Litchfield enquirer., 1858-06-24

and when with the exception of four months in the year extended to the part now included in South Farms for snter rirlyes, the dwellers in the town who were not strictly providentally prevented, met with one accord in one place, to worship God and hear His word. He long since saw the town divided
 into four local societies each with it's house of wor- ship and in addition four houses of worship of the Protestant Episcopal Church three of the Methodist Episcopal Society," and one of the Baptist Church were standing when lie died.
 g. He lived d long and blessed life in domestic re- l lations with a warm hearted generous. tender sympathy, he loved his own, nearly to the setting of his sun at P M. the first instant. On Janu- afy sth l7S5 he was married to Lucreta Webster of this town, who was born February 14th 1766 His wife was spared to him until February 1lth, 1858, and on her birthday of that month, attended her
 funeral at the age of ST. and this after connection of over sixty eight years of blessedness. It is hazafding little to say. that they lived bameess as Zacharias and Elizabeth They bad the patri- archa blessing of twelve children, six of whom sur fvive him. have not ascertaned the number of his grand and great grandchildren His home was happy one and among the cherished recoleclons of my youthful days was the privilege of visiting his house. miGglng with the children, and sharing in the hos pitalitics of Mir Mason He loved husband a father, a grandfather and relative with deep affection, and few young men they buried their wives whom they devotedly loved have wept more heartily than he did at the age of ninety four at the funeral of his wife, and it is blessed thought that just before his death he said to his two sons who were present, 4 see you, I KNOW YOU.
 No: was his sympathy limited to his relatives he loved all his aequaintances but among all the fam lies outside of his relatives, there was no one to which suppose he was more attached than that Of my maternal relatives. As an apprentice, he learn ed his trade juiner and carpenter of my grand
 father the late Deacon Ozias Lewis then residing in what is now in the Society of Northfield but who in l783 removed to the village. Among my earliest recoIcctions his frequent visits, aud during my childhood rarely did Sahslh occuf ill which it's in termlssion was not passed by him in the house of my grandfather or parents and no one more well come. He was mourner at the funeral of my Grandfather in 1872. He was the stealfast friend of eight years ending in April 1840, and at her fune- CotH we'll recOIeCC nlS QCep Sflef he loved her as a mother and called her mother He was like friend to my mother, widow from 1911 to 1854, and also to her brother who yet survives only few years since he told me how he used to lio her in his arms, when an infant and at her f,1- neral in her Slst year in July, 1854, no one wept more sincerely the sight of the corpse nearly over came him, and he stood at the head of her coffin
 in his Seth year it seemed if the fountain of the great deep of his sympathies was broken up; have no recollection of witnessing instance like it the account of kossuth at the tomb of Washington may ] exceed it.
 From the commencement of this century, am witness of the same love shewn to another genera tsa ofshieh am the eldest and only on the 24th day of May last he grasped my hand and held it with a pressure that was painful and when I said hto him must leave him, probably, nevcl to see him until we shall meet as hoped at the right hand of God in heaven he pressed the stronger, lay down and drew my hand to his mouth, gave it a hearty kiss and gently released it.
 He was man of peaeei hs never sued nor Es it known that he ever had lawsuit, or any con- tention with any one, or, an enemy l have no re- collection of ever seeing him in passion his at tainments were high in obedience to the direction " If it be possible as much lieth in you live peace sably with all men,"
 G. It was while an apprentice that he performed the services during the revolutionary war, which bought him within the pensioners of grade so high as to make with his frugal simplicity the hing of his years in comfortable condition in the afny he worked with the tools of his occupation, and in service important in it's place in erecting shelters, bridges and the like that of the commits sary or of the colnmander-in- -chef-the service ono, tue honor one each needful as the hand or foot
 In the days of my youth, the soldiers of the revo luiiunwcr nearly common as old men, Litch- field had an honored and large representation among them ;sby their iresidcs their battles fought over and over and the rehearsals of their rIs de- liyeances, suferings and victories, about fre quent as their gatherings. One after another of these men who periled all have departed, and with the death of ELISHA MASON the last in Litchfeld and it is supposed in the county has departed. know no of the number as living, they need no eulogiums or monuments (although trust one will be erected to the last of the honored number in Litchfeld1 We say of Elisha Mason the last repre- sentative of the revolutionary army of Litchfeld County on the 1st of June, 1858 in the 100th year of his age,. AND HE DIED. Let our love to our free in. titutons in their original purity, our firm adherence to them in their primitive simplicity and strict faihfuness in their perpetuity be our memo rial to them all.
 7.Of his religious relations He was born during the sixth year of the pastoratc of Rev. Judah Cham pion and which continued until his death in lSlO Commencing with 179S six other pastors were set tied and dismissed, and in the joys and sorrows which such events cause lie shared and he lived to recognize another pastor who was unborn when he was an old man. For seventy eight years, sup pose he was member of the Ecclesiastical Society," and nearly sixty years of the church he connected with itin l799. never recollect the time when he aatt the Id,rd $ table In chid-