I LIBRARY ) 
 
 UNIVERSITY OF 
 CALIFORNIA 
 
 SAN DIEGO j
 
 
 


 
 3L, I 
 
 ASA G. \SHELDONt 
 
 WILMINGTON FAEMEE, 
 
 IN TWO ARRANGEMENTS. 
 
 WO BURN: 
 : . 1. XOODY, PRINTER, JOURNAL PfiiiS^
 
 Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1662, by 
 ASA GOODELL SHELDON, 
 
 IB the Clerk's Office of the District Court of the District of 
 Massachusetts.
 
 PEEFAOE, 
 
 To gratify the wishes of numerous 
 friends, to indulge in living the past 
 over again, to give what I may of 
 encouragement to the temperate and 
 diligent, to cheer the disheartened, 
 amid the common trials of life, to give 
 my voice of warning to the selfish 
 and vicious, and to add a mite of ex- 
 perimental knowledge to this age of 
 improvement, this unpretending auto- 
 biography is sent forth, hoping it may 
 meet with the same kindly reception 
 from friends and the community at 
 large, as, for so many years, has its 
 
 AUTHOR.
 
 if* of 
 
 FIKST AKKANGEMENT. 
 
 FIRST LINK IK THE CHAIN OF LIFE, 
 
 I was born in Lynnfield, Mass., Oct, 
 "24th, 1788. My first recollections are 
 of the domestic circle, in connection 
 with parents, brothers and sisters. 
 
 My father, Jeremiah Sheldon, was 
 son of Skelton Sheldon, and he a son 
 of Godfrey Sheldon, the first on record 
 in this country. He was a man of 
 nniform cheerfulness, and sweet, even 
 temper. I do not remember his ever 
 speaking a cross word to me. In writ- 
 ing, he possessed an uncommon tact y 
 and in the capacity of clerk attended 
 Judge Houghton several years in Con- 
 gress, then sitting in Philadelphia. 
 
 My mother's name was Elizabeth 
 Goodell, of English extract on the ma-
 
 4 LIFE OF ASA G. SHELDON : 
 
 temal side, whose parent emigrated 
 from the Isle of Barbadoes with seven- 
 teen slaves. On her father's side she 
 was direct descendant from General 
 Putnam, who commanded in the mem- 
 orable battle of Bunker Hill, on June 
 17, 1775, where brave Warren fell. 
 Like her world-renowned ancestor, she 
 possessed indomitable energy and per- 
 severance. The plan once formed, like 
 Putnam when he shot the " Wolf in 
 his den," was carried out with a deter- 
 mination of purpose that brings an un- 
 failing reward. Their children were 
 
 ELBRIDGE, born Nov.- 18th, 1781, married 
 Eleanor Harding. 
 
 LUCINDA, born Aug. 7, 1783, married John 
 Howard. 
 
 SAMUEL HOUGHTON, born Dec. 26, 1786, 
 married Sally French. 
 
 ASA GOODELL, born Oct. 24, 1788, married 
 Clarissa Eames. 
 
 HARRIET, born Aug. 5, 1791. 
 
 BETSEY, born Dec. 16, 1795. 
 
 JEREMIAH, born Jan. 26, 1798, married an 
 English lady in South America. 
 
 SOPHIA, born Aug. 24, 1801, married Jo- 
 seph R. Hathaway.
 
 WILMINGTON FARMER. 5 
 
 In my mother was strikingly exem- 
 plified King Solomon's wise woman, 
 who " seeketh wool and flax, and work- 
 eth willingly with her hands." 
 
 For many years she entered largely 
 into the domestic manufacture of blue 
 and white striped woollen Frocking, 
 then generally used by farmers, team- 
 sters and butchers ; and so slow were 
 the inroads made by time on her vigor- 
 ous constitution, that she was able to 
 follow that business until within four 
 years of her death, which occurred at 
 the advanced age of 94 years and 41 
 days. When in her 90th year she pre- 
 pared a web with her own hands, for 
 which she realized a premium from the 
 Agricultural Society, at the Cattle Show 
 at Concord, Mass. When 88 years of 
 age, she expressed a desire to have 
 four apple trees set for her. To com- 
 ply with her request, I selected those 
 that promised to bear young, and sent 
 a man to set them. Previous to his 
 coming she had driven four stakes in
 
 6 LIFE OF ASA G. SHELDON : 
 
 the four corners of her garden and 
 marked the circumference of the holes 
 she wished made. This made ready, 
 she held the tree and gave directions 
 for placing the roots and had all done 
 to her approval. She lived to eat fruit 
 from two of them. Let no aged per- 
 son be discouraged about setting fruit 
 trees. Set the tree if you have oppor- 
 tunity, and if you never eat its fruit, 
 let the deed be ascribed to disinterested 
 benevolence. 
 
 As wave chases ware o'er the ocean's dark breast, 
 So the races of men pass on to their rest ; 
 Be this our endeavor, with purpose sublime, 
 Some footprints to leave on the quicksands of time. 
 
 Well do I remember, in the days of 
 my childhood, the first copper ever 
 earned with my own hands. It was 
 by opening a gate for Mrs. Sherman, 
 a lady on horseback, a very common 
 mode of riding in those days. She 
 told me to keep it, and she would give 
 me a box to keep it in. The next day 
 I received a tin box with the promise
 
 WILMINGTON FARMER. 7 
 
 of a copper every time I would open 
 the gate for her or her husband, when 
 they were on horsehack~ which prom- 
 ise was faithfully kept, and oftentimes 
 to my great joy two coppers jingled 
 into the box instead of one. At that 
 time coppers were the only copper cur- 
 rency extant, 108 of them making 
 '$1, and our cents took their place. 
 The possession of the tin box created 
 a strong desire to have it filled. Some, 
 on seeing the box and contents, would 
 drop in one or two coppers, while 
 others needed urging to do so ; and 
 with pleasure I saw rt filling up more 
 rapidly than I had anticipated. It was 
 soon found to contain money enough to 
 buy me a pewter porringer out of which 
 -to eat bread and milk in the Bummer, 
 and broth and bean porridge in the 
 whiter season ; and a primer to study 
 .the Assembly'^ Catechism in. 
 
 The arrangement being made by my 
 mother, I went to pedlar John Parker's, 
 .about a half mile distant, to make the
 
 fc LIFE OF ASA G. S&ELB6N : 
 
 purchase, my sister Liicinda accord 
 panying me. This was the first time I 
 had ever made so large a purchase, and 
 the honest pedlar, seeing he had taken 
 my last copper 1 , gave me a tin whistle. 
 Like Dr. Franklin, when a child, " I 
 went home whistling." I would here 
 say to boys, be careful of noisy amuse- 
 ments within doors ; you little know 
 how much it annoys parents and sen- 
 iors, whose heads are filled to overflow- 
 ing with the cares and perplexities of 
 life. Well do I remember how much 
 my mother was tried with my whistle. 
 I was proud enough of my shining 
 porringer, and the possession of such 
 a treasure gave more satisfaction than 
 many dollars ift after life. 
 
 When between three and four years 
 of age Miss Sherman came into our 
 house and said to mother, " Why they 
 do say Daniel Hart is courting Patty 
 Tapley/' I was very anxious for her 
 departure, wishing to know what Dan- 
 iel Hart was doing to Patty Tapley,
 
 WILMlNtfTON FARMEft. 9 
 
 " Mother," said I, as soon as Miss 
 Sherman was gone^ " what is Daniel 
 Hart doing to Patty Tapley/' 
 
 " What do you mean," said mother* 
 
 " Why, Miss Sherman said he was 
 courting her." 
 
 " Oh, he is coaxing her to be his 
 wife," said mother. 
 
 Anon this couple were married, she 
 still living at her father's, and in April, 
 1793, Mr. Hart was presented with a 
 son. 
 
 I was much at home at neighbor 
 Tapley's, and was soon asked to see 
 the baby. 
 
 " W^here did you get that baby," 
 said I. 
 
 " The Doctor brought it," said she. 
 
 "What did you give for it?" was 
 the next question. 
 
 " If I like it well enough to keep it 
 I shall give $5," was the answer. 
 
 " Why do you lie there in bed?" 
 
 " To keep it warm," said she. 
 
 Daniel Hart and Patty Tapley raised
 
 10 LIFE OF ASA G. SHELDON : 
 
 up six sons, David, Daniel, Aaron, 
 Elijah, William and Tapley. 
 
 These six sons have all been in my 
 employ, five of them at one time, 
 when the Boston and Lowell Railroad 
 ^was in process of construction. It has 
 become a proverb, that " all Hart's 
 ,boys were born with a whip in their 
 : hand." Certainly I should not know 
 where to find six men, possessed of so 
 good faculties to manage oxen and 
 ihorses, as those six brothers. And it 
 -appears this faculty has not passed 
 away yet, for the last time I was going 
 to Boston, I met four beautiful horses 
 with a large load of manure, driven by 
 Charles C. Hart, son of D. D. Hart, 
 and great grandson to Daniel Hart and 
 Patty Tapley. It seemed to be moving 
 along with as much ease and comfort 
 as a lady at work sitting in her parlor 
 rocking-chair. 
 
 This brings to mind six generations 
 of that race of people, since I came 
 upon the stage of action. Gilbert Tap-
 
 WILMINGTON FARMER. 11 
 
 ley of Danvers ; Joseph Tapley of Lynn- 
 field ; Patty Tapley, daughter of Joseph 
 Tapley ; David Hart, son of Daniel 
 Hart and Patty Tapley; David Dexter 
 Hart, of Woburn, and Charles Choate 
 Hart, his son. I would say to the sixth 
 generation, that it is my hope to live 
 to see the seventh. 
 
 Being now in my fifth year, and hav- 
 ing often heard rivers spoken of, my 
 young heart was filled with curiosity to 
 see such a flow of water. So one day, 
 having obtained leave of mother, bro^ 
 ther Samuel who was two or three 
 years older than myself and I started 
 for Ipswich River, about a mile and a 
 half distant. On the way we stopped 
 at a house, where we were joined by 
 three other boys, strangers to me. 
 The two eldest were Samuel and Os- 
 good Flint, the youngest was Samuel 
 Gilford, who was about my own age. 
 We arrived at the River at the spot 
 where it divides Lynnfield from North 
 Reading and where a bridge has since
 
 12 LIFE OP ASA G. SHELDON : 
 
 been built, about fifty rods from the 
 East School-house. The oldest boys 
 then went in swimming, while Gilford 
 and myself amused ourselves by mud- 
 dying our feet and legs and then sitting 
 on a shelving place on the bank and 
 washing them. This was done several 
 times, but now the sport assumed a 
 more serious character, for as I was 
 sitting unconscious of danger, Gilford 
 run up behind and pushed me into the 
 River, where the water was over my 
 head. Just at this critical moment the 
 other boys looking round, saw Gilford 
 running toward home, and the Flints, 
 knowing him to be a bad boy, cried 
 out, " Asa is in the River," and came 
 with all possible haste to my rescue, 
 and with great exertion soon laid me 
 on dry land, safe and sound. All the 
 boys in the neighborhood despised Sam 
 Gilford for that trick until the family 
 moved away, and a good riddance it 
 was. What became of him, I know 
 not. I wish my young readers, both
 
 WILMINGTON FARMER, 13 
 
 male and female, to take warning by 
 this vicious boy, who was hated by all 
 who knew him, and not indulge in any 
 sport that may lead to the disadvantage 
 or unhappiness of others. No doubt, 
 in this case, the evil may be traced 
 back to parents and grand-parents, 
 whose vicious indulgence served to en- 
 courage rather than to amend wrong 
 propensities. 
 
 My first contract made for a day's 
 work, was with Mr. William Flint of 
 North Reading, for the sum of 6i cts., 
 and I received the cash at night, return- 
 ing home highly pleased with so much 
 money ; besides much praise was given 
 me by Mr. Flint, who said I had 
 thrown half as many stones into the 
 cart as he had, the stones being small. 
 
 In justice to Mr. Joseph Tapley, I 
 must say, my first instructions in farm- 
 ing and teaming came through his dis- 
 cipline. Sometimes he would give me 
 a copper for cleaning out his cattle, 
 and sometimes two for helping fill a
 
 14 LIFE OP ASA G. SHELDON : 
 
 load of manure, or riding horse to plow, 
 or driving oxen, which suited me best 
 of all work. 
 
 He employed me in spreading, turn- 
 ing and raking hay, hoeing corn and 
 potatoes, &c.; in short he was always 
 ready to let jobs at from one copper to 
 6J cts., and we always agreed upon the 
 price before commencing the job, a 
 rule that should always be practiced 
 whether dealing with men or boys. 
 
 My mother was always satisfied with 
 the price paid. All the neighboring 
 boys liked to work for him. He was a 
 jovial man, and now, in after life, I 
 look back upon him as a great benefit 
 to boys in that vicinity. One morning 
 he said, " go and ask your mother if 
 you may go to Lynn with me ; tell her 
 Jerre is going." Mother gave her con- 
 sent, and we started with a yoke of 
 oxen and span of horses. We went 
 two miles, where we loaded the wood, 
 we boys handing it up to him. 
 
 As we passed through Lynn woods
 
 WILMINGTON FARMER. 15 
 
 We saw three persons cross the road' 
 ahead completely dressed in white. 
 We boys were somewhat alarmed, and 
 inquiringly asked who they were? 1 
 Mr. T. saw our surprise, and answered 
 that they might be white Indians, but 
 if we would be good boys they would 
 not hurt us. I am sorry I cannot in- 
 form my readers who they were, but I 
 never saw their like before or since. 
 As Mr. Tapley turned round, after de- 
 livering the wood, the forward whe.els 
 dropped into the gutter breaking the 
 bolt. " Now boys," said Mr. Tapley r 
 with affected surprise, " how can you 
 ride home V 
 
 This was a sad question to us boys,- 
 and we began to cry, for we were tired 
 and had never been half as far from 
 home before. 
 
 " Now boys," said he, " stop crying 
 and behave like men, and take hold 
 and help, and I will see if I can fix 
 things so as you may ride." We were 
 soon on the way home, and called at a
 
 16 LIFE OP ASA G. SHELDON : 
 
 tavern about half a mile below where 
 Lynnfield Hotel now stands, and he 
 bought four coppers worth of ginger- 
 bread, which was the first food I had 
 ever eaten in a tavern. This occurred 
 between the age of 6 and 7. Mr. Tap- 
 ley, as will be inferred, was a man full 
 of jokes and fun, yet a man of active 
 mind and a benefactor of his race. It 
 was his delight to set boys to work and 
 teach them how to do it. He was great 
 grandfather to David D. Hart, of Wo- 
 burn. 
 
 When 7 years of age, I made a con^ 
 tract with Clark & Epps, of Lyndboro', 
 N. H., and Col. Flint, of North Read, 
 ing, drovers, to drive their cattle and 
 sheep from our house to Jerre Upton's 
 tavern, two miles distant, that they 
 might ride ahead and take breakfast 
 while the drove came on, for four cop- 
 pers each trip, which occurred weekly. 
 Boys, the price may appear small, but 
 in those days it was a good income. 
 This was continued for two successive
 
 WILMINGTON FARMER. 17 
 
 .summers, the last of which 1 commenc- 
 ed going to school. 
 
 Miss Hannah Sherman, relative of 
 the lady who gave me the tin box, was' 
 teacher. She had her scholars seated 
 on three wooden benches, so arranged 
 that she could reach each one with her 
 long willow stick without rising from 
 her chair. Jerre Tapley was the best 
 scholar in school. I had commenced 
 reading in the New Testament, and the 
 old lady was very urgent that I should 
 read with him. This suited me well, 
 and the teacher, to bring it about, 
 agreed that Jerre and I should occupy 
 the same seat in one corner of the 
 room, and to me was granted the privi- 
 lege of whispering to Jerre to inquire 
 out the hard words. We both studied 
 hard, each trying to excel the other. 
 ^Sometimes we would commit our whole 
 lesson to memory. When mother 
 would question me at home, I could 
 .sometimes relate all I had read during 
 the day, and would ask her, " Has God
 
 1 8 LIFE OF ASA fi. SHELDON : 
 
 all power in heaven and earth and 
 hell?" She answered, "He has." 
 Said I, "did he always possess if?" 
 She said, " he did." That night I 
 slept but little, and the morning found 
 my pillow wet with tears. Distress of 
 mind followed me, and the talk soon 
 became current that I was growing 
 poor and should be kept from school. 
 The lady who gave me the tin box 
 came to our house and advised to that 
 course, saying, " he is killing himself 
 with study," she being highly interested 
 in my case. I told them it would do 
 no good to stay from school, but wished 
 I could go to meeting, which was soon 
 granted, and terrible appeared the ser- 
 mon when the preacher gave it as his 
 opinion that only one in ten were saved. 
 I now felt worse than before, and 
 thought it would have been better had 
 I been born a calf, or lamb, or almost 
 any other kind of beast, rather than a 
 human being. My suffering was great, 
 an awful week to me. Kverv one
 
 WILMINGTON FARMER. 19 
 
 appeared to think that I was about to 
 die, but they knew not the cause of my 
 trouble. It originated in reading the 
 life and death of Jesus Christ, for I 
 could not see the reason why God gave 
 his Son to suffer and die for man, when 
 he had all power in heaven and earth, 
 and always had possessed that power. 
 
 The next Sabbath another minister 
 preached, who quoted the opinion of 
 an eminent divine, " that not more than 
 one in a hundred would be saved." 
 The fact which was here made appar- 
 ent, that ministers disagreed upon the 
 all-important subject, lightened my bur- 
 den and made me feel more at ease. In 
 conclusion, I would add, that it is my 
 firm belief that God is holy, just and 
 wise ; that he possesses all power in 
 heaven earth and hell ; that no one 
 ever interrupted his plans, or ever can. 
 
 In the Spring of 1796, I was em- 
 ployed by the farmers to drive oxen to 
 plough, a work that always pleased
 
 20 LIFE OF ASA G. SHELDON : 
 
 me, at a shilling per day, which sup- 
 plied me with books and some clothing 
 with which to attend school in summer 
 and winter. 
 
 The winter previous I boarded with 
 grandmother Sheldon, in Danvers, and 
 attended a school kept by a Mr. Felton 
 in a private house near Rope's Mill, 
 now known as Phelp's Mill. I here 
 formed an acquaintance with three no- 
 ble brothers, Ralph, Samuel and 
 Lemuel Crane, the last named was 
 near my age, and many a good piece of 
 pie I received on his account. 
 
 Ralph died on the loth of November, 
 1808, of nervous fever. Lemuel turn- 
 ed his attention to the sea, and on the 
 16th of February, 1808, he fell from 
 the masthead of the ship Belisarius, of 
 ;Salem, commanded by Capt. Benjamin 
 Lovctt, and was killed. Samuel be- 
 came a highly respectable man, and 
 now resides in South Danvers. 
 
 My father, owning but few acres of 
 land, worked much of the time stoning
 
 WILMINGTON FARMER. 21 
 
 % 
 
 wells and cellars, and consequently 
 was with his family but little. Gener- 
 ally working in Salem, we saw but little 
 of him, except on the Sabbath, yet I 
 can distinctly remember his good-natur- 
 ed manners. I never knew him to 
 speak unkindly to me, and very seldom 
 to any one. 
 
 In December, 1796, my father pur- 
 chased a lot of standing wood in North 
 Heading, and being then in my ninth 
 year, I was employed, in connection 
 with a man, to drive a team with a very 
 large yoke of cattle in dragging oif the 
 wood, the man driving another team. 
 
 Being very small for my age, it at- 
 tracted some attention to see so small 
 a boy beside a loaded team. It was 
 the heighth of my ambition to become 
 a teamster. Sometimes we turned our 
 teams across the side of Putnam's Mill- 
 pond, for the pleasure of driving on the 
 glare ice. This made fun for the school 
 children, who could then get a ride 
 without paying fare. The method was
 
 22 LIFE OP ASA G. SHELDON : 
 
 for one or two boys to take hold of the 
 hind end of the load, then a girl took 
 hold of his clothes, and another hold of 
 hers, and so on, till a long string was 
 made out, oftentimes two strings, as the 
 case might be. At one time, my com- 
 panion laughingly said to me, " You 
 load the oxen too heavy ;" seeing a 
 beautiful little girl behind, I said, " No, 
 no, I will not leave the hind end.
 
 WILMINGTON FARMER. 23 
 
 SECOND LINK. 
 
 We now come to an important period 
 in the history of a youth, I refer to 
 leaving home. What a privilege to 
 parents it is, to be able to employ their 
 children at home, and thus keep them 
 around them under their careful scru- 
 tiny ; and what a blessed privilege to 
 children to live under the care and 
 guidance of discreet parents. 
 
 On April 14th, 1797, being still in 
 my ninth year, Mr. Daniel Parker came 
 to my father's house to get a boy to live 
 with him. Mother said he might take 
 his choice, Samuel or Asa. " I will 
 take Asa," he said, " because he is the 
 youngest." 
 
 Accordingly, my father went over 
 with me. It was a fine, sunny day, but
 
 24: LIFE OP ASA G. SHELDON : 
 
 there was snow enough on the ground 
 to make good sleighing. We stopped 
 on our way at Putnam's saw mill, where, 
 although so late in the Spring, I saw 
 more oxen and men engaged in draw- 
 ing lumber than I ever saw there before 
 or since, at one time. 
 
 I commenced my servitude here with 
 out time or remuneration being stated, 
 which, as I before said, is a circum- 
 stance liable to produce difficulty. 
 
 I found the family to consist of Mr. 
 Parker, who was about 40 years of age, 
 and wife, of nearly the same age ; Da- 
 vid, about 18, and two daughters, Patty 
 and Sally, who were a few years young- 
 er. Mrs. Parker told me to call her 
 "mother," and certainly she acted the 
 part of a mother to me- She fed me 
 when hungry ; dried my clothes when 
 wet ; cared for my every want ; and 
 when troubles assailed, that she could 
 not alleviate, pitied and sympathised 
 with me. In short, she was as kind as 
 my own mother.
 
 WILMINGTON FAHMER. 25 
 
 On first entering the house, [ found 
 no one at home but Mrs. Parker and 
 her two daughters, David being absent 
 at school. After sitting a few minutes, 
 she said, 4< You may go to the barn and 
 see the calves." There were six of 
 them, and I employed the forenoon in 
 cleaning the stalls and clearing up. 
 After dinner I went with Mr. Parker 
 to split oak butts into wheel spokes. 
 Thus ended my first day's servitude. 
 
 Mr. Parker's parents were then liv- 
 ing. Hk mother, by age or infirmity, 
 had lost her reason, or, as it is com- 
 monly expressed, was crazy. They 
 told me that she would not harm me, 
 so I need not be afraid of her. I well 
 remember her saying one day, "Asa, the 
 Devil is in me," Well," said I, " if 
 he is, route him out," at the same time 
 seizing the fire shovel. She blowed 
 and coughed till tired, and seeing me 
 not frightened, stopped, saying, i; F 
 can't blow him out." She reported, 
 that she never saw .a. bov of such deter*
 
 26 LIFE OF ASA G. SHELDON : 
 
 mined courage ; " he was not afraid of 
 the Devil himself, but stood ready to 
 beat his brains out with the fire-shovel." 
 
 Our Spring ploughing that year was 
 done by four oxen and a horse, and it 
 was my constant business to drive them. 
 In hoeing, the plan was for me to take 
 every alternate hill and follow back on 
 the same row, thus keeping alongside 
 the men.. The Summer passed pleas- 
 antly away, my young head filled 
 with a lively interest in everything that 
 transpired on the farm. I had become 
 quite attached to my new* mother and 
 Mr. Parker seemed quite a middling 
 man to get along with. 
 
 I had the privilege of attending whi- 
 ter school, and as is common for youth, 
 formed a lasting attachment to a school- 
 mate Daniel Putnam, a boy nearly 
 my size and age, but of whom it might 
 be said, as of Nathaniel of old, "an 
 Israelite indeed, in whom is no guile." 
 We occupied the same seat, and one 
 day the teacher detected Daniel whis-
 
 WILMINGTON FARMER. 27 
 
 Bering to me, contrary to known laws. 
 Of course Dan was called to the floor, 
 and seeing the teacher about to ferule 
 him, I sprang from my seat, hastened 
 forward, and holding out my hand, cried 
 out, " punish me, I am more to blame 
 than he ; I whispered first." 
 
 " Was you ever punished at school V 
 said the teacher. 
 
 " No, sir," I answered. 
 
 " Was you ever, Daniel?" 
 
 " Xo, sir." 
 
 " Then," said he, in an authoritative? 
 tone, "go to your seats." 
 
 The second year, in hoeing time, 
 I was able to keep up with the hands,, 
 anless the ground was very tough- 
 This pleased Mr. Parker as there was> 
 much hoeing to be done, and the crops, 
 were extensive. 
 
 My father needing a cow, he agreed 
 with Mr. P. to take one for $22, and I 
 was to work for him another year, or 
 till the next May, to pay for her, and 
 I was to have winter schooling.
 
 '28 LIFE OP ASA G. SHELDON : 
 
 Mr. P. appears to have been exceed- 
 ingly miserly, and was unwilling to 
 let me slide on the ice, because it wore 
 my shoes out; but thanks to mother 
 Parker's adroit management, I found 
 frequent opportunities to enjoy an hour 
 of glee on the ponds. For that and 
 many other secret favors, I have reason 
 to respect her memory. 
 
 At the commencement of my third 
 year, Mr. P. frequently urged that I 
 should be bound to him, telling my 
 father that he would give him $20 in 
 cash, and me $100 on becoming twen- 
 ty-one. To this my 'father agreed, and 
 the necessary documents were signed 
 without mother's knowledge. Great 
 was her anguish on learning that her 
 son was a " bond slave," as she was 
 pleased to call it. 
 
 Oh, fathers, never be guilty of such 
 a rash act. Never bind your children 
 to service of any kind, and above all 
 without the consent of her who would 
 willingly labor day and night ; yea, and
 
 WILMINGTON FARMER. 29 
 
 suffer many privations to benefit her 
 offspring. 
 
 I am glad that this inhuman practice 
 has passed away. Depend upon it, this 
 generation is not good enough to deal 
 in such a relic of barbarism. 
 
 I now come to speak of my fourth 
 year of service. There was 110 snow 
 for sledding till February or March, 
 when a nice fall of snow coming, creat- 
 ed an ambition in me to drive a load of 
 wood to Salem town and sell it. I had 
 frequently driven wood to market in 
 company Avith Mr. Parker, each of us 
 driving a load. Mr. P., 'Dave and my- 
 self, were engaged at Putnam's Mill all 
 day. It was late at night when they 
 retired. 
 
 In my thirteenth year, full of ambi- 
 tion, I unloaded a sled-load of boards. 
 -they were heavT, hard pine boards, 
 22 feet in length, and re-loaded it 
 with pine wood. It was now midnight, 
 and I sought my accustomed couch, 
 but tied my shoes so tight as to prevent
 
 30 LIFE OF ASA G. SHELDON: 
 
 quiet rest, and after an hour and a half's 
 repose I rose and fed the team. Then 
 going to Mr. P. the following dialogue 
 took place : 
 
 " Can I take a load of wood to Salem 
 to-day ?" 
 
 " Asa, it seems as if you would tease 
 the life out of me ; did I not tell you 
 there was none loaded." 
 
 " But there is a load loaded." 
 
 "Who loaded it?" 
 
 " I loaded it," said I. 
 
 " Yes, you may go if you have got 
 the wood loaded. You may unload it 
 at Johnson's, where we get store goods, 
 I have promised it to him." 
 
 A dash of disappointment flashed 
 over me, for I longed to dispose of the 
 wood myself. A pleasant trip brought 
 me into Salem at 8 o'clock. I found 
 Mr. Johnson absent, and his clerk 
 would do nothing about it. Much 
 pleased was I at this overture, which 
 gave me an opportunity to try my luck 
 at marketing. I was to get from John-
 
 WILMINGTON FARMER. 31 
 
 son $4 for the load, but had the good 
 luck to sell it to a man for $4 and one 
 shilling. On reaching home, Mr. Par- 
 ker gave me the shilling, the greatest 
 present he had ever made me. My 
 spending money had before been con- 
 fined to 6i cents per year. That was 
 awarded to me at our State Election. 
 The last year of my living with him he 
 gave me 1*2 cents. The man who 
 bought the wood was a baker by trade, 
 and proved a good customer for years 
 afterwards when marketing wood for 
 myself. The very boards which I that 
 night unloaded solely myself, may now 
 be found on the roof of Thomas Ray- 
 nor's house, in North Reading. 
 
 When at Salem a baker agreed with 
 me for a load of faggots, or twigs 
 bound in bundles, for heating ovns. 
 AVith the hope that Mr. Parker would 
 give me all the money if I could con- 
 trive to make them without taking his 
 time, I kept my hatchet in the cow 
 pasture, and when I found the cows
 
 32 Lin: OF ASA o. SHELBON : 
 
 liuudily I could make eight or ten bun- 
 dles and then run and catch up with 
 them. If I did not find them readily, 
 I made less, and so on. AY hen the 
 load was nearly complete, Mr. Parker 
 discovered them, and asked, " Who 
 made those faggots J " 
 
 " I made them," said I. 
 
 " When did you make them," said 
 he, "and what are you going to do 
 with them." 
 
 " Sell them," said I, " they will 
 bring as much as a load of wood." 
 
 " You can't sell them for anything." 
 
 " Yes. I can, they are promised now." 
 
 "Well," said he, "finish out the 
 load, now you have begun." 
 
 The day we finished haying, Mr. 
 Parker said, " if you are going down 
 with that load of faggots, you had bet- 
 ter do it before we take the hay rigging 
 off." 
 
 Mother P. had told me, that when- 
 ever I sold them, if he offered me less 
 than a dollar, not to take it. I drove
 
 \VII.MINI;TOX PARMKR. 33 
 
 the load to Salem, and brought home 
 $5.80, and gave it to Mr. Parker, and 
 he was niggar&y enough to offer me 
 cents for all my labor, hurry and 
 
 toil. Mother P., seeing me about to 
 take it. gave a stamp with her foot, 
 when the ninepencc dropped on. the 
 floor, and I hastened out of the house. 
 Soon after. Mother P. went to Salem 
 herself and brought home a nice hat 
 for me. that cost $3. There was but 
 one other hat worn in town that was so 
 nice, and that was owned by George, 
 now Esquire. Flint, of North Reading. 
 On presenting it she said, " There, 
 Asa. that will do you more good than 
 nincpeiicc." 
 
 Polly Parker had been married to 
 Thomas llaynor, and resided one year 
 at South Reading. They then remov- 
 ed to our house to share in the profits 
 of the farm, -Mr. Parker cultivating 
 both his own and his father's farm. 
 It appears from circumstances that Mr, 
 Parker, at the time of his marriage.
 
 34 LIFE OP ASA G. SHELDON : 
 
 thought Tom Raynor was heir to an 
 estate ; but such not being the case, he 
 Deemed to look indignantly upon his 
 *on-in-law, and nothing suited that he 
 laid his hands upon. 
 
 We all lived in one family, the men 
 jointly sharing the profits of the farms. 
 Mr. Parker had 0ne half, Dave and 
 Tom each one fourth. I have known 
 them to divide $1200 at the end of the 
 year. 
 
 The first time I ever came to Wil- 
 mington, was with a team loaded with 
 hops, which I sold to Colonel William 
 Blanchard for 42 cents per lb., amount- 
 ing to $800. 
 
 Now commenced my fifth year. 
 In passing down one side the hay-field, 
 one day, where Parker and Raynor 
 were turning hay, I heard Parker shout 
 to Raynor, " Why don't you turn that 
 hay with the head of your rake ? " 
 Parker, receiving no answer or not be- 
 ing heard, shouted again in an angry 
 tone, " if you can't turn the hay as I
 
 WILMINGTON FARMER. 35 
 
 want you to, go home to dinner, and I 
 will turn it ? " Raynor still not ap- 
 pearing to hear, and continuing to ply 
 the stale of his rake, the old fellow ran 
 upon him with his rake, and levelling 
 a blow on his temple brought him to 
 the ground. He fell as quick as ever 
 an ox fell in a slaughter house. 
 
 I was frightened almost out of my 
 senses, and ran toward them as fast as 
 my legs would carry me. However, 
 Raynor sprang up, and with rake in. 
 hand, exclaimed, "Stand off; I was 
 never made to fear a fall of clay." 
 They both appeared at the dinner table 
 that day and ate without exchanging a, 
 word. From that time till the close of 
 the year, they never spoke a word to 
 each other, except when so filled with 
 anger that they could not help spitting 
 it out, yet they constantly ate and work- 
 ed together- Parker always called Ray- 
 nor a bad tempered man ; but I knew 
 them both well, and Raynor had not 
 half so bad a temper as Parker himself.
 
 .'{G LIFE OF ASA G. SHELDON .' 
 
 Strange as it may seem, I was daily 
 called to act as interpreter between 
 them. Oftentimes when sitting by the 
 fire, Parker would tell me what to say 
 to llaynor, and he in return would tell 
 me what to answer back. Sometimes 
 the case would require quite a number 
 of messages, and all this while they 
 were sitting nearer to each other than 
 I was to either of them. This curious 
 telegraphing was sometimes carried on 
 at table, especially Avhen farm opera- 
 tions required each to know the other's 
 mind. At such times one would not 
 notice what the other said until I re- 
 peated it. 
 
 To my readers this may appear very 
 strange and almost beyond credence, 
 but it is a simple fact ; and certain am 
 I, that if I had not personally known 
 the man, I could never have believed 
 the one half I now know to be true: 
 He was a man whose iron will com- 
 pletely blockaded every port of his en- 
 joyment.
 
 WILMINGTON FARMER. 37 
 
 In the Spring of the year, it was 
 Mr. Parker's practice to give me a stint 
 stripping hop poles. Hop raisers, and 
 perhaps others, will understand that 
 process. This, he said, was to give 
 me a chance to supply myself with 
 spending money. I was grateful for 
 the benefit, and am bound to say in his 
 praise that he never gave a hard stint. 
 At evening I was sometimes aided by 
 neighboring boys, when a bonfire of the 
 dried vines w r ould increase the hilarity. 
 
 Once upon a time in April, the snow 
 falling fast, Mr. Parker came to me and 
 said, " if you will leave vine stripping 
 and go and get the sheep up. I will pay 
 you for it." I did, and found a wee 
 little lamb dropped in the snow. Tak- 
 ing off my frock I wrapped it up and 
 conveyed it home. t; Now Asa," said 
 Mr. Parker, " if you will make that 
 lamb live, you may have it to pay for 
 going after the sheep, and all the ewe 
 lambs she has I will keep for you for 
 their wool, and the male lambs vou imiv
 
 38 LIFE OF ASA G. SHELDON: 
 
 sell to the butchers." All night I 
 watched the wee bit and in the morn- 
 ing it was able to draw its own "rations" 
 from its dam. 
 
 The coming season I exchanged my 
 lamb for an older sheep, which brought 
 me the next spring two fine ram lambs 
 that were destined to the slaughter. 
 However, my stock of sheep increased 
 to five before I left the place, which I 
 sold, receiving $10 for them. 
 
 It is but just to say in this place, that 
 I made Mr. Parker my Savings Bank, 
 putting all my little overplus in his 
 keeping, and he giving me a new note 
 every year, carefully reckoning com- 
 pound interest. When I left he was 
 owing me $3-0- saved in this manner. 
 It was not till years afterwards that I 
 demanded and received it. 
 
 Boys, here is an incentive to lay by 
 your little savings. They will amount 
 to something at a time when you need 
 them.
 
 WILMINGTON FARMER. 
 
 THIRD LINK. 
 
 Early in the autumn, the Frigate- 
 Essex was to be launched. All the 
 boys in the neighborhood were going. 
 I wanted to go, but Mr. Parker said no.- 
 And it was not till several boys hade 
 interceded with him that he gave his- 
 consent. " Well," said he, " if your 
 do go, I will not give you one cent of 
 money to spend, for there is no need of 
 going." The boys said I should fare 
 as well as they did. 
 
 We started at midnight, eighteen in- 
 all, and walked to Salem, saw the Es- 
 sex leave " the home of her birth," 
 and slide gently down the greased 
 ways, with her precious cargo of curi- 
 ous mortals, anxious to catch the first 
 ride in her as she bathed herself for. 
 the first time in the briny deep.
 
 40 LIFE OF ASA . SHELDON: 
 
 Afterwards we walked about town 
 to see the " elephant," ate gingerbread 
 and pies, and toward night set our 
 faces toward home. It was a most 
 formidable journey for boys of our age, 
 and before we reached home our fa- 
 tigue was such that we lay down on 
 the ground to rest every half mile. 
 
 Boys, when distant from home, be 
 cautious not to take too much labor 
 upon yourselves. Remember you have 
 got to travel home into the bargain. 
 Such almost killing fatigue mars the 
 pleasure of the otherwise satisfactory 
 excursion. 
 
 In the following story, I have to ac- 
 knowledge the first and only time I 
 ever tried to plague Mr. Parker, and 
 then I tried with a right-good will, for 
 I was as mad as a honey bee. He had 
 fallen in the barn and hurt himself 
 considerably, and had kept in the 
 house for four days. 
 
 I was going to Salem with a load 
 of wood, and had mv team all hitrhed
 
 WILMINGTON FARMER, 41 
 
 and ready, when he called to me to 
 get Rayiior up for the purpose of going 
 a piece with me, as the snow was deep 
 and drifted. 
 
 " I do not want him," said I. 
 
 " Go along and call him quick." 
 The mandate was obeyed. 
 
 " Do you want me," said Raynor. 
 
 " No," said I. 
 
 " Then I shall not get up." 
 
 " Is he going to get up," said Parker. 
 
 " He said not" 
 
 " Then go and tell him I say he 
 shall get up and go with you." 
 
 Again I ran and told him what Par- 
 ker said. He asked me, " Do you 
 want me to go? if you do, I will, but 
 if you do not, I shall not get up." 
 
 This message was delivered verbatim 
 to Parker, when he answered, 
 
 " Did you tell him that you wanted 
 he should go ? " 
 
 " No, sir." 
 
 "Why didn't you?" 
 
 " Because if I did it would be a lie ;
 
 42 LIFE OF ASA G. SHELDON : 
 
 and you always told me if I told a lie 
 you would whip me, and I do not want 
 him or any body else to go." 
 
 " Then," shouted he, " run quick to 
 the other barn and get the white horse 
 and I will go myself." And he did go. 
 
 Although he had required waiting 
 upon for four days, he was up and 
 dressed and mounted upon Old White, 
 that cold night, for no other purpose 
 than to carry out his iron will, formed 
 to discomfort Raynor and get him out 
 of bed that bitter night, he so hated 
 him, and in effect he imitated the vex- 
 ed rattlesnake, who 
 
 Missing his foe, with fiendish spite, 
 
 Coils up his folds, and hiw own self will bite. 
 
 To be sure I was any thing but good 
 natured, scampering away to the other 
 barn for Old White, whose contrary 
 habits were well known, sincerely hop- 
 ing she would manifest something of 
 the kind that night and plunge her rid- 
 er in the snow. But I was not to be
 
 WILMINGTON FARMER. 43 
 
 gratified in that respect. Old White 
 was saddled, taken home, and a chair 
 brought out for him to mount with, so 
 lame was he from his hurt. He tried 
 to ride ahead, but could not get on fast 
 enough, for when he told me to drive 
 slower in the drifts, I would use the 
 brad unsparingly, making the team, 
 which was a good one, rave and spring, 
 but could not get him unhorsed with 
 all the trick and tact I was master of. 
 " You act so much like the devil," said 
 he, " I'll go no further," and turned 
 toward home. 
 
 In the course of my sixth year 
 Mr. Parker began making preparations 
 for building a new house. One morn- 
 ing Dave and myself started early for 
 the team, for the purpose of drawing 
 two loads of lumber from Andover. 
 All being found except one horse, I 
 drove them home while Dave searched 
 for the missing horse. Seeing one 
 horse gone and Dave too, Mr. Parker 
 cried out in his accustomed hoarse,
 
 44 LIFE OP ASA G. SHELDOX : 
 
 angry tone, " Where is the horse ? 
 Where is Dave ? Go and find Dave. 
 Go get the horse. Go bait the oxen. 
 Why don't you run ? " 
 
 " I don't know what you mean," said 
 I, " I never saw a man act as you do in 
 my life." 
 
 Having the cart-whip in his hand he 
 gave me a heavy cut around my legs, 
 the knot in the end of the lash coming 
 inside the knee hurt me considerably, 
 
 We started off together toward the 
 ;the pasture. 
 
 " Why don't you run," said he. 
 
 "If I go as fast as you do it is fast 
 enough, I shall go no faster," said I. 
 So we walked on silently together. 
 
 The next morning found the whip 
 .chopped into inch pieces, beside the 
 hog-sty. 
 
 " Who did that ? " said Parker, 
 
 " I did it," said I ; "it was my own 
 whip, and shall not keep a whip to whip 
 myself with." 
 
 This was the first and onlv time he
 
 WILMINGTON FAHMKIJ. 45 
 
 ever struck me while I lived with him. 
 His course was decidedly a grief to 
 Mrs. Parker, but it was out of her pow- 
 er to prevent it. 
 
 In haying time, that well known time 
 of hurry and bustle, as we came home 
 late for dinner one day, we found the 
 women had eaten and nothing remained 
 but some boiled Indian pudding and 
 five ears of boiled corn. There were 
 more ears of green corn in the pot boil- 
 ing. We soon cleared away the pud- 
 ding, and Mr. Parker taking three ears 
 and Raynor two, started for the further 
 barn to throw off a load of hay, saying 
 to me, 
 
 " Come along and take away that 
 hay." 
 
 " Let him stop till the corn is done," 
 said Mrs. Parker. 
 
 " No come right along now," said he, 
 and on he pushed, eating as he went, 
 which was his common practice. 
 
 I soon took two ears of hot corn alter- 
 nating them from hand to hand and
 
 46 LIFE OP ASA G. SHELDON : 
 
 run after Raynor and overtook him 
 gnawing his corn, and ran ahead. Mr. 
 Parker called out from the yard, 
 
 " Get quick up on to the mow and 
 take away the hay." 
 
 I scrambled up, as the corn was get- 
 ting just cool enough to eat. 
 
 " Lay down your corn," said he, "if 
 you can't eat your dinner while I eat 
 mine and feed the hogs, you may go 
 without. You thought because that 
 lazy curse," meaning Raynor, " stayed 
 behind you might." 
 
 I laid the corn on the plate under the 
 eaves and it lays there now for aught I 
 know. " I will have what I want to 
 eat for time to come," said I, " and if 
 you will not let me have it, I will go 
 where I can get it." 
 
 " Where will you go ? " said he. 
 
 " I will go to Ohio," said I, " before 
 I will live with you another year, if 
 you don't treat me better." 
 
 "What is that you say?" said he. 
 It was repeated.
 
 WII.MIXGTOX FARMER. 47 
 
 " Come right down to me and I will 
 whip you for that." 
 
 I was on the load by him as soon as 
 my weight w r ould fetch me there. He 
 seized my arm and taking an alder stick 
 from the hay, said, 
 
 " Shall I strike you or not ? " 
 
 " Just as you have a mind to," said I. 
 
 " Will you ever say it again ? " 
 
 " I can't help thinking so, and I may 
 as well say it as think it." 
 
 ' ; If you do think it, you shan't say 
 it in my hearing." Here he stuck the 
 pitchfork into the mow and I clambered 
 on to the top again, and Raynor who 
 had listened to the whole came forward 
 to help me. If he had struck me, it 
 was my determination to slip off the 
 hind end of the load and never work 
 for him again. 
 
 The writer would fain hope that few 
 men, \vho have the care of youth, man- 
 ifest so much indifference to their com- 
 fort as not to allow them time to well 
 masticate their food.
 
 48 . LIFE OP ASA G. SHELDON : 
 
 A word here on diet. In the sum- 
 mer season, brown bread and milk was 
 the constant food, for the whole family, 
 morning and night. By brown bread 
 is meant, bread made of rye and indian 
 meal raised and baked in large loaves 
 and in a brick oven, in those days. 
 Supper for Saturday was uniformly 
 roast potatoes and salt ; no butter was 
 used. The whiter rations were beef- 
 broth, with brown bread crumbled in, 
 and for change, bean porridge. This 
 porridge was made by boiling a piece 
 of pork, with a handful of beans, till 
 they had become soft and smashed, 
 then dipped into dishes with bread 
 crumbled in. 
 
 Our Sunday dinner was invariably 
 baked beans with salt pork, and a bak- 
 ed indian pudding. A little butter was 
 allowed for the pudding. 
 
 Thanksgiving festival was indeed a 
 luxury. We commonly had fowls and 
 roasted pork, or spare-rib, and plum 
 puddings, with as many as three kinds
 
 WILMINGTON FARMER. 49 
 
 of pies, mince, apple and pumpkin. 
 We had as nice a treat at Thanksgiv- 
 ing then, as they scare np now, and ate 
 it with a greater zest. 
 
 It should be remembered that the 
 time of which I have been speaking 
 was more than half a century ago. 
 Great changes have since taken place, 
 as might be expected, both in food and 
 dress. 
 
 My clothes in summer were straw 
 hat, tow shirt and tow trowsers. When 
 the mornings were cool, I put on my 
 vest such as it was, and my frock if 
 required. I had no shoes until the 
 ground began to freeze. 
 
 Winter habiliments were striped 
 blue and white woollen trowsers, fulled 
 cloth vest and jacket. They were com- 
 monly made of Parker's or Dave's old 
 cast-off ones, which good mother Par- 
 ker took care to have well mended, 
 much to my comfort. I was never al- 
 lowed an overcoat while I lived there, 
 or a pair of boots. I was allowed but
 
 50 LIFE OP ASA G. SHELDON : 
 
 one pair of shoes for two years. Par- 
 ker used to tell me, when going to get 
 my foot measured, to put on two pair 
 of stockings, and tell the shoemaker to 
 be sure and make them large enough 
 to last two years. 
 
 The first year I put old flannel, or 
 baize -as- it was then called, around my 
 feet to keep the shoes from slipping 
 and wearing out my stockings. When 
 they needed repairs, Mr. Parker would, 
 as he kept shoemaking, tools on hand, 
 tap them with old upper stuff and fill 
 them full of nails to make them last 
 well ; and mother Parker would make 
 me leggings from his old stocking legs. 
 
 At length Mr. Parker's father passed 
 off the stage ; the new house was fin- 
 ished ; Dave was married and moved 
 into it, but Raynor lived with us still. 
 Now the battle raged wilder and hotter 
 between Parker and Raynor, till at 
 length they needed no interpreter, but 
 were ready on all occasions to vociferate 
 hard words at each other.
 
 WILMINGTON FARMER. 51 
 
 Catching a wild goose by hands must 
 be considered note-worthy. One day 
 as Raynor and myself were going to our 
 labor we espied two wild geese in a lit- 
 tle pond near by. We went toward 
 the pond wanting to catch them, but 
 hardly expecting such an event, as we 
 had no firearms. Away they flew and 
 we stood gazing after them. They 
 soon wheeled and came back, but did 
 not drop fast enough to hit the water, 
 but passed over and alighted in thick 
 bushes close beside where we stood y 
 each secreted behind a tree. As they 
 could not arise for entanglement, we 
 sprang upon them simultaneously, each 
 catching one by the neck and saving it. 
 We tied their legs with some string, 
 which we had in our pockets, when 
 luckily a man named Angier came 
 along and took them to his house near 
 by for safe keeping, Raynor paying him 
 50 cents for doing it. At night we laid 
 them upon hay on the top of our load 
 of wood and carried them home and
 
 52 LIFE OP ASA G. SHELDON .' 
 
 put them in a pen in the hophouse. 
 From discontent, or some other cause, 
 not one mouthful would they eat, and 
 we were obliged to cram them with 
 corn to keep them alive. However, 
 Raynor soon sold them to a man in 
 South Reading for $5. 
 
 The year the new house was built, 
 all was hurry and drive, every nerve 
 must be strained for labor. For in- 
 stance, Parker would carry feed to his 
 hogs with part of his dinner in his 
 hand. He made calculation to start 
 for work with as much in his hands as 
 he could dispose of before he reached 
 the field. A neighbor, whose field he 
 often crossed, smilingly observed, " I 
 must prosecute Parker for throwing his 
 bones into my grass." 
 
 To accelerate business and encour- 
 age me, Mr. Parker said, that if I 
 would keep the hops, corn, and pota- 
 toes well tended, after the first hoeing, 
 all the season, he would give me twen- 
 ty-five Ibs. of hops, and I should have
 
 WILMINGTON FARMER. 53 
 
 the steers to help me, and might plow 
 as well as I pleased. The steers were 
 a fine pair, three years old, of my own 
 training, and were 'ox-handy. 
 
 One day, in Parker's absence, as I 
 was plowing the potatoe patch both 
 ways, Dave observed me, and halloing 
 forbade the cross-plowing. As I paid 
 no attention to what he said, he ran to- 
 ward the field, which was in island 
 form, then surrounded by mud. He 
 had been unwell, and on that account 
 wore stockings and shoes. While di- 
 vesting his feet of their incumbrance 
 in order to plunge through the mud, I 
 hastened the steers at a rapid rate, 
 plowing only one furrow in a row. Of 
 course he took the team away from me, 
 which greatly impeded that day's work. 
 On Mr. Parker's return he discounten- 
 anced Dave's proceedings, and said he 
 should help me as much as he had 
 hindered. I told him my determina- 
 tion to hoe every hill myself. On ex- 
 amination he greatly approved my plan
 
 54: LIFE OP ASA G. SHELDON : 
 
 of cross-plowing, as the ground was of 
 a clammy nature ; indeed the crops 
 bore unmistakable testimony to the 
 utility of the procedure. 
 
 Seven acres of corn, potatoes and 
 hops, were plowed and hoed twice that 
 season solely by me and the steers. 
 Many times, in the gray dawn of the 
 morning, we might be seen in the field 
 at work, to evade the heat of the day. 
 This practice of early rising, in hot 
 weather especially, I wish to recom- 
 mend as the secret of realizing a good 
 day's work.
 
 WILMINGTON FARMER. 55 
 
 FOURTH LINK. 
 
 Hop picking came on, that season of 
 hilarity in which boys and girls all par- 
 ticipate. We were stripping them off 
 full of glee, not one reaching out his 
 hand in vain. Mr. Parker rode to '"Wil- 
 mington to inquire the prospects of the 
 hop market, and on his return said Col. 
 Blanchard offered him 25 cents per Ib. 
 
 " Why didn't you take it," said I. 
 
 " Will you take that for yours ? " 
 
 " Yes." 
 
 The money was counted out straight- 
 way, which was more than I had ever 
 been the owner of before. This was 
 done at the hop bin. He cheerily said, 
 " now we shall see which has the best 
 luck selling hops, you or I." He kept 
 his till the following Spring, in hope
 
 56 LIFE OP ASA G. SHELDON : 
 
 of obtaining a higher price, and then 
 sold them for 11 cents per Ib. Such I 
 have often observed to be the case when 
 a fair price is refused. 
 
 Mr. Parker's extreme fretfulness may 
 be seen in the following story. 
 
 It was mid-winter, and new snow had 
 fallen to a considerable depth. In the 
 morning he said, " When you have fed 
 the cattle, go to shoveling paths." I 
 did shovel all the paths we usually 
 shoveled after a snow storm. I then 
 inquired where he was. The women 
 said he had gone in the direction of 
 the watering place, about half a mile 
 distant. I followed, and when I came 
 up with him, he said, " Why didn't 
 you come along to shoveling here ? " 
 
 " I didn't know there was anything 
 to be done here ; we never shoveled 
 here before." 
 
 " You might know the snow would 
 drift in here, now the trees are cut 
 away," said he. 
 
 After a few minutes' work, he said,
 
 WILMINGTON FARMER. 57 
 
 " Go let out the cattle, and drive them 
 down to drink ; start on the cows first." 
 
 I knew this order to be wrong, but 
 it was implicitly obeyed, and when they 
 came into deep snow, the oxen pressed 
 on to the annoyance of the cows, which 
 made him exclaim, in wrath, " run 
 ahead and stop that ox." 
 
 I had just exchanged my whip for 
 his shovel, so I ran, shovel in hand, 
 and called "whoa" to the ox, who 
 was wont to stop at my bidding. 
 
 "What do you say 'whoa' to that. 
 ox for ? " was his tart response. 
 
 " What a plague ; can I say anything 
 but ' whoa ' to an ox when I want to 
 stop him ? " 
 
 " You shant say ' plague ' to me," 
 said he, and ran at me with all his 
 might, whip in hand. 
 
 I could not make much headway for 
 the deep snow, and so turning round 
 said, *' Don't break the whip-stick ; I 
 paid eleven cents for it ; " when he de- 
 sisted.
 
 58 LIFE OP ASA G. SHELD'ON : 
 
 Before we reached the house he met 
 a neighbor, to whom he said, "Asa 
 cares more for his whip than for his 
 back, for when I was going to strike 
 him, he said, ' Don't break the whip,' 
 and I could not help laughing." 
 
 It was my aim, when he was in a 
 pet, to make him laugh, if he had not 
 got beyond the bounds of forbearance. 
 
 This Spring, -Raynor left and hired 
 out to a man who tilled the farm lying 
 between Mr. Parker's two farms. I 
 was commanded not to speak to him, 
 which command I did not fully obey, 
 as I was a staunch American, and un- 
 willing to give up the right of free 
 speech. Dave and his father still 
 worked together. 
 
 Now as Dave and Raynor were gone, 
 I was left alone to stand all the shots, 
 rifle, canister, grape and shell ; and 
 they fell thick and fast. Sometimes I 
 thought it impossible to stay longer 
 with him. But good mother Parker's 
 sympathy and kind words did much to
 
 WILMINGTON FARMER. 59 
 
 soften and heal the wounds, and I 
 would conclude to await another broad- 
 side. 
 
 Soon after Raynor left, a traveller 
 came along, and Dave took him in. 
 He was a man of middle age. We 
 never knew where he canie from; if 
 asked the question, he would not ans- 
 wer, but change the topic of conversa- 
 tion. He was no epicure, but would 
 eat whatever was set before him. He 
 slept in an attic chamber, with his door 
 fastened. He was deranged in mind, 
 and like other maniacs, when most 
 crazy, would manifest a terrible tem- 
 per. His name was Jeremiah Powers, 
 and he could do a great amount of 
 work, such as forking manure, hoeing, 
 pitching hay, grain, &c ; in doing any 
 of these things, no man could beat 
 him. He was exceedingly withy and 
 spry. I have seen him stand with 
 both feet together, and jump twelve 
 #eet ahead at a leap. Few men can do 
 that.
 
 60 LIFE OF ASA G. SHELDON : 
 
 In his worst spells, he would receive 
 no directions about the work from any 
 one except me, and would frequently 
 urge me to join him to kill Parker and 
 Dave, for he had a lunatic idea that if 
 they were killed we could do as we 
 pleased with the farm and stock. 
 
 Once on going into Dave's house, I 
 found him sitting on a block in the 
 corner, pale with terror, while Powers 
 was standing over him, axe in hand, 
 telling him if he moved he would split 
 his brains out. And I believe he 
 would have done so. 
 
 " Captain," said I, for we were used 
 to calling him by that title, " what are 
 you going to do with Dave \ " 
 
 " Kill this old d d regular," said 
 he, " and take off his scalp." 
 
 " What are you going to do with it ? " 
 
 " Sell it," said he. 
 
 " You can't get one cent for it ; be- 
 sides we want him to help get our hay 
 in ; he is a good mower you know." 
 
 He turned away with a demoniac
 
 WILMINGTON FARMER. 61 
 
 laugh, and Dave was relieved from his 
 terror-stricken embarrassment. I must 
 confess I was frightened myself, but I 
 made shift not to let Powers know it. 
 " Asa," said he, " you are always right ; 
 I will let him go now." 
 
 He had a notion if any one hawked 
 or spit, &c., they were mocking him. 
 If a cock crowed within his reach, he 
 would cut his head off if he could. 
 Often while we were hoeing, the fowls 
 would come round picking up worms, 
 and he killed several in that way, when 
 I would carry them into the house and 
 have them cooked. As he was one 
 day pitching hay, the horse, which was 
 tied by a rope at the door, snuffed. 
 Powers told her if she did it again he 
 would let her guts out. The snuffing 
 was immediately repeated, \vhen Pow- 
 ers sprang to the ground, pitchfork in 
 hand. I screamed out, " don't kill her, 
 we want her to go fishing with, we 
 can't go on foot." He stopped short, 
 saying,
 
 62 LIFE OP ASA G. SHELDON : 
 
 " You are always right ; I will let 
 her live." 
 
 Another time he insisted that we 
 must have our stints. Accordingly 
 Parker gave us a certain amount of 
 plowing and hoeing for that and the 
 following day. The plowing was done 
 in the afternoon, which was followed 
 by a bright, moonlight night. Powers 
 hoed alone all night, and the morning 
 found the work completed. " Now," 
 said he, " you are my man to-day ;, you 
 shall do nothing for anybody else." 
 He soon decided to go fishing. We 
 had two hooks, and I bated them with 
 angle-worms while he fished. It was 
 a day of great sport to him, and I en- 
 joyed seeing his cup of happiness so 
 full. We carried home a mess of fish 
 to cook. 
 
 Powers was uniformly good to me, 
 but in no wise would I suffer a son of 
 mine to work with such an unfortunate. 
 I believe it may always be found true, 
 that lunatics have some one to doat
 
 WILMINGTON FARMER. 63' 
 
 upon. It is unquestionably better for 
 them to be constantly employed in out- 
 door labor; still they should be care- 
 fully watched, for there is no telling the 
 moment when they may commit depre- 
 dations. 
 
 Parker grew more and more unrea- 
 sonable, but mother Parker's faculty of 
 smoothing over things seemed to in- 
 crease. 
 
 Baynor l s wife and children lived in 
 our family, and he came home at night, 
 which enraged Parker, especially if he 
 found we spoke together. One morn- 
 ing, as I entered the house with a hand- 
 ful of wood, I met liaynor at the door ;, 
 we stopped and spoke. As Parker was 
 coming out, he no doubt heard it. We 
 soon went to unloading wood at the 
 door ; he was full of spite and many 
 angry words found utterance. I told 
 him at length I would leave him.. He 
 then caught a sled-stake and ran at me, 
 but being smarter than he I ran out of 
 his way. Mother Parker from the win-
 
 64 LIFE OP ASA G. SHELDON : 
 
 dow, seeing him seize the stake, was 
 struck with consternation lest he would 
 injure me. However I stopped at 
 speaking distance, and he told me to go 
 to cutting brush, and said I should not 
 drive the team any more, he would drive 
 it himself. This was done with a view to 
 plague me, because I loved teaming so 
 well. 
 
 I did not go to cutting brush as he 
 said, but walked over to Dave's, musing 
 as I went on what I had best do. I 
 told him my purpose of going away. 
 He said, " you had better go to cut- 
 ting fagots," which I did. 
 
 I would here say, my operation of 
 cutting fagots, to procure a little pocket- 
 money, proved a rod for my own back. 
 All my spare hours, rainy days, &c., 
 were necessarily filled up with fagot- 
 making. The last three months I lived 
 with him, I carried home to him $72 
 taken for fagots, all of my own making. 
 
 I soon stopped my work and return- 
 ed to the house. I told Mrs. Parker I
 
 AVILMYXGTO& FARMER. G"5 
 
 was going to leave. She wept and said, 
 " No, you must not go, I will try and 
 get him to treat you better." 
 
 "It is of no use," said I, " l^mve 
 tried that long enough. I don't want 
 to stay here to have my forains^beat out." 
 
 "I do not blame yoV' -said she, 
 but had rather yo-u would not take your 
 clothes. You shall eventually have 
 them, but as he -said you should not 
 take them, I had rather you would not 
 take them now." 
 
 " Goed-bye, " good-bye," was al- 
 ternated, and I was off on the road to- 
 ward my own mother's. 
 
 I -should have mentioned in connec- 
 tion with Parker's threatening with a 
 sted-stake, that when I told him I would 
 go away he said, " you cannot go ; you 
 are bound to me, aoad can't get away." 
 
 " No,~" said I, " not so. I have been 
 informed that, as father, who bound me 
 here, is dead, you cannot hold ; me now 
 I am fifteen." 
 
 " Who told you that," said he. I did
 
 66 LIFE OP ASA G. SHELDON : 
 
 not answer that question. He had evi- 
 dently been more tyrannical since I 
 was bound. 
 
 This story shows what a prominent 
 part a woman can take in smoothing 
 her rough-hewn husband's path. A 
 good wife like a good missionary, is 
 self-sacrificing, always intent on the 
 welfare of others. 
 
 Not more than three days had elapsed 
 before Parker came to mother's for me 
 to go back, stop a few weeks and then 
 tell people that we had come to an 
 agreement to dissolve, saying that then 
 I should have my clothes and my sheep. 
 He was good-natured, for he had been 
 to a lawyer and found he could not hold 
 me, as I said. 
 
 I was then fifteen years and five 
 months old. I went back with him 
 and whenever an opportunity offered he 
 would urge me to agree to stay three 
 years with him ; promising to find all 
 my clothes, let me go to school one 
 month each winter, and at the expira-
 
 WILMINGTON FARMER. 67 
 
 tion of the time to give me $200. 
 
 " No," said I, " I will agree to stop 
 only on this condition, that I will go 
 any time I wish, and you shall pay me 
 accordingly." To this he agreed and 
 mother Parker witnessed the contract. 
 I felt then it was as safe as if put in 
 black arid white, and a justice had 
 signed the acknowledgment. This oc- 
 curred in the spring of 1804, and we 
 set about raising eight calves, to pay 
 my wages when the three years were 
 out, as Parker said. Soon, however, 
 his accustomed fretfulness got hold of 
 him with renewed vigor and he dis- 
 dained to give explicit orders, but want- 
 ed explicit compliance with all his de- 
 sires. 
 
 Our State Election, that holiday for 
 boys, when they generally had two days 
 given them for their pleasure, occurred 
 on the last Wednesday in May. As I 
 had but half a day, I chose to take the 
 last half of the second day. 
 
 After putting the cows in pasture,
 
 68 LIFE OP ASA G. SHELDON ! 
 
 mother said, " Asa, I wish you would 
 hoe in the garden for me this morning." 
 I complied. When Mr. Parker came 
 from the field his anger could not be 
 restrained because I had not been in 
 the field at work. " Eat your break- 
 fast in one minute," said he. I swal- 
 lowed the bread and milk unceremo- 
 niously, till the minute was out, and 
 then set the bowl down. Mother then 
 brought her foot to the floor in her ex- 
 pressive manner, saying, " Eat your 
 breakfast, if you can't have time to eat 
 your breakfast Election morning I will 
 leave the house." So I finished it. 
 
 I should have stated before that our 
 State Elections in Massachusetts were 
 held as festivals from time immemorial. 
 At Mr. Parker's we always dined on 
 roasted veal and plenty of raised sweet 
 cake, called Election cake. Elections, 
 like Thanksgivings, were days much 
 calculated upon. 
 
 To my story again. We worked 
 along as well as could be expected,
 
 WILMINGTON FARMER. 69 
 
 " bearing and forbearing," till July, 
 when it was found out the calves were 
 lousey and must be washed in tobacco 
 wash to cleanse them. Toward night I 
 arranged to drive them up, but it was 
 foggy and they hid in the bushes and 
 vayily did I try to collect them. Re- 
 turning, I found all in bed, ate my 
 spoon-victuals and retired. Early the 
 following morning, the bushes wet as 
 rain, I was out in search of them, in 
 hopes to get them home before Parker 
 was up, but failed in that endeavor. 
 He was fiendish, cross and surly, I saw 
 at once. " Eat your breakfast," said 
 he, " and wash the calves, by the time 
 I get mine done." 
 
 My bowl of breakfast was soon dis- 
 patched, and one calf was finished ere 
 he came out. 
 
 " Turnout the calves," said he, "and 
 go right to mowing." 
 
 " Why, that would be a pity," said I, 
 " as the wash is all ready and they are 
 here."
 
 70 LIFE OP ASA G. SHELDON : 
 
 " Then do it quick," said he, " if you 
 do it at all." 
 
 The eight calves were quickly and 
 faithfully washed, and when they were 
 turned into the street to be driven to 
 pasture, he cried out, 
 
 " Let the calves alone, let them go 
 where they please, and you shall pay 
 for them if they are lost." 
 
 " It will take but a few moments and 
 it is a pity to have them stray away," 
 said I. The calves were put in the 
 pasture and I hastened to the mow- 
 field where he was mowing, but found 
 him cross as a bear. The grass was 
 furze and hard to cut ; soon he stopped 
 to whet his scythe, and when done, 
 reached out his hand for mine. I gave 
 it. " Why don't you take my scythe 
 and mow in my swath while I whet 
 yours," said he. 
 
 " Because it is as much as I can do 
 to keep up with you, as fast as you mow 
 this morning." This was my first year 
 of mowing, and I was not 16 years old.
 
 WILMINGTON FARMER. 71 
 
 " You lazy dog, you have not earned 
 your salt this fortnight," grated in my 
 cars. 
 
 " Tis a new thing to be called lazy," 
 said I, " and if I have not earned my 
 salt, you shall not find it any longer. 
 I shall leave at once, and would like 
 to have you pay me for the time I have 
 worked for you, according to agree- 
 ment." 
 
 " No," said he, " you will probably 
 choose a guardian and I will settle with 
 him. You may take your clothes." 
 
 When at a little distance he called 
 saying, " you shan't have your clothes." 
 I proceeded to the house, sat down on 
 the door-sill, talked with Mrs. Parker, 
 and heartily wished, as I had many 
 times before, that circumstances were 
 such that I could consistently stay ; as 
 at that time it was deemed disreputable 
 for a boy to change places often. And 
 besides I had no expectation of getting 
 so high wages any where . else, being 
 only 15 years and 9 months of age,
 
 72 LIFE OP ASA G. SHELDON : 
 
 having lived with him 7 years, 8 months, 
 and 10 days. Tears fell. Soon Parker 
 came and seeing me, said, " If you are 
 going to go, go I don't want you sit- 
 ting on my door-sill." I was off. 
 
 The next day the man who owned 
 the farm that lay between Mr. Parker's 
 two, seeing me, offered me good wages 
 to work for him, if Parker would not be 
 mad about it. " You had better go 
 and see him," said I. He went. Par- 
 ker said he did not want me to be idle, 
 and I might as we'll work for him as 
 anybody. 
 
 The next Saturday afternoon as Par- 
 ker crossed our field he said, " H you 
 will bring them back at night, you may 
 have your clothes to go to meeting to- 
 morrow." The offer was accepted, and 
 the clothes returned according to order. 
 
 Thus things continued, always taking 
 my clothes back to Parker's every Sab- 
 bath night and locking them up, till 
 my three months' engagement to Mr. 
 Stone was out. Parker then gave me
 
 WILMINGTON FARMER. 73 
 
 my clothes, the sheep I had prev- 
 iously sold, but would not pay the 
 money. His excuse was, that it was a 
 damage to him to have me go away, as 
 he could not get as much labor done so 
 cheaply in any other way, and so he 
 would not pay it. 
 
 I did not consider it best to com- 
 mence a prosecution for so small a sum 
 as $20. It is an old maxim, notwith- 
 standing a good one, " Keep out of the 
 law." 
 
 Subsequently, consulting Capt. Dan- 
 iel King, of Danvers, in respect to be- 
 ing my guardian, he said, " you can take 
 care of yourself ; I will give you such 
 advice as you may need, and when you 
 have any money to spare, bring it to 
 me, I will keep it for you, and that 
 will do as well as a legalized guardian." 
 I followed his directions, and from 
 time to time put small sums of money 
 into his hands.
 
 74 LIFE OP ASA G. SHELDOX : 
 
 You next find me in a gentleman's 
 family rn Salem, as their waiting man, 
 at $12 per month. The gentleman 
 was sick up stairs, but his wife was 
 one* of the umvfferabhs. She never al- 
 lowed her maid to enter the dining 
 room where she and' hei? son took their 
 meals. 
 
 I laid the table and cleared k again, 
 and waited on them while eating*. The 
 last thing set on the table was a bell 
 beside her plate. When eating, I must 
 sit in the adjoining room near the door, 
 to await the ringing of the bell. 
 
 " Ting, ting, ting ; bring a bottle of 
 wine from the cup-board." Done, and 
 I just seated.
 
 WILMINGTON FARMER. 75 
 
 " Ting, ting, ding," again ; " pour 
 out a glass of wine for me." Done. 
 
 " Ting, ting-a-ling ding ; pour out a 
 glass for Edward." Done. 
 
 " Ting, ting, ting," again ; " fill up 
 Edward's glass full." 
 
 And so it was from morn till night. 
 It seemed to be her steadfast plan to 
 keep me always running ; and in order 
 to fulfill her purpose, she would not 
 suffer me to bring more than one thing 
 at a time, when it could be done just 
 as well as not. For instance : She 
 wanted a half-peck of rye meal, and 
 sent me three-fourths of a mile to buy 
 it. When done she asked the price 
 and gave me the change all to one cent. 
 " It wants one cent more," said I, "that 
 piece will go for only five cents." 
 
 " Do you think I don't know money," 
 said she. 
 
 " Yes, and so do I too." 
 
 The money was carried, when the 
 man observed, " There is one cent lack- 
 ing, but no matter."
 
 76 LIFE OP ASA G. SHELDON : 
 
 " What did the man say to the mon- 
 ey," said she, when I returned. 
 
 " He said, ' it lacked one cent, but 
 no matter.' ' 
 
 " Here, go carry the cent ; I will 
 owe nobody." 
 
 So here was three times the travel 
 necessary, and more too, for there was 
 plenty of rye meal for sale, of the same 
 quality, the next door to hers. 
 
 These people had a garden of vege- 
 tables near Beverly Bridge one mile 
 from home. She one day sent me for 
 three kinds of vegetables, telling me to 
 go three times ; and also which to bring 
 first, which second, and which last. I 
 had learned a little about favoring my- 
 self, and brought them all at once, leav- 
 ing two kinds with a wood-sawyer I 
 was acquainted with, while I carried 
 one kind home. I then returned, stop- 
 ped awhile, and carried another kind 
 home, and lastly the other kind. This 
 was satisfactory, because it was not 
 known but that I went to the garden
 
 WILMINGTON FARMER. 77 
 
 for the three kinds at different times. 
 
 This kind of treatment too, was far 
 from agreeable ; I hardly expected to 
 like it when I commenced. The man 
 appeared well, as far as he appeared at 
 all ; but that heartless woman, oh ! that 
 heartless woman ! how many times I 
 wished that she might become poor, 
 and be obliged to wait on herself. She 
 did die poor. 
 
 I gave notice that I must leave in three 
 weeks from commencing. The man 
 urged me to stay, but I was decided. 
 
 " If you cannot be contented here," 
 said the woman, " you would not be in 
 heaven." 
 
 " That depends on the company," 
 said I, and cleared for deeper water. 
 
 After the gentleman's recovery he 
 made an attempt to hire me again into 
 his family. I told him the work did 
 not suit me, and besides I would not 
 live with his wife at any price. I 
 would rather dig ditches for a living 
 than work for her.
 
 78 LIFE OP ASA G. SHELDON : 
 
 I now steered back to my old neigh- 
 borhood in North Reading, and let 
 myself to Parson Stone through haying 
 and harvesting, and worked for board 
 in the winter and attended school. 
 
 On vacant school days, I sometimes 
 would drive a load of wood to Salem 
 for the Parson, for 25 cents. I well 
 remember buying cotton cloth for shirts 
 for myself, at 30 cents per yard, five 
 cents more for one yard than I had for 
 a day's work ; and it was called very 
 cheap, much cheaper than it had been. 
 This should put those to the blush who 
 now complain of the present prices, 
 which are not half so high. 
 
 I used to think at that time if there 
 was as much difference between hea- 
 ven and hell as between Mr. Parker's 
 and Parson Stone's, there was differ- 
 ence enough. 
 
 It was my good fortune, through the 
 influence of Capt. King, my adviser, 
 to hire out to bachelor Jonathan King 
 of Banvers. A neice of his kept his
 
 WILMINGTON FARMER. 79 
 
 house. They were good people to live 
 with, and had one other hired hand 
 named Clark. 
 
 Clark was a man of intemperate 
 habits, and when half drunk was bad 
 to get along with. Once when plow- 
 ing, because he could not keep the 
 plow in the furrow, he insisted on driv- 
 ing the cattle, but made out no better. 
 He shifted the oxen from nigh to off, 
 and off to nigh sides alternately, but 
 to no purpose, and forced the steers so 
 hard they split the yoke. King being 
 informed of the case by his neice, said, 
 "Asa, you had bad work with the 
 steers, did you ? " 
 
 " I was not teamster to-day, sir." 
 
 " Did I not give you the care of the 
 team ] " 
 
 " Yes, sir, but a stronger man than 
 I took it from me." 
 
 " Well, you take charge of the team 
 now, and never give it up for any one." 
 
 I drove it ever afterwards while I 
 lived with him.
 
 80 LIFE OF ASA G. SHELDON: 
 
 I will here mention a narrow escape 
 which I had, the effect of inebriation. 
 A little party of us went out in a boat 
 fishing. Toward night a fog arose 
 that wholly obscured the horizon, and 
 when it came time to row homeward, 
 all but me were turned round and were 
 for going out to sea. I told them the 
 opposite direction was homeward, but 
 they would not believe me. They had 
 carried New England rum with them, 
 of which all drank but me. Clark, not 
 a little tipsy, caught me up and would 
 have thrown me overboard had not a 
 a friend seized him, and with assistance 
 threw him down on the bottom of the 
 boat and held him there. We then 
 rowed on with all our might, and when 
 some became disheartened I told them 
 if we did not hear a rapping on the 
 ship that was building at the shore 
 within half an hour, I would give up 
 my say. In less than twenty minutes 
 we heard the taps, and soon gained the 
 shore in safety.
 
 WILMINGTON FARMER. 81 
 
 Beware, oh ! beware, of intemperate 
 companions, but more especially be- 
 ware of the intoxicating cup. Too 
 much caution cannot be used in the se- 
 lection of associates. They should be 
 none but those of thorough-going tem- 
 perance principles. The young are 
 little aware of the influence of com- 
 panionships to lead insensibly to vice 
 of any and every kind. Strong drink, 
 as a beverage, should be held in per- 
 fect abhorrence. " Touch not, taste 
 not, handle not," is the only safe ground 
 to stand upon. 
 
 My time being expired at King's, I 
 was hired by Jesse Upton of North 
 Danvers, tavern-keeper, for $13 per 
 month for one year. 
 
 King hired another hand in my 
 stead, who was unwilling to work with 
 Clark, still he was preferred and Clark 
 paid off. Clark came to Upton's to 
 get me to persuade him to hire him, 
 which I refused on account of his love 
 of strong drink.
 
 82 LIFE OF ASA G. SHELDON : 
 
 Mr. Upton had been a prosperous 
 man in life, and had now married a 
 second wife, who I thought very com- 
 plete and handsome. The men would 
 reply to me, with a significant shake of 
 the head, when I spoke of her, " You 
 do not know her." Light on that sub- 
 ject soon began to develope, when one 
 day we hesitated about starting off to 
 Salem with w r ood, fearing rain. On 
 my observing that I would venture my- 
 self if he would the team, it was con- 
 cluded to go. Rain soon began to fall, 
 and increased to a gale before I reach- 
 ed home at 5 o'clock in the afternoon. 
 Four carriages drove into the yard for 
 shelter at the same time that I did, al- 
 though not far from their homes. Mrs. 
 Upton called from, the house, " Asa, 
 let your team stand, and unharness and 
 take care of those horses." Not hav- 
 ing eaten a mouthful since breakfast, 
 and being completely drenched with 
 rain, I obeyed the summons, sheltered 
 my team, and made shift to get on dry
 
 WILMINGTON FARMER. 83 
 
 clothes as soon as possible. Immed- 
 iately two other carriages drove up, 
 whom Hutchinson, the waiting man, 
 proceeded to wait upon. Mrs. Upton 
 seeing this, told him to call me to un- 
 harness. There were six men in the 
 barn husking corn, and I had joined 
 them, and when he gave me the order 
 I told him the horses might stand there, 
 for I should not expose myself again 
 to rain that night. 
 
 So much tavern company to eat first, 
 made it past 7 o'clock, before I had a 
 mouthful to eat. She informed Mr. 
 Upton in my hearing of these facts, 
 when he said, " Asa, you did wrong in 
 one thing, you ought not to have un- 
 harnessed the horses." 
 
 One circumstance will serve to show 
 the care practised at that early time in 
 life to secrete money. I was sent, in 
 company with another hand, to Char- 
 lestown with two loads of hay. I took 
 the pay for both loads, it was in bills, 
 and amounted to $100. There had
 
 84 LIFE OP ASA G. SHELDON : 
 
 recently been a robbery perpetrated in 
 Lynn Woods, through which we passed. 
 On our way home, I must say that I 
 felt a little anxiety on that account and 
 kept a sharp look-out. Observing a 
 man coming up to the hind team, I 
 took the money from my pocket and 
 put it in the near ox's ear and stopped 
 the team, standing close beside him. 
 The man came up, and proved to be a 
 neighbor there, exchanged a few words 
 of civility and passed on. I then took 
 the money from its safe depository, say- 
 ing to the hand that, " I had stopped 
 to let the oxen breathe," and started on. 
 
 Being 17 years of age, I was en- 
 trusted by Mr. Upton to go on mone- 
 tary business from town to town, with 
 orders to put up for the night, if I 
 pleased, much to his apparent satisfac- 
 tion. 
 
 He left home one day, giving me 
 orders to meet him in Boston with a 
 load of hay, and to bring fifteen kegs 
 of pickles. I brought the kegs from
 
 WILMINGTON FARMER. 85 
 
 the cellar and asked Hutchinson to 
 hand them up to me to place on the 
 load. Just then Mrs. Upton said, 
 
 " Can't you load those pickles alone t" 
 
 " Not very well," said I. 
 
 " Then you need not carry them ;" 
 and the pickles were not taken. 
 
 I then opened my provision box, saw 
 nothing there that I could eat, and left 
 it and started. I drove all day and all 
 night ; ate but little ; reached home 
 between daylight and sunrise ; fed the 
 team, and turned into bed. 
 
 The next day, said Mrs. Upton, 
 " Mr. Upton, if our hired men can't 
 eat as we do, when they go on the road, 
 I think it is fine times." 
 
 " Where is that box of provision ? " 
 said Mr. Upton, " call Betty." 
 
 " Where is the box of provision put 
 up for Sheldon, Betty ; bring it here?" 
 
 " I can't do it," said she, " I threw 
 it into the hog-pail ; it was not fit for 
 anybody to eat." 
 
 " Mrs. Upton how much do your
 
 86 LIFE OP ASA G. SHELDON : 
 
 men usually spend on a day's teaming ; 
 if I have spent more I will pay it back." 
 
 "I do not know how much they 
 spend," said she, " but I know how 
 much they ought to spend." 
 
 She then took a slate and carefully 
 marked down what the reasonable ex- 
 penses of a day would be, allowing 25 
 cents for dinner, &c. y and the amount 
 swelled to 20 cents more than I laid 
 out. Upton, who was a whole-souled 
 man, pulled out his purse quickly and 
 handed me the 20 cents saying, " I will 
 pay that if I never have another cent." 
 
 The following story will serve to show 
 how the faithful are regarded by their 
 employers, and also how a vixen of a 
 wife can mar and blast the happiness 
 and prosperity of her husband. 
 
 Business called Mr. Upton away to 
 be gone several weeks. He directed 
 me to take the team to Londonderry 
 and buy and bring home two barrels of 
 sour cider for vinegar making. I was 
 to carry up a load of household goods
 
 WILMINGTON FARMER. 87 
 
 from Salem. It was in the month of 
 April, the distance was 50 miles, and 
 road new to me and muddy. Nothing' 
 note- worthy occurred until I reached 
 Derry and came to a tremendous hill, 
 as it then appeared to me. I stopped 
 at its base and fed the cattle ; while 
 they were eating I walked up the hill 
 to see what the prospect was of getting 
 up alone. A couple of boys were plow- 
 ing with four oxen near by. I inquired 
 if they would help me up the hill. 
 They said the team belonged to Gen. 
 Reed. I must go and ask him y he lived 
 ahead. I went. 
 
 " Cant your team take the load up," 
 said he. 
 
 " Yes, n said I, " btit I do not want to 
 put them to the utmost of their power." 
 
 " You may take them," said he, " for 
 I see you are careful of your cattle." 
 
 I took them along as far as I wished. 
 When against his house, I stopped the 
 team and he came out with a white 
 mug of cider.
 
 88 LIFE OF ASA G. SHELDON : 
 
 " Have you cider to sell," said I. 
 
 " Yes, come down into my cellar and 
 see." 
 
 I went and beheld 200 barrels in 
 one cellar, the greatest amount I ever 
 saw, before or since. I soon agreed 
 with him for 10 barrels at $'2 per bar- 
 rel, with the barrels, they being new. 
 I went and unloaded the goods and re- 
 turned and stopped over night with the 
 General, the next day I set forward, and 
 had a prosperous journey home. I was 
 only 17 years, 6 months old. Sold one 
 barrel in North Reading on my way 
 home for $4, a nice profit. 
 
 Shortly after, with Mrs. Upton's con- 
 sent, I took the team and went again 
 for 10 barrels more of cider, for which 
 I had previously agreed, if I wished 
 to come for it. 
 
 At this time the old General observ- 
 ed, " I see you are very careful of your 
 team, and very cautious too in buying 
 for your employer, and I should like 
 to hire you to live with me."
 
 WILMINGTON FARMER. 89 
 
 w I am engaged for a year," said I, 
 
 *' Then," said he, "if you ever come 
 this way, I should like to have you call 
 and .see me." A few years afterwards 
 I heard of his death. 
 
 On reaching home I found that Mrs. 
 Upton had hired two men, one large 
 man for $11 per month, and another 
 small one for $19 per month. 
 
 " Asa," said she, " how much do 
 you have per month ? " 
 
 I replied, " $13." 
 
 " Oh, fie, I can hire men big enough 
 to eat you up at two meals, for $11 ; so 
 I will pay you off." 
 
 I took the money and repaired im- 
 mediately to good old Parson Stone's. 
 Soon after Mr. Upton came, and to in- 
 duce me to return, offered $15 per 
 month for a year. 
 
 " I would not live with yosiir wife at 
 any price," was the decided answer. 
 
 A narrow escape occurred while liv- 
 ing with Parson Stone, which gratitude 
 forbids I should omit; showing the
 
 90 LIFE OF ASA G. SHELDON : 
 
 benefit of bleeding after a fall. Ed- 
 ward Stone and myself were threshing 
 rye in the barn. I went on to the high 
 scaffold for purpose of throwing down 
 the bundles ; they were piled up near 
 to the ridge-pole. While standing on 
 one bundle the band gave way and I 
 found myself sliding rapidly down, and 
 must be precipitated to the barn floor. 
 In falling I called to Edd to catch me, 
 but a glance showed him running away. 
 It is certainly astonishing how swiftly 
 thoughts will run at such a moment as 
 this. I thought if he would just catch 
 hold of a shoulder or any other part it 
 would ease the fall, and I felt sorry to 
 see him run away. As I slid from the 
 broken bundle I came feet foremost ; but 
 in the descent, as kind Providence order- 
 ed, one foot touched the edge of the 
 scaffold and tipped me broadside, thus 
 breaking the force of the fall, and I 
 came plump on my side upon the barn 
 floor, my head resting on a flat stone 
 used for laying on a corner of the win-
 
 WILMINGTON FARMER. 91 
 
 nowing sheet. I jumped up feeling 
 no pain, sprang to the barn-door and 
 fell. My eyesight left me, which caus- 
 ed an alarm that I should never see 
 again. Edd took me on his shoulder 
 and conveyed me to the house. 
 
 "What is the matter with Asa?" 
 said the Parson. 
 
 " He fell from the top of the rye to 
 the barn-floor," said Edd. 
 
 " Carry him in and take care of him, 
 and I will go for the doctor." 
 
 When he arrived, he bled me in the 
 arm, and as soon. as the blood touched 
 the bowl my sight returned. The first 
 object that greeted my joyful eyes was 
 good Madam Stone holding the bowl. 
 All the while I had sense enough to 
 know what was going on, but could 
 neither see nor speak.
 
 92 LIFE OF ASA G. SHELDON : 
 
 SIXTH LINK. 
 
 I remained with Parson Stone till the 
 death of his son in September, when, 
 by his request, I was hired by his son's 
 Administrator to take charge of affairs 
 there, with orders to cut and carry to 
 market wood enough to supply the fam- 
 ily's wants and pay my wages. At first 
 I boarded with the widow, till in a few 
 months she married ; then I boarded 
 with his first wife's mother, and a bet- 
 ter woman to take care of everything 
 and everybody could not be found. 
 
 In April following, I let myself to 
 Capt. Daniel Graves, Mr. Stone's farm 
 being let and the personal property sold 
 at auction. Here I had full charge of
 
 WILMINGTON FARMER. 93 
 
 the farm concern, Mr. Graves' son 
 working at brick-laying in Boston. If 
 ever my ambition was raised, it was 
 then. When the moon favored me 
 with her light, my scythe was frequent- 
 ly running in the grass by 3 o'clock in 
 the morning. 
 
 Capt. Graves' father, who was near 
 80 years of age, lived with him. When 
 he hired me, he said he hoped I would 
 try and please his father, for the hired 
 hands were inclined to differ with him. 
 I determined to keep the right side of 
 him, if possible ; so when a piece of 
 work was to be done, I would say to 
 him, "Hadn't we better do it in this 
 way ? " He almost invariably answer- 
 ed, " Yes ; " and so well did I succeed 
 in my attempt to please the good old 
 gentleman, that the summer passed 
 without a discordant word. Indeed, so 
 interested did he become in all the con- 
 cerns, and so much assistance did he 
 afford, that I frequently pitied his fa- 
 tigued state. The family were pleasant
 
 94 LIFE OP ASA G. SHELDON : 
 
 and kind, and I enjoyed life well this 
 season. 
 
 In 1807, I was hired by Major Aaron 
 Pearson, and came to Wilmington, 
 where I soon made the acquaintance 
 of Mr. Jabez Go wing's family. There 
 I fonnd congenial friends. I must say 
 they seemed more like relatives than 
 any other family known. Mr. Gpw- 
 ing's family name was Jaques, and like 
 others of that name, was always able to 
 impart information to every listener. 
 
 Mr. Pearson owned a saw mill in 
 company with two others, and much of 
 my business was lumbering, a kind of 
 work that suited me. 
 
 When about twenty years of age, I 
 bought the said mill in company with 
 John Nelson. Nelson was anxious to 
 build a grist mill, and as I refused to 
 go him company in it, he set it up him- 
 self. At length finding himself in em- 
 barrassed circumstances he sold me the 
 whole concern, both saw and grist mill. 
 This was merely a winter mill, as no
 
 WILMINGTON FARMER. 95 
 
 right was given to plow the land in 
 summer. I vividly remember the grist 
 mill was raised on the day I was 21. 
 
 Shortly after, on Nov. 13, 1809, at 
 25 minutes past 10 o'clock in the morn- 
 ing, by Nelson's watch, an event oc- 
 curred which I shall never forget ; for 
 I shall carry indubitable proofs of it to 
 'my grave. While engaged in moving 
 a loaded wagon, I fell under it, one 
 wheel passing over my hat, and another 
 over my left leg, not only breaking, but 
 smashing it. Under the misguided 
 judgment of the oldest man in the 
 company, this sad affair took place. 
 The bone was well set by Frank Kit- 
 tridge of this town. 
 
 The fact that drinking alcoholic 
 spirits was universally practised at this 
 time, should be kept in mind. This 
 custom will be better understood by 
 reading the following poetry.
 
 96 LIFE OP ASA G. SHELDON : 
 
 *' How different some customs are, 
 
 With mortals here below, 
 From what they were when I was young:, 
 
 Some tilty years ago. 
 
 One could not have a ' raising; ' then, 
 
 Without a keg of rum, 
 ''Twere of :.<; use to ask the men, 
 
 For sure they would not come. 
 
 The Doctor would not ride & mile, 
 
 To save a man from dying, 
 Until he had a glass of sling, 
 
 And then he'd be for trying. 
 
 The Lawyer could not plead a case, 
 
 For plaintiff or defendant, 
 Until he took a glass of gin, 
 
 And then there 'd be no end on't. 
 
 The Minister, he could not preach, 
 
 Extempore or by note, 
 Unless he had a glass of wine 
 
 ')'> guzzle down his throat. 
 
 fj.ae could not go to market thca, 
 
 However near or handy, 
 Without he had, to help along;, 
 
 .Some good old Cognac brandy. 
 
 -One could not mourn e'en for a Jriend, 
 
 A friend however near, 
 Unless he had a cordial glass, 
 To prove himself sincere. 
 
 The Sailor couldn't sing a song, 
 
 The Yankee couldn't whittle, 
 With any kind of grace at all, 
 
 Unless he had a little," 
 
 Bard of Souhegan, Amherst, N. H.
 
 WILMINGTON FARMER. 97 
 
 According to custom I prepared my- 
 self with liquor to treat all who favored 
 me with their company, and many other- 
 wise lonesome hours were beguiled with 
 friendly chat. 
 
 A week or ten days after the acci- 
 dent, as Dr. Kittridge was dressing the 
 wound, I raised myself upon my elbow 
 and saw that he was cutting out a bit of 
 flesh the size of a quarter of a dollar. 
 " What are you doing, doctor ? " said I. 
 He then run in his probe, the marrow 
 spouting up like water, and said, " does 
 that hurt you \ " 
 
 " No ; if I did not see you, I should 
 not know you touched it." 
 
 " O, I had rather heard you scream 
 like murder," said he. 
 
 He then bound up the leg, went and 
 sat down by the fire with elbows on his 
 knees and buried his face in his hands 
 for several minutes. 
 
 With a sad countenance he approach- 
 ed the bed saying, " Asa, I must tell 
 you one thing."
 
 Sf8 LIFE OP ASA f. SHELDON: 
 
 " Let me hear it," said I. 
 
 " You must have your leg* cut off, or 
 lose your life within forty-eight hours, 
 because mortification has set in and it 
 can't be stopped." 
 
 He then left, was absent about two 
 hours, anoT returned with four other" 
 doctors, one being his father. 
 
 They examined the leg and said it" 
 had got so bad I could not live over 
 thirty-six hours, unless it was amputat- 
 ed^ I told them-- I would not have if 
 taken it off. If I dicd^ I would die 
 altogether. They paid no attention 
 whatever to what I said, but went to 
 work and spread out their instruments- 
 on the table. The sight of them struck 
 ine with horror indescribable. I felt 
 as though they meant to dissect me. 
 . " Mary," said I, " give me a little of 
 that rum and molasses." 
 
 "Shall I, doctor?" said" she. 
 
 " Give him a little," said the doctor. 
 
 "Shall I give him that," said she r 
 showing the glass.
 
 WILMINGTON FARMER. 99 
 
 ** Yes," said he, " that will not hurt 
 liim." 
 
 I drank it and said, " Frank, come 
 fcere." 
 
 He came to my bedside, when I said, 
 " No man shall cut my leg off while I 
 kave my senses. If I lose my senses- 
 and it is cut off, and I can find out who 
 did it, I will shoot him, let him be who- 
 he may." 
 
 " You are good pluck," said he, " I'll 
 cure you if I can." 
 
 I assure you that they put up their 
 tools in " short meter," bound up the* 
 wound and all left but the old doctor, 
 who like a faithful friend, as he was, 
 stuck by me day and night. He was 
 an old gentleman and very lame ; he 
 could not walk a step without crutches, 
 He sat in an arm chair by the bed, with 
 two young women to wait upon him by 
 turns, six hours each by rotation, 
 His order to them was, if he was asleep 
 to wake him every fifteen minutes y 
 when he would apply something to the
 
 100 LIFE OP ASA G. SHELDON : 
 
 Wound. I often asked how the case 
 came on, but he always answered evas- 
 ively. When the clock struck at the 
 end of thirty-six hours, he suddenly 
 started hi his chair and said, " you've 
 beat them. The thirty-six hours are 
 out and your leg is better than two 
 wooden legs." He staid two days long- 
 er, but did not dress the limb quite so 
 often. From that time I never failed 
 to give the old man a quarter whenever 
 I met him. He would say, " Hey ! 
 boy, you remember that leg." 
 
 My mother, hearing of my misfor- 
 tune and that it was expected I should 
 lose my limb or my life, came to see 
 me with a view to stop and take care of 
 me. I thanked her, but said, " Mother, 
 I do not want you ; I had rather have 
 the prettiest girl I ever saw, than such 
 a long face." 
 
 At the expiration of seventeen weari- 
 some days and nights, I was helped off 
 my bed, but in less than ten minutes 
 I was glad to be helped back, where I
 
 WILMINGTON FARMER. 101 
 
 lay seventeen days more, much against 
 my will. 
 
 Being partially recovered, on Jan. 18, 
 I rode horseback to Danvers, where my 
 brother Elbridge lived. I stopped with 
 him a short time and returned Ijpme- 
 ward to Capt. Howard's, who married 
 sister Lucinda. The day was very un- 
 usually warm for winter, and I am sure 
 I never saw more cattle on the road, 
 in one day, with their tongues out, in 
 my life. 
 
 The next morning brought a great 
 change. It was the memorable Janu- 
 ary 19th, 1810, or "Cold Friday." 
 The cold was intense. In several in- 
 stances within my knowledge, people 
 perished. It was noted for half a cen- 
 tury by almanac makers. Since my 
 remembrance, I have never known so 
 sudden a change as we experienced at 
 this time, although people are often 
 saying, " The weather changes oftener 
 than it used to." 
 
 In this connection a few observations
 
 102 LIFE OP ASA G. SHELDON-: 
 
 on the weather may not be unimpor- 
 tant. You will find that these signs 
 rarely fail. 
 
 If rain commences between daylight 
 and sunrise, there will be but little rain. 
 Start on your journey if you are inclin- 
 ed. 
 
 If rain commences between 12 and 
 1 o'clock, or at mid-day or midnight, 
 there will be six hours of rain, more 
 or less. 
 
 Where the wind is at sunset Candle- 
 mas day, or February 2d, there will be 
 its home for two months. It will never 
 be away from home more than forty- 
 eight hours at a time. Should it be 
 North or North-west, look out for cold 
 weather. 
 
 Note the day the first snow falls and 
 to that add the age of the moon the 
 day that it fulls, and the product will 
 be the number of snows to come that 
 year. For example, if the first snow 
 falls the tenth day of the month and the 
 moon is fifteen days old, add ten to fif-
 
 WILMINGTON FARMER. 1 03 
 
 teen, and you have the number of snow 
 -storms for that year. 
 
 When a halo, or circle, around the 
 moon is seen, if one bright stars ap- 
 pears in the circle there will be one 
 .fair day and then rain. If two bright 
 stars appear there will be two fair days 
 and then rain. But if no stars are with- 
 in the circle the following day will be 
 vrainy. There are more exceptions to 
 this rule than any of the others. 
 
 If the sun cast a red reflection on the 
 clouds in the morning, rain will follow 
 -that day. 
 
 If the sun cast a red reflection at 
 -night, any night in the week except, 
 Thursday, it will be fair the next day. 
 
 If the sun set in a cloud Thursday 
 night, there will be rain within forty- 
 'eight hours. 
 
 In regard to the Candlemas sign, I 
 would say, that I never, in fifty years, 
 knew it to fail but once. 
 
 To farmers, I wish te say. that if the 
 months of April and May are dry, and
 
 104 LIFE OP ASA G. SHELDON : 
 
 there follow three weeks of wet wea- 
 ther in June, first or last, you may 
 reckon on a fair crop of English hay. 
 
 About forty years ago, passing by 
 'Squire Adams' hay-field in Medford, 
 aboujt the 10th of June, I saw several 
 hands mowing, while he was spreading 
 swaths. "'Squire," said I, "I hope 
 that that hay will all rot before you can 
 get it into the barn." 
 
 " What have I ever done to you, that 
 you should wish such a wish on me," 
 said he, wonderingly and laughingly. 
 
 Three weeks from that day, as I pass- 
 ed that way, I saw the same hands 
 opening the same hay for the first time, 
 and in fact it was rotten. " Well," said 
 the 'Squire, " you have your wish, the 
 hay is rotten and I am glad of it." 
 
 I must add, the hay was opened on 
 to a fine crop of rowen, that had grown 
 since mowing, and which would have 
 greatly enhanced the value of the crop 
 had he waited four weeks longer. 
 
 Now to my story again. In the
 
 WILMINGTON FARMER. 105 
 
 morning, cold as it was, I was deter- 
 mined to make the attempt to get home, 
 in spite of the remonstrances of friends. 
 Being well wrapped up and shielded 
 from the cold, brother Howard brought 
 me home in his chaise with my horse 
 tied behind, and staid over night. Two 
 men in Woburn went into a lot to chop 
 wood that day, and both perished. 
 Their death may partially be attributed 
 to their having New England rum with 
 them. 
 
 Another instance will suffice to show 
 the intensity of the cold. A stage dri- 
 ver, seated on his box, was frozen stiff, 
 with the reins for four horses clenched 
 with a death grasp. The horses turn- 
 ed up to their accustomed hotel, when 
 the driver retained his seat, much to 
 the astonishment of the passengers, who 
 were fastened in. The fact was soon 
 developed, that the driver was frozen 
 to death. 
 
 In sympathy with my misfortune, the 
 citizens generally offered to give each a
 
 106 LIFE OF ASA G. SHELDON: 
 
 day's work, cutting or drawing lumber, 
 if I would purchase it. Accordingly 
 an acre of standing wood and timber 
 was bought of Wm. Blanchard, Esq., 
 for $100. It was situated about forty 
 rods west of Maj. Pearson's, my board- 
 ing place. 
 
 A day was set, and notice given that 
 I would find a warm dinner, but they 
 must bring forage for the teams. 
 
 I bought one barrel of cider ; the 
 butcher made a generous consideration 
 on the beef, and on applying to Capt. 
 -Joseph Bond, the first, and extensively 
 known, cracker baker in Wilmington, 
 for bread, he magnanimously gave all 
 the crackers wanted and several pans 
 -f gingerbread. Mrs. Pearson and 
 her daughter Mary did the cooking 
 gratis. 
 
 As many took their grub in the house 
 as could be convened, others took theirs 
 at the door by means of barrels cover- 
 ed with boards. They had plenty of 
 roast beef, good boiled potatoes, crack-
 
 WILMINGTON FARMER. 107 
 
 ers and cider. This last article was 
 finished that night. 
 
 Some backed up their gift by coming 
 the next day, when the lot was cleared 
 and the logs drawn ashore, but not all 
 drawn to the mill. On the first day 
 there were 45 men and 20 yoke of oxen. 
 Although lame, I procured a handy 
 yoke of cattle and managed to draw 
 -the remaining logs to mill, about one 
 .and one-third jniles, that whiter..
 
 108 LIFE OF ASA G. SHELDON : 
 
 SEVENTH LINK. 
 
 The next spring, being unable to 
 work on a farm, I let myself to brother 
 Elbridge to drive a market cart, at low 
 wages. 
 
 I next hired out to Capt. Stephen 
 Abbott of Andover. When arranging 
 the bargain, he said, " I want you to 
 try if possible to please my father. If 
 you cannot please him and me too, be 
 sure and please him." 
 
 I thought better of him for that, and 
 was certain he would be a good man 
 to work for. To spurn the wishes of 
 the aged, I am sorry to say, is too pre- 
 valent, but nevertheless indicates great 
 lack of sensibility. Who are the party 
 to be pleased, but the original owners ?
 
 WILMINGTON FARMER. 109 
 
 And I advise them never to give up 
 their ownership as long as life lasts. 
 
 In looking back upon the summer 
 spent in Mr. Abbott's family, I reckon 
 it as one s of the green spots in life ; an 
 oasis never to be forgotten. The old 
 gentleman was so completely ingratiat- 
 ed into my favor, that nothing I did 
 was amiss. Phebe, his daughter was a 
 fine girl, good in every sense of the 
 word. 
 
 Capt. Stephen and wife were christ- 
 ians, possessing " pure and undefiled 
 religion," if we may be allowed to 
 judge from the Scripture rule, " by 
 their works ye shall know them." 
 
 It was customary in those days to buy 
 cattle by the pound, to be weighed after 
 dressing. I knew his integrity to be 
 such that he would not cheat a man 
 out of a pound in weight, or an ounce 
 of tallow. 
 
 With regret I left that family in ear- 
 ly winter, as my mill-pond had filled 
 up and I6*gs were in waiting. I took
 
 110 LIFE OP ASA G. SHELDON .' 
 
 lodgings again at Major Pearson's and 
 tended the mill. I stuck close and 
 worked hard day and night. At one 
 time, I kept the saw running five days 
 and five nights all myself, excepting: 
 five hours. I then said that I would 
 never work so hard again, even if it 
 was to keep out of the poor-house. 
 
 Spring opening, I set up b atchering 
 in company with James Dean, and' 
 Boarded with him. I found, in this 
 family, a similarity to Mr. Parker and 
 his wife, ' a woman amiable and gen- 
 tle yoked with a tiger. 
 
 Times being dull, a new idea came" 
 Tip. I thought to take a two-horse load 
 of groceries, and go back into the 
 country to trade. I took tea, coffee, 
 ehocolate, tobacco and some rice. At 
 Mt. Vernon traded a chest of tea for a 
 fat cow ; I left her to be sent to Dean's 
 in Wilmington, in Flint's drove, and 
 went on. I put up at Gibson's tavern, 
 Francistown, over the Sabbath, and 
 started early Monday, crosseti. Concord
 
 WILMINGTON FARMER. Ill 
 
 River at Windsor bridge, and soon saw 
 the sign, " Allen Hayse." I offered a 
 barter trade with him, when he handed- 
 me a piece of paper, saying, " Put down* 
 every article and your price, and if I 
 trade I shall pay in?, butter at 8 cents- 
 per pound/' 
 
 When done, he sai$, "All but the 
 rice I will take ; you must take 75 cts. 
 0ff that, and I will take the whole." 
 
 It was agreed upon, and the butter 
 proving good, I started back the same' 
 night; carried the load to Salem and; 
 sold it for 12 cts. per lb,, making a 
 good profit. 
 
 The cow was bought by friend Ab- 
 bott, the butcher, before I reached; 
 home ; he said- he would give me $2 
 more than I gave for it, which allowed 
 $1 profit and $1 for drift. 
 
 Another journey similar to that was- 
 made, with less profit, as butter had 
 risen, making it uncertain, business. 
 
 The next autumn, for the advantage 
 of being nearer the mill, I boarded at
 
 112 LIFE OP ASA G. SHELDON : 
 
 Joshua Harnden's tavern, and attended 
 to lumbering the next winter. My plan 
 was to buy a wood-lot, top and bottom ; 
 to hire the wood chopped by the cord, 
 the lumber by the thousand, and to 
 draw it into the mill myself, a man 
 being hired to tend the mill. 
 
 Let me here tell a fox story. As I 
 was returning from Salem, in company 
 with Capt. Ezra Kendall, of Wilming- 
 ton, and when between my mill and 
 boarding house, we espied a fox run 
 across the road. " Run," said I to 
 Kendall, " and head him, and I will 
 stand and give him a cut if he comes 
 back on the same track." He did so. 
 
 " He is coming," said Kendall. I 
 stood ready, keeping an eye on him. 
 He looked back several times to make 
 sure he was safe from his driver, but 
 did not notice me, as he always turned 
 his head the other way. When with- 
 in reach of the whip, I gave him a cut 
 and he fell to the ground with a scream, 
 apparently dead. I took him up by the
 
 WILMINGTON FARMER, 
 
 nape of the neck ; he was limpsy as a 
 .rag, but as I carried him along he gave 
 another childlike scream, with a des- 
 perate struggle, which so startled me 
 that I came near dropping him. How- 
 ever, I held en till the house was gam- 
 ed, and gave him to two boys., who 
 made a little pen of boards, covering rt 
 <safely to prevent escape. During that 
 night, foxes were heard about the house 
 by the inmates, and when the morning 
 icame, lo ! and behold, the boys were 
 minus the fox. Other foxes had come 
 in the night and dug him out, as evinced 
 by the fact that the dirt from the bur- 
 jrow was thrown out on -the outside. 
 
 To reiairn <to my narrative. About 
 this time I was informed that David 
 Foster, of Ashby, wished to sell a cer- 
 tain lot laying South of Thomas E. 
 .Upton's house. I made up my mind 
 to start the next morning for the pur- 
 pose of trying to buy it. That evening, 
 coming across Capt. George Ford, he 
 said to me,
 
 114 LIFE OF ASA G. SHELDON : 
 
 " Sheldon, do you want to buy a wood 
 lotl" 
 
 " Yes," said I, " who has got one to 
 selU" 
 
 " I have ; the Foster lot, front of 
 Tom Upton's." 
 
 " What is your price ? " 
 
 " $1500," was the answer. 
 
 "Will you take $1100." 
 
 " No, I have been oiFered $1300 for 
 it to-day." 
 
 " Capt. Ford, do you own that lot? " 
 said I, with not a little emphasis. 
 
 " Yes, I do, faith," said he. 
 
 As I looked him in the face, I dis- 
 covered a blush. From that moment I 
 made up my mind to carry out my first 
 purpose. 
 
 Accordingly I made preparations to 
 start for Ashby early the next morning. 
 I told the landlady that I must start 
 early and might not be home that night. 
 
 " Are you going to Salem ? " said 
 she. 
 
 " I do not know where I shall go,
 
 WILMINGTON FARMER. 115 
 
 and if I am not back for two days you 
 need not fear." 
 
 I was on my way as far as Westford 
 before sunrise. Took dinner at Stone's 
 Tavern, Townsend, left my horse and 
 proceeded on foot to Mr. Foster's. 
 
 " Have you a wood-lot in Wilming- 
 ton to sell, Mr. Foster ? " 
 " I have," he answered. 
 " What do you ask for it ? " 
 " $1100," was the answer. 
 "Will you take $900?" 
 " No, I won't." 
 
 " What is the lowest you will take?" 
 " What pay can you make 1 " 
 " What pay do you want ? " 
 " I want $300 down and the remain- 
 der in one year," said he. 
 
 " What security do you want for the 
 $700?" 
 
 " Do you know Joshua Harnden ? " 
 
 " I do ; I board with him." 
 
 " Pay me $300 cash, and bring me 
 
 a note for $700 with your name and 
 
 Harnden's, and you shall have the lot."
 
 116 LIFE OF ASA G. SHELDON": 
 
 " I want you to give me the refusal 
 of that lot ten days, at the rate you 
 have named, or for all the cash down," 
 said I. 
 
 " Can you raise all the money," said 
 he. 
 
 " If you will take $900 1 think I can." 
 
 " I will not, but if you will bring me 
 $930 you shall have it," said he. 
 
 I took out a ten dollar bill and 
 presented it, saying, " if I do not come 
 and comply with one of the above 
 named terms within ten days, the bill 
 is yours. If I do, it shall go toward 
 the payment." 
 
 " If you don't have the land, I will 
 have none of your money. My word 
 is good for it," said he, " and that is 
 enough." 
 
 I took a piece of chalk from my 
 pocket and wrote both contracts on the 
 ceiling over the fire-place, verbatim, 
 thinking if it remained till I came again 
 there would be hopes of getting the 
 land. I considered it a great bargain.
 
 'WILMINGTON FARMER. 117 
 
 Made the best of my way home, con- 
 triving a little circuitously to come up 
 to the house from the way of Salem. 
 The next day started for Henry Carter's 
 store ; I told him my business and asked 
 what was the prospect for raising money 
 to buy the Foster lot at $1100. 
 
 " Is it possible," said he, " that Ford 
 would give you the refusal of that lot 
 for $1100 when I offered him $1300 1 " 
 
 I told him, " Ford did not own it, 
 the truth was I could have it for $930." 
 Ford had had the refusal of the lot, but 
 the time had expired. He had been 
 written to on the subject, but took no 
 notice of it. 
 
 The preliminary matters were ar- 
 ranged and I started with the $930 
 sewed into my vest pocket. Sure 
 -enough I felt a little chilly about the 
 bargain, as Foster was a stranger and 
 an illiterate man. On going into the 
 house I saw that every letter of the 
 chalk writing remained. My courage 
 came back. Foster said, " I can't do
 
 118 LIFE OP ASA G. SHELDON : 
 
 anything with you to-day. But will 
 give you $20 if you will do right. I 
 felt doubtful and agitated, but said little. 
 Soon he said, 
 
 " Do you know Maj. D. Cummings of 
 Andover ? " 
 
 " Yes, I do." 
 
 " Well, he sent a hand up and offer- 
 ed $1000 for the lot, cash down, but I 
 swear you have my word." 
 
 As nothing more could be done that 
 day, I prepared to spend the night in 
 this unique habitation. It had two 
 rooms on the base, was one story in 
 height, and unclapboarded. Two small 
 glass windows in front and aboard one 
 in the rear that could be taken down at 
 pleasure. A pretty good rough stone 
 hearth, with a pine post near the fire- 
 place, to support the garret floor. So 
 much had been hewed off for kindlings 
 that at the bottom it was not larger than 
 a joist. Breakfast consisted of fresh 
 pork steak well fried, roasted potatoes, 
 doughnuts, and a cup of tea. In all it
 
 WILMINGTON FARMER. 119 
 
 was good. And the curiosity was, Mrs. 
 Foster had no other article to cook 
 with but a dish-kettle. Everything 
 cooked went through the dish-kettle, 
 and they were considered wealthy. 
 Before rising the next morning I heard 
 the following conversation between Mr. 
 Foster and a man whose farm he had 
 bargained for. 
 
 " Has your man come up ? " said the 
 man. 
 
 " Yes, and I suppose he has got all 
 the money, but I don't know." 
 
 " Then if he pays you the whole, I 
 suppose you can pay me the whole," 
 said the man. 
 
 " Yes if you will pay me for it," said 
 Foster. 
 
 " How much must I give you 1 " 
 
 " Make your own offer." 
 
 " I'll give you $10." 
 
 " That will never do," was the re- 
 sponse. 
 
 " I'll give you $15." 
 
 " That won't do neither."
 
 120 LIFE OF ASA G. SHELDON : 
 
 " I'll tell you the most I will give, 
 I'll give you $20." 
 
 " It is a bargain," said Foster. "Job, 
 my son, run down to 'Squire Richard- 
 son's and tell him to come up and bring 
 -two deeds with him." 
 
 I was quick out of bed and dressed, 
 and the reason was disclosed why he 
 was not ready for me yesterday. The 
 'Squire was soon there. The deeds 
 were executed, Foster signing them. 
 His wife took up the pen to write but 
 he held her back, and yet again, with 
 the same effect. At length I threw a 
 silver dollar on to the deed. " There, 
 that will make the pen go," said Foster. 
 And quickly the pen scratched her 
 name. 
 
 The clearing of this large lot f 
 lumber was quite satisfactory. At the 
 time War was declared in 1812, I had 
 200 cords of wood corded on the lot 
 ready for market. In two days the 
 price rose $2 per cord. I offered a 
 string of forty-five cords to a man the
 
 WILMINGTON FARMER. 121 
 
 day before the declaration, for $3 per 
 cord. The day after the declaration, 
 he came again and bought it for $5. 
 
 Mr. Ephraim Pratt, tanner, of North 
 Reading, came into the lot and bar- 
 gained for the bark on forty-five oak 
 trees ; he was to peel it himself and I 
 was to team it, for $18. He wrote a 
 contract with a pencil on a small bit of 
 paper he chanced to have in his pocket, 
 for all the bark on all the trees in the 
 Foster lot, so called. I refused to sign 
 it. He remarked, we know each other ; 
 we both know what it means. I then 
 signed it. Mr. Pratt took with him to 
 peel the bark, a man more trickish than 
 he or I was. This man advised him to 
 peel more than the forty-five trees as 
 the contract was indefinite, and suc- 
 ceeded in persuading him to peel one 
 hundred. On being applied to, to team 
 off the bark, I refused, as there was no 
 time set in the contract. 
 
 " What is the reason," said he, " that 
 you will not team that bark ? "
 
 122 LIFE OP ASA G. SHELDON: 
 
 " You know as well as I do." 
 
 He then said, " How much shall I 
 give you to team that bark, and we be as 
 good friends as we always have been?" 
 
 I said, " give me $18 more." He 
 took the money out of his pocket-book 
 and straightway gave it to me, saying, 
 " Sheldon, I have felt worse about the 
 peeling of that bark than you have. 
 It is the first time I was ever persuad- 
 ed by another man to do contrary to 
 well understood agreement, and I am 
 determined it shall be the last. 
 
 I was well acquainted with Pratt 
 from his youth to his death, and it is 
 no more than justice to say, I consider- 
 ed him an upright, honest man, but 
 for once he was induced to swerve by a 
 sly, trickish man, who got no thanks 
 from either party. 
 
 I will now state an event which took 
 place at this time. My mother, then 
 residing in Danvers, had a supposed 
 claim on my old friend Joseph Tapley. 
 However, they could not talk on the
 
 WILMINGTON FARMER. 123 
 
 subject for irritation. " Mother," said 
 I, " what is that claim worth ? " 
 
 " It is worth $60, but I will sell it 
 for $50, cash." 
 
 " I will give it," I answered. I went 
 immediately to see Tapley, and told 
 him I had bought mother's claim. 
 
 " Am glad of it," said he ; " now I 
 think we shall be able to settle it. 
 Have you spoken with a lawyer ? " 
 
 " No, I never spoke with a lawyer in 
 my life," said I. 
 
 " Then we will go to Lawyer Putnam 
 together." 
 
 He found the chaise and I the horse, 
 and when we arrived there, he said, 
 " Sheldon, you are the youngest, you 
 may tell the story first." 
 
 I told the story as I understood it. 
 Putnam then said, " Mr. Tapley, have 
 you anything to say to this story, for or 
 against." 
 
 " No, sir, it is as correct as I could 
 state it myself." 
 1 " The claim is good," said Putnam,
 
 124 LIFE OF ASA 0. SHELDON : 
 
 " and no man can better tell the worth 
 of it, than you two. You both had 
 better chalk what you think it worth." 
 
 We did chalk, and on examination 
 found that Tapley had chalked $100, 
 and I $120. 
 
 " Well," said Putnam, " that is as 
 near as a buyer and seller could be ex- 
 pected to come. You had better split 
 the difference." 
 
 This was speedily agreed upon. Put- 
 nam made out the documents for moth- 
 er to sign. Tapley sold me a yoke of 
 oxen for $60, and gave his note for 
 $50. He then stated to Putnam that 
 as we had come there for the amicable 
 adjustment of our affairs, we had con- 
 cluded to share the cost together, " Now 
 what is your fee ? " 
 
 " You love each other so well, and 
 dislike quarrelling so bad," said Put- 
 nam, " that I will not take one cent. 
 But this I must say, if everybody were 
 of your minds, I would not give a mill 
 for a lawyer's profession."
 
 WILMINGTON FARMER. 125 
 
 EIGHTH LINK. 
 
 Capt. Joseph. Bond had just given 
 his business of baking into the hands 
 of his sons Joseph and William. To 
 increase their manufactures, they were 
 at a loss how to procure faggots, which 
 were then used exclusively for oven 
 heating. 
 
 I told them there would be no trou- 
 ble if they would pay enough for them. 
 " It is such mean business, nobody will 
 make them," they said. 
 
 " It will not be a mean business if 
 you will pay a fair price for them." 
 
 " Who will make them, if we will 
 pay well for it ? " 
 
 " I will," said I.
 
 126 LIFE OP ASA G. SHELDON: 
 
 " I should laugh, to see you making 
 faggots." 
 
 "I should laugh to see you paying 
 me the money for it," said I. 
 
 The bargain was concluded between 
 us, that I should make all I could in five 
 days, anywhere in Wilmington where 
 they could go with a team, and they 
 would draw them and pay li cents per 
 bundle. At work I went, and in five 
 days made 1000 bundles, for which they 
 paid me $15. In less than a fortnight 
 after, many respectable citizens, togeth- 
 er with the minister, his two sons and 
 the deacon, employed themselves in 
 making faggots for the Bonds. And 
 from that day to this it has never been 
 considered mean business. Many a 
 laboring man has earned a few dollars, 
 who could not get it in any other way. 
 Besides the benefit arising from the 
 faggots themselves, it has been the 
 cause of clearing many acres of swamp 
 or low land, which proves the best land 
 for cultivation we have in Wilmington.
 
 WILMINGTON FARMER. 127 
 
 In June, 1812, I commenced the 
 business of carrying hops to Southern 
 markets. I started with a two-horse 
 team loaded with hops and shoes, for 
 New York city, partly owned by myself 
 and partly by others. This slow mode 
 of transportation was resorted to, on 
 account of the existing war. On ar- 
 riving at New Haven, I found packets 
 were safely running from there through 
 Long Island Sound to New York and 
 my hops could be carried for one-fourth 
 cent per pound and my fare both ways 
 thrown into the bargain. I thought 
 best to take that course, and on my 
 arrival found the brewers very ready to 
 buy the hops which were soon disposed 
 of, and last of all the box of shoes. 
 The shoes were sold to a firm for $ 150. 
 I procured a drayman to take them to 
 the store. The storekeeper counted out 
 the money, laid it on the counter, and 
 then presented a receipt, which I sign- 
 ed and handed back to him. He took 
 it, grabbing the money at the same
 
 128 LIFE OP ASA G. SHELDON : 
 
 time, exclaimed, " Now I have shaved 
 the Yankee, I have the receipt, and 
 you have not got the money." 
 
 I waited a few moments to see what 
 he would do, as he had put the money 
 away. Then said I, " will you pay me 
 that money ? " 
 
 He said, " I have your receipt for all 
 I owed you." 
 
 " Did you hear that man say he had 
 my receipt and I had not got my 
 money ? " said I to the drayman, whom 
 I had designedly kept waiting. 
 
 " Yes," was his answer. As I step- 
 ped out of the store, I heard an elderly 
 man say, " You have carried that joke 
 too far with a stranger ; you had better 
 settle with him." Upon that he called 
 me back, saying he would pay me. 
 The difference between New York and 
 Massachusetts money at that time, was 
 16 per cent. But it was understood 
 that New York merchants in buying, 
 expected to pay in New York money, 
 as their banks had stopped specie pay-
 
 WILMINGTON FARMER. 129 
 
 ments. He then counted it out in New 
 York bills. I said, " I can't take that, 
 I must have Massachusetts money, or 
 gold or silver, you have gone too far 
 with me to have me accept that money." 
 
 "How much premium," said he, 
 " shall I give on this money? " 
 
 " Sixteen per cent," said I. He 
 straightway counted out the cash, $24. 
 I pocketed the money ; it was $2-4 more 
 than I had expected; I then said, " if you 
 have shaved the Yankee, you are wel- 
 come to Ae bristles," and then bade him 
 " good-bye " with as much politeness as 
 my Yankee blue frock would admit of. 
 I then returned to New Haven, bought 
 a load of flour at $8 per bbl., and start- 
 ed my team for home. At Worcester, 
 I saw a company about to raise a sign- 
 post. I asked the man if he had 
 opened a tavern. He said, " I am 
 ready to." I then called for dinner for 
 myself and horses. He asked if I 
 would sell a barrel of flour, which I 
 did for $18, and took pay in 18 bushels
 
 130 LIFE OF ASA G. SHELDON : 
 
 of buckwheat. His name was Charles 
 Stearns. He said I was the first man 
 who had patronized him. Nearly all 
 the buckwheat sold for $3.50 per bush., 
 and the flour at $18 per barrel. The 
 next morning I started back to Worces- 
 ter for another load of buckwheat. I 
 succeeded in buying as before, at $1 
 per bushel, but when I returned wheat 
 had fallen and I realized only a fair 
 profit. 
 
 I soon set out again with hops, with 
 a team of three horses, for New York 
 city. This time I drove the horses 
 through, carefully noting in a guide- 
 book, where I could bait the team, and 
 where put up for the night, all through 
 the route, if I should conclude to team 
 with oxen, should the war continue. 
 Disposed of the hops and took on a 
 load of cotton to bring to Boston, for 
 four cents per pound. The new crop 
 of hops was now in process of gather- 
 ing, and I set about preparing two ox- 
 teams for the purpose of teaming them.
 
 WILMINGTON FARMER. 131 
 
 These teams consisted of six oxen and 
 one horse each. For driver, hired Jo- 
 seph Gowing of this town, now of Am- 
 herst, N. H. Price for carrying, four 
 cents per pound. We set forward, and 
 when at New Haven, there being no 
 fear of the British, as was sometimes 
 the case, put the hops on board a packet 
 for New York. Freight on board the 
 packet was one-fourth cent per pound 
 and my fare both ways thrown in. Dis- 
 tance, 75 miles. I bought two loads of 
 flour and left Gowing to load it and tend 
 team. This flour was also sold to Bond, 
 of this town, for $18 per barrel. 
 
 This business was continued while 
 the war lasted, and sometimes I made 
 the entire route with the ox teams. 
 Jabez Gowing, now of Concord, Mass., 
 was teamster on two of these trips. 
 We always brought loads back some- 
 times cotton, sometimes flour, and once 
 glass. 
 
 I hope the following facts will not 
 be thought too egotistical. At one
 
 132 LIFE OP ASA G. SHELDON : 
 
 time I had $5000 in gold to bring back 
 for myself and others. The load con- 
 sisted of flour. Before starting every 
 barrel was inspected by a cooper who 
 nailed the hoops anew, and pronounced 
 it safe. I knocked in the head of one 
 barrel, took out a quantity of flour, de- 
 posited the gold, put back the flour and 
 passed over the barrel to the cooper, 
 who said nothing but fastened in the 
 head as usual. To be sure I kept an 
 eye on that barrel until loaded ; its 
 place was in the centre of the load. 
 
 On the way home Jabez inquired, 
 " What have you done with that mon- 
 ey?" 
 
 " Oh, you had better not know." 
 
 "Why? I can't see what hurt it 
 would do for me to know." 
 
 " Well, I can convince you that you 
 had better not know. Nobody now 
 knows where it is but myself. If I 
 should tell you and it should be missing 
 who should I suspect but you "? " 
 
 " I don't want to know," said he.
 
 WILMINGTON FARMER. 133 
 
 I sold all but one barrel to William 
 Bond. 
 
 " Why not every barrel ? " said he. 
 
 " Oh, must carry one to my boarding 
 place." The money came home safe. 
 
 In the month of November, at 8 
 o'clock in the morning, while my men 
 were engaged in finishing a job of 
 work, I was called upon to fit out two 
 teams to go to New York, with great 
 despatch. Benjamin Thompson came 
 to me and asked if I could carry two 
 loads of hops to market for him and 
 start the next morning. 
 
 " Where are the hops ? " 
 
 " Part at my press, part at Hopkins', 
 and part at Jonathan Carter's." 
 
 " If you will deliver them all at my 
 boarding-place by 2 o'clock this after- 
 noon, I will do it," said I. 
 
 " I will get them there." 
 
 Leaving men and teams to close up 
 the work, I jumped on to my horse and 
 made for Eben Jones' in Andover, and 
 accosted him thus :
 
 134 LIFE OP ASA G. SHELDON : 
 
 " I want you to drive your white- 
 faced ox down to the blacksmith's at 
 North Reading, and tell him to shoe 
 him for me to go to New York, and 
 charge the shoeing to me. Then drive 
 him up to me and if I don't exchange 
 with you, I'll give in the shoeing." 
 
 " I will go because the ox wants 
 shoeing, but shall not trade with you." 
 
 I knew that ox was made for a trav- 
 eller ; but when he came up with him, 
 Mr. Jones said, " Your oxen are now 
 mated as well as they can be." 
 
 " I want you should tell me how you 
 will trade," said I. 
 
 " I shall ask you $10," said he, " and 
 your oxen will not look so well and 
 will not fetch as much as now." 
 
 I placed the money in his hand. 
 He in surprise said, 
 
 " What is the matter with your ox?" 
 
 " Nothing. He is as well as any ox 
 in the world." 
 
 " Then what makes you mis-mate 
 them ? "
 
 WILMINGTON FARMER. 135 
 
 " Neither you nor any other man can 
 persuade me to start to New York with 
 an ox whose toes turn out and whose 
 knees bend in." 
 
 " That makes no difference," said he 
 in true sympathy, " Now don't be so 
 foolish as to throw away your $10." 
 
 " It makes a difference with oxen 
 that work for me, and I am satisfied." 
 He took the ox and went his way. 
 
 Thompson delivered the hops accord- 
 ing to agreement, and about 3 o'clock 
 William Blanchard, Esq., came and 
 asked me, 
 
 " Can you start a load of hops for 
 New York to-morrow morning for me T' 
 
 " Wait ten minutes and I will tell 
 you what I can do." I stepped into 
 the house and said to Mr. Harnden, 
 
 " Will you sell me those oxen I sold 
 you the other day ? " 
 
 " Yes, you may have them for the 
 same I gave you." 
 
 " Will you let me your wagon to go 
 New York ? " " Yes," said he.
 
 136 LIFE OP ASA G. SHELDON : 
 
 I then told the 'Squire I would take 
 his hops, if he would sell me his black 
 and yellow oxen and advance $100 on 
 the job, for I never liked to start on a 
 journey without money enough to meet 
 exigencies. 
 
 " What do you call the oxen worth 1 ?" 
 
 " $75," was the answer. 
 
 ' ' You shall have them ; but you could 
 not have them one cent less." 
 
 It was dark when the hops were 
 finished loading. I then rode down to 
 Stephen Buxton's in Reading, knowing 
 his cattle like a book. I found him in 
 bed, but rapped at his window and said, 
 " Mr. Buxton, I want you to get up, go 
 to your barn and sell me your twin 
 oxen." 
 
 " I will not get up to sell them to 
 any man that ever was made ; but you 
 may take the lantern and go and take 
 them for $75." 
 
 I went and yoked them, carried in 
 the lantern and said, " I will take them 
 if you'll throw in the yoke \ "
 
 WILMINGTON FARMER. 137 
 
 " I will not throw in one cent. You 
 may take it for your journey." 
 
 " I will," said I, " on these condi- 
 tions, that you come after it when you 
 want it. The yoke was never called 
 for. 
 
 " You needn't unyoke them," said 
 Buxton ; " being twins they like to lay 
 in the yoke as well as any other way." 
 They were not unyoked till they came 
 back from their journey. 
 
 I would not have it understood that 
 I recommend leaving cattle over night 
 in the yoke. There is not freedom 
 enough enjoyed in that way. 
 
 These twins were great jumpers, and 
 the man who raised them kept them 
 in yoke all summer on that account. 
 I reached home with them about one 
 o'clock. Charged the man who fed 
 the teams to wake me in two hours. 
 And before the sun was in sight my 
 three teams were all moving on the 
 road toward New York. The journey 
 was prosperous, and every ox came
 
 138 LIFE OP ASA G. SHELDON : 
 
 back as ready to work as when they 
 started. But the ox I put to Jones' had 
 been several days unable to work from 
 lameness. " I never had so bad a 
 trade," said he. 
 
 At another time, on our homeward 
 journey, I was taken sick, and with 
 great difficulty reached the tavern at 
 which I intended to rest for the night. 
 This general distress was caused by 
 exposure to humid atmosphere the day 
 before, getting chilled and then laying 
 exposed to the cold. This last misfor- 
 tune should be carefully avoided after 
 unusual exposure. 
 
 This was Saturday night. On Mon- 
 day, finding myself unable to proceed, 
 I hired a hand to drive, and was left 
 alone with my host and hostess. The 
 former, after some little conversation, 
 proved to be an old school-teacher who 
 had just married one of his pupils and 
 was commencing tavern-keeping at Far- 
 mington. They urged me, but urged 
 in vain, to have a physician called ;
 
 WILMINGTON FARMER. 139 
 
 they administered to the best of their 
 skill, by sweating and herb tea, and 
 after four days I was able to take the 
 stage and overtook the teams at Stur- 
 bridge after one day's ride, grateful for 
 returning health. 
 
 In April, 1814, I made a contract 
 with Amos Binney, navy agent, to draw 
 a load of grape shot from Charlestown 
 to Commodore McDonald, in Vergennes, 
 Vt. I brought the load to Wilmington 
 with four oxen and a horse. It weigh- 
 ed 6,700 Ibs., at 3 cents per Ib. 
 
 Hearing that oxen were much want- 
 ed at Vergennes, I bought two other 
 yoke. So I started with four yoke of 
 oxen and a horse. They walked up 
 the hills and through the mud smart 
 and easy. Thinking that I might have 
 some weak bridges to pass, I took with 
 me a chain fifteen feet long to hitch on 
 to the end of the wagon-tongue to save 
 my team should the load break through. 
 My route lay through Tewksbury, Low- 
 ell, North Chehnsford, Tyngsborough
 
 140 LIFE OP ASA G. SHELDON : 
 
 Dunstable, Nashua, South Merrimac, 
 Amherst, Mt. Vernon, corner of Lynd- 
 borough, New Boston, Francistown, 
 Deering, Antrim, Hillsborough, Wash- 
 ington, Lempster, Unity, Claremont, 
 Weathersfield, Cavendish, Mt. Holly, 
 Ludlow, Trenton, Middlebury, &c., to 
 Vergennes. I crossed the beautiful 
 Connecticut River between Claremont 
 and Weathersfield, where so straight 
 was its course you might discern the 
 bridge five miles distant, the river not 
 varying its width. 
 
 On May 4th, I arrived at Vergennes, 
 having undressed but twice on the jour- 
 ney. The shot were counted, found 
 " all right," and I received my pay. 
 
 I sold my oxen, horse and harness, 
 yokes and chains. The fifteen feet of 
 chain sold for $5, double what it cost 
 new. These things were wanted by 
 the farmers, who had sold theirs to the 
 government. The two yoke last pur- 
 chased, brought $25 per yoke more 
 than cost.
 
 WILMINGTON FARMER. 141 
 
 I started on the homeward tack the 
 same night, with a market-man, and 
 proceeded fourteen miles, and then, on 
 foot and with occasional rides, I worm- 
 ed my way home, a distance of one 
 hundred and seventy-five miles. 
 
 In Francistown, as the company were 
 seating themselves at the breakfast ta- 
 ble, there seemed a lack of room for 
 me, my appearance being rather dirty 
 and repulsive. The inn-keeper seeing 
 this, said, " Gen. Chandler, here, move 
 about and let this man have a seat." 
 
 When loading into the stage, it was 
 called out, before I could squeeze in, 
 " No room for you, no room for you." 
 " Make room for him," said the inn- 
 keeper, " or I'll get in and make room 
 for him ; his money is as good as yours." 
 Room was made, and I took my seat 
 by old Gen. Chandler. He inquired, I 
 thought, too minutely into my business 
 and whereabouts, and said, " Wasn't 
 you afraid to carry so much money?" 
 " No, not so much afraid of that as of
 
 142 LIFE OP ASA G, SHELDON : 
 
 not being allowed to sit down at the 
 table." A general smile pervaded all 
 faces, and from that time we were chat- 
 ting companions, he expressing regret 
 that I was not going on to Boston. 
 
 There was a company drilling at 
 Vergennes, among them was Joseph 
 Southwick, of Danvers. He came to 
 me as soon as allowed, and he was the 
 only person there that I remembered 
 seeing before. We were glad to meet. 
 It is supposed he was soon after killed 
 in an engagement that took place on 
 the Lake, as he was not heard from 
 afterwards. He was son of George 
 Southwick, one of the eight martyrs 
 that fell in our Revolutionary struggle 
 at Lexington, on the 19th of April, 
 and whose name is carved on the mar- 
 ble monument there. Joseph was born 
 a few days after the death of his father. 
 
 I followed teaming hops, which then 
 were extensively raised in this town, 
 while the war continued, with com- 
 mendable despatch. The whole ar-
 
 WILMINGTON FARMER. 143 
 
 rangement was made with so much 
 system, and the resting-places all de- 
 signated with so much precision, that 
 in three journeys there was not a vari- 
 iation of twelve hours. At one time, 
 before setting out, I stated the hour we 
 would be back. It was not ten minutes 
 from the time set when we greeted the 
 home band. 
 
 On starting out, old farmers said, 
 our oxen would wear out before per- 
 forming one journey, but they were so 
 well cared for, night and day, that 
 every pair came back every time better 
 than they started, excepting one pair 
 that went but once, because like Pha- 
 raoh's lean kine, the more they ate the 
 poorer they looked.
 
 144 LIFE OF ASA G. SHELDON : 
 
 NINTH LINK. 
 
 War ended, and I still continuing to 
 take hops to New York, but by an eas- 
 ier mode of transportation. The hops 
 were put on board a sloop at Boston, 
 and I took stage passage to dispose of 
 them there. Several times I took hops 
 to Philadelphia, and also to Baltimore. 
 
 One time on my stage journey from 
 New York to Philadelphia, as the host- 
 ler was changing horses, I walked on 
 ahead, and met a man that deserves 
 notice, sure. He had driven an ox- 
 team, loaded with tea, from Boston to 
 Philadelphia. While reaching the lat- 
 ter place, peace was declared between 
 the belligerent powers, and his load 
 was not worth as much as when he
 
 WILMINGTON FARMER. 145 
 
 started. Soon he received orders to 
 take the load back. I inquired how 
 far he travelled in a day. He said, 
 
 " I don't know, but I can tell you so 
 that you can give a pretty near guess. 
 I have put up my oxen at that tavern 
 yonder, for two nights and have not got 
 there yet." 
 
 He was in a fair way to get there that 
 day, and from what he told, I judged 
 he advanced about two miles per day. 
 This was called Jersey swamp, and 
 some idea can be gained from it of 
 Southern mud. The man seemed con- 
 tented and his team looked well. 
 
 We now come to that important 
 period in the history of an individual, 
 on which hangs so much of future weal 
 or woe. My marriage with CLARISSA 
 EAMES, daughter of Nathan and Su- 
 sanna Eames, was consummated Oct. 
 4, 1815. I was then 27 years old, and 
 she 17. Commenced housekeeping in 
 what is termed the Ford house ; now 
 occupied by Edwin Blanchard.
 
 . 146 LIFE OP ASA G. SHELDON : 
 
 Nothing note- worthy passed this win- 
 ter. On March 20th, David Hart, a 
 hired hand, with myself, drove two 
 loads of trashy wood into Boston, and 
 sold it for $10 per cord. It was the 
 highest I ever sold of any kind, being 
 principally swamp alders and blueberry 
 bushes, not many sticks exceeding a 
 man's wrist in size. 
 
 Stoves, now so common, had just 
 come into use, and the prevailing opin- 
 ion was, that nothing but small, dry 
 wood could be burnt in them. 
 
 This same Spring, a farm owned by 
 George Flint, Esq., of North Reading, 
 was rented, and we moved on to it 
 April 1st. Rent $100. 
 
 In the year 1816, that year so re- 
 markable for its cold spring, in which 
 spots were seen on the sun, the corn 
 crop was nearly destroyed throughout 
 New England by frost. This produced 
 a scarcity of pigs, as few farmers kept 
 a hog over winter. That year, pigs 
 were killed that could not be allowed
 
 WILMINGTON FARMER. 147 
 
 to live and were not fit to die. In de- 
 monstration of this assertion, let me 
 state a fact : one man actually brought 
 a large pig to David Hart and exchang- 
 ed it for a small one, about half the 
 size of his, and gave 50 cents boot mon- 
 ey, because the little one would eat less 
 during the whiter. 
 
 The first of August, there was a 
 great cry for pigs. I said to neighbor 
 Batchelder, " We must go and get a 
 drove of pigs." 
 
 " Where shall we go ? " said he. 
 
 I said, " Steer South-west and go till 
 we get where corn ripened, there we 
 shall find pigs." 
 
 We started with $500 in our pockets. 
 On the third day, at night, friend Batch- 
 elder became discouraged, saying, we 
 could find no pigs, as every one we in- 
 quired of wished to buy rather than 
 sell. Said he, " We will call for fried 
 pork for supper to-night, and so find 
 out whether hogs are kept in this vicin- 
 ity." But we were saved from that
 
 148 LIFE OP ASA G. SHELDON : 
 
 trouble by the Innkeeper inviting us to 
 go see his hog before going into the 
 house. It was a grand one, a pattern 
 for 600 weight. 
 
 We kept on till near York State line, 
 where we made a stand. Mr. Batchel- 
 der, a plain, honest farmer, not a trad- 
 ing man, changed work with a farmer 
 there, preferring to work on his farm 
 while he rode about buying up pigs. 
 
 At a store I bought fifteen of a far- 
 mer at 5 cents per lb., and called on 
 the store-keeper to witness the bargain. 
 Soon after I left, our farmer agent came 
 up, and bought the same pigs at 6i cts. 
 per lb. Mr. Batchelder, hearing that 
 two bargains had been made, feared 
 hard thoughts. " Keep still," said I, 
 " only take the carriage and bring the 
 storekeeper down by the time the man 
 gets here with his pigs, and there will 
 be no trouble." He did, and the store- 
 keeper took down the weights as told 
 off, and made out a receipt, which I 
 handed to the farmer to sign on receipt
 
 WILMINGTON FARMER. 149 
 
 of his money at five cents per pound. 
 
 The agent observed, " I bought those 
 pigs at 6j cents." 
 
 " Well," said I, " these are the pigs 
 I bought for 5 cents ; if you have 
 bought any of him for 6J cents, let 
 him bring them on and I will pay for 
 them." Here the matter ended with- 
 out a dissenting word. This may show 
 the impropriety of trusting strangers to 
 trade for you, without looking sharply 
 after them. 
 
 Another note-worthy circumstance. 
 Old men told us that it made no differ- 
 ence whether a pig had his belly full 
 or not, when weighed. Wishing to 
 test the matter, I bargained with a 
 widow, who lived in a retired nook, 
 for a sow and two pigs, promising to 
 come for them at noon the next day, 
 I told her not to give them any din- 
 ner, and she was to give in all the swill 
 they wanted for a meal. At the ap- 
 pointed time I went and weighed the 
 pigs, and found their weight to be 70
 
 150 LIFE OP ASA G. SHELDON : 
 
 Ibs. each. I then gave them as much 
 swill as they could eat, and again weigh- 
 ed them. This time they weighed 79 
 Ibs. each. Next I weighed the sow, 
 and then the swill-pail. After she had 
 eaten her fill, she weighed 16 Ibs. more, 
 and the pail 16 Ibs. less. This showed 
 conclusively that feed weighs the same 
 after eaten as before. 
 
 I sold that same sow in Sudbury on 
 the banks of Concord river, to a tavern- 
 keeper for 12 cents per lb., showing 
 that in an old hog the difference be- 
 tween an empty and a full belly, at this 
 price, is $2. 
 
 At Brighton, we were obliged to take 
 special care to prepare the pens to hold 
 pigs, this being the first drove ever dri- 
 ven there from New York State, al- 
 though Smith & Reed, from Abington, 
 came in soon after, with a drove. 
 
 In Brighton we retailed a hundred to 
 our satisfaction. On our way toward 
 Maiden, Mr. Batchelder, a fun-loving 
 man, observed a very homely, hump-
 
 WILMINGTON FABMEB. 151 
 
 backed pig, and wondered " what fool 
 would buy it." When he had made 
 what sport he would of the pig, I 
 said, 
 
 " If you will say nothing, I will sell 
 that pig, when we get into Maiden, 
 higher than any other one, and tell only 
 the truth and not all of that." 
 
 We drove to the town pound, shut 
 in the pigs and offered them for sale. 
 To buyers we said, 
 
 " Take your choice for 12 cts. per 
 pound of all but one. I have one pig 
 here I ask a shilling per pound for, of 
 a particular breed." 
 
 "Which is he?" 
 
 The exclamation would be, " That 
 will make a 600 hog. What breed is 
 it?" 
 
 The answer was, " I don't know the 
 name of the breed, but it is a very pa? 
 ticular breed." 
 
 One man said, " I'll give 14 cts. per 
 pound." 
 
 " I cannot take it."
 
 152 LIFE OP ASA G. SHELDON : 
 
 He then said,. " I'll give fifteeen 
 cents." 
 
 This was taken, and he drove off the 
 pig. I never heard of him afterward ; 
 hope he made a fine hog. 
 
 Young men think of this when you 
 hear particular breeds of cattle highly 
 recommended. Be cautious about ex- 
 pending large sums, until experience 
 proves their worth. 
 
 Once since then, I had a pig that 
 much resembled the above named. I 
 could not get rid of her so easily. Of- 
 fering her to a man for $4 he cried 
 out, " I won't have her in my hog-sty 
 at any rate. If you would put her in 
 my sty for nothing, I would not have 
 her." 
 
 That pig was as profitable, if not 
 more so, as any that I ever owned. 
 She brought a litter of 9 pigs. I sold 
 the whole for $55. The owners sold 
 them when fattened at 12 cts. per lb., 
 amounting to $375. 
 
 For five or six years I was called
 
 WILMINGTON FARMER. 153 
 
 upon, perhaps once a year on an av- 
 erage, by Master Parker and David to 
 settle their animosities. After my de- 
 parture the same evil spirit reigned in 
 the old man, and Dave partaking of a 
 share of it, and living in the same 
 house, and working together, the spells 
 would come when they could not speak 
 to each other, After a while they 
 would grow tired of it, and one would 
 come up to me, tell the story of his 
 wrongs, and entreat me to come down 
 and bring about a treaty. In a very 
 few days the other would come on the 
 same errand, as I always expected, and 
 then knowing both parties were ready 
 and anxious for a settlement, I would go, 
 carefully hiding from each, that the oth- 
 er had been to see me. Of course each 
 considered himself the sole cause of 
 my being there, and I presume they 
 never learned to the contrary. When 
 I arrived, I always had a talk with each 
 one separately. There never was but 
 one article in the treaty ; it was always
 
 154 LIFE OP ASA G. SHELDON : 
 
 the same. Mr. Parker would say, " As 
 David is my son it is his place to speak 
 first, and he must come in to my room 
 to do it." Dave was always ready to 
 do it, when informed of his father's de- 
 sire. I would then walk into the room 
 with him and introduce them in this 
 way, " Mr. Parker, your son has come 
 to see you." " Good evening, father," 
 Dave would say. The old man would 
 jump up as spry as a boy, and shake 
 hands most heartily with his son ; and 
 certainly they were, for the time being, 
 as happy as their capacities would admit. 
 It always affords me pleasure to be 
 the instrument of benefiting those who 
 are so unfortunate as to possess such 
 unhappy dispositions. If any person 
 who reads this, finds himself possessed 
 of a disposition leading to such unhap- 
 py results, I would entreat him to set 
 about an amendment in his own soul. 
 As much headway can be gained in 
 laboring to improve the mind as in 
 rooting briars out of the land.
 
 WILMINGTON FARMER. 155 
 
 On my last journey to New York, 
 when about to leave, I went into a Bro- 
 ker's office to get $5000 exchanged. 
 Noticed a man standing outside the 
 counter, who appeared to have no busi- 
 ness, but at the time, I supposed he 
 had finished his business and was on 
 some account waiting. He appeared 
 to listen to all that was said, and heard 
 the money told out. 
 
 " When do you leave for Boston?" 
 said the broker. 
 
 " In the morning stage," said I. 
 
 " Who are your acquaintances in this 
 city ? " said he. 
 
 " Stebbins & Couch," was the an- 
 swer. 
 
 " You could not be acquainted with 
 better men," said he. " And if I leave 
 word with them that I wish you to call 
 here this afternoon, will you \ " 
 
 " Yes," was the answer. 
 
 In the course of the afternoon Mr. 
 Couch said to me, " The broker who 
 changed your money for you has been
 
 156 LIFE OP ASA G. SHELDON : 
 
 here to inquire your character ; and 
 wants you to take $5000 to Oliver C. 
 Wyman, State street, Boston. I told 
 him he must pay your stage-fare to 
 Boston, and he will do it." As I was 
 about to leave, Mr. Couch added, " Do 
 not be at that stage office after sunset, 
 on any account." 
 
 When I had reached the door, he 
 said again, 
 
 " Don't you be at that stage office at 
 sunset, let the excuse be what it will, 
 now mind what I say." 
 
 From there I went to the broker's, 
 took his $5000 and put it in my trunk 
 with my $5000. He then gave me the 
 money to pay the fare, which I took in 
 my hand, and walked directly to the 
 stage office, with trunk under my arm. 
 It was situated in rear of -a block of 
 buildings with an arch leading to it. 
 On entering I saw the very man who 
 I had before seen at the broker's office. 
 He was the man who it seems did busi- 
 ness there, for he was behind the coun-
 
 WILMINGTON FARMER. 157 
 
 ter apparently engaged in writing. I 
 stepped near and said, 
 
 " Here is the money for my fare to 
 Boston, and I would like to have the 
 stage call for me at the sign of the Roe- 
 buck to-morrow. Please write ' A. G. 
 Sheldon.' " 
 
 " Wait one minute till I finish this 
 letter, and I will wait upon you." 
 
 It was not quite sunset, so I seated 
 myself near the door. I think I had not 
 been seated a minute before a woman 
 came in. She stepped up, paid her 
 fare to Hartford, and had her name en- 
 tered on the book to go in the same 
 stage with me. I could see no reason 
 why my name could not be written as 
 well as hers ; that increased my fears. 
 I went directly up and laying down 
 my pay beside hers, not stopping to 
 have my name written, passed out after 
 the woman. As I laid down the money 
 he observed, 
 
 " Only wait a half minute and I'll 
 wait on you." I had told him my name.
 
 158 LIFE OP ASA G. SHELDON : 
 
 " I'll wait no longer," said I, and 
 started for my boarding-house. Pass- 
 ing by the Mall, I heard footsteps com- 
 ing fast behind and soon the same man 
 clapped his hand on my shoulder, 
 saying, 
 
 " You made a great mistake when 
 you paid your fare ; if you will come 
 back I will rectify it." 
 
 " I can't go back," said I. 
 
 " You had better go back, for you 
 have made a great mistake, and I don't 
 want your money for nothing." 
 
 This increased my fears. I brought 
 my hand to my bosom suddenly, saying 
 with vehemence, 
 
 " Take your hand from my shoulder 
 or you are a dead man in one minute." 
 He then loosened his hold and turned 
 back. 
 
 The next morning I took the stage 
 as expected, right glad to escape a rob- 
 bery. Indeed, the whole reason the 
 broker wished to send $5000 to Boston 
 by me, was for fear of robbery, as sev-
 
 WILMINGTON FARMER. 159 
 
 eral had been perpetrated about that 
 time, on the mail. My journey was 
 anything but pleasant. The stage run 
 night and day. I was sleepy but dared 
 to sleep but little, not knowing whether 
 I was with friends or foes. My fear 
 was that he would describe me to some 
 other rogue, and set him out in the 
 stage after me. I kept the trunk in 
 my hand when riding, and my foot on 
 it while eating. Such not being the 
 case, I reached Boston safely and paid 
 off the money. 
 
 In the course of the winter an event 
 occurred that will never be forgotten 
 while memory retains her office. So 
 narrow was the escape from a sudden 
 death, or being wholly smashed up, 
 that when I look back upon it I am 
 filled with astonishment. 
 
 I set out with a team of 4 steers and 
 a horse, and a load of 15 feet of white 
 pine wood, loaded 3 lengths on a sled, 
 one afternoon, to Reading market. 
 Just after entering the turnpike, south
 
 160 LIFE OP ASA G. SHELDON : 
 
 of Jerry Nichols' tavern, I stepped on 
 to the roller front of the sled ; that in- 
 stant the hind steers beginning to trot, 
 I put one foot out on to the spire to 
 start the forward cattle, at the same 
 time keeping hold of a stick in the load 
 with my left hand. The stick being 
 short gave way, pulled out and I fell 
 my length on the spire, rolling off the 
 nigh side. My first thought was to 
 brace my feet against the wood to keep 
 from going under the sled. So here I 
 lay and slid upon my back, so near the 
 ox that every time his foot went back 
 it touched my head. A large body of 
 snow was upon the ground, with deep 
 foot-paths for the cattle, and hard, high 
 ridges on either side. Imagine my 
 feelings in this perilous situation, with 
 the team upon the run and but one 
 small chance of escape left me. I 
 knew there was a foot-path just ahead 
 where Munroe, a neighbor, crossed the 
 turnpike for water. So bearing as 
 much as possible toward the right
 
 WILMINGTON FARMER. 161 
 
 shoulder, when it struck the path I 
 sprang for dear life, and cleared the 
 sled-road. I stopped the team and 
 went back for my whip, measured the 
 distance and found it eleven rods. 
 
 " Bless the Lord, O my soul, and 
 forget not all his benefits."
 
 162 LIFE OP ASA G. SHELDON : 
 
 TENTH LINK. 
 
 My residence on the Flint farm em- 
 braced 13 years, during which I carried 
 on butchering to considerable extent, 
 trusting out meat largely, and in the 
 course of that time I bought and paid 
 for 515 acres young wood-land. 
 
 Still owing some large debts, and 
 hard times coming on, creditors pressed 
 their claims. I could not collect my 
 debts fast enough to satisfy their de- 
 mands, and a failure unavoidably en- 
 sued. My real estate was resigned into 
 the hands of fourteen of my largest 
 creditors, and the property appraised 
 off at a very low rate, but sufficient to 
 cancel all debts excepting $34. Had 
 this $34 been paid, it would have clear-
 
 WILMINGTON FARMER. 163 
 
 ed me from these debts, but I had no 
 heart to ask any one to lend it to me. 
 Afterward, when through the disinter- 
 ested kindness of friends I had regain- 
 ed a footing and was able to do busi- 
 ness again, I paid over $600 to those 
 same creditors. When I placed those 
 515 acres of beautiful young wood-land 
 in the hands of these fourteen men, I 
 expected they would manage so as to 
 make themselves whole and save some- 
 thing for me. But such was not the 
 case. They selected five of their num- 
 ber to manage the business. My feel- 
 ings can be better imagined than de- 
 scribed on finding that their whole ami 
 was to have it sell as low as possible 
 and buy it themselves. 
 
 An aged and venerable minister of 
 the gospel being present at the auction, 
 and seeing their management, said to 
 me, " Sheldon, be perfectly honest 
 yourself, but believe every man a devil." 
 
 A few incidents will show how the 
 matter brought about, to me, unfortu-
 
 164 LIFE OP ASA G. SHELDON : 
 
 nate results. When a lot of nice young 
 wood, of nine acres, was set up, it was 
 struck off for $15. I persuaded the 
 buyer to give me the refusal of it for a 
 short time for $60. Before the time 
 expired, I found a man that would ad- 
 vance me the money. In about three 
 years, I had the wood cut off and sold 
 it for $100, and then sold the bottom. 
 
 Another lot sold for $2.10 per- acre, 
 that has been worth since then $100 
 per acre. 
 
 One of the largest purchasers, not a 
 creditor, told me that on the $500 
 worth, bought at that auction, he clear- 
 ed $1000 ; and two of the creditors 
 have since told me that on what they 
 bought they cleared over $1000. 
 
 One lot lying by itself sold for $30. 
 This sale was in 1830, and I have been 
 credibly informed that the wood on this 
 same lot, in the year 1860, sold for 
 $900. 
 
 I would here insert an observation 
 made by Edmund Parker, Esq., well
 
 WILMINGTON FARMER. 165 
 
 known as a man of integrity and can- 
 dor, who assisted the creditors in their 
 business, and who was their counselor. 
 Said he, " If your creditors would let 
 you alone three years, you could pay 
 every debt and still have the founda- 
 tion of as great wealth as any man in 
 North Eeading." 
 
 I should be untrue to myself did I 
 not mention the names of three gen- 
 tlemen to whose disinterested sympathy 
 and assistance, I owe more than to all 
 others. " A friend in need, is a friend 
 indeed." Well have I seen this prov- 
 erb verified in the troublous times that 
 I have been called upon to pass through. 
 These men were David M. Russell, 
 then of Plymouth, N. H., now of Ala- 
 bama ; Ebenezer Emerson, of Reading ; 
 and Samuel W. Carter, of Reading. 
 Nathaniel Parker, of Reading, would 
 gladly have rendered assistance, but 
 had not the means. 
 
 I fully believe in the common asser- 
 tion that many, very many, men fail to
 
 166 LIFE OP ASA G. SHELDON : 
 
 make money by cheating their honest 
 creditors ; but I do know that an hon- 
 est man would give but little for his 
 choice, either to die or ask his credi- 
 tors to take less than one hundred cents 
 on the dollar. 
 
 Let me caution young men to look 
 closely after their affairs, and always 
 know how they stand, and be sure not 
 to get so deeply in debt that if hard 
 times come unexpectedly you may be 
 able to handle your property and not 
 trust it to the management of others. 
 
 My first introduction to the Baldwin 
 family was by this circumstance. Go- 
 ing up to Milford, N. H., on business, 
 I stopped for breakfast in Tyngsboro'. 
 While eating, a stranger walked in and 
 informed me that counterfeit $5 bills 
 on Salem Bank were plentifully circu- 
 lated in Andover. The news startled 
 me, as I had $50 of that money with 
 me and no other. I then offered the 
 landlord one of the bills to pay for my 
 breakfast. He refused, upon which I
 
 WILMINGTON FARMER. 167 
 
 pawned my pocket book and departed. 
 
 I stopped next at Farewell Tavern, 
 South Merrimack, and stated what had 
 met my ears that day, when a tall, el- 
 derly gentleman asked my name, where 
 I was from, and if I knew any one in 
 Woburn. I replied, " I know Col. 
 Franklin Baldwin." 
 
 " He is a brother of mine," he re- 
 plied. 
 
 " Give this man some dinner, and I 
 will pay for it," said he, to the Inn- 
 keeper, and turning to me continued, 
 " I will exchange one of your bills, 
 which no doubt are good, and give you 
 money that is indisputable, and wish 
 you to call and see me on your return." 
 
 The gentleman was no other than 
 Cyrus Baldwin, of Chelmsford. Rest 
 assured this was a great relief to me, 
 being, as I was, among strangers, with 
 no money but what had been condemn- 
 ed as counterfeit. Ever since this time, 
 the name of Baldwin has sounded plea- 
 santly in my ear.
 
 168 LIFE OF ASA G. SHELDON : 
 
 My next interview with the family 
 was by an appointment to meet James 
 F. Baldwin, brother of Cyrus, in a 
 wood-lot of his. I bought the stand- 
 ing wood and timber, and one day go- 
 ing into the lot, met Mr. Baldwin, who 
 said to me, 
 
 " What are you going after now, 
 Sheldon?" 
 
 I answered, " After the largest stick 
 of timber in the lot." 
 
 " Do you expect to load it alone ? " 
 
 " Yes, I do with the help of these 
 oxen." 
 
 " How long do you expect it will 
 take to load it ? " 
 
 " If I have good luck, I expect to 
 load it in an hour." 
 
 " If I thought you could load it in 
 an hour, I would go back and see you 
 do it." 
 
 " I think there is no doubt but what 
 I shall." 
 
 He went back and sat down on a 
 stump, took out his watch and said that
 
 WILMINGTON FARMER. 169 
 
 it was twenty minutes from the time the 
 oxen stopped when I started them again 
 with the load all properly bound, ready 
 for market. 
 
 He then said he was Engineer on the 
 Boston & Lowell Railroad, and wished 
 me to come to Boston and take a job. 
 
 " I have not means to carry on a 
 job," said I. 
 
 " James Jaques said he would like to 
 take a job with you," said he, and if 
 you will come and take one, and man- 
 age as well as you did loading this tim- 
 ber, if you do not make day wages, I 
 will consider you, for I have power to 
 consider contractors, if the work turns 
 out more difficult than was expected." 
 
 The job of grading more than one 
 and one-half miles of railroad, together 
 with the stone-work, was agreed upon, 
 in company with Jaques. While with 
 him the work dragged heavily ; but 
 subsequently he was exchanged for 
 Isaac Flint of North Reading, and then 
 the work went on satisfactorily. The
 
 170 LIFE OP ASA G. SHELDON : 
 
 job was taken of Jackson, Railroad 
 Agent. 
 
 The next year Mr. Jackson said to 
 me, 
 
 " Sheldon I shall not let you any job 
 on the railroad this year, because I 
 want you to work by the day where- 
 ever and whenever you are wanted." 
 
 That season I worked forty oxen and 
 fifty men for him by the day, nearly 
 all the time ; on an average more. 
 
 The third year I was employed by 
 the same men in stone-work and laying 
 rails. On a certain occasion Jackson 
 came along inspecting the work. One 
 stone standing out prominently, he took 
 occasion to find fault in sharp tones. I 
 told him to wait fifteen minutes and I 
 would show him the utility of its loca- 
 tion. He waited, and then expressed 
 himself with much satisfaction saying, 
 
 " Sheldon, I will give you my word 
 that you shall never pay anything for 
 riding on this road, as long as your 
 stone-work holds good."
 
 WILMINGTON FARMER. 171 
 
 This declaration was as good as a 
 bond to me, till the year 1861, long 
 after Jackson's death. 
 
 I have hopes by an interview with 
 the officers and agents on the road, to 
 procure a life-long ticket, for I have 
 no doubt if they knew the conditions 
 on which the promise was made they 
 would freely award me the privilege of 
 riding free. 
 
 In the spring of 1835, I received a 
 letter from Jackson, desiring me to 
 come to Boston, stating that he had a 
 week's work for me to do. When there, 
 he informed me that he wished me to 
 ascertain what it would cost to move 
 Pemberton Hill into salt water, north 
 side of Causeway street. 
 
 After probing the hill in several 
 places and walking over the ground as 
 fast as an ox team would walk, to as- 
 certain how many times they could go 
 in a day, the result of my investigations 
 was that it could be done for 25 cents 
 per yard,
 
 172 LIFE OF ASA G. SHELDON : 
 
 He then told me he was agent for a 
 company and expected to buy the Hill, 
 but the bargain was not concluded upon, 
 but it would be in a few days ; and 
 further, said he, 
 
 " I shall want you to do it by the 
 day, for I don't expect to get any body 
 to do it by the job quick enough, for it 
 must be done in six months. If you 
 should do the work, would you do it 
 with oxen or with horses ? " 
 
 " I shall do it with oxen." 
 
 " Give me your reasons why you 
 should do it with oxen 1 " 
 
 " The job is short, and when done 
 the oxen can be driven to,Brighton and 
 sold at a fair price, while horses would 
 eat out half their bodies before we 
 could make sale of them. And anoth- 
 er reason, it does not cost so much to 
 harness twelve oxen as it does one 
 horse." 
 
 " Your reasons are good," said he. 
 
 I was in Boston four days. He paid 
 me for a week's work and I came home.
 
 WILMINGTON FARMER. 173 
 
 Another letter was soon received re- 
 questing my presence in Boston. I 
 repaired thither when he informed me 
 that another man had offered to take 
 the whole concern by the job, and 
 said, 
 
 " It is against our rules to have any 
 work done by the day that we can let 
 out by the job. Can't you take it by 
 the job?" 
 
 " No," said I. 
 
 "Why not ?" said he. 
 
 I answered, " Because I have al- 
 ready shown you that it will take $7000 
 to start the job, and $3000 more, mak- 
 ing $10,000 before you will be willing 
 to pay one cent, as you make payments 
 monthly. And I have not got the 
 money." 
 
 "Perhaps you will find some one 
 who has the money to join you I " 
 
 I told him I should not try, and we 
 parted. 
 
 Coming home I met Charles Carter, 
 Esq., in Woburn. He said,
 
 174 LIFE OF ASA G. SHELDON : 
 
 " Are you going to do that job in 
 Boston?" 
 
 " No," said I. 
 
 "Why not ?" 
 
 " Because it is going to be let by the 
 yard, and I have not the means to do it." 
 
 " How much money will it take 1 " 
 said he. 
 
 "$7000 to start it, and $3000 more 
 before we get the first payment." 
 
 " I can raise the money," said he, 
 " if we can get a good job." 
 
 We looked at the work jointly and 
 agreed to take it at 28 cents per yard. 
 He furnished $1200, and I expended it 
 all in oxen. 
 
 I started for Boston with the teams 
 and met Carter a few rods beyond his 
 house. He said, " I want the whole 
 job to myself, and I will hire you to 
 take care of the teams." 
 
 At that time I owed him four notes 
 of $100 each, which he agreed to give 
 me, if I would let him have the whole 
 job, and work for him for $2.50 per
 
 WILMINGTON FARMER. 175 
 
 day and he board me. I then said to 
 him, " I will go back with you and 
 take the notes." 
 
 " I can't give them to you to-night, 
 for they are in the Bank, but you shall 
 have them within forty-eight hours." 
 
 I then commenced work on the hill, 
 it being May 5th, 1835. On the third 
 day, Jackson came and said that the 
 contract must be signed at 12 o'clock 
 that day or the work stop. 
 
 Carter made for the office and I kept 
 him company. Jackson read the con- 
 tract and said, " Is that right, Carter V 
 He replied, " I think it is." 
 
 " Then there is nothing to do but to 
 sign it." 
 
 " I don't think it worth while," said 
 Carter. 
 
 " What does this mean, Sheldon," 
 said Jackson, " didn't you tell me that 
 that earth could be moved for 25 cents, 
 and didn't I agree to give you 28 cents, 
 and now you say you can't do it." 
 
 " I have said no such thing," said I.
 
 176 LIFE OP ASA G. SHELDON : 
 
 " Then what do you say 1 " 
 
 " It can be moved full as easy as I 
 ever expected," said I. 
 
 " I told you the teams could draw 
 twelve loads per day, I now find they 
 can draw fourteen loads per day." 
 
 Carter then wished to see me alone. 
 He asked me if I was willing to give 
 up the last bargain and we do the work 
 in company. I told him, " No." 
 
 Jackson soon came and told me to 
 tell Carter, that if he would let me 
 work the teams and men that after- 
 noon, he would pay for the work. 
 
 Mr. Jackson and Baldwin were both 
 on the work the whole afternoon, and 
 at night Jackson said to me, " I am 
 satisfied you can do all you have told 
 me and more too. You may buy of 
 Carter every ox that you want, and 
 every thing he has that you want, and 
 tell him he shall have his money next 
 Tuesday. If you had the money, would 
 you do the job I " 
 
 " Yes," said I.
 
 WILMINGTON FARMER. 177 
 
 " You shall have it. Notify the men 
 that you shall want them all Monday 
 morning." 
 
 By an early start I was at Jackson's 
 house before sunrise on Monday morn- 
 ing. " Do you want me to step into 
 Carter's shoes," said he, " and find 
 money and you do the work and have 
 half the profits ? " 
 
 " Yes ; but one thing more, if there 
 is a loss in it I will lose only my time." 
 
 To this he finally agreed, saying, 
 " You always make me do just as you 
 please. Now, as soon as you get men 
 and teams to work, come to my office." 
 
 When at the office, " Now," said he, 
 " I have a short lesson to give you : 
 remember, this work is to be done on 
 your judgment, not on mine. If I 
 think you are doing wrong and tell you 
 so, don't you alter unless I convince you 
 of the wrong. Don't say, you should 
 not have done this or that if I had not 
 told you so. Some people think be- 
 cause they find funds to do a job they
 
 178 LIFE OP ASA G. SHELDON 
 
 must dictate, when they know nothing 
 about it, and thus spoil the work. Re- 
 member, this job must be done in six 
 months. How much money do you 
 want to-day to buy oxen with at Brigh- 
 ton." 
 
 He then gave me a check for $1000. 
 I started a man to North Andover, to 
 Ingalls' the yoke maker, to bring yokes 
 and bows enough for thirty yoke of 
 oxen. I then proceeded to Brighton 
 and bought ten yoke of cattle that day. 
 Ingalls was at my place in Boston be- 
 fore sunrise the next morning, with 
 more yokes than I sent for, but no more 
 than was wanted. 
 
 We now had about half as many 
 oxen as needed, but as many as we had 
 carts for then. As carts could not be 
 made as fast as wanted, I procured two 
 men of sound judgment, Abner Mar- 
 ion, of Burlington, and Eben Emer- 
 son, of Reading, and sent them about 
 in the neighboring towns to buy good 
 second-hand carts and wagons. They
 
 WILMINGTON FARMER. 179 
 
 succeeded well, making no bad bar- 
 gains, both being careful men. 
 
 I then issued the following advertise- 
 ment : 
 
 " WANTED TWENTY YOKE 
 OF THE BEST WORKING OXEN, AT 
 PEMBERTON HILL, BOSTON, FOR 
 WHICH A FAIR PRICE WILL BE 
 PAID IN CASH. NONE BUT THOSE 
 THAT CAN TRAVEL ON PAVEMENTS 
 NEED BE OFFERED." 
 
 This was the season of the year when 
 farmers in the vicinity of Boston were 
 finishing up their heavy spring work ; 
 consequently I had as many oxen offer- 
 ed as wanted, having no occasion to go 
 out to buy. 
 
 I boarded my first week at Glasier's 
 Tavern; paid my bill every morning 
 and inquired if I could board there 
 another day. I wore my teamster's 
 blue and white striped frock, and in 
 this disguise could hear at table many 
 curious observations on the moving of 
 Pemberton Hill with oxen. 
 
 One stated, " These oxen will have
 
 180 LIFE OP ASA G. SHELDON: 
 
 their tongues out as long as your arm, 
 and in three weeks he wont be able to 
 get them through the streets." 
 
 Another said, " I understand the man 
 came from Wilmington, a sandy town, 
 and I expect he don't know but that 
 oxen can travel on pavements as well 
 as in Wilmington sand." 
 
 As the work was a novel job, many 
 spectators were attracted to the scene 
 of operations. They were of all grades, 
 from the highest to the lowest, among 
 them many country teamsters, whip in 
 hand. To hear the observations, I one 
 day ascended with the throng on the 
 back side of the hill, in my usual dis- 
 guise, and took my stand by the smart- 
 est looking man in the foremost rank, 
 which was then several courses deep, 
 when he thus addressed me, 
 
 "This is a tremendous piece of work." 
 
 " It looks to me to be so," I answered. 
 
 " I understand that the man who has 
 taken this job, has agreed to do it in 
 six months ; do you know if it is so I "
 
 WILMINGTON FARMER. 181 
 
 " I understand he has," was my ans- 
 wer. 
 
 " Then he is a fool, let him be who 
 he will. He can't do it in three years, 
 if he employs all the men and teams he 
 can work on it." 
 
 In this connection it may not be un- 
 interesting to give a description of Pem- 
 berton Hill. The whole area, includ- 
 ing Streets adjoining, was upwards of 
 four acres, and it made in the water, 
 eight acres, fourteen feet deep. Depth 
 of hill, from the highest point, was six- 
 ty-five feet and ten inches. This was 
 the point where Gardner Green's green 
 house stood. Six dwelling houses 
 and other out-buildings, besides im- 
 mense shrubbery, together with several 
 English elms that were carried to the 
 navy-yard, were sold from the ground. 
 One gingo tree, an exotic, and I expect 
 the only tree of the kind in this coun- 
 try, I was offered $300 to move and 
 warrant to live one year. I thought at 
 that time, that it contained about tw o
 
 182 LIFE OP ASA G. SHELDON : 
 
 feet of cord wood, and it being in the 
 month of June, I dared not undertake 
 it. However it was moved, and now 
 stands on the Common, near the State 
 House and is thriving. 
 
 These buildings had been the resi- 
 dences of distinguished gentlemen 
 Gardner Green, Dr. Lloyd and Gov. 
 Phillips. There were two other beau- 
 tiful brick buildings on Somerset street 
 sold and torn down, whose owners I 
 never knew. I will now note a few 
 things by me deemed curiosities. 
 
 The Dr. Lloyd house stood on the 
 lowest ground of any, with a well thir- 
 ty feet deep and not a drop of water in 
 it. The Gardner Green well stood a 
 few rods from it on a little higher 
 ground. The top of the water in this 
 well was thirty-five feet higher than 
 the base of the ground at the cut near 
 the well. When working very near the 
 water gushed out and formed a brook 
 that ran down to Hanover street. As 
 we watered our cattle from it, the
 
 WILMINGTON FARMER. 183 
 
 stream would stop running in the day 
 but fill up and run again in the night. 
 Opposite the head of Court street, about 
 five feet from the surface we struck a 
 a flat stone. On turning it a well thir- 
 ty feet deep was discovered. On lis- 
 tening, running water could be distinct- 
 ly heard. We ascertained that it came 
 in, fifteen feet from the top and run 
 directly out at the bottom. Our grading 
 was five feet below the flat stone. We 
 filled up with clay, the water still run- 
 ning, puddled it in so compactly that 
 in one night the well was filled to over- 
 flowing. The next day it was filled to 
 the top, that kept the water down. 
 
 This place is now called Pemberton 
 Square. 
 
 Near the centre of the green en- 
 closed by the Square, after taking off 
 about fifty-five feet of solid gravel, a 
 heavy load of gravel passing, suddenly 
 all four of the wheels dropped to the 
 hub. The gravel was quickly shovelled 
 out of the wagon, when on procuring
 
 1 84 LIFE OP ASA G. SHELDON : 
 
 an iron rod, the mud was found to be 
 common marsh mud, fifteen feet deep, 
 of an oval form and entirely covered 
 with gravel. This must have been 
 done by some convulsion in nature. 
 At Jackson's suggestion we excavated 
 the mud, six feet in depth and filled 
 with gravel. 
 
 When at the Phillips' place we found 
 an iron door in the cellar, that led to 
 an arch about twelve feet wide on the 
 base, fifty feet long and nine feet high. 
 I remember well measuring it, and 
 found plenty of room for sixteen large 
 oxen and space to feed them ; but fear- 
 ing they would not do so well in this 
 subterranean cell as in a barn, did not 
 put it to that purpose. This arch was 
 made of brick, sixteen inches in thick- 
 ness, so firmly cemented that much 
 labor was required to prepare it for 
 loading into our carts. So true it is, 
 one man builds and another demolishes. 
 Of the original design of this subter- 
 ranean arch, I leave my readers to
 
 WILMINGTON FARMER. 185 
 
 judge for themselves, as I do for my- 
 self. It occurs to my mind that rich 
 men do not always comply with the 
 letter of the law, especially when they 
 have a convenient place in which to 
 secrete smuggled goods. 
 
 From the cellar of one of the brick 
 houses an iron door opened into a sep- 
 ulchre or tomb, from which, I think, 
 fifteen coffins, large and small, were 
 taken the night before we had leave to 
 occupy it. This information was re- 
 ceived from Mr. Hersey a man in city 
 employ, who helped convey them to 
 another tomb. On the outside, on the 
 tomb were beautiful cultivated flowers. 
 However others may think on the sub- 
 ject, it is quite ungenial to the feelings 
 of the writer to have dear, departed 
 friends lying under a dwelling-house 
 or so immediately connected with it. 
 The most proper place to lay the dead 
 for their last resting-place is in the 
 common burning-ground. 
 
 Some time previous, a crew of Span-
 
 186 LIFE OP ASA G. SHELDON : 
 
 ish pirates were captured and brought 
 into port at Boston. They were sub- 
 sequently tried, and Bernardo De Soto 
 and four others were condemned and 
 sentenced to suffer the penalty of the 
 law due to their crimes, viz : to hang 
 by their necks till they were dead. 
 
 While in jail, awaiting their doom, 
 one of the number, to speed on his 
 release from earth, pierced his arm with 
 a piece of glass, causing much blood to 
 flow and such a state of debilitation 
 that the poor deluded man was carried 
 to the place of execution in a chair, and 
 there sat to hear the service and have 
 the halter placed round his neck, and 
 dropped with the rest. Oh, sad, sad 
 and mournful affair. Yet we would 
 not wish to have capital punishment 
 abolished, but rather carry out the Scrip- 
 ture rule, "He that sheddeth man's 
 blood, by man shall his blood be shed." 
 No, the world is not good enough to do 
 away with capital punishment yet. 
 
 The pirates were hanged on a gal-
 
 WILMINGTON FARMER. 187 
 
 lows erected on my land by the United 
 States Marshal. I had built three barns 
 temporarily for the use of my oxen. 
 There were fifty tied in one barn, twen- 
 ty-five in a row. The teamsters were 
 set to guard them, and two men were 
 stationed on the top to keep spectators 
 off, each with a pitchfork, and with 
 directions, if they failed, to have the 
 cattle turned out. Rowdies and ill- 
 bred boys pressed so hard upon the 
 men on top, and beginning to throw 
 stones, that they shouted to the team- 
 sters below to turn out the oxen. No 
 sooner said than done, when one of the 
 top men jumped off, crying, " Now 
 you may all go to h 1 if you please." 
 The roof was covered as fast as possi- 
 ble, when, crash, down came the whole 
 frame, breaking one man's arm. No 
 teaming work could be done in Boston 
 on such days as this, or on holidays. 
 
 That night application was made to 
 me for a team to carry the pirates' life- 
 less bodies to the Catholic Burying-
 
 188 LIFE OF ASA G. SHELDON : 
 
 ground, Charlestown, and with them 
 an Irishman killed on the railroad. I 
 accordingly sent one man with a yoke 
 of oxen, and six men for guard. The 
 oxen, passive before, expressed fear as 
 soon as the bodies were put in, and 
 could be restrained from running only 
 by two men going before them with 
 clubs. Whether they were frightened 
 by something natural or supernatural, 
 is beyond my conjecture. Perhaps, like 
 Balaam's ass, they saw that which hu- 
 man eyes could not discover. 
 
 The next day I made out a bill like 
 this, "United States Marshal, Dr., 
 To A. G. Sheldon: To damage done to 
 barn, . . . $50 ; " and presented it to 
 the Marshal. He looked at it and said, 
 " I can pay no such bills." I then re- 
 quested the use of a slip of paper, pen 
 and ink, and then wrote, " United 
 States Marshal, Dr., To A. G. Sheldon, 
 To use of land to hang 5 pirates, and 
 damages sustained thereby, . . . $75." 
 This suited him, and he paid the money.
 
 WILMINGTON FARMER. 189 
 
 ELEVENTH LINK. 
 
 We will now return to the work on 
 the hill. In about ten days Dr. Lloyd's 
 house was sold at auction. I bid it off, 
 moved my chattels in that night, and 
 next morning sixty Yankee men took 
 breakfast in it. For shovelling, we 
 employed Irishmen wholly, they board- 
 ing themselves. 
 
 When Dr. Shurtleff, our nearest 
 neighbor, saw that the house was sold 
 for what he called a shanty, he express- 
 ed many fears lest he should be troubl- 
 ed with noise. He said, " I could not 
 have thought that of Patrick T. Jack- 
 son, that he would allow the house to 
 be sold for that purpose." 
 
 Subsequently he inquired, " When
 
 190 LIFE OF ASA G. SHELDON : 
 
 are you going to get your men on, 
 Sheldon ? " 
 
 I said, " Have you been disturbed 
 by their noise, Doctor ? " 
 
 " No, I have not heard any noise." 
 
 " The morning after I bought the 
 house, sixty men ate breakfast there, 
 and have boarded there ever since." 
 
 " If that be the case," said he, "I'll 
 borrow no more trouble about the 
 noise." 
 
 The doctor proved himself a kind 
 friend and neighbor, coming in often 
 with Jackson and Baldwin to dine on 
 baked beans. He was extremely fond 
 of brown bread and butter, which we 
 had of an excellent quality ; and when 
 any of the men were hurt or required 
 medical aid, he tendered his services 
 without remuneration. 
 
 About the first of June our ranks 
 were filled. The whole number of 
 oxen being one hundred and twenty- 
 six ; whole number of hands about two 
 hundred and fifty when at the highest
 
 WILMINGTON FARMER. 191 
 
 pitch, sixty Yankees and one hun- 
 dred and ninety Irish. 
 
 We soon found from experience that 
 long and narrow wagons run the best. 
 What may be called sloven bodies were 
 used with a side-board so fixed that it 
 could be quickly started with two iron 
 bars, and the entire load slide off in 
 about a minute, on an average. One 
 man would drive two yoke of oxen 
 with a wagon and two yards of gravel, 
 while it took two men and two yoke of 
 oxen to carry the same amount in carts. 
 To satisfy the curious, we had one of 
 the wagon load weighed on the hay 
 scales, weight over seven tons. 
 
 In my employ were forty teamsters. 
 I began to realize how much the work 
 depended on their holding on, when I 
 found the country farmers would try to 
 hire them for haying, with the promise 
 of $1.50 per day. 
 
 One man, who had charge of the 
 barn and cattle feed, was used as a re- 
 porter, and I do not think that the men
 
 192 LIFE OF ASA G. SHELDON : 
 
 ever mistrusted he held that office. 
 One night he said, " The teamsters 
 have all agreed to leave as soon as they 
 get their pay for the month of June." 
 
 I then began to try my brains to dis- 
 cover what could be done. When pay- 
 day came I called them all in together 
 and said, 
 
 " You know I hired you for the 
 whole job. But it is dirty, unpleasant 
 work compared with haying ; and I 
 know wages are some higher than when 
 I hired you. Now boys I shall give 
 every one of you $26 for the month of 
 July, which is $6 more than I agreed 
 to pay, but for my own security shall 
 keep back $5 of this month's wages 
 until the job is completed." 
 
 The next day the reporter told that 
 they had all agreed to stay, to a man. 
 They said, " The old man was so good 
 without knowing they had agreed to go 
 away, it would be too bad to leave 
 him." 
 
 I will here acknowledge this was the
 
 WILMINGTON FARMER. 193 
 
 most trying circumstance in the whole 
 job, and when it was settled my uneasi- 
 ness subsided. 
 
 Now another difficulty arose. The 
 dust proved insufferable to those who 
 lived on the streets through which we 
 passed, and much annoyed the cattle 
 and men. After some consultation with 
 individuals, and with the Mayor, it 
 was decided that I should pay $1.50 
 per day toward sprinkling the streets 
 and they would keep them wet, much 
 for the comfort of the men and the cat- 
 tle's feet. 
 
 About this time Mr. Jackson said to 
 me, 
 
 " Sheldon, if you could have some- 
 thing extra, could you do this work in 
 five months instead of six." 
 
 " Yes, I think I could." 
 
 " Remember," said he, " you are 
 trading for me and yourself, while I am 
 trading for the company. How much 
 extra shall I give you to do it in five 
 months ? "
 
 194 LIFE OP ASA G. SHELDON : 
 
 " Let me think till morning and I 
 will tell you." 
 
 In the morning he said, " Have you 
 made up your mind ? " 
 
 " Yes, give me an extra $1000 and 
 it shall be done in five months." 
 
 " At noon I will give my answer," 
 said he. 
 
 At noon he told me he would comply 
 with my terms and give $1000. 
 
 " Now Sheldon," said he, " you may 
 work as hard as you please, but don't 
 kill yourself. This job has been the 
 least trouble to me of any job of such 
 magnitude I ever had any thing to do 
 with." 
 
 The commencement of this monster 
 job was in May. The first shovel full 
 of dirt was thrown out on the morning 
 of May 5, between 7 and 8 o'clock ; 
 and the last shovel full on Oct. 5, be- 
 tween 7 and 8 o'clock in the morning. 
 As the owners of this land feared hard 
 times were coming they hurried it into 
 market. Advertisements were season-
 
 WILMINGTON FARMER. 195 
 
 ably put out and the sale commenced 
 at auction, Oct. 6. The ground was 
 previously laid out in suitable house- 
 lots, walks and streets ; each enclosed 
 with narrow strips of board, with a 
 strip of common land in the centre. 
 The conditions of the sale were, that 
 every house should be built according 
 to the plan then laid out. Strange as 
 it may seem to those unacquainted 
 with city operations, the highest house- 
 lots sold for $7 per foot. 
 
 But I find my pen has run ahead, 
 beyond the straight line of my story. 
 I will now go back to say that as soon 
 as sufficient new land could be made, a 
 temporary blacksmith's shop was erect- 
 ed, where we could do our ox-shoeing, 
 mending chains, &c. Two blacksmiths 
 were hired, Stephen Smith and John S. 
 Perry. They proved excellent work- 
 men, and I thought sometimes vied 
 with each other in the shoeing business. 
 By employing two smiths, and keeping 
 shoes on hand an ox would be kept in
 
 196 LIFE OP ASA G. SHELDON : 
 
 the cage but a very few minutes, and 
 of course save time. Neighboring 
 farmers from Brighton, Brookline, 
 Charlestown and Chelsea, finding my 
 oxen traveled so well on pavements, 
 would call at our shop when they came 
 in with their teams to get them shod. 
 We were able to do considerable of 
 this kind of work. 
 
 As I have heretofore spoken of the 
 number of men employed, I cannot be 
 so ungallant as not notice the fair sex. 
 For housekeepers I employed constant- 
 ly one young man, Henry O. Holly, and 
 Caroline Foster of Wilmington, and 
 Catherine Jones of New Hampshire, 
 for cooks, besides one other girl as 
 help ; several different girls being em- 
 ployed at different times. 
 
 Before purchasing the Dr. Lloyd 
 house, the men took their meals at 
 Victualing Cellars ; some at Sawyer's 
 Cellar on Charlestown Square, and 
 some at Campbell's on North Market 
 street, and slept in the barns on the hay.
 
 WILMINGTON FARMER. 197 
 
 The personal property on the Hill 
 at the commencement of the work was 
 sold at different times, and sometimes 
 they were so remiss in moving it as 
 greatly to annoy us. 
 
 Once when Jackson was about to 
 make another sale he said, 
 
 " Sheldon, you know we have been 
 plagued with the owners not removing 
 their property out of our way as soon 
 as agreed upon. Now I have under- 
 stood they have a right to let it remain, 
 and all I can get is the damage, and it 
 will cost more than it is worth to get 
 that. Can you contrive any way to 
 oblige them to take it away on the day 
 specified." 
 
 I said, " Yes, sell them as much of 
 the property as shall be removed in a 
 given time, and be sure to have this 
 specified in the articles of sale." 
 
 " That will do it. And now what- 
 ever is left when the time expires, I 
 will give to you for this idea." 
 
 This was carried out to the letter.
 
 198 LIFE OP ASA G. SHELDON : 
 
 Mr. Jackson desiring to carry out this 
 rule, wished me to appropriate all pro- 
 perty remaining beyond the limited 
 time. I allowed them to carry off till 
 midnight of the last day, then forbade 
 their taking another stick. The team- 
 sters, I think as many as six, were 
 angry and determined on filling their 
 carts again, but seeing my men, who 
 had been notified, issue from the house 
 like a cloud, they quit and drove off. 
 I would recommend this course to those 
 who sell standing wood, as better for 
 buyer and seller too, for the young 
 sprouts are greatly injured by being 
 trodden down or gnawed by the teams, 
 and the buyer is stimulated to an hon- 
 orable exertion to do business in its 
 proper time. 
 
 In the early part of the work, David 
 Golden, an Irishman, offered terms for 
 a job of shovelling. Having an invet- 
 erate dislike to sub-contracts, I de- 
 clined, but at a strong invitation from 
 Jackson, agreed to it. However, it
 
 WILMINGTON FARMER. 199 
 
 proved a real bother, Mr. Jackson 
 thinking the same, and I made another 
 bargain with him to quit in three weeks. 
 The time expired at noon. The money 
 was procured, it was $823, and paid 
 him at 11 o'clock; he appointing a 
 certain place to pay off his men. At 
 20 minutes before 12, I informed them 
 their time was up, and they might go 
 for their pay. They went, but nothing 
 could be found of him, nor has he been 
 heard of from that day to thisby me. 
 
 This season a great change in prices 
 current was experienced. The Eastern 
 Land Speculation had turned to a " con- 
 suming fire," that seared and scorched 
 speculating men. The scant crops of 
 hay and grain raised their prices. For 
 the first load of hay, I paid 68 cents 
 per hundred ; the last, $1.25. For 
 the first meal, 83 cents per bushel ; the 
 last, $1.40. For the first shovelers, 83 
 cents per day; the last, $1.17. Flour 
 rose in proportion. 
 
 As the job wore away, less teams
 
 200 LIFE OP ASA G. SHELDON : 
 
 could be employed, and many of them 
 were sold on the ground. One pair 
 was sold long before they could be 
 spared, to Peter C. Brooks, millionaire, 
 and so well pleased was he with them, 
 that ever afterwards he would buy of 
 no other man ; and in fact every pair 
 that were driven by a middling team- 
 ster sold for as much as was paid for 
 them. 
 
 Near the close of the work, Mr. 
 Jackson came along one day and said, 
 " I never like to see people dress above 
 their business, but you do not dress as 
 well as your workmen." 
 
 " I know that," said I, " but there 
 is one consolation, I know who is able 
 to give me a suit of clothes." 
 
 " How much will a suit of clothes 
 cost you ? " 
 
 " About $50," I answered. 
 
 He then filled out a check for $50, 
 and gave it to me. 
 
 " Now get a suit of clothes to suit 
 yourself," said he.
 
 WILMINGTON FARMER. 201 
 
 The clothes being finished, I put 
 them on Monday morning and went 
 into his office and accosted him with, 
 " Good morning, Mr. Jackson." 
 
 " Good morning," said he ; "I thought 
 some gentleman had come into my of- 
 fice. Your clothes suit very well, I am 
 glad to see you look so well in them." 
 
 "And I too am well pleased with 
 them," said I, " but I think I had bet- 
 ter lay them aside till I have finished 
 this job." 
 
 " They are your own, wear them 
 when and where you please." 
 
 The work being all done, hands paid 
 off, oxen and chattels all sold, bills paid 
 and receipted, nothing now remained 
 but to get the estimate of the measure- 
 ment from the Engineer and then take 
 our pay. This was put off a week at 
 a time for three successive weeks, when 
 Mr. Jackson went with me to his office 
 and demanded the estimate. 
 
 " You shall have it one week," said 
 the Engineer.
 
 LIFE OF ASA G. SHELDON : 
 
 " Can't you tell us something near 
 what it will come to," said Jackson ; 
 " Mr. Sheldon wants to know whether 
 he is going to have any more money or 
 not." 
 
 " I have gone so far," said he, "I 
 know there will not be less than two 
 hundred thousand yards." 
 
 As we rode back, Mr. Jackson ob- 
 served, now Sheldon you will never 
 need any more of my help. Two hun- 
 dred thousand yards will give $20,000 
 profit. You will have $19,000 left, 
 and that is enough for you to begin 
 with." 
 
 The Engineer's name was Fuller. 
 The first Engineer on the work was 
 named Putnam ; he left and went into 
 the United States Service, and Fuller 
 took his place. 
 
 A week later I was in Jackson's office 
 when the sealed estimate was brought 
 in. On looking it over Mr. Jackson 
 exclaimed, " A fool riding on a trotting 
 horse would guess nearer than this."
 
 WILMINGTON PABMEB. 203 
 
 " What is it T' I inquired. 
 
 " Only one hundred thousand and 
 eighteen yards." 
 
 Believe me this was in truth a thun- 
 derbolt ; my thoughts were too big for 
 utterance. Jackson, turning to me, 
 said, " Sheldon, don't feel so bad ; you 
 shall have $1000 if I don't have a cent. 
 You have worked like an Indian." 
 
 " That is better than nothing," said 
 I, "but a man would feel better to 
 have $19,000 of his own earnings, than 
 to have $1000 given to him." 
 
 George M. Dexter was then employ- 
 ed to take the measurement where it 
 had been filled into the water. This 
 resulted in an estimate that gave $2700 
 profit, of which Mr. Jackson took $1000, 
 leaving me $1700. 
 
 Let me here tell a story or two and 
 then conclude the link. I was one day 
 at Brighton for the purpose of selling 
 some cattle. I sold three and received 
 the money. I put $118 in a purse, my 
 usual receptacle, in the right pants poc-
 
 204 LIFE OP ASA G. SHELDON : 
 
 ket, and about $5 in change in the left. 
 In those days the bar-room at the Mar- 
 ket Hotel was crowded as densely as it 
 could be, just before the dinner bell 
 rung. Then there would be a continu- 
 ous rush. That day I happened to feel 
 something at my left pocket, and drop- 
 ping my hand as quickly as possible, 
 caught hold of a man's wrist. I then 
 heard the change rattle and felt some- 
 thing touch me below which no doubt 
 was another man's hand into which the 
 purse was dropped, and at the same 
 time I called out, " A man's got my 
 purse ; he aint got it now ; he's drop- 
 ped it into another man's hand ;" and 
 at once clutched the robber by his neck- 
 erchief. The zealous Wardsworth, bar- 
 ' keeper, with remarkable agility, leaped 
 over the bar and over the shoulders of 
 the men, so thick were they huddled 
 together, and was the first after me to 
 seize him. Luckily for me that the 
 robber did not take the purse that was 
 in the right-hand pocket. That night
 
 WILMINGTON FARMER. 205 
 
 he found a lodgment in Cambridge jail. 
 For three successive weeks, Peter W. 
 Ray, keeper of a hotel in Boston, came 
 to Brighton on market days to confer 
 with me respecting this case. He urg- 
 ed me to say what I would take and 
 not appear before the Grand Jury. My 
 reply was, " The case is in the hands 
 of the Commonwealth ; I am nothing 
 but a witness, and shall not attempt to 
 settle this business at any rate." After 
 a few days a bondsman was obtained 
 for the sum of four hundred dollars, I 
 think, and the well-dressed robber, with 
 rings on his fingers, was released from 
 confinement. When the Court sat, no 
 robber appeared, and the bond was for- 
 feited. 
 
 The Saturday following this robbery, 
 I was at Cambridge Cattle Market, and 
 noticed two men ride up in a chaise and 
 wait in the bar-room, apparently with- 
 out any particular business. This ex- 
 cited my suspicions. My horse being 
 harnessed and about ready to start,
 
 206 LIFE OP ASA G. SHELDON : 
 
 John Randall, drover, from Vermont, 
 asked which way I was going. Final- 
 ly I decided to come through West 
 Cambridge, and bring him along with 
 me, and look at his working cattle, as 
 at that time I dealt in oxen. On the 
 road, I perceived those same gentle- 
 men, in their chaise, following behind. 
 I stopped at West Cambridge Hotel, 
 and went down into the lot to examine 
 the cattle. When I came back at dark 
 I found the same men sitting in the bar- 
 room, and this increased my fears much. 
 How to evade them was the next ques- 
 tion. I summoned up my wits, found 
 my way into the kitchen and told the 
 maid to ask the landlord to come in 
 there, and added, "But don't say, 'a 
 man wants to see you,' only say ' please 
 come in here.' ' He came accordingly 
 and I asked him, " Have these two 
 gentlemen who are waiting any business 
 here ? " 
 
 " Not that I know of," was his ans- 
 wer.
 
 WILMINGTON FARMER. 207 
 
 I stepped back to the bar-room, bid 
 Randall good night and started off, but 
 soon found that they were following be- 
 hind again. Coming to a fork in the 
 road, and feeling certain something 
 must be done immediately to get clear 
 of them, as night was setting in, I 
 stopped my horse by the way side and 
 jumped out to busy myself in unbuck- 
 ling and buckling some of my harness. 
 They rode past and took the right-hand 
 road, went a few rods and stopped. ' I 
 waited a few minutes, but as they did 
 not start I thought it best to turn back, 
 and said to the landlord, " It is so dark 
 and rainy I shall not go home to-night." 
 I never heard any more of them, and 
 never doubted their intent to take my 
 life. I was careful after that occur- 
 rence not to be on the road from Brigh- 
 ton at night, until after Court set. 
 
 In the month of March, I went one 
 evening across what is called, " Hun- 
 dred Acre Meadow," which was then 
 covered with ice. In returning, the
 
 208 LIFE OF ASA G. SHELDON : 
 
 weather being foggy, I could not exact- 
 ly see my course and steered too far 
 North, which carried me on to the riv- 
 er. Down went the horse and one side 
 of the sleigh, while I scratched out on 
 to the ice and there lay, not daring to 
 get up or stir an inch. The water 
 flowed under me ; what was to be done. 
 I halloed loud and long, till fortunate- 
 ly the noise waked Jonathan Gowing 
 from sound sleep, and he came to his 
 door and answered " Hallo." Find- 
 ing my call responded to, I called out, 
 " Rope, rope, River, river." Mr. 
 Gowing proceeded to uncord his bed, 
 and then with a lantern, in company 
 with his two sons, made the best of 
 their way to the spot which was distant 
 about half a mile. I grasped the rope 
 they threw me, and was drawn from 
 my watery bed to a place of safety. 
 One of the boys then fastened the rope 
 to the collar of the horse, his head still 
 sticking out of the water, and we drew 
 both horse and sleigh to hard ice. Had
 
 WILMINGTON FARMER. 209 
 
 this occurred on the downward trip, 
 with the sleigh loaded with men, the 
 consequences might have been more 
 disastrous. I had been employed with 
 them the previous week in looking out 
 a location for Salem and Lowell Rail- 
 road.
 
 210 LIFE OP ASA G. SHELDON : 
 
 TWELFTH LINK. 
 
 The following winter I employed 
 several yoke of cattle with some of the 
 best men, in lumbering. 
 
 At the opening of spring, I repaired 
 again to Boston to dig cellars on Pem- 
 berton Hill, by teaming the gravel to 
 the same place, filled the year before. 
 This occupied about two months, for 
 which $3834.25 was paid me, being 
 quite satisfactory. Mr. Dexter took 
 the engineering of this work, and I 
 likewise kept the cart measure, and 
 when the whole was summed up, there 
 was only $9 difference. Dexter ob- 
 served, that two men measuring it in a 
 half-bushel could not come out nearer. 
 Dexter's measurement was the largest.
 
 WILMINGTON FARMER. 211 
 
 Our teams were now ferried over to 
 East Boston, to street building. Here 
 we made five miles of streets and then 
 returned to Boston. Here we made 
 Lowell, Nashua, Haverhill, Andover 
 and Billerica streets, working by the 
 day for Jackson. My pay was $5 per 
 day. The men were paid by him as 
 cheap as I could hire them. 
 
 I will now take a peep at the Lowell 
 Railroad again. The first track was 
 laid with a trench wall of two feet in 
 depth under the rails. Mr. Jackson 
 one day said to me, 
 
 " Sheldon is there anything better 
 than small stones for a trench under 
 the rails?" 
 
 " Yes, there is," said I. 
 
 " I should like to know what ? " 
 
 " Coarse gravel that the frost has 
 nothing to do with." 
 
 " I should like to see some such, if 
 there is any," said he. 
 
 " There is plenty of it near the canal 
 locks in Wilmington. It is of that
 
 212 LIFE OP ASA G. SHELDON : 
 
 kind that will not dirty your hands. 
 Take up a handfull and it appears like 
 smashed stone from the size of a cran- 
 berry down to half a shot and finer. 
 You may handle it and throw it away 
 and it will not leave dirt on your 
 hands." 
 
 " Get into our carriage," said Jack- 
 son, " and we will go and examine it." 
 When on the ground, he and Baldwin 
 did examine for themselves, when Bald- 
 win said, " Mr. Jackson, this is indeed 
 pulverized stone. Sheldon is right ; 
 there is no dirt in it." 
 
 They soon commenced using that 
 kind of earth, when Baldwin came 
 again and said, " Sheldon, we have de- 
 cided on your kind of gravel, but it 
 costs too much to make it hard. Now 
 will you go with me and see if you can 
 contrive to do it cheaper "? " 
 
 We went up to West Medford, where 
 we found sixteen Irishmen pounding- 
 down the gravel with mauls. 
 
 He says, " Now this costs us $6 per
 
 WILMINGTON FARMER. 213 
 
 rod to pound it down. Now can you 
 tell of a cheaper way? " 
 
 I answered, " Put in four heavy oxen 
 and their sixteen feet will do more than 
 sixteen mauls." 
 
 He then hired Noah Johnson's four 
 oxen to use one hour, and acknowl- 
 edged his belief that those four oxen 
 had done more than sixteen Irishmen 
 could. 
 
 Jackson desired me to take charge 
 of the job, and to use the best of my 
 skill in any process of hardening it I 
 might choose. Work being about fin 
 ished up in Boston, I speedily procured 
 a pair of mill-stones, put in an axletree 
 and spire, and run them night and day, 
 changing teams as often as necessary. 
 To facilitate the business, the gravel 
 was brought on cars, and by the use of 
 mill-stones the hardening process was 
 reduced from $6 to 63 cents per rod. 
 
 I would now like to state a few things 
 of which I claim to be the originator, 
 and which I wish all to understand.
 
 214 LIFE OF ASA G. SHELDON : 
 
 I will now take a leap back to the 
 time when I cut off the Foster lot, in 
 1812. This was the first time I had 
 hired men to cut wood by the cord. 
 Every one of them was charged to be 
 sure to pile every split stick bark side 
 up. This I learned when quite young 
 by loading wood that had lain nearly a 
 year. I found that a stick that laid 
 bark side up would be bright and dry, 
 but those laid otherwise would be dark 
 colored and heavy ; and if it had lain 
 over a year water would frequently set- 
 tle between the bark and the wood, 
 causing the bark to slip off. One old, 
 experienced wood-chopper receiving 
 the same orders, went on to his work. 
 Going into the lot a few days after, I 
 was struck with wonder to see what 
 pains he had taken to lay every stick 
 bark down. 
 
 " Why did you pile the wood that 
 way," said I. 
 
 " Why," said he, "I knew you was 
 a very particular man, and I had for-
 
 WILMINGTON FARMER, 215 
 
 gotten which way you wanted it, but 
 thought it could not be bark up." 
 
 " I will now tell you so that you will 
 never forget again. Remember, when 
 God created cattle he put the hide and 
 hair on the outside to protect them 
 from the weather. So when he made 
 trees to grow he made bark grow on 
 the outside to protect the wood. And 
 wherever you see bark bruised off, 
 there the wood will rot." 
 
 This occurrence was fifty years ago, 
 and became the sport and sneer of 
 wood-choppers ; but now, nineteen out 
 of twenty pile their wood bark-side up. 
 
 I likewise claim to be the originator 
 of iron axle-trees for ox-wagons in the 
 New England States. 
 
 Deacon John Symmes was builder of 
 the wood-work, and Marshall Symmes, 
 his brother, made the iron-work. They 
 both expressed many fears that under 
 heavy loads, they would break in frosty 
 weather. The custom had been to 
 punch a hole through the axle-tree to
 
 216 LIFE OP ASA Q. SHELDON : 
 
 fasten on the body. This served to 
 weaken the axle, and cause a liability 
 to break. To remedy this I had the 
 body fastened with two bolts, passing 
 each side the iron axle, instead of one 
 going through it. This wagon was 
 built in 1816. I now have the same 
 axle-trees with the hubs of the forward 
 wheels, in good running order, a period 
 of forty-six years. 
 
 The use of dry, loose, stone gravel 
 for railroad trenches, as before stated, 
 was through my observation. For car- 
 riage roads it surpasses anything known. 
 Blue gravel treads down quick and 
 makes a pretty road at first, but as soon 
 as rain falls it becomes muddy. In 
 short, it is nice for walks and streets 
 any where ; for I know of nothing that 
 will grow in it but pitch pines. To 
 cover grave lots with it a few inches 
 deep, is a sure preventative to weeds 
 and fern, keeping the ground neat and 
 clean, without labor or attention from 
 year to year.
 
 WILMINGTON FARMER. 217 
 
 I was first to practice laying railroad 
 bearings two and a half feet apart in- 
 stead of three. This I consider a great 
 improvement, and is universally adopt- 
 ed by all railroad companies, as far as 
 I have any knowledge. My first ex- 
 perience of this was in 1834, when 
 constructing a piece of railway through 
 the farm then owned by Eldad Carter, 
 Wilmington. It was considered a hard 
 piece, and we were afraid rails could 
 not be made to stand. I tried the ex- 
 periment of placing the bearings six 
 inches nearer than usual and found it 
 succeeded admirably. After the cars 
 had run awhile, Baldwin said to me, 
 
 " Sheldon, 'tis said you have made 
 the best piece of road from Lowell to 
 Boston. The Engineer says, that if he 
 were blindfolded in Boston or Lowell, 
 he could tell when he struck that piece 
 of way." 
 
 " Where is it," said I. 
 
 " 'Tis that bad piece you were so 
 afraid of."
 
 218 LIFE OF ASA G. SHELDON : 
 
 " Do you know the secret of that 
 road ? " said I. 
 
 " No ; only we thought it was so 
 miry and bad you put in your best 
 work." 
 
 " The whole secret is in the bearings 
 being six inches nearer together than 
 others are," said I, " and if you ob- 
 serve you can see the rails will spring 
 when the cars run over where the bear- 
 ings are three feet apart." 
 
 " If that be the case, I will go up 
 and examine it," said he. 
 
 He did go, and examined for him- 
 self and became satisfied that the lat- 
 ter plan was a great improvement and a 
 great saving of rails, as well as engines 
 and cars. 
 
 Again : I have discovered that abut- 
 ments of bridges should be set two 
 feet below the surface, and the base- 
 ment stones so placed that the front 
 line of the abutment should rest on 
 their centre. All front abutment stones 
 should be laid without a pinner in front.
 
 WILMINGTON FARMER. 219 
 
 They should have a good bearing and 
 not need a pinner. In taking down 
 abutments laid by others, to relay them, 
 I have found that the main difficulty 
 consisted in having pinners in front. 
 The jar had crumbled them into small 
 pieces. All bank walls or abutments 
 having earth behind them, should be 
 bartered at least one inch and a half 
 per foot. 
 
 " Necessity is the Mother of Invention." 
 I once had some stones to move that 
 averaged about five tons each. I hard- 
 ly knew how it could be done as wheels 
 could not be used, the pass not being 
 wide enough. As I stood thinking up- 
 on it for a moment, it occurred to me 
 that good, straight, rye straw, spread 
 crosswise of the path, would help the 
 drag. On trying this plan I found that 
 it worked to a charm. The hotter the 
 sun shone, the easier the drag would 
 slide, and I found one good yoke of 
 oxen would slip along with five tons 
 comfortably. Twenty-five pounds of
 
 220 LIFE OP ASA G. SHELDON : 
 
 straw to the rod will make a good, fair 
 road. 
 
 To those who have board-timber to 
 cut at a distance from mill, I would say, 
 cut it in the month of August, or first 
 of September, and peel the bark off. 
 This will lighten the timber about one 
 half, and the bark proves good fuel. 
 I have carried two feet to market on 
 top of a load of six feet of hard, green 
 wood, and sold it as high as if it had 
 been all hard wood. The difference 
 in drawing these logs compared with 
 new fallen logs is not small. 
 
 I claim the first invention of wagon 
 springs. When I first peddled meat, 
 springs on market-wagon seats were 
 unknown, and under wagons too. The 
 wagon body set on the axle-trees, as 
 wood wagons set in these days, and the 
 box in the front end was the seat for 
 the driver. My health declined, and, 
 strange to say, I could not eat without 
 difficulty. At length the trouble in- 
 creased so much that I could not eat
 
 WILMINGTON FARMER. 221 
 
 at all while in a sitting posture and was 
 obliged to take my meals standing. 
 Speaking one day with Dr. Nathan 
 Richardson, that eminently skillful phy- 
 sician, he said it was produced wholly 
 by the continuous jar of riding, as my 
 route lay through country towns, some- 
 times to the extent of forty-five miles 
 per day over very rocky roads. I then 
 planned some springs, very much like 
 those now called grasshopper springs, 
 and Jonathan Batchelder of No. Read- 
 ing made them. These springs though 
 rude and simple had a salutary effect, 
 and health was soon regained. John 
 Sweetser, an extensive butcher, was 
 ahead of me in one respect, inasmuch 
 as he used a cushion on his hard seat 
 before I did. This was the first one I 
 had ever seen used. It was very much 
 sneered at by Salem butchers, for in 
 that day comfort did not enter into the 
 reckoning. 
 
 In December, 1834, in company with 
 Isaac Flint made a contract with Jack-
 
 222 LIFE OP ASA G. SHELDON : 
 
 son for cedar ties enough for seven miles 
 of railroad. After reconnoitering the 
 neighboring towns we came to Middle- 
 ton, where plenty of cedar could be 
 taken from a swamp when sufficiently 
 frozen, and to facilitate the road to mill, 
 it was necessary to cross Middleton 
 Pond. This was December 19th, and 
 one more cold night was deemed suf- 
 ficient to make the Pond bearable. 
 Our teams were at South Woburn, now 
 Winchester, making preparations for an 
 early start, and so well did we succeed 
 that the next morning at sunrise a load 
 of cedar might be seen crossing Mid- 
 dleton Pond on its way to mill. Be- 
 fore the opening of Spring a choice lot 
 of cedar was collected there, more than 
 enough to fill our contract ; the surplus 
 was readily taken at the same price. 
 
 This winter was noted for its storms 
 all falling in the night or on Sundays. 
 Only one half day was so foul as to 
 prevent work. I could hardly believe 
 that there had been a winter, so univer-
 
 WILMINGTON FARMER. 223 
 
 sally fair had it been, only as I knew 
 such was the fact. 
 
 The work was begun December 20th, 
 the first day the ice would admit, and 
 finished March 20th, on which night a 
 warm rain come on that would have, 
 at any rate, precluded our doing any- 
 thing further. 
 
 Much of the lumber being too good 
 for ties, was worked into boards, and a 
 good winter's work realized. Twenty 
 oxen and twenty men were employed ; 
 and not only in Middleton, but in Wil- 
 mington, North Reading, Reading and 
 South Reading, swamps were scoured 
 for cedar, and besides our ties nearly 
 one hundred thousand feet of boards 
 were supplied. 
 
 In 1836, in company with Joseph 
 Richardson, of Andover, agreed to con- 
 tract for the drawing of enough rails 
 for nearly eight miles of railroad, from 
 Wilmington to Andover. This winter, 
 twenty oxen were employed, and as 
 Mr. Richardson was out of health near
 
 224 LIFE OP ASA G. SHELDON : 
 
 ly the whole concern came under my 
 supervision. Several of the same men 
 were engaged on this work that were 
 employed on Pemberton Hill and Cedar 
 Swamp, viz : Horace Emmons, Jacob 
 Morey, Abijah Richardson, William 
 Goodhue, and William Badger. 
 
 Some of these men had been em- 
 ployed as teamsters seven years, and 
 Horace Emmons, although an excellent 
 teamster, was found to be worth more 
 to oversee men than oxen. I first hir- 
 ed him in 1832, at the commencement 
 of the work on the Boston and Lowell 
 Railroad, for $11 per month, and he 
 never asked me to raise his wages, but 
 only said he was willing to continue 
 work and I might give him what he 
 earned. His wages were gradually 
 raised from time to time, till for the 
 last month I paid him $52, and would 
 gladly have hired him longer at the 
 same price. 
 
 Young men, in this glass you may 
 see the reward of faithfulness in ano-
 
 WILMINGTON FARMER. 225 
 
 ther man's employ. Always be true to 
 your employer. " Once a rogue and 
 always mistrusted," is an old and true 
 proverb. Kemember money should be 
 earned before it is received, and you 
 should study the best interest of your 
 employer instead of studying how you 
 can get the most money out of him. 
 
 I do not think that there has been a 
 Spring since I attended the Agricultur-> 
 al Meetings at the State House, but 
 what I have had applications for an 
 overseer on a farm, where he could ob- 
 tain $500 per year, and have been 
 really sorry when casting an eye back 
 on the men I have employed to find 
 " unblemished timber" so scarce. One 
 other hand, whose faithful services I 
 must not overlook, was Isaac Damon, 
 who worked for me more than two 
 years, and such was my confidence in 
 his integrity, that I would willingly 
 trust him with "untold gold." 
 
 I sometimes hear young men say 
 that they can get nothing to do. If
 
 226 LIFE OP ASA G. SHELDON: 
 
 you cannot get the price you want, you 
 had better work for smaller wages than 
 cultivate idleness. If those who have 
 work to do will not employ you, be as- 
 sured that there is a " leak in the buck- 
 et," and you must search out the leak 
 and stop it up, and thus make your 
 services acceptable. 
 
 When I had decided on one of those 
 reliable men, and applied to him, I gen- 
 erally found him so engaged that he 
 did not wish to leave. 
 
 Let it not be inferred from what has 
 been said, that I have not had many 
 good men, yes, very good, in my em- 
 ploy not named ; but before I can re- 
 commend a man to take charge of a 
 farm, " I must summer and winter 
 him ; " I must know his habits of tend- 
 ing stock as well as his skill in cultivat- 
 ing land. 
 
 It is my wish that young men would 
 hereby be encouraged to be faithful to 
 their employers. When that fact is 
 fully established, it is a firm stepping-
 
 WILMINGTON FARMER. 227 
 
 stone to prosperity. Faithfulness to 
 trust is pecuniarily as well as morally 
 the best policy. 
 
 Before closing I must mention the 
 pleasant winters I have enjoyed in the 
 Legislature of my native State, listen- 
 ing to speeches and debates clothed 
 with the wisdom and experience of the 
 honorable of our times. 
 
 The winters of 1841 and of 1857, 
 were spent in that agreeable, and I 
 trust profitable situation. 
 
 If ever I benefited the Common- 
 wealth, in which it is my privilege to 
 dwell, it was during my second term as 
 Representative. A bill was pending 
 before the House, called the " Usury 
 Bill ; " this bill I considered unjust, 
 and labored with all the honest inge- 
 nuity and skill I was master of to bring 
 about its defeat. I endeavored to state 
 facts before the House, showing that 
 the passage of this bill would bring 
 ruin on many of the most enterprising 
 farmers in Massachusetts, and I have
 
 228 LIFE OF ASA G. SHELDON : 
 
 the consolation of knowing that it was 
 defeated. After the adjournment, many 
 of the members came to me, saying 
 that they were heartily glad to hear my 
 speech, for it had brought many things 
 to their minds of which they never 
 thought before, and that they certainly 
 should have voted for the bill had it 
 not been for the ideas gained from it. 
 Reader, the same spirit that prompts 
 men to say, " Slavery is a blessing," 
 will always be trying to get such bills 
 passed, and I wish you to take into 
 serious consideration the effect this bill 
 would have upon the community. 
 
 First It would open the door for 
 the capitalist to take more advantage 
 than he ever yet had in his power ; 
 and we know from experience that this 
 power is always exercised under the 
 pressure of the hardest times. The 
 greater the cry that money is scarce, 
 the more there is lying idle. We have 
 seen enough of human nature to know 
 that man will take all the interest he
 
 WILMINGTON FARMER. 229 
 
 can get under cover of law. Remove 
 this law and what disastrous conse- 
 quences follow. How many enterpris- 
 ing young men there are in this State, 
 that have bought farms, paid half the 
 purchase money and given a mortgage 
 on the farm for security for the remain- 
 der, honestly expecting to pay but six 
 per cent, interest. How long would it 
 be before they must pay twelve per 
 cent., if such a bill passed ? Then 
 how long would it be before real es- 
 tate would fall one-half in value \ And 
 then what an amount of farms would 
 fall into the hands of land-sharks. 
 
 Take another illustration. A mer- 
 chant has goods in his store to the 
 amount of from one thousand to five 
 thousand dollars, on which he wishes 
 to make an honest living and interest 
 on his money, and this is right. Now 
 this must come out of the consumer, 
 and generally out of that valuable class 
 of citizens who work for their daily 
 bread. I know that there are many
 
 230 LIFE OP ASA G. SHELDON : 
 
 who say if there were no bounds to in- 
 terest, money would be easier and 
 plentier. Of course I do not believe 
 them ; they are the very class who wish 
 to let money. 
 
 In short, to increase the per cent, of 
 interest, serves to make rich men rich- 
 er, and poor men poorer ; and whoever 
 brings it about, brings a curse upon the 
 community. 
 
 Farmers and mechanics God has 
 put it in your power to prevent usury 
 ever running higher than six per cent. 
 Look to it that you use that power. 
 Never, never, cast your vote for a man 
 who would oppress the poor to fill the 
 coffers of the rich. 
 
 At another time when a bill for a 
 horse railroad was before the House, 
 and much opposition raised on account 
 of obstructing the streets, I pondered 
 the subject and was determined to col- 
 lect facts that would show how horse 
 cars would compare with omnibuses, 
 and horses and chaises.
 
 WILMINGTON FARMER. 231 
 
 I found an omnibus to average twelve 
 to the load. I then stood on Cam- 
 bridge bridge till sixteen chaises passed 
 and found they averaged one and one- 
 half, making in all twenty-four. I then 
 went to several Conductors of horse 
 cars and ascertained their average to 
 be twenty-four each way for a month. 
 By this I found that eight horses with 
 two omnibuses had to pass through the 
 streets to convey the same number of 
 passengers that two horses and one car 
 would carry, and sixteen horses and 
 sixteen chaises to carry the same num- 
 ber. 
 
 These facts I stated. And further 
 stated, that when the grant was made 
 to the public from the land-owners, it 
 was not specified what they should 
 travel upon, whether gravel or stone, 
 wood or iron. Therefore the public 
 have a right to take their choice and 
 travel how, or in what vehicles they 
 please. 
 
 I know the rails are some inconven-
 
 232 LIFE OP ASA G. SHELDON : 
 
 ience to travelers, but reader when you 
 can find a safer or better way than 
 horse cars, then you may go against 
 them. The bill passed the House. 
 
 One word on choosing Representa- 
 tives for Town or State, as the trust is 
 of vast importance. 
 
 Make choice of men possessed of 
 good natural sense, in the common ac- 
 ceptation of the term, but who have 
 been for the most part employed in 
 agriculture ; or more properly in the 
 business the all-wise Creator first de- 
 signed for man " To dress the garden 
 and keep it." No occupation is so well 
 calculated to improve the mind and 
 morals, as farming. Not an hour pass- 
 es while cultivating the soil, but one is 
 reminded of his dependence on our 
 beneficent Creator, and our obligations 
 to imitate Him " who maketh his sun 
 to rise on the evil and on the good, 
 and sendeth rain on the just and on the 
 unjust." 
 
 Men whose profession it is to make a
 
 WILMINGTON FARMER. 233 
 
 lie appear like the truth, and who like 
 Southern slaveholders, have been bred 
 to the degrading idea that it is right to 
 oppress the poor to help the rich, should 
 be avoided, as we would avoid enlist- 
 ing under a task-master for life. 
 
 Laboring men, farmers and mechan- 
 ics are the men to make laws for them- 
 selves. For certainly they compose 
 the greater part of our population. 
 Then choose your officers for Town 
 and County from that class, and be ac- 
 tive to bring about such a choice. If 
 we mean to maintain a Free Govern- 
 ment and avoid in future the horrors of 
 civil war, we must elect men to rule us 
 who are determined to discharge their 
 duty to God and their country without 
 fear of men or devils. 
 
 While serving in the capacity of 
 Representative, I was introduced to the 
 Agricultural Meetings at the State 
 House. They are generally held week- 
 ly when the Legislature is in session, 
 when different topics of agriculture are
 
 234: LIFE OF ASA G. SHELDON : 
 
 discussed, and it has been my privilege 
 to attend them occasionally for twenty- 
 one years, much to my satisfaction. I 
 have often heard the remark by men 
 who never attended one of these meet- 
 ings in their lives, that they are good 
 for nothing. To those I would say, if 
 you cannot profit by hearing such men 
 as Marshall P. Wilder, Dr. Loring, 
 Sanford Howard, Leander Witherell, 
 John W. Procter, Josiah Quincy, Jr., 
 Elijah Wood, Jr., John Brooks, Wm. 
 Buckminster and Simon Brown, and 
 many more I could mention, relate 
 their knowledge and experience in cat- 
 tle, horses, hogs and sheep, on culti- 
 vating the soil with everything it pro- 
 duces, on fruit trees of all kinds, farm- 
 ing implements, manure, and every- 
 thing appertaining to agriculture, you 
 may set it down that you are a dull 
 scholar, and had better never try to get 
 your living by farming. For my own 
 part, I feel under obligations to those 
 Hon. gentlemen, for the instructions
 
 WILMINGTON FARMER. 235 
 
 received from them, and for the last 
 ten years I have turned my attention 
 more particularly to farming, dairy- 
 work and stock-raising.
 
 SECOND AKEANGEMENT, 
 
 STONE WORK. 
 
 In the year 1809, passing through 
 'Squire William Blanchard's farm, I ob- 
 served his three men laying stone wall, 
 Charles Burt being foreman. I no- 
 ticed he tried a stone several ways, and 
 then about to throw it aside in a pet, 
 said, " It wont lay no way." 
 
 " Hold on, Burt," said I, " There is 
 one way that stone will lay and make 
 good work." 
 
 " I should like to know which way?" 
 
 Putting my hand to the stone, I said, 
 " make that the bed and lay it over the 
 joint of those two." 
 
 He did so, and it made solid work 
 without a pinner. The 'Squire stood 
 by, puffing a cigar, and said, " Young 
 man what shall I give you to work for
 
 238 LIFE OP ASA G. SHELDON : 
 
 me three hours ? " This was the first 
 time I had ever spoken with him. 
 
 " One shilling per hour," said I, 
 having no idea he would give it, eight 
 cents being the common price. 
 
 " Now," said he, "I want you to 
 pick out every stone and direct how it 
 shall be laid, and I will give you your 
 price." 
 
 An hour or so afterwards, the 'Squire 
 appeared again with something to cheer 
 the hands and quench thirst. 
 
 " Burt, how do you get along ? " said 
 he. 
 
 " Faster than we have done, and 
 easier too," said Burt. 
 
 Again the 'Squire came, saying, 
 "Young man, your three hours are out; 
 walk up to the house and I will pay 
 you ; but you must stop and take a cup 
 of tea with me and my wife first." 
 
 At that time I should rather " take 
 a licking," as boys say, than sit down 
 to tea with them ; but I soon found 
 myself introduced to the most amiable 
 and social of women. And since that 
 time I never regretted my acquaintance 
 with the Blanchard family. To this 
 time, whenever opportunity offers, I
 
 WILMINGTON FARMER. 239 
 
 can spend an hour very agreeably with 
 any of the descendants of that couple, 
 After this occurrence whenever there 
 was a culvert to be built in the high- 
 way, Sheldon was called on to take 
 charge of it. 
 
 The first year of my residence on 
 the Flint farm built a stone wall around 
 his family graveyard, near his house. 
 He wished a permanent wall, that 
 would stand the lapse of centuries, as 
 he might leave his farm. I made in- 
 quiries in that respect a few days since, 
 and was informed that not a stone had 
 fallen from its place, neither from the 
 graveyard or hog-sty wall that I built. 
 People had told him, no man could lay 
 a wall that hogs would not throw down. 
 So well pleased was he that no other 
 man was employed to lay stone for him 
 while I occupied his farm, a period of 
 thirteen years. 
 
 During the first year of my railroad 
 experience, when Dea. Addison Flint 
 had charge of the stone work, and I of 
 the earth, as I chanced to be looking at 
 the stone layers, they turned an un- 
 couth stone weighing more than three 
 tons round and round, and were about
 
 240 LIFE OP ASA G. SHELDON t 
 
 casting it aside when I ventured to say, 
 " Hold on, I can see a way for it." 
 
 " How is that 1 " said the foreman. 
 
 I told them, and the trial satisfied all 
 parties. John Haggins, Dept. En- 
 gineer, being present, soon brought 
 about an exchange. Flint was put on 
 the earth, and I upon the stone-work. 
 
 I wish to avoid the imputation of 
 egotism in saying that my abutments of 
 bridges stood so well that I have since 
 been employed to rebuild abutments to 
 bridges built by others, on the Boston 
 and Lowell Railroad, to the number of 
 fourteen. 
 
 1. Where the cars run under the 
 road leading from Medford to East 
 Cambridge. 
 
 2. The arched bridge at Somerville 
 Station. 
 
 3. The next bridge North of that. 
 
 4. The Willow bridge, where the 
 cattle are now taken off. 
 
 5. The arched bridge under the rail- 
 road over Medford river, spanning about 
 fifty feet. 
 
 6. The bridge under the road lead- 
 ing from Symmes' Corner to Winchester 
 West side.
 
 WILMINGTON FARMER. 241 
 
 7. The bridge at the river near the 
 same place. 
 
 8. Under the railroad in Parker's 
 Mill-pond. 
 
 9. The bridge near East Woburn 
 and Stoneham Station. 
 
 10. The Boutelle bridge so-called. 
 
 11. The Saw-pit Woods bridge. 
 
 12. Kendall bridge in Billerica. 
 
 13. Tufts bridge in Billerica. 
 
 14. Bridge over the road leading from 
 Billerica to Tewksbury. 
 
 During all this reconstruction of 
 bridges, the business was so managed 
 that the cars were never delayed one 
 moment, much to the gratification of 
 the Agents. 
 
 For Patrick T. Jackson, Charles S. 
 Storrow, Waldo Higginson, William 
 Parker, Agents, and Benj. F. Baldwin, 
 Engineer, I have done work to the 
 amount of over $100,000. And all 
 this without any written contract, nei- 
 ther of us being bound by writing, and 
 I ever found their memorandum of the 
 agreement proved as strong as any 
 bond could make it. I thank God that 
 he has raised up these honest, fair- 
 dealing, upright men. But to my sor-
 
 242 LIFE OP ASA G. SHELDON : 
 
 row, on one other railroad I found both 
 Engineer and Agents to be men of a 
 very different character. 
 
 I was once invited to take the job of 
 constructing several miles of railroad 
 in company with two others. I had 
 about concluded to engage, when one 
 of them said to me, " If you do take 
 the stone work, I don't want you should 
 do it as you did the Boston and Lowell, 
 to stand forever , but get it done as cheap 
 as we can and get it accepted, and se- 
 cure our pay for it, and then I don't 
 care if it all goes to destruction the next 
 day." 
 
 " Then I will have nothing to do 
 with it," said I, " for I have never yet 
 laid a stone on the railroad that I 
 thought likely to endanger any man's 
 life and I never mean to." 
 
 The road was built, and soon after I 
 heard of the stone-work giving way, 
 the engine falling through, bringing 
 one man to a most excruciating death. 
 
 In the year 1839, I was employed in 
 making an abutment for the Boston 
 and Maine road, at the bridge over the 
 Merrimac river on the Bradford side. 
 I likewise teamed rails and ties for nine
 
 WILMINGTON FARMER. 243 
 
 miles of road, of which a man named 
 Clark was agent. He told me in the 
 commencement that they, the Company, 
 had no right to the land ; I must beg 
 my way along as well as I could. And 
 sure I did have to beg my way. One 
 amusing circumstance I will relate. 
 As we approached land belonging to a 
 middle-aged widow, in depositing our 
 rails, the neighbors mustered their 
 heavy teams and built a wall across 
 the track completely blocking up our 
 way. I informed Clark of the circum- 
 stance when he gave orders to have the 
 wall taken out of the way. Jacob 
 Morey's team was the first to start on 
 to forbidden ground. Just as he start- 
 ed I espied a woman hurrying across 
 the field toward us, who proved to be 
 the rightful owner of the land. 
 
 Some hundreds had collected to see 
 the " fight," as they termed it. To 
 Morey I said, "Don't stop for any man, 
 but be sure not drive over a woman.'" 
 
 She did not happen to be quick 
 enough to get ahead of the oxen, and 
 so ran in between the off ox and the 
 load. This chanced to be the worst ox 
 to kick I ever owned; I should not
 
 244 LIFE OP ASA G. SHELDON : 
 
 have dared to stand there myself. I 
 hastened to the spot with all eagerness 
 and warned the woman of her danger, 
 but I presume she did not believe one 
 word I told her. That he did not kick 
 was truly a wonder, but he stood pas- 
 sive as a lamb. On looking round I 
 saw that her son had placed a long 
 wagon crosswise ahead of the oth- 
 er teams and blockaded them. A 
 hand was dispatched to get some hay 
 for Morey's team, with orders for the 
 other teamsters to do the same, " for 
 if we must stand here, they must have 
 something to eat," I said. 
 
 It being the month of March, it was 
 all mud and water where she stood. I 
 then brought a plank and -laid it care- 
 fully in for her to stand upon, saying, 
 " If you will stand there, I will make 
 you as comfortable as I can." I was 
 just as sociable as lay in my power, but 
 not a word could I get out of her, or a 
 smile from her lips until 'Squire Tilton 
 from Exeter, then treasurer of the rail- 
 road, said, 
 
 " Sheldon, I have always heard that 
 you were a smart man ; I am surprised 
 that you let one woman stop all this
 
 WILMINGTON FARMER. 245 
 
 work. Why don't you drive over 
 herr 
 
 " 'Squire," said I, " for more than 
 twenty years I have not been in the 
 habit of driving more than half way 
 over so handsome a woman as that." 
 
 This brought a smile to her face and 
 loosened her tongue. 
 
 " How long are you going to keep 
 your oxen here ? " asked she. 
 
 "If I can't go ahead I shall keep 
 my cattle here till twelve o'clock Satur- 
 day night, and bring them back Sunday 
 night at twelve o'clock ; and as I have 
 not engaged board anywhere, should 
 like to board with you. Now if you 
 will go up and get supper I will come 
 and help you eat it. What time do 
 you have supper 1 " 
 
 " We eat our supper at six o'clock," 
 said she. 
 
 She then stepped out, and I helped 
 her up the bank with what politeness I 
 was master of, and for once I must say 
 I was glad to see one of the fair sex 
 walking from me. She had stood there 
 at least half an hour. 
 
 When six o'clock came, I made my 
 way up to the house, entered without
 
 246 LIFE OP ASA G. SHELDON : 
 
 rapping as if it had been my boarding- 
 house. I found all seated at table but 
 one who waited and was detained. I 
 took the chair appropriated to her, and 
 said, " I suppose this chair is reserved 
 for me." 
 
 " If you are determined you will eat 
 supper with us, you may sit in that 
 chair." 
 
 " Madam, I am not only determined 
 to eat supper with you, but I am deter- 
 mined to board with you while my work 
 continues in this neighborhood." 
 
 While eating she asked, " Do you 
 intend to keep those teams where my 
 son is, as long as you proposed to keep 
 the other team ?\ 
 
 " Yes, certainly I do." 
 
 " Then I will send for him to drive 
 his team home." 
 
 We grew quite sociable before sup- 
 per was finished, and could talk about 
 the railroad pleasantly. She asked me, 
 " Was that a real kicking ox of yours, 
 or did you say so to frighten and drive 
 me away ? " 
 
 " Oh, it was a real kicking ox ; and 
 it is an astonishment to me that he did 
 not kick you under the wheels."
 
 WILMINGTON FARMER. 247 
 
 I boarded with her as long as I pleas 
 ed, and found it a good boarding place 
 
 After the consummation of this job 
 the same company advertised for pro 
 posals for laying nine miles of rails, 
 and eight miles of stone-work. I, with 
 five others, carried in proposals for the 
 rail-work, and I by myself carried in 
 proposals for the stone-work. The Di 
 rectors voted to accept of both, and we 
 met to make the contracts. The con 
 tract for the rail-work was made, but 
 Bailey's name stood first, although mine 
 was first on the proposal. This done, 
 'Squire Clark, the agent, wished to see 
 me alone. When by ourselves, he 
 said, 
 
 " I wish to say to you in confidence, 1 
 don't know how far we shall go with 
 our road, or when we shall be obliged 
 to stop. I don't want to make any con- 
 tract for the stone-work, but I want you 
 to go there and work when I say so, 
 and do as I say, and I will see you well 
 paid for it." 
 
 After a while, Haywood, the Engi- 
 neer, came and said to me, " How soon 
 can you be at Exeter, ready to work at 
 Capt. Fernald's bridge I "
 
 248 LIFE OP ASA G. SHELDON : 
 
 " How soon do you want me if I 
 could be there]" 
 
 " I want you to be there very much 
 to-morrow morning at eight o'clock." 
 
 " I think I can be there at that time," 
 I replied. 
 
 We loaded our stone tools and set 
 out at midnight ; travelled fourteen 
 miles before sunrise ; stopped and 
 breakfasted at Dodge's tavern, and 
 proceeded to the ground and were 
 ready there at eight o'clock. 
 
 While waiting, I put up four stakes 
 at the four corners where I judged the 
 bridge ought to be. At nine o'clock, 
 Haywood and Clark arrived. 
 
 " Mr. Haywood, where shall I put 
 in this bridge V' I asked. 
 
 " Where do you think it best to put 
 it in ? " said he. 
 
 " Where those four stakes stand." 
 
 " Then put it there," said he. 
 
 " I don't know whether you will or 
 not," said an unknown gentleman. 
 
 "Is this Capt. FernaldT' said Mr. 
 Haywood. 
 
 " Fernald is my name," he answered. 
 
 " I am very happy to see you, Capt. 
 Fernald," said Haywood.
 
 WILMINGTON FARMER. 249 
 
 The parties, after talking together a 
 few minutes, told me that I might go to 
 work. 
 
 A number of walls meeting here, 
 just where I wanted to work, I asked, 
 " "Who owns these walls ? " 
 
 " I own them," said F. 
 
 " These walls will serve for backers, 
 I would like to buy them. What will 
 you take for them ? " 
 
 " Thirty dollars," said the Captain. 
 
 " Captain Fernald, they are not worth 
 $10 for you to move away." 
 
 He started quick, a characteristic of 
 a sea captain. "It is nothing to you 
 what they are worth to me ; if I sell 
 them to you I want what they are worth 
 to you." 
 
 " Capt. Fernald, if you will allow 
 me to make remarks five minutes, I 
 will then hear you an hour if you wish 
 me to. We will suppose these stones 
 to be worth $30 to me, but only $10 
 to you, would it not be more just to 
 divide and call it $20, giving me $10 
 and you $10, than it would be to take 
 either extreme 1 " 
 
 " You have convinced me ; you shall 
 have them for $20. You and I are
 
 250 LIFE OP ASA G. SHELDON : 
 
 friends now." And pointing to two 
 lots of land, lie said, " I own that land 
 and if you want any stone there, you 
 are welcome to get them." 
 
 This bridge was finished without any 
 special trouble, and about ten rods fur- 
 ther up we put in an abutment on Fer- 
 nald's land, close to the line, intending 
 to build another on the other side, own- 
 ed by a man named Swasey, to accom- 
 modate both in their farm operations. 
 I had no acquaintance with Swasey but 
 hoped to get along without difficulty. 
 The morning came and we started as 
 usual to commence our work. I saw a 
 man coming across the field with a gun 
 in his hand, and when he came up, he 
 said, " What are you going to do here?" 
 
 " I am going to dig away and put in 
 an abutment on this side for a bridge 
 to accommodate Capt. Fernald and Mr. 
 Swasey." 
 
 " I will put a ball through the heart 
 of the first man who takes a stone from 
 this wall." 
 
 I saw there was a dead set, and turn- 
 ing to the stone layers, said, " Go up 
 into Judge Smith's pasture to splitting 
 stone ; I have bought the privilege of
 
 WILMINGTON FARMER. 251 
 
 taking out all the stone I wished. And 
 you teamsters, go and draw them and 
 lay them on the highway, handy to be 
 used, if we are ever allowed to do the 
 work." 
 
 My boarding place was Dodge's tav- 
 ern, where Swasey made his appear- 
 ance every evening and held converse 
 with me. It soon become apparent 
 that he was smoothing down, and in 
 about a week he said to me, " Mr. 
 Sheldon, we think about here that you 
 know more concerning railroads than 
 we do, and some think that you will 
 say just what you think about it. Now 
 tell me, had I better let the road pass 
 through my land or not." 
 
 " Certainly, you had," said I. " You 
 told me the other night that you had 
 three thousand cords of standing wood, 
 and as soon as the railroad is in opera- 
 tion, every cord of that wood will be 
 worth fifty cents more than it now is. 
 They are now buying wood at Wil- 
 ming for $3 per cord, to run their en- 
 gine to East Kingston ; and as soon as 
 the cars run wood will be worth as 
 much here as it is in Wilmington. The 
 cut is already made through your farm,
 
 252 LIFE OF ASA G. SHELDON : 
 
 and if you could stop the work from 
 going further, you could never get one 
 cent of damages ; and I advise you to 
 take stock in the road for damages." 
 
 " When do you want to go to work 
 on that abutment, if I would let you 1 " 
 
 " To-morrow morning at sunrise," 
 said I. 
 
 " Then you may go on," he replied. 
 
 We were on the work at sunrise, 
 and soon Mr. Swasey made his appear- 
 ance with his team. His first question 
 was, " Where shall I begin to work 1 " 
 I told him, and he worked all day like 
 a hero, as he was, and at night he pull- 
 ed oif his hat and, bowing low, said, 
 " You are welcome to this day's work, 
 because you would not be mad even 
 though I threatened your life. 
 Sheldon, when I came out here with 
 my gun, it was loaded with two balls, 
 and I certainly should have put them 
 through your heart had you attempted 
 to move a stone." 
 
 Pretty much after this fashion we 
 worked our way along through all this 
 section. Sometimes we were not able 
 to lay a stone for a week, being obliged 
 to move back and forth and work a few
 
 WILMINGTON FARMER. 253 
 
 days in a place when and where we 
 could get a chance. When we could 
 get no opportunity to lay stone we em- 
 ployed ourselves in getting them out 
 and drawing them near where we hop- 
 ed to lay them. These delays certainly 
 impeded the work more than thirty- 
 three per cent., or nearly one-half; and 
 besides the workmen began to grow un- 
 easy and fretful at moving about so 
 much and not being able to show more 
 for their work. 
 
 One day I met the agent and engi- 
 neer in a sleigh on Kingston plain. 
 " Clark," said I, " hadn't we better 
 leave the work and go home, for cer- 
 tainly some days we do not earn twen- 
 ty-five cents where we spend a dollar." 
 
 " Havn't I said to you times enough, 
 stay there and do what I want you to, 
 and I will see you well paid. Don't 
 say anything more to me about leaving 
 unless I tell you to." 
 
 So poor was the credit of the cor- 
 poration at that time, that not a stick of 
 timber could be bought for a temporary 
 bridge, unless Edward Crane or I would 
 promise to see it paid for. Crane was 
 on the earth and I on the stone-work ;
 
 254 LIFE OP ASA G. SHELDON : 
 
 we were the only two undertakers on 
 the ground. 
 
 As a palliation for the seeming in- 
 sanity that prevailed among the land 
 owners, I would say that there was a 
 prevailing belief that the road would 
 never be finished. The stock was as 
 low as sixty per cent., and they feared 
 they would not get damages. 
 
 When the work was all completed, 
 they owed me $8,500 as honestly as 
 ever one man owed another. I sent an 
 order to the Treasurer for $45 and he 
 refused to pay it, saying he owed me 
 nothing. 
 
 When it was announced that the 
 Corporation " owed me nothing," there 
 were forty writs levied upon my pro- 
 perty within twenty-fours, for the an- 
 nouncement was made in the long entry 
 of the largest hotel in Exeter. In this 
 situation, the reader can well judge 
 what a waste was made of my proper- 
 ty. One instance I will here mention. 
 About a fortnight prior to this there 
 was a large sale of chestnut timber in 
 New Hampshire, at auction. I attend- 
 ed and bought $1650 worth ; paid 
 $150 cash and gave three notes of
 
 WILMINGTON FARMER. 255 
 
 $500 each, one to be paid in six 
 months, one in one year and one in 
 eighteen months. In a few days a 
 large timber dealer offered me $500 
 for the bargain. Knowing it was the 
 best bargain of timber I ever bought 
 in my life, and wanting winter work 
 for my oxen and men, I thought it not 
 wise to accept the offer, not doubting 
 but that I should receive my pay for 
 that job and could handle it to my 
 liking and turn it at last to more ad- 
 vantage. The money being withheld, 
 and all my property attached, I lost 
 not only the bargain but the $150 prev- 
 iously paid. The man who offered me 
 $500 for the bargain, afterwards bought 
 the lot, and I have been informed by 
 good authority that he cleared $3,000 
 on the bargain. Great numbers of 
 chestnut ties, from this lot, were car- 
 ried on the railroad to Boston and then 
 shipped to Russia. 
 
 Hon. Thomas West succeeded Mr 
 Clark in office, and became agent of 
 the road. I made him the offer to 
 leave the case to three men, who were 
 directors of the road when the work 
 was done. This was not accepted. I
 
 256 LIFE OF ASA G. SHELDON : 
 
 then offered to leave it to Patrick T. 
 Jackson, James F. Baldwin and Chas. 
 S. Storrow. This offer did not meet 
 their approbation. I then commenced 
 a suit against them. After several 
 months I received a communication by 
 letter to meet the Directors at Dover 
 on a specified day. On arriving at 
 Andover, I was introduced to one of 
 the Directors by the name of Weld. 
 On the way, we talked over the matter, 
 and he said he had understood that I 
 had once offered to le^ye it to three 
 men who were directors on the road 
 when the work was done. 
 
 " I did," said I. 
 
 "Will you renew that offer"?" he 
 asked. * 
 
 " I willj' was my answer. 
 
 When we arrived at Haverhill, Mr. 
 West came into the cars, and Mr. Weld 
 related the conversation that had taken 
 place between us on the road, and ex- 
 pressed his surprise that the corpora- 
 tion should suffer themselves to be sued 
 when I had made them so fair an offer. 
 
 " I don't know," said Mr. West, " but 
 he has made them an offer that they 
 would rather accept of than that. I
 
 WILMINGTON FABMER. 257 
 
 believe he has offered to leave it to 
 Jackson, Baldwin and Storrow." 
 
 " I did make that offer." 
 
 " Will you renew it 1 " said Mr. Weld. 
 
 " I will renew both offers, and you 
 may take your choice." 
 
 " It shall be done ; it shall be set- 
 tled without going further in court." 
 
 On going into the room with the Di- 
 rectors, they said that there was nothing 
 in the way of settlement; if I would 
 retire, Mr. West and I could talk it 
 over in the cars on our way home. 
 When the subject was introduced, Mr. 
 West said, " The Directors all meet at 
 Boston to-morrow. If you will come 
 and bring in your bill, and we do not 
 pay it, Jackson, Baldwin and Storrow 
 shall settle it." 
 
 To Boston I went, and met West in 
 State street, when he accosted me thus, 
 " Sheldon, they will not have Jackson 
 on this reference at any rate." 
 
 " You have already agreed to have 
 him," said I. 
 
 " Well go in and see what they say." 
 
 When in, it was soon announced that 
 Mr. Jackson could not be allowed to 
 serve as referee.
 
 258 LIFE OP ASA G. SHELDON : 
 
 " Gentlemen," I said, " if you will 
 give me any reason why Mr. Jackson 
 cannot be admitted to serve, I will be 
 content with another man." 
 
 " Sheldon," said Mr. Weld, " we 
 find, here in Boston, that you have 
 done so much work for Mr. Jackson, 
 and have been with him so much that 
 he will believe every word you say, 
 and we may as well leave the case to 
 him." 
 
 My answer was, "It is no disgrace 
 to me after being with him, and do- 
 ing as much for him as I have done, to 
 have him believe all I say." 
 
 The chairman then said, " Name a 
 man living somewhere between Boston 
 and Dover, within three miles of our 
 road." 
 
 I then named twenty men, all of 
 whom were rejected as soon as named. 
 " Gentlemen," said I, " it is of no use 
 for me to pick out a man; name one 
 yourselves." 
 
 " Col. Duncan, of Haverhill," said 
 Mr. Weld. 
 
 " I do not want a better man," said I, 
 " he is one of the first three that I of- 
 fered to leave it to."
 
 WILMINGTON FARMER. 259 
 
 As the cars were about to leave, they 
 decided that John Flint, of Andover, 
 should write notices to the several gen- 
 tlemen, and I should see that they had 
 them. 
 
 So early was I up the next morning 
 that I travelled eight miles before John 
 Flint was out of bed. He wrote the 
 notices and I flew up and down on the 
 railroad and carried them to the re- 
 spective gentlemen that same day. But 
 strange to believe, before the specified 
 day came, I received a letter from Dun- 
 can that they would have neither of 
 the Boston gentlemen at any rate to sit 
 on the case between me and the Cor- 
 poration. 
 
 Here the case hung until Col. Dun- 
 can was appointed Auditor by the Court. 
 He appointed a meeting at Andover, 
 to which the several parties repaired. 
 After Mr. Haywood's testimony, Mr. 
 West advanced a proposal lo give me 
 $7000 if I would take $1000 in their 
 railroad stock. After a little delibera- 
 tion I decided to accept it, for this rea- 
 son. The bargain was made privately 
 between me and Mr. Clark, on that ac- 
 count I had no evidence of it and Mr.
 
 260 LIFE OP ASA G. SHELDON : 
 
 Haywood said on the stand, he could 
 not recollect the conversation between 
 Clark and me on Kingston Plain. Fur- 
 thermore, the same gentleman came to 
 me and said the stone work referred to 
 as a sample for me was not good enough 
 but was failing, and asked what way it 
 could be made better. I informed him 
 by splitting out the stone with wedges 
 instead of powder, but it would cost 
 more. He asked, " How much more 1 " 
 
 " One dollar per yard," was the an- 
 swer. 
 
 " Well," said he, " get them out 
 with wedges." 
 
 On the stand he acknowledged the 
 work was $1 per yard better, but he 
 could not recollect ever giving any or- 
 ders for that course. 
 
 About three years after commencing 
 my suit, when I received from the Cor- 
 poration $7000, I made the best set- 
 tlement with creditors circumstances 
 would permit, and began life again with 
 only $75. 
 
 I would like to say distinctly to every 
 Stockholder of the Boston and Maine 
 Road, that when your Corporation was 
 in a sinking condition I did what I could
 
 WILMINGTON FARMER. 261 
 
 to further on the work, day and night, 
 some nights going without any sleep. 
 And now knowing how I have been 
 treated, are there not some lovers of 
 justice among you who are willing to 
 make some recompense in view of the 
 faithfulness with which I have served 
 you. Some may say, why did you risk 
 so much without a written contract? 
 I would state in reply, I had done more 
 than $ 100,000 worth of work for men 
 who were agents, and always found 
 their word to be good as their bond ; 
 this gave me too much confidence in 
 men. 
 
 To Mr. West I would say, you have 
 had a long time to reflect, that you once 
 agreed to let Jackson, Baldwin and 
 Storrow settle the case between me and 
 your Corporation. Then you refused 
 to let Mr. Jackson act, and Col. Dun- 
 can's name was substituted in his stead. 
 The next thing, you refused to let Mr. 
 Baldwin and Mr. Storrow act. By so 
 doing I consider you rubied a man who 
 had served your Corporation faithfully. 
 After so long a time if you have repent- 
 ed of what I consider a great sin, I 
 trust you will set about making some
 
 262 LIFE OF ASA G. SHELDON: 
 
 recompense. But if your heart is yet 
 hardened, I pray God, when your eyes 
 are closed in death, to have mercy on 
 your soul. 
 
 A job of stone-work at Nashua, N. 
 H., next claims attention. I was called 
 by the Directors of the Nashua and 
 Lowell Road to look at a piece of work 
 considered difficult to do, and keep the 
 cars running. Here the cars ran across 
 Indian Head canal and then followed 
 its bank, partly over the water, about 
 five hundred feet. It was supported 
 by piles nineteen feet above the bottom 
 of the canal. These had begun to de- 
 cay and it was found necessary to re- 
 construct the road. The first thing 
 was to build two abutments near the 
 depot, fifty-five feet long and nineteen 
 feet high, with a pier in the centre of 
 the same length; then a wall three 
 hundred feet long of the same height, 
 five feet below the surface of the water, 
 Then there were four arches to turn. 
 Around these we built a coffer dam, 
 that we might prosecute the work with- 
 out water. They spanned twenty feet 
 each, making eighty feet. They were 
 to carry off surplus water in case of a
 
 WILMINGTON FARMEB. 263 
 
 freshet. The piles and wood-work 
 were all taken away, and this large job 
 of stone-work done without hindering 
 the cars one minute. 
 
 Gratitude forbids that I should pass 
 unnoticed a narrow escape there. One 
 of the workmen desired a. staging built 
 outside the wall over the canal. 
 
 " Build it so strong," said I, " that 
 two men can stand upon it and lift with 
 all their strength with a crow-bar." 
 
 It was used in that way two days. 
 On the third morning the applicant 
 desired me to go on to the staging to 
 look at a large stone laid the night be- 
 fore. I descended with great caution, 
 I hardly know why, keeping hold of 
 the stones all the time, but alas, the in- 
 stant I let go, and stood on the staging, 
 down came the whole concern and I 
 was precipitated backwards into the 
 canal, which that day received the 
 whole water of Nashua river, for the 
 purpose of having a dam repaired, and 
 making the current in the canal very 
 swift. This occurred near the guard- 
 gates, through which I knew I must 
 go, and feared I should lodge on some 
 timber, but thanks to Morey I went
 
 264 LIFE OP ASA G. SHELDON : 
 
 through safe. One of my men, Har- 
 vey Putnam, hearing the crash of the 
 staging, run to the place, and saw noth- 
 ing but the broken staging in the canal 
 and my hat on the top of the water. 
 He then ran below the gates and could 
 discern a shirt sleeve in the foam. De- 
 termined to help what he could, he 
 descended the wall, laid in steps, and 
 hanging on by the stones with his hand, 
 stretched his legs into the water, calling 
 out, " Get hold of my legs." I was 
 tumbling over in the dashing water, 
 but heard him distinctly, and reaching 
 about with all my might, luckily caught 
 hold of a boot and held on until helped 
 out of the water. I repaired to the 
 scene of danger as soon as the case 
 would permit, and found that a small 
 strip of cast iron had taken the place 
 of an iron crow-bar that supported the 
 staging. Feeling confident that the 
 whole affair was designed, I took the 
 small piece remaining in the wall, 
 where it had been broken off, my work- 
 men being gathered around, and step- 
 ped toward the suspected man, hold- 
 ing the iron directly before his face, 
 neither of us speaking a word. His
 
 WILMINGTON FARMER. 265 
 
 countenance turned very pale, and 
 strange as the fact may seem, within 
 an hour proposed to leave the work. I 
 am fully satisfied from circumstances, 
 that the man who kept the Time Book, 
 hired him to do the trick, by ordering 
 $15 to be paid him out of the Corpor- 
 ation's money. That they designed to 
 take my life, I have no doubt ; and if, 
 while I live, that man should be sick 
 and likely to die, I will go to him, if I 
 can, and ask him if the time-keeper 
 hired him to exchange the crowbar for 
 that piece of cast iron, and get me on 
 the stage for the purpose of destroying 
 my life. In the beginning, I was cau- 
 tioned by a man intimately acquainted 
 with this time-keeper, to look out for 
 him, stating that he was an artful man, 
 and that when the job was well under 
 way it would be like him to take hold 
 of it himself, if he could by any means 
 get rid of me, and then say, " Sheldon 
 began the job but could not finish it." 
 
 I have had the superintendence of 
 building or re-building the abutments 
 of eighteen bridges on the Boston and 
 Lowell road, and many culverts. And 
 on the Boston and Maine road I have
 
 266 LIFE OP ASA G. SHELDON : 
 
 built abutments for eight bridges, be- 
 sides numerous culverts and cow-guards. 
 On the South Reading Branch I have 
 likewise laid abutments to eight bridges 
 and turned an arch over the river that 
 divides Essex from Middlesex County, 
 together with many cow-guards and 
 culverts on the same road, and also at 
 Bradford, at Ward Hill, where the road 
 runs near Merrimac river. 
 
 Slocum, of Haverhill, and myself 
 had been engaged in a winter's work 
 of drawing lumber to Maine railroad 
 in Kingston. We then hired an en- 
 gine, engineer, train of cars and fire- 
 man, to take it down to Andover Saw 
 Mills. I was conductor and espied a 
 crack running lengthwise of the ties, 
 about the middle of the road fifty-five 
 feet in length. This was in the beginn- 
 ing of Spring. I made signal to stop 
 when fairly over it, and in less than five 
 minutes it all slid down into the river. 
 As we stood gazing, the road-master 
 came up, and in surprise and almost 
 crazed, freshets were rising so fast, 
 said, " Sheldon, you can think faster 
 than I can, for heaven's sake tell me 
 what to do ? "
 
 WILMINGTON FARMER. 267 
 
 " Send a man," said I, " as fast as 
 he can go to North Andover, to tell the 
 conductor to turn his engine behind 
 and back up here ; and you must have 
 my engine to bring the passengers from 
 Haverhill up, and they must walk over 
 and change cars." 
 
 He then remarked, " You must mend 
 up this place as soon as possible, for I 
 have as much as I can attend to else- 
 where ; our road is going to pieces." 
 
 The fourteen men with me, were 
 speedily set to work throwing stones 
 into the hole, for there were lots of 
 them near by on the opposite side. 
 I then sent a man with the engine 
 down to Haverhill to tell Slocum to 
 send dinner for fourteen men, and all 
 the men he could raise. They brought 
 dinner and a passenger train together, 
 and by mustering neighbors we swell- 
 ed our force to forty-three men and six 
 oxen. 
 
 At that time, as good luck would 
 have it, the moon's clear light enabled 
 us to continue our work through the 
 night. Burrill, the Agent for running 
 the cars, came up with the supper, 
 looked on, and said, " Sheldon, how
 
 268 LIFE OF ASA G. SHELDON : 
 
 many days before the cars can run 
 here?" 
 
 " I want you to bring up a good 
 second supper for twenty-three hungry 
 men," said I, " and then I can tell you 
 better about it. Bring it as late as you 
 like to sit up to accommodate us." 
 
 The supper came about 11 o'clock, 
 and it was as good a supper as men 
 ever need to eat. It may be called 
 second supper, or night dinner, for well 
 do I know from experience that a man 
 while laboring needs food as much at 
 night as in day. Six hours labor is 
 quite enough for any man between 
 meals. 
 
 The embankment that gave way was 
 fifty-five feet in length and fifteen feet 
 below the rail, but the ties kept their 
 place, being frozen in on the opposite 
 side, only half the track going down. 
 When supper came, Burrill asked me, 
 " Can you tell now how many days it 
 will be before the cars can run 1 " 
 
 " If you don't hear from me before 
 the sun rises, you may start your cars 
 along as though nothing had occurred." 
 
 "Sheldon, are you crazy?" said he. 
 
 " No, I hope not ; but you may start
 
 WILMINGTON FARMER. 269 
 
 on the cars, telling them to proceed 
 with caution when they approach this 
 place." 
 
 The cars did come at the usual time, 
 and I stopped to see them safely over 
 and then went back to Haverhill to 
 breakfast. 
 
 The secret of accomplishing this 
 great work in so short a time, was just 
 this : we threw the stones in and al- 
 lowed them to find their own bed, and 
 when they had gone as far as they 
 could, they would lay there till moved 
 by other power. There were plenty 
 of stones here that had been taken 
 from the ledge that we wanted to get 
 off the line of the railroad. When we 
 had filled up within six feet of the 
 rails, we placed the stones in a wall 
 directly under them, throwing others 
 down both sides, thus making the work 
 substantial. 
 
 After this job was completed and 
 the road had been used some days, 
 Charles Storrow, then a director on the 
 road, said, " Had that happened on the 
 Boston and Lowell road and been re- 
 paired in the usual way, it would have 
 cost the corporation more than $1000,"
 
 270 LIFE OP ASA G. SHELDON: 
 
 but the whole expense here was only 
 $53. 
 
 Another witness. Onslow Stearns, 
 agent for building the Northern road, 
 once said to me, " Sheldon, your filling 
 up that hole at Ward Hill, as you did, 
 has saved the Northern Railroad Co. 
 many thousand dollars, through their 
 adopting the same plan." 
 
 Were this mode of building embank- 
 ments adopted, where stone is plenty, it 
 would be found a labor-saving opera- 
 tion above the old fashioned, perpen- 
 dicular wall, where sometimes many 
 feet must be laid in mud and water, a 
 most repulsive work. 
 
 Reader, remember this night's work 
 was done for the corporation whose 
 agent afterwards ruined me. 
 
 I went to Brookline to build a Coun- 
 ty road over half a mile of marsh and 
 another half a mile through orchards, 
 gardens and strawberry beds, and then 
 through a piece of reclaimed swamp 
 where English grass was mowed. The 
 road was an expensive one, and the 
 greatest saving in calculation, in the 
 whole job, was in laying a strip of 
 marsh grass each side of the road and
 
 WILMINGTON FARMER. 271 
 
 raking it in for the horses to travel on 
 while carting on the first gravel. After 
 the road was completed over the re- 
 claimed swamp, and we had passed 
 over it with heavy loads for several 
 days, down went about ten rods of it 
 out of sight, and at once water flowed 
 over to the depth of thirty-five feet. 
 To buy the gravel and fill up this enor- 
 mous mouth was quite an expense, but 
 as I took the job by the yard it only 
 made more work for us. 
 
 Whenever I think of the committee 
 who engaged me to do this work, it 
 brings to mind what Christ said to his 
 disciples, " Have not I chosen you 
 twelve and one of you is a devil." I 
 firmly believe the treasurer and com- 
 mittee, save one, to be true, Christian 
 men, and likewise, judging from the 
 Scripture, " A tree is known by its 
 fruits," many of the neighbors to whom 
 I was sometimes indebted. 
 
 In the month of February, 1856, I 
 was visited with the severest fit of sick- 
 ness I ever suffered. I was first at- 
 tacked with pleurisy ; that increased so 
 fast that my family, anxious for my
 
 272 LIFE OP ASA G. SHELDON : 
 
 safety, sent the next day for Dr. Ed- 
 mund F. Kittredge, of New Ipswich, 
 N. H., now of Lowell, Mass. He pro- 
 nounced the disease Typhoid Pneu- 
 monia of a malignant type. The fever 
 run high ; my pulse for several days 
 ranged as high as a hundred and thirty 
 and a hundred and forty. I lost all 
 consciousness from the first, but my 
 faithful family and friends were unre- 
 mitting in their attention. Nathaniel 
 Parker mentioned in a former page 
 as among the friends in need was 
 sure that I could not get well ; it would 
 be as great a miracle as any performed 
 in Scripture times. The next week as 
 my wife was watching me and the fam- 
 ily were eating dinner, a sudden change, 
 she said, come over my countenance. 
 All left the table in anxious surprise. 
 " Oh," said Parker, with uplifted hands, 
 "he is gone ; I told you how it would 
 be." 
 
 The doctor, who was present, re- 
 plied, " He may live to lay cents on 
 your eyes. Rub his extremities quick- 
 ly, and wet a cloth in hot vinegar and 
 lay it on his stomach as soon as possi- 
 ble." This was at once done, and the
 
 WILMINGTON FARMER. 273 
 
 breathing improved and the symptoms 
 became better. 
 
 He administered some reviving spirit 
 and continued to feed with the same. 
 He remained with me three successive 
 days and nights and soon consciousness 
 began to return. He did not blister or 
 bleed ; gave no emetic or physic, yet 
 he carried me through as I believe few 
 others could. 
 
 With heartfelt gratitude to Dr. Kitt- 
 redge I must say, " Under God, to him 
 I owe my life." It was a wonderful 
 mercy in kind Providence that brought 
 him here at my time of greatest need. 
 
 " He could not have lived without 
 extra effort," said the doctor. Then 
 never give up friends sick with fever 
 as long as life lasts ; no, not even when 
 life is apparently gone. Many, doubt- 
 less, pass out of the world that an ex- 
 tra effort would have restored and 
 brought back to life and health again. 
 
 Mr. Parker died two years ago. 
 
 This Dr. Kittredge is grandson of 
 him who so faithfully watched by me 
 while laid up with the broken leg.
 
 274 LIFE OF ASA G. SHELDON : 
 
 HINTS TO STONE LAYERS. 
 
 After having so much experience in 
 stone-laying, and after the many tests 
 my work has undergone, I feel confi- 
 dent that no work of mine will fail, 
 unless by some great convulsion of na- 
 ture, or removal by designing hands ; 
 and for the benefit of the rising gener- 
 ation, I propose to give some directions 
 to stone-workers. 
 
 FIRST To SIGNERS OF WELLS. 
 Never, on any account, lay the largest 
 end of the stone in toward the well. 
 
 To FARMERS. Never destroy any 
 part of the strength of your wall for 
 the sake of making it look handsome 
 on a farm. In reality those farm walls 
 always look handsomest that stand best. 
 There has been no better way found to 
 lay farm walls than on large foundation 
 stones, placed on cobbles. In laying a 
 wall on low, frosty ground, where it is 
 necessary to trench, I would recom- 
 mend to fill the trench with that kind 
 of dry gravel before mentioned for 
 railroad trenches, walks, &c., if it can 
 be had conveniently, or with sand if
 
 WILMINGTON FARMER. 275 
 
 that cannot be procured. Either of 
 these are better than small stones for 
 two reasons. First, mud will work in 
 among small stones, freeze and heave 
 the wall. Second, it will give more en- 
 couragement to the growth of briars 
 and brush than gravel will. 
 
 LAYING CULVERTS. Always make 
 the up-stream end of the culvert nar- 
 rower than any other part; this will 
 prevent anything entering it that cannot 
 go through. Always lay the biggest 
 side of the covering stones downward ; 
 this will make the joints widest on the 
 top, they will thereby receive a wedge 
 that will not go through. 
 
 CELLAR WALL. In laying them al- 
 ways build them plumb. Then the 
 building resting on the top will be in 
 no danger of falling in. To make 
 a good cellar wall a stone should have 
 three good sides, bed, build and face. 
 Back and ends have not much to do 
 either with strength or beauty. 
 
 BANK WALL. It is necessary to have 
 one course of stones below the surface, 
 on the base of the wall, then have the 
 front of the wall placed on the centre 
 of them. Those stones that are placed
 
 276 LIFE OP ASA G. SHELDON : 
 
 below the surface need not of necessity, 
 be very large, and it is immaterial of 
 what shape. What is termed cobble 
 stones, the size of a peck measure, will 
 answer a good purpose. 
 
 If you want to build your wall five 
 feet high, and have it stand centimes, 
 as I am sure you do, then make the 
 base half the thickness of the height, 
 and barter it on front at least one and 
 one-half inch to the foot. Mind and 
 never put so small stones on the top 
 that a dog running over them will l^nock 
 them off. If the soil be clay, take it 
 out a few inches wider than the wall 
 and fill in back with good gravel stones, 
 otherwise the clay will run in among 
 the stones, freeze, and heave them, and 
 thus injure the wall. 
 
 MILCH COWS. 
 
 m 
 
 Until recently I have never realized 
 the value of tnilch cows, and believe 
 but few do rJtlize it as yet. Milk, but- 
 ter and che& are not all the benefits 
 we derive from the cow. Every crea- 
 ture that is slaughtered in Eastern mar-
 
 WILMINGTON FARMER. 277 
 
 kets, gained the first $3 worth on an 
 average from milk. In New York and 
 Massachusetts, there are not less than 
 ten thousand cattle and calves slaugh- 
 tered, on an average, every week ; 
 allowing $3 to each one, (which is a 
 low estimate), the amount is $1,560,000 
 in one year for these two States alone. 
 
 How many varieties can be realized 
 from milk. Nearly all our calf-skin 
 leather is produced from milk. Im- 
 mense quantities of milk are used for 
 food for children, with great economy 
 and propriety. Besides the immense 
 amount of milk, butter and cheese con- 
 sumed by the human family, not less 
 than fifty pounds of pork can be reckon- 
 ed on, by good management, from each 
 cow, arising from sour milk, butter- 
 milk, whey, &c. Now is it not of the 
 utmost importance that we select the 
 very best cows ? 
 
 POINTS OF A GOOD MILCH Cow. A 
 bright, hazel eye ; long, lean face ; 
 wide between the eyes ; flat horns, not 
 very large at the base ; pretty large 
 sack, with room for her own dinner ; 
 thin hides ; small leg bones ; large 
 cavity on the front of the shoulder
 
 278 LIFE OP ASA G. SHELDON : 
 
 joint ; large milk veins, and milk holes 
 if you can find forked milk veins, 
 with two holes on each side, it is an 
 extra mark, seldom found ; well spread 
 bag, running well forwards ; yellow 
 skin ; four good sized teats, standing 
 well apart ; two small ones behind call- 
 ed false teats ; slim tail ; and as good 
 a sign as any to be found is, open ribs, 
 with space wide enough between the 
 two last to admit of three fingers laid 
 in. If the cow is wanted for butter 
 exclusively, the horn should be trans- 
 parent. This mark I first received from 
 Mrs. Dea. Parker. Hearing I had an 
 extraordinary heifer, the good old lady 
 came over to see it. While walking in 
 front of the stall, she exclaimed, 
 " Here is a heifer that will make a 
 good cow, I care nothing about your 
 father's great heifers." 
 
 "Why," said son Horace, who was 
 showing her round, " what do you see 
 in that heifer, Mrs. Parker, to admire?" 
 
 " Why her horns are all butter," said 
 she. " I have taken care of a dairy 
 more than fifty years, and I never knew 
 it to fail." 
 
 In fact that was the very heifer she
 
 WILMINGTON FARMER. 279 
 
 came to see. I have noted it ever since 
 and found it so. Mrs. Parker was con- 
 sidered an extraordinary dairy woman ; 
 her butter, as well as that of her daugh- 
 ter Buck's, always commanding the 
 highest market price. 
 
 To purchasers I would say, when- 
 ever you find these marks, you need 
 not inquire what breed she is of; you 
 will be sure to get a good cow. 
 
 With regard to color, I prefer light 
 red or brindle, because they descended 
 from the Black Spanish, and Denmark 
 cattle, imported into Dover nearly two 
 hundred years ago . From them I think 
 sprang the best race of dairy stock this 
 country has ever been in possession of. 
 to. I would not reject a cow on ac- 
 count of color, if she possessed the 
 marks before mentioned. 
 
 From experience I feel safe in saying 
 that a woman who is a good manager 
 would, from the products of two good 
 cows well kept, maintain the year round, 
 a family of four, say herself, husband, 
 and two children, and pay a reasonable 
 tax on the cows, pasture and home-lot. 
 If her husband pay the expense of 
 keeping the cows, it would be all re-
 
 280 LIFE OP ASA G. SHELDON : 
 
 quired for the maintenance of his fam- 
 ily. This will apply to any location 
 within fifteen miles of Boston. 
 
 In looking over the utility of animals, 
 I am constrained to say, if we could 
 have but one kind of animals, cow, 
 horse, sheep or hog, the cow must be 
 preferred. 
 
 OXEN. 
 
 SIGNS OF A GOOD WORKING Ox. 
 Bright hazel eye, which denotes intel- 
 lect, or a disposition to receive instruc- 
 tion, and a readiness to obey it ; lean, 
 long head ; broad between the eyes ; 
 wide, open nostrils ; horns not more 
 than medium size at the base these 
 show an ox keen to pull and one that 
 can endure the heat of the day ; straight 
 knees ; toes pointing straight forward 
 these show that the ox can travel on 
 pavement, or hard, frozen ground ; full 
 bosom ; round in the chest ; last ribs 
 projecting out as large as the hip bones; 
 straight on the back ; small tail ; wide 
 across the gambrel ; large cord at the 
 gambrel these last mentioned marks
 
 WILMINGTON FARMER. 281 
 
 denote strength and constitution ; when 
 he stands his hind feet should be well 
 in under him this shows his limbs 
 were made to carry his body, and will 
 carry it easily. 
 
 Short heads will start quick at the 
 whip but soon forget it generally eye 
 servants ; horns large at the base, with 
 small nostrils, is not likely to work well 
 in a hot day; black eyes and black 
 nose, inclined to both kick and run 
 away; picked toes and turning out, 
 crooked knees and turning together, 
 cannot travel on hard roads ; the toes 
 turning out brings the strain upon the 
 inside claws, which long continued, 
 produces lameness at the joint between 
 the hoof and hair, or what is called 
 ring-bone ; if his hind legs are too far 
 behind him, it denotes laziness ; if the 
 ribs drop down flat, not being so wide 
 through the ribs as through the hip 
 bones, he has no great constitution. 
 
 It is said, " There are exceptions to 
 general rules," but these signs may 
 generally be relied upon. 
 
 While walking near Quincy Market, 
 Boston, one day, I met a man who in- 
 vited me to go with him, which I did.
 
 282 LIFE OP ASA G. SHELDON : 
 
 He purchased a nice turkey and pre- 
 sented it to me, saying, "Accept this 
 as a token of gratitude for the benefits 
 I have derived from practicing your 
 directions for selecting good working 
 oxen. I have practiced them since I 
 first had occasion to buy oxen." Be- 
 fore I could ascertain his name he had 
 disappeared in the crowd. 
 
 SHOEING OXEN. The shoe should be 
 broad on the foot, and be set back at 
 the heel about Ijalf an inch further 
 than what the /oot touches. At the 
 toe, it should not come quite to the end 
 of it. If the toe is very picked, it 
 should not come nearer than about an 
 inch of the end. If the toe be short 
 and broad it should come almost to the 
 end of the toe. 
 
 POINTS OF AN Ox FOR TENDER BEEF. 
 Smoky color; long, coarse hair; thin 
 hide, this may be told by pinching it 
 up between the thumb and finger ; flat 
 ribs ; wide hip bones, quite hollow un- 
 derneath ; then if he be only fat you 
 need not fear, even though he is the 
 worst looking animal you ever put your 
 eye on. These points apply to all horn- 
 ed creatures.
 
 WILMINGTON FARMER. 283 
 HOW TO SALT BEEF TO KEEP A YEAR. 
 
 Take four quarts of coarse fine salt, 
 four pounds of brown sugar, one ounce 
 saltpetre, mix well together, to one 
 hundred pounds of beef, packed as 
 solid as it can be ; put a board on top 
 of the meat in the barrel, and a stand- 
 ard to reach from this board to a tim- 
 ber in the floor overhead; drive in a 
 wedge to keep the standard tight, and 
 the meat will settle for two or three 
 days. To prevent the bottom head 
 from bursting out, a small bit of board 
 should be placed under the barrel with- 
 in the chines, before the meat is salted, 
 which should be done soon after the 
 animal heat is out. No water should 
 be used, as it takes out the juice of 
 the meat and turns it green and makes 
 it hard. When a piece is taken out, 
 and the brine will not cover, put in 'a, 
 small stone and cover the board on 
 again. 
 
 EAISING BULLS. 
 
 e 
 
 be sure 
 
 RAISING BULLS. 
 
 If the object is to raise dairy stock, 
 3 sure your bull calf is from your best 
 
 *.
 
 284 LIFE OP ASA G. SHELDON : 
 
 dairy cow, and the color of the skin 
 about the bag should be the same as of 
 a good cow yellow. A four teated 
 bull is preferable, but this is rare. My 
 plan is to raise two bull calves together 
 and break them to yoke quite small; 
 and I have found that they were worth 
 more than oxen to plow in my reclaim- 
 ed swamp when two years old, as they 
 were light of their strength and could 
 go where heavy oxen could not. I 
 have likewise found them very useful 
 in carting hay from miry meadows. If 
 a bull will be worth anything to work, 
 he can be bandied easier than a steer. 
 Some are so stubborn one should never 
 try to handy them. To put on a light 
 yoke, if you have a good, clear pasture, 
 and let them run in it when six months 
 old, is a good plan. I once owned a 
 pair that led on a load of wood for four 
 miles and drew finely, quite as much as 
 I wanted them to, when only ten months 
 old. I have one of them now. I be- 
 lieve that a pair of one-year-old bulls 
 will draw as much as a pair of two- 
 year-old steers. To take a loaded wag- 
 on to Concord Cattle Show, I once put 
 a pair of eighteen months old bulls to
 
 WILMINGTON FARMER, 285 
 
 lead, and the teamster thought that 
 they helped as much as a horse. They 
 certainly do more work according to 
 their keeping, than steers or oxen. I 
 should not like to keep one older than 
 three years, lest he become cross. 
 
 RAISING HEIFER CALVES. 
 
 It is highly important that heifer 
 calves should be selected from the best 
 cows, but more important is it that their 
 sire should be from the best cow. Do 
 not attempt to raise a heifer calf with- 
 out first examining her teats. When 
 they are about forty hours old, you may 
 satisfy yourself about their good points, 
 quite as well as at any time before 
 they are two years old, as many of them 
 are about the same as the cows, espec- 
 ially the bag and teats. 
 
 Do not keep your calves too high on 
 milk the first summer, because they 
 should be kept up to that standard 
 through the winter. This I deem of 
 great importance and applicable to all 
 kinds of calves ; indeed all growing 
 animals should be kept on the advance.
 
 286 LIFE OP ASA G. SHELDON : 
 
 I once took a number of heifer calves, 
 I think ten, to Concord Cattle Show. 
 After the show, Mr. Buckminster, edi- 
 tor of the Massachusetts Ploughman, 
 said in his paper, that he saw a pen of 
 calves labelled, " Native breed; A. G. 
 Sheldon, Wilmington." He observed 
 that the spectators said, " Those calves 
 looked as though the very skimmed 
 milk they were raised on was watered." 
 The spectators were men of excellent 
 judgment, for they were raised on that 
 very article skimmed milk, indian 
 meal and water. I sold one of these 
 calves, when two years old, for $50, 
 and have frequently heard her owner 
 say that he would not take $100 for 
 her. Some of them that I now know 
 of, cannot be bought for less than $100 
 each. Seldom does a heifer that is 
 doated upon and fed very high on milk, 
 fully answer the expectation of the 
 owner. 
 
 " The size of a bullock depends on 
 the first year." This is an adage that 
 is nearly true. I am fully of opinion 
 that more depends on the first winter 
 than on any other period of the same 
 length in his history. They should
 
 WILMINGTON FARMER. 287 
 
 have tender hay, some roots, rutabagas 
 or carrots, and oatmeal, which is pre- 
 ferable to any other. 
 
 Early calves are preferable for rais- 
 ing to late ones. March calves are 
 decidedly best, yet April will do, but I 
 would not raise one that come in May, 
 unless it was something extraordinary ; 
 for this reason, it could not be turned 
 to grass until the feed was tough, and 
 in consequence would not do so well. 
 
 ON FEEDING STOCK. 
 
 It is a great piece of economy in 
 feeding cattle in the barn, to cut all 
 their hay, except the last feeding at 
 night, which should be whole hay. If 
 there be any left in the moniing that is 
 fit to eat, I should put it in the cutter 
 and give it to them again. Chopped 
 feed should always be wet, and with 
 hot water if circumstances will permit. 
 Corn stalks are excellent for milch cows 
 whether top stalks or husks ; also, ru- 
 tabagas, carrots and parsnips are all 
 good, but I have never been able to 
 determine which is best according to
 
 288 LIFE OP ASA G. SHELDON : 
 
 the cost. I think best to sow all of 
 these roots, so that if one kind should 
 not succeed the others might. The 
 more experience I have of pumpkins, 
 the more I am in favor of them ; they 
 certainly add to the quantity and to the 
 quality of the butter. 
 
 My experience in molasses is, that 
 one half pint given to a good cow will 
 give you four ounces of butter. It 
 should be given in chopped feed by 
 sweetening the water. This is design- 
 ed solely for chopped feed ; when a 
 cow grazes she has no need of it, or 
 anything else, if she has plenty of good 
 grass. Where molasses is used with 
 chopped feed, a little salt should be 
 added. 
 
 I endorse the opinion of Hon. Josiah 
 Quincy, Jr., that " a cow is a machine; 
 you can get nothing out of her but 
 what you put into her ; but let us re- 
 member, the better the machine and 
 the better order it is kept in, the bet- 
 ter pay we shall get for running it." 
 
 A few sweet apples given occasion- 
 ally to cows, horses or hogs, are excel- 
 lent to keep them in a healthy condition. 
 I think a horse would never have botts
 
 WILMINGTON FARMER. 289 
 
 if he had half a peck of sweet apples 
 once in ten days. Regularity, as it 
 respects time and quantity, is of great 
 importance in feeding all kinds of stock. 
 
 Occasional messes to milch cows not 
 only do them no good, but sometimes 
 are decidedly injurious. In the month 
 of June, I once had a bushel of good 
 French turnips chopped and given to 
 five cows that were grazing. The next 
 morning their milk had shrunk down 
 to one half. Surprised at the result, I 
 cast about to understand it. I found 
 the secret in the fact, that the turnips 
 took away their appetite for grass and 
 caused them to wait around for more. 
 
 In case of short grazing, cow-corn, 
 as it is commonly called, is very eco- 
 nomical, but it should always be given 
 them at night and in the bam, as their 
 appetite will then be good for feed in 
 the morning. To put them in the barn 
 may be thought too much trouble, but 
 I think from experience a cow's extra 
 mess is lost if given anywhere else. 
 It may seem simple, but try the experi- 
 ment and you will know for yourselves. 
 Common corn is as much better than 
 Virginia corn, as English hay is better
 
 290 LIFE OF ASA G. SHELDON : 
 
 than Meadow hay, and sweet com is 
 better than either. 
 
 The foregoing hints on calf feeding 
 are designed for locations where milk 
 is worth three cents per quart or more. 
 Those who live far back from the sea- 
 board, where milk is worth but little, 
 are better judges in their own cases 
 than I am. 
 
 To PURCHASERS OF Cows. There 
 may be good cows in every breed 
 among us. Although I am much 
 in favor of native breed, still I would 
 not advise the rejection of a cow on ac- 
 count of her breed if she carries good 
 marks, or give a large price for one on 
 account of her breed without those 
 marks. 
 
 TRAINING OXEN AND STEERS. 
 
 Every steer should have a name. If 
 he has none be sure to give him one 
 the first tune he is yoked. Be sure 
 and make each one understand . his 
 own name and know when you speak 
 to him ; and when you do speak, say 
 just what y t ou mean. Be just as par-
 
 WILMINGTON FARMER. 291 
 
 ticular in your language with them as 
 you would be with children. When 
 you tell them to haw-to, or gee-off, be 
 sure to make them mind you. Let the 
 word " whoa," or any other word you 
 may choose to substitute, denote "stop," 
 and always make them stop at that, and 
 never use it at any other time. If used 
 at other times they will not know when 
 to stop. A team should stop short at 
 the word "whoa;" and they will, if 
 they never hear it at any other time. 
 Bad results may follow their not being 
 accustomed to do so. 
 
 If too lazy or too tired to walk be- 
 side your team, never whip them while 
 riding, this will make them haul apart. 
 When your team is moving just as you 
 want to have them, be sure to keep 
 your whip and your tongue perfectly 
 still. When I see a man doing this I 
 know he is more than a middling team- 
 ster. Oxen or steers, when going per- 
 fectly right, should never be meddled 
 with, any more than boys should be 
 muttered at when they are doing per- 
 fectly right. 
 
 Always have some particular word 
 to start your team with. Sly starting
 
 292 LIFE OF ASA G. SHELDON : 
 
 word is " come." I always give them 
 notice, and when up to the bow and 
 ready, I speak the word " come," and 
 if either ox does not attend to his busi- 
 ness at that word, he is sure to feel the 
 whip. I once knew a man, a good 
 man, and a good farmer, and I pre- 
 sume that he thought he knew how to 
 drive a team as well as any body, but 
 he never handied his off ox. He drove 
 the nigh ox and let the off one go as 
 he pleased. When driving in hay, and 
 when near to the barn-yard, he would 
 begin to cry " whoa," " whoa," about 
 as fast as he could speak. I once had 
 the curiosity to count how many times 
 he said it after he arrived at the barn- 
 yard bars, and it amounted to one hun- 
 dred and thirteen times. Still the oxen 
 increased their speed until they got into 
 the barn and were prevented from going 
 further. Doubtless they would have 
 gone in as well if he had not said one 
 word, and stopped as well, because they 
 could not help it. How can an officer 
 command men unless he has a particu- 
 lar word for a particular movement? 
 and how, I wish to know, can we expect 
 oxen to understand better than men ?
 
 WILMINGTON FARMER. 293 
 
 Steers should never be made to draw 
 a load from home first. If they are to 
 be put in with other cattle, which I like 
 best, let them go from home empty and 
 draw a load toward home first. 
 
 George Blanchard, of this town, who 
 has been successful in training steers, 
 has used bits like a horse's, and by 
 this means he has them completely un- 
 der his command, and can plow be- 
 tween corn and potatoes with either 
 nigh or oif ox. 
 
 It is quite convenient to have cattle 
 that will back well. This, like every- 
 thing else, should be learned young. 
 The best way I ever found, was to go 
 ' directly in front of them and slap each 
 at the same time on the nose, with the 
 open palm of the hand, and both will 
 fly back together. Cattle that are well 
 trained, I am satisfied can back more 
 than they can possibly draw. By hitch- 
 ing their heads next the stone they can 
 lift a larger stone out of a hole than 
 they can draw out, because the chain 
 will draw against the bank the first way. 
 This is convenient in loading stone upon 
 a drag and in laying stone wall. Let 
 me give an illustration. Once two el-
 
 294 LIFE OP ASA G. SHELDON : 
 
 derly gentlemen, working on the high- 
 way, each with a yoke of oxen, made 
 a vain attempt to draw a huge stone 
 out of a hole. They then invited Isaac 
 Damon, my hired hand, to put on my 
 cattle and help them. Damon said, 
 " I will not put my team on with yours, 
 but take yours off and I will get the 
 stone out." They made another trial 
 and gave out, the oldest man saying, 
 " Let the fool try once." While Da- 
 mon was hitching the chain into the 
 ring, with the cattle's heads next the 
 the stone, the men standing by eyeing 
 Mm, he said, " Go along to work, I 
 want you to earn ninepence while I 
 draw out this stone." 
 
 These oxen had been so trained to 
 the business, that they would actually 
 hold down their heads for the chain to 
 be fastened. So when he was all ready, 
 with their heads as low as would give 
 them a good footing on the bank, he 
 pronounced an emphatical " back," and 
 out came the stone, much to their as- 
 tonishment. " There boys," said Da- 
 mon, " the stone is out." " I would 
 not have believed it," said one of the 
 farmers, " if I had not seen it myself."
 
 WILMINGTON FARMER. 295 
 
 I have on a former page recommend- 
 ed bulls in preference to steers, yet 
 large, well trained oxen, to do heavy 
 work on a farm, are decidedly prefer- 
 able to small ones. There is not so 
 much difference in keeping as is gen- 
 erally supposed. To prove the differ- 
 ence in the work of large and small 
 cattle, I introduce another illustration. 
 
 When acting in the capacity of As- 
 sessor in this town, I took special notice 
 of the different management of farms, 
 and found the two greatest extremes 
 that came under my eye, lay close to- 
 gether. A youth of fifteen, with a 
 large, handy pair of oxen and good 
 plough, was turning the furrows over 
 straight and clean, on May 1st. Near 
 by was a man, with a grown son, using 
 a poor plough, with a yoke of cattle 
 and a horse. I noticed that the boy 
 went three rounds to their two, they 
 having frequently to stop and turn the 
 mislaid furrows over with their hands. 
 Here popped into my mind what Frank- 
 lin said in the eighteenth century 
 
 " The man that by the plough would thrive, 
 Himself must either hold or drive." 
 
 This man, thought I, was acting up to
 
 296 LIFE OP ASA G. SHELDON : 
 
 Franklin's rule, but he was one century 
 behind the times, for we live in a day 
 of great improvements, and the time 
 has already come when 
 
 " He that by the plough would thrive, 
 Will find he must both hold and drive." 
 
 Still another illustration. My team 
 of six oxen was driven by my son 
 Horace to plough some hard and rather 
 rocky pasture land, all day, before he 
 was five years of age ; and he manag- 
 ed the team as well as a man could 
 have managed it. Here are two con- 
 siderations, Horace was a natural 
 teamster, and the team was well train- 
 ed. I would here add, than an ox that 
 cannot be brought to obedience with 
 fair means, at least without beating and 
 banging, had better be saved the abuse 
 and taken to the slaughter house at 
 once. In short, be kind and gentle to 
 all, yes, all animals. 
 Was not the farmer and son above 
 referred to, carrying out the theory, 
 " There is no profit in farming," while 
 the youth was as strongly maintaining 
 the position, "There is profit in farm- 
 ing?" 
 
 I once knew a man to hire of his
 
 WILMINGTON FARMER. 297 
 
 neighbor a pair of noble oxen, and a 
 smooth running plough to plough pas- 
 ture land with some kill-lamb. After 
 using the team and plough a day, he 
 took them home on account of the high 
 price, $1.50 per day. While using 
 this team his son alone ploughed one 
 acre per day, and did the work well. 
 He then hired a smaller pair at 75 cts. 
 per day, and added his horse to make 
 out a team, and went driver himself, 
 the same son holding the plough, and 
 ploughed one-half acre per day, accom- 
 plishing in two days more than his son 
 performed in one. Thus it cost the 
 same amount of money for oxen to 
 plough one acre that it cost with the 
 first team, and making an entire loss of 
 two days of his own labor, two days of 
 his horse, and one day of his son's, be- 
 sides their board. Didn't he try a two- 
 fold experiment, and prove in strong 
 terms both theories before alluded to'? 
 
 The first stages of education in all 
 animals is highly important. Impress- 
 ions first given are more enduring and 
 easier made before they come in con- 
 tact with long established habits. 
 It is fondly hoped that these few
 
 298 LIFE OP ASA G. SHELDON : 
 
 suggestions respecting gentleness and 
 tact in the education of our beasts, will 
 be duly appreciated, pondered and put 
 in practice. 
 
 To BREAK A COLT TO CARRIAGE, WHO 
 
 IS ALREADY HARNESS-BROKEN. Put a 
 
 horse in the carriage that the colt is 
 acquainted with, and ride two or three 
 miles from home. Then change and 
 put the colt in the thills and let another 
 person ride the horse back forward of 
 the carriage and he will be likely to 
 travel homewards after the horse with- 
 out urging. How many times people 
 harness a colt in their own yard and 
 beat him to drive him away from home 
 against his will, when he knows no 
 more what he is whipped for than a 
 child in the cradle. 
 
 All young creatures on their first 
 trial, should have some inducement to 
 urge them on the way you wish them 
 to go. If beaten to make them go 
 against their will, it increases their 
 stubbornness and serves to create a bad 
 disposition. Be careful friends, that 
 you never let your own bad temper 
 serve to create the same bad temper in 
 your animals. How many of the best,
 
 WILMINGTON FARMER. 299 
 
 noble-spirited horses are ruined through 
 the impatience and indiscretion of their 
 first trainers. 
 
 I once bought a horse that had been 
 sold at auction for 015.25. At the 
 time he was sold, he was considered 
 worthless on account of his contrary 
 disposition. He was five years old. I 
 called him "Flying Jib." When 1 
 first harnessed him, I treated him very 
 gently, patted his neck and shoulders, 
 breathed in his nostrils, thus making 
 him think he had one friend in the 
 world. I then jumped into the car- 
 riage and away he flew. I owned that 
 beast more than one year, and never 
 struck him a blow with a whip or a 
 stick. To pat him. with the hand I 
 found much better, and he always start- 
 ed and stopped at bidding, except in 
 one instance, when I was met on the 
 road by a man who had charge of him 
 before I owned him. After speaking 
 a few minutes I told the horse to go, 
 but he refused. I then sat still, the 
 man still continuing talking, and said, 
 " Don't you intend to try to start ] " 
 
 " Are you willing to go along ; if 
 you will, I think my horse will start
 
 LIFE OP ASA G. SHELDON : 
 
 along too." He then went on mutter- 
 ing in disaffection. 
 
 When fairly out of hearing, I said, 
 " Come," and he manifested his usual 
 kindness. Who will say that this horse 
 did not possess a good memory and an 
 inveterate enmity to that man"? He 
 never needed a whit of urging to carry 
 me to or from Medford, ten miles, in 
 one hour. This was his natural gait, 
 ten miles per hour. To drive cattle he 
 was the very best. If an ox turned 
 away or stopped to feed, he would turn 
 out after him as quick as a dog, and 
 take hold of the high bunch top of 
 the rump with his teeth. Cattle would 
 soon learn to get out of his way. Al- 
 though high-spirited, courageous and 
 noble, he was perfectly safe to drive 
 day or night, and if I had him now and 
 knew he was as good as he was when 
 I bought him, I would not take $200 
 for him. 
 
 OMNIBUS STORY. One evening I took 
 a seat in an omnibus at the Cattle Fair 
 Hotel in Cambridge, to ride into Bos- 
 ton. The driver, to admit two ladies, 
 went into the gutter, but the horses re- 
 fused to take him out. After repeated
 
 WILMINGTON FARMER. 301 
 
 trials a man came up to tender assist- 
 ance. The driver became angry and 
 answered tartly. The women were 
 frightened and one insisted on getting 
 out. " If you will keep still," said I, 
 " I will get out and that will lighten 
 the carnage more than two of you, and 
 start the horses if the driver is willing. 
 I accordingly descended, and when the 
 intruder, so considered, had gone away 
 I said to the driver, " May I start your 
 horses and not strike them a blow ? " 
 
 " Yes, if you can," was the answer. 
 
 " Then you shall hold the reins, and 
 when I say ' Come,' run them into the 
 road, but be sure to stop them, and let 
 me get in." 
 
 Now that the driver was willing I 
 had to make the horses willing too. I 
 patted their necks, stroked their faces 
 and breathed in their nostrils. Though 
 utter strangers, I found them the most 
 docile and willing of beasts. Soon 
 each would put his nose on my cheek, 
 our three faces coming in direct con- 
 tact. I then stepped a little forward, 
 directly in front, looked them in the 
 face, beckoned with both hands and 
 said distinctly, " Come," when they
 
 302 LIFE OF ASA G. SHELDON : 
 
 started so quick I was obliged to spring 
 out of the way. 
 
 " It took you a great while," said 
 one of the ladies. 
 
 " Yes, for I first had to mesmerise 
 the driver, and make him willing." 
 
 One of the ladies then asked if I 
 should return that evening. 
 
 " I have not fully determined," said I. 
 
 " Then I will not go back, if you 
 don't go, although I very much wish 
 to." 
 
 "If it would be an accommodation 
 to you to go home, I will return in the 
 9 o'clock omnibus on these conditions: 
 That you will allow me the pleasure of 
 sitting next to you." This was agreed 
 upon, to the merriment of the com- 
 pany. 
 
 We met at the hour appointed, and 
 I never saw her before or since, but one 
 thing I am sure of, she felt safer, as 
 any reasonable woman would, in com- 
 pany with a man who coaxed horses, 
 rather than beat them. 
 
 When the driver came for his fare, 
 I offered mine, but he said, " Uncle 
 Asa, I shan't take any pay of you to- 
 night."
 
 WILMINGTON FARMER. 303 
 
 " You appear to know me," said I, 
 " but I don't know you." 
 
 " Oh, I have known you ever since I 
 was a little boy." 
 
 " Then tell me who you are, and per- 
 haps I shall know your father." 
 
 When he told his name, " Oh," said 
 I, "I knew your father, and grand- 
 father and great-grandfather, Captain 
 John Harnden, the very man who used 
 to come when I had a broken leg and 
 tell me pleasing stories." 
 
 To the young I would say, when 
 you come in contact with old people, if 
 possible make yourself known to them, 
 especially if you have reason to think 
 they have been acquainted with your 
 parents. It is a satisfaction to see the 
 children of their former associates, and 
 if you would introduce yourselves, it 
 would afford them much pleasure. 
 You may sometimes wonder old people 
 do not recognize you, but when you be- 
 come old yourselves, you can better 
 realize the effect of dim vision and 
 crowded intellect on the mind of the 
 aged.
 
 304 LIFE OP ASA G. SHELDON : 
 
 LICE ON CATTLE. 
 
 It is vain to expect your stock to 
 thrive while infected with lice. The 
 most simple and effective remedy for 
 them is hog's lard. This should be 
 rubbed or put around the horns, around 
 the ears, between the eyes and nose, 
 the whole length of the back, around 
 the butt of the tail and on the dew-lap, 
 and a little in the hollow back of the 
 shoulders, and then let the creature 
 stand in the sun. This should be done 
 once a week, or oftener if you please, as 
 long as a louse can be found. My idea 
 is that they eat so much they split open, 
 for skins can be found two hours after 
 the application. If you have a pen of 
 calves and will let a cosset sheep be 
 put with them and allowed to sleep in 
 the pen, they will have no lice. The 
 lice will leave for warmer lodgings on 
 the sheep and never quit till they have 
 eaten so much of her grease as to kill 
 them. Next to lard I would recom- 
 mend tobacco wash, which is more 
 trouble and likely to expose the ani- 
 mal to take cold. Never use unguin-
 
 WILMINGTON FARMER. 305 
 
 turn on any account. So much for 
 cure. One tablespoonful sulphur in a 
 quart of meal, given once in two weeks, 
 is a sure preventative to lice. It is 
 good for cattle, horses or hogs. 
 
 DAIRY WORK. 
 
 Where a number of cows are kept, 
 it is necessary to set each cow's milk 
 by itself, skim and churn it by itself to 
 ascertain what kind of butter she makes 
 and how long it is in coming. This is 
 important to determine what heifers to 
 keep for milch cows. 
 
 I once had fifteen heifers who " came 
 in" so near together that their calves 
 were all taken from them in one day. 
 When they had fairly outgrown their 
 weaning, each one's milk was set sep- 
 arate and the cream churned separate. 
 The result was, one heifer's cream came 
 to butter in about three minutes, eleven 
 of them in ten minutes, and three of 
 them from one and a half to two hours. 
 The first twelve had butter of a nice 
 quality ; the last three gave more milk 
 by measure than any of them, but the
 
 306 LIFE OP ASA G. SHELDON : 
 
 butter was soft and white. Those I 
 sold to a milk-man. Had I kept them 
 with the rest and their cream been 
 churned together, it is my opinion the 
 other heifer's cream would have come 
 to butter, and theirs not at all, but pass 
 off in the buttermilk. 
 
 One of my neighbors, famed for 
 good butter and high prices, found one 
 spring that his customers shunned him. 
 On inquiring the cause he was told his 
 butter would not keep well, after three 
 days it could not be eaten. He then 
 tried his cows separately, and found 
 one cow produced butter that smelt 
 badly when first made and when forty- 
 eight hours old could not be endured 
 on the table. He had expected that 
 same cow to be his best dairy cow that 
 season. 
 
 One day's cream is a sufficient test, 
 and can be easily stirred to butter in a 
 bowl. 
 
 MILKING Cows. Cows should be 
 milked regularly ; that is at the same 
 time in the day, every day. This should 
 be done as fast as possible till the last 
 stream is pressed from the udder. 
 
 To have all kinds of stock tame, I
 
 WILMINGTON FABMEK. 307 
 
 deem important ; more especially milch 
 cows. For this purpose children should 
 be encouraged to feed and play with, 
 and lead them when calves. 
 
 BUTTER-MAKING. All butter utensils 
 should be kept perfectly sweet and dry, 
 that is, pails, pans, and churns should 
 be dried before being packed away. 
 The milk strainer whether of cloth or 
 wire should be dried as soon as possible. 
 It should be strained in pans about two 
 inches thick as soon as milked and if- 
 rich froth remain in the pail a half cup 
 of cold water will settle it, which you 
 may strain into the milk. Twenty- 
 four hours in the hottest weather is 
 long enough to let cream remain on 
 the milk. If it does not keep sweet 
 one day, unless there is thunder, the 
 dishes are not sweet. Cream should 
 always be stirred daily, but in hot 
 weather twice a day, with a stick kept 
 in the creampot, and taken off with as 
 little milk as possible. Forty-eight 
 hours is long enough in any weather 
 for cream to stand on the milk, and 
 thirty-six generally. Wind should not 
 blow hard on milk while setting cream, 
 but a draught of air over it greatly facili-
 
 308 LIFE OP ASA G. SHELDON : 
 
 tates the rising and helps the quality. 
 I should prefer a milk-room with two 
 windows, one north, and one west ; 
 this last in hot, sunny days I would 
 shade with an awning to keep out the 
 sun and not obstruct the air. Keep 
 cream covered close, I deem stone pots 
 preferable, and churned twice a week 
 in summer. When taken from the 
 churn, no water should be added but 
 the buttermilk worked out, and salted 
 to liking. After standing till it is cool 
 or till the next morning, it must be 
 again wrought and a half ounce of fine 
 white sugar added to every pound ; then 
 weigh and shape for market. The su- 
 gar is a preservative and adds to the 
 flavor. 
 
 GRAZING. I wish to make a few 
 statements showing the benefits of giv- 
 ing cows good grazing during summer. 
 As I have before said, nothing is so 
 good for making butter as good grass. 
 A few words to illustrate the difference 
 between good and short pasturage. Rid- 
 ing one day with a dairy farmer, I said 
 to him, " A good cow kept in a first 
 rate pasture will be worth $10 more 
 than the same cow kept in a meagre
 
 WILMINGTON FARMER. 309 
 
 pasture, that is, one had better pay 
 for a good pasture than accept a poor 
 one as a gift." 
 
 " Sheldon, I know there is great dif- 
 ference, but I think you are rather 
 wild," said he. 
 
 By this time we were passing an ex- 
 cellent pasture on our right, in which 
 two cows were feeding, and a very poor 
 one on the left where three cows were 
 trying to feed. 
 
 "Will not those cows make fifty 
 pounds of butter each in a season more 
 than either of the three others 1 " said I. 
 
 " I think they will," said he. 
 
 " Will not each cow carry into the 
 barn-yard $3 worth more than the 
 others, and wont they on account of 
 their flesh be worth $5 more in the 
 fall?" 
 
 "Yes, I think they will," said he, 
 " you have made out your case and 
 more too." 
 
 Have we not reason to suppose the 
 owner of the two cows made a profit 
 by farming, while the owner of the 
 three could make no profit ?
 
 310 LIFE OF ASA G. SHELDON : 
 
 SHEEP. 
 
 A few sheep may be profitable to 
 farmers in this section of country if 
 they have a snug pasture, where they 
 will not trouble their neighbors. But 
 back in New Hampshire and Vermont, 
 where butter and milk are less valuable 
 than here, they must be quite profit- 
 able. In rearing lambs it should be 
 kept in mind that if a lamb does not 
 get hold of his mother's teat and help 
 himself to what nature has prepared 
 for him, quickly after he is dropped, 
 his life will be short. 
 
 When sheep or lambs are poisoned 
 with kill-lamb, so common in New Eng- 
 land pastures, a drop or two of warm 
 chamber-lye is certain cure. If the old 
 dam be so unnatural, as sometimes is 
 the case, as to disown her offspring, tie 
 her and take the lamb away and carry 
 it at stated times to suck, holding her 
 the while. Should she still refuse, cuff 
 her ears and she will soon choose to let 
 him suck and have you keep away. 
 
 For ticks in sheep, I prefer Jaques' 
 sheep-wash, or extract of tobacco, to
 
 WILMINGTON FARMER. 311 
 
 anything else. I have tried it on my 
 sheep two different seasons and found 
 that it worked admirably, killing all the 
 vermin, and the sheep thrived after- 
 wards finely. 
 
 HOGS. 
 
 Hogs with proper attention, where 
 manure is valuable, may be made the 
 most profitable of any stock a man can 
 keep on his farm ; but if neglected they 
 will run him in debt as fast. The right 
 kind of hogs properly tended, will pro- 
 duce ten pounds pork from one bushel 
 of corn meal, while they may be so 
 neglected and scantily kept that they 
 consume a bushel of meal and not gain 
 a pound. No man can ever get rich 
 by buying a creature and starving it. 
 Hogs are a kind of stock that will not 
 do for a farmer to say he will keep a 
 certain number, let circumstances be as 
 they will. 
 
 Whenever it is evident from frost or 
 other reasons that corn will be high, 
 say $2 per barrel, he had better get 
 rid of his hogs, for he never can sell
 
 312 LIFE OP ASA G. SHELDON : 
 
 pork high, enough to pay the feeding at 
 that price. To make them profitable 
 be sure and keep the best breed, and 
 in a warm pen, with windows to the 
 south, and access to the horse manure 
 for bed, then they will not need bedd- 
 ing every stormy night. 
 
 At the time little pigs come, I prac*- 
 tice throwing the sow a bit of salt 
 pork ; if she eats it readily give her 
 another, and so on till she appears sat- 
 isfied. 
 
 To prevent pigs getting squeezed to 
 death behind the sow, nail a bit of 
 plank, six inches wide, eight inches 
 from the floor of the pen on the side 
 the sow is most likely to lay. This 
 gives room for the pigs to run behind 
 her back and not get squeezed. 
 
 HENS. 
 
 The following article on hens is by 
 Mrs. E. Carter, of Amherst, N. H. 
 
 " When living in Wilmington, I 
 thought to get a little pocket money 
 from five hens. I set them on thirteen 
 eggs apiece, and they brought out on
 
 WILMINGTON FARMER. 313 
 
 an average twelve chickens ; many died 
 but what lived were tended regularly, 
 generally fed before the sun was up, 
 oftentimes as soon as out of their coops 
 in the gray of the morning. This fact 
 of an early breakfast, is of great im- 
 portance to the chicks, as they are faint 
 in the morning and liable to drabble 
 out. I fed them with moist dough 
 twice a day ; in the forenoon at twelve 
 o'clock, and in the afternoon at three. 
 I did not scald the meal, but have since 
 found it a great improvement. I kept 
 them on Southern corn-meal at fifty- 
 eight cents per bushel, and sold them 
 oif before July ended, leaving a net 
 profit of $11.55 beside the pleasure of 
 tending them. I would strongly rec- 
 commend a coop for every hen, when 
 her brood is young. They should face 
 the sun, and be built so tall as not to 
 rumple her feathers. This is impor- 
 tant. A hen cannot take comfort if 
 anything obstructs her plumage ; and 
 for mercy's sake, do not keep them con- 
 fined day after day, unless in stormy 
 weather. They love liberty, and de- 
 light to bask and roll in the sun. Some 
 convenient place should always be pro-
 
 314 LIFE OP ASA G. SHELDON : 
 
 vidcd for them, with ashes to mix with 
 the dirt ; it is better for lice than mere- 
 ly dry dirt. If there is nothing of that 
 kind, little ones are apt to die of lice. 
 If the hen and brood are let out the 
 second afternoon of their confinement, 
 they will not be apt to stray far, and 
 return, or be driven to the coop at night, 
 and gladly make that their home. Some 
 boiled potatoes mixed with chickens' 
 dough, I have found many times more 
 profitable than all meal. 
 
 I have many times parted the feath- 
 ers and cut a slit in the crop of a sickly 
 chicken and taken out bad substances, 
 once a hard, black bag, sewed it up 
 again and the chicken would do well, 
 and when picked no trace of stitches 
 could be discovered. 
 
 To fatten hens or chickens, they 
 should be shut in a dry pen with a 
 good perch, and fed with new-made 
 corn-meal dough, rather moist, twice 
 per day. After eating the dough, corn 
 should be added, and other grain for 
 change. To add potatoes to the dough 
 for change is beneficial, as they tire of 
 one kind. Some sweeten with molas- 
 ses, but I never found any profit by it,
 
 WILMINGTON FARMER. 315 
 
 Nine days is quite long enough to keep 
 them shut up before killing. No water 
 should be used as drink. Where milk 
 is not more than three cents per quart, 
 you will find your account in wetting 
 the dough with new milk every alter- 
 nate day. The more variations of 
 wholesome food for fattening chickens 
 the better. 
 
 In preparing for market, to save 
 tearing the skin, begin to pick as soon 
 as killed, before motion wholly ceases. 
 
 It is well known that running fowls 
 lay more eggs in summer than in win- 
 ter. This I consider owing partly to 
 a lack of meat or meaty substances, 
 which in summer they can help thern- 
 selves to, in shape of grasshoppers, 
 crickets, bugs, &c. Now, if this lack 
 be supplied by meat orts, from the ta- 
 ble or otherwise, and they have a warm 
 house to perch in, and burnt bone or 
 lime constantly by them, with fair wa- 
 ter for drink, with some kind of grain, 
 either corn, oats, barley, rye, wheat, or 
 buckwheat, we may expect, when they 
 have rested through the month of De- 
 cember, they will give us very near as 
 many eggs in winter as in summer. In
 
 316 LIFE OF ASA G. SHELDON : 
 
 severe cold weather, carry out hot wa- 
 ter for them, they will pay back for the 
 delicacy in eggs. A box of ashes to 
 roll in should not be omitted. 
 
 I have found it difficult to keep lice 
 out of a hen-house that had been long 
 used for that purpose ; but found I 
 could save the chickens by moving the 
 hen and eggs as soon as she wants to 
 set, to some other good place and make 
 a nice nest of straw or meadow hay, 
 either of which are preferable to Eng- 
 lish hay. Lice will accumulate if she 
 sits in the house, and annoy her so that 
 she often leaves her eggs ; should she 
 hatch them they would be likely to die 
 of lice. For this reason coops are re- 
 commended as soon as they hatch. We 
 should be as careful to keep our chick- 
 ens out of the hen-pen as to keep our 
 children out of bad company. A shal- 
 low, wooden trough is good for the 
 little ones to drink out of in summer. 
 
 From my limited experience in dif- 
 ferent breeds, I have found the Black 
 Spanish the best layers, and Yellow 
 Pennsylvanias' the best for market and 
 table purposes. 
 
 Some may object to moving a hen
 
 WILMINGTON FARMER. 317 
 
 lest being disturbed she refuse to set. 
 But if it be done on the first evening, 
 taking her up carefully to avoid rump- 
 ling her feathers, and holding her gen- 
 tly on her eggs till she recognizes them, 
 there will be no difficulty in her being 
 satisfied with her new home. 
 
 Those who keep their hens shut up 
 on account of the depredations they 
 commit on the garden, or other places, 
 would do well to let them out every 
 afternoon at five o'clock, as they will 
 not then be inclined to scratch on ac- 
 count of their desire to catch insects. 
 To keep them shut up in the forenoon 
 will secure their eggs, as they usually 
 lay before noon. 
 
 Since penning the above I have re- 
 ceived from Henry Sheldon, the fol- 
 lowing safe and tested remedy for lice : 
 One table-spoonful of sulphur to one 
 dozen fowls, mixed with their dough. 
 Repeat the dose on three alternate days. 
 Practice this every two months and 
 your fowls will be healthy, and no lice 
 will trouble them."
 
 31 8 LIFE OP ASA G. SHELDON : 
 
 CURE FOR HORN AIL, &c. 
 
 Make a bag long enough to reach 
 from one horn to the other, and wide 
 enough to reach round the horn, with 
 a string at every corner. Fill it with 
 soft soap and salt mixed, and tie it 
 around the horns. When the bag is 
 in its proper place it will lay partly for- 
 ward and partly back of the top of the 
 head. You need not stop to ascertain 
 whether the disease be horn-ail or not; 
 if your cattle are dumpish or unhealthy 
 put it on and it will generally bring 
 them to appetite, and surely will do no 
 harm. I have frequently tried it, and 
 always w T ith good effect. I once owned 
 an ox that I kept several years, and 
 some years had to apply it two or three 
 times. I always let it remain until I 
 thought the cure was effected. I have 
 noticed the first symptoms of this dis- 
 ease to be an inclination to hold the 
 head down and a desire to put the nose 
 against something. I cannot say which 
 has the most salutary effect, the medi- 
 cine penetrating through the skin, or 
 melting and running down to be licked
 
 WILMINGTON FARMER. 319 
 
 off the nose and thus taken into the 
 stomach. It matters not which makes 
 the cure, but in my opinion both act 
 together. I consider it a very good 
 preventative if applied to a healthy 
 creature. 
 
 If you wish your cows to do well at 
 the time of coming in, give them a 
 mess of oats or rye meal every day, 
 awhile beforehand. 
 
 Creatures sometimes swell up. I 
 have had oxen that were troubled in 
 this way. One ox that was particular- 
 ly addicted to it, was so swollen at one 
 time, that a straight stick laying on him 
 would not touch his back. My remedy 
 is Half a teacup full of ground mus- 
 tard, half a pint of molasses, half a 
 pint hog's lard and a little water, about 
 milk-warm, will stir red together, 
 put in a glass bottle and turn down the 
 throat. Everything given to cattle as 
 a medicine should bo milk-warm. Ca- 
 ses of obstructions sometimes occur 
 when injections become necessary to 
 save life. I have had one of this kind 
 used with good success : Take half a 
 pint of lard, two table-spoonfuls ground 
 mustard, and as much gunpowder, warm
 
 320 LIFE OF ASA G. SHELDON : 
 
 and mix well, and add two quarts warm 
 water. 
 
 If the udder of a cow be swollen or 
 inflamed at time of coming in, put a 
 table-spoonful of saleratus in a quart 
 of warm water, and bathe it therewith. 
 It works to a charm. 
 
 For scratches in horses, bathe in 
 blubber oil every alternate day, till a 
 cure is effected. 
 
 PLOUGHS AND PLOUGHING. 
 
 In my humble opinion there has been 
 no radical improvement in ploughs for 
 the last thirty years. Far be it from 
 me to discourage improvements, but al- 
 though I see alterations they do not ap- 
 pear to be beneficial. Between the 
 year 1800 and 1830, there were great 
 improvements in ploughs. . The best 
 plough that I ever used was built by 
 Dea. Benj. Foster, of this town, in the 
 year 1816. This plough was a perfect 
 machine in every respect. If it laid 
 on the wing when you started the team, 
 the first motion would cause it to come 
 up square on its bottom. In common
 
 WILMINGTON FARMER. 321 
 
 grass ground it would turn a furrow 
 sixteen inches wide and lay it over so 
 neatly that if a man could see neither 
 centre nor outside, it would trouble 
 him to tell which way the furrows were 
 turned. Where there were neither 
 roots nor stones, it would run the whole 
 length of the furrow without holding. 
 Put it into an old corn field, and walk 
 beside your team, and it would run 
 from side to side, splitting the hills 
 without your touching it, as well as any 
 plough could possibly do it by being 
 guided. Out of $300 worth of ploughs 
 that I have owned since, this was the 
 only one that I ever found that would 
 do it. I do not know the weight of 
 this plough, but wish I did. Of one 
 thing I am certain, it was not more 
 than half as heavy as the ploughs we 
 now use, that will turn a furrow of the 
 same width. 
 
 The next best plough I ever owned 
 was made by Warren, of North Dan- 
 vers. This had a rolling cutter and 
 run easy for the team, being a light 
 plough in proportion to the furrow it 
 cut. The great error plough makers 
 have fallen into within the last thirty
 
 322 LIFE OP ASA G. SHELDON ! 
 
 years, is by increasing the weight so 
 much it over balances every other im- 
 provement. It is worth one mill for a 
 team to carry one pound a day. Now 
 if a plough be fifty pounds heavier 
 than need be, there is five cents loss 
 every day in carrying that weight, be- 
 sides the ploughman's extra labor in 
 throwing it round at every corner, and 
 have thought ever since my leg was 
 broken, that was worth ten cents extra. 
 If plough builders would give us any 
 improvement in ploughs, I beg them 
 to make them lighter. 
 
 Cutters to all ploughs should be so 
 made as to cut a little under on the 
 land side. By that means the furrows 
 can be dropped in flat. I would not 
 have a man plow grass land and lap 
 the furrows, if he would do it for noth- 
 ing. The disadvantage of tilling that 
 year would more than over-balance 
 the cost of plowing. 
 
 Depth of plowing should vary ac- 
 cording to circumstances. Land should 
 never be plowed very deep the first 
 time. Land five inches below the sur- 
 tace on virgin soil is softer and lighter 
 than ever afterwards. I learned this
 
 WILMINGTON FARMER. 323 
 
 when a boy, by observing when break- 
 ing new land the oxerfs feet who trod 
 in the furrow would settle in deeper 
 than in an old field. 
 
 If you have but little manure be sure 
 and not plow too deep, from five to 
 seven inches; but if manure is abun- 
 dant you may plow from eight to nine 
 inches with profit. 
 
 SWALE LAND. 
 
 There is a kind of swale land gener- 
 ally covered with alders, which is ex- 
 cellent for grass if rightly managed. 
 Frequently on examination, white sand 
 may be found within two inches of 
 the surface. If so, never plough it. 
 Cut the alders close to the ground and 
 burn them in the month of August ; 
 sow on grass seed ; spread on plenty of 
 compost manure, a great part of which 
 may be dirt ; use a brush-harrow un- 
 sparingly, and next July you may ex- 
 pect a noble crop of herd's grass and 
 red-top, taking it for granted you sowed 
 that kind of seed. In haying time 
 there will most probably be some alder
 
 324 LIFE OP ASA G. SHELDON : 
 
 sprouts that the scythe will readily take 
 off, and the stoclf the next winter will 
 not object to them at all, and likely 
 they will be the last that will spring 
 up. This land will ask for a little 
 grass-seed about every five years, and 
 top dressing at the same time. I have 
 no doubt one-half the manure made 
 from this grass will, by composting, 
 keep the land highly dressed, giving 
 you the privilege of selling one-half 
 the crop. I have no doubt but that in 
 this way your land will yield a good 
 crop more years in succession than I 
 have lived. This is the most profitable 
 way of raising English grass I have 
 ever found. 
 
 EECLAIMING SWAMP LAND. 
 
 The first object is to drain it. Dig 
 a central ditch, and one on each side. 
 At the down-stream end, dig a ditch 
 from the side ones into the central one. 
 After draining, the main surface will 
 settle, the old harrock grass will die, 
 and in about one year it will be in a 
 fit condition to clear the wood and
 
 WILMINGTON FARMER. 325 
 
 bushes away, which should be done by 
 cutting the roots as tkey become prom- 
 inent. It is not profitable to do this 
 till one year after drainage. Don't be 
 too particular about getting all the old 
 settlers out, but plant with potatoes 
 without manure ; they will thrive well 
 among the roots in close proximity to 
 a stump, which time will loosen with 
 each revolving year. Avoid cross dit- 
 ches, they are troublesome in plowing. 
 If the swamp land is good it will bear 
 better potatoes two years without than 
 with manure. The farmer can judge 
 when the land wants manure, by the 
 length of the potatoe vines. If they 
 are six or seven feet long, there is no 
 need of manure ; if only four feet, put 
 some manure in the hill. 
 
 In tilling this virgin soil, it will be 
 discovered that the surface is the best. 
 My manner of planting is to deposit 
 the seed on the top and hoe dirt upon 
 them. As I continue to till, I go deep- 
 er in order to bring up new soil. I 
 sometimes plant several years before I 
 plough a furrow. I cannot say how 
 long it will hold out, but I have a
 
 326 LIFE OP ASA G. SHELDON : 
 
 piece which I planted eight years that 
 yields a satisfactory crop. 
 
 This kind of land will bear good 
 herd's grass, &c., four years, after that 
 wild grasses come in plentifully. Po- 
 tatoes grow here of good quality, but 
 grass, although very handsome, has not 
 the sweetness of upland hay. It ought 
 then to be ploughed, and grass seed 
 sown again, or potatoes planted, and at 
 every ploughing I would attempt to 
 strike a little deeper than before. 
 
 Mud from ditches, such as mention- 
 ed above, is superb to spread on the 
 land among young apple trees in the 
 fall, and plow in, in the spring. 
 
 RAISING CORN, POTATOES AND 
 GRASS. 
 
 These three articles are classed to- 
 gether because the good farmer's ob- 
 ject is, while he raises the two first to 
 produce the third. Let us suppose an 
 acre of ground, well adapted to all 
 these, but has been in grass so long 
 that it produces only from ten to fifteen 
 hundred weight to the acre. I would
 
 WILMINGTON FARMER. 327 
 
 plough the land in August, if the soil 
 be suitable, eight or nine inches deep. 
 If you intend to lay it down after the first 
 crop of corn is taken off, put on all the 
 manure it will need for seven years, 
 and spread on the ground. Then run 
 a light plow lengthwise of the furrows, 
 as deep as you can and not disturb the 
 sod. This work should be finished in 
 September, and the land rest through 
 the winter. In the spring you may 
 harrow, or cross-plough as you choose ; 
 then mark the land in rows both ways 
 three and a half feet apart for corn- 
 planting four kernels to the hill is 
 suificient. Corn should always be hoed 
 three times and more rather than let it 
 get weedy. The weeds should be kept 
 down at any rate, and if this is done 
 the plough or cultivator will do most of 
 the work ; the hoeing labor is but light. 
 I can testify from experience that no 
 man can make a profit by raising weeds. 
 Be sure and plant early corn, and if 
 you are going to sow down, cut up the 
 corn, stalks and all, as soon as it is 
 fairly out of the milk. Shock it in the 
 field, taking up as little ground as you 
 can. Then plow, but without disturb-
 
 328 LIFE OP ASA G. SHELDON : 
 
 ing the old sods ; they have a duty to 
 do to the coming grass crop, where 
 they are. When ready sow one peck 
 of herd's grass and one bushel red-top 
 to the acre. You will be under the 
 necessity of leaving narrow strips where 
 the shocks are, but these you must pre- 
 pare and sow as soon as you can. 
 
 Now if you have put fifteen cords of 
 manure to the acre and followed these 
 directions, you may expect from seventy 
 to one hundred bushels of corn to the 
 acre, and a noble lot of corn-fodder ; 
 and an average of two tons of hay to 
 the acre for the first four years ; one 
 and a half tons for the next two years, 
 and if not convenient to plough again 
 then, you need not be afraid of its being 
 poorer than when first ploughed for 
 three years more. 
 
 ANOTHER WAY OF RAISING CORN AND 
 POTATOES. Let the cornhills remain 
 till spring. Drop potatoes on to the 
 ground directly between the hills, then 
 throw manure on to them ; take a pair 
 of oxen or a horse and split the hills, 
 two furrows in a row, throwing the dirt 
 on to the potatoes. A man should 
 walk over the ground and re-cover if
 
 WILMINGTON FARMER. 329 
 
 necessary, or hoe off if a surplus re- 
 mains. A few days before they show 
 themselves above ground, drag a brush 
 harrow crosswise over the ground; this 
 will disturb the weeds and give the pota- 
 toes a chance to get ahead of these 
 dwellers on the sod. When ready to 
 hoe, plough crosswise the furrows and 
 then follow with the hoe. Twice tend- 
 ing is all that is generally needed, for 
 it is always injurious to work among 
 them after the vines spread. In this 
 way you will be likely to get from two 
 to three hundred bushels to the acre. 
 This mode I learned from a man in 
 Connecticut, when I was teaming hops 
 to New York. It may be thought by 
 some a slovenly way, but my word for 
 it, it is the cheapest, easiest and most 
 profitable way that I ever knew potatoes 
 raised on upland. After the crop is 
 taken off the land will be ready to sow 
 with grass. 
 
 A DAY'S WORK. When I arose in 
 the morning the manure was in the 
 barn-yard, the potatoes lay in the bam 
 uncut, and the ground lay in Indian 
 hills just as the corn was taken from it 
 the fall before. I commenced opera-
 
 330 LIFE OP ASA G. SHELDON : 
 
 tions with. Daniel Eames, who loaded 
 and teamed out all the manure, laying 
 it in heaps ; while I with three small 
 children, (the youngest not five years 
 old), dropped the potatoes, laid on the 
 manure, and covered by splitting the 
 hills. From that day's work I realized 
 over five hundred bushels of potatoes. 
 I have ever been in favor of this mode 
 of raising potatoes, no matter how hard 
 the ground is under them. 
 
 Two farmers, well known to me, and 
 to each other, planted each a patch of 
 corn on land much infested by witch- 
 grass. One plowed his ground just 
 before planting, then gathered up what 
 grass was handy into bunches and 
 burned it. As soon as the corn was 
 out of the ground and would possibly 
 admit of hoeing it was ploughed and 
 hoed. And this process was continued 
 every week for seven successive weeks. 
 I have heard the owner say that when 
 hoeing it passers-by would say, " what 
 are you hoeing that corn for, it don't 
 need it?" His answer, was, " I don't 
 mean it shall this summer." In con- 
 sequence of stirring the ground so 
 often and keeping the grass in subjec-
 
 WILMINGTON FARMER. 331 
 
 tioii the crop came forward and matured 
 early, and was a most beautiful crop 
 of sound corn. 
 
 The other man cleared off the witch 
 grass after ploughing as did the former, 
 and treated it in other respects equal 
 till the corn was planted. The first 
 hoeing was put off till the grass cov- 
 ered all the surface as high as the corn, 
 and hoed but twice in the season. He 
 observed to me that he thought it cost 
 him as much labor to hoe his twice as 
 it did his neighbor to hoe his seven 
 times, but not so much to plough it. In 
 September it was thought that this field 
 was about two weeks behind the other, 
 and an early frost coming, there was 
 not much sound corn; mostly hog-corn. 
 
 If you want a good crop of corn, 
 stir the ground often till the weeds 
 have done coming up. A moment's 
 reflection will show the difference in 
 tending an acre where the weeds are 
 ten inches high, and where they are 
 just peeping from the ground. In 
 some sections tending only twice is 
 practiced ; and those who practice it 
 generally hoe late, after the weeds are 
 grown, and with as much labor as would
 
 332 LIFE OP ASA G. SHELDON : 
 
 tend the same ground three times in 
 the proper season, and secure a better 
 crop. In this case the old maxim is 
 verified : " A stitch in time saves nine." 
 
 KAISING ROOTS. 
 
 Old pasture land is preferable for 
 nearly all kinds of roots. It should be 
 ploughed the previous August, and will 
 not be so subject to weeds or worms 
 as old fields. Many times half the 
 labor is thus saved. 
 
 For rutabagas no matter how sandy 
 the land is. The best crop I ever raised 
 was on blowing sand. I furrowed quite 
 deep and applied the rawest manure 
 from the barn cellar. After it was 
 placed in the bottom of the furrows, a 
 light sprinkling of sand was hauled 
 over it ; I then sowed the seed with a 
 machine, about the last of Jnne, and 
 realized the best crop of bagas I ever 
 raised or ever saw. I had eighty-two 
 barrels on one-fourth of an acre. Sold 
 them to one man for sixty-seven cents 
 per barrel. Rutabagas depend almost 
 entirely on the manure. As to soil,
 
 WILMINGTON FARMER. 333 
 
 there was none there, but the heavens 
 gave water that kept them well sprink- 
 led and the manure well soaked. 
 
 Parsnips and carrots require a good 
 loamy soil, with old rotten manure well 
 sprinkled and the manure well mixed 
 with the soil. I think they grow larger 
 and longer on ridges, than on level sur- 
 face. 
 
 FOREST TREES. 
 
 To make an oak growth profitable, 
 it should be cut once in twenty-five 
 years. If the owner be paying inter- 
 est money and wood turns well, he had 
 better not let it stand over twenty-two 
 years. For the benefit of the sprouts 
 that come after, it should be cut some 
 time when the days are shorter than 
 the nights. The stumps should be cut 
 very close to the ground for several 
 reasons : 
 
 1st. Because you get more wood. 
 
 2d. It is much better getting over 
 the land with sled or wagon. 
 
 Last, but not least by any means, 
 sprouts coming from a stump near the
 
 334 LIFE OP ASA G. SHELDON : 
 
 ground, thrive much better than those 
 starting from a stump six inches above 
 the ground. 
 
 If you cannot bend your own back, 
 nor persuade your chopper to do so, 
 you had better cut your trees in early 
 fall so that the stump may dry by the 
 sun and die on the top, and the sprouts 
 start out near the ground. 
 
 I once sold a lot of standing oak 
 wood at auction. Aged men that were 
 there said it was so thrifty that it was 
 a sin to cut it. It amounted to $75 per 
 acre. The whole growth was taken 
 away before the first day of April. 
 No cattle were allowed on it for four 
 years. I would rather a man would 
 drive hungry cattle through my mow- 
 land, than to drive the same number 
 through my sprout-land. 
 
 Twenty-two years from the time of 
 the auction, in looking over the lot, I 
 made up my mind that it would fetch 
 $50 per acre, if put up at auction. It 
 was sold at $65 per acre. This was 
 three and a half years ago, and there 
 is now as fine a growth of sprouts on 
 it as I ever saw on any land. 
 
 Beckoning $75 for twenty-five and
 
 WILMINGTON FARMER. 335 
 
 a half years, at six per cent., compound 
 interest, amounts to 340.45 ; and $65 
 for three and a half years, at same rate, 
 amounts to $79.25 ; making a total of 
 $419.70 per acre. Drawing conclu- 
 sions from a lot that stood near by, and 
 larger than mine at the time of the 
 first auction, mine would at this time 
 be worth not more than $125 per acre 
 had the first growth stood. I would 
 particularly say here, that sprouts com- 
 ing from a young growth are worth 
 more in twenty years than those com- 
 ing from an old growth are in forty. 
 
 A lot of wood is now standing with- 
 in my knowledge, that I recollect a man 
 offered $200 per acre for the top in 
 1812. I have often passed that lot 
 and never noticed a tree cut from it 
 from that day to this. Had this offer 
 been taken and the money put at com- 
 pound interest at this time, it would 
 amount to the amazing sum of $3817 
 per acre, and another growth would 
 have sprung up fifty years old, proba- 
 bly worth $83 per acre, swelling the 
 sum to $3,900 per acre. 
 
 Last week I looked over the same 
 lot, and cannot call it worth more than
 
 336 LIFE OF ASA G. SHELDON : 
 
 $300 per acre, showing a dead loss of 
 $3,600 per acre. I have been told 
 that there are ten acres in the lot, and 
 if so there is $36,000 loss to the owner 
 by not turning his property. 
 
 Young men, don't be alarmed at this 
 statement ; figures do not lie. 
 
 When cutting off an oak lot, if you 
 wish to clear the land for pasturing, let 
 the brush lay on the ground until July, 
 then burn it as it lays. If any sprouts 
 or bushes remain after the fire, cut 
 them all; rake everything into piles 
 and burn them. Sow one bushel of 
 rye to the acre, one peck of herd's 
 grass seed, one bushel red top, and a 
 few pounds of white clover. Harrow 
 in well, and be sure that this operation 
 is performed by the first of August. 
 Winter rye should be on the ground 
 nearly one year, I know from experi- 
 ence, and the grass will do much bet- 
 ter. By this method you may expect 
 a good crop of grain, and the straw is 
 no small item, selling for about three- 
 fourths the price of English hay, which 
 has been the case for several years. 
 
 If the land is strong, you will proba- 
 bly choose to mow two or three years
 
 WILMINGTON FARMER. 337 
 
 before pasturing it. This I like, be- 
 cause the scythe will cut off the young 
 sprouts at the very time they ought to 
 be cut. 
 
 Whenever a pine lot is cut off, and 
 another growth is desired, be sure to 
 have some of the largest trees on the 
 highest ground to seed the land. A 
 pine growth will follow a pine growth 
 quicker if you burn the boughs and 
 sow rye first, without grass. 
 
 The seed of the pitch-pine matures 
 the first year ; white-pine seed does not 
 till the second this I am certain of, 
 and if a man should tell me that it did 
 not till the third, I would not dispute 
 him. An abundance of them start but 
 few come to maturity. 
 
 To save pine seed pick the cones 
 from the tree immediately after the first 
 hard frost, put them in a cask and set 
 them under cover. The seed is about 
 as big as an apple seed, each having 
 two wings. And if the cones remain 
 on the tree, as fast as they open the 
 wind will waft them away. 
 
 A growth of pitch-pine should be 
 cut off between twenty-five and thirty 
 years. White-pine will make beauti-
 
 338 LIFE OF ASA G. SHELDON : 
 
 ful timber in about fifty years. The 
 value of white-pine timber is increased 
 by cutting at the last of August or the 
 first of September, and pealing the 
 bark off. Then no worm will ever 
 touch it. If I were building a house, 
 I would not take the gift of timber cut 
 in June ; it will powder post, depend 
 upon it. 
 
 It sometimes occurs that land, where 
 you would like to have pines come in, 
 is swarded over with grass so as to pre- 
 vent the seed from germinating. This 
 can be remedied by going over it with 
 a plough, and turning it a little to the 
 left a narrow strip may be cut out that 
 will answer all purposes. 
 
 A man owning several acres of pine 
 wood-land, in anticipation of cutting off 
 a piece at a time would do well to run 
 a plough wherever he expects to need 
 a partition fence, and the seed will come 
 in rapidly. Should nature leave gaps 
 in her sowing, the defect may be easily 
 remedied by small pines. 
 
 A reliable friend who owned several 
 hundred acres pine land assured me he 
 had seven miles of this fence, what he 
 called " living pine." He said it cost
 
 WILMINGTON FARMER. 339 
 
 him but little pains and care, and he 
 would not exchange it for the hest rail 
 fence, or pine plain, that could be 
 found. 
 
 KING TREE. At one time I bought 
 a quantity of standing wood on Tay's 
 East Mountain, the top of which is 
 crowned with a bason of water, never 
 d r y ? of Loammi Baldwin, Esq., with 
 a specified time, to clear it off. At the 
 time of cutting and clearing he was 
 absent in one of the Carolinas, engi- 
 neering a dry dock. Knowing the 
 Baldwins to be men of curious mind, 
 very fond of landmarks, I thought, 
 while lying in bed, that if Mr. Bald- 
 win were at home he would redeem a 
 prominent white-pine tree which stood 
 on the brow of the hill. I came to the 
 conclusion that the tree should not be 
 cut till he returned. The first time I 
 saw him, he said, " Sheldon, I have 
 been past the mountain lot and noticed 
 one tree standing there ; why didn't 
 you take that away? In every other 
 particular you have cleared the lot ac- 
 cording to agreement." I told him the 
 fact, that in my night-musings I had 
 thought he might value that tree stand-
 
 340 LIFE OP ASA G. SHELDON : 
 
 ing, more than its real worth in dollars 
 and cents. 
 
 "How much is that tree worth?" 
 said he. 
 
 " Five dollars," I replied. 
 
 Whereupon he took from his pocket 
 $25 and gave it to me, saying, " That 
 is to pay you for thinking for me when 
 I don't think for myself. Last winter, 
 when at the South, I awoke one night 
 and thought of that King tree. I wish- 
 ed that I had reserved it, and would 
 gladly have given twice its value, but 
 never expected to see it again. Now I 
 would not take a hundred dollars for it, 
 not that it will be worth that in cash, 
 but because it will afford me pleasure 
 in riding over the neighboring towns, 
 to see that landmark and recall the 
 pleasant thoughts associated with it." 
 
 No man can calculate the cords of 
 wood that will grow from the seed of 
 that tree, standing as it does on an ele- 
 vation where the wind fans it from all 
 directions. 
 
 I would here intimate to the young, 
 never to be in haste to fell a tree that 
 you have reason to believe another per- 
 son would take comfort in having stand.
 
 WILMINGTON FARMER. 341 
 
 When once down it cannot be replaced 
 again. I have known lasting ani- 
 mosities created between families and 
 friends by the simple but significant 
 fact of cutting a favorite tree. Sure I 
 am there is not a prominent tree in the 
 country but that some one would not 
 like to see it fall. 
 
 On the day that I was seventy years 
 of age, I set an elm tree, and the day 
 that I was seventy-one I set fifteen, all 
 of which are alive and doing well. I 
 make it a rule, not to be broken, to set 
 one or more trees on every birth-day, 
 which occurs at the very best season to 
 transplant trees. 
 
 Walnut trees are the most difficult 
 to transplant and make live, by reason 
 of the tap-root running down like a 
 parsnip. If you can select one grow- 
 ing on a ledge where there is no length 
 of tap-root, it can be transplanted with- 
 out trouble, but be sure and place the 
 same side to the South that stood there 
 in its natural state. 
 
 White-pine trees can be safely trans- 
 planted the first days hi June. My 
 friend, Dea. Levi Parker, assured me 
 that he set one hundred some years
 
 342 LIFE OP ASA G. SHELDON ! 
 
 since, and only three died ; ninety-seven 
 are thriving. 
 
 APPLE TREES. 
 
 Nurseries should be planted on high 
 land, free from stone. In the fall is 
 the best time for planting them. I 
 like to have the rows so far apart as to 
 have a row of roots grow between 
 them. The land should not be very 
 highly manured ; if it is, the trees 
 will not acquire as many roots as they 
 need after transplanting. If they grow 
 on land free from stone they can be 
 taken up much easier, and without 
 bruising the roots so badly. As soon 
 as the trees are big enough, bud them 
 in the month of August. After one 
 year's growth from the bud, the old 
 stock should be cut off in the follow- 
 ing spring. Two years after budding, 
 either fall or spring, is the right time 
 to transplant the tree. Three years 
 will answer, but I had rather have it 
 one year than four. 
 
 Before you take up the tree, tie a 
 string to a limb that projects toward
 
 WILMINGTON FARMER. 
 
 the South, and he sure you set it in 
 the same direction in transplanting. 
 Many a tree has heen nearly ruined by 
 having its North side exposed to the 
 hot rays of the sun in July. I had 
 rather have five trees set as they grew 
 in the nursery, than six turned round. 
 If you set an orchard, be sure that 
 your land is suitable for it. Hilly land 
 with loamy surface and clayish-gravel 
 sub-soil is best. Land where walnut 
 grows is sure to favor apple trees, and 
 you need not be at all afraid to set them 
 where barberries grow. 
 
 In early pruning, be sure to leave 
 branches where you want them ; if one 
 is nothing but a bud it will be a branch 
 if the others are cut away. When I 
 first commenced rearing an orchard, I 
 was advised to leave three branches 
 only to form the tree. Experience has 
 taught me that five is much better, for 
 with only three branches the wind has 
 often an opportunity to strike sidewise 
 of a branch, sometimes to the injury of 
 
 the tree. 
 
 A forked tree you had better cut ott 
 and graft anew or throw away, as it is 
 not worth raising. The wind will split
 
 344 LIFE OP ASA G. SHELDON : 
 
 it and cause you to lose your labor. 
 I am not fond of setting trees so far 
 apart as many farmers are. Thirty 
 feet is quite enough. I would rather 
 have them only twenty-five than to have 
 them thirty-five. Wind has more pow- 
 er where trees are set a long distance 
 apart, than where nearer together. The 
 limbs of trees in an orchard will gen- 
 erally meet even where the trees are 
 set forty feet apart; and a bushel of 
 apples on a limb twenty feet from the 
 trunk of the tree will strain it more 
 than the same number would at fifteen 
 feet. When the orchard is first set, it 
 is a good thing to mulch them with 
 straw or poor meadow hay, laying on 
 some stones to keep it from blowing 
 away. This is quite indispensable if 
 the season be dry. 
 
 TRIMMING TREES. The very best 
 time to trim a tree is the day the blos- 
 soms begin to open. But this lasts 
 only a few days, and in a busy season, 
 and if put off until it is a little too late 
 will prove an injury, therefore I cannot 
 recommend it. The best time that I 
 can recommend is near the time when 
 the sun crosses the line, either in March
 
 WILMINGTON FARMER. 
 
 345 
 
 or September. Sometimes the Spring 
 is so very forward there is danger of 
 trimming in the last days of March. 
 In proof of this let me say, that I have 
 one orchard which I have allowed to 
 be trimmed in the month of March 
 only, and must say I know of no health- 
 ier trees in the County of Middlesex. 
 In cutting off the limb, you should be 
 careful not to cut the seam that joins 
 the limb to the tree, as this course will 
 make a larger wound and will require 
 a longer time to heal. 
 
 I would advise every young farmer 
 to select a tree and cut off a limb every 
 month in the year, and thus he will 
 find by experiment how the sap works 
 and which time is best. This should 
 be noted in a book to avoid mistake. 
 
 Young trees should be washed with 
 a corn broom, with strong soap suds 
 and ashes, to prevent the first start of 
 moss, as soon as the frost is out of the 
 ground in the Spring, and again in 
 October. This will prevent lice and 
 help to keep out borers. They should 
 be carefully looked over before the 
 leaves start, to take off every caterpil- 
 lar's egg.
 
 346 LIFE OP ASA G. SHELDON : 
 
 After an orchard is set, I like to 
 plant corn. Care should be taken to 
 row both ways, and every tree take the 
 place of a hill that they may not ob- 
 struct ploughing. In a few years I 
 like to plant squashes between them. 
 Should you choose to lay down to grass, 
 do not let it remain so more than three 
 years lest the trees become stunted. 
 
 Black, swamp mud, spread on an 
 orchard in the Fall and ploughed in 
 and mixed with the soil in the spring, 
 is excellent for the trees. 
 
 In gathering apples, place the thumb 
 against the stem so as to break it at the 
 first joint. A good faithful boy is bet- 
 ter to pick apples than a man. The 
 lighter he is the better, if he under- 
 stands his business. Shoes or boots 
 with nails in the heels, should not be 
 used. Apples should be gathered be- 
 fore the ground freezes at night ; pack- 
 ed in a cask ; set in a cool place, and 
 kept from air as much as possible. 
 
 The most profitable apple to raise in 
 large quantities, is the Baldwin. They 
 are a sure bearer once in two years, 
 and always sell for ready cash at mar- 
 ket price. They ripen so that all can
 
 WILMINGTON FARMER. 
 
 347 
 
 De gathered at once, and as soon as 
 they are ready for market, the market 
 is generally ready for them; and the 
 farmer will receive more net profit from 
 a Baldwin tree than from any other, 
 compared with the expense. 
 
 The origin of the Baldwin apple has 
 been mnch disputed. Many are will- 
 ing to claim it, but from authentic sour- 
 ces, I have gained the information that 
 it was a wild tree taken from the woods 
 in the South part of Wilmington, on 
 what is called Wood-hill, by William 
 Butters, and transplanted and set about 
 fourteen rods from his back door. From 
 that tree Colonel Loammi Baldwin cut 
 scions for his own orchard, from which 
 originated the name. On that point 
 there was so much dispute, I felt an 
 interest in knowing, if possible, where 
 it was first produced. The first evi- 
 dence was gained from James Butters, 
 who lived on Wood-hill. He informed 
 me that the tree was taken from land 
 of his, and frequently urged me to go 
 and see the hole where it was taken 
 out of ; and the last time I well remem- 
 ber his words, " You will be sorry if 
 you don't." His words proved true.
 
 348 LIFE OF ASA G. SHELDON ! 
 
 I once heard that the tree was claim- 
 ed in North Tewksbury, and made a 
 journey up there to see what proof 
 could be afforded of it. I was show- 
 ed a tree they called a Baldwin, but it 
 bore little resemblance to the Baldwin 
 trees of Wilmington. I know of no 
 better way to describe it, than by call- 
 ing it a two-story tree. I did not see 
 any of the fruit, nor could I find a man 
 in the neighborhood that was able to 
 give any information as to where the 
 tree came from. Simeon Butters, son 
 of James before mentioned, showed 
 me, as near as he could recollect, where 
 the tree stood when it bore fruit ; and 
 at another time Walter Butters showed 
 me the same, and they did not vary 
 four feet. Likewise the widow of 
 Loammi Butters identified the same 
 spot. I asked all three of the last 
 mentioned persons what became of 
 that tree. The first said, " The tree 
 was thrifty when I went to live in Lynn 
 eight years ago, but when I came back 
 I never noticed it afterward." The 
 second could tell nothing about it. I 
 then repaired to the woman and asked 
 her, " Can you tell me what became
 
 WILMINGTON FARMER. 
 
 349 
 
 of that tree r' "I guess I can," she 
 replied. " The day that I was married 
 there came up a shower just before 
 twelve o'clock, and lightning tore that 
 tree all to pieces." 
 
 The Red Astrican grows very hand- 
 some and thrifty ; the apple is first ripe 
 about the tenth of August, and is con- 
 tinually ripening for five weeks. They 
 require picking as often as once in two 
 days. This apple is not suitable for 
 eating but for about four days, conse- 
 quently it must be carried to market 
 often. At the present time they bring 
 a good price on account of the scarcity. 
 The Gravenstein is an excellent ap- 
 ple for eating ; everybody likes the fla- 
 vor of it. It is scarce in market and 
 commands a high price. 
 
 The Hubbardston-Nonesuch is a very 
 good apple ; some prefer it to the Bald- 
 win, but it will not keep as long. 
 
 The Blue Pearmain grows large, but 
 is not a good winter apple, and is not 
 so profitable to raise as the Baldwin. 
 
 The Maiden's Blush is a great bear- 
 er and grows fair. It is a first rate pie 
 apple. . 
 
 The Early Sweetbow grows lair and
 
 350 LIFE OP ASA G. SHELDON t 
 
 large, and is a first rate eating apple. 
 
 The Orange Sweet grows in clusters 
 of four and six, touching each other. 
 The tree is rather small in size, with 
 upright branches, and bears largely. 
 They ripen the last of August. 
 
 The Striped Sweet is first rate for 
 eating or baking, and sell high. 
 
 The Green Win tei -Sweet is an ex- 
 cellent bearer ; very fair ; small core ; 
 good for use all winter ; keep till June, 
 and the worms never trouble them. 
 
 Wine apple ; tree handsome ; thrifty 
 grower ; upright branches ; fruit small 
 in size, but fair, and red from skin to 
 core. 
 
 Iron apple ; small in size ; very 
 hard ; never fit to eat raw ; good for 
 pies and sauce when one year old, and 
 will keep till September. 
 
 The best time to cut scions is the 
 day you want to set them. But this is 
 not always convenient; in that case 
 they should be buried in a box of loam. 
 The first new moon in May is the best 
 time for grafting. If you hire grafting 
 done, be sure to employ an honest man. 
 I once employed men who set by the 
 scion, and when I was absent they were
 
 WILMINGTON FARMER. 351 
 
 seen to cut scions from the same tree 
 and set them. When the trees bore . 
 fruit, the truth was told. 
 
 CRANBERRIES. 
 
 Incidental experience has shown me 
 that cranberries can be cultivated to 
 good advantage. In several places 
 where sand-hills have been removed 
 for the purpose of making embank- 
 ments on railroads, the sand was taken 
 down as low as could be for water, and 
 afterwards freshets had washed cran- 
 berries on from the meadows above. 
 In three years they begun to bear, and 
 I know that, one year, the crop was 
 worth $100 per acre on the vines. If 
 one wishes to cultivate cranberries, the 
 surest way would be to select a spot on 
 a brook that never fails, and have it 
 graded as level as a salt marsh. Then 
 make a dam above and one below to 
 let on water and take it off at pleasure. 
 This process will sometimes be needed 
 in a cold night in June, and a dry time 
 in July or August to soak the ground 
 and give growth to the berry and des-
 
 352 LIFE OF ASA G. SHELDON: 
 
 troy worms, and in cold nights in Sep- 
 tember to keep off frost, that they may 
 ripen on the vines. In these circum- 
 stances, I think a man may be as snre 
 of a crop of cranberries as of a crop 
 of corn. A brook privilege being se- 
 cured, the best location is where a 
 sandy plain joins a meadow, and in 
 lowering one you raise the other. Sand 
 is the best manure for Cranberries. 
 The vines should be covered with two 
 feet of water through the winter sea- 
 son to prevent the iT5e from adhering to 
 the ground and taking it up. 
 
 CONCLUSION. 
 
 Before I bring this volume to a close 
 let me say a word or two upon a sub- 
 ject which has for many years engaged 
 my attention. I do not intend to bore 
 my readers with anything lengthy ; I 
 merely wish to give them my opinions 
 upon a subject which interests us all. 
 The motives which lead me to do this, 
 need not necessarily be given, therefore 
 I will proceed.
 
 WILMINGTON FARMER. 353 
 
 The doctrine of "total depravity" 
 has been preached and expatiated upon 
 for generations and generations, when 
 it had nothing, to my mind, for a foun- 
 dation. I cannot so far forget my ob- 
 ligations to God as to suppose for a 
 moment that he is the author of a to- 
 tally depraved being. Men may sm, 
 and to human eyes appear totally de- 
 praved, but to the all-seeing eye of God 
 I cannot think they so appear. I be- 
 lieve God to be the creator and father 
 of all mankind ; I believe him to be 
 holy, just, wise and pure, perfect m 
 everything ; I believe he created man 
 after his own image and in his own 
 likeness ; but I cannot believe that God 
 has created a world full of children 
 without one particle of goodness in any 
 of them. If you were digging for 
 gold and had taken a handful of earth, 
 expecting by washing it to find gold, 
 but which did not contain any,- you 
 might wash it all away and you would 
 find no gold. Now if man is totally 
 depraved there can be nothing in him 
 worth saving. This I do not, I cannot, 
 I will not believe. We are God's re- 
 bellious children, yet he knows how to
 
 354 LIFE OF ASA G. SHELDON : 
 
 separate the gold from the dross. What 
 proportion of us will come forth as gold, 
 God only knows. Do right and trust 
 the event. Forget not that Christ said, 
 " By their works ye shall know them." 
 In the Bible we read, " And the books 
 were opened ; and another book was 
 opened, which is the book of life ; and 
 the dead were judged out of those 
 things that were written in the books, 
 according to their works." Here, cer- 
 tainly, we find great encouragement to 
 live a good, moral life. How shall we 
 do this ? My friends, young and old, 
 if you have not already done it, adopt 
 the rule to-day, to do unto others as 
 you would have them do unto you. 
 Follow this rule, and you will soon love 
 God, and he will be sure to love you. 
 It may not make you rich, but my word 
 for it, it will make you happy. Some 
 may say, that there are none that do as 
 they would be done by, but this I will 
 not admit. I have been acquainted 
 with mankind more than seventy years, 
 and have come to this conclusion, that 
 the best of men do in their daily walk 
 live near to God, and that there are 
 ^grades all the way down until the worst
 
 WILMINGTON FARMER. 355 
 
 come so near the devil that it is hard 
 to discriminate between them. I have 
 been, for a certain reason, watching 
 the conduct of men for more than thir- 
 ty years in order to find as many as I 
 could that lived up to this rule, and I 
 feel it my duty to set before my readers 
 the names of some of them, that others 
 may be encouraged to do likewise. 
 
 Accordingly I publish a list of the 
 names of men who I defy mankind to 
 prove by truth-telling witnesses, before 
 a righteous jury, that they ever used 
 another man worse than they would, be 
 willing to be used in exchange of con- 
 ditions : 
 
 Ephraim Hastings, died at Nashua, 
 N. H. ; Lambert Hastings, St. Johns- 
 bury, Vt. ; Cyrus Skinner, Lyrne, N. 
 H. ; Dexter Fay, Southborough, Amos 
 Hill, Jr., Belmont, John Buckman, 
 Stoneham, Charles Goddard, Win- 
 chester, Isaac Flint, North Reading, 
 Ebenezer D. Batchelder, North Read- 
 ing, Jonathan Batchelder, North Read- 
 ing, Marshall Symmes, Winchester, 
 Charles S. Storrow, Lawrence, Eben 
 King, Eben Upton, South Danvers, 
 Edward Parker, Reading, Capt. David
 
 356 LIFE OP ASA G. SHELDON : 
 
 Graves, North Reading, Patrick T. 
 Jackson, Boston, Dea. Henry Putnam, 
 Joseph Batchelder, John Batchelder, 
 of North Reading, Col. Benj. Jenkins, 
 Capt. Benj. Jenkins, Samuel Jenkins, 
 Capt. Stephen Abbott, of Andover, 
 Dea. John Symmes, Winchester. The 
 thirteen last named persons are dead. 
 All these men I have known for many 
 years, and think there are thousands 
 of other good men of my acquantance 
 whom I have not proved through pros- 
 perity and adversity. Those that I have 
 named I have proved, and can bear 
 testimony that they are not depraved 
 men. What a blessed world this would 
 be to live in, if every one would do as 
 he would be done by. Now reader, 
 do not fall into the error of believing 
 that you cannot do right because others 
 do not. If a right state of feeling is 
 ever brought about, it will be by each 
 and every one minding his own busi- 
 ness. I hope that you and I shall try 
 it, that others may follow.
 
 WILMINGTON FARMER. 357 
 
 LECTURE. 
 
 In the month of February, 1859, I 
 was invited by the officers of the 
 " Farmer's Club," of North Reading, 
 to address them on the subject of 
 Farming. I accepted, and delivered 
 the following Address, with which I 
 close this volume, before the Club, in 
 the Town Hall, at that place. 
 
 MR. PRESIDENT, GENTLEMEN AND LA- 
 DIES : I have no apology to offer, for 
 appearing before you this evening. I 
 will only say, that any common man 
 ought to feel proud of the privilege of 
 standing before the combined wisdom 
 and intelligence of the Farmers of 
 North Reading, and addressing them 
 on a subject of more importance to the 
 world than all others. 
 
 When I say farmers, I mean fathers, 
 mothers, sons and daughters ; for as
 
 358 LIFE OP ASA G. SHELDON : 
 
 no house can stand when divided 
 against itself, so no man can farm suc- 
 cessfully if his family are not content 
 with that occupation. The few re- 
 marks that I shall make this evening, 
 are not to tell you how to farm, but 
 
 1st. To prove to you that farming, 
 with equal system, is the most profita- 
 ble occupation pursued within the Uni- 
 ted States. 
 
 2d It is the most independent. 
 
 3d It is the most healthy, 
 
 4th It is the most honorable. 
 
 First Farming, with equal system, 
 is the most profitable occupation within 
 the United States. This you may 
 think, is a bold declaration, but if you 
 will have patience/ 1 will give you the 
 proofs. 
 
 If the country merchant fails in his 
 business, he generally owes some of 
 the most fore-handed farmers in his 
 neighborhood, money that he borrow- 
 ed to establish him in his business. If 
 the butcher fails, he owes one farmer 
 for a pair of fat oxen, another for a 
 cow, and still another for a hog. So, 
 if the tanner fails, he is indebted to one 
 farmer for a load of bark, another for
 
 WILMINGTON FARMER. 359 
 
 hides, and a third for calf-skins. If 
 the carpenter fails, he is indebted to 
 one farmer for timber and a second for 
 boards. If the shoe manufacturer fails, 
 he owes one farmer for a load of wood, 
 another for a load of hay, and almost 
 every farmer's daughter in the parish 
 for binding shoes. Yet with all these 
 losses, the farmer still lives; and why ? 
 because there is profit in his occupa- 
 tion. 
 
 Now, gentlemen, show me a man 
 sixty years of age, of good health, good 
 habits, and good common sense, who 
 has never followed any business but 
 that of farming, and I will show you a 
 man that the world has never lost one 
 cent by. 
 
 Mr. President, I have already stated 
 that unless the farmer has the hearty 
 co-operation of his family he cannot 
 succeed in his business. These ladies 
 may inquire how can we increase the 
 profits of farming'? To this inquiry, I 
 would answer, Ethan Allen understood 
 how you could do this. When taken a 
 prisoner to England, the nobility there, 
 finding that he was a man of good 
 sense and information, had him taken
 
 360 LIFE OF ASA G. SHELDON : 
 
 into the presence of the ladies that 
 they might question him concerning 
 the habits of the Americans. Among 
 the many questions asked him was 
 this: "What time do the ladies of 
 America walk out for pleasure ?" His 
 answer was, "Anytime when the hens, 
 turkeys, geese or ducks need feeding." 
 " Do the ladies of America stoop to 
 feeding poultry?" they inquired. He 
 answered, " The ladies of America 
 know how to turn every duty into a 
 pleasure." This was the case with the 
 ladies at the time of the Revolution, 
 and I know from my own observation 
 that there are some of the same stamp 
 yet. 
 
 A few years ago I noticed in the pa- 
 pers an advertisement of a large farm, 
 with a heavy growth of wood and tim- 
 ber on it, for sale in New Hampshire. 
 Thinking that it might be bought at a 
 bargain, I went to look at it. A young 
 lady answered my knock at the door, 
 and informed me that her father was 
 absent with the team and would not 
 return until evening, " but," said she, 
 " if you will state your business, per- 
 haps I can assist you." On learning
 
 WILMINGTON FARMER. 361 
 
 that I wished to go over the farm, tell- 
 ing me to wait one moment, she went 
 into the house, but soon returned, 
 dressed in hat, frock, and boots, and 
 we started on our walk. After point- 
 ing out three of the boundaries of the 
 farm, she told me where I could easily 
 find the fourth, " but," said she, " I 
 must now go, and tie up the cattle." 
 After walking about the farm as long 
 as I wished, I met her at the barn. 
 She had just finished tying up the cat- 
 tle, and invited me to look at the corn. 
 This I did, and my guide informed me 
 that it had all been measured in the 
 ear, and estimated to be four hundred 
 bushels shelled corn, and that she and 
 her father planted it all, she dropping 
 and her father covering. From the 
 corn barn we proceeded to the house, 
 where it was arranged that I should 
 stop over night to see the owner of the 
 farm. Our heroine now laid aside her 
 farm dress, appearing as neatly dressed 
 as any young lady could wish to be, 
 and assisted her mother in preparing 
 supper. As soon as the team was 
 .heard approaching, she again put on 
 her frock, and lighting a lantern, went
 
 362 LIFE OP ASA G. SHELDON : 
 
 to the barn and helped her father put 
 up the team. This done, we all eat 
 supper. After clearing away the tea- 
 things, my young friend again pre- 
 pared to go out, and in answer to her 
 father's inquiry where she was going, 
 replied, " to feed the oxen." " No, 
 no," said he, " I'll go." " No, father," 
 she instantly replied, " you are tired, 
 you sit still and rest, and let me go," 
 and go she did, after which she seated 
 herself at her piano and entertained us 
 for a while with music. 
 
 Mr. President, if I could mention a 
 thousand young women like this in- 
 stead of one, which I sincerely wish I 
 could, I presume we should not hear of 
 one of them being troubled with dys- 
 pepsia. 
 
 But there is still another profit in 
 farming, that cannot be estimated by 
 dollars and cents. It is better calcu- 
 lated to improve the mind and morals 
 of man than any other occupation. The 
 reflecting farmer must see that he is 
 a co-worker with God and Nature. 
 While he is cultivating his crops, and 
 they are growing in the fields, he can- 
 not help observing this. When the
 
 WILMINGTON FARMER. 363 
 
 grass is grown, and man cuts it, nature 
 cures it, and God sustains them both. 
 
 Second. Farming is the most inde- 
 pendent occupation. No other occu- 
 pation can live without it. No ship 
 can be laden without the aid of the 
 farmer. No cultivated food can be 
 raised for man or beast, without his 
 labor. Why, ladies, the very silks 
 you wear were once the habitation of 
 worms, those worms fed on mulberry 
 leaves, and the mulberry trees raised 
 by the farmer. Not one particle of 
 food or raiment can be produced with- 
 out his aid. 
 
 It has been said by many that the 
 Irish have performed the labor of 
 building our railroads. But, Mr. Pres- 
 ident, allow me to tell you that more 
 than one-half the money the Irish have 
 received for labor on railroads has been 
 spent for their living, while doing that 
 very work, and this living, was pro- 
 duced by the farmer. This shows us 
 that the farmer has not been backward 
 in doing his share toward building all 
 the railroads in the United States. 
 And who is it, I ask, that now furnish- 
 es these railroads with employment?
 
 364 LIFE OF ASA G. SHELDON : 
 
 Who produces the horses, cattle, sheep, 
 hogs, wheat, rye, barley, oats, potatoes, 
 apples, cotton, wool, and almost every 
 article that can be mentioned, that are 
 daily transported on our railroads ? It 
 is the farmer. If the farmer should 
 cease to produce cotton, wool, flax and 
 hemp, what would become of our fac- 
 tories ? 
 
 If a new country is to be settled, 
 who is the pioneer? Is it the minis- 
 ter? No, for he would starve while 
 studying his first sermon. Is it the doc- 
 tor? No, for there is no one there 
 with whom he could exchange his 
 medicine for a dinner. Is it the law- 
 yer? No, for he would perish amid 
 his law-books. Who, then, is it? It 
 is the farmer, who feeds all, and gives 
 employment to all. Farmers have it 
 in their own power to render them- 
 selves happier and more independent 
 than they now are. In order to do 
 this, they must raise their standard to 
 its proper place. The farmers of 
 Massachusetts can outvote all other 
 ocupations by a large majority. They 
 possess the power toelect any man, from 
 any occupation, to any office they please.
 
 WILMINGTON FARMER. 365 
 
 I would not ask them to be domineer- 
 ing over any other class of people. I 
 am willing that all other classes shall 
 have their full share of representation 
 in every department of government. 
 But have the farmers, in times past, 
 looked out to have their share 1 Have 
 we not sent to General Court and to 
 Congress, too many professional men ? 
 Has not this led ministers, doctors and 
 lawyers to look down upon the farmer, 
 when in reality, if the farmer would 
 but assert his rights, they would all be 
 obliged to look up to him. 
 
 I could say much more, under this 
 head, but enough has already been said, 
 I think, to prove that the farmer furn- 
 ishes all other classes with food and 
 employment. Mr. President, when I 
 think of the farmer's position, and 
 compare it with all others, it reminds 
 me of a story I heard when a boy. 
 
 Three men, travelling together in a 
 wild country, became very thirsty, but 
 travelled a long time without finding 
 any water. At length, however, they 
 came to a river, the banks of which 
 were composed of a perpendicular ledge 
 of stone. Not seeing any way of de-
 
 366 LIFE OF ASA G. SHELDON : 
 
 scent, they travelled on until they dis- 
 covered a tree growing from a seam in 
 the ledge, whose branches extended 
 over the water, but were several feet 
 above it. After a hasty consultation, 
 they came to this conclusion. The 
 stoutest man of the three was to climb 
 the tree, and taking hold of a branch, 
 hang down ; the next stoutest to hang 
 by the feet of the first, while the third, 
 the lightest of the whole, was to hang 
 by the feet of the second, and fill a 
 leather bag with water from the stream, 
 and bring it up for them to drink. While 
 he was filling the bag, the upper one, 
 growing tired, says to his comrades, 
 " you hold fast, while I let go and spit 
 on my hands." 
 
 Now. Mr. President, this shows what 
 would be the condition of all occupa- 
 tions, if the farmer should cease his 
 operations. All would sink together. 
 
 Third. Farming is the most healthy 
 occupation. This fact is so well known 
 that I need say but a few words under 
 this head. The report of deaths in 
 this country for past years, speaks more 
 plainly than any words of mine can do. 
 Yet 1 will give what I think are a
 
 WILMINGTON FARMER. 367 
 
 * 
 
 few of the reasons why this is so. 
 One is, the farmer eats the fruit of 
 his own hands ; he knows that what- 
 ever food he produces is pure and un- 
 adulterated. The children of the farm- 
 er drink the pure milk from the farm- 
 er's cow. Another is, he follows in 
 the fresh furrow of his plow. And 
 how often do physicians prescribe for 
 their patients this smell of the fresh 
 earth. But the farmer's occupation 
 supplies him with this. This, how- 
 ever, only applies to the male portion. 
 Now I will prove that it is the most 
 healthy for females. How often we find 
 the daughters of professional men and 
 mechanics, who would disdain to milk 
 a cow, skim a pan of milk, or prepare 
 a churning of butter for market, out 
 of health, and on consulting a physi- 
 cian, are told that they must go on a 
 journey to the springs, ride on horse- 
 back, or take other out-door exercise ; 
 while the farmer's daughter, who 
 cheerfully assists her mother in the 
 kitchen, the dairy, and tending the- 
 poultry, never knows the need of such 
 exercise. 
 
 Mr. President, allow me to relate ar*
 
 368 LIFE OF ASA G. SHELDON : 
 
 anecdote, which may be of service to 
 some of the rising generation. It will 
 show the young ladies how to reject 
 one man and accept another. The 
 heroine of this anecdote was a respect- 
 able farmer's daughter. A young man 
 of her acquaintance called on her one 
 evening, and made proposals of mar- 
 riage. She told him that she wished 
 until the next evening to decide. The 
 following afternoon she told her father 
 that she wanted the horse to go about 
 two miles. At the appointed time the 
 horse was saddled, and she mounted 
 and rode off. On arriving at the place 
 where she intended to stop, she saw 
 that the great barn-doors were open, 
 and the old gentleman was pitching 
 off a load of hay which stood on the 
 barn floor. She rode up and inquired 
 of him, " where is your son Samuel V 
 " He is up on the mow, taking away 
 the hay," was his answer. " I want 
 to speak with him," said she. Sam 
 then jumped from the mow on to the 
 load of hay, by the side of his father. 
 " You need not come any further," said 
 she, "I can say what I wish here; I 
 have nothing private." She then told
 
 "WILMINGTON FARMER. 369 
 
 him that she had received proposals of 
 marriage from a certain young man. 
 " But," she said, " I have never seen 
 any one 1 love as I do you, and the 
 last time we stood side by side and 
 read in the old school-house, I made 
 up my mind that I never would give 
 my heart and hand to any one until I 
 knew you would not accept them. 
 Now," said she, " I want to know 
 whether you will marry me or not." 
 The old gentleman, unable to keep 
 silent any longer, called out, " take her 
 Sam, take her, she'll make you a good 
 one." The young people exchanged a 
 few words, when the old farmer, in 
 joy cried out, " its a bargain, and I'm a 
 happy witness. God bless you, my 
 children." The next evening, when 
 the young man came for his answer, 
 she told him his offer was an honora- 
 able one, and she thanked him for it ; 
 that she should always respect him, 
 and speak well of him to her female 
 acquaintances ; but duty required her 
 to give a negative answer. Now, this 
 was a real farmers' courtship, and if 
 there were more like it, there would 
 be fewer unhappy marriages.
 
 370 LIFE OF ASA G. SHELDON: 
 
 Since railroads have become so com- 
 mon and convenient, I have noticed 
 that some young ladies spend a great 
 deal of their time riding in the cars. 
 Now, I know not what their business 
 is, neither do I expect to ; but one 
 thing I am quite sure of, they are not 
 like this young woman, in pursuit of a 
 farmer's son for a husband, and I have 
 come to this conclusion, that if they 
 would spend less of their time in this 
 way, and more of it in assisting their 
 mothers in that portion of farm work 
 belonging to the female sex, they 
 would be healthier, happier, and in the 
 married life more contented with their 
 husbands. 
 
 But the last and most important 
 reason why farming is healthy, per- 
 haps, is his spending so great a pro- 
 portion of his time at work in the open 
 air, which gives him a good relish for 
 his food, and strengthens his whole 
 body. 
 
 Fourth. Farming is the most hon- 
 orable occupation. God himself is the 
 author of it. We read in the Holy 
 Scriptures, that " the Lord God plant- 
 ed a garden eastward in Eden," and
 
 WILMINGTON FARMER. 371 
 
 " the Lord God took the man and put 
 him into the garden to dress it and to 
 keep it." Now, will any one be so 
 impious as to say that an occupation 
 is disrespectful that God himself is the 
 author of? Will any mother teach her 
 children that the first duty that God 
 ever pointed out for man to perform 
 was not honorable ? Shall an occupa- 
 tion which feeds the whole world, and 
 has, from the foundation of the world 
 up to the present time, fed all the 
 human race shall such an occupa- 
 tion be called disrespectful? Not even 
 the gospel of Jesus Christ could be 
 preached among us without it. Is 
 there any father, mother, son, or 
 daughter, who would dare to stand up in 
 this assembly and say that farming is 
 dishonorable ? 
 
 Friends, let us for a moment com- 
 pare the employment of the farmer 
 with that of the broker, who shaves 
 notes in State street. We well know 
 that a year or more past has been a 
 busy time for this class of men. Sup- 
 pose a broker executes his cunning 
 faculties to their utmost ability, and 
 shaves notes at an enormous interest.
 
 372 LIFE OP ASA G. SHELDON : 
 
 He feels that he has added greatly to 
 his fortune ; but when night comes, as 
 he lays his head on his pillow, con- 
 science asks him, What have you 
 done to-day for the benefit of the hu- 
 man race ? He is troubled for an an- 
 swer, and turns over. But conscience 
 again interrogates him Have you 
 done anything to relieve the wants of 
 the suffering ? Have you done any- 
 thing toward feeding the fowls of the 
 air, or the beasts of the fields ? Have 
 you done anything productive of man's 
 happiness ? Have you done anything 
 for which the rising generation will rise 
 up and call you blessed ] 
 
 In answer to all these inquiries, con- 
 science compels him to answer, " No," 
 and he turns himself in bed, in hopes 
 of going to sleep, but his dreams are 
 troublesome. 
 
 Mr. President, we here see" that for 
 all this man's great day's work, the 
 world is not one cent better off. 
 
 Let us now turn our attention to the 
 farmer for a moment. Suppose he 
 applies his wisdom, skill and strength 
 to carry on his occupation. Where 
 the brush was growing, the last time
 
 WILMINGTON FARMER. 373' 
 
 we saw the spot, to-day we see beau- 
 tiful fields of grass and grain, growing 
 for man and beast all for the benefit 
 of the whole human family. The 
 farmer, also lays his head on the pil- 
 low at night, and in his mind reviews 
 the labors of the day. His conscience 
 approves every act, and says to him, 
 " The earth rejoices in being able to 
 produce food for man, where nothing 
 but briars grew before. Nature smiles 
 and man is blessed with the harvest ; 
 God is glorified in seeing man perform 
 the first duty he assigned him, and by 
 his blessing sanctions the declaration, 
 that God, Nature and Man are co- 
 workers in producing food and happi- 
 ness for the whole family of man. 
 
 Mr. President, in conclusion, I would 
 say, that at the beginning of farming 
 God would not have planted a garden 
 in Eden and put man in it, to dress and 
 keep it, if He, in His infinite wisdom, 
 had not foreseen that it would be a 
 profitable, independent, healthy, honor- 
 able and happy employment for the 
 human race. 
 
 If my hearers are not already tired,
 
 374 LIFE OP ASA G. SHELDON : 
 
 I would like to close with the follow- 
 ing sentiment : 
 
 WOMAN We honor her, because 
 she is a free gift from God to man ; 
 we love her, because God, in all His 
 work of creation, never has created a 
 being more worthy of man's love.
 
 EEEATA, 
 
 In the beginning of this volume, 
 mistakes occur in several different 
 names, in various places. Wherever 
 the name " Patty Tapley " occurs, it 
 should be "Polly Tapley;" "Daniel 
 Parker" should be "David Parker;" 
 " Jerre Tapley" should be "Jesse 
 Tapley," and "Patty Parker" should 
 be " Polly Parker."
 
 
 
 
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