Uxbridge Town (part 1 of 4)

Corrigenda

Page 108, note to Appendix. With what is here said of the place of worship used by the Baptist Society, compare what is said of this hall, on page 154, last paragraph but one on the page.

Preface

In the winter of 1863-4, Mr. Chapin was invited to deliver a lecture in Uxbridge, in the course given for the benefit of the First Congregational Church. He selected the early history of the town, in which he took great interest, for his subject, and collected so much valuable material in relating it, that some of the publicspirited citizens felt it to be very desirable that the information thus obtained should be preserved in a permanent form, and requested him, some four years since, to give them his manuscript for publication. He consented, but wished to render it more valuable by the addition of various details equally worthy of record, which would have made his lecture too long for delivery, and others that have since come to his knowledge. His illness and subsequent death prevented him from preparing the work for the press ; and in the spring of 1879 it was intrusted to me, and was immediately entered upon as a sacred trust. The address as originally delivered, the notes which Judge Chapin was engaged in preparing, and the title page he had written, are now presented to those specially interested in the matters here spoken of.

in the nature of the case, in a very fragmentary state. I have added information about some matters not touched upon by Mr. Chapin, and I wish I could have done much more; but the knowledge of some things very interesting to the town, as for instance a list of the men from Uxbridge who served in the armies of the Revolution, it was impossible to procure.

Some of the information here given it has been difficult to obtain; and my acknowledgments are here made to the several gentlemen who have assisted me: but my thanks are especially due to Charles A. Wheelock and Jonathan F. Southwick.

Those who read this address will please remember that it is not a history of the town of Uxbridge they are reading, but memorabilia, and if its history should ever be written, I have no doubt the writer will duly appreciate the labor here expended. Much later information than that here given, and naturally finding a place in a history of the town, is, for obvious reasons, omitted. I recommend that with this address, the address of Judge Alphonso Taft, given at the Taft gathering in Uxbridge, August 12th, 1874, be also read.

Judge Chapin always retained a warm attachment, not only to his native town, Upton, but to the people of Uxbridge, where he began his professional life. His name I know is, and long may it be, a cherished and household word among them.

Rushton D. Burr Biographical Sketch

Henry Craprn was born in Upton, Mass., May 13th, 1811. His parents possessed small means and he had no early advantages beyond those commonly enjoyed by all the sons of New England. By the sudden death of his father, when he was fourteen years old, he was thrown almost wholly upon his own resources, and decided to learn the carpenter's trade, but became convinced after a few months trial, that he had neither the natural aptitude nor the inclination for that avocation. He now determined to apply himself to study and began at once to fit for college. He was graduated at Brown University in 1835. He then taught school in his native town, afterwards studied law with the late Emory Washburn and at Cambridge, and on his admission to the bar in 1838 began to practice in Uxbridge. In 1846, he removed to Worcester and became a partner of the late Rejoice Newton. His practice at the bar was large and successful. He was distinguished for industry, faithfulness and accuracy in professional business, and his competent knowledge of the law, with his simple, direct and_persuasive style of address, gave him great success in the trial of causes. In 1858, the courts of Probate and Insolvency, up to that time distinct, were united, and Mr. Chapin was appointed to preside over the new court. His appointment gave great satisfaction at the time and an experience of twenty years only served to confirm its wisdom. During that period, probably, more than half the estates in Worcester

County passed under his jurisdiction, in one or the other side of his court, and he was brought into official relations with a larger number of persons in all conditions of life, than any other public officer of the county. His patience, fidelity and impartiality have been universally admitted, and his suavity of manner - the natural expression of a kindly heart - gave him a strong hold upon the affection as well as the respect and confidence of the people of the county.

Though his political opinions were strongly held and expressed freely, in public and in private speech, Judge Chapin had little taste for political life. He represented the town of Uxbridge in the General Court of 1845, and was nominated for Congress in 1856 by the republican convention, but declined the honor. He was elected mayor of Worcester in 1849, and again in 1850, declining a third nomination, but accepted the office again in December, 1870, when he was chosen by the council to fill the vacancy caused by the death of Mayor Blake, but declined to be a candidate for the full term, and retired after a few months service, as soon as a successor could be provided by a popular election. He was chosen delegate to the constitutional convention in 1853. In 1848, he was appointed by Governor Briggs Commissioner of Insolvency; and in 1855, by Governor Gardner, commissioner under the 'personal liberty law" of Massachusetts, designed for the protection of persons charged with being fugitive slaves. He was for many years a member of the State Board of Education and for fifteen years one of the Trustees of the Worcester Lunatic Hospital. His capacity for business caused his services to be required in connection with several institutions of the city. He was for many years president of the People's Fire Insurance Company, a director of the City National Bank, and vicepresident of the Worcester County Institution for Savings. He served as a director of the Providence and Worcester railroad about thirty years.

Judge Chapin's active benevolence found scope in many directions. He was always ready to do a kind act, and next to doing good directly, he liked to organize plans and institutions by which the charity of others might be combined with his own, and made more effectual through an orderly system of administration. The Old Men's Home of Worcester, recently incorporated, was one of the latest benevolent enterprises that he conceived and aided. In religious belief he was decidedly a conservative Unitarian, and a devoted member of the Church of the Unity in Worcester, being for many years superintendent of its Sunday School. After he resigned the superintendency, he joimed the Bible class of the school, and remained a member of it until his failing health prevented him from meeting with it. He was active in the denomination, and for many years took a leading position in it, being twice elected President of the American Unitarian Association, and was for four years a member of the Council of the National Conference of Unitarian Churches.

These numerous and diverse employments illustrate the varied activity of his mind, the kindness of his heart, the trust that he inspired in all who came in contact with him. Another kind of service that was often required of him, and seldom declined, was public speaking on all kinds of occasions. His good nature, wit, and an unfailing store of anecdotes, told with remarkable spirit and humor, made his impromptu speeches always acceptable. During the days of the anti-slavery agitation he spoke frequently and effectively in behalf of the free-soil and republican parties ; but after his acceptance of a judicial office he thought it unbecoming to take a conspicuous part in political controversies.

Three years before his death, he received the degree of LL.D., from Brown University, R. I. Judge Chapin's health began to fail in the summer of 1877, but he continued to

Xiv Biographical Sketch

After the services at the house, public services were held in the Church of the Unity, October 16th. The church was filled by the representatives of the various bodies with which Judge Chapin had been associated, and by those who from far and near came to pay his memory their heartfelt respect. The services were conducted by the pastor, Rev. Mr. Blanchard, and Rev. Mr. Shippen, a former pastor, and secretary of the American Unitarian Association.

Mr. Chapin married October 8th, 1839, Sarah, daughter of Joseph Thayer, Esq., of Uxbridge. Mrs. Chapin died April 80th, 1869. Their only child, a son, died at the age of seven years and ten months. In 1871, May 23d, he married Louisa, a sister of his former wife, who, with their daughter, six years of age, survives him.

The limits of this sketch of the life and character of Judge Chapin, necessarily prevent the insertion of the beautiful and honorable tributes paid to him by the City Government of Worcester and the American Antiquarian Society, at meetings held for this purpose, after his death. And for the same reason we are compelled to omit the equally appreciative resolutions passed by the Alumni of Brown University at their annual meeting; by the Worcester County Conference of Unitarian Churches; by the Boards of various Corporations; and by the Representatives of the Educational and Charitable Institutions in whose behalf Mr. Chapin had so long and so faithfully served, gratifying as it would be to introduce them all; but it seems specially becoming that as the law was the chosen pursuit of his life, and so dear to him, that the slightest aspersion, cast, even in jest, upon the honor of the profession, was always more indignantly repelled than any personal attack, a place should be found for the resolutions esolved, That in the death of Henry Chapin, the Worcester County Bar realizes the loss of one of its members, who while engaged in the practice of his profession brought to its duties the better elements of an exalted professional probity and fidelity. Genial by nature, courteous and considerate in his intercourse with men, earnest in his devotion to the side he espoused, faithful to the interests of his clients, conscientious in his relations with the courts, at times eloquent in his addresses and always painstaking in the preparation and presentation of his cause, with a mind well balanced and abundant self-control, he furnished in his professional life the model of an admirable lawyer.

His simple tastes, cordial manners and well cultivated mind enabled him to win a social position of influence and respect which has rarely been surpassed in this community.

In the official relations to which he was called by the voluntary suffrages of a grateful constituency, he carried with him an undivided devotion to the public welfare. He possessed an abiding faith in the people and an especial confidence in the character and stability of the people of Worcester. In his inaugural address as Mayor in 1871, he said, '* Our power is in our men."

He graced informal occasions with wit and eloquence, and in public exigencies his face and tongue were a power in promoting the welfare of the people.

He was by nature admirably fitted to fill the office and perform the duties as Judge of the Probate Court. His patience was untiring, his sympathy unsimulated, his taste and strong common sense sufficed him in emergencies. The urbanity, courtesy, modesty and simple dignity with which he conducted the business of his court, won for him universal confidence and respect. His official duties in his relations to the philanthropic and eleemosynary institutions of the Commonwealth were always scrupulously performed, and by his death they and the State are deprived of a faithful servant and a generous benefactor.

Resolved, That the sympathy of the members of the Bar be extended to our deceased brother's family, and that these resolutions be presented to the Supreme Judicial Court and the Probate Court of said County with the request that they be entered upon the records.

Mr. Justice Morton in receiving the resolutions referred to his association with Judge Chapin, when they were in college together in 1835, speaking of the deceased as a prominent member of the literary society, that he then became interested in him and had watched his future life. He said he could with entire cordiality and intelligence endorse every word of the resolutions. Judge Chapin's record as a Judge of Probate extended farther than his own county and his example was felt throughout the State. It is seldom that you see on a bench three such gentlemen as those which the Probate Court of this county can boast. The examples of Barton, Thomas and Chapin will long be remembered. The resolutions were then ordered to be entered upon the records of the Court.

Address

A FIGURE of speech, often appropriate and expressive, represents one as being out of his element; and many a man often realizes in his own experience the truth of the expression. In an age, when lecturing has become a kind of profession and men cultivate themselves for it with all the appliances which eloquence and literature can furnish, he who rashly enters the field is liable to learn that he had better never have made the attempt, and is apt to retire from it a wiser and perhaps a sadder man.

I do not come before you in the capacity of a lecturer. In answer to invitations, to say the least, pressing, in an unguarded moment, I gave some encouragement to stand the draft, or furnish a substitute. No substitute having been procured, I am here.

It will be impossible to present to you what has been prepared for this occasion, without laying myself open to the charge of dealing too freely with the personal pronoun of the first person singular.

to speak in the first or second person, and about himself or anybody else, as best suits his pleasure, or convenience. For instance, when one is holding sweet converse with parents, brothers, sisters, or friends, the rules of criticism are not apt to be applied very relentlessly, and he is allowed to say pretty much what he pleases, to talk as much and as long as he pleases, and to dress his ideas in the garb which suits them best. With this feeling, I come hither to-night, trusting that you will allow me to present to you the thoughts which have occurred to me upon subjects local in their character and have no special attraction for any person who does not feel a deep interest in the character and history of the town of Uxbridge. It would be far more easy to give you an hour filled with general ideas upon some of the popular and exciting subjects of the day; to talk about this gigantic rebellion, and the best method of putting it down, to discuss some of the questions which fill the hearts of the men and women of this generation, but I shall avoid them all. My apology is this: when I reflect upon the last twenty-five years, and call to mind those with whom it has been my lot to hold pleasant intercourse, it is a source of deep regret that I have not treasured up, and put into some tangible form, many facts of a local and interesting character, now forever buried in the dark ocean of the past. If by the crude and

I need not say to you, that this town combines much natural beauty of scenery and was once a fair specimen of a New Hngland farming town. The younger Bezaleel Taft used to say, "I do not place Uxbridge in the first class of farming towns in the county, but it stands among the first of the second class." ,

The territory now included within the limits of Uxbridge and Northbridge was originally a part of Mendon, and was set off from the parent town June 27th, 1727, under the name of Uxbridge.* This part of Mendon was called by the Indians who early inhabited it Wacantug.t It is said, these Indians had Indian teachers among them to instruct them in the principals of the Christian religion.

The first town meeting of Uxbridge was held July 25th, 1727, one hundred and thirty-six years ago last July. The members of the first board of selectmen were Robert Taft, Ebenezer Read, Wood- time a member of the King's Privy Council. See William Henry Whittemore's Essay upon the names of Massachusetts towns. +This name is sometimes spelled Wacuntue and Wacantuck. The true land Thompson and Joseph White. The first town clerk was Edmund Rawson. The town remained in the form in which it was originally organized, until Northbridge was set off as a separate town in the year 1772. The fact that these two towns were originally ene municipality explains the reason why, until a period comparatively recent, their annual March meetings were held upon different days of the week, one being held on Monday and the other on Wednesday. Those who had been in the habit of meeting together on this occasion, talking politics, swapping oxen, drinking flip, or doing something more useful, by mutual consent made this convenient and satisfactory arrangement, in order to enable them to continue the same, or similar acts of kindness and good neighborhood.

It is interesting to examine the early records of the town, and observe the prevalence of certain names which seem to have come down like heirlooms from generation to generation. For instance, take the name of Taft. I have had the curiosity to observe casually how often this name appears in the list of town officers. In 1741, 1742 and 1748, it appears six times in the list of town officers for each year, and in the year 1775 it appears sixteen times. One is reminded of the old story of the stranger in Uxbridge, who, meeting a gentleman whom he had never seen before, exclaimed, " How are you Mr. Taft?" "How did you know my name was Taft?" was the answer. " Well," said he, "I have spoken to twelve persons since I came into this town; eleven of them answered to the name of Taft, and I concluded it would be safe to address you by that name." ;

*Henry Capron held the office of Town Clerk for twenty years, 1856 - 1876, and was succeeded by Charles C. Capron, who holds the office at the present time.

and successive elections of the same town clerk, and in this way has secured far more uniformity and accuracy in the town records, than would have resulted from more frequent changes in the recording officer of the town.

The people of the town, according to the early records, had an eye to their own interests and were quite distinct and emphatic in their expressions in regard to them. They had their own views of matters and things, and stated them quite unequivocally. Soon after the separation from Mendon, we find their loyalty to the parent town illustrated by the following vote: -

'¢ Voted, About Worcester's being a sheir town, that unless Mendon be made a sheir town as Worcester, to hold half y*® county courts at, they had rather remain as now, in the county of Suffolk."

When I first read the record of this vote, I was struck with the statement, implying that Uxbridge was once a part of the county of Suffolk. Upon examination I find, that down to the time of the creation of Worcester county, this territory was embraced within the limits of the county of Suffolk. From the tenor of the vote, we may naturally infer that the question of a new county was discussed as early as 1728, and the people of Uxbridge thought fit to express their opinion in the form already stated.

The whole territory of Massachusetts in 1643 was divided into four counties; Hssex being the eastern, Middlesex in the middle, Suffolk in the southern and (Old) Norfolk in the northern part. Hampshire county was created in 1662. Essex county, embracing all of Old Norfolk which had not been set off to New Hampshire, was created in 1680. Plymouth, Barnstable and Bristol counties were created in 1685. When the islands of Nantucket and Martha's Vineyard were transferred from New York to Massachusetts, they constituted Dukes county, from which Nantucket was set off as a separate county in 1695. Worcester county was created in 1730, just two years after the vote referred to. Berkshire in 1761, Hampden in 1811], and Franklin in 1812.

For nearly one hundred years after its organization, Uxbridge remained simply an agricultural town with the usual amount of such mechanical business as was carried on in the rural towns of New England. When we examine its records and traditions, we find many of the same proceedings which were common in towns of similar character and position during that period. The location of roads, the building of bridges, the care of the schools, the support of the poor, and the thousandand-one municipal matters, either more or less year to year, in a manner that fills one with a feeling of deep respect for the care and fidelity with which the men of that day performed their municipal duties, and with a feeling of wonder and astonishment at the cheapness and economy with which they carried them on. In 1728, they allowed Mr. Solomon Wood, for services as town treasurer one year, five shillings, and at the same time allowed Lieut. Joseph Taft seven shillings for a barrel of cider. Truly, apples must have been scarce in 1728 in the territory of Wacantug. In 1735, the town voted to raise twenty pounds to defray the 'town expenses this year. In 1734, Mr. Edmund Rawson was allowed twenty pounds for keeping school six months and boarding himself. In 1731, the town sold their stock of ammunition to help defray town expenses. In the same year it was voted, that " We will make choice of a man to go on y® town's behalf to see about letting y° fish come up y® great river in case other towns should send to Providence to joyn with them in agreeing to have y® fish let up y°® great river at Jenckes falls."

From the year 1775, during the revolutionary war, we find that the fires of patriotism burned here brightly and steadily. Although they voted that inoculation for the small-pox should not be set up in Uxbridge, the people showed, not only

At the meeting in May, 1776, in the spring previous to the declaration of independence, an article of which the following is a copy was acted upon: "To see if the town will vote if the honorable Congress should, for the safety of the United States colonies, declare themselves independent of the kingdom of Great Britain, whether that they will solemnly engage with their lives and fortunes to support them in the measure." Have you any question how they voted? Of course they voted in the affirmative. This is not all. In 1778, the town voted "to pay one quarter more than the County rate for 1777," and although an attempt was made at a subsequent meeting to defeat it, or rescind it, the attempt signally failed. In the same year the town voted to raise a committee to procure clothing for the soldiers, and a man to carry it to them. This, you will bear in mind, took place long before any public conveyance was established in this vicinity, and when a journey to and from different sections of the country, was a formidable undertaking in labor and endurance. Prices having been much increased by reason of the war, the town also voted "to pay one-half of the minister's at which they were furnished at the time of his settlement." What a splendid arrangement it would be now for a minister, or any one else, who is dependent upon a salary, if a similar spirit of liberality could be exercised towards him, at a time when coal is fourteen dollars a ton, and all the other necessaries of life are proportionally as expensive. A word to the wise is of .course sufficient.

In the early histories of the towns of New England, we are struck with the attention which was given to the matter of public worship. The people of this town were of the old puritan stock, and the puritans, whether sincere or not, were always marked by their care for the institutions of religion. One of the earliest votes of the new town in 1727, was that they would maintain public preaching by way of rate, and "would build a meeting house forty feet in length, thirty-five feet in breadth and nineteen feet between joynts." In 1752 it was voted to pay £48 to Mr. Webb for his salary, and see whether he has been honorably maintained according to the agreement with him. In 1773 immediately after Northbridge was set off, the town voted to remove the old meeting-house, if it could be, and that the new one be set in the same place. If I am not mistaken, what is spoken of as the old meeting-house was the one which stood upon the common until after the year 1830, and was the one where all sorts of meetings from time to time were held. If any one here has any curiosity to know more of the common and the location of that meeting-house, which stood upon the hill near where Mr. Hayward's house is situated, he will find under vote of May 11th, 1797, a copy of an agree- 'ment signed by Bezaleel Taft, John Capron, Silas Rawson and Robert G. Tillinghast, selectmen of Uxbridge, and John Capron, Hlihu Brown and Samuel Willard, parties adjoining the common, fixing the several lines and boundaries of the same.* He will also find annexed thereto a plan of the common, which is quite curious and interesting. The lines and their bearings are given, there is a drawing of the meeting-house, the house formerly occupied by Dr. Samuel Willard with its gambrel roof, a building which I suppose to be the old hotel, the horse-sheds, the house formerly occupied by Elihu Brown, now Mr. Jepherson's, and the old school-house. In addition to these, is a drawing (not a photograph) of the surveyor with his instrument. I scarcely recognize the features, but my opinion is that the surveyor was Frederic Taft.

* The following vote, with date of March 5th, 1794, appears: '' VOTED to choose a committee to see all the incumbrances removed off the common, that lies about the town's meeting-house." Nicholas Baylies, Asa Thayer and

Compare that sketch taken in 1797, with Uxbridge as it is in 1864, and you will be able to form a pretty clear idea of the growth of this village within the last seventy years.

As a fact tending to show the manners and customs of men with a puritan education, at the time of the raising of the first meeting-house in Uxbridge, in 1730, it became the duty of an appropriate committee to purchase fifteen gallons of rum. One can hardly help asking himself, what raisings wouldn't there be now, if there should be procured and distributed on such an occasion fifteen gallons of what we call rum at the present day. It is probably true, that if the quality of the liquors of that time had been as poor as it is now, and raisings had been characterized by the purchase and distribution of such material, there would at the present time have existed few descendants of the men of 1730 to listen to any speaker upon an occasion like this.

The first settled minister in Uxbridge was the Rev. Nathan Webb. He was settled February 3d, 1731. He died March 16th, 1772, after a ministry of over forty years and in the same year in which Northbridge was set off as a separate town. All that can be learned about him tends to the conviction, that he was a faithful preacher, an earnest, true-hearted man, and that he exerted a beneficial influence upon the minds and hearts of the people. I have in my possession one of his written sermons which shows deep religious feeling, good sense, clearness of style, and tends to convince me that he was a sound thinker and good writer. He was aman of good temper and genial humor. He used to tell, with much merriment, the following anecdote. A couple came to him to be married. Having tied the knot, he was inquired of by the happy groom about his terms. Mr. Webb told him that he generally left the compensation to the parties. The bridegroom handed him four coppers, and with his bride left the house of the parson. Mr. Webb enjoyed it so much that he could not keep it to himself, and the story reached the ears of the generous party. Meeting Mr. Webb, he told him if he was not satisfied, he would make him satisfied, and handed him another copper. Mr. Webb always said he was satisfied.

The second settled minister was the Rev. Hezekiah Chapman, who was settled January 27th, 1774, and was dismissed April 5th, 1781. In 1778, Mr. Chapman asked for a dismission, but the town voted to pay one-half of his salary in any of the produce of their farms at the price which was current for the same articles at the time of his settlement in the ministry of the town, or, in labor at the price which labor was worth at the same

«¢ Ata meeting of the church in Uxbridge, April 5th, 1781. Whereas, the Rev. Hezekiah Chapman, the pastor of this church, some time since signified to us his desire of a dismission from his pastoral relation to this church and congregation on account of the languishing state of his health. The church having maturely considered the reason he was pleased to assign for his dismission, and previously consulted with the congregation, voted unanimously, that a dismission be granted Mr. Chapman agreeable to his request."

'¢Mr. Chapman being dismissed from his ministerial relation to the church in Uxbridge, feels himself in justice bound to declare, that they have treated him with tenderness and respect, and that it is with reluctance that he leaves them. The care of his health, which for years has been languishing, obliges him to leave such worthy and valuable friends. He wishes them prosperity, and shall never cease to rejoice in their welfare."

The real reason for Mr. Chapman's leaving does not appear in the foregoing copies. It is a sad fact, that the real cause of his leaving Uxbridge was intemperance. After his dismission, he left the town and his wife remained for some time alone. She was obliged to sell sundry articles of household furniture to procure the necessaries of life, and some of the furniture, after a lapse of seventy-five years, may be seen in this town in a good state of preservation.

and was dismissed October 27th, 1787. It has been written and printed, that both Mr. Chapman and Mr. Spaulding were dismissed more on account of the peculiarity of their religious sentiments than from any other cause. In my opinion this statement is not a correct one, about one of them at least. Mr. Spaulding was unmarried. He was distinguished by a remarkable fondness for the Proverbs of Solomon. In the Bible which he was in the habit of reading, the Book of Proverbs became so soiled and worn, that one could readily discern the locality of his favorite reading by the appearance of the well thumbed pages, that were subjected to his frequent perusal. It appears that in 1787, a vote of the town was passed and sent to Mr. Spaulding, advising him to ask a dismission, and the action of the church and an ecclesiastical council is contained in a certain vote of which the following is a copy: -

'¢ Uxbridge, Sept. 10th, 1787. Ata Chh. meeting regularly warned at the Meetinghouse: After reading a vote sent to our Rev. Pastor from this Town, or Congres: ational Society, in which he was advised to ask a dismission from us: and after some conversation, the question being put to see if this Chh. will join with their Pastor in calling a mutual Council of Pastors and Churches to advise upon the expediency of his being dismissed or not - The Vote passed in the affirmative.

Voted, again, that nothing shall be laid before the Council except what is first laid before the Chh. and their voice had upon it, if they see fit, and that 14 days before the Council sit."

'¢ Whereas, Rev. Mr. Josiah Spaulding is dismissed from us as to his pastoral relation, and as he has requested a dismission from his membership from this Chh. and a recommendation to the communition and fellowship of the Cbh. of Christ wherever God in his providence shall call him: this is therefore a testimony that he is a brother in good and regular standing ; and in consequence of his request, we do dismiss him from particular membership in this Chh. and do recommend him to the Chh. of Christ, wherever God in his providence shall call him, as a brother in good and regular standing. This vote passed y® Presence of the Council and was signed by the Moderator at the request of the Chh.

Amariah Frost

'¢The Council feel it incumbent on them to declare that they view Mr. Spaulding's christian character in a fair and amiable light, and cannot but hope Christ will still use him as an instrument of spreading his Gospel, and promoting his cause in the world. And accordingly we recommend him as a preacher of the Gospel."

Mr. Spaulding was afterwards settled in Worthington, Mass. It would be pleasant to know the reason why the town saw fit to pass the vote referred to, but I have not been able to ascertain any of the facts relating to the same.*

* After the dismissal of Mr. Spaulding, Mr. Samuel Mead preached for some time in Uxbridge, and in December 1791, the town voted ''to concur with the church in giving Mr. Mead a call to be settled over them in the ministry," also, "" VOTED £100 as an encouragement to settle, and £90 per annum salary." No answer appears on the records to the foregoing votes.

The fourth settled minister was the Rev. Samuel Judson, who was settled October 17th, 1792, and dismissed in'1832. In the language of the epitaph upon his tombstone, "He was for forty years the faithful and beloved pastor of the church of Christ in Uxbridge, where, after a life of purity and benevolence, he died in the faith and hope of the gospel, Nov. 11th, A. D. 1832, aged 65." I find that he was born in Woodbury, Conn., December 7th, 1767. He married Miss Sally Bartlett of Salem, May 28th, 1797. He was a man of remarkable conscientiousness, rare good nature, much native common sense, and during his long ministry he retained the love and confidence of the people of his charge.*

* The call given to Mr. Judson was unanimous, and was accompanied by the following votes: '' VOTED, to give Mr. Samuel Judson £200, provided he shall accept the call and settle in said town; one-half to be paid in one year from the time he is ordained, the other half two years from said ordination, without interest." Also, ''"Vorrp, To give Mr. Judson £75 as an annual salary, so long as he shall be our minister."

In relation to the incorporation of the First Congregational Society, the following appears on the record, April 38d,1797. " Article 8d. Vorrn, That the petitioners mentioned in said article (the names are not mentioned in the article as it stands on the record) have said town's consent for their being incorporated agreeable to the prayer of their petition, with an amendment (that is) that they have the right to improve the ministry money so long as they shall remain a society as petitioned for and support the Gospel therein."

From the petition mentioned in the foregoing vote, originated the act of incorporation of the " First Congregational Society in Uxbridge," which passed at the next session of the General Court. From this time all connection between the ' Congregational Society" and the town ceased. The town occupied the meeting-house for town-meetings and business purposes, until it was taken down for the purpose of building a new church in 1834.

The new church of the First Congregational Society was dedicated in January 1835, the pastor, Rey. Mr. Clarke, preaching the sermon. This building

At the dismissal of Mr. Judson, the elements of religious opinion came to an open rupture, and those who had united under his ministrations, formed themselves into separate societies, according to mixed motives of personal feelings, or religious principles, and the two houses for religious worship, which now stand upon opposite sides of the common were erected, and the members of the two societies, who unitedly paid Mr. Judson a salary of $400 a year, settled the Rev. David A. Grosvenor, at a salary of $600, and the Rev. Samuel Clarke, at a salary of $600; and from that time to the present both societies have been reasonably prosperous: and after the first few years following the separation, with few exceptions, the most kindly feeling has prevailed between the members of the different societies. I do not propose to follow the histories of these two religious societies since the time of their separation, but knowing as I did both Mr. Grosvenor and Mr. Clarke, under circumstances which furnished good opportunities for forming an impartial judgment, I am free to say, they were both true and earnest exponents of their different views of theology; both were men of more than ordinary talent, good citizens, good friends, and, as

The house of the Evangelical Congregational Society was built the same year, 1833, and dedicated in the autumn. It was repaired some seventeen years ago and much improved.

Rev. Samuel Clarke, the son of Ninian Clarke of Scotch ancestry, "an extraordinary man, of large sympathies, a noble spirit and trusted by every one," was born in New Boston, N. H., April 21st, 1791. He fitted for college with the Rev. Mr. Beede of Wilton, and was graduated at Dartmouth College in the class of 1812. He studied theology with Dr. Channing, and was.ordained at Princeton in Worcester County, June 18th, 1817. He married Miss Sarah Wigglesworth, of Newburyport, September, 1819. On January 9th, 1833, he was installed over the First Congregational Society in Uxbridge, and his connection was not severed during his life. He died in Worcester, Saturday morning, November 19th, 1859, and was buried at Uxbridge on Tuesday, November 22d. The services at the meeting-house of the First Congregational Society were as follows: 'reading of the Scriptures by Rev. Mr. Ferry; remarks by Rev. Messrs. Hill of Worcester, Boyden of Woonsocket and Ball of Upton; and a prayer by Rev. Mr. Shippen of Worcester. The services were appropriate and impressive. The funeral was attended by a large concourse of people of the various religious societies. The business of the village was suspended, the stores were closed; and, although the day was stormy, the whole community seemed to wish to pay their last tribute of respect to the memory of a good man and truly Christian minister. It was well remarked by one of the company at the grave, "There lies a man who was more beloved than any other man in the town of Uxbridge." When a good man passes away, it is well to review his life, and learn the true qualities of his character. The ministry of Mr. Clarke extended over a period of forty-two years; fifteen of which were passed in Princeton, and twenty-seven in Uxbridge. It having been the privilege of the writer, during a portion of the time, to listen to the religious exercises of Mr. Clarke from week to week, to meet him almost daily in the intercourse of life, to confer with him in scenes of joy and sorrow, to witness his spirit under circumstances of peculiar trial and anxiety, he feels at liberty to offer his grateful tribute to his memory. There existed in him a beauty and consistency of character rarely witnessed. He was a true friend. To all who knew him his presence seemed a benediction. But, in the familiar intercourse of life, we were often surprised by the gushing out of emotions and sympathies, which a stranger, who had only witnessed the calm dignity of his deportment, would scarcely have expected. A man of rare modesty, great selfdenial, imperturbable good nature, excellent gifts, large culture and unflinching fidelity to duty, he went in and out before us during twenty-seven years; and, eloquent and appropriate as were his religious exercises, his life was one of the richest legacies which he bequeathed to win us to a higher life, by the living power of a pure Christian example. Blest during the greater portion of his ministerial life with the companionship of a wife of rare accomplishments, combined with large common sense and devoted Christian principles, he always found his home a happy one, where he ever met ready sympathy, kind words, and hearty co-operation. No man in the community fulfilled his duty more faithfully. The poor, the sick and the unfortunate always found in him a friend; and his labors in the cause of education and good order are held in grateful remembrance. Although he was far from robust, and exhibited for a number of years symptoms of declining health, his religious exercises seemed to increase in excellence from year to year, and the genuine beauty of his character became more and more apparent. He labored faithfully until a Sunday in the July preceding his death, when, in the performance of his usual duties, exhausted nature gave way, and he fell to the floor of his pulpit in a fainting condition. Feeling that his work was done, which, to their honor, they promptly declined; not only voting to supply the pulpit, buf to continue the salary of Mr. Clarke. From that time, although the seal of coming death was on his brow, it brought no terrors and the kindly voice and beaming smile seemed to speak of a heaven within.

Again he met his church at the communion table, distributed to them the symbols, and, in language which those who heard him can never forget, he commended them to God, committed all to His hands, and bade them farewell with the hope, that, if it was God's will, they might meet again this side of the grave, but be fully prepared for whatever in God's providence was in store for him. Another meeting in life was not vouchsafed to them. While the tones of his parting farewell seemed yet to linger in our ears, we were startled by the announcement that the beloved and faithful pastor had quietly dropped to sleep "like one who wraps the drapery of his couch about him, and les down to pleasant dreams."*

There has long been a society of Friends, or Quakers, in this town; but their faith has been so internal and undemonstrative, that there is but little on an occasion like this to say of them. We all know that this denomination of Christians early adopted firm and decided views upon the great questions of slavery, intemperance and the prevailing evils of society; but their style of enforcing their views has been so quiet and unobtrusive, that we hardly realize that many of these questions, which seem to some of us so new, are, to the members of this denomination, as old as the plain bonnet and the straight collared coat: and these questions have been so well considered by them, that their opinions about them seem to them as natural and as much a thing of course as the air they breathe.

There is a Baptist society in the north part of the town, but its history is so modern that I leave it with the statement of the fact of its existence, although it would be pleasant to refer to some of its preachers and to its more prominent and influential members, among whom was the late Dea. David D. payne,"

Within a few years past you have found established here a Roman Catholic Church; but of this you must know so much more than I, that I content myself with the mere recognition of a circumstance which would have seemed so stranget twenty years ago. With these remarks I leave the ecclesiastical history of the town,{ and refer to some other events

In the month of November, 1789, Gen. George Washington, then President of the United States, passed a night in Uxbridge, at a tavern, kept, in his language, by "one Taft." I need not tell you where what was then the tavern, is now situated,* nor who occupies it. I need not express the hope that the building may long be spared as an object of patriotism in trust. From Hartford, General Washington wrote on the eighth of November, 1789, on his way home, the following letter to "Mr. Taft, near Uxbridge, Massachusetts ":- -

<¢ Sir : - Being informed that you have given my name to one of your sons, and called another after Mrs. Washington's family, and being moreover much pleased with the modest and innocent looks of your two daughters, Patty and Polly, I do, for these reasons, send each of these girls a piece of chintz ;- and to Patty, who bears the name of Mrs. Washington, and who waited upon us more than Polly did, I send five guineas with which she may buy herself any little ornaments she may want, or she may dispose of them in any other manner more agreeable to herself. As I do not give , these things with a view to have it talked of, or even to its being known, the less there is said about the matter, the better you will please me; but that I may be sure the chintz and money have got safe to hand, let Patty, who, I dare say, is equal to it, write me a line informing me thereof, directed to 'The President of the United States, New York.' I wish you and your family well, and am your humble servant."

There is a circumstance, related to me by a venerable clergyman a few weeks since, which may be interesting to you. General Washington called at the house of Col. Ammidown in Mendon, whom he had known in the Revolutionary Army, but not finding him at home, passed on his way to Uxbridge. Soon after he had retired, Col. Ammidown, accompanied by his daughter, arrived, both being very anxious to see the President. To the surprise of his attendants, he arose and, attired in his dressinggown, had a very pleasant interview with his old friend and the daughter. At the close of the interview, said the General to Miss Ammidown, "Allow me to ask you one question; you have come a good ways to see an old man, how far would you have gone to see a young one?"

Col. Samuel Cragin was a soldier in the old French war, was present at the capture of Quebec, and was a captain in the war of the Revolution. He once kept a hotel in the house now occupied by Mr. Charles E. Seagrave, and afterwards in the large gambrel-roofed house, known as the John Capron house. This house was built by Col. Seth Reed, who once owned the most of the real estate in this village. The oft-asserted claim of Reed Parsons to a title in the common had its origin in some way connected with the ownership of Col. Seth Reed.

The first store in Uxbridge was kept by George Southwick in the south part of the town; and the second, by a Mr. Russell in a building opposite to what was formerly known as the John Seagrave place, and was afterwards owned and occupied by Daniel Seagrave. As an illustration of the change in the places, and modes of doing business in this town, permit me to refer you to one spot, about which but few young people know anything. On the old road to Slatersville, you may observe a cluster of wood-colored buildings of small dimensions that now bear the marks of neglect, and you may wonder what should have caused them to be erected. The truth is, this comparatively deserted spot was once among the most active and business-like localities of Uxbridge. Here Esek Fitts carried on the business of manufacturing hats, with numerous journeymen and apprentices; Royal Southwick, tanning and currying; Enoch Aldrich, coopermg; Parley Brown and Mason Buffington, shoe-making; and here George Southwick did the most extensive business in the store-keeping lme which in those days was carried on in this section of the county, and manufactured large quantities of potash which he exported to England, besides keeping a circulating library for the neighborhood. The change in the lines of travel and the use of rivers for manufacturing purposes, changed the places of trade and of business, and grass now grows where once everything was alive with the bustle of trade and industry. Allow me in this connection to relate an incident somewhat characteristic of the times. A person known as " Old Croney," had paid a bill to George Southwick, and after he had arrived at his home, he found, or there was shown to him upon the bill, a large number of "dittoes." He told Dr. Samuel Willard, who was rather fond of fun, that he had had no dittoes, and the Doctor told him he had better go back and have the bill corrected. Croney called upon George Southwick and stated his grievance. Said George, " Who sent you here?" Said Croney, " Dr. Willard." " Well," said George, "you tell Dr. Sam. Willard that he is a d and you are a ditto!"

The first distillery in town was established by Col. Daniel Tillinghast, upon what has recently been known as the Royal Thayer place. He manufactured malt in the building on the corner of the old road, which was afterwards converted into a residence by Mr. John Seagrave. The second distillery was owned by Thaddeus Taft, and was located upon what is now the farm of Mr. John S. Taft. They manufactured gin and cider brandy. In the year 1826, the remains of the distillery of Col. Tillinghast were visible upon the Royal Thayer place, and the pipes showed a form of construction which gaye the observer a very distinct idea of the

North Uxbridge by Capt. Samuel Read, the Deputy- Postmaster. All the travel from Boston to Hartford and back, passing through this town, passed through the northern part, at the time of the establishment of the post-office.

Here it may be proper to say, that there is one peculiarity of this town that must be considered unfortunate. It has always seemed to me to have more south-west to it, than any other town of its size with which I am acquainted. 'This is probably owing to the fact that Northbridge was originally part of its territory. At any rate, the fact is a notable one to any person who is either acquainted with its geography, or has had occasion to look up a client who was reported to reside in the south-west part of the town. I well remember the remark of one of your citizens at the time of the dispute about the Rhode Island boundary line, which was, that he hoped the line would be removed because it ran so near his house that he thought it was demoralizing. - I do not know that I should assent to this proposition, but I do think, that the nearer to the line of a border town you can bring its educational, moral and religious institutions, the better it will be for the moral, educational and religious welfare of the immediate neighborhood.

one-horse gig, by a man of the name of Steele. At that time, there was no mail from Providence to Worcester. It is said that the first ride through the Blackstone valley was made by William Blackstone on the back of a bull. Professor Gammell has playfully remarked, that this was the origin of the term, "Bullgine." Sometime between fifty and sixty years ago, the first mail from Providence to Worcester was carried by Abner Cooper, who resided in Northbridge. He used to go to Providence on one day, return to Northbridge on the second day, go to Worcester and return to his home in Northbridge on the third day. He traveled at first on horseback, next in a one-horse gig, and finally in a two-horse vehicle, and carried passengers, who used frequently to stop at his house over night. It is said that he carried his oats with him, and stopped by the roadside to feed his horses. It is to be feared that New England passengers of the present day might be somewhat impatient with this kind of locomotion.

The first stage upon this route was established by one Henry Richardson in 1812. He drove through from Providence to Worcester in one day, and back the next. Although he succeeded in depriving Mr. Cooper of his passengers, he failed in his enterprise. Mr. Cooper continued to carry the mail until another line of stages was established, when the stages proved too strong for him, and he retired from the field. It would be pleasant to recall the times when staging was at its full tide through Uxbridge, when such men as John Bradlee held the ribbons, before the time when the railroads had ruined the business; to tell of the social scenes of a long day's ride with the pleasantest people in the world, of the handsomest women and the jolliest men; to describe how Luther Spring used to welcome the drivers, and mix the toddy, and get up a dinner which was a dinner; and how the drivers would blow their bugle blasts, and come dashing up to the door as though the whole rebel army was in hot pursuit; but there is no time on this occasion to indulge in any such luxury, and we must hasten to speak of other subjects.

I shall say nothing of the later members of the legal profession in this town; but I feel at liberty to say, that the town was fortunate in the character of the lawyers who early settled here. The members of the profession who have practiced here, so far as I can learn, have been Nathan Tyler, Benjamin Adams, Bezaleel Taft, Jr.. George Wheaton, Joseph Thayer, Francis Deane, Henry Chapin, Lucius B. Boynton, George S. Taft, and George W. Hobbs.* <A lawyer of average ability in a country town, can do much for the good or evil, the credit or disgrace, of his home. He may do much toward producing a spirit of peace, or a spirit of strife in the community. J have sometimes thought he might do more evil than the preacher could do good, or he might be one of the most efficient aids to the spiritual teachers of society. His peculiar relations to the business interests of the people, give him an insight into the hearts and motives of men, which are often hidden from the view of other persons. 'To use a plain illustration, the preacher sees his people in a sort of Sunday, church-going garb, while the lawyer sees them in their every-day clothes, and reads the hearts when unveiled by any shadow of hypocrisy. Such being the case, the minister is not the only man whose settlement in a town is a matter of transcendent importance, because the lawyer may have full as much to do with its character and prosperity as the minister. Nathan Tyler, the first lawyer in Uxbridge, was a colonel in the revolutionary army. Mr. Tyler lived in the house occupied by Mr. Wheeler and known as the Esq. Frederic Taft place. Of Mr. Tyler there is but little known. His name appears occasionally upon the records of the town. He was probably not only the first lawyer in Uxbridge, but the first lawyer in the south part of the county. Although from what can be learned of him, I have no doubt he was a man of good standing in the community, I infer he never came to be very prominent as a lawyer, from the fact, that the former Governor Lincoln once informed an elderly lawyer of my acquaintance, that at one time the whole section between himself at Worcester and Judge Wheaton at Norton, was filled by Seth Hastings. Mr. Tyler was succeeded by Benjamin Adams. Mr. Adams was born in Mendon, December 16, 1764. He was graduated at Brown University, studied law in Uxbridge, in the office of Col. Nathan Tyler, practiced law one year in Hopkinton, Middlesex county, and upon the death of Mr. Tyler, succeeded to his office and his business in this town. Mr. Adams was too young to enter the army of the reyolution, but his father and his brothers were all soldiers, and when he was but sixteen years old, he mowed six weeks, cutting all the grass upon his father's place, while the women of the family made the hay. He was a member of Congress from Worcester south from 1815 to 1823. He was defeated by Jonathan Russell by reason of a speech of Mr. Adams in favor of the protection of American manufactures, Daniel Webster and the commercial interests of Boston having taken the field against him on account of his sentiments and vote in favor of the protection of American industry. How strange, that forty years ago, a man should have been sacrificed politically on account of views and opinions, which time seems to have taken pleasure in demonstrating was the true policy for New England. It reminds one of the splendid old hymn upon the martyrs: '¢ Flung to the heedless winds, Or on the waters cast,

Mr. Adams was aman of peculiarly even temperament, embodying in himself the idea of a pure minded man, an honest lawyer and a christian gentleman. He seemed from principle, to endeavor to make himself a useful man in the community. He never spoke unless he had something to say, and he always left off when he had said it. He was perfectly contented with whatever disposition was made of him by his fellow-citizens, and he wished to prosper, if at all, with them. Possessed of an ample fortune for the time in which he lived, at an unfortunate moment, he was induced to engage in manufacturing, and he shared the fate of many professional men who venture out of their sphere. The hurricane which swept over the manufacturing business of New England involved him in pecuniary ruin, but his integrity was left untarnished, and from the year 1828, to the time of his death, he passed a quiet life, going to his grave respected by all. His memory is yet green in the hearts of those who knew him, and his name is a household word of respect and reverence in the valley of the Blackstone. His simple epitaph is this, '" Mark the perfect man and behold the upright, for the end of that man is peace."

George Wheaton was originally from Bristol county. He married in Uxbridge, and after prac- -ticing law here a few years, returned to Bristol county and died there. He was a man of fair abilities, and gentlemanly deportment. His health, after he entered his profession, was never very firm and he died early. His legal business was not extensive. Those who knew him, speak of him with kindness and regard. My own impression is, that his tastes were more literary than legal, and that he lacked those masculine qualities which fit a man for the rough-and-tumble of the profession of the law.

An article in one of the Worcester newspapers contains certain views relating to Hon. Bezaleel Taft, senior, formerly, and for many years, a magistrate of this town, to Hon. Bezaleel Taft, Jr. and to George 8S. Taft, Hsq., the last two having been lawyers here, which express my views so nearly that I take the liberty to adopt them as my own.

the tokens of the confidence of his fellow-citizens, while they imposed upon him the burdens of life, strengthened him for their faithful fulfillment. He was for two years a member of the State Senate, and for some thirty years a member of the House of Representatives from Uxbridge. He was a strong and decided Federalist and never swerved from his political faith.

Firm, compact, honest, dignified and able, he went through life fulfilling its various duties with rare fidelity and conscientiousness ; ; and left to his family and to all who knew him, a character which is always referred to with reverent pride and pleasure. He became a large landholder in his native town, and the old homestead is yet in the hands of his descendants. The stately elms which shelter the home of the patriarch, built of timber hewn by his own hands, and firm as the hills around, are emblematic of the man whose memory is embalmed in the hearts of his friends and kindred. The brief and appropriate inscription upon his tombstone reads thus : '' His life was a bright example of private and public worth, and the hoary head was to him a crown of glory, being found in the way of righteousness."

'Hon. Bezaleel Taft, Jr., was born in 1780, and died in 1846, in his 66th year. He was a gentleman of polished manners, excellent culture and high standing in his profession. He was graduated at Cambridge, in the year 1805, and after being admitted to the bar, established himself as a lawyer in his native town. He always resided in Uxbridge, and enjoyed largely the confidence of his fellow-citizens. He was twice elected a member of the State Senate, twice a member of the Executive Council, and for a number of years a representative to the Massachusetts Legislature. He was very active in the establishment of the State Lunatic Hospital at Worcester, and always referred with much pleasure to the part which he had taken in its origin and success. He was the second president of the Blackstone Bank, and held the office at the time of his death. He was a man of genial humor, rare hospitality, enlightened public spirit and unbending integrity. His name and character are held in grateful remembrance by those who knew him best, and his children and his children's children still cherish them as a priceless legacy.

And now the third in the line has fallen at the age of thirty-three years, almost at the commencement of his business life. Graduating in 1848, he pursued his legal studies in the office of Henry Chapin, in Worcester, until June, 1851, when he was admitted to the bar of this county. Attr acted by strong feelings of affection for his kindred and home, he could not bring his mind to think of settling in any other place than Uxbridge, and he accordingly opened an office in that town during "the same year. His life has been a happy one. Surrounded by those whom he loved, doing a respectable business, the idol of his friends, and the general favorite of every circle, he had become one for whom a whole community will mourn. Not subjected to the pressure which compels some young men to become able and acute lawyers, he had not risen to that height in his profession which his talents might have commanded ; but as the years rolled on the responsibilities of his position seemed to become more and more real to him, and high hopes were entertained of such a:success as should do full justice to the powers which we all felt that he possessed. But such was not the order of Providence. Smitten by a fatal and insidious disease at a time when he seemed to be in the full glow of health and hope, he lingered a few months among us, happy, genial, loving and beloved, and then without a murmur or a pain went the way of his fathers, and the places that have known him will know him no more.* Ce

Of those now living it would be inappropriate, however desirable, to make any remarks at this time. I leave it to later days and other tongues to do them justice.

The first physician in Uxbridge, to whom I have occasion to refer, was a Dr. Wood, who occupied a house standing formerly upon the old cellar situated near the road, northerly from the spot where the boat house formerly stood. After he had been in Uxbridge a number of years, Dr. Samuel Willard came here from Mendon and began the practice of medicine. After Dr. Willard had practiced in Uxbridge awhile, on a dark and stormy night he was called upon to visit a patient in a remote part of the town, or in the edge of Burrillville. Dr. Willard started on horseback, with the caller behind him, and after proceeding a considerable distance he found he was riding alone, and soon crossed a stream which was swollen by a freshet. The next morning Dr. Willard found that the covering of a bridge had been taken or carried away, and that his horse had crossed upon one of the string-pieces of the bridge with the Doctor upon his back. Soon after this Dr. Wood suddenly disappeared from Uxbridge; and some persons were uncharitable enough to suppose that he was the means of the call which was made upon his young competitor. Dr. Samuel Willard was born in 1748, and died September 11th, 1811, aged sixty-three years, in the house now occupied by Joseph Day. He was an eminent physician, a man of strong feelings and of much intellectual acumen. He did a very large and lucrative business in his profession, and accumulated considerable property and extensive possessions of real estate. He was a Tory in the days of the revolution, but escaped the penalties of that offence, and spent here his busy life, retaining to the last that quaintness of thought, that positiveness of statement, that keenness of satire, and that wit and humor, which marked him in the early days of his professional life. For twenty years, or more, he had in charge a large number of insane persons, and was supposed to possess peculiar skill in their management and medical treatment. In this way he was instrumental in bringing much ready money into Uxbridge. The old school-house which stood upon the hill, he used as a sort of insane hospital, and the small building which formerly stood where the shuttle shop is situated, was a kind of water-cure establishment, where some of the unruly ones used to suffer the wet pains and penalties of their misconduct. One of your citizens has described to me a novel bath which Dr. Willard used in managing his insane patients. He used to put them in a box made full of holes, the head of the patient protruding above the box. The box was then placed in the water. He said to one of his patients, "Come, be a good Democrat and all will come right." Said the patient, "I have done every-~ thing bad, almost even to murder, but I never did so bad a thing as to be a Democrat." Two of these patients, named Hancock and Ayers, whose forms and features are fresh in the memory of many of the present generation, belonged to families of wealth and standing in Boston. They met each other at dinner on their way to Uxbridge in charge of their friends respectively, and they both remained together in the care of different persons during a period of more than forty years. The famous Hancock house in Boston was the home of the patient of that name, whose courtly manners and stately form showed the wreck of one who should have been a worthy descendant of the patriot of revolutionary memory. If you will excuse one more epitaph, I will relieve you from any more graveyard literature after reading the following, copied from the tombstone of Dr. Samuel Willard: profession in Upton and afterwards moved to Uxbridge and practiced in this town for awhile. From Uxbridge he moved to Boston, and from there to Framingham, where he died early. After leaving Uxbridge, he devoted himself to other pursuits. Dr. Taft was a man of fair abilities, great kindness of heart, with a fund of bright, sparkling humor, which made him a general favorite. I am not aware that he ever injured the feelings of any one, or left an enemy behind him. He married a daughter of the Rey. E. T. Taylor, of the Seamen's Bethel at Boston, who still survives her husband. The tragic death of a beautiful daughter, by an accident at the railroad crossing near her father's residence in Framingham, is still fresh in the minds of those whose sympathies were so deeply moved for the grief-stricken parents.

Of Dr. Smith it is impossible to speak in too commendatory terms. He was in Uxbridge a few months only, and then settled in Sutton, where he remained during the most of his professional life, although he spent his last few years in Providence, where he died. He was a remarkable man. Belonging to a family eminent in the medical profession, he achieved, in a quiet farming town in the County of Worcester, a reputation which any one might envy. Called in every direction for consultation and medical advice, he sustained a position in the confidence of the people rarely equalled in this vicinity. His splendid form, his magnificent head, his modesty of deportment and his clearness of intellect combined to make him a sort of idol among those who had the good fortune to secure his services. He loved his friends, but he did not love indiscriminately. As an instance of his local attachments, it is related of him that upon his return from Providence on his first visit to Sutton, he was met upon the common with tears coursing down his cheeks and in explanation of the circumstance said, " Why, it looks like New Jerusalem." It used to be said of him that he was rather uncertain about answering calls, although he was quite attentive to the cases of his old friends. A lady, whose mother was sick sent for the doctor, and he did not appear under two or three days. The mother was one of his early friends. Upon his arrival, the daughter met him at the door with the exclamation, " Doctor, why didn't you come and see mother sooner ?" Said he, "I thought it was you who was sick; if I had known it was your mother, I should have been here before," blunting the edge of his remark with one of those contagious bursts of laughter, which were absolutely irresistible.*

* See Appendix VI., for a notice of James Watson Robbins, M. D. The other physicians of the town are Alonzo W. Bennett, Chauncy A. Wilcox and J. M. Macomber. For a notice of Dr. Macomber, see Appendix VII.

John Capron, whose name has been continually connected with the history of Uxbridge, was born in Cumberland, R. I., July 28th, 1757, and died July 11th, 1834. He became a citizen of Uxbridge about the year 1792, and purchased property, which with the additions afterwards made to it, has since been known as the Capron estate. He was the first President of the Blackstone Bank, and was Town Clerk of Uxbridge from 1804 to 1821. He was a plain, blunt man of consistent character, sturdy honesty, solid material and no veneering. It has been said of him, that after vainly endeavoring to decline a re-election to the office of Town Clerk, at a time when that officer was in the habit of orally publishing the intentions of marriage, he quietly made the proclamation on the next Sunday after the town meeting at which he was re-elected, that "I, John Capron, intend marriage," adding whatever more was necessary according to the custom of that day. Almost his first entry as Town Clerk was, "voted that swine run at large being yoked and ringed, according to law." At May meeting, 1804, after recording that Bezaleel Taft was chosen representative, he adds, "N. B. A. considerable number of votes were given for Benjamin Adams, Esq., for representative, the precise number I forgit." At May meeting, 1808, he writes, "met according to the foregoing warrant, and gave in their votes as follows: - for Mr. Peter Farnum 101, Hon. Bezaleel Taft, Esq., 89, for the Hon. Benjamin Adams, Esq., 1. Of course Farnum was chosen and accepted the choice, and returned his thanks to the meeting."

Daniel Day was born in Mendon at the Kempton place, and died Oct. 23, 1848, aged 81 years. He was aman of great industry and energy. He purchased a large farm in Uxbridge and carried it on with eminent success. He was engaged in trade for a number of years. His store was formerly situated opposite the house of Captain Otis Wilcox, and afterwards in the village. He was a man of large information, strong mind and retentive memory, and although he had but six weeks schooling in his life, he was one of the most thorough and careful readers in town. He was the first person in Uxbridge to make woolen goods by machinery, and was the second person to manufacture them in this country. He acquired a respectable amount of property, and has left descendants who carry in their marked qualities of mind and character, the traits of an ancestor whom they will learn to respect the more, the more they reflect upon the qualities which won for him the estimation in which he was held by the men of his day and generation.

now occupied by Caleb and William B. Richardson. He was the first democrat elected from this town to the Legislature. He was a large farmer and probably acquired more property by farming than any other person in this vicinity. He was always present in the town meetings, and always listened to with marked interest and attention, and often had pitched political battles with his brother-in-law, Bezaleel Taft, senior, who was a Federalist of the deepest dye. Mr. Richardson was a man of much modesty of feeling and demeanor, and repeatedly refused to accept the office of Justice of the Peace. The office at that day was-free of charge, but at the present day, most men are happy to pay the sum of five dollars which is charged for it. He was an outand-out Universalist from the deepest conviction, and made much exertion to attend the meetings of that denomination. He was a man of such simple habits of thrift and industry, that he probably never spent an hour in a store or hotel, when he was not engaged there in business. He possessed a wonderful faculty for the accumulation of property, and whatever he touched may be almost said to have turned to gold. I close my remarks upon him with one simple illustration. -As he showed to a neighbor his various notes and mortgages, the neighbor inquired, " How under the heavens did

In this connection, allow me to refer to one or two men of a very different style of character. Who has not heard of Simeon Richardson, son of the gentleman of whom I have just spoken ? Imagine to yourselves a genial, burly-looking man, weighing between two and three hundred pounds, who with all his good qualities, had a large infusion of those of a more questionable character; who threatened to set fire to his father's house if he would not alter his will; who applied the nose of a simple minded neighbor to a grindstone until he would say, " Blessed be Simeon; " who said, that he thought he never really loved his wife until he had taken so much comfort sleeping with a pair of twins, one on each arm; who threatened one of the most respectable magistrates in Uxbridge, that if he could catch him in the state of Rhode Island he would boot him within an inch of his life; who was romping, rollicking, genial, profane, witty and clever by turns ; whose heart, in spite of his errors, often overflowed with generosity and kindness, and who left upon one the impression of an unhewn, or more properly speaking, of a rough-hewn, diamond; and you have a tolerably correct idea of Simeon

Who has not heard of Ananias Gifford, the sprightly little brickmaker of the valley? Who that ever met him has forgotten his friendly greeting ? And who, to whom he chanced ever to become indebted, will not recognize his stereotyped jocularity, "Oh! yes; all easy, cousin, my name is Ananias; and wait"?

It would be pleasant to me to speak at length of many ofthe former people of Uxbridge - of Jonathan Whipple, who was the soul of hospitality and good cheer, the pride of whose life was, that no man could say that he was not an honest man;* of Samuel Read, who possessed the elements of permanent popularity; of Ephraim Spring, whose sneeze was said to have been heard in a clear morning from North Uxbridge to Lumpbottom; of Alpheus Baylies, once so active and enterprising; of Frederic Taft, the unsurpassed land-surveyor of the town, from time immemorial; of Hastman Taft, the dream of whose life was to be elected representative from the town, and whose experience uniformly was to be defeated; of Jerry Wheelock, so thoroughly informed, and yet always so modest and unassuming; of Amariah Chapin, so smooth and gentlemanly and so kindly of speech; of Jonathan Gregory, the first cashier of Blackstone Bank; of Abiel Jaques, the blunt, outspoken preceptor of Uxbridge Academy; of Dr. George Willard, whose accommodating nature rarely allowed him to contradict one; of Dea. Daniel D. Payne, who, among his many decided opinions, believed that it was a misfortune for a girl who had been in the habit of earning large wages to marry aman of small means, because she would be likely to have contracted extravagant habits; of Adolphus Spring, with a temper so even and a character so pure; of Daniel Carpenter, the puritanical liberal, the Unitarian worshipper with Trinitarian proclivities; of Cato Willard, one of nature's noblemen in spite of the color of his skin; of Daniel Farnum, who with all his wealth and shrewdness, loved to pitch coppers with the boys at a copper a game; of Peter White and Peter Freeman, each of them every inch a man; of the families of Taft, Thayer, Spring, Seagrave, Wood, Farnum, Thompson, Williams and others, some of which seemed almost to rival in number the descendants of the father of the faithful; of glorious women, past and present, to describe whom successfully, would need a pen of sapphire dipped in a sunbeam; but time would fail me, if I should make the attempt. One thing, however, I will say in this connection, that no town of the size and population of Uxbridge, has been more successful in bringing up a large this. Without referring to the business citizens of to-day, let me say, that the town which has within a given period, sent out such men as Stephen C. Greene; Josiah, Royal and Amory Chapin; Jacob, Josiah, Hdward and George W. Seagrave; John, Paul, Peter, Moses, Welcome and Darius D. Farnum; Sylvanus Holbrook; Effingham L. Capron; Asa Newell; Joseph Carpenter; Daniel Day; Royal C. Taft; David F. Wood; George T. Murdock; Stephen and Jason Emerson, and others; need never be ashamed of its record in this respect; while other towns may well look for the cause which has produced so remarkable a result.

Before proceeding to consider this, let me say, that among the objects of interest to the people is growing shade-trees. I have learned to make an estimate of the public spirit of a village, or neighborhood, by the simple test of the presence, or absence, of trees of this kind. In one of Scott's novels, entitled, "The Heart of Mid-Lothian," Dumbiedikes is represented as saying, "Jock, when ye hae nothing else to do, ye may aye be sticking in a tree; it will be growing, Jock, when ye're sleeping." When you look upon the beautiful trees which adorn your common, it may be pleasant to recall something of their history. Early in the present century, when the blacksmith's shop of Elihu Brown stood upon the spot now occupied by the

Academy building,* directly in front of it stood a large oak tree, which having become somewhat decayed, was blown down ina gale of wind. The two horse chestnut trees that stand near the Academy building were set ouf by my classmate and friend, Mr. Charles C. Jewett, the accomplished librarian of the Boston Public Library. The fact that he placed them where they now stand, has probably long since passed from his mind; but there they stand to dispense their beauty, fragrance and shade, comforting and blessing those who will never know to whom they are indebted for the pleasure. The rest of the trees upon the common, with the exception of one or two more ancient ones, and some that have been set to replace others which have died, were provided in accordance with a subscription which was made not far from twenty years ago. Who that now looks upon them would suppose that some persons not only refused to aid in the enterprise, but actually threatened to cut them down. Yet such things are true, and it is a fact well known to some persons, that if after those trees had been set out, they had been willfully injured, the aggressor, if discovered, would have learned the penalty which the law imposes for willful and malicious injury to shade-trees. No money or labor was ever better invested than this.

They stand here to-day, as far as they go, the silent mementoes of a true public spirit; and for a common, not large enough to bear the seeming constraint and confinement of a fence, they combine utility and grace, and will long be looked upon as one of the crowning beauties of this village; and although it is true that our railroads, as they are constructed, often impress one with the idea of the barbarism of civilization, yet if each land-owner would line them with shade trees, at reasonable distances on each side of the track, these very embankments, which extend like artificial deserts through so many homesteads in the land, might be made "a thing of beauty and a joy forever."

The population of Uxbridge in 1790, was 1,310; in 1800, it was 1,404; and in 1810, the same. In twenty years, the increase of population had been but ninety-four, and all the increase had been in the first half of the twenty years. If no additional element of industry had been brought into use, I see no reason why the increase in population, between 1800 and 1860, should have exceeded the increase between 1800 and 1810, which is represented by a cipher; for this has been the experience of some of the towns where the only business has been farming.

In one of the stories in an interesting little book, entitled, "John Hopkins' notions on Political Economy," John is represented as being located on a lonely island and getting rather a poor living by the labor of his own hands. During one of his journeys over the island, he discovers a huge giant, and manages by his superior intelligence to make the giant quite useful. He mounted the giant's back, made him carry him home, transport his burdens, draw his wood, logs and various other commodities about the island and thus relieve John from much of the drudgery of his life. He then made the giant grind his corn, saw his wood and lumber, and manufacture cloth, until at last this giant, who had been lazily basking in the sun, or running uselessly about from the time of his creation, by means of the skill and ingenuity of John Hopkins, became the comfort and civilizer of the island; and by prudent management, became so safe and tractable, that while he had the strength of a thousand horses, even a child could lead him whithersoever he would, and ride upon his back with an impunity wonderful to look upon. The name of this giant was aque fluentes, which in plain English means running streams, or flowing waters. The giant of John Hopkins is a thing of everyday life, and in this favored valley, the giants are all around us.

The only streams to which I purpose to call your attention are, West River, Blackstone River, Mumford River, Ironstone River, the Rivulet and Shuttle Brook.

West River has its origin in the town of Upton, and although it runs through the easterly part of Uxbridge, it takes the name of West River from the fact that Mill River seems to monopolize the eastern part of the town where West River has its rise. Near the head of one of its branches in Upton, is what is known as Pratt's pond, and although it once had the reputation that many of the New England ponds formerly possessed, of being bottomless, it does not now look quite as unfathomable as formerly. It is one of the hard lessons taught by the experiences of life to have the poetry attaching itself to the scenes of one's childhood all knocked out of him, and to find the visions that once filled his boyish soul, all dwarfed and contracted; but every boy of any imagination: has been obliged to learn the disagreeable lesson.

Starting down this stream, small as it is, we find the giant has been at work, and as time has rolled on, his work has become more and more important.

some places disappeared as the result of the clearing off of the logs and timber, formerly so abundant; but the grist-mills still remain to grind the grain which has taken the place of the primeval forest, and box-work, sash-work and various kinds of lighter and richer labor mark the progress of civilization and the improvement in the machinery of our time. Still the giant stands ready, to the extent of his power, to carry into full effect the various inventions to which the active intellect of man has made him subservient.

The first attempt to manufacture woolen goods by machinery in this country, was made at Watertown in the spring of the year 1811. In the autumn of the same year the next attempt was made by Daniel Day. He erected a small building upon a brook which may be called a part of West River, upon the spot now occupied by the mill of Samuel W. Scott. A part of it was used by Mr. Wheelock for turning bobbins, and the other part of it was occupied by Mr. Day, with a billy, a jenny with thirty spindles, and a carding machine. He sent to Watertown and procured an Englishman to work for him. In the spring of 1812, Mr. Orsmus Taft* went into this mill to work and is supposed to be the first yankee who learned to weave satinet in this country. Hverything, except the picking and carding, was then done by hand. No looms were run by water in Uxbridge until a number of years after this time. It seems to me eminently becoming, when giving this brief sketch of this town, that we should not forget the man who had the foresight and the courage to commence here the manufacture of woolen goods, nor the humble river which was considered worthy of running the first card and the first picker in this neighborhood. There may be larger rivers than West River, and there may have been better pickers and cards than those which were run by Daniel Day; but I doubt not that you will agree with me that none are more entitled than these to our generous and candid notice.

The next privilege above, upon West River, now. occupied by Messrs. C. A. and S. M. Wheelock, was afterwards, about the year 1828, taken up and occupied by Luke Taft and George Wall, both recently deceased. The praise of both these men is upon the lips of all who knew them, and their memories are fresh and fragrant to those who loved them. The time may not have come to say all we should love to say of these men, but whoever shall have occasion to speak of their lives in detail, will have a large margin of what is truthful, honest and

After leaving West River we come to Blackstone River, which, in the days when people used to meet to arrange about letting the fish run up stream, went by the name of " y* Great River." I suppose this name was given to it, from the fact that this river becomes the receptacle of all the other streams referred to, and conducts their waters to the great ocean that absorbs them all.

The most northerly source of the Blackstone, or Great River, is North Pond, in Worcester. From this pond flows a small but beautiful stream called Mill Brook. Its main branch originates in Paxton; thence it passes through the easterly part of Leicester and entering the south-western part of Worcester, passes into Auburn, where it is called Kettle Brook. There it receives the waters of Ramshorn Pond from Sutton, then again appearing in Worcester, it unites with Tatnuck, or Half-way River from Holden. After uniting with Mill Brook, it passes through Millbury, Sutton and Grafton, where it receives the Quinsigamond River from Quinsigamond Lake, or Long Pond, situated in the eastern part of Worcester, and passing through Northbridge, Uxbridge and Blackstone, it enters the State of Rhode Island. Says a writer in the year 1826, "The Blackstone is one of the most important rivers of the county. This noble stream washes some of the most flourishing and opulent districts of the county." He speaks of the traveler as delighted by the hum of a continued series of manufacturing establishments, furnishing employment for a vast amount of capital and subsistence to an enterprising, intelligent and thriving population. 'This statement must strike one as rather poetical when he remembers it was made in 1826, when Worcester, now numbering over 30,000 souls, by the then last census numbered 2,962; and Uxbridge numbering according to the census of 1860, 3,000 souls, by the then last census numbered 1,551. This was before the Blackstone Canal had been laid out; before what is known as the river-road had been constructed; before the Uxbridge Woolen Factory had been incorporated; when the old meeting-house stood upon your common; when the old hotel had not been removed; when the Union Building was nowhere; when old Mr. Baker's tannery stood near the spot where the Union Building, Mr. Whiting's carriage factory, Mr. Wing's shop and their surroundings are now located. It was the time when the Central Village of Uxbridge was rejoicing in a woolen factory built a few years previously, in the famous Capron brick store, the admiration of all the surrounding country; when the people were interested in the establishment of a new bank; when Hsq. Jaques kept school in the Academy; when Ayers the lunatic used to dress in uniform, brandish his sword, or play the flute without making a noise, and declare he was playing inwardly; and when the portly Hancock used to indulge his voracious appetite at every house where the people would give him anything to eat, and write acrostics upon the name of every man, woman and child, who requested him to do so.

The first factory in Uxbridge, operated by the waters of the Blackstone River, was owned by the Uxbridge Woolen Manufacturing Company. The original company consisted of Amariah Chapin, Dr. George Willard, John Taft and Orsmus Taft. Ina short time, Jacob Chapin also became a member of the company. The canal was dug and the water was let in, on Thanksgiving day, 1825. There was then no road within the distance of half a mile from the spot where the factory now stands. The first factory was a wooden structure, eighty feet long, thirty-five feet wide and three stories high. It started with two sets of machinery on kerseymeres. This building was burned August 28th, 1828. If any one should ask Mr. Orsmus 'Taft when was the first time he ever had occasion to limp in his gait, he would fix the date at the same time. Including the date of August 28th, 1828, within the term of one week, seven woolen mills in New England were destroyed by fire. All these fires were supposed to be the work of an incendiary. There are traditions to to have ridden like a destroying angel through the country, and of the gleam upon the clouds which seemed to mark his treacherous journey. The factory was re-built of brick in 1828, somewhat wider, but of the same length as the wooden mill which was burned. The proprietors soon afterwards obtained an act of incorporation. A few years afterwards, the mill was extended forty feet, making it one hundred and twenty feet in length. This brick mill was burned in 1853, and was re-built the same year. There are now in the mill twelve sets of machinery; and in the difference between two sets of machinery in 1826, and twelve sets in 1864, we see something of the increase and growth here of the business of manufacturing, with the same amount of waterpower.