NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



525 



display of swine and poultry ; but we have already 

 occupied so much room, that we can give nothing 

 in detail in relation to them now. Hereafter, we 

 will give some of the statements made by the 

 competitors of the breeds and qualities of their 

 stocks. 



There was a fine display of needlework, in great 

 variety, by the ladies, which added much to the 

 beautiful appearance of the hall. 



For the New England Farmer. 



■ SK3TOH OF THE LATJE3 HON, JOHN 

 W. LINCOLN. 



V,Y FREDERICK HOLtfROOK. 



Hon. John W. Lincoln died on Saturday eve- 

 ning, 2d of October instant, at his residence in 

 Worcester, Mass., aged G5 years. It is but seldom 

 that death finds a more useful man. It is a hom- 

 age due to such departed worth, to endeavor to 

 transmit through the shades of the sepulchre some 

 reflection, however faint, of its living lustre. 



Colonel Lincoln was the third son of the late 

 Hon. Levi Lincoln, — a man of distinguished tal- 

 ent and reputation, at one time Attorney General 

 of the United States, and at another Governor of 

 Massachusetts. The Colonel was born at Worces- 

 ter, and there resided through life. He received 

 a mercantile education, under his uncle, the late 

 Daniel Waldo, of Worcester, and established him- 

 self in the business to which he was bred, devot- 

 ing several years to its pursuit. He early com- 

 manded the Worcester Light Infantry, at a period 

 when voluntary military organization and discipline 

 was essential to the safety of the country ; and 

 received orders from Gov. Strong to march his 

 Company to Boston, to aid in protecting the towns 

 along the sea-board from the impending dangers 

 of the last war with Great Britain. His company 

 were encamped for several months at South Bos- 

 ton, until those dangers had passed ; and no man 

 led out or returned a company under higher disci- 

 pline. He was closely identified with the leading 

 interests of his native town, county and State, 

 either as a legislative or executive officer ; indeed, 

 there was hardly any period, after he entered 

 upon the career of manhood, when he was not, in 

 some capacity, a public man. In 1824, '25 and 

 '26, he was the member from Worcester in the 

 House of Representatives of the State Legislature ; 

 for five years following he represented Worcester 

 County in the Senate ; and afterwards was re- 

 turned to the House of Representatives. His 

 practical ability as a man of affairs, his sound judg 

 ment and discretion, and never-failing fidelity to 

 the public welfare, all conspired to fit him for 

 legislative duties, and gave him influence in the 

 State Councils. He was first and foremost among 

 those who early led off in the system of Internal 

 Improvements in Massachusetts ; took the prin 

 cipal supervision of the construction of the Black- 

 stone Canal between Worcester and the city of 

 Providence — a work of great public utility in the 

 early days of transportation by canals ; and at a 

 later period engaged in the inception and construc- 

 ts m of several Railroads of great public impor 

 t ,nce. He was for many years the chief execu- 

 ti/e officer of his native town ; was a County Com- 

 missioner ; almost always an officer in five or six 



incorporated companies ; and in all these several 

 capacities he was unrivalled in prompt observance 

 of appointments for the transaction of business, 

 in practical judgment, and an energy and earnest- 

 ness of purpose which usually accomplished what- 

 ever it undertook. 



In 1844, he was appointed II igh Sheriff of Wor- 

 cester- County. He continued in that office for 

 seven years, and in the discharge of its duties won 

 the reputation throughout the State of a model 

 executive officer. In the language of another — 

 "As a Sheriff, while he executed the law with 

 fidelity, he never lowered its moral dignity by for- 

 getting the claims of humanity. While he was 

 obliged to deal with wickedness and crime, he did 

 it gently, seeking to touch the tender chords of 

 the heart and to reclaim the felon, rather than by 

 severity to harden him in his downward course. 

 The deep interest which he took in securing moral 

 and religious instruction for criminals is known to 

 many who gave their attention to the subject. His 

 influence and example was most strongly felt in- 

 side the walls of the prison, and no better proof 

 of his earnest sincerity can be given, than by 

 stating the fact that when he failed to secure the 

 services of clergymen on the Sabbath, he supplied 

 the deficiency by giving moral instructions himself, 

 and employing such persuasives as were likely to 

 influence and reclaim the vicious." If space al- 

 lowed, many interesting facts might be stated, il- 

 lustrative of his talents as an executive officer. 

 He was endowed with great decision of character , 

 and whenever in the discharge of his executive 

 duties it became necessary for him to summons 

 this bold quality into action, it was curious to see 

 how quickly the space would clear around him, 

 and how any disposition to interrogate, dictate, 

 or banter, would preserve a respectful and poli- 

 tic distance, judging it not unwise to keep the 

 peace with one of so much energy. 



But in no department of labor had Col. Lincoln 

 been more useful than in his devotion to the inter- 

 ests of agriculture. He had owned a fine farm 

 for over thirty years ; and in later life his desire 

 for the promotion of Agricultural Improvement 

 amounted to no less than a ruling passion. He 

 gave much time to the subject in a public capacity, 

 and in his private practice upon his farm he illus- 

 trated the benefits of science as connected with 

 the cultivation of the earth. He patiently sifted 

 such theories as commended themselves to his 

 judgment as likely to prove valuable, by accurate- 

 ly conducted experiments, in which guessing found 

 no favor, but results were ascertained by weight 

 and measure, and reliable conclusions were arriv- 

 ed at. He never pretended to understand a matter 

 till he had been to the bottom of it ; and then he 

 was firm and decided in his opinions regarding it ; 

 and those opinions had authority and influence 

 with agriculturists generally. Probably it is not 

 too much to say, that he possessed Vie most ex- 

 tensive and valuable agricultural library of any 

 man in New England. Here all the agricultural 

 books and publications of any respectability that 

 have ever been published in the English language 

 may be found ; and no doubt the frequent consul- 

 tation of them was of great advantage to the 

 Colonel in the formation of his opinions and the 

 conduct of his experiments. 



He distinguished himself by the science and 

 practical skill with which he employed irrigation 



