The Newtown bee., 1879-05-06
sREcoLLECTI0Ns OF NEwT0 WV.

JOSEPH NICHOLS.
 The name of this gentleman will bring to the mind of every old Newtowner the 'tlmes,sghen he stood first and foremost sas a alerchunt and man of fortune In ,thoir midst. His residence was on the corner by the old Episcopal Church, whlehl ho sold on hls re Moval from the town toa David V. B. Baldwin. upon whose ,deoaassa 1t passed Into the possession of Sir. Skbdmorc, the present occupant.
 The -st6re in which MT. Nichols ac- ,qutrdh his tortune occupied the site now ,oovsrdd by the one kept by Messrs. San ford G nawley. and which he vacated to embark in the dry goods business In Pearl, ,street, Now York city.
 He was truly gentleman of the old .school, and no man in the State stood Higher than he did for unblemished in- 'tegrity and sound judgment hence 1t was ttha custom among his fellow citizens in iInatters of dispute between them to ,choose him as referee or umpire, and rthys avoid expensive litigation. It Is ihardly necessary to say that his decisions were uniformly 80 just that an appeal from them was rarely. ifever. attempted. lHolding as he did for many year. this reRyiahle position. 1t was rash step on lhis part to leave a lucrative business that he had built up to enter an arena in a large city (where he was to encounter ,Enuch sharp competition with which he was entirely unacquainted, but ambition prompted him to do 1t and the result was what his many friends predicted 1t would Tho.
 Mfr. N. was proud man, and possessed a. certain degree of dignity which he de- rived from the position he held among his townsmen; but when he removed to the great city, though he selected res idence betyeen tho houses of Messrs. Aator and Costar, he was comparatively nobody.
 He associated with himself his younger brother. Charles (who afterwards held \ .eonsularship abroadl, and the business for time was so promising that he was tempted to extend 1t too far, so that In tho first groat revolution in commercial affairs that ,ensued tho firm was (with a host @6 otbars) hopelessly ruined, and was newer able to extricate itself from the vortex into which 1t had fallen. He finally. after intellectual efforts to collect n large amount of outstanding claims, retired to Greenfield Hill, in this State. where he passed tho remainder of his life in straitenod circumstances, yet re- taining all that family pride which he ex- hihited In his most palmy days. Many years after this he lost his estimable wife by death. and when her remains wore brought to Nswtown for interment the writer happened to lao there on visit It was in midsummer and the weather was intensely hot .yst they were conveyed over the old turnpike road from her late residence in Greenfield In hearse es- Ses1ad by one or two carriages only. The appEoach Of this little cortege to- wards the cemetery wns announced by tho toliing of tho bell of the Episcopal .ohuroh--that sweet-toned bell which the society never ought to have parted with and which only ceased tolling when the gates of that sacred repository closed upon the mourners and tho few sympa- thixing friends who had assembled to witness the burial service, which Dr. Marble. think, conducted.
 This sad duty performed, Mir. Nichols .calle up to the village, and though strick- .en with grief and we'll advanced in years. hs stili preserved that stifr. unbending figure which be presented when in his prime, while he spoke with dificulty of the decp afliiction which had now over taken him.
 He lived but short period think after sthis. and presume that his remains were also brought here, and now repose by the side of his long.life companion.
 Reverse of fortune no doubt preyed heavily upon hts health and spirits. Fron, this had it occprred early in life) he would doubtless have extricated himself.
 But sec him on the edge of life.
 With caes and sorrpws won.
 Then ago wont-Dh.i i'll watch'd pain
 How man was made to, mourn"
 He made, believe. some investments ,in land in Milwaukee. but Chicago took the lead as q rising city and has kept il ,withont Q rival. c.