THE PUBLIC WELL. 97 



TALLOW DIPS. 



In early times, throughout New England, tallow dips were 

 commonly used for purposes of domestic lighting, as their 

 cost was so small. Beef tallow was tried out in a big iron 

 kettle hanging on a crane in the fireplace ; and, while the fat 

 was still hot, a piece of wick-yarn about ten inches long when 

 doubled, was held by the loop in the middle, and dipped in 

 the tallow. It was then hung over a stick and allowed to cool 

 and harden. When ready it was dipped again, and so on, 

 until it had grown to the proper size. Often a rude frame 

 was used, holding a number of wicks, which were dipped in 

 rotation, the first candle being ready for a second dip by the 

 time that the others had passed through the same process. 

 In order to make the tallow firmer and harder, sometimes 

 bayberry wax was pu.t into the kettle and melted with the fat. 

 Owing to better methods of lighting, and to the cheapness of 

 kerosene, the use of tallow dips has now entirely disappeared 

 from the economy of house-keeping. By a later method 

 these dips were superseded to a great extent by candles run 

 in a mould. 



THE PUBLIC WELL. 



The following facts concerning the public well in the vil- 

 lage were furnished mainly by Colonel Daniel Needham, and 

 are of interest. It was through his enterprise and generosity 

 that the well was dug, and for his services in the matter the 

 public owes him a debt of lasting gratitude. The town pump 

 is now so much of a local institution that any details connected 

 with its history are worthy of preservation. 



The well is situated near the foot of Colonel Needham's 

 lawn, at the junction of Main and HoUis Streets, and was dug 

 during the summer of 1867, a remarkably dry season. The 

 cost of sinking the well, independently of the stone cover and 

 the stone trough, was more than five hundred dollars ; and 

 of this sum Colonel Needham paid six-tenths, and Ezekiel H. 

 Higgins, Richard Pinckney Joy, Dr. Norman Smith, and 



