Proceedings of the Eighth Annual Meeting of the Nantucket Historical Association

PROCEEDINGS -OF TIIE-

Eighth Annual Meeting -OF TIii•:-

Nantucket Historical Association, JULY 15, 1902.

'\tHE annual meeting of the Association was held Tuesday morning m the vestry of the orth church, about 100 gathering to participate in the exercises. The meeting was calll:!d to order by President Wm. F. Barnard soon after ro o'clock. After the approval of the records of thl previous meetings the prc»ident read his address, which was followed by the reports of the Secretary, Curator and Treasurer, in the order named.

The ominating committee then submitted the following report of nominations of officers for the ensuing year: President,

WILLIAM F. BARNARD. Vice Preeidente,

HE RY S. WYER, BENJAl\lIN SHARP, MRS. SARAH C. RAY­ MO D, WILSON MACY, SID EY CHASE, MOSE JOY. Secretory,

MRS. ELIZABETH C. BEN 1ETT. Treasurer,

HARLES C. CROSBY. Curator

MISS SUSAN E. BROCK. Gouncilors for Four Yeors.

THURST01· C. SWAI., :\IRS JA,·E C. PERRY.

• 2

Despite ti.te protest of the President that some other per on should be selected to carry forward the duties of that office for another year, the Secretary was directed by unanimous vote to deposit one ballot for the names as reported as the ballot of the Association, which was done, and those named were declared elected.

There seemed to be a general declination on the part of the Nomi­ nating committee to sen-e another year, and nominations being called for, the following named members were elected: Mrs. Judith J. Fish, tiss Harriet R. Easton, :.Jiss Emily \Veeks, Rev. J. F. !\feyer and Harold C. Kimball.

The committee having jurisdiction unanimously recommended that, in consideration of his valuable service to the Association, Henry B. \Vorth, Esq., be elected an honorary Life Councilor, and the action of the Association was as unanimous as that of the committee.

The President announced that owing to the difficulty in securing needed material, the paper on "Education in l\ antuckct," to be read by Miss \Veeks, was unavoidably postponed until the next annual meeting.

He then called upon Alexander Starbuck, of \Valtham, who read a his­ torical sketch of the newspapers of Nantucket, commencing with the Gazette.

Miss Easton's paper on "Old Letters and Old Friends" proved o delightful a treat last year that she was urged to continue the intere,ting recital, and she read some letters to her father, abounding, like those of a year ago, iR charming and valuable reminiscence. It is to be hoped her good work will be continued.

Rev. fr. leyer spoke of the history of the local Unitarian church which he had compiled, and which would soon be published.

Mr. Starbuck said he had copied within a week the Acts of Incor­ poration of the Second and First Congregational societie.. He referred to a town meeting held in 1820, at which time the town \·oted to petition the General Court for local option in the matter of liquor licenses.

Allen Coffin, Esq., said so far as he was able to ascertain,. •antucket was the first town in fassachusetts to control the sale of liquors.

The meeting adjourned oon after 12 o'clock.

In the evening, at the Unitarian church, Mrs. Caroline Foote Marsh who is a descendant of the island, gracefully depicted in an illustrated lecture "The Colonial Homes of Virginia," weaving in the historical side in a most interesting manner. Mrs. Marsh is a delightful speaker, and was listened to with close interest by a large congregation, who gave evi­ dence of their appreciation of t.he lecture in a burst of applause.

After the lecture a reception was held at the Ocean House, but the attendance was curtailed by the se\·ere thunder storm. i evertheless, those in attendance passed a most enjoyable hour. Refre hments were served.

3 PRESIDE T'S ADDRESS. Fellow !embers of the

antucket Historical Association:

Our eighth annual gathering finds the As ociation in a most flouish­ i ng condition, and it is surely a matter for sincere congratulation that the interest in our organization does not . uffer any decline. Our memberhip is being steadily increased, and the collection in our Fair Street building is being enlarged. We have certainly passed the initial stages of our existence as an organization, and it is safe to assert that its per · manency is assured. But we mu t not be entirely satisfied with the past aad so get into the quiescent state of inertia concerning the future. \Ve must be on the alert at all times for any scrap of historical inter­ e ·t which may fitly be included in our archives.

At the close of our meeting last year a lady said to me that she llad a large collection of letters and document in the garret of her house, which might be of interest, and I a sured her that they would be eagerly welcomed. There mu ·t be others who have documents of \'arious sorts which will either be scattered or destroyed on the death of the present owner, and what more fitting depository for such than our building on Fair Street? o one can look over the collection of manuscripts on the upper floor of the building without a wish that it might be increased very largely.

Then, too, there must be articles for personal and household uses which were in Yogue in the early days of the Island's history which have not yet found lodgement under our roof.

Let me urge once more that each member keep up a perpetual out­ look to secure anything and e\'erything which will add to our knowledge of the past of our I land Home.

We shall have the pleasure to-day of listening to some correspond­ ence concerning some of the religious epochs here, and that will suggest the desirability of our obtaining, if possible, a more detailed history of the se\·eral churches and religious organizations which have existed on the Island.

The present pastor of the nitarian church has prepared a narrative of the formation and subsequent history of that organilation, and he kindly offers u, a copy.

Is it not possible for some one, conversant with the career of the re­ maining- churche , to put in permanent form the salient points in their existence?

The Rev. M. S. Dudley has done much in the direction sug�ested, but it seems to me that we might, with a little effort, get additional de­ tails, which would prove interesting. 1 antucket's educational history will recei\'e attention during the ensuing year, and with material now in hand, and what is likely to be secured, there will be prepared, by the committee appointed, in time for presentation next year, a paper which will be both valuable and interesting.

4 May I call attention to the desirability of possessing biographical sketches of the many professional sons and daughters of Nantucket?

The army, navy, judiciary, as well as the official ranks of Nation and State have been enriched by talent which was colored by Nantucket blood.

We owe it to our descendants to chronicle the deeds of these relatives of ours, that emulation as well as pride of lineage may be excited. W e may justly paraphrase the proud assertion of the apostle Paul, that we are citizens of no mean island of the sea.

You will hear from our faithful Secr.etary, of the incidents, etc., of the doings of the Council; from our most devoted Curator, a report of what to her is a labor of love, as well as official duty; and our conscien­ tious and painstaking Treasurer will tell u of our financial condition, which, as he tells me, was never more favorable than now.

1 very much wish that the last named report could give us an assur­ ance of the prospect of an early fruition of our hope concerning a new building. Would that the Memorial church recently erected near our headquarters, might prove a suggestion to some one possessed of wealth, that a permanent reminder of some deceased friend could not assume a more catholic and enduring shape than in a building which would con­ tain the data and records of the history which is the common heritage of us all. Let us not yet despair of seeing, some day in the near future, the fire-proof structure which we need for the preservation of our price­ less collection. We have abundant testimony to the impressive charac­ ter of the historical information which our collection conveys to those who desire to know of Nantucket's past, and we do well to take local pride in it all.

The earnest and peculiar attachment which all antucketers have for their home land is heightened as one listen to the expre sions of in­ terest which are quite univer al from all visitors to our rooms, and I am sure l voice the feelings of all my associates when I say I long for an in­ crease in this pride of birth-place and lineage among the young people now oming on the stage 0f activity. l n accordance with the reque t of the Council I had the pleasure of com·eying your alutations to the Association of Son. and Daughters of antucket, on the occa ion of their meeting in Boston last November. _ It was an inspiration to look at a gathering of nearly two hundred of those who either directly or indirectly are of Nantucket descent, and mo t delightful to breathe the air of the evening.

I had hoped that the Nominating Committee would have presented to-day some other name than mine for the Presidency. Not that I desire to shirk any duty that a loyal son of antucket ought to perform, but that some one whose interest is no less intense than mine in the welfare of the Association, might be elected, that you might hear a new voice,

5 and have some one as your head who is better able to suggest and carry out new plans for the increase of interest and more efficient accomplish ment of the purposes of the Association.

I cannot refrain from reasserting, in my closing words, my thorough allegiance and heartfelt love for our island home, and couple my great satisfaction with your that the ant ucket Historical Association is not the lea t of the organizations which deserve the well wishes and finanei,il support of all the sons and daughter of the "purple isle of the sea."

SECRETARY'S REP RT. Mr. President, Ladies and Gentlemen: In the course of events the scroll of the last historical year is rolled up, and we are to-day just 7 plus 1 - old yet young. If these years which to us seem many, wil1 not in your eyes justify us in u. ing Carlysle's words, still in the light of our mission we may borrow from him, and say truthfully to our hopes," we are history, you are prophecy."

Facts first- wishes later. You will notice by ou.r Treasurer's re­ port we have 245 Annual members, 57 Life members, and four Life Coun­ cilors, a gain in funds if not in numbers. The As ociation of the Sons and Daughters of antucket sent hearty greetings and a most cordial im·itation to the antucket Hi ·torical As. ociation to . end a representa­ tive to their annual reunion in Bo ton, on Friday, ov. 22d. By a unan­ imou vote of the Council, Mr. Barnard, our President, was chosen to 1 epresent us.

We have had many Council meetings through the Fall and ·winter, and have always had a quorum, which means much, since so many mem­ bers are away for the winter, Our annual meetings, held in this orth Vestry, which throuo-h the courtesy of the officers of the Torth Congreg ational church, has each year been thrown open to u , have been attendcd with growing interest. The same may be said of our evening meetings, Our fire-proof building fund is increasing; but not as we would like to have it, therefore we till have to dream of those valuable treasures and documents we have been promi ed, when we shall ha,·e a fitting storehouse for them.

The sad part of a Secretary's duties is to make a record of the cleat hs of its members. We have lost this year, Mrs. Ellen Crosby, the \life of our Treasurer; Miss Sarah Winthrop Smith, Mr . Hannah M. Robin­ son, Mr. Josiah Folger, Miss Eliza Drew Gardner, Mr. and Mrs. Andrew Morton, all of whom enrolled themselves as Charter members. Of the late Mr. Josiah Folger's loyalty to onr cause, we must speak with grati­ tude. He was ever ready to give us his aid, and his sympath) with our cause was never wanting. At his death he left us five hundred dollars, which has gone far toward meeting the needs of the Association. Mr. Folger i the first antucketer who ha o-iven u any considerable sum of money.

6 Our wishes are modest and simple, and like the old woman of black pudding fame, in the fairy tale, we have but three:- Funds for our fire­ proof building, all the valuables and document to put in it, and an in­ creased membership list. Among most acceptable gifts we would esteem a collection of those old antucket sayings, in which our grandfathers were so rich, flavored as they were with reminisences of whaling days.

They are passing from us with this generation. lf each member of the Association would, before the next annual meeting, jot down any such bits of wit and wisdom, we could easily devise some means for having t�em classified and pre erved. We cannot doubt that the fruits of such a task would justify it. Perhaps it would not be too much to say, that we have at hand material for a Nantucket folk-lore, which in originality and characteristic virility need fear no rival. \Ve have trusted so fully in the strength of our organization, as to call our hopes prophesy. It rests with every member of our Association to change prophesy into verity.

Respectfully submitted, ELIZABETH C. BE NETT. CURATOR'S REPORT. Mr. President and Members of the Historical Association:I take pride and pleas1,1re in coming before you with the record of our doings for the past year, for though it may not contain so many items of general interest as in some former years, yet in actual achievement, the results of our labors are greater than ever before.

We have concentrated all our efforts and funds on the publication of Mr. Worth's Historical Papers. The scope of this work was fully set forth at our last annual meeting, and immediately thereafter the first vol­ ume was published. The second and third are now about ready for sale.

These volumes contain sixty pages each, and Vol. 2, which is on the Homes of the Early Settlers, is illustrated with a wonderful map, de­ signed by Mr. Worth from the records of the old roads, in the same man­ ner in which a naturalist constructs the entire pre-historic animal from a small handful of bones,-only with greater certainty of accuracy. This map adds much interest to the valuable information contained in this pamphlet.

We shall thus succeed in issuing three volume this year, which we consider a good year's work, but the tireless industry of our historian will soon produce more chapters, and we wish to print these as soon as ready, and have resolved to do so, even if every cent in our general treasury is needed for the purpose. This seems to us to be our legitimate work, at present, and must take precedence of everything else. It is a little diffi­ cult to stick to our resolution to expend nothing in other ways, as we are often sorely tempted to make exceptions to this rule. Lately a case in

7 point Ira: occured: - In one o{ the bric-a-brac tores in town, two por­ trait of former 1 antuclcet citizens are displayed for . ale. We hould be glad to pos ess them, and it seems almost wrong for u to allow them to be sold and carried away from the Island, but the price charged for them is large and we must not yield to the temptation to purchase them,­ unle. s a special sum should be donated for this purpose.• The attendance at the Rooms during last ummer amounted to about the usual figure of 1 300 persons. It is a con ·tant surpri ·e to u that one year varies so little from another in this respect. Once the paid admi. sions differed but a few cents from the year before, and now, this year, the first day of opening, gave us the identical um to a cent, which we re­ ceived on the fir t day last year! These startling in tancca seem unac countable and sometimes almost uncanny.

No change· have been made in the rooms, and the latter have been no expense to us, save a little improvement in the way of fresh paint on floor and case .

The work of examining and classifying the large quantity of photo graphic negatives purcha ·e<l last year, has gone on satisfactorily, but is not yet completed.

In the Library we have attacked a ta k of considerable labor,-the making of a card catalogue of our large collection of pamphlets. During the winter we succeeded in completing the mo t important part of this work, viz :-those pamphlets which arc connected with the history of our island, and all those written by or about ·antucket per ons. Probably one more winter' work will finish all the remainder.

A number of donation have been received, and places have been found for them all. We have thought the shelves full and the room crowded, but our case remind us of the old-fashioned omnibus, which was said to have always cc room for one more." Still, there must be a limit to our space, and the present condition of our room admonishes u that the time i · approaching when we can no longer receive and care for more gifts, unle s the long-talked of cc fire-proof extension" becomes a fact.

The generous bequest of our friend, Jo iah Folger, already alluded to by other , ha encouraged u to believe that as one has shown the way more will follow, and that we may feel a ured of better and larger quarters for our trea ure , before many years. This subject may seem threadbare to you, but the need becomes more pressing every year, and cannot be ignored. A quotation from T. W. Higginson may apply in this case :-he says, " Silence is golden, no doubt, and like other gold re­ mains in the bank vaults, and doe not just now circulate very freely a currency, and it is plain that the way to get anything in America is to talk about it." A a large part of our members belong to what is generally • "incc the ;,above was written, the portraits h,lVC been sccur�d to the A�'M>Cl:1\lon, throui:;h the gencro i1y ol one ol its members.

8 :onsidered the talkative sex, I think that a word to the wi e is sufficient, and that you will not allow our project to languish, by neglect of this plain duty.

Let us all think of II fire-proof building," work for II lire-proof build­ ing" and, above all, talk and talk of II fire-proof building!"

Respectfully submitted, SUSAN E. BROCK.

TREASURER'S REPORT. ACC0U. 'T NO. L NA�TUCKET IIIST0IUCAL ASSO 'IATIOK I:-.

\CCOU�T WITII Cl! \S. C. CROSBY, TREASURER. GE:-ERAI. FUNDS. CREDITS.

1901.

June r.

• 9.o6 1.00 JCJOO, .

1.00 " 1901, .00 225.00 1902, . 56.00 1903, 191.81

By Gate Money,

By Old fill,· 93.50 20.00

By Interest on Miss C. L. W. French Fund, · 90.00

By Life Membership,

By Cift of Mr. A.B. Lamberton, for painting building, 15.00 20.00

By Cift for H.B. \Vorth's Book, .

8.oo

By B. F. Williams, Rent of land, 1.00 Hy Timothy \Vhite Papers,

By Balance,

By Annual Dues, 189<1,

DEBIT..

To Fire-proofBuilding Fund, To SundryBills paid, ToBalance to Credit 1 ew Ac.

.·145.00 562.25

-

J:?.1:?

739.37

Approved,

739.37

antuckct, June 16th, 1902.

CHAS. C. CROSBY, Treasurer.

II S. \\'YER, :\. G.BROCK, A. B. LA::\IB ERTO.

9 ACCOl'XT :-.-o. � XAXTUCKET IIISTORICAL ASSO IATIO:X IN A COUNT WITII CHAS. C. C.ROSHY, TREASURER.

Depo ited in antucket Institution for SaYings, Fire-proof Building Fund.

1901, June 1. ov. 27.

July 1.

1902.

Jan. 6.

Feb.

CRED!TS.

By Balance, ByGeneral Fund,

By Interest to date,

,:,765.-19 100.00 15.05

By Interest to date, ByGeneral Fund,

antucket, June 10th, 190.2.

HAS. C. CROSBY, Treasurer.

ApproYed, H. S. WYER, A.G. BROCK, A. B. LAMBERTO

AC OUXT NO. 3. :\A. TVCKET IIISTORICAL ASSOCIATJO::-;

r::,.; A

·cov:-.-·,

\\'ITlf CIIAS. C. CRO!-.BY, TREASl'RER.

MJSS C. L. \\". FREJ\CII FUXD.

Deposited in 'antucket Institution for SaYings.

1901.

June 1.

1902.

Jan. 6.

CREDIT.

By Balance,-

:500.00

By Interest to elate,

)0.00

DEBIT.

ToGeneral Fund, Jan. q.

June 16. To Balance to new account,

- �10,00 500.00 510.00

Approved,

510.00

Nantucket, June 16th, 1902.

CHAS. C. CROSBY, Trea. urer.

H. S. WYER, A.G. BROCK, A. B. LAMBERTON.

IO ACCOUNT NO. 4.

NANTUCKET HI TORI AL SO lETY IN ACCO !ST WITH CHARLES

. CROSBY, TREASURFR.

JOSIAH FOLGER FU

Deposited in

·o.

ew B edford In titution for Savings.

CREDIT.

1902.

June 6.

By Cash from Executors,

·500.oc

antucket, June 16th, 1902.

CHAS. . CR SBY, Treasurer.

Approved, H. S. "WYER, A.G. BROCK, A. B. LAJ\IBERTO r

AC OUNT NO. 5.

SUJ\ll\lARY.

General Account, Fire-proof Building Fund, Miss C. L. vV. French, Old !IJ ill Insured for Expires Sept. 1st, 1902.

Building Fair Street, In ured for Expires Sept. 5th, 1902.

Collections Insured, Expires Dec. 4th, 1904.

Josiah Folger Fund,

941.14 500.00 1000.00 Sco.oo

1000.00 500.00 47iJ,26 .,1.00 25-00 245.00

Uncollected Dues, 1901, Uncollected Dues, 1902, Uncollected Dues, 1903,

antucket, June 16th, 1902.

CHAS. C. CROSBY, Treasurer,

Approved, H. S. WYER, A.G. BROCK, A. B. LAMBERTON.

ti ACCOUNT NO. 6.

r902.

MEMHERSIIIP.

Annual, Life, Life Councillors,

245 57 4 3o6 Nantucket, June 16th, 1902.

CHAS. C. CROSBY, Treasurer.

Appro,·ed, H. S. WYER, A.G. BROCK, A. B. LAMBERTO

NANTUCH.ET'S NEWSPAPERS.

BY ALEXANDER STARBUCK.

The history of the newspapers of Nantucket, like the history of news­ papers in many localities, is a record of continued struggles against ad· ver e conditions, serious financial losses, and an eventual survival of what, presumably, may be considered the fittest. The boy and girl of today who ee type setting and type ca ting machines, each capable of doing the work of four or fiye compositors, replacing the hand work of even quite recent years, and the perfecting presses, taking the paper from a hucre roll, and turning out four, six, eight or even sixteen page papers, printed on both sides, and delivered, all folded, at the rate of 100 to 200 a minute, replacing the old methods of hand composition, and the old \Vashington and Franklin presses of years ago, where the forms were inked by hand roller , and every paper was printed by a score of di tinct motions of the hands, and folded by four or five more, can form but little idea of what the pioneers in journalistic work had to encounter. Even the newspaper publisher of today, familiar as he may be with the routine of the work in the average country or suburban office, wonders how they ucceeded in running off their editions in those earlier days. Within my own recollection I have known the pressman on the antucket Inquirer to toil laboriously nearly all night working off a ingle side of the edition of that paper. The perfecting press in my own office would have printed both sides and delivered the edition all folded in about fifteen minutes.

The first newspaper published in Nantucket of which we have any

12 knowledge was the Nantucket Gazette, published by Tannatt & Tupper the first number of which was dated May 6, 18 1 6. It was· a small, four pa;;e paper, with a four column, twenty inch form. The local advertisers _ in the first number were: The Union Marine Insurance Co.; Josiah Hussey, Executor: C. Cushman, Deputy United States Collector· George :'IT\"rick, Jr., Groceries, Crocke11', Cordage, etc.; John \V. Barrett, Dry Gt;ods and Beef; Richard Hosier, Groceries; Alex. Ray, Groceries, "in house built by \Villiam Coleman;" Noticc to Proprietors of the Bath­ ing I louse, signed by Roland Gelston, John Brock and Hezekiah B. Gardner, Committee; Francis & Burdick, who "have taken the Woollen Factory belonging to Obed Mitchell, adjoining the ew orth Wharf, with the intention of operating it;" Obed Mitchell, who says a good word for the new owners: , 'athaniel Barney, who advertises cloth made In· Obed ;1litchell: K & A. C. l\fitchell, Ship Stores; William Riddell, ,\uc:tioncer: P. S. & G. (;. Folger, Auctioneer ; Ir. Campbell, Dancing School; Susan Folger zd., Genteel Boarding-house, at the head of the Old :l\orth \Vharf: William Hill, new School, under the Ma onic Lodge Room: Obed Mitchell, Try Pots; and Robert Barker, who advertises ·ome article found.

The first marriages recorded are: Samuel B. Folger to Miss ancy F. Hiller, by Rev. Mr. Gurney; Capt. Charles E. Coleman to Iiss Sarah Swain, and George Smith to Miss Mary Alley, both by Rev. Mr. Swift; and \Villiam Peckham, of Rhode Island, to Miss Dorcas Gardner, at the Friends' Meeting-house. The only death recorded in this issue is that of Mrs. Deborah \Villis, who died May 4, aged 55 years.

In the same is ue appears a communication from William Coffin, Esq., on that subject which cau ed so much acrimony and which affected the, ocial and political life of antucket for years- the Robbery of the antucket Bank.

The Gazette was Federal Republican in politics, and was publi hed at 2.50 a year.

In October Mr. Tupper retired from the newspaper and Mr. A.G. Tannatt carried on its publication alone. It seems to have succumbed to the inevitable in the spring of 1817. That inevitable may have been ovember 18 1 6, Editor Tan­ precipitated by the fact that on the 16th of natt published a communication in which Win low Lewis, then keeper of Great Point lighthouse, was sharply criticised. In the latter part of De­ cember the editor, like many of his predecessor and multitudes of hi successor , was arre ted for libel. How much this circumstance may have contributed to the eventual suspen ion of the Gazette does not ap­ pear, but it probably wa an important factor.

June 28th 1817, Mr. Tannatt commenced the publication of the an­ tucket \Veekly Magazine, a quarto even smaller than its predecessor. It is worthy of note, in connection with the interesting letters read a year ago by :\Ii s Easton, that in the issue of the Magazine of July 5, there i

13 a Yigorous communication from Samuel II. Jenks, OYer the signature of "Quidam," in advocacy of public schools, in which he states that, at the time, there arc, legally speaking, no such schools in the town. The issue of Jan. 3, 181 ·, terminated the existence of the Iag-azinc.

The next \'enturc to be launched on the journalisti sea was the antucket Inquirer. There arc many of us who can recall some of its ups and clowns and its final absorption by the :\firror. The Inquirer was published by Joseph C. l\lclcher, at the office on !\lain St., and the first number bears the elate of Saturday, June 23, 1821. From that clay there has been no interregnum for ,1antucket journali. m.

The hi$lOry of the Inquirer, from the clay of its first publication un­ til it was absorbed by it long time riv:11, is a most interesting one. 1 • ow one man came lo the front as its sponso1·, now another, but through all the Inquirer still li,·ed. It was "The King is dead," as man after man passed out of the editorial management, and "Long li,·e the King" a his successor took up the reins of gon�rnment, but through all the throne continued.

In its career of -1-1 years it saw four contestant in its field arise, flourish for awhile and pass away, and finally it was vanquished by the child of its own loins.

The newspapers of those day were ingularly obliviou to local hap­ penings, and he who depends wholly upon them for his record of the his­ tory of their generation, will find himself leaning on a broken staff. The recognized principle of pro\'incial journali. m today to cultivate with ex­ ceeding care the local field seems to haYe had no abiding place in the newspapers of 75 years ago. On many oc::asions the first and only inti. mation one gets that anything ha occurred of a criminal nature out of the ordinary i , not through the news columns. but through an adYertisement.

The attempted arrest of that family of fugiti,·e slaves on the 24th of October, 182�, which so stirred up the men of Nantucket, gets no men­ tion at all in the news columns but is referred to editorially. Similarly an outrageous affair through which a prominent and esteemed citizen suf­ fered a loss of some "1800, through the malignity of cowardly enemies, was carefully suppressed until after it was stale among the newspapers of the continent, and e,·cn then "as referred to by the editor in a semi-apolo­ getic way.

I mig;ht mention a score of similar instances. The news­ papers seem to have existed wholly as chronicles of what happened abroad and as vehicles for ponderow; disquisitions on ethics or stinging political arraignments by the learned editors.

It may be said, in partial justification of their contents that metropolitan papers were much more rare than today and the local newspaper was supposed to supply their places and functions.

The Inquirer as first published was a quarto, with four columns to the pao-e and column rules r; 1-4 inches long. The columns were , s ems pica wide (about z 1-2 inches), the �tandard width today being 13 ems. In his salutatory !\Ir Melcher s:iys "The first page of the Inquirer will be ap­ propriated to religiou · intelligence and moral extracts, adapted to the

tastes and capacities of people of a serious disposition.

The second pag-e will contain the latest Foreio-n and Do•nestic l ntel'.igence, Literary Communications, and interesting extracts from the mail papers. The thi1·d page will present the shipping intelligence and the latest advertise· mcnts of our commercial friends.

The fourth page will be devoted to poetry, miscellaneous collections, and the continuing advertisements."

This arrangement was subject to modification if there was a surplus in one department. "The publisher will studiously avoid taking any share, either in local or party politics." The terms of subscription were ��-so per year, payable semi-annually in advance.

Not a single local item appears in the first number, sa,·e shipping news, marriages and deaths. Two local marriages are recorded- John M. Earl to liss Sarah, daughter to Tristram Hussey, ancl Andrew F. S\\ ,, •n to 1\1 iss Anna Barnard. The deaths reported ;ire - · athanid Russell, aged ;8: Thomas Evans, aged 47: and Eben \Vile!, son of Isaac A ,·er ill, of I\ antucket, drowned in Barnstable, aged 8 years, 6 month. .

The local ad,·ertisers in the first number were-\\'illiam I'. Stanton, Clock and \\'atchmaker, Sih·ersmith and Jeweller: Dadd G. \\"orth, Tailor: II. 1\1. Pinkham, paints, oils, glass, etc: Thomas Smith, House.

Sign and Ornamental Painter: C. T. Hinkley, Portrait and l\liniature Painter: Josiah Hussey, real estate: antucket Union l\larinc In:surance Co., John Cartwright, Secy.; ye & Averell, dry goods: Mrs. Elkins, genteel boardino- house; a Government advertisement of buoys on • · an­ tucket Shoals and in Vineyard Sound; John Brock, patent· medicines: John B. Orpin, an advertisement of a personal nature: and n. \\"inslow's advertisement of money found.• October 15, 18��. Samuel H. Jenks became editor, !\fr. Melcher con­ tinuing as publisher. Mr. Melcher left Nantucket in January, 18�3 and went to I\ew Bedford where he published the 1 ew Eng-land (;a,ctte.t \\'ith all respect to others it probably is no exaggeration t<> say that i\lr.

Jenks was the ablest editor \I ho ever was in charge of a 'antucket news­ paper. The motto of the Inquirer under his direction \las" Quid aulem si n>x libera non sit, liberum esse?" \\'hat is it to be free, if one's yoicc is not free? or \\'hat is liberty without freedom of speech ?t :\1arch 2 5, 1823 :\[r. Jenks opened the Commercial Reading room.

The support gi,·cn the pape1· was inadequate and in January, 18 2.1 he ap ­ pealed to the public for better support, mentioning the fact that a little more than a year previously his friends purcha. eel the I aper and put him in charge.

December 27, 18�.1 Mr. Jenks retired temporarily from the editorship, \Villiam Coffin, Jr. taking the position.

In a few month�, howe,er, l\lr.

Jenks was again at the helm, and continued to fill his old position until * ovcmht:r 1;1, 1822 :\Ir. T:wn:111 was puhfo,hing the Hampd t:11 Paui, t. t\(r. \lckhcr .:-.ubsetp1cn1ly rem ,,·ed M th� Vincy:nd. tin :\lan.:h the ofti.;c or the Inquirer was moved to • 4 tnte" strt.ct.

15 ovember 10, 1817, when he published his valedictory, and John Thorn­ ton took charge, Thomas J. \\'orth being the printer. Lt is probable that the advanced position !\Ir. Jenks held on the subject of public education and his outspokenness on political matters were in a measure responsible for the chanie. Indeed his editorials in 1826 show that party feeling ran \·ery high and the local paper felt it seriow,Iy. i\Ir. Thornton's valedictory was published in the issue of October 2, 1 30, and Charles Bunker was seated in the editorial chair.

It is quite noteworthy that during l\1r. Thornton·s reign. antucket was editorially urged as a health resort. nder !\Ir. Bunker's charge the motto wa changed to" The Liberty of the Press i essential to the security of Freedom," quoted as you \\ ill recall from Art. 10 of the Bill of Rights of l assachusetts. l\lr. Bunker, writing editoriall� about a man who spelled Inquirer with a cap E, quote>­ Jenl<s as saying'· He'll find himself ill at E's in putting out other people's 1·s:·t Septemuer s, 1832, l\lr. Bunker's valedicto,·y wa� published, and George F. Bemis was temporarily in command.

Two months later, Deember 22, a prospectus announced that with the beginning of the new year !\Ir. Jenks would resume his former position, and that in the future the Inquirer would be published semi-weekly.

Mr. Jenks continued in editorial char�e for a little O\·er ten years.

During that time the paper was printed successively by Thomas J. \Vorth, George F. Bemis, Bemis J· Worth, Thomas J. \Yorth again, Charles C. Hill, John l\Iortissey, John i\Iorrissey & Co, and William Alfred Jenks.

April 7 1 ,s�,, !\Ir. Jenks again retired and his son \\'illiam Alfred Jenks was put in editorial charge, John l\Iorrissey being the printer and a wet:kly and scmi-wet:kly being issued. Mr. Jenks the younger offi iated but a short season, and on December -l, 18-11 announced his retirement in favor of Hiram B. Dennis, l\1r. Morrissey continuing as printer.t Scptembt:r 26, 10-13, John Morrissey became editor and Jo eph Hunt In hi· valedictory he printer, :\Ir Dennis retiring because of ill health. mentions the many years of newspaper experience of his tiUCcessor.

Early in July, 184-1, a daily edition of the Inquirer was published, under ,._,In his valedicloty �Ir. Jenks says: "In the prosecution of my task as editor ht'.rcol, il has been my lot to bl! buffeted around somewhat rudtly, on account of certain sentiments which I h:wc ventured to promulgate in relation to mattt=r� oi local policy-and particularly with rc?:ird t:> the:: e�t.tbli-;hment of Free �chuols in thi:,, town." �1 r. Jenks for quite a while was editor of the Boston Bulletin.

In �ovember, 1830 1 Editor Bunkct' was tal.en to task, Jikc othe1 editor5' under similar cir• cum stances, f1..,r 111advertent1y mentioning the outh Tower and not the North 01.e, and he ha�• tens to say that a spir1! has been erected on 1he North Tower 59 £eel high £rom the ground, is a good look�out and is painted, and the "materials are almost as durable as the doctrines preached there." tJuly 5, 1846, \Villiam Alfred Jenks was ordained a deacon in Trinity Church, New York City, with authority to preach. Thomas}. \Vorth removed to I\looresvillc, lowa, and 1,11blished a paper there.

16 the same management.

This was probably done as a foil to the Dai?' Telegraph which was the successor to the Islander.

Just how long It continued I am unable just now to say, but it was published as late as June 30, 1845.

About May, 1845 the management again changed hands, Edward"!"· Cobb, purchasing the Inquirer and als0 the Daily Telegraph. D� mg the early years of Mr. Cobb's proprietorship Andrew M. Macy was editor, but sub equently Ir. Cobb occupied the editorial chair and wielded the editorial pen, scissors and paste pot.• Mr. Cobb continued hi owner­ ship up to June 29, 1855, when ill health forced his retirement and he old out to John Morrissey and Alexander P. Moore, Mr. Morrissey publish­ ing his sulutatory July 6, 1855. Mr. Moore was in charge of the mechan­ ical department. The editions then were weekly and tri-weekly.

This arrangement continued up to October 5, 1S58, when Mr. Mor­ rissey removed from the island, selling his interest in the paper to Mr. foore, who continued it as a weekly and semi-weekly to ovember 6, 186o when the semi-weekly edition was abandoned.

August z8, 1861, William H. Beekman became owner and in ovem­ ber Edward M. Gardner became editor. This association was dissolved February z5, 1863, when Alfred Macy took editorial control in the inter­ est of Republican politics, Mr. lleekmap still retaining management of the mechanical department. On the closing clays of March, 1865, the In­ quirer, after lln existence of nearly ,-t-1 years, passed into history, and on April I lost its identity in the Inquirer & Mirror.

It is necessary now to retrace our steps and pick up the wrecks that strewed the pathway of the Inquirer. The first was that of the antucket Journal, published and edited by William H. Bigelow, the first number of which is dated September q, 18�0.

The Journal was published in the interest of the party of which I lenry Clay was the exponent. Those who are disposed to declaim against personal journalism as it exists today are respectfully referred to the "good old times" of our forefathers. The treatment of a political opponent today is Chestertieldian as compared with the vituperation of those earlier days.

It is quite evident that the presumed" long felt want," for the supply of which the Journal was cre­ ated, did not exist, for after a brief life of but about zo months, on the • 21st of May, 1828, Mr lligelow wrote its obituary notice and turned over its subscription list to the Inquirer.• In 184oenthusiastic, but evidently misguided, individuals thought the times were ripe for another journalistic tilt against the intrenchments •Soon alter Ir. Cobb became proprietor, or tobc more prccist:, July 13 and 14, 1846, the Great •·ire devastated the towu, dc•tro) ing 1hc offices oi the Inquirer and of the Mirror, which had ju t rounded out it first year. Alter the fire the paper appeared with the familiar Old Eng• Ii h bead which was so well known to tho..., oi u• who arc on the •hady side ol 50.

July 24, 1846, tbc Inquirer published an engraving ol the Town, showing the burned district.

•Mr. Bigelow

wu afterward

employed on the Brooklyn Advertiser.

17 of the Inquirer, and on March 19 the first number of the Islander, or, as Mr. Jenks with some acidity called it, the I- lander, appeared .

It was edited and publi bed by Charles C. IIazewell, a man with a most remarkable memory and for many years occupying an im portant editorial position on the Boston Traveler in its palmy clays Just how long the Islander continued I do not know, but probably about three years. In the spring of 1' -1 3 Mr. Hazewell removed to Concord and became connected with the Concord Freeman, of which he subse­ quently became ole owner. The Daily Telegraph, a small, penny quarto published hy A. B. Robin on, Thoma Cross and ,v. Bradford succeeded the Islander, but whether erected on its ruins or a a separate ,·enture I am unable to say. Thi· was merged into the Inquirer about :\lay. 1S-15, and it is quite probable that the Daily Inquirer wa · its continuation.

The first real opposition encountered by the Inquirer came in a few weeks after Mr. Cobb became its owner. June l..f, 18-15, the tirst issue of the Iirror was published.

John Morrissey, who had for se,,-eral years been connected with the Inquirer, was its editor and proprietor, a fact alluded to with ome bitterness of expression by J\Ir. Cobb and success• fully parried by ;\Ir. Morrissey. In 18-19 Mr. l\Iorrissey went to Califor­ nia, and June 30 of that year he published his Yaledictory, announcing that his mantle had fallen upon Samuel B. Hu sey and Henry D. Robin­ son, young men employed for many years in the Inquirer office. The fire of 18-16 smote the office severely and the first issue following was a tiny In affair, but it was a lusty infant, continuing to increase and prosper.

18(,5 it absorbed the Inquirer. \Ve may say of it as \\'ebstcr said of Massachusetts- "\lr. Speaker, I shall enter on no encomium on :llassa­ chusetts- she needs none. T\1crc she is, behold her and judge for your­ selves." The Daily \lemorial was issued by Hu. seyc· Robinson August 17, 18, 19, 1881.

December z7, 18-15, �Ir. Jenks madc'his final venture in local journa­ lism the first issue of the \Varcler bearing that elate. The Warder was primarily the organ of the politically conservafo·e, but although edited with skill and force, it failed to gain a permanent foot-hold and passed from mundane things in the latter part of 1 ' -1 6. At the time of the Creal Fire the \Varder office escaped.

The issue of July 18 was limited to a single page and the abstract of the report of the fire was editoriall) made hr Bro �lorrissey of the !It irror.

The ne. t newspaper to be establbhed was the bland Review, at first owned and edited by Isaac H. Folger.

Typographically speaking its early numbers were not particularly complimentary to the" art preserva­ tive of arts." It started, a four column quarto, semi-weekly, in the latter •.Mr. Hazewell was also connected Y.ith the Ohio St;itcsman. His work on the nm.ton Tra"clJcr, for which he wrote the \Vcckly and Yearly Rc,·icws !'thowcd a nlO!ot rcmar1:able memory as they were said to have been written without reference to data.

Hi �011 Edward W. Hazewell is on the editorial staff of the Bo ton Transcript.

part of August, 187-1, and in its career was issued as a semi-weekly, a tri weekly, and in the summer of 1876 a. a daily. ;\Ir. Folger subsequently associated with him S. Heath Rich, a graduate of the [nquircr and i\lir· rar office.

In the fall of 1878 the Review was discontinued, the pro­ prietors having purchased the Brockt n Advance.

The Inquirer & Mirror's latest competitor was the Nantucket Jc,nr­ nal, not a revi,·al of the Journal of 18::6, but ;,n entirely new ,enturc, the first number of which was issued September 25, 1878, Arthur 11. Cardnu being editor, publisher and owner. Evidently Bro. Gardner did not find the journalistic road wholly strewn with roses, and on :::..:: o,· mbcr 23, 1 ::>1_,9, he published the closing number of the Journal.

I ha,·e already extcnclecl this paper beyond the limits originally de signed but cannot close without referring ,·ery briefly to the amusin� side of early antucket iournalism.

Among the quaint thini;s are h) n:cual bon-mots. Here arc a few: l\larried in North Carolina March, 1822, Edward Byre!, aged S2, lo Miss Elizabeth Cherry, aged 71.

"Old 13yrds like Cherries folly ripe."

In \·ermont in i\larch, 1822, \Villiam Double .to l\Iiss Ann :\!aria Single. " A prudent maid to change her fate From solitary trouble; She wisely left the Sin�le state.

And turned into the Double.

In Canterbury, . H., Benjamin Doe, Esq., author of sundry astro­ nomical works, to Miss ancy Moore. "\'enus gro" dim! bright Mars your fires forego!

Since ancy is no Moore, but turned to Doc! Randolph desist, and cease your dark grimaces, At this new effort to increase Doe face.·.''

In 1ew London, Conn., Heman T. llatch, of Falmouth, lllass.. to ,\1iss Lucy A. Tinker.

"In Lo\'e's wild freaks he made a match That turned a Tinker to a Hatch."

Here is one of a local nature ref 1-ring to the marriage of l\Iiss Lydia B. Long to a :\Ir. Bourne, and usually ascribed, l believe to the pen of Samuel ll. Jenks: "Said the bridegroom in haste to his bride elect, Don't Lydia H. Long, for the torch of Love burns, But the damsel, more wary and circumspect Asked if this was the Bourne whence no tra\''ler return�."

And this fr.om the \Varder on the marriage in South \Vellfleet of Mr Eleven Lecot1nt to Mi s Abigail Rich:

19 •· She who was rich in name gave that away To make the nuptial contract e\'en; And 'twas but fair she should receive in pay, ot one companion but Eleven."

A few unique ad\·ertisements and I will weary you no longer. �larch 11, 1823, appeared this rare encouragement to hone ty: \\'anted "A smart, active, honest Lad of from 12 to 16 years of age, who writes a good hand and b acquainted with figures. to attend in a \\' est India Goods Store.

• 'o compensation will be allowed." One can but wonder if the advertiser got his angel. ing:

Sometimes the ach-erti er drifted into a poetic Yein a in the follow­

Wm. Harris, cellar under house of tajor Bigelow: •· Where he has open'd his Oyster-Shop For friends to set at ease, \\'bile he'll supply them, cold or hot, Or cook'd, ju t as they please.

To which place he inYites a continuance of their patronage. \Vhere they shall find a u ual, his utmo ·t care i That the public shall be pleas'd, by their Humble Sen·ant \Villiam Harris." fr. Harris later ad\·ertises that II having served for many years in the kitchen of the late King of France, he is now by the late unhappy re\·olution thrO\\ n out of employment."

The following appears l\Iarch 15, 1828: 11 Stolen On the evening of the qth. from the house of �lrs. Sarah Cardner a basket containing part of a china tea set, and some other articles, which it is hoped the l,o,u.,ty oftht tltief will induce to return lo R. R. Pinkham. '. B.-If the robber will return half a dozen of the saucers, he or he shall receil·e half a dozen cups in return, which will be an accommodation to both parties, R.R.P." Tht.: tullm\ ing published July I, 18:9, will be a titting one lo close with: ... \t the si){n of the Eastern Pint.:, \\'hen: the reel and the white combine.

John l'eter.,, a clcscenclanl of the famous English Divine, Hugh l'cl<!1·s, informs all the tidy citizens of • 'anlucket that Apollo and the Craces came o\·cr in the la. t p:tcket, and ha\·e taken up their abode at the cor.ncr of Pearl and \Valer Streets. I le officiates a high Priest in their temple, where it is his delig;htful task to adorn the outward man, to sha·;:,e off excrcscencics and trim into proportion the hrubbery which na­ ture has reared around tht' head pieces of mankind.-By a judicious ap­ plication of the .rrisrors of discrimination, the st>ap of good nature, the bruslt of reform, an<l the razor of decision, he expects to bring about re-

20 suits, which like the power of the Steam Engine are, as yet, only dreamed of. The grace of the Athenian beau, and the dignity of the Roman Sen­ ator sh,1II be so intermingled in the gr,rnd co11tour of all who submit to his to 1ch, that the tout<! 1!/lsem/,L<! cannot fail to kindle love, and com­ mand re,,pect," \'eril) \Ir. Peters takes a round-about way of saying that he keeps a barber·,. shop.

OLD LETTERS AND OLD FRIE DS. 111ss

HARRIET EASTON.

In bringing again to your notice these letters, I am fully aware that it i� dangerous to offer too much e\·en of a good thing, but the cordiality \\ ith vhich you recei\·ed the letters from old friends last year, led me to think that perhaps like OliYer, you might ask for" More "-so I went gkan;n • in the letter field, and come, bringing my sheaves. The first sheal I take from letters written by Capt. Edmund Gardner, a veteran ship-master, who lived in • ew Bedford during the last year of his life. l\Iy father, thinking at fifteen years of age that he might pursue a sailor's life, went to a nautical school kept by Capt. G. in the old Custom House near the head of the old orth \Vharf, between his arrh·al in the "\\'in­ It may inter­ slow" in 1817, and his sailing in the" Reliance" in 1818. est you to know who some of the other pupils were.

Geo. B. Worth, Jo hua Coffin, Sam'! Bunker, Sam'! Riddell, John G. Coffin, Thomas Derrick, Geo. Austin, etc. The date of the first letter is 11th mo. 8, 1872· After recounting e\·ents in some of his early voyages he says·" The knowledge of some things may be better known by some oth­ er than myself. My grandfather shew me a'boulder on the side of the The Lily Pond hill aboYe Peter Brock's hou. e where he often fished. was large and deep. On the site of my Sister E. F. Gardner's house was an Island with rocks on the same, where the gulls often lighted, hence the name of Gull Island. The S. E. corner of the house is founded on a boulder found there and the door step.

The fullini 1ill was located near where James Coffin's hou e is.

The water from �omc cause ( everal have been a signed) found it way over the dam, carrying all before it, blocking the mouth of the harbor. · \' essels of sixty tons could pass up north to near the Clift, but af­ ter the Lily pond was sapped it spoiled the inner harbor for small vessels.

(This is by tradition from my father.) The water being drawn off the land came up, and in the year 1739 my grandfather, Thoma Gardner built his house on Gull Island where it now remains occupied by Eliz. F. Gardner. My father went there with his parents when three years old to live, and never lived in any other house, lived till near ninety-four years I am his youngest child and am eighty-eight this day.

Am Respectfully, Edmund Gardner.

21

In a second letter written 7th mo. 10, 1 73, he say :" Since l wrote a note to thee about affairs that had transpired on my native Isle, some few thing have been fresh in my mind and l think they are worth aving, and if not, they are ea ily burned which will be a quietu . I will now mention what I had from B. F. Folger. Being near the hou e of Obediah Folger, some repairs were being made. Frank­ lin told me the house was his great grandfather's, Eleazer Folger. It then descended to Barzillai. During the time Eleazer kept one if not the first tavern on the Island. Esther, a maiden daughter wa uncivilly treated by a ojourner which incen ed the father, who cut the sign post down and never kept tavern more. Barzillai Folger, senior, lived in the hou e at time of his death. It was afterw:i.rds occupied by Obediah and his ister Eliza. I am now told 'tis occupied by summer residents.

This Folger family was a remarkable one. Some thirty years or more ago a Dr. from some interior town wrote to Dr. Bartlett of this place makina the inquiry if sailors lived as long as others. The Dr. called on me and showed me the letter. 1 informed him I would make inquiry.

I wrote to by brother, Chas. Gardner of antucket, desiring him to make enquiry what the early business of \Valter Folger, en., Barzillai Folger, Gilbert, Tristrum, and Obediah Folger was: I was per onally acquainted with all. My brother found that they wete all mechanics, all followed the sea, were all ship masters and their a,·erage age was eighty-two years.

When I showed the account to the Dr. he thought that would settle the question. 1 then informed him that my father was a mechanic, followed the ea till the Revolution commenced, but never went more, lived till near ninety-four years which goes to establish that sea faring men live as long a others, who pursue a strict temperate life in all things.

Two men that have been sailors with me are now living, one eighty­ four and the other more than eighty, but Jack-tar ailors are short lived beino- much exposed to dissipation and careless of themselves. My father made me a visit in 1828. He was then ninety-two years, had not been off the Island of antucket for fifty-four years. When last in ew Bedfo1d there were two houses, and the third building.

In 1807 I sailed in ship Union. At that time there were forty-eight ships (and to that year had never lost one). That year four were lost, being one-twelfth of the ships belonging to the Island. Commerce, Cato, Union and the other has escaped my recollection. My items may not be worth pre erving and they are ea ily disposed of.

From thy friend and still a antucketer, Edmund Gardner.

The other friend whose spicy memories I am sure you will enjoy, is probably well known to most of you.

I remember him in the Unitarian Sunday School as one who always gained our attention and held it. His personal appearance, voice and manner were very attractive, and his sub-

ject matter interesting. refer to Mr. Ceo. I l owland Folger. ha1·e nude sclcetions from two letters, each crrntaining- twenty pages of large paper. The first is dated January 8, 1 S86. After speaking of our ·tand­ ing pre eminentII· among the earliest in cw England in our early aboli­ tion sentiments ;ncl freedom of opinion, religious and social, Mr. Folger says, " I.ct us go ha,:k some ten years earl ier of the time we ha1·e been considering some tifty or sic1.ty year-; :tgn, which you will rememher . o much better than I, and consider the outbreak of religious thought and early dt'1·elopmcnt of" agnosticism" in , 'antucket.

It might at that time han: been remarkable for its religious zeal. The Friends had been seriously exercised in the discussion of the doctrine of the Trinity which resulted in the dil"ision of orthodox and l licksitcs in that denomination.

Their meeting house on l\lain Street was well filled and George l\litchell imparted the higher branches al his seminary adjoining. fhe :-.:orth Friends meeting house alt ho' sparsely attend ·cl II as still open and Jacob \\'ill<!ts and his wife in the building near, prepared the beautiful young <luakcresses of that clay for admission to the Friends boarding school in l'ro,·idence. Thomas,, athaniel and Cousin Gilbert had not then erected their Temple on .\lain Street wherein to hold forth, but the So::iety of Friends was still strong. Brother Gurney kept the light in the "north lanterns " and acted as chaplain at Aaron's feasts.

But the zeal and strength was with the :\Icthodist brethren and sisters as I will state pre­ sently. Brother Brock and a few others listened to n-ood Parson S11iit who always preached good practical sermons gathered from the II Phenix" and "Lower office'' at the Unitarian meeting house, but eyen then their creed was sup1,osed lo be, as was afterward propounded, that II they be lievecl in nothing and liYcd up to it.'' And this reminds me of the church music ilwrc. 1 ah, ays attcncled the Friends meeting on !\lain Street un• ti! 18Jt>, 11011 sixty years ag;o, my f:tther ha1·ing lJeen assistant clerk until he was cliso11 nccl for a disorde1 ly marriage to my mother II ho 11as not a member of that society.

In that year my father bou'.�ht a pc11 al :\Ir. Swift's, lo use the l'xpression of that da), as al. o one, at'' l\laffils." But to the church music. D1t y<>u remember then when Ech1'cl Fielcl played the lJassviol, Sc11 all Short, double base, Simon l'a karcl, tlageolct, and Tom \\'urlh the tr<>mhone. 1 1ith an occasional accompaniment of the oc. ta,·e tlutl', 11 hile good Deaeon l{ iddie in his seat in the sanctuan in "l,ra,s coat and blue buttons" rolled out the double base in tones of tl;under re• n:rherating under the galleries like the surf al south side in an easl�rly gale, and the choir of double bank of singers, I Iannah :\J aria Folger at the head, made musk that could not be surpassed IJ1· any in the town?

This 11as before ,\aron nailed up his pe11 door and l;uilt the ni,·ersalist church. But as I before stated the strength and zeal was with the :\lctho dists.

The 111·11· chapel had hecn huilt and tlw glorious rhapsodies of :\laffit filled the air. '· From the romantic retreats of far famed Erin-­ borne on the tickle II inds of :l.(h cr�;e fortune, a lonely stranger brings his mite of sorrow, and lays the dew-starr'd treasure at Columbia's feet."

23 "Obedient to the heaYenly call, he bade a long a,lieu to fair Hibernia·s hills, and with his staff, lik� Bunyan·s pilgrim, follcmed the guiding star, till it shot its sparkling gems and mingled with its males ,1round Colum­ bia's banner: then did the stranger raise his Ebenezer, and build an altar to the Cod of Jacob-·• John \\'ebster, afterward the "Apostate" stood tall and commanclmg, leading the singers with tuning fork in hancl, while the Glory of Zion seemed to fill the place. The olcl fort at Newtown, with its famous glass chandelier, aftern ards prostituted to base uses to light a dance hall, still kept up the fire.· Brothers Jacob ,\llcy, \\ m. }I art, John Gardner and a lot more kept to the faith. Brothers Swift and John Goodman had not then built where aftcm an! l'aticncc Cooper struck too hard. Dr. Bartlett kept a bright light on the altar at the "Clory Hall" altho' some portion of the room was su'lil·io.:ntly dark. for ;ill practical purposes. Our colm·ed urethren, l'o.:to.:r and Al.. .dom I', stern, Jacob Jones and Sam I I arris had their meeting houso.: on \ ,,rk slro.:cl; the little "Zion·· on the hill," here hood, old Arthur Coopu·, a s.1int in word and deed, as I so \\'ell l 110\\, ministered, was 1101 tho.:n o.:ITl'ted.

The community might in the usual arceptation he te1 med a religious one. The question \\ as serious!) disrussed; and many religious!) held to their com·ictions as to the rightfulness of takin;.?; "hales upon the Sab­ bath clay. Shipmasters bore their testimony against the art al the risk cf their li,·clihoocl, and ship owners consiclerecl the t•xpeclicnq of cmploy­ i ng men ancl riskin!.: their ach-entures a:.:;ainst these sci uples. In this state of societ)· inlidclity entered as the scrp ·nt into l'aracl1sl!, The dic­ tionary defines infidel as "one \\ ho denil's the Sniptun.:s and Christian­ ity; an unbelil!,·cr; clishclicf of inspiration." And this 11 ell describes a ,·iew that be�a11 to m, nifcst itself. The works ot Thomas Paine 11ere read. John \\'ebster had apostatised from the\ ethodist faith \\here he had been a leader. ,\t his shop mt!\ II. �I. l'inkham ancl others 11ho you 11ill remembt.:r bt!tter than I. The Bihll' was cliscussecl ancl l remember ho\\ with horror I heard an uncle of mine clc. rrihe to my good olcl grand­ motht:r that clm,n al John \Vehster's shop they 11ere tearing the Bihlc to pieces. I lieiien•cl it was litt:rall� true, and c pectecl that lht.: Infinite 11ould smite the. e false prophets, ancl a doom like Sodom and Comorrah would descend upon us and burn us as completely as those cities, the :.:;oocl and the eYil. The.c free thinkers afternarcls built a hall on \\'atcr street, then gradually clriftecl tp the "big- shop" and the little attic hall nea1 the Town II ousc. The snow storm has saved me from interruption and my pen has had free play. i\Iy letter is too long for me to read o,·er ancl correct, therefore your charitable fayor is inYoked to pardon the errors and imperfections. If too long to read the \\'hole nm OH:r the first page and the last and lea,·e the other, a Cousin Jeremiah Austin would say, till "a more con-ve-ni-ent-sea-son." Don't fear a third infliction. [ am about "writ out."

24

February 26, 1886.

It has been a snow storm today and ye Gods how I ha\·e written, and looked O\·er some olcl papers I had not seen for more than thirty years.

I am at home from the office, and when so, become a ruminating animal and chew the cud. Sometimes the fancies are bitter, hut frequently sweet perhaps from age only. It is said that wine s,,eetens and mellows with age. I cannot tell as I ne\'er could afford much, and drank it im­ mecliately so that it hould not eat itself or drink itself up by interest.

I will turn the faucet and shut off the water, but before closing I am reminded of Cousin Elizabeth Black. l knew her well as she li\"Cd near the hay scales, but \\as it not \Vm. Joy' home not Reuben? Cou. in Elizabeth finally went to the Friends' boarding house on Main street. 1 remember Coz E's shop, where Co\'. Lincoln called to sec her"when it was beyond her expectation-and roused her admiration. that the gO\·er­ nor of the nation should come to visit her in her little habitation." It was the south room of the house where she kept her shop. I think she had a few shelves against the south wall. Al the two small west windows were displayed, as is now done in the larger stores, the attractive articles for sale. I think there were two g lass jars with tin covers. ln one were seed cakes that had remained in them so long that the sun had hleachcd out all the color, and the sweetness, like that of the flowers had been wasted on the rlesert air. In the other jar were crackers from which the moist air had dissoh·ed all the soda and they were soft ;ind poor.

The demand was small for that kind of goods. The rows of reel lozen­ ges on narrow \\ bite paper hung pinned to the window sash. I think there was a small wood ·n counter between the front windows. There was also a glass jar with a few sticks of peppermint candy, white with a red tripe running round like a barber's pole. Slates with pine frames, slate pencils, quills for pens that she had on hand so long the color of the reel twine which bound them together had almost farted out. I think s,1e kept a few lono- clay pipes. Snuff I am sure for 1 used to go clown and buy a quarter of a pound for my grandmother Ramsdell, and earnecl a cent for the business. She kept brimstone for matches, and a fc,, bunches beautifully curled. l think, too, there was a hell hung hy a spring to the door to give notice when a customer was coming. She did not have a reel for twine overhead like Dr. !'ease's. \Ye boys used to get hold of the twine at Dr. l'ease's and run down the old �rth wharf and before he could cut it we had rnn off with enough for a fish line. See what a roll you touch by alluding to Coz. Elizabeth. It is like the rest of my letter" \Veak a· Anna Burrell's tea," and I trust like that II with no particular bad taste to it." Whose coffee was it that was " water be­ witched, and coffee begretched (begrudged)?" ! will now quit. l regret I had not this letter in the mail before the recent cold snap as it would have furnished you with reading all winter.

It is not like Cou in Mark Coffin's compilations," Much Instruction from

Little Reading," but our version that we put to the books "Much Ado About othing." Fini .

Very truly, your friend, George H. Folger.

The Second Congregational Society in Nantucket wa organized in It i generally known in the town as the nitarian Church and its place of meeting has long been known as the South Church. The new South Congregational Meeting House was dedicated to the service of God ·ovember 9, 1809. The dedication <!rmon was preached by Rev. Seth F. Swift. The dedicatory prayer wa offered by Rev. James Gur­ ney of the orth Church. The first public preaching in the new meeting hou e was on 'ov. 12, 1809. The Ecclesiastical Council, which was in­ vited to the ordination of Mr. Seth Swift over the Second Congregation­ al Society in antucket, convened on Friday, April 27, 1810. Rev. Mr. Thaxter acted as moderator of the Council and Rev. Enoch Pratt as scribe.

Four per ons appeared at this Council to whom a church covenant was read, to which they assented, and they were then received into full com­ munion. They were athaniel Barrett, Matthew Pinkham, Thaddeus Coffin and Henry Riddell.

The following ministers were present at the ordination of Rev. Seth F. Swift: Rev. Joseph Thaxter of Edgartown, Rev. John Simpkins of Brewster, Rev. Jotham \\'aterman of Barnstable, Rev. Enoch Pratt of Barnstable.

At a church meeting held :'\lay 27, 1810,. 'athaniel Barrett and Hen­ ry Riclclell were unanimously elected to serve a deacons of the church.

On June 27, 1 ·,2, in a church meeting on the Lord's clay it was voted "that it is e.·pcdicnt and neces ary to ha,·e a discipline for this church, and that the one submitted by the pastor be accepted and adopted, and that in connection with the church covenant it be printed for the use of the memLers. It was also votecl that 100 copies be printed at the ex­ pen�e of the church. . · o recorcl of thi!- discipline seems to have been preserved, but the parish records contain several interesting and sometimes amusing exam­ ples of cl-urch discipline in those clays, including one case of actual ex­ communication.

It is intere. ting to trace the theological e,·olution of the society as shown in the fi,·e different covenants which it successi,·ely adopted, for it exemplifies the whole trend of theological thought in progre ive circles during the last century.' The fir t co,·enant wa very long and. thoroughly orthodox in sentiment and phraseology. Some of the older members of the church speak of the ,·enerable founders of the society a "blue Pres­ byterians."

The second covenant was adopted in 183i through the influence Of the Rev. Henry F. Edes, the second minister. This covenant wa "the 1809.

form of admission used in the church in Harvard University," namely, the old Fir t Parish in Cambridge (Unitarian) which, before the erection of Appleton Chapel, was the college church.

The second covenant is much shorter and simpler than the first. It is a reai covenant and not a creed; theological language is avoided. This creed was broad and liberal and placed the church upon a Unitarian basis.

In 1847, under the ministry of the Rev. \Vm. H. Knapp, the covenant of the church wa till further simplified.

On July 3, 1868, under the ministry of Rev. Thomas K. Dawes, the fourth covenant of the church was adopted. Thi change from the third to the fourth covenant seems to have been entirely unnecessary. The fourth covenant was no improvement upon the third, but, on the contrary, seems to give expression to a narrnwer spirit. Under the ministry of Rev. Nahum A. Ha ·kell, in October, 1875, the church adopted it fifth covenant. This covenant, however, may be considered simply as a retoration of the third covenant, in tead of the fourth, which wa now dis­ carded. The only difference between the third and the fifth co\·enant consists in some purely \-erbal changes, made for the sake of clearness only.

Thi. covenant reads as follows: "Regarding Jesus of Nazareth as our spiritual Teacher and Guide, we desire more faithfully to follow Him, to po:;sess more ·of Hi· spirit, to be true to our age and mission as He was true to His, and to cooperate with each other in building up the kingdom of God on earth, and in establishing the reign of righteousne s, truth and love among men. For this purpose we join ourselves tog-ether."

This church has had eighteen minister- in ths course of it hi tory.

1 give their names with approximate terms of ervice: Rev. Seth F. ·wift, 1810 to 1833.

Rev. Henry F. Edes, 1834 to 1842.

Rev. ·william H. Knapp, 184-i to 1850.

Rev. Jacob G. Foreman, 1851 to 1 53.

Re\·. Ceorge H. Hepworth, 1 55 to 1 57.

Rev. Orville Brayton, 1859 to 1862.

Rev. John Karcher, 1863 to 1865.

Rev. Thomas K. Dawes, 1 '65 to 187 r.

Rev. Lemuel K. \Vashburn, r 71 to 1872.

Rev. Je: e H. Temple, 1872 to 1 '73.

Rev. ahum A. Haskell, 1873 to 1876.

Rev. James B. :\lorrison. 1877 to 1880.

Rev. John Arthur Savage, 1 • 'o to 18 '3.

Rev. Henry F. Bond, 1883 to 1885 .

Rev. Cyrus A. Roys, 1885 to , 93.

Rev. F. P. S. Lamb, 1893 to , 9 .

Rev. George H. Badger, 1 98 to 1899.

Rev. J. Frederick Ieyer, Jan. r, 1900 to 1902.

27 The average length of pastorates in this church has been about 4 1-z years, which is longer than that of any other church on the island.

More than one of the above eighteen ministers rendered faithful and even distinguished service to church and country after leaving Nantucket.

Rev. George H. Hepworth, whose death was recently reported in the pa­ pers, attained the greatest eminence. He was endowed with brilliant in­ tellectual gifts and an energetic character and was one of the ablest and most successful ministers of his generation. In the intenal between Mr. Hepworth's and Mr. Brayton's ministry, the pulpit was supplied for about six months by a Mr. LeBaron. The terms on which he agreed to supply the pulpit were that he wa to do no Sunday School work and no pastoral work. The church agreed to these terms.

Mr. LeBaron left a reputation for eloquence behind him which still abides. He was one of the friends of Edward Everett Hale' youth. He did not continue in the ministry. Several times in the early part of its history this church sent delegate to ordination council called by the orth church. It assisted in the ordination of Rev. Orville Dewey in ew Bedford. Rev. Dr. Ezra Stiles Gannett, ReY. Chandler Robbins and other eminent mini ters have assisted at ordinations in this church.

This church was originally an offshoot of the First Congregational Church. During the course of its history it has receiYed important ac­ cessions from the Quakers or Friend and from the Universali ts. Dur­ ing the anti- layery agitation it ministers bravely bore witness against the sin of slavery. By this course many were offended and driven from the church, but other supporter· were gained thereby.

This i · simply a rough outline of the histor} of this church. For further details, those interested are referred to my pamphlet on the his­ tory of the church which will be published in August. ]. F. Meyer.

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