161 



was liberal in his chanties, and will be greatly missed. He be- 

 came a member of the Society in 1870. 



John Preston, of Georgetown, died July 20, 1889, 69 years 

 of age. He was born inTopsfield in 1820. He went to George- 

 town over forty } r ears ago, a shoemaker by trade, afterwards 

 managed a department of a shoe-factoiy, since which time he 

 has given attention to fancy and landscape gardening, having 

 fine taste for the beautiful, and skill in raising odd vegetables, 

 he was also an apiarist of great skill, producing large amounts 

 of honey. 



He has held every office in town that he would accept, 

 Selectman, Overseer, Assessor, School Committee, Auditor, 

 Constable, Fence Viewer, and for many years Treasurer of the 

 Peabody Library Trustees. 



He was identified with every institution, which improved the 

 town or its inhabitants. In the fire department he served from 

 private to engineer. In Masonic, Odd Fellow, Grand Army and 

 Temperance organizations, he was a useful, hard-working mem- 

 ber. He was courteous, considerate and benevolent, a pro- 

 found reasouer, close student, and an industrious omnivorous 

 reader of standard literature of the best authors. 



He served during the war as Corporal in Co. M., 4th Regt. 

 Heav}' Artillery, respected by his officers and loved by his com- 

 rades. His name was changed from Spiller to Preston by 

 authority of the Legislature in 1850. He became a member of 

 this Society in 1863. 



Eben Dale, of Gloucester, died in Gloucester Sept. 8th, 

 1889. He was of an old Gloucester family, and engaged in 

 Mercantile business of large extent, in Boston. He became a 

 member of the Society over twenty years ago, and assisted 

 as Marshal when the Society held its Fair in Gloucester 

 in 1872 and 1873. 



Elbridge G. Friend, of Gloucester, died Oct. 27, 1889, 'in 

 his 79th year. He was a mason by occupation, retiring in middle 



