214 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. [Jan., 



A member of the legislature that year from Litchfield, a bright 

 man and a lawyer, a member of the Judiciary Committee, took 

 it up. He had lost his case every time when called to defend 

 those men. He saw the mistake in the law. When he drew 

 his bill he submitted it to then Governor Richard D. Hubbard, 

 and Governor Hubbard finally told him that if it passed he 

 would sign it. Well, it did pass, and great benefit was con- 

 ferred upon the state. 



Now, as showing the disinterested unconsciousness of the 

 man whose death all deplore I want to just cite one instance 

 and then I will sit down. He was nominated for the legisla- 

 ture one spring. He saw his opportunity. He wanted to be 

 elected on account of serving, but there was an adverse meas- 

 ure against him. He lived just over the line from me, and I 

 was nominated at the same time. He said he thought I should 

 be elected. Well, said I, " It is doubtful." There was always 

 a doubt about it. We were both elected, Mr. Wells on the 

 sheer popularity of his personality. He had been the first 

 selectman of the town of New Britain for ten years, and the 

 best, I was told by several at his funeral, that they ever had. 

 What Mr. Wells said went in everything. I found out after- 

 wards that that man used to slip over the border into my town 

 and request votes for me, leaving his own town to take care of 

 itself. I never heard of such an instance before. We were 

 opposite in politics, but Mr. Wells did not think about that. 

 He had but one thing in mind, and that was the good of the 

 state. I did not know anything about Mr. Wells' efforts in 

 my favor until long afterwards. He did not consult me about 

 it, and it was highly indicative of the unselfish character of 

 the man. 



In this Board of Agriculture he did not make any show of 

 himself at all. He never rose to speak but he gave us all 

 advice and counsel which was of the soundest kind and which 

 was" always for the best interests of the board. His advice and 

 counsel was always followed. 



