26 



witness to y e bargain and the 6 days £ work are chalked up 

 above his mantle piece." Down to times quite recent, the 

 mantel piece and the cellar door have been favorite tablets upon 

 which to iuscribe in chalk important matters which an ordinary 

 memory might fail to retain. 



Thus far his procedures in this direction were introductory. 

 To the attainment of his main objective point he soon after- 

 wards moved with much directness. He says, in his diary, — 



Sept. 5. Mr. Blaisdell began to work on y e cider mill. 



" 6. Brot mill sweep from Rattle Snake Hill. 



" 7. Began to frame y e Cider mill. 



" 13. Raised y e Cider mill. 

 Oct. 8. Mr. Hanniford worked on y e Cider mill. 



Whether Mr. Hanniford finished " y e Cider mill " on this last 

 date does not appear. It is certain, however, that it was in 

 active service on the 16th. The record farther says : 



Oct. 16. Made 7 barrels of cider. 

 Oct. 17. Made 2 barrels of water cider. 

 Oct. 18. Made 12 barrels of cider. 



Oct. 20. Made 4 barrels of water cider. Gave Lieut. Web- 

 ster one of them. 



The result of these four days 1 work was 19 barrels of cider 

 and 6 barrels of water cider, a grand total of 25. If the sev- 

 eral ministers of this new city of Laconia are to-day as well 

 supplied on this line as was our first minister in 1764, the hard 

 times will affect them but little, and they may look for more 

 frequent calls for spiritual refreshment than ministers usually 

 have. 



It is a singular fact that, notwithstanding the evil results of 

 a free use of alcoholic stimulants, this remained so long 

 unchecked. Scant would have been deemed the hospitality at 

 ordinations, church councils, funerals, raisings, trainings, elec- 

 tions, and, in short, all social occasions, had not spirit of some 

 kind been present and free. It was not until about 1825 that 

 efforts in favor of temperance were first made in New Hamp- 

 shire. Total abstinence is of a date still later. 



For many years after its settlement the principal exports of 



