52 



THE FARMER'S MONTHLY VISITOR 



knew not wliat to do. Tlicv only knew that tliey 

 were free ; and, like tifjers let loose from their 

 cage, rushed madly upon their prey, and made 

 liberty (lie watchword for licentiousness, and ra- 

 pine, and blood." 



Sundry Items. 



It is mentioned in the book from which we have 

 quoted that the only two dwelling houses ever de- 

 stroyed by fire in Wilton were, one in 1810, owned 

 by John Flint, and the other in 1S33, owned by 

 Benjamin Parker. Two barns, one belonging to 

 James Dascomb in 1774, and the other stricken by 

 lightning in 1779 belonging to a Mr. Wood, have 

 been burnt. 



There were in old times four negro slaves in 

 Wilton, owned one eacli by Thomas Russell, Sam- 

 uel Greele, Alexander MiUiken and Archelaus 

 Batchelder — two males and two females : the fe- 

 males are still living. 



The number of deaths by accident in the town 

 in a century has been thirty-nine. Of these five 

 were killed by falling trees, or by the crusliing of 

 logs ; four were drowned ; five were killed by the 

 falling meeting house ; seven were scalded ; one 

 was burnt, and three committed suicide. Twelve 

 were children. 



The pauperism in the town has been extremely 

 light. Only one man is stated to have received 

 aid from the town prior to the revolutionary war ; 

 and up to the year 1830, only seven families trad 

 received partial aid from the town A few other 

 individuals also occasionally had received aid. A 

 farm purchased by the town in 1630 has generally 

 produced nearly a sufficient product to support the 

 poor and pay the wages of the overseer and family. 



The mills, manufactories, mechanics, &c. of the 

 town now are ; eight saw mills — five grist mills — 

 three tanneries — two fulling mills — one bobbin 

 manufactory — one cotton factory burnt in 1830 and 

 not rebuilt — one starch manutactory owned in Wil- 

 ton, but itself on the border of Mason ; four black- 

 smiths ; fen shoe-makers; two cabinet makers; 

 one hatter ; three stores ; two taverns. 



Generous expenditure for Roads. 



The expenses of new roads made in Wilton dur- 

 ing the last fifteen years, .independent of all the 

 ordinary repairs of the highways, has been more 

 than $10,000. This sum for a farming communi- 

 ty, almost equal to seventy-five cents per head for 

 every man, woman and child in each year, shows 

 the ability of those who rely on a rough soil for 

 their almost exclusive gains. 



Of the roads recently constructed is one extend- 

 ing a great portion of the whole length of the town 

 from the easterly line up the valley of the Souhe- 

 gan, over which there are one or more i>ridgcs 

 within tlie limits of the town, pursuing the Tem- 

 ple branch, and uniting with the old road below 

 Wilton west village. This road pursues its way in 

 the valley several hundred feet below the hill farms 

 of the town, and must have been constructed at 

 several thousand dollars expense. Another road 

 to Mason Village and the Factory village is con- 

 templated directly up the main Souhegan stream : 

 this will make very nearly a level and a direct 

 road from Nashua to New Ipswich by and tlirough 

 the hills, and probably carry the main travel from 

 the south-western section of the State in that di- 

 rection. 



What can be done exemprir'o, by -what 

 has been done. 



To be able to contribute so mucli for the public 

 — to support liberally schools within its own bor- 

 ders ample for all the common purposes of educa- 

 tion, besides paying expenses for academical edu- 

 catioit abroad — to purchase articles of necessity 

 merely for consumption, and to contribute the full 

 share in supporting the State government and of 

 the impost taxes which support the National gov- 

 ernment — to fit out the many emigrants which 

 ' have left it, and still to preserve tlie individual 

 wealth remaining — this^ rough town of Wilton, 

 small in dimensions, must during the first century 

 of its existence have produced from the ground a 

 value vastly beyond the mere consumption of its 

 people. Since the time of its first settlement near- 

 ly its whole capital has been earned besides the 

 great expenditure on tlie race of men and women 

 who have emigrated to other parts of the country. 

 The confirmed habits of such a people will contin- 

 ue to force them ahead, especially if they shall keep 

 an eye to that maxim which should be the rule of 

 every farmer — Never to suffer any portion of his 

 land to grow poorer while under the cultivation of 

 the plough and the hoe. 



When we consider the general ability of such a 

 community as that of the farmers of Wilton, wlia 

 procure every thing out of the ground, where men 



grow up and accumulate estates worth from $500 

 to $1000, and from that to $10,000 and even $20,- 

 000 in the steady pursuit of cultivating the soil; — 

 when we see such a community almost entirely free 

 from ]iaupcrism and able tn make any expendi- 

 ture that may be required for the construction of 

 roads and bridges within its limits; when we see 

 them educating the whole rising generation, all in 

 qualifications requisite for the transaction of busi- 

 ness, males to become useful heads of families, and 

 females to become partners and help-meets for their 

 husbands in all conditions of life, and nursing 

 mothers to a new generation that shall well fill the 

 place of their parents ; when we sec so much tal- 

 ent, so much refinement, so much of the higher or- 

 der of enterprise spring as it were from the ground 

 in a tract of country environed by mountains and 

 high hills whose face is apparently hard as the rock 

 of which it is composed ; when we see a town with- 

 in the compass of four miles rearing up and send- 

 ing forth in the space of fifty years a population 

 equal to that which remains, increasing much in 

 wealth that is kept besides what is carried away ; 

 without the indulgence of inordinate vanity, we 

 have a right to claim for the hardy inhabitants of 

 New England, that there is no part of the known 

 world that will compare with this country. "Ma- 

 ny daughters have done virtuously ; but thou ex- 

 cellest them all." 



Original Song, by Miss Sir.iii W. Livermore, 

 sung to the tune of Yankee Doodle, by S. K. Liv- 

 ermore, Esq., of Milford, at the Wilton Centen- 

 nial Celebration. 



This town was all a forest deep, 



One hundred years ago, sir; 

 The vales were low, the hills were steep, 



And rivers wander'd thro', sir. 

 A few brave men, a pilgrim band. 



Sought this far-off location, — 

 They saw it was a goodly land, 

 And here they fix'd their station. 

 Chorus — Yankee Doodle, here's tlie place, 

 Yankee Dondle dandy. 

 We like the right old-fashioned ways, 

 They are so good and handy. 



From time to time the settlers came. 



And many a spot was built on ; 

 At length the town must have a name, 



And so they call'd it Wilton. 

 Now wake the harp, and tune the lyre, 



To sing of ancient days, sir; 

 This rural theme the song inspire 



To sound old Wilton's praise, sir. 



Clionis — Yankee Doodle, &c. 



These good old days our fathers saw, 



Has fashion strangely alter'd ; 

 From customs good, which tlien were law. 



How many widely falter'd ; 

 The aged now remember when. 

 All country folks must labor. 

 And all who lived around were then, 

 To all, a fi lend and neighbor. 

 Chorus — Yankee Doodle, this was right, 

 Yankee Doodle dandy, 

 Ithelp'd to make the labor light. 

 When neighbors were so handy. 



In homespun were the people drest, 



Of woollen, tow, or linen ; 

 Their Sunday suits, which were the best, 



W'erc neatly made by women. 

 And women then could v.'ash and bake, 



And also were good spinners; 

 The maids could ply the hoe and rake, 



While matrons cook'd the dinners. 

 Chorus — Yankee Doodle, &c. 



No draught from China's sultry land, 



Al morning meals was seen, sir ; 

 The black cow* gave a beverage bland. 



Few drank tea, black or green, sir; 

 And coffee was not tasted then, 



To make the cares seem lighter, 

 Altho', 'tis true, that most good men 



Thought rum would make them brighter 

 Chorus — Yankee Doodle, here we meet, 

 Yankee Doodle dandy", 

 With goodly cheer our friends to greet, 

 But not with rum and brandy. 



Our fathers raised a house of prayer, 



When few there were to build it, 

 And every Sabbath, foul or fair. 



The people nobly fill'd it ; 

 To meeting went, both young and old, 



'Twas then but little trouble, 



For none would keep a horse, we're told, 

 That would not carry double. 



Chorus — Yankee Doodle, &c. 



So all on horseback then did ride. 

 Unless they went by sledding,! 

 And e'en tlie bridegroom and the bride 



Rode double to the wedding. t 

 And though the girls, we're told 'tis true, 



Could not then dance cotillions. 

 We know that all the country through, 



They used t® ride on pillions. 

 Chorus — Yankee Doodle, all could dance, 

 Yankee Doodle dandy, 

 No master then was bro't from France, 

 To make them skip more handy. 



And now the times, we say, improve, 



And learning is more plenty ; 

 At railroad pace the peojile move, 



And when they're five and twenty. 

 They've gone the rounds ^of learned lore — 



Are fit for any station — 

 Then quickly pass, are seen no mora. 



And thus goes on the nation. 



Chorus — Yankee Doodle, &c. 



This season be a land-mark strong, 



To guide us on our way, sir. 

 And as we pass through life along, 

 • Let us not go astray, sir ; 

 To good old days we'll bid adieu. 



And so we'll travel on, sir ; 

 We'll wish for all, good hearts and true, 

 And will wind up our song, sir. 

 Chorus — Yankee Doodle let ns sing, 

 Yanke Doodle dandy ; 

 Oli time is ever on the wing. 

 Improve it while it's handy. 



*Blach CoK. — The milk of the black cow was a 

 quaint name for bean-porridge. 



]SUdding. — Sleighs were not in use ; people rode 

 to meeting in winter on sleds. 



\Wcdding. — It was the custom for the bride to 

 ride to the minister's behind the bridegroom to have 

 the ceremony performed. 



Censtis of .\gricultnre in the United Statds. 



We are happy to perceive tiiat this important sub- 

 ject has been taken yp in the proper quarter, and 

 that we are at least to have such an enumeration of 

 the agricultural products of this country, as will 

 furnish some safe estimate of the quantity produc- 

 ed, and the districts in which they are grown. In 

 reply to some suggestions made by us on this sub- 

 ject, Mr. Deberry, the chairman of the committee 

 of agriculture, has kindly forwarded us a copy of 

 the instructions for the use and direction of the 

 marshals and their assistants, from whicli we find 

 that the following series of inquiries are to be pro- 

 pounded to every farmer. Although there are some 

 products it would be perhaps desirable to have in- 

 troduced into this list in order to render it com- 

 plete, yet it contains all the most essential items, 

 and if carried out in tlie spirit in which it seems to 

 have been conceived, it v.'iU be a collection of vast 

 impovtance and value to the country. Had such a 

 census of our agriculture been taken at every ten 

 years, the comparison of the tables at different 

 times would be of the greatest interest, as deter- 

 mining the increase in the product of our fields, and 

 the districts in which the greatest fluctuations have 

 taken place. 



We have one suggestion to make in regard to 

 this matter, which we consider of very great im- 

 portance. It is this. Let every printer of a news, 

 paper in the country, and all in the cities that print 

 journals for distribution in the country, give a place 

 to tlie questions which we copy below, and which 

 will be propounded to every farmer in the United 

 States. As it is to be hoped that there are few or 

 no farmers who do not receive some journal, agri- 

 cultural or otherwise, such a course would be the 

 means of bringing the subject to their notice, and 

 enable them to prepare their answers with great- 

 er correctness than they might otherwise be 

 able to do. If every fanner who receives a copy 

 of these interrogatories, would at his leisure sit 

 down, and write against each one tlte proper reply, 

 not only would the labors of the marshals be great- 

 ly expedited, but, which is of more consequence, 

 a greater degree of accuracy would be secured. — 

 The marshals will commence in June next, and 

 proceed through their districts as soon as consis- 

 tent with accuracy. The interrogatories refer to 

 the crops of 1839, and to the products of that year 

 must the answers relate. 



