Litchfield enquirer., 1834-12-18
Erou the Homnsh;,p Go,ei.e.

old Times.-Ths late Benjamin Tap pan came to Northampton in the year 176S. As ho was a stranger to all the people here, he obtained letters of ofrecommendation from some gentlemen in Boston to Maj. Hawley and others in this place. Having lived some years in Boston, he was not a little astoniShed, on his arrival, at the plainhess of the buildings and people. He put up with Col. Seth Pomeroy; he had heard of his military exploits, and expected to find man of some show, but he found the Colonel hard at work over his anvil, and dingy with the fumes of charcoal. Having ascertaimed where Maj. Hawley lived, he proceeded into Hawley street, (then called Pudding Lane and approached the house to which he had been directed. He was confounded at the sight Maj. Hawley was esteemed great man even tn Boston, and he supposed His residence would be like those of gentlemen in Boston. In- stead of this, he perceived an old, homely house, the front door was fastened by a wooden latch, to which a string or leather strap was attached, and hung out on the outside. He doubted whether this was Mai. Hawley's house, but ventured to knock, and received the common saluta- ton" walk in" He entered the room, where he found man in plain dress aud checked shirt, who asked him to take chair. He was now more puzzled than be- fore this, he thought, could not be Maj. Hawley, and he inquired, "does Mai. Hawley 1.-Two here ?'' " My name is flaw ley, sir" was the reply. He then gave him his letters, and began to converse with him. He was soon satisfied that the old house covered man of no ordinary mind. On the next sabbath MT. Tappan attended meeting, and heard Mr. Hooker preach
 There was numerous congregation, but
 so homcspun, SO different from Boston that he hardly knew what 10 make of it.
 With five or six exceptions, every man ant boy in the house wore checked shirt.
 Such was Northampton 66 years ago 1t was then almost exclusively am agricul. tural town-as much so as HadIey or Hat field. The noise of the spinning whec was heard in every house. All the peo. pie, excepting about half dozen, were farmers or mechanics aud the merchants lawyer, physician, and most of the mechan. ics were more or less engaged in agricullu. ral pursuits. We may smile at the simpli' city of former times, but it is believed tha
 the people, as a whole, were more inde. pendent than they are nOw-were as wei supplied with such necessaries and conven. fences as the customs of that day required as they now are with such things as tho customs and fashions of this day demand Im 1767, farmer paid the highest tax il Northampton, and of l2 persons whos' valuations were the highest in the town seven were farmers, and three mechanics In 1761, upwards of 40 farmers and me chanics were taxed for money at interest In l768, only one family and sn idiot gr received assistance from the town.
 RIPE BREAD.-Bread made of whoa -four, when taken out of the oven or skIlIe
 is unprepared for the stomach. It should g. through change or ripen before it is eaten
 Young persons or persons in the enjoymen
 of vigorous health, may eat bread immedi- ately after being baked without any sensi- ble injury from it, but weakly anG aged per sons cannot, and none can eat such without doing harm to the digestive organs. Bread afier being baked goes through a change similar lO the change in newly brewed beer or newly churned buItermilk-neither be- ing healthy until after the change. During the change in bread, iI sends off large pOr- uion of carbon. or unhealthy gas, and i'm bibes large portion of oxygen. or healthy gas. Bread has, according lO the cOmputa. IiOn of the physicians in London, one fiiil more nutTiment in it when ripe, than |