54 Reminiscences of 



We remained at Upton about two weeks and had a 

 merry time, making excursions on the lake to fishing 

 places on an old tub of a boat which towed logs, 

 proudly commanded by Captain Bennett, who had 

 acted as guide in the woods with me on several occa- 

 sions, and who now approached work about as near 

 as he ever allowed himself. We made picnic trips 

 to neighboring brooks, and altogether had an enjoy- 

 able season. Dan Setchell, a most amusing comic 

 actor of good taste, never allowed the hours to flag, 

 and the practical jokes he perpetrated are beyond 

 recotmt. Poor Dan — ^iinknown to present fame — ^was 

 lost at sea not long afterwards, his ship going down 

 in a gale with all on board. 



Even then, the anti-liquor movement in Maine had 

 commenced, and spirituous fluids were restricted from 

 sale, but our landlord. Superfine, kept a private stock, 

 limited, however, to one kind, and that was gin, which 

 he had — of probably doubtful quality — in his cellar. 

 Setchell made the discovery, and upon request Super- 

 fine brought up a medium-sized pitcher full, and placed 

 it on the sitting-room table. The pitcher was a glass 

 one, and had an appearance of containing the limpid 

 fluid of the well. Booth had not yet come in, and Dan 

 immediately conceived the idea of putting up a joke 

 on him, as he would be likely to join in a pull on a some- 

 what neglected line. Obtaining an empty bottle he 

 poured a portion of the gin into it, leaving the balance 

 in the pitcher, and calling in Booth informed him of the 

 discovered essence of juniper, and having lemon and 

 sugar at hand prepared a gin toddy for good old times. 

 We watered our toddies from an adjacent supply, 

 leaving Booth to fill his from the pitcher on the table, 



