hundred and twenty-five feet. Fire-engines were immediately at a discount. At the annual meeting o^ 1877 it was recommended that the steamer be sold, and notices of its sale at auction were sent broadcast to towns and cities. Hose companies have taken the place of the engine companies. Nine of these companies and one hook-and-ladder company comprise the present fire department. Fires have happily been comparatively infrequent, but on more than one occasion the ready presence of Middleton water has prevented what otherwise threatened to the square a repetition of the ruin of '45. Two lamentable and disastrous conflagrations have within a few years occurred in spite of the water.

Benjamin E. Newhall was appointed superintendent of the water-works in September, 1876, while they were in process of construction, and held the office efficiently to his resignation, July 1, 1883. The duties of the office were then divided. Henry Newhall was appointed registrar; David J. Harrigan, superintendent of pipea, and no change has since been made.

to defend a suit brought by the Ipswich mills for damages alleged to have been sustained by the diversion of water from Ipswich River by lowering Middleton and Swan's Ponds, they being tributary to the river. The commissioners who heard the evidence, Judge Choate of the Probate Court and Messrs. Frances and Darrascott, engineers, reported in favor of the mills, and awarded five thousand four hundred and ninety-five dollars for the diversion of water from Middleton Pond, and two thousand and five dollars for Swan's Pond, "if in the latter case the petitioners are entitled to an assessment under this award." The Superior Court at the October term,

1881, ruled against the Swan Pond assessment. Another law-suit was the result of a ballot for water commissioner at the annual meeting of 1881. Josiah Ross was declared elected by one vote, five citizens having been appointed to count the votes, and having so reported to the moderator. A motion thereupon made that the votes be recounted by a new committee was carried. The new committee reported that the opposing candidate, Otis F. Putnam, was elected by one vote, and the moderator so declared the vote, stating it so appeared on recount. These are all the facts of record. But it seems that the moderator and town clerk subsequently counted the ballots which had been preserved, and their results coincided with the original count. Under the circumstances the two members of the board recognized Mr. Ross as having been elected. Presently Mr. Putnam brought a petition to the Supreme Court for a writ of mandamus, compelling the two commissioners to recognize him and to refrain from recognizing Mr. Ross. The question was practically the legality of the recount, important and hitherto undecided. Judge Endicott, before whom was the original hearing, dismissed the petition, but by request reported the case to the full court. The case was argued at the bar in November, 1881, and the judges present not agreeing, the court afterwards directed it to be submitted on briefs to all the judges. The final decision reported in One Hundred and Thirty-third Massachusetts Reports was ''by a majority of the court" in favor of the petitioner, Mr. Putnam.

1882, resolutions were passed in recognition of his efficient and valuable services as chairman of the board from its establishment. He was one of the earliest and most zealous advocates of water. The full list of water commissioners is, -

Law-Suits. - The early records of the town give evidence that the inhabitants in their corporate capacity not infrequently indulged in law-suits, and as usual this species of entertainment seems to have

"Voted, Thomas Porter and Gideon Putnam be agents in behalf of the Town and they or either of them be fully Impowered to defend and settle the actions or Pleas of the Case which Benj. Sawyer & Gilbord ( Tapley has brought against the Town as Surveyors of Highways for the year 1766."

" To see if the inhabitants will prosecute their appeal against Benjamin Sawyer at the next Superior Court to be holden at Ipswich. " Voted that the appeal shall be prosecuted."

The town was beaten, but in that prime fightingcondition when it hated to let go. An article was inserted in the warrant of 1768, "to see if it be the minds of the Inhabitants to Petition the General Court for a Rehearing at the Superior Court on the case of Deacon Benja. Sawyer, and in another County if it can be obtained." But moderation prevailed : it was voted "to dismiss the claws," and - perhaps with no reflection on their efficiency - " also the agents."

In March, 1769, Samuel Holten, Jr., and William Shillaber were appointed agents " to answer at the next Court of General Sessions of the Peace for the County of Essex to a presentment carryed into said Court against sd Town of Danvers."

Two years later the two men just named and Gideon Putnam, Jona. Buxton, Benj. Porter, William Putnam and Robert Shillaber were chosen " to take legal advice respecting Mess. Aaron and Enoch Putnam with regard to their taking timber which the town provided to repair the bridge over Water's River and to prosecute them in their discretion." They did prosecute, with what disastrous result the following document shows :

"Then received of Mr. Gideon Putnam and Samuel Holten, Jun'r. (two of the Select-men of Danvers), the sum of Two H\indredand Fiftyeight pounds fourteen shillings and two pence Lawfull money in full of a judgment of the Superior Court & costs in favour of Mr. Aaron Putnam and Enoch Putnam (two of the Surveyors of Highways in the Town of Dauvers for the present year), against the Inhabitants of the said Town of Danvers.

For some time after this law-suits were at a discount. When next the town was sued, by Archelaus Dale, in 1781, he seems to have been satisfied by a conference committee, and when, in 1783, the inhabitants were asked what they would do respecting an action commenced against them by Major Caleb Low, they voted to pay the cost of the action upon his withdrawing it.

Commencing in 1784 and extending over a period of two years there was a long and obstinate series of encounters at law and otherwise between the town and Daniel Prince, on account of taxes collected by him. Concerning the merits of the case it is difficult now to understand. Prince was committed to Salem gaol, where the town clerk was sent to desire him to send proposals as to his release, but " no proposals were sent by Mr. Daniel Prince in writing." His real estate was taken on execution and agents were appointed to bid oft' the same i'orthe use of the town. In 1814 the town was indicted for not being sufficiently provided with powder. Several indictments for not conforming to the school laws have been mentioned in connection with the schools.

" The inhabitants of the town of Danvers " have been parties to a number of cases which have gone to the Supreme Court upon points of law. The first, reported, 10 Mass., 514, was on a question of taxing the Iron Foundry Company. In 6 Pickering, 20, there was a question between the town and the county commissioners on a highway matter; in the same volume the case of Joseph (3sborne against the town to recover money paid for taxes is reported. A question of a pauper's settlement which arose between Danvers and Boston was decided in 10 Pickering, ."ilS. Another case in which the town and the county commissioners were parties arose on the laying out of a new highway from Haverhill to Salem, through Boxford, Topsfield and Danvers, 2 Metcalf, 185. A case in which John Page was plaintiff, 7 Metcalf, 326, on a question of damages from the laying out of a road over his land, involved the validity of the action of a Topsfield town meeting in selecting a jury-list. In 1860 Gilbert Tapley was sued by School District, No. 6, for "taking and carrying away a school- house," a case in which the real defendant was the new district. No. 7 - 1 Allen, 49. The injunction to restrain the payment of fifty thousand dollars, voted for bounty, reported 8 Allen, 80, is spoken of in the war history ; as the case of Gustin vs. School District No. 5, is spoken of in the School History. Putnam vs. Langley ef. al., involving a disputed election, has been referred to in connection with the water department.

Burying Grounds. - When Salem filled the North River basin in the summer of 1885, gravel was taken from West Danvers (West Peabody) and on the farm which was owned in witchcraft times by the widow of Joseph Pope, neighbor of old Giles Corey and of the Flints, the steam shovel unearthed some ancient graves, and before the work went on, the remains were carefully removed to a new resting-place. It was one of the many family or neighborhood burying-grounds which are to be seen here and there all over the town, the time-worn head-stones relieved now and then by a fresh marble, signifying that one of the later generation had gone to sleep with the fathers. Over on the old " Boston path " is a lot in which the Popes buried their dead from the earliest times. Here lies Caleb Cakes, his wife, Mehitable Pope, and their son, William, the di.stiuguished botanist; Sarah, "relict of Nathaniel Pope & daughter of the Rev. Peter Clarke, who was more than 50 years the worthy minister of this Parish," 1802, and many others, - the

On the summit of Hog Hill, well worthy of the modern name of INIount Pleasant, the Proctors and Needhams, families from the first occupying the heights, have a private ground. A short distance back of Governor Endicott's old residenee, plainly to be seen from the passing train, in a quiet, secluded spot, rest the remains of many of the great pioneer's early and late descendants.

Of the larger, more public burial-grounds, that on Summer Street, known as the Wadsworth Cemetery, is the oldest. It was an ancient burial-place, originally set apart by the Putnam family and purchased by Rev. Dr. Wadsworth of Jonathan Perry, and by him conveyed to the First Parish, to whom it still belongs. The most interesting stone here is that of Elizabeth, wife of Rev. Samuel Parris, the " witch minister," who died July 14, 169»). Judge Holten is buried in the old ground on Holten Street, near his home, as are many others who were honored in their day and generation. The High Street Buryinggrouud, at the Plains, contains stones a hundred years old or more, many of which are of prominent citizens of New Mills in the earlier part of the century, the Pages, Captain Benjamin Porter, Deacon Benjamin Kent and many others.

These old grounds are now seldom used. By the foresight of certain men whose name-s, hereafter appearing, are worthy of all honor, a large tract of land, originally twelve acres, and subsequently much increased, was purchased of Judge Samuel Putnam, and laid out as Walnut Grove Cemetery. This tract, extending from Sylvan to Ash Streets, embracing the valley of the two brooks which by their union make Crane River, and the sloping hills on either side, well wooded with walnut, beech and other trees, is of rare natural beauty, and is prized inestimably by the town. The movement for a new cemetery was initiated at a meeting held May 5, 1S43, at the Plains school-house. Captain Eben Putnam was chosen chairman ; Henry Fowler, secretary. Another meeting was held October 17th, Elias Putnam, chairman. A committee reported a form of organization with by-laws, and recommended the names of fifteen men as trustees: Elias Putnam, Gilbert Tapley, Moses Black, Joshua Silvester, Henry Fowler, Nathaniel Boardman, Thomas Cheever, Eben G. Berry, William J. C. Kenney, Daniel Richards, Nathan Tapley, Samuel P. Fowler, A. A. Edgerton, John Bates and Samuel Preston. The first regular officers were chosen at a meeting held the next day at Joshua Silvester's shoe factory, and Elias Putnam was elected president; Henry Fowler, clerk; Joshua Silvester, treasurer. Samuel P. Fowler was chairman of this meeting. He is now both president and treasurer, and his brother, Henry, has been the clerk from the beginning.

I. Hymn, written for the occasion by Andrew Nichols, M.D. II. [ntroductory Prayer by Rev. S C. Bulkley. III. Hymn, written for the occasion by Rev. James Flint, D.U. IV. Address by Rev. John Brazer, D.D. V. Hymn, wiitten for the occasion by G. Forrester Barstow, MD. VI. Concluding Prayer by Rev. J. W. Eaton. VII. Parting Hymn. VIII. Benediction by Rev. T. F. Field.

The services were held in the grove, and were attended by not less than two thousand persons. The -ddress of Dr. Frazer was said to have been a very appropriate and beautiful discourse, and that it made a deep impression on the many hearers. It remained unpublished for nearly forty years, when, through the efforts of Dr. A. P. Putnam, the original manuscript was traced to the possession of Mrs. Annie W. Ellis, of Dorchester, who kindly furnished him a copy, which was published in full in the Dancers Mirror, December 31, 1881.

Up to quite recent times the town so far cared for the burial of its deceased citizens as to own and provide hearses. They are first mentioned in 1818, when this action was taken :

" Voted : to choose a committee of five persons to consider on the clause I especting procuring herses to make an estimate of the cost of one or more and to make report at the adjournment.

In 1842 Moses Black and thirty-five others petitioned "for a Hearse and Hearse-house near the Burying Ground ou the Plains, near the house ol .Joseph Danforth " The petition was referred to the selectmen, with instructions to cause the things prayed for " to be placed in such a location as will best accommodate those who have occasion to use them."

In 1854similar accommodations were asked for, to be located near Mr, Braman's church. A house was there erected, and remained until 1871, when the selectmen were instructed to sell it. In the appraisal, at the division of the town, these items were charged to North Danvers : house at cemetery, 10 by 15, $45 ; house at Braman's 12 by 18, $120; two hearses, new, $440 ; one old, $20.

The Anti-Slavery Movement. - A few slaves were owned in Danvers before slavery was abolished in the State. At the time of separation from Salem there were twenty- five such chattels, sixteen of whom were women. A number of documents such as the following have been preserved :

" Danvers, April 19th, 1766. "Rec'd of Mr. Jeremiah Page Fifty Eight pound thirteen shillings and four pence lawful money and a negro woman called Dinah which is in full for a Negro girl called Combo and a Negro girl called Gate and a Negro child called Deliverance or Dill which I now Sell and Deliver to ye said Jeremiah Page.

A story has been told that Cudjo, owned by a neighbor of General Israel Putnam, was of fierce and revengeful temper, and having suffered some real or fancied injury at the hands of his mistress, threatened her life. To get rid of him his master sent him on a play-day trip to deliver a load of potatoes on some vessel at Salem. He took his fiddle and played to the sailors, went below to " rosin his bow," and when he reached deck again was far out at sea, consigned to the same southern market as his potatoes.

During the struggle on the admission of Missouri, Danvers addressed to Nathaniel Sillsbee, representative of the district in Congress, a very forcible letter on the subject of slavery, signed by Edward Southwick, William Sutton, Thomas Putnam, Andrew- Nichols and John W. Proctor, committee.

The history of Abolitionism is, to a great extent, the biography of William Lloyd Garrison, a native of this county of Essex. For some ten years after the conflict over the admission of Missouri, a sort of lethargy prevailed over the country in regard to slavery. On the 4th of July, 1829, Garrison, then not quite twenty-five, delivered an address which excited much attention from its bold and vigorous assault on the peculiar institution of the South. That fall, as joint editor of the Genius of Universal Emancipation with Quaker Benjamin Lundy, of Baltimore, he issued over his initials his distinct avowal of the doctrine of immediate emancipation. He at the same time attacked the colonization societies, and was soon thrown into jail, convicted of libel for characterizing as " domestic piracy " the transportation of a cargo of slaves from Baltimore to Louisiana in a ship owned in Newburyport. Coming North, he lectured in the principal cities, finding all halls in Boston closed against him save that offered by a society of infidels. But to his mind Boston was the best centre from which to arouse the public sentiment of the North to a revolution in favor of emancipation. He issued the first number of the Liberator on the first day of the year 183L " I am in earnest ; I will not equivocate ; I will not excuse ; I will not retreat a single inch, and I will be heard." He was heard. In December the Georgia Legislature offered five thousand dollars for his arrest and conviction under the laws of that State. January 1, 1832, he and eleven others organized the New England (afterward Massachusetts) Anti-Slavery Society, the first based on the principle of immediate emancipation. He continued to be heard to such effect that in October, 1835, to save his life from a mob Avho were dragging him through the streets of Boston, the mayor jailed him as a disturber of the peace. On the other hand, his burning words kindled here and there sympathetic hearts, and probably there were few earlier and certainly no more ardent and enthusiastic supporters of Garrison and his doctrines than a number of young men of Danvers, chiefly residents of New Mills, and the leading spirits of these young men -

James D. Black, Joseph Merrill, Jesse P. Harriman, William Endicott, Richard Hood, John Hood and John Cutler - came to be called " the Seven Stars."

Of these, Black and Harriman are the only survivors at the time of this writing. Mr. Black, now of Harvard, Mass., was a member of that family of Moses Black, already spoken of as having filled prominent and honorable parts in our town life. When not more than twenty years old he took an advanced position in favor of immediate and unconditional emancipation as the only adequate remedy for the evil of slavery. The occasion was at a meeting of a Lyceum, the first established at New Mills, in 1833, and he made such an impression that he was invited to deliver a fuller address on the same subject on the 4th of July of that year, in the Baptist Church. With the exception of a lecture by the distinguished Oliver Johnson in Mr. Braman's church sometime in 1832, the words of this young man, uttered in the face of such circumstances as only the courage of strong convictions would have led him to oppose, seem to have been the first public utterance of such radical and unpopular views in Danvers. To the position thus early taken he remained constant, foremost with his tongue and pen in the hot times which were to follow. Others, who were quick to ally themselves with the Abolitionists, were Hathorne Porter, Alfred R. Porter, William Francis, Dr. Eben Hunt, Rev. S. Brimblecom, Job Tyler, Hercules Jocelyn and a number of ladies. The cause grew by continual agitation. Local societies were formed, the Liberator and Herald of Freedom went into the shops and the homes. Eloquent and dauntless speakers spoke wherever they could get a hearing, and the seed thoughts grew by earnest talks over the anvil and cobble-stone or by the formal debate of the Lyceum. Among the earlier orators at New Mills was the Rev. C. P. Grosvenor of Salem, in whose parlor was organized the Essex County Anti-Slavery Society. George Thompson, of England, spoke in the Baptist Church in 1835, after a fruitless attempt had been made to procure a church or hall in Salem. The earliest organized society in Danvers was among the women, chiefly of the South Parish, in 1837. Very soon the men at the North Parish, chiefly of JNew Mills, formed the Danvers Anti-Slavery Society, and this society celebrated the 4th of July, 1838. Alfred Porter wrote a hymn for the occasion ; Rev. S. Brimblecom was the orator. A " Young Men's " Society was organized in August following, at the Universalist Church. Joseph Merrill, Thomas Bowen and John R. Langley drafted the constitution. Rev. Samuel Brimblecom was the first president.

The meetings were commonly held in the brick school-house, or in the engine-house at New Mills. Dr. Putnam, who has devoted much attention to gathering up the details of this chapter of local history, has well said, of the records of these early meetings, that they " all attest how these younger citizens of the town were in the habit of debating and forming opinions in relation to matters of great public interest. Their organization opened to them a school of no little importance, where they learned many valuable lessons, and became fully imbued with the sentiments and principles of Liberty. So it was that the New Mills became in due time a well-known centre of Abolitionism. Thence the influence spread through the town and beyond its limits." Early in 1839 a change was made in the name : " This society shall be called the North Danvers Anti-Slavery Society and shall be auxilliary to the Massachusetts State Society." These are the names of the members at this time: William Etidioott, Thomas Bowen, Joseph Merrill, William Alley, J. R. Langley, Samuel Brimblecom, Jonathan Richardson, J. F. Mclntire, M. Black, Jr., Elias Savage, J. D. Andrews, J. M. Usher, C. P. Page, Plercules Jocelyn, J. D. Black, John Hines, Hawthorne Porter, Richard Hood, Jesse P. Harriman, Wm. Francis, Oliver O. Waitt, James Keliey, Archibald P. Black, John Hood, John Cutler, Winthrop Andrews, George Kate, Eben Hunt, Joseph W. Legro, Benjamin Potter, I. K. Mclntire, Job Tyler, Daniel Woodbury, Henry A. Potter, Josiah Ross, A. R. Porter (withdrew), Edward Stimpson, Jonathan Eveleth, Charles Benjamin, S. P. Fowler, O. O. Brown, A. A. Leavitt, William Needham, E. G. Little, J. R. Patten, Ira H. Clough, Abner Mead and Joseph Porter.

Of these men and others, if any, like them, N. P. Rogers at a later time wrote in his Ht; raid of Freedom, "The people of New Mills are mostly working people, and therefore favorable material for the abolition movement. They embrace it readily and it has done everything for them in the way of mental imj)rovement and moral strength. Young men bred to labor and unbred to learning have risen tip by intimacy with the Anti-Slavery enterprise to an astonishing degree of mental power and eloquence." From time to time delegates were sent to the State Society, often traveling in the only way they could attbrd, on foot. On Thanksgiving Day, 1839, the name was again changed to the Danvers New Mills Society. It was the custom of the members to express their feelings in resolutions, a long series of which, more or less spirited, have been preserved. A sanqjle, selected for its brevity, is this :

"Resolved, that it is iucousistent and uubecoming in us as Abolitiouists to celebrate the Fourth of July as the Birthday of a free country while nearly three millions of our countrymen are lield in most abject slavery."

In a hasty review it is necessary to take long strides. It was not for some ten years after Garrison began his crusade that the excitement of the times reached its extreme in Danvers, in the collision with the churches. In the meantime, the young men here more than kept pace with the forward movement of the Abolitionists. They talked, wrote, agitated. The files of abolition papers abound in letters from Endicott, J. D. Black, the two Hoods, Harriman and others, sharp and caustic, abounding in flings at the chtirches, enlivened now and then by a controversy with some minister. Garrison himself came, February 16, 1841. Of the meeting he wrote in the Liberator :

" It was our privilege to lecture in Danvers, New Mills, on Sabbath evening last, to a densely crowded audience in the Universalist Meeting House - a house to the praise of its proprietors be it told - that has never been shut against the advocacy of the anti-slavery cause, not even in the troublous times of mobocracy in the Commonwealth."

Other speakers, especially Foster and Pillsbury, showed no such courtesy to the churches, and, indeed, abotit this time the trouble, which had long been brewing, culminated. The old First Church, Dr, Braman's, did not escape condemnation, but was outside the storm-line. On the Universalist and Baptist churches the storm broke. At first both of these churches opened their houses freely to the anti-slavery meetings, but the speakers so often immediately turned to the open and violent denunciation of the churches themselves, that considerations of self-respect and self protection forced themselves upon the churches. After sundry experiences of this kind the committee having charge of the Universalist Church called a meeting of the Society for instructions, and a committee was appointed to consider and report upon whether the further use of the church should be air lowed. Through the chairman, Elias Putnam, this committee reviewed the state of things and concluded : '' We think this Society should purstie a liberal policy in granting the use of their house for moral and religious purposes, but to say that we should give up the house to every one who would please to occupy it, would be in effect to surrender our claim to the house and would leave the Society without the use of the house for any specific purpose," and a resolve was rer commended and adopted, allowing the use of the church " on all suitable occasions for the promotion of religion and morality, and that the committee should refuse the house when they have reason to believe that it will not be used for the promotion of these objects." This majority report was accepted, and in a few instances the standing committee refused applications for the church. The sentiments of the more radical reformers were expressed in a minority report by Dr. Hunt. Upon premises of the great liberality of Universalism, and the doctrine it has always taught that truth has nothing to fear in conflict with error, he said that " any action of the Society in closing their meeting-house against the discussion of any question deemed by any one of sufficient importance to gain the attention of the ptiblic, and not incompatible with sound morality, would be a gross departure from those principles by which we as a denomination professed to be governed, anti -Republican an (J anti-Christian."

About the middle of June, 1841, the anti-slavery society passed a resolve " that it is the duty of the Baptist and. Universalist Societies to open their meet- ing-houses for the sacred purpose of pleading the cause of our brethren and sisters in bonds on all proper occasions free of expense to the Anti-Slavery Society as such," and talk began to be common about the duty of anti-slavery Christians to withdraw from or come out of the churches to which they belonged. Richard Hood had asked for and received letters of dismissal and recommendation from the Baptist Church to a church of the same denomination in Wenham, but a private letter prevented his admission to the Wenham Church. Mr. Hood turned upon the home church in vigorous rebuke for its unfaithfulness to the slave, and quoting the text, " Come out from among them and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing and I will receive you," asked that his name be erased from the church record. Mr. Hood was only one of many who, by similar action, received and were doubtless proud of the name of " Come-outers." At a special meeting of the Anti-Slavery Society August 19, 1841, it was " Resolved that nothing should be allowed to hinder the progress of Abolitionists in their work of deliverance to the slave. If they find themselves attached to a pro-slavery political party or a pro-slavery religious church they should come out from them immediately or we cannot consider them in any other light than loving party and sect more than they love the slave." A week later, Parker Pillsbury in the chair, the church was characterized as " the stronghold of slavery." No wonder that feeling between man and man at New Mills was wrought to a very high pitch. No wonder that conservatives retaliated by calling the disturbers fanatics, " Gab-olitionists," "Longheels," "the school-house gang" and other epithets even less expressive of endearment. So matters went through the following winter and spring, and if interest had in any respect flagged, a two days' convention of the Essex County Anti-Slavery Society, held at New Mills in the latter part of June, 1842, rekindled the fires to fiercer flames. Wendell Phillips was there, and Rogers, Foster, Pillsbury, Thomas P. Beach and others from abroad. There was no lack of material for rousing meetings. The third Sunday after the convention Rev. Mr. Mansfield, a Baptist "supply," had closed the long prayer, and was proceeding with the service when a man, who was recognized as Beach, one of the convention speakers, ro-se from his place in the congregation and began an anti-slavery appeal. He was temporarily choked off by a hymn, but when the music ceased he was at it again. Major Black and Captain Caldwell with righteous indignation descended upon the intruder and dragged him out of the house. Beach was accustomed to this sort of thing, was non-resistant, limp as a wet rag, and while the guardians of the churches were struggling to carry his dead weight, he quoted to them texts, " Love your enemies," " If a man smite thee, etc." Worship was broken off. The congregation, or most of them, were thoroughly mad.

The minister called for a sheriff, and certain ones jumped out of a window to run to the Universalist Church for an officer. Something was said about ducking Beach in the horse-trough near by, but the plug was pulled out and no such attempt was made. Service was resumed, but in came Beach at a side door and again interrupted : " Come down from the pulpit, and not stand there like a whited sepulchre." In his OM'n subsequent account, "the committee-man took a vote of the meeting and they decided I should not stay in the house. Whereupon they rushed upon me like tigers and landed me in the street." After church an officer went to arrest Beach at the house of Jesse P. Harriman. Beach assumed his putty state. The officer was unable to handle his weight alone, and commanded his host to keep him. Harriman, an ardent come-outer, refused in the name of God. Dr. Hunt was commanded to assist, and in terse English gruffly declined to obey. Somehow, with the help of prominent Universalists, Beach was put into Salem jail, but back he was at a meeting in the Universalist Church at five o'clock, speaking to a large audience, at which, he wrote, " the Spirit of God was present, and several were convinced of the truth and openly confessed Christ by identifying themselves with the despised and hated Abolitionists." Dr. Hunt was fined a hundred dollars for refusing to assist the officer, and Harriman went to jail for the same offence. Later William Black renewed the complaint, which had been withdrawn, against Beach and united with the Quakers of Lynn in keeping him for some time in the jail at Newburyport, to the freely expressed indignation of his friends.

In September, 1842, Richard Hood was another guest from Danvers in Salem jail. His offence was attempting to speak on anti-slavery at a Friday evening prayer-meeting in Amesbury, against the orders of the minister to desist.

It was through such times as these that the people finally emerged to a calmer consideration of the great principles which soon organized the advocates of universal freedom into a great political party. The New Mills Society disbanded about 1844. Much bitterness and personal feeling could not fail of being engendered by the events of which only the merest outline has been given, but these men were but the skirmishers preceding the awful, inevitable conflict, in which differences were merged in loyalty, and Liberty, unthroned, was re-crowned with the blood of heroes.

Out of this agitation came the beginnings of a great political party, the principle of which was opposition to slavery. These beginnings were vrry small and the men who first stepped out of the old parties braved not a little unpopularity and opprobrium. The names of some forty Danvers men who voted with the "Liberty Party " in 1840, the first year of its existence, have been recalled. They are Frederick Howe, Jesse Putnam, J. A. Learoyd, Jonathan Perry,

Peter Cross, Elias Savage, Peter Wait, Samuel Wait, Samuel Harris, Jr., "Warren Sheldon, Elijah Hutchinson, Otis Mudge, Kimball Hutchinson, Nathan Tapley, Allen Knight, Henry Dwineil, Joseph Danforth, Eben Hunt, Winthrop Andrews, Joseph Verry, Jr., Benjamin Hutchinson, Charles Page, Samuel Brown, Edward Waldron, Amos Brown, Abel Nichols. 01 these, Dr. Hunt was perhaps the most active. From interesting reminiscences furnished the writer by James D. Black these extracts are made: "The Free Soil party was not organized until some years subsequent to the earlier struggles of the Abolitionists. We used to vote at the State elections scattering votes for Garrison for Governor, &c. At that time a majority of votes were required to elect, and our scattering votes counted against the regular tickets and made politicians mad, and many times as I approached the ballot-box the epithet, " Long- heel " would be hurled at me. After the Free-Soil party got a foothold the dominant party, the Whigs, were [)ut to their wits ends to retain control of elections."

It was the campaign of 1848, which consolidated the anti-slavery elements. Throughout the summer and fall of that year politics waxed hot. On the 4th of July a social gathering of the Friends of Liberty in Essex County was held in a beautiful grove in the northern part of the town. The convention was attended by from fifteen to twenty thousand persons during the day. Addresses were made by Rev. W. B. Dodge, of Illinois, by clergymen from Salem, Lynn and Boston, Dr. Hunt and Dr. Nichols representing home talent. The Kimball family, of Woburn, sang a number of liberty songs, and a glee club and choir of singers from North Danvers, " by their sweet music added greatly to the enjoyment of the people." Letters were read from Hon. S. C. Phillips and the Hon. D. P. King, breathing the spirit of liberty, and Dr. Nichols' muse was inspired by the occasion.

The voters in District No. 13 who were dissatisfied with the nominations of both the Whig and the Democratic Parties, and were in sympathy with the Convention of Freemen held at Buffalo in August, 1848, at which the Free-Soil Party had its birth, immediately held weekly meetiogs for free and candid discussion of the candidates and principles of that convention. Early in September they formed a Free- Soil Club, and upwards of eighty out of the hundred and fifty voters of the district signed a with this Preamble : 'We, the undersigned, beholding with feelings of deep regret, the disposition of the slave power of this Union, to subvert the spirit of our Government by extending American Slavery over territory now free, and the determination to control the policy and interests of our country, and seeing, as we have seen, that spirit of truckling to the slave power, on the part of the two great parties of our country - the Whigs and the Democratic - as shown by their past acts, but more recently and more clearly in their chosen leaders, we feel called upon as Patriots, as lovers of Freedom, if we would be true to our own interests and the interest of our nation to renounce both these parties ; and

" Whereas, We behold in the Buffalo Platform, principles to which every friend of free institutions should subscribe, and candidates worthy our support, we do therefore endorse these principles, and that we may act with greater efficiency in the election of the candidates do form ourselves into an organization to be called the Free-Soil Club, and to be governed by the following constitution."

Under the articles which follow, these officers of the club were chosen : President, Elias Putnam ; Vice-Presidents, Nathan Tapley, John Hood, Augustus Mudge, I. W. Andrews ; Corresponding Secretary, Daniel Foster ; Recording Secretary, Jeremiah Chapman ; Executive Committee, William Dodge, John R. Langley, Allen Knight, Otis Mudge and William J. C. Kenney.

Who managed the caucuses forty years ago ? was a question put to Mr. Black. " I can't tell," he writes, " who ran the Whig and Democratic caucuses. The Free-Soil caucuses had such young men as John A. Putnam, J. R. Langley, Alfred Fellows, Winthrop and I. W. Andrews, Ira Clough, E. F. Putnam, Richard and John Hood, E, T. Waldron and the writer." A clipping from a newspaper of the day gives some hint of the prominent Whigs :

Notice

" The Whigs of Uanvers are requested to meet in Union Hall on Monday Evening, August 28th, at ^l^ o'clock, for the purpose of forming a Taylor Club, and to adopt siich other measures as may be necessary for the thorough organization of the party for the coming election ; and to choose six delegates to the Whig Convention at Worcester, Sept. 13.

At this meeting A. A. Edgerton was chosen secretary ; George W. French and Joel Putnam, delegates from the north parish ; town committee from No. 2, H. Fowler, William Endicott; No. 3, LP. Boardman, Joseph S. Black ; No. 4, Albert Bradstreet, Charles P. Preston; No. 6, Nathaniel Pope, Edwin Mudge ; No. 6, Aaron C. Proctor, Jesse Tapley ; No. 13, N. Silvester, Dr. Osgood ; No. 14, G. W. French, Augustus Tapley. The vote of Danvers at the election of 1848 resulted, 560 for Taylor, 503 for Van Buren, 146 for Cass.

With the formation of the Republican party Danvers promptly wheeled into line. Out of a total vote of 1382 cast in 1856, 1076 were for electors representing the candidates of that party. In 1860 John G. Whittier, elector for this district, received 564 out of 769 votes ; in 1864 Mr. Whittier received 592 votes to 125 for S. Endicott Peabody, of Salem. Subsequent presidential elections have resulted as follows :

Greenback party held its first caucus in Danvers in the fall of 1878, when a local committee and delegates to conventions were elected. The party grew with surprising rapidity, enlisting great numbers of active and earnest young men, who developed great skill in political organization, and succeeded in controlling the Legislative elections in 1879, '82 and '83. See lists of Representatives. This party lost much of its cohesive strength after the disappearance of General Butler from politics, and a number of the leaders openly returned to the Republican fold this past spring, 1887.

Railroads. - One day in the summer of 1847 two men might have been seen on the summit of the hill which is now crowned by the asylum, eagerly scanning the winding valleys to the south and to the north. Presently they went on, and climbing one of the high hills of Andover followed again the course of the lowland to the great mills in the new manufacturing town on the Merrimac. These two men, Elias Putnam and Joshua Silvester, always progressive, were full of the new idea of steam and iron, which had already begun to revolutionize travel. Following closely the old stage route from Boston, east, were laid the rails of the Eastern Railroad. These men on the hill-tops saw in the valleys the course of an iron highway, which uniting Lawrence to the main line at Salem, would " bring the railroad to Danvers."

And soon it came, but not while Mr. Putnam lived. Cutting through the high ridge south of Water's River, it crossed the stream almost at the little cove, where Governor Endicott is said to have landed from his shallop ; passed within a gun-shot of the ancient pear-tree which the Governor planted ; bridged the river down which was brought, in a little shop, the genesis of Danversport ; entered Parson Skel ton's grant close by the old home of the Revolutionary Colonel Hutchinson ; pushed on across the old Ipswich road through Porter's Plains ; beyond Beaver Dam, almost under the windows of that little room where "Old Put" was born, and so on northward. But the railroad did not come all at once. It seems to have halted on the way. This letter which appeared June 9, 1848, signed "North Danvers," is a sample of other communications :

" Why cannot the inhabitants of North Danvers be accommodated with two or three trains on the Essex Railroad per day V The rails are laid and seem to be in good condition to run upon. The engine and cars now have to remain at South Danvers doing notliing - vv'aiting for time. Cars liave been running to accommodate South Danvers for a year and a half while we have waited patiently until now. The people of this part of Danvers labored and toiled, and did what they could to have this road built. The time has been designated repeatedly by one or more of the directors when we should have this accommodation, but thus far we have not seen it."

On the 1st day of July, 1848, the road was formally declared open to North Delivers. Therf^ were on the first time-table three trains a day, each way, to and from Salem, On the Fourth of July three thousand persons passed over the road. Before the end of the summer trains were running to Andover. On the 4th of September the whole line was opened and a train of eight cars filled with stockholders and guests took a trial-trip to Lawrence. It has been recorded that during the parsage up a canvass was taken for presidential preferences. While General Taylor was the choice of 401, Van Buren 62, and Cass 41, the inference is somewhat amusing from the fact that on the return-trip, after a first-rate dinner, the number of Taylor's adherents was reduced by 51, while those of his rivals were increased.

The first station-agent at the Plains was Samuel W. Spaulding. He came here, a young man, from Merrimac, N. H., and worked for John Grout, coaching between Danvers and Salem. Spaulding bought out Grout, and was running the line himself when appointed on the railroad. Not being willing to relinquish the coaching business, he soon gave up the other. About twenty years ago Parker Webber took a half interest in the coach-line, and a few years later Spaulding sold out his interest to Webber, who carried on the business until the latest competitor for public travel - the horse-car - made this business unprofitable. In November, 1878, Benjamin Henderson resigned the position of station-agent, which he had then held twenty-eight years and more. He is still living, approaching his ninetieth year; he was chorister of the First Church, and a famous singer in days gone by.

Danvers has long been provided with double railroad facilities to Boston. Both lines are, by the recent consolidation of the Eastern with the Boston and Maine, under the control of the latter company, and the "know-nothing" has become an important junction. Instead of the " Eastern " and the " Maine," it is now " the eastern division " and " the western division." The latter was originally built and incorporated in several pieces : Haverhill to Georgetown, Newburyport to Georgetown, Georgetown to Danvers, Danvers to Wakefield, and the main line of the present western division of the Boston and Maine. Travel was opened through Danvers in 1854, and by successive changes and consolidations the entire branch became the property of the Boston and Maine.

In 1841 the subject of town clocks was brought before the town. Petitions for clocks, one at South Parish, and one on the Baptist Church at New Mills, met with indefinite postponement.

About ten years later a subscription paper, which had its origin in the grocery-store of Gould and Emerson, dated December 24, 1852, was circulated to raise money " for the purjDose of defraying the expense of placing a clock upon the meeting-house (Rev. Mr. Fletcher's), at the plains." These items of expense are summarized on the original paper :

The town-clock thus established was soon transferred to the Maple Street Society, and has ever since been maintained by the society. Once only, 1861, a petition was introduced for the town to keep the clock in repair, but the subject was indefinitely postponed.

The " gold-fever " of '48-49 struck Essex County and did not leave Danvers untouched. The local papers devoted much space to the subject, and many heads were filled with dreams of sudden wealth. " At present," so run a sample letter, credited to the Alcalde of Monterey and copied into the Danvers Courier, "the people are running over the country and picking gold out of the earth here and there, just as a thousand hogs, let loose in the forrest, root up ground-nuts." An item of January 13, 1849, speaks of several young men of this town who will leave for San Francisco in a day or two. About the same time twenty-one members of the Naumkeag Mining and Trading Company embarked in the ship " Capitol," for San Francisco, among them two Danvers men, George K. Radcliife and Franklin Ward. Early in March following, some thirty men from Salem and vicinity, comprising the "Essex Mining and Trading Company," left Boston for Corpus Christi on the schooner "John W. Herbert." Of this number was Mr. Henry Fowler, whose reminiscences are of experiences far at variance from those depicted by that alluring old Alcalde.

Tax Of Over

The Centennial. - With the year 1852 a round century had passed since the farmers of Salem Village and the settlers of the Middle Precinct separated from Salem and began their corporate existence as the district of Danvers. Early in the previous fall those spirits who never allow such anniversaries to pass unforgotten were on the alert. At a town-meeting held in Granite Hall, September 22, 1851, a committee of nineteen, - five at large and one from each school district, - were chosen with full authority, to make such arrangements and adopt such measures as in their judgment should seem most appropriate to

At Large From The School Districts

The day chosen for the celebration was Wednesday, June 16th. The scene of the festivities was the Middle Precinct, South Parish, through whose streets a procession a mile and a half long moved amid a very large and enthusiastic throng and beneath a very warm sun. The committee had half a thousand dollars at their disposal, and this, together with private enterprise in the way of decorations, gave the town a gala-like appearance. There are plenty of men still in their prime who were in that procession ; but it was thirty-five years ago; anew generation has sprung up since then and the fathers will pardon a smile as their children read of the pride and pomp of that day. It was the day of days for the engine companies. The choicest young manhood of Danvers tugged at the ropes of their polished machines. Coming at the very head of the line, after the escorting military was General Scott, No. 2, of Tapley ville - ah, Fame, where is the old tub now? - drawn by Captain Calvin Upton's forty-eight men, dressed in fire hats, plaided sacks and black pants. Next the Torrent, and next General Putnam No. 4, of Danvers Plains, Captain Albert G. Allen, with forty men, likewise in plaided frocks and black pants, and carrying a banner on which was emblazoned " General Putnam - I never surrender." This engine also appeared well, says the record. Of course it did; it appeared well on that little occasion already referred to, when Captain Kenney took it over to pump out Wenhani pond, and that occasion to this was but a candle to a comet.

After the "Eagle" came the "Ocean," No. 6, of Danversport, Captain Welch, whose thirty-five men, clad in white shirts, black pants and Kossuth hats, were assisted by a pair of roan horses. Seven companies in all there were, nearly four hundred strong.

Then came the civic division headed by Chief Marshall, Dr. S. A. Lord and his assistants. In a long line of open barouches the people saw alive Governor and many distinguished guests. Then came old School Master Epps and other representatives of his time. A " Blind Hole Shoe Shop of 1789," and an ancient up-in-the-lane pottery were both in active operation.

Edward W. Jacobs, Augustus Varney, Alden Dernpsey, James P. Hutchinson, Dr. J. W. Snow, George Tapley, Albert J. Silvester, Loring Dempsey, Abner Mead and Gilbert A. Tapley. Fifteen hundred pupils presented a most beautiful feature of the occasion, but no adequate description - the record again - can be given of the ingenious and admirable designs they displayed. The Peabody High School came first, then the Holten High School, followed by the schools from the different districts.

The last division of the procession was a cavalcade of three hundred horsemen. After great exertions on the part of the chief-marshal and his assistants the streets were so far cleared of the multitude of people and vehicles that the procession was put in motion. Moving down Main Street it countermarched at the Salem line, near the Great Tree," but, alas, the streets then spanned with arches and gay with banners and bunting are not now Danvers streets. At noon the line reached the Square again. The schools moved up Lowell Street to a large tent provided for them, and the rest of the procession entered the Old South, in which the following exercises had been appointed.

ago, ''Faithfully translated into JEnglish Stletrc; for the Use, Edification and Comfort of the Saints in Publick and Private, especially in New England." Psalm Ixvii. To the Musician, Neginoth. A Psalm of Song.

On account of the heat Mr. Proctor's address was abridged, and Dr. Nichols' poem was entirely omitted. At a full town-meeting held shortly after, however, the Doctor was cordially invited to read his poem on an occasion to be specially appointed, and such an arrangement was carried out.

Dinner was served after the exercises at the church in a large canvas pavilion erected near Buxton's hill on the Crowninshield estate. After the feast the Chief Marshal introduced as President of the Day, Rev. Milton P. Braman, and after the Doctor's own remarks there was enough talking, both from men prominent in local affairs and from others of wider renown, tu last perhaps another hundred years. The Commonwealth was represented by its Governor, George S. Boutwell, and its Secretary, Amasa Walker. Salem, the mother-town, sent her mayor, Charles W. Upham, afterwards author of " Salem Witchcraft ;" Daniel A. White, Judge of Probate for Essex County;

William D. Northend, Esq., who begun his practice in South Danvers; and another young lawyer who to-day sits in the Cabinet as Secretary of War, William C. Endicott. The historian of New England, John G. Palfrey; the annalist of Salem, Rev. J. B. Felt, at this time of Boston; Rev. Messrs. Thayer, of Beverly ; Stone, of Providence ; Sewall, of Medfield ; and Putnam, of Middleboro'; Allen Putnam, of Roxbury ; Lilley Eaton, of South Reading ; John Webster, of Newmarket, N. H.; and George G. Smith, of Boston, were nearly all present and delivered the contributions which are credited to them. Alfred A. Abbott, Esq., P. R. Southwick, R. S. Daniels, S. P. Fowler, J. W. Proctor, Rev. F. P. Appleton and Dr. Hunt were called upon as representative citizens of the town. Letters were received from the Hon. Robert C. Wiuthrop, Rufus Choate, Robert Rantoul, Jr., Daniel Webster, Edward Everett, Jared Sparks and others.

In the meantime the school children were enjoying themselves at a feast of their own, prepared by a committee on which William L. Weston and Henry Fowler represented the northern districts. William R. Putnam, of the school committee, presided, and to his own remarks and those of the toastmaster, Augustus Mudge, were added addresses from Charles Northend, then recently elected superintendent of schools, and John D. Philbrick, then of the Quincy School of Boston.

The printed volume of something over two hundred pages, containing a full record of the Centennial Celebration, forms an important contribution to the material for local history.

These books are seen here and there in family book-cases, but they are not popular reading. There remain, however, as constant and conspicuous reminders of the day thus celebrated, certain memorials of another sort.

The biography of George Peabody properly belongs to that part of old Danvers which now for nearly twenty years has borne his honored name, and there it will undoubtedly be found. Let a few meagre facts and dates appear here.

He was born February 18, 1795, in a house still standing near the junction of Washington and Foster Streets, on the old Lynn Road, in Peabody. His earliest business experience was as a store-boy for the man whose friendship he cherished to the last, Capt. Sylvester Proctor. At sixteen he became a clerk for his oldest brother, David, in a dry-goods store at Newburyport. Before he attained his majority he was taken into partnership by Elisha Riggs, a wealthy New York dry-goods merchant. In 1815 Riggs and Peabody moved their business to Baltimore and subsequently established branch houses in Philadelphia and New York. In 1827 he made his first voyage to Europe in furtherance of his business. During the next ten years he often repeated the trip, and at times the United States Government, taking advantage of his business sagacity, entrusted him with important financial negotiations. He went to England for a permanent residence in February, 1837, at the age of forty-five. In 1843 he retired from the American house of Peabody, Riggs & Co., and thenceforth was George Peabody, Banker and Merchant, of London.

It was for fifteen years then, when Dan vers celebrated her Centennial, that her illustrious son had been a stranger to his native land, and nearly twice that time since the sixteen-year-old boy went away from the place of his birth to seek and find his fortune.

An invitation had been sent to him. When John W. Proctor arose to respond to the toast in his honor, it was somehow generally expected that something of especial interest was about to be made known. Mr. Proctor held up to the view of all a sealed envelope, and, in explanation thereof, read a letter from Mr. Peabody, regretting his inability to be present, concluding in these words, -

"I enclose a sentiment, which I ask may remain sealed till this letter is read on the day of celebi'ation, when it is to be opened according to the direction on the envelope."

[" The Seal of this envelope is not to be broken till the toasts are being proposed by the Chairman at the dinner, 16th June, at Danvers, in commemoration of the one hundredth year since its severance from Salem. It contains a sentiment for the occasion from George Peabody, of London."]

The seal was broken and the sentiment disclosed, which has long since become as household words, - " Education, a debt due from present to future generations." It was followed by the announcement of a gift of twenty thousand dollars for the purpose of erecting and maintaining a public library and lyceum.

Among the conditions annexed to the gift was one that the town should accept the gift and choose a committee of not less than twelve to carry out its purposes. Both of these things were done at a townmeeting, June 28, 1852, the action of the town being embodied in a series of resolutions submitted by Dr. Andrew Nichols. The committee of twelve were chosen on such tenure that two vacancies were to be filled by election each year. The committee thus first chosen and their terms of office decided by lot were as follows, - Eben King, Joseph S. Black, one year, to 1853 ; William L. Weston, Aaron F. Clark, two years, to 1854 ; Francis Baker, Joseph Poor, three years, to 1855; Elijah W. Upton, Miles Osborne, four years, to 1856; Joseph Osgood, Eben Sutton, five years, to 1857 ; Robert S. Daniels, Samuel P. Fowler, six years, to 1858. Subsequent elections for terms of six years were as follows, - In 1853, Henry Poor, Joel Putnam; 1854, Philemon Putnam, John B. Peabody; 1855, Francis Dane, Israel W. Andrews; 1856, Franklin Osborne, Isaac Hardy, Jr.

Dr. Nichols' resolves provided also that the committee or trustees should themselves annually appoint a lyceum and library committee from the town at large. The trustees made this latter committee equal to their own number. The first appointees were Dr. Andrew Nichols, who died during his first year of service, Fitch Poole, George A. Osborne, Benjamin C. Perkins, Ebenezer Hunt, John B. Peabody, W. N. Lord, Eben S. Poor, Wm. L. Weston, A. A. Abbott, Philemon Putnam, Eugene B. Hinkley, Wra. F. Poole. The latter is now widely known as the author of " Poole's Index of Periodical Literature."

The corner-stone of the new building was laid August 20, 1853, and after its completion was dedicated September 29, 1854 - a substantial brick edifice, eighty-two feet by fifty, bearing on its front the words Peabody Institute, situate on the main street from the South Meeting-house to Salem, on the opposite side and a little northwest of the Lexington monument.

Division of the Town. - It is the intention to speak particularly of the Peabody Institute, not of Peabody but of Danvers. It is necessary, therefore, here, as the sequence of events will show, to speak of no less an important matter than the dismemberment of the old town, which had celebrated its hundredth anniversary, and the separation of the southern half of its territory into a new town, leaving to the upper half alone the name of the old town. The separation was no sudden movement. From the very first, the communities north and south of Waters River and the long chain of hills, separated, as they were, by natural barriers, found themselves possessed of different interests and associations. There was no common centre. Town-meetings were held, as has been seen, one year at a meeting-house in the North Parish, the next at the South Parish, and each parish made hay for itself when the time came. A recent letter from a former resident contains something of this sort : " No. Danvers was rich in oratorical talents, while So. Danvers was exceedingly deficient in that material. They had money and votes, but no orators, and when the town-meetings were held at So. Danvers, there all the appropriations in that part of the town could easily pass the ordeal ; and when the town-meeting was held at No. Danvers, that was the golden opportunity for appropriations for that part of the town," Before division was finally accomplished the anomaly was presented of two town-houses in one town. The history of the agitation which brought this about goes back to 1772, when Ebenezer Goodiile and others prayed that the inhabitants might assemble and make known their minds as to whether meetings for the future should be held alternately in the Village and Middle parishes according to the agreement made between the parishes before incorporation, and "also to see if it be their minds ^o Erect a House near the Centre of the Town, to hold their Town-Meetings and other Publick Meetings in, &c." " The question was put to see whether the inhabitants would act anything respecting the holding the Town-Meetings for the future, and, a Poll being demanded, it was determined that way, Ninety-four for acting and Ninety-three against. Voted, not to act upon the paragraph in the warrant respecting the erecting of a House near the Centre of the Town."

At the annual meeting of 1828 a committee was chosen to consider the building of " one or more Town Houses," but whatever their report may have been, it was gently but effectively disposed of by a motion that "the subject subside for the Present."

The matter next came up in 1834. Another large and representative committee was appointed, who were instructed to make estimates for " one or more, designating the place of location of the same." But their report met no better fate than the one of 1828. It was " deferred, - " just twenty years.

In the warrant for the annual town-meeting of 1854 were two articles, - one for the erection of a town-house " near tlie centre of the population and business of Danvers South Parish," another for the erection of " two school-houses for the accommodation of the Peabody and Holten High Schools."

After much discussion and several special meetings, these two propositions were combined. The High School buildings were a necessity. It was voted " to construct them so as to make each building suitable to convene the town-meetings," and twenty-two thousand dollars was appropriated in all. The report of the building committee was accepted in 1856, and ordered " placed on the file." From this oblivion a part is here brought back to the light of day. It is interesting to know what hands helped to build our temple of democracy and how much it cost :

The building committee were Fitch Poole, Joseph Poor, Nathan Tapley, Calvin Putnam, E. T. Waldron, Josiah Mudge. In the summer of 1883 the Danvers town-house was enlarged to its present proportions.

Thus much of the town-house. To take up the broken thread of the division of the town : in February 16, 1855, a warrant was issued under the hands of Lewis Allen, Leonard Poole and Nathan H. Poor - the names of Benjamin F. Hutchinson and Joel Putnam, North Parish members of the board of selectmen, did not appear - warning the voters to meet at Union Hall, in the South Parish, "to see what action the Town will take on the order of Notice from the Legislature on the petition of Benjamin Goodridge and others, relstive to a division of the Town."