Pr 
202 Memoir of the Life of Eli Whitney. 
family tradition respecting the occasion of their coming to this coun- 
try, may serve to illustrate the history of the times. The story is, 
that, about two hundred years ago, the father of the family, who re- 
sided in England, a man of large property and great respectability, 
called together his five sons and addressed them thus: “ America is 
to be a great country ; I am too old to emigrate to it myself; but if 
any one of you will go, I will give him a double share of my proper- 
ty.” The youngest son instantly declared his willingness to go, and 
his brothers gave their consent. He soon set off for the New World, 
and landed at Boston, in the neighborhood of which place he pur- 
chased a large tract of land, where he enjoyed the satisfaction of 
receiving two visits from his venerable father. His son, John Fay, 
from whom the subject of this memoir is immediately descend- 
ed, removed from Boston to Westborough, where he became the 
proprietor of a large tract of land, since known by the name of the 
Fay-Farm. — re 
From Mrs. B. the sister of Mr. Whitney, we have derived some 
particulars respecting his childhood and youth, and we shall present 
‘the anecdotes to our readers in the artless style in which they a 
related by our correspondent, believing that they would be more a¢- 
ceptable in this simple dress than if, according to the modest sugges 
tion of the writer, they should be invested with a more labored dic- 
tion. The following incident, though trivial in itself, will serve 10 
show at how early a period certain qualities, of strong feelling tempered 
~ by prudence, for which Mr. Whitney afterwards became distinguished, 
began to display themselves. When he was six or seven years Olt 
he had overheard the kitchen maid, in a fit of passion, calling his 
mother, who was in a delicate state of health, hard names, at which 
he expressed great displeasure to his sister." “ She thought (said he) 
that F was not big enough to know any thing; but I can tell her; . 
am too big to hear her talk so about my mother. 1 think she ie 
to have a flogging, and if I knew how to bring it about, she show 
have one.” His sister advised him to tell their father- « No - 
replied,) that will not do; it will hurt his feelings and mother’s 1°? 
and besides, it is likely the girl will say she never said $0 and thet 
would make a quarrel. It is best to say nothing abottit. = = 
Indications of his mechanical genius were likewise developed (a 
very early age. Of his early passion for such employments g 
sister gives the following account... ‘‘ Our father had a worksheP 
and sometimes made wheels, of different kinds, and chairs: 
