Litchfield enquirer., 1865-09-21
THE STORY OF A TORY PARsoN.

|
 an interesting letter from Charlemont, Mas
 The queer shape of the town and it's caus
 with sketch of famous Tory clergyman, a.
 thus given: l's"f+'J 5a[ s5r
 II you look upon good map of this reein
 you will see that the town of Charlemont (te origin of the name is obscure, but one traditin says it was first called Chesley's Mount, frol the name ot an early settler, is of very sing lar shape. It lies along the DeerGeld, embn cing both sides of the river only above the ca. Ire village from which write, containing ns. row strips of fertile meadow land shut in ' abrupt hills. From the mouth of North Riv, to Zoar bridge the town is some thirteen milt long. but four miles below here it is only tt breadth of the farm of Col. Leavitt, sea ! strip of lovely meadow. Indeed, at this poit ne town Is a|'n' st cut in two by an ar gle whid runsint' 1t by the town of Heath. As originsly la'd out the town WIS broad at this point anl the reason oft pr.sent shape is so curious d 10 be worlh giving. 2s The 6,st settled minister of the place, before the Revolutionary war, was the Rev J-remiai Lsnvtt who came from SuEeld. Coun. H Was stern old Puritan, of intolerabt dispoS loh at.] naughty mauners and was not v-H well k~d hy hIs Congregational parisbion-s "iio We're nevertheless compelled to surpat f Ib. C. k,% L,, 'nti We have an explanation of the b. $, l, e.in"s which grew up aeains, him among ,Ae "ld patio's Toev at length proceeded to ,le length oI barring him out of the meeting .hoss. 4 constable sta;dng at he door all day Sunday to keep out the persistent old ruyalst For sDapy years he adhered to his settlement, arsi z Ii 't- We're Vain to remove him. though the indignant farmers kept him out of the meeting house and refused to ply his salary. But he occupied the parsonage farm, which lay a, a little distance from the river on small water course, and at length brought suit az sinst th e town for his salary. withheld for so many years The Courts sustained hIs suit and gave him an execution to collect his church dues from the inhabitants. He was not slow to exescis,. hs legal rights, and levied on property whereve, he could find it, annoying the well to-do and unconsciously expressing the poor.
 Many stories are told of his executions.
 There was poor man named Grimes fper- haps the ''old" one whose coat, if he had any was buttoned down before,) who lived near him with large family, who was unable to pay his church tax. He had, it seems, little available personal property except one COW, upon which the family depended. But Parson Leavitt seized the COW and sold her, in spite of the entreat,es of Grimes, and perhaps the prayers of the hungry little Grin,eses. When Grimes remonstrated, the parson replied, You must call on the town. r24g-
 Not long after. MT. Grimes. who seemed to have something of the rough humor of the time, had the opportunity to happily retort t he advice of the old Tory. The parsonwas return. Ing one cold winter day from Baekland, and, the opposite side of the river at ev, . hing, attempted to cross at the place where ferry still exists. The river was frozen over, but the ice was thin, and when little distance from the shore it broke under it's reverend load and horse and man were soused in the icy stream where the depth was probably not great. The parson seeing man on the oppo- site bank, shouted Justify for help. The man was Grimes.
 Help, held P roared the parson, Il am drowning!
 "Who is it 2" hallowed Grimes who stood coolly surveying the accident by flood.
 "Parson Leavitt.'' ...
 "Parson, Id aduise you to caA on the toson." |" was the response of the imperturbable Grimes, IS he turned away and left the minister to founder out as best he might
 That he got out is certain, for he continued Q annoy the people by collecting money for Preaching they would not hear. It must have been curious sight of a Sunday morning, the Wratby parson before the barred meeting house floor and the con=regation lounging about the irate and bafled divine nurse bis aagera ;A.ss.u ts .a.t .. ..H s's''l shall go and preach the Gospel in the oarn yonder,' exclaims the minister. -a It'll be the first time you ever preached the Gospel" shouts some irreverent one in the :rowd.
 . But the day came when the town got its re. senge and in the strongest fsshon on record. As it Was impossible to remove the parsuh r ,m the par-h pr move him out of town. they 5 ,lved to get him out another way 1b. sne came to incorporate the town of Heath. .nd the shrrwi m n oi the valley got the Geu- ,ra, Cour, to run the ine of Heath in a sharp Z; Z gag lato, Char mont ast so as to erc'rcls ,nd gut eut the parsonage farm upon wh'ch he Ray. ;JerenIah retained his hod. And hal was the way they scooped him on; of iawo md this is the cause of the wasp-lke share of Sharlemont It may be that this was done after he had ceased .o he the settlsd minister; {; f ,so il more strongly shows how ebnoxlons he vas when the inhabitants were willing to sac rifce part of their territory to get rid of h'm, Atany rate the grou.y Tory was still in pos session of the farm. M m az
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