Reminiscences of Sixty Years in Public Affairs, Vol. 1 | Page 7

spring water, of more than
a hundred acres. The farm contained one hundred and thirteen acres of
land, somewhat rocky, but in quality better than the average New
England farms. At the time of the purchase one-half of the acres were
woodland with heavy timber.
My father relied upon that timber to meet the debt of one thousand
dollars which rested upon the place. In those days wood and timber
were abundant and money was scarce. If the building of railroads could
have been foreseen and the timber saved for twenty-five years it would
have risen to twice the value of the farm at the time of the purchase.
My father's anxiety to be relieved of the debt was so great that he made
sales of wood and timber as he had the opportunity, but the proceeds,
after much hard labor had been added, were very insignificant. As a
result, the most valuable part of the timber was sold for ship-building,
or to the coopers, or converted into boards and shingles, and a remnant

of the debt remained for twenty years.
The farm yielded ample supplies of meat, milk, butter, cheese, grain,
fruit, and vegetables, but groceries and clothing were difficult to
procure after such supplies were had as could be obtained by barter.
Once or twice, or possibly three times a year, my father drove an ox-
team or a team of one pair of oxen and one horse to Boston with cider,
apples, a hog or two, and poultry. The returns enabled him to pay his
taxes, the interest on the debt, and perhaps something over.
Until the introduction of the cotton and woolen manufactures, and
indeed, until the building of railways, the farmers of Massachusetts had
only limited means of comfort. Their houses were destitute of furniture,
except of the plainest sort. Of upholstered furniture they had none.
Except a few school books for the children and the family Bible there
was no reading matter, unless in favored neighborhoods, a weekly
paper carried the news to two or three families that were joint
subscribers. The mails were infrequent, and the postage on letters,
based on the pieces of paper instead of weight, varied from six and one
fourth cents for all distances within thirty miles to twenty-five cents for
distances of four hundred miles or more. Intermediate rates were ten,
twelve and a half, and eighteen and three fourths cents. These rates
existed when mechanics could command only one dollar a day, and
when ordinary laborers could earn only fifty cents or seventy-five
cents--except in the haying season, when good mowers could command
one dollar. Servant girls and nurses received from one dollar to one
dollar and fifty cents per week. At the same time every variety of
clothing was much more expensive than it now is, unless shoes and
hats are exceptions.
My father was the best farmer in the neighborhood. He had been
employed in the nursery and vegetable gardening at Newton, and for
five years he had had charge of the farm of Madam Coffin at Newton
Corner, widow of the Hon. Peleg Coffin, who had been a member of
Congress from Nantucket. In a few years we had a supply of cherries,
peaches, and choice apples. As my father understood budding and
grafting tress, his improved fruits were distributed to others. I acquired

the art of budding when I could not have been more than ten years of
age, and before I left home at the age of thirteen, I had practised the art
in the village and on the trees of the neighbors.
Previous to 1830 the era of invention had not opened, and the articles
by whose aid domestic comfort has been promoted were unknown. The
only means of cooking were the open fire and the brick oven. Meat for
roasting was suspended by a cord from a hook in the ceiling in front of
the open fire and over a dripping pan. The children found amusement
and became useful in twisting the cord and then allowing the weight of
the meat to untwist it. Even fire in the summer was obtained and kept
with difficulty. There were no friction matches and not infrequently a
child was sent on a flying visit to a neighbor's house to borrow fire.
Indeed, the habit of borrowing and lending extended to nearly every
movable thing that any one possessed. Tools, food, especially fresh
meat, the labor of men, oxen and horses were borrowed and lent.
Farming tools were few in number and rude in construction. Many of
them were made upon the farms, either by the farmers themselves, or
by the help of poorly instructed mechanics. The modern plough was
unknown. Hay and manure forks, scythes, hoes, were so rough, uncouth
and heavy that they would