208 
THE CULTIVATOR, 
July 
strange and ludicrous ; and yet it was evident to all 
■who knew him that his satire was wholly free from ha¬ 
tred or ill-will, and that it was impossible for a heart 
so generous as his to indulge any feelings of this kind. 
Mr. Fessenden graduated at Dartmouth, in 1796, 
and entered upon the study of the law at Rutland, Vt. 
with that eminent practitioner, Nathaniel Chipman, 
Esq., with whom he afterwards formed a connection in 
business. He was not in his proper element however, 
in the practice of law, for his ruling taste for literary 
and scientific pursuits, and his childlike simplicity of 
character, poorly qualified him to succeed in a profes¬ 
sion where shrewdness and tact are so essential. 
In the year 1801, a company of mechanics who were 
interested in some newly invented machine, employed 
Mr. Fessenden, to go to London for the purpose of ob¬ 
taining a patent. After arriving there it was found 
that the machine was destitute of sufficient merit, and his 
journey proved a fruitless one. He found himself a 
penny less and friendless stranger in that great city, 
thrown entirely upon his wits for a support; and here 
those qualities of satirical humor before mentioned soon 
afforded him a resource. He became acquainted with 
one Perkins, the patentee'of the famous Metalic Trac¬ 
tors, which were represented as performing the most 
marvelous and extraordinary cures of various dis¬ 
eases. This humbug had gained considerable favor with 
the people, although stoutly opposed by the profession¬ 
al corps. At the request of Perkins, Mr. Fessenden 
made it the subject of a Hudibrastic poem, entitled 
44 Terrible Tractoration,” which, for its satirical and 
Btrangely ludicrous humor, was much applauded, and 
won the author quite a reputation. 44 The poem,” 
says his friend Hawthorne, 4 ‘professes to be a poetical 
petition from Doctor Christopher Caustic, a medical 
gentleman "who has been ruined by the success of the 
Metalic Tractors, and who applies to the Royal Col¬ 
lege of Physicians for relief and redress. The wits of 
the poor Doctor have been somewhat shattered by his 
misfortunes ; and with crazy ingenuity he contrives to 
heap ridicule on his medical brethren, under pretence 
of railing against Perkinsism. The poem is in four can¬ 
tos, the first of whieh is the best, and the most charac¬ 
teristic of the author. It is occupied with Dr. Caus¬ 
tic’s description of his mechanical and scientific contri¬ 
vances, embracing all sorts of possible and impossible 
projects; every one of which, however, has a ridiculous 
plausibility. The inexhaustible variety in which they 
flow forth, proves the author’s invention unrivalled in 
its way. Long afterwards, speaking of the first con- 1 
ception of this poem, the author told me that he had 
shaped it out during a solitary day’s ramble in the out¬ 
skirts of London; and the character of Dr. Caustic so 
strongly impressed itself on his mind, that, as he walk¬ 
ed homeward through the crowded streets, he burst in¬ 
to frequent fits of laughter.” This poem ran through 
several editions at that time, and a revised edition, with 
anew satire upon the men and things of the day, was 
published by the author, in 1837. 
In the year 1804, Mr. Fessenden returned to New- 
York city, and soon after commenced the publication of 
the 44 Weekly Inspector,” a paper chiefly of a political 
character; he also published a book, entitled 44 The Re- 
gi s ter of Arts.” He afterwards removed to Philadel¬ 
phia, where he was engaged in literary pursuits, and 
published his humorous poem, 44 Pills, Poetical, Politi¬ 
cal and Philosophical, by Peter Pepper-Box, Esq., Po¬ 
et and Physician;” and also his satirical poem, entitled 
44 Democracy Unveiled.” 
In 1807 or 8, he removed to Brattleboro, Vt., where 
he had two brothers residing, and edited with much abi¬ 
lity u The Brattleboro Reporter,” a weekly and mis¬ 
cellaneous newspaper; and afterwards, at Bellows’ 
Falls Vt. 44 The Intelligencer,” a paper of like cha¬ 
racter. Here he published 44 The Clerk’s Companion/’ 
a book of legal forms ; an enlarged edition of 44 Deane’s 
New-England Farmer,” a Dictionary of Agriculture,; 
and 44 The Lady’s Monitor.” He was also continually 
called upon for New-Year’s poetical addresses, Fourth 
of July Odes, Be c., &c., and was somewhat engaged in 
the practice of his legal profession. During his resi¬ 
dence in Vermont, his attention was considerably di¬ 
rected to agriculture, and he wrote upon the subject for 
his paper. Here, his hitherto eventful life and ever-va¬ 
rying fortunes became more settled and prosperous; and 
in the year 1813, he formed a most fortunate and hap¬ 
py connection in marriage. Mrs. F. was of all others, 
the person of most desirable qualities to make the life 
of such a man useful, prosperous and happy. Aided by 
her excellent judgment and care, the earnings of his 
persevering labors, resulted in a comfortable indepen¬ 
dence for their declining years. 
Here, Mr. Fessenden won the affection and esteem 
of all who knew him, by the simplicity and amenity of 
his manners, his generous and frank nature, and his 
strict integrity. His application to study was untiring; 
he never had a moment for idleness, and his memory 
being remarkably retentive, there could be hardly a 
subject of importance started in conversation, with 
which he was not more or less familiar. He was re¬ 
markable for his good nature, and many are the sallies 
of his wit, remembered by his friends. His generosity 
of heart knew no bounds. The following little incident 
illustrates his utter thoughtlessness of self, when this 
quality was called into exercise. When he first re¬ 
moved to Brattleboro,—~an entire stranger to most of 
the inhabitants-—he took a morning walk, and coming 
to the toll-bridge, found there a poor family whom the 
gate-tender had stopped for the want of money. Mr. 
F. at once emptied his pockets of all the change he 
happened to have and let them through, passing along 
with them. On his return he found himself ih a like 
situation, and it was not without some parleying and ex¬ 
planation that he succeeded in getting through. 
In 1822, Mr. Fessenden was called to Boston, as 
editor of the New-England Farmer, a weekly journal 
devoted to agriculture. He edited this paper for fifteen 
years, or until his death, which occurred November 13, 
1837. In this time he also published his 44 Complete 
Farmer,” his 44 American Gardener,” and edited the 
Horticultural Register and Silk Manual. His labors 
during these years were most assiduous and untiring; 
it being his habit to devote no less than sixteen hours of 
the twenty-four to study. As conductor of the New- 
England Farmer, he achieved the crowning labors of 
his life. The paper had an extensive circulation 
throughout New-England, and may be said to have 
44 fertilized the soil like rain from heaven.” 
To this day, we turn over the pages of that journal 
with admiration for the research those labors evince, 
and for the great amount of valuable information the 
volumes afford. As an example of the vigorous yet fa¬ 
cile style of his writings for the Farmer , we quote the 
following truthful remarks from his 44 Acknowledgments 
to Patrons and Correspondents,” at the close of the 
12th volume: 
44 We may, perhaps, be allowed to state that our 
predilections to the art of all arts, increases in a direct 
proportion to the attention we bestow on it; for like 
every thing else possessing intrinsic excellence, the 
more intimate the acquaintance, the more obvious are 
its merits-—the more we explore the avenues of culture 
the stronger the perception that its ways are profita¬ 
ble as well as pleasant, and 4 all its paths are peace.’ 
And, indeed, the world is apparently now becoming 
practically impressed with the primary importance of 
those pursuits which feed and clothe the human race; 
and to which wo are indebted for all which makes life 
