Reminiscences and observations of the nineteenth century, more particularly relating to the first half

Part I

Having been honored by your former secretary with the request that I write up something of my knowledge of the past, and after much hesitation, as I have no diary to refresh the memory, I have consented to make the attempt, and in the beginning may I ask your indulgence and patience over such of the material as will constitute its chief substance, which is more or less of a personal nature. Men of the present day, who through age and good memory, that goes back toward the beginning of the century, are able to realize the vast changes that have occurred within their lifetime in the material and social condition of mankind. More than 70 years have passed within my remembrance, and many events and occurrences of that early period are yet fresh in my mind.

Born and brought up in the society of people of the previous century, including soldiers of the Revolution, and in my youthful days hearing and taking in much of the conversation at home and elsewhere, relating to Revolutionary times and subsequent years, down to the 19th century, of the trials

*Read at a meeting of the Society Oct. 20, 1902. 3 and hardships of the war, and the unsettled condition of the country in the succeeding- years, of the hard times through which the people passed, and from studying school histories in my boyhood, impressed upon my memory many of these events, and much as to the condition and situation of the people prior, and at the beginning of the century, and through its first quarter, so that I may make the starting point of this paper at the opening up of the new government, which in the last decade of the previous century, under the wise and skilful guidance of Washington, was inaugurated and successfully started on its great career. The commencement of the new century found the government slowly gaining in the confidence of the people, but the great strain on the resources of the country to maintain the Revolution, and bring order out of chaos at its close, was yet severely felt, and the people of all classes were poor and suffered many privations, and were compelled to live in the most frugal manner.

The great depreciation of the currency during the war and down to this period, and the scarcity of real money in circulation throug-hout the country, prevented the growth of trade and commerce and made hard times. The lack of capital gave little encouragement to industrial enterprises. The "Chief occupation of the community \vas tilling the soil. In the absence of a ready market for their products, small returns in money came to them, and their means for a comfortable livingr were limited and hard to get. This was the condition of New England and its people at the dawn of this century, and there was practically little improvement in the same during its first quarter, and during this period, the war of 1812 with England added to the burdens, and increased the already hard conditions, but two years later brought a successful termination of the war, which gave increased strength to the government, and greater confidence to capital, and trade and commerce began to move slowly. The successful operations of the commercial marine on the ocean and lakes, brought to ship masters and owners, and to merchants along tide water large returns, and this soon found its way into the country, in the shape of capital for manufacturing enterprises, as was the case in 1815, when the foundations of the future city of Lowell were begun, and which was the first to turn the waters of the Merrimac into wheels of commercial enterprise and wealth, and laid the foundations of many other industrial concerns, which in later years gradually grew up to large dimensions. Many small manufacturing concerns were soon located on the rivers and streams running through the towns and villages of New England, giving employment to sons and daughters of rural homes in these places, although at small wages and long hours; they doubtless were thankful to earn a little ready money, and by this means, mortgages were removed from homes long burdened, and many comforts added to the scant things of the household.

While small manufacturing- industries were slowly working their way into the country districts, and in some measure supplying the domestic wants, not until later, when steam power and railroads became an assured fact, and were in successful operation, did a more aggressive business activity become apparent. Thus far, the country had made little progress, the business of agriculture waa still the chief occupation of the community, and the failure to materially enlarge the market of farm products, rendered the farmer small chance to improve his condition, and compelled the closest economy or his part, and that of his household; in fact, little money came into his hands during the year, and he was obliged to obtain the necessary supplies for the family, as far as possible, from the farm. The clothing for the household was made from wool of sheep raised on the farm, spun and wove by the mother and daughters in the home, the needed boots and shoes were from skins of his cattle, tanned at his neighbors' tannery, and made up by some itinerant shoemaker or cobbler going from house to house, making and mending the shoes of the village, and the groceries and other articles not produced at home were purchased at the village store, and paid for as far as possible with produce brought from the farm; the balance due, if any, was charged up on an account, not often closed. In this way, the farmer got along with little money, buying nothing that could be done without. His farming tools were of the most primitive kind, and in most cases were made on the farm; wooden plows, home made, turned the soil; and in antiquarian rooms of these days, some of these tools of our fathers may yet be seen.

The dwelling houses and out buildings were built from lumber cut on the farm wood lot, and sawed in the little saw mill near by, and as hardware stores were scarce things in the country, the village blacksmith supplied the necessary door hinges, and made the nails required, and such other iron ware as was needed. Some of the old houses of the 18th century had wooden door latches and handles; a few of these may yet be seen in ancient buildings preserved as memorials of a past age, but in the march of progress, at a later day, hardware for most all purposes, factory made, came into use, much to the relief and convenience of the community.

The above indicates the condition of the country and the people at the end of the first quarter of this century, but the next decade shows a material advance, and the country found some relief, from the small industrial concerns springing up wherever water power was available. Steam power had not then been applied in any manufacturing establishment in this commonwealth, nor in New England, and business was carried on in a small way, and with few operatives in each place, and at small wages,from 12 to 14 hours per day, six days in the week — no laws then protected the laborer from unjust exactions — labor reform societies and unions were unknown, and the laborer did not appear to have any conception of them, and was content, even at small pay and long- hours, if the chance to work could be obtained. This was the condition of the community at my earliest remembrance.

The country outside of the few large towns, in the first part of the century, was quite undeveloped and few roads could be found. The country roads from town to town, where the mail stag-es i^an, were kept in passable condition, as the law required, but the local roads were mere cart paths, unsafe for g-eneral travel, and as yet, little improvement had taken place in them, as the tax payers did not want to pay the cost, so that light carriages were not in use in many of the country villag-es; the ones in general use were wagons strong and roughly made, having wooden axletrees, without springs, used for all purposes of the farm, including- the family riding-, but this was very uncomfortable, and soon a remedy was invented in springs of various kinds, which came into use, relieving the situation. The two-wheeled chaise was occasionally seen, which first made its appearance in Colonial times, and was more or less in use in the more populous toWns, where the roads were better. They were a somewhat expensive vehicle, and only the gentry rode in them, as the common people could not afford their cost. I remember one of the ancient vehicles in my native town; it was elaborately built, heavy and cumbersome, and in its day was looked upon as a fine carriage. Its owner, an old farmer and his wife, rode to town and to meeting- in it for upwards of 50 years, and left it to their heirs. It was in one of these two-wheeled chaises that Daniel ^Wehster with his father rode from his home in Salisbury, N. H. (now Franklin), to Etxeter, some 50 miles distant, when 14 years of age, to begin his education in Phillips academy in that place in 1796, with his trunk tied on the axletree. No covered carriages, as now in use everywhere, were then seen, nor light buggies after the style of those of the present day were anywhere to be found. The common box wagon, hung witli leather springs made for business purposes and family riding, constituted the chief vehicle for light transportation and for general use. It was in one of these wagons that I rode on my first visit to Boston, in 1833. Horseback riding was the chief mode of getting about, and men and women rode in this way to meeting and to town, and about the country. This came about from lack of proper carriage roads.and had come down from the days of our grandfathers, who had no roads, but traversed the country through ' the wilderness, by Indian trails, and over paths of wild beasts.

I remember in my boyhood seeing the old family physician, astride of his faithful horse going his daily rounds to visit his patients,with saddlebags filled with all the requisite medicines needed —practically a traveling apothecary. As no regular apothecary shops were then in existence, the doctor had to supply the necessary medicines. The town clergyman was on horseback, visiting schools or the homes of the people, looking after their welfare spiritually and otherwise. He had no other mode of travel. Professional men almost everywhere traveled through the country in this manner. I heard my mother relate, when in her young days at home on her father's farm, some three miles distant from the village, that she rode horseback very often, as they had no carriage comfortable to ride in, and no roads decent to drive over. To go to meeting on Sunday, it was on horseback, seated on a pillion attached to the saddle behind her father, and when they arrived at the meeting house, a horse block stood near to the entrance for the purpose of dismounting. This she did many times, as no other way was provided to get there. This was the general mode of getting to meeting in her young days, for those who lived distant from the same.

I wonder how the young ladies of the present day would like this way of riding to church, clothed in fine raiment, sitting behind their escort on horseback? I am inclined to think they would not be there every Sunday, but young men and women found horseback riding a pleasant recreation, and this was quite common in my early days. This practice with rare exceptions, has long ago gone out of use in this part of the country, and no such thing as a pillion is seen in these days, as comfortable carriages and better roads are found everywhere, and a much better and more convenient way of travel is in use.

In all dwelling houses of that period, fireplaces only were in use; the stove had not made its appearance. Every room of ordinary size had a flreplnce. The extreme cold of our New England winters was severely felt, and it was found difficult to keep the dwellings comfortable. None of the modern appliances for heating purposes were then in existence, or heard of. Wood was the only fuel in use. Coal was nowhere seen or to be had in any country town. The first coal fire I ever saw was in a tavern in Boston, in an open coal grate. This I thought was a fine thing, and a good place on a cold night to sit by. It is related that when ex- President John Adams returned to his native town of Quincy, after a considerable number of years spent in the service of his country, his neighbors gave him a call of welcome home. They told him that as independence had been secured, the great services he had rendered his country entitled him to rest and recreation. He, in his response, said that Quincy was a most delightful place to live in the greater part of the year, but the winter months were so severe that if he could find a place, like the dormouse, to burrow in, he would be content, as the winters were most unbearable.

In those early times, in the absence of modern apparatus for heating, with nothing but open fireplaces to warm their dwellings, the inhabitants of New England no doubt suffered much from the rigors of the winters, and only found relief later through the introduction of stoves. Fireplaces in old time houses, as we remember them, were very large, capable of taking in a large quantity of wood at one time, and a considrable amount of the heat would escape up through the large chimney flue and was lost. To remedy this waste, iron frames were invented, set into the brick at the mouth of the fireplace, standing partially out into the room; this was designed to give more heating surface and a better distribution of heat into the room, and then the back of the fireplace was fixed to prevent as far as possible, the loss of heat up the chimney, and send the same out into the room. These were known as the Franklin Fire Frame, and were ornamental in design, and somewhat improved the appearance of the room. They answered their purpose until something better came along, then went out of use. I remember the large fireplace in my mother's kitchen, and the brick oven near by, and particularly the large quantity of wood needed to keep them going, as I had to bring it in from the shed outside, and then I have not forgotten how cooking in a fireplace appeared to me, in comparison with the same over a cooking stove. Every housekeeper of three score years ago knows the difference, and realizes the labor saving and economy of the modern cooking stove. It would doubtless be a difficult matter for the young housekeeper of the present day to be content to do her cooking in a fireplace. She would not long, if anything better could be found, but her grandmother and great-grandmother did it, and knew no better way, and were apparently content. But a change was near at hand, and the cooking stove was soon to come to the housekeeper's relief. This wonderful invention, as it was then called, was already talked about, and its wonders told in the weekly newspapers, so the good housewife was set to thinking about what a looking thing it must be, and perhaps had some doubts in her mind, that anything had been found better or equal to her fireplace, such as her mother had cooked in all her life, but she would wait and see. The inventors of the stove claimed that it would save much wood over the fireplace, and was more convenient and economical otherwise, but the more conservative people were not ready to believe all they heard, and were waiting with curiosity and doubts to see the new thing.

The first stove to come to our town was bought by my father. It did not look much like the handsome and commodious ones of the present age, and was of a very different pattern-' none of this style is now in use or seen anywhere, at least, I have not seen one of them for many years. It M^as composed of thick, rough iron castings and was very heavy, as it took a number of men to carry it into the house. When it was set up and ready for use, the neighbors began to come in to see it. I was a rather small chap at that time, but like some 13 of the older ones present, had my curiosity considerably excited over the new comer, and I paid close attention to all that was said and done, and remember what some of the wise ones had to say about it. Some half a dozen of the neighboring women came )n on the first day, and I think they all had something to say in regard to it. One woman told my mother that she did not believe it would be very convenient, and the cooking would not be as good as in the fireplace. Another said that it was of no use to tell her, that as much could be done, and as well, as in her convenient fireplace, and she would stick to that a while longer, and one was particularly certain that the cooking for our large family could not be done on it; but there were others who did not express an opinion, preferring to give it a fair trial; so they all went home with different views, some for, and others against, but the stove stood the trial, and came off victorious, proving very satisfactory, especially in the amount of wood consumed, which I remember reduced the quantity required to be carried in, much to my relief. As the fire place was no longer needed, it was closed up, and the old pots and kettles, and gridirons, and tin baker, and other fireplace utensils went into retirement- This was about 1832 or 1833. Soon parlor stoves came into use, and improved the heating matter very much, keeping the house more comfortable with less fuel and less labor in cutting wood. Some 15 years elapsed before coal came to my town, and then it gradually superseded wood.

Another invention came round about this time, that proved very useful and important, the friction match, a new thing-, not heard of before. Previous to its advent, the only means known to start a fire was the flint and steel, and tinder box. A violent stroke of the steel against the flint would produce a spark which dropped into the tinderbox, would ignite the combustible material therein, prepared for the purpose. This would cause a blaze sufficient to set fire to shavings or other light material used in kindling fires. In this way our parents and grandparents kindled their fires. There may have been other means of producing a sufllcient spark, but I am not aware of any. To obviate this rather uncertain way, live coals were kept by burying them in ashes, which if properly done, would keep alive a long time. This was a practical device, and was generally adopted, but in the event of the coals going out, the next thing to do was to g-o to the nearest neighbor, if one was reasonably near, to get some live coals, if they happened to have any. I remember being- called on to render this service for my mother. The first match g-otten up was not friction, but simply a stick about four inches long, dipped in some inflammable substance, prepared only to ignite when applied to a live coal or fire. These were quite useful and convenient, but soon the real friction match appeared and proved to be a very important discovery, which in these days would be indispensable, and to be without them would be a serious misfortune.

For illuminating- purposes, whale oil and tallow candles were chiefly in use. The candle was the light of the farm house and was of domestic make, the tallow was from cattle slaughtered on the farm, and prepared and dipped by the frugal housewife. The oil was of the sperm kind; it being more expensive, was only used on special occasions, when company came in, but in public buildings it was the sole illuminator.

Gas of any description had not come into use anywhere in New England outside of Boston. Prom the scarcity and high price of sperm oil, it went out of use for lighting purposes, and substitutes made their appearance, such as chemical oil, burning fluid, camphene and other expedients, more or less of a dangerous character, but as we all realized, time brought relief in the discovery of crude oil, brought to the surface in great quantities, and apparently without limit, and finding of a way to refine it, produced the best burning oil known, and so cheap iii cost that the poorest home need not go without plenty of good light.

It is also largely used for heating and other domestic purposes, and is now quite indispensable. Coal gas was first brought into use in England.about the first of this century, and into New York about 1823, and soon into Boston, but outside of the large cities, did not get into use for a number of years. It was more than 50 years after the introduction of gas into Boston that the great discovery was made of the electrical current as an illuminator. Those of us who lived in the days of whale oil and tallow candles, the only way then known to light our homes, realize the vast difference between the old light of our fathers, and the marvelous one of the present age, and wonder what next will appear to illuminate us, and amaze the world.

In my boyhood days many veterans of the Revolution were yet seen and met with in the home and in public places, aged and venerable in appearance, some carrying on their persons evidence of their experience in that terrible struggle, through the loss of an arm or leg, or eyesight, or other casualties, such as we now see almost daily on the veterans of the Civil War, whose similar appearance indicates that war is the same in one century as in another. These old soldiers of the Revolution, 50 years or more after the close of the war, feeble and decrepit with age, were held in much respect, and always found a welcome everywhere. It was evident that their delight was to tell of the hair-breadth escapes and hard experiences of their soldier life, and as young men and boys, anything about war interested us much, and when the opportunity offered to hear one of these veterans talk, we were generally on hand, and I have not forgotten one of these occasions that possessed more interest than the thrice told tales of some of these veterans, and it may not be uninteresting here to relate some incidents connected with a visit to an old veteran's home, and what he told us of his experience, which was not shared by many of his comrades in the service.

In the fall of 1840, then just ending my 15th year, with my father, I went on a visit to his father, who was then far advanced in years, but was well preserved. His home was in a rural town in New Hampshire, to which we traveled in our one horse wagon, such as was in general use in those days. It was not of the modern type, either in style, or in the most comfortable riding, but I remember we got along very well, as our turnout was about the same as everybody else had and rode in.

No railroad was then in any part of the Granite state nor in any part of this state through which we traveled at this time. Stage coaches and great teams were numerous along our route, but these were not all we met. This was within a month of the presidential election of that year, known as the "Hard Cider campaign." Harrison and Tyler, or at that time better known as "Tippecanoe and Tyler Too." Log cabins and hard cider barrels, and coon skins were a part of the election machinery set up to enlighten the people how to vote on the great questions of the day. The purpose of this mode of electioneering was to bring home to the voters the fact of the humble origin of their candidate, as in contrast with that of the opposing candidate, Mr. Van Buren, whom they said was an aristocrat. Most of the large towns we passed through had a log cabin, and in a few, more than one, and frequently one was met drawn by long- strings of oxen, filled with men and boys shouting for their candidates and drinking cider from barrels standing on platformis on the outside, within reach of the multitude, with coon skins nailed up over the entrance and on the sides,and also there were posted everywhere on barns and sheds and in public places caricatures of "Little Mattie," as he was called, all the way from my home to the end of our journey, and taverns where we stopped for the night were filled with men drinking and hurrahing for "Tippecanoe and Tyler Too," late into the night. Prohibition against the sale of liquor was not then the law in this state or in New Hampshire.

It was freely sold over the bar in all the taverns wherever we stayed. Traveling on the highway at this time was not lonesome business, especially in this noted political campaign, but we got through safely, and arrived at our destination. The old g-entleman's house was of the old style, built some tirrue in the 18th century, a high, sharp roof, one side of it went down near the ground, with a large chimney, and had a capacious fireplace, taking in at one time a large quantity of wood, whose bright fire gave sufficient light in the room without the aid of other light. As nothing but conversation was going on around the fireplace, my aged grandmother, my father and some others made up the circle, with the old veteran as the central flgnre. This group is indelibly fixed in my memory, and my mind's eye can see them as distinctly now as then, and it brings back to me those then present, who long- ago have passed away. The most Interesting incident told was his account of seeing General Washington. He served from the beginning to the end of the war and was five years in the ranks, and two years detailed about camp as servant to the officers, on account of his age and slender appearance. This first year of service was at the headquarters of the general of the army stationed at Cambridge, and there he had the opportunity to see the great general quite often, and became familiar with his appearance. His majestic and dignified bearing attracted attention and excited his admiration. He was tall, six feet or more, broad across the shoulders, erect, and of polished manners, always self-possessed and stern in deportment. When disturbed, through failure of subordinates to carry out orders, he would in strong and forcible language express his displeasure in a way that did not require repetition to bring the delinquents at once to duty. This, he remarked, gave him the impression at the time, that the general was a great man — a born commander of men — superior in every respect to anyone else about him.

While relating this, the countenance of the aged patriarch indicated hisdeep reverence and love for his great commander, and seemed to inspire him with some of the spirit of his younger days. This to me was most interesting and, having from childhood up been taught reverence for the Father of our Country, and to hear from the lips of one who in his daily duty had frequently seen him, the most illustrious man in the world's history, whose undying fame is immortalized the world over, was an event of my life not to be forgotten, and when I read anything about Washington, I am at once reminded of this long ago interesting occasion.

The country from 1830 to '40 made considerable progress and was steadily improving in its condition, and industrial establishments were finding encouragement in various sections of New England,and were slowly increasing in number and importance. Railroads were beginning to be operated in some parts of the country, and with some success. In the eastern part of this state small shoe factories were quite numerous, employing a few operatives in each; also tanneries were in successful operation, not only in this state, but in localities outside, and gave employment to many persons. The shoe business in this commonwealth at this time was an important industry, although done in a small way, without machinery of any sort. These little concerns where located, gave employment to many persons, young and old, and were the life and strength of the town. Their products found a market in the South and Southwest, and were the coarse heavy plantation shoe for Southern trade. These small shops were run by men of little or no ready capital, the proprietor doing his own work as far as possible, employing a small number of workmen to assist him, carrying, in most instances his manufactured products to Boston, the head center of this trade in this country at that time, in his own team, and exchanging the same for new supplies, necessary to continue the business, and to get such an amount of money as the merchant would allow him. In this way the shoe industry at this period was carried on, and in the existing scarcity of money in circulation, the manufacturer paid his help largely in orders on the village store. In this manner many were employed, but at small pay and long days, but the next decade showed a large increase in the shoe and leather business in New England, and later resulted in laying the foundation of an immense business in this state, that extended itself to all parts of the Northern states, and created great wealth, and gave employment to hundreds of thousands of men, women and children, and by the invention of machinery, applicable to all parts of the work, and through the high degree of perfection to which this great industry has been carried, the country is fast monopolizmg in all its several branches, the shoe and leather trade of the world.