IS 111. 



THE GENESEE FARMER. 



13 



MEMOIR OF ZADOOK PRATT. 



Onk of the objects to which this journal is devoted, 

 is the preservation of memorials of eminent farmers, 

 as well as of improvements ami discoveries in agri- 

 culture ami the domestic arts. The example of 

 intelligent industry, courage and integrity, and of 

 perseverance overcoming tin' disadvantages of time 

 and place, can oever be without its use in the rising 

 generation. The best and most useful men are by 

 no means necessaril} found among the learned pro- 

 fessions, or in the field, or the cabinet ; but arc quite 

 as often seen working their way in the world among 

 the patienl sons of toil. Unambitious of popular 

 applause — anxious only to discharge honorably and 

 faithfully the duties of the citizen, the patriot, and 

 christian — such men are found always at the post 

 of duty — improving and renovating society instead 

 of demoralizing, or corrupting it, and by examples of 

 enterprise, integrity and perseverance, ever pointing 

 onward to success — scattering blessings all around 

 them. Those whom the world, in its heedlessness, 

 calls great, may and do for the most part occupy the 

 vantage ground of public station, perhaps as often 

 from the force of circumstances, as real merit, and 

 too many are pronounced honorable and worthy, 

 merely from the reflected honor which that station 

 may happen to confer. But there is many a plain 

 farmer and mechanic, in his quiet and serene home, 

 among his neighbors and friends, who, if brought 

 out by opportunity, is as truly a great man, in all the 

 elements of real worth, as the proudest politician or 

 statesman in the land. He is always a reliable man, 

 because less liable to be deceived, or to deceive others. 

 Go any where among an intelligent farming commu- 

 nity, in any well cultivated region of our country, 

 and you will find this to be true. They produce — 

 they create — they add to the national wealth, instead 

 of diminishing its resources — and are in fact the 

 conservators of our political and social system. 



There are few of our readers who have not heard of 

 the great tanner,- Zadock Pratt — distinguished for 

 his enterprise and success in establishing and con- 

 ducting for twenty years the largest tanning estab- 

 lishment in the world. We have more than once 

 alluded to this gentleman in our pages, and propose 

 now to speak of him principally as a Farmer, in 

 which occupation he has been equally successful, as 

 in every enterprise he has ever undertaken. Of his 

 career as a legislator, though it has been honorable 

 and eminently useful, and attended with practical 

 results of which any public man might well be proud, 

 we have not space to give a particular account ; but 

 we trust the time is not far distant when a fall biog- 

 raphy will be written. For the present we must 

 content ourselves with the following brief summary. 



Col. Pratt was born on the 30th of October, 1 790, 

 at Stephentown, Rensselaer county, New York. In 

 selecting him as the subject of this notice, we have 

 been actuated by a desire to do honor to that enter- 

 prising spirit which has marked his whole history, 

 and which shines forth as an illustrious example, 

 worthy of being adopted by the rising generation. 

 The life of one practical man, like Franklin, Whit- 

 ney, or Fulton, it has been well said, is of more real 

 value than all the mere heroes the world has ever 

 produced. These men rose from the masses, and as 

 you trace their history you see how, by indomitable 

 energy and perseverance they attained that celebrity 

 which the world admired. Tribute has been paid in 



land to their names, where the lightof improve- 

 menl and scti nc< lias found its .-. 



Col. Pratt has evinced from his very youth, a 

 of industry and energy of character, thai to all 

 who watchi d In vidence of the 



SUCCeSS Which finally en . fForti . The 



establishment and succesi ful pros* hi 



exten i 



have s] read far and wide his fan n most 



intelligent and successful mechani< s this country bai 

 ever produced. The delightful and proi perous vill 

 in which he lives, hears evidence of his judgment, 

 libi rality, and public spirit, which few other ullages 



in our country can boast of. Hut we have not space 

 to extend our remarks in relation to his successful 

 prosecution of his mechanical pursuits. 



We would allude briefly to him in the capacity of 

 a farmer. He has often been heard to remark that 

 he owes his early love of industrious occupation to 

 the counsels and example of his mother. And how 

 seldom is it that any man has risen to great distinction 

 in this world who has not owed that elevation to a 

 kind and faithful mother, who, at the first dawn of 

 the intellect, seized the favorable moment to impress 

 upon it those all-important truths which were matured 

 with the growth, and decided, under the blessing of 

 Heaveij, the destiny of the child. But to return — 

 this mother was a woman of remarkable energy, and 

 early taught her son the importance of industry and 

 integrity — the duty of active exertion in life — the 

 necessity of economy to those who would be success- 

 ful, and to those who would achieve the great aim of 

 living, which is to do good and be useful. He was 

 also enjoined by her to observe the Sabbath steadily, 

 and avoid the odious vice of gambling, which he has 

 through life been ever careful to do, as well as to 

 impress the same great moral lessons upon others — 

 requiring from all in his employ, rest for man and 

 beast on the Sabbath. 



Every one acquainted with the manner of con- 

 ducting mechanical business in the country forty 

 years ago, knows that the mechanic relied almo.-t as 

 much upon the products of his little farm, as upon 

 the income of his shop ; and whore the population 

 was not large, and capital not abundant, many of 

 the most successful men were those who steadily 

 pursued this two -fold occupation. Col. Pratt, 

 while yet a lad, was thus initiated by his father into 

 all the mysteries of farming, and learned the use of 

 the axe, the scythe and the sickle, and to lov 

 pursuit as congenial to health and independence, and 

 the one which, in all countries, must be the great 

 calling of the masses. When twelve years of 

 he helped his father clear ten acres of new land, and 

 in the following year enjoyed the pleasure of 

 in gathering the welcome harvest of wheat. This 

 was in Middleburgh, Schoharie county, upon what 

 was called the Scotch Patent ; but the improvements 

 they made were of little permanent advantage to the 

 hard working tenants, for their landlord (Livingston,) 

 some two years afterwards i m, taking away 



the farm and consuming all their little substance in 



* In rotation to this it may bfl sviffifiont to say. that in about 

 twenty years, at hi.^ tannery in Pr&ltsvllle, the mo.-: 

 the world, about 1,000,000 slides of sole hither were manufac- 

 tured the yearly expenses of which were about $300,000, and 

 the total expenses abont $6,000,000. This immense busim 

 been conducted wo understand, without a single instance of 

 litigation. Colonel Pratt, a few years since, established in the 

 village of Prattsvillo a Bank with a capital of $100,000. which 

 haa proved of great service to the community, doing a basi 

 annually of one million of dollars. 



