Litchfield enquirer. [volume] (Litchfield, Conn.) 1829-current, 1843-09-21
From the N. II. Palladium.
HONEST MEN.
I" An honest mans the nobiest work of Cod

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BILE account of the noble doings Of Boston
merchant named Philo S. Shelton, former
Iy of the firm of Shelton, Brothers & Co of
that city, which failed in l84l, and settled
all the claims against The concern for SO
cents on the dollar. Since then, one of the
partners died, and Philo s. Shelton, SUR
viving partner commenced business on his
own account, and has been highly prosper
ed. But feeling that his old creditors still
had claims upon him, though he bad effect
ed legal settlement. he last week made a
new dividend among them of twenty five
cents more on the dollar. and thus distrib-
uted the sum of forty thousand d'lIars The
money was paid not only to individuals, but
says the Boston Atlas. TO rich corporations,
by whom the loss of their share would not
have been felt This instance of honor and
angelic morality is creditable to humanity
and should be every where known, for the
sake of the example as we'll as for other
reasons.
In addition to this case, we are reioiced to
know that we have had, and still have,
some of "NATuRE's NoBLEMENS IN New
HAVEN. .. ..
A recent case of honesty and generosity,
similar to that recorded of the Boston MGR
chant, has Just come to our knowledge. The
fellow citizen Deacon Nathan Beers, whose
virtuous life has been protracted to more
than ninety years. Deacon Beers was
Lieutenant and Paymaster in the Revolu-
tionary Army, where he served long and
faithfully. His father, Nathan Beers, was
slain by the British when they invaded New
Haven in l77A Deacon Beers, the son, was
the officer in command of the guard which
had Ma for Andre in charge previous to and
at the time of the mournful execution of
that brave man. Andre With pen sketch
ed a likeness of himself on the aight before
his death. which he gave to Lieutenant Beers,
together with lock of his hair. These in-
teresting relics may now be seen at the
Trumbull Gallery. But to ourstery :-Dea-
con Beers who was merchant in the city,
and steward OF the College, failed in bu-
siness in 1920. He gave up all his proper.
ty to his creditors, and these, according to
the custom of those days, were divided INTO
two classes, the confidential and the ordina-
ry creditors. His avais nearly paid off the
first class; but he had no means Of satisfy
ing the second until about ten years ago,
when from the savings of his small pension
he was able to pay them 10 per cent. on
their claims. Recently, however, he dis
covered that the Pension Acts of Congress
HdtC W ItlkHCt pay tlAh IhSy
gave to officers of the same rank in the line
and that he had only been drawing pay
as Lieutenant when he, as Paymaster,
should have drawn it as a Captain:
AS soon as he made his case knownto the
proper authorities, he received bis full pays
with the arrears, from the timeof the pas
sage of the pension, act upon which his
claim was founded. The sum obtained was
abou: $4,000, and This he took and expend-
ed among his creditors, paying every one
Of them in full Nearly the whole amount
was expended in this honest deed. Such
case, TO say the least, is as creditable as that
detailed in the Boston papers, although the
amount Of money paid over was not so large
but it was large for Deacon Beers. as it
was his all-and he is not in any prosperous
business-hs whole resources being his
small pension.
What bright pages of human history are
those which narrate such events as these
nothing but honest deeds, it is true-but so
rare as to attract general admiration when
ever known.
Life, which, it is hahitualy said, hangs
upon a thread, and which all its Ills, "bare
bodkin" may terminate, seems yet some
times so tenacious that nor cold, nor famine,
nor ills, beyond human endurance, one
would think, can avail against it. most
striking illustration of this truth is presen-
ted by the following extract f:om one OF
Mr.. Weeds letters from Ireland:
"On board the steamer met with most
extraordinary man--in maby respects the
most extraordinary of any living individual.
That there are other men VINO nave iost
both arms and both legs by amputation,
a. nfhoro walk An0Ut
erectly. and are able to feed themselves, and
even 10 write, must doubt. This individ-
ual. is Neil Dewar, native Of Argyleshire.
i'm Scotland, who was shipwrecked on the
coast of Labrador in the schooner Kebecca,
of Quebec, in 1917. The survivors the cap
tain, mate and four of the crew found them
selves upon the inhospiiable shore OF La
bradore in the month Of November, with
a cask of cherry brandy their only SUSIE
nance. The mate and one Of the crew per-
ished with cold and hunger. The captain
died soon afterwards. The subject OF this
paragraph was so badly wounded IN the
legs as to be unable to accompany his COM
panions in an attempt to find assistance
These companions returned towards night
the following day, with information that
they had found an Indian but, to which they
with difficulty assisted him. Here they
found hunter with a white man and two
Indians in his employment. The hunter
did all in his power TO relieve the sufferers
but it soon became evident that nothing out
ampntation would save the lives of Dewar
and Donaldson, one of his companions. Tho
latter died from loss of blood. during the
oneration. The life of Dewar was saved
by an application of hot pitch to his bleed;
ing stumps. The operation was performed
by the white man, assisted by the Indians
~. - h.alod hut hia la0s cnntin-