The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1881-04-22
MASSACHUSETTS.
The Bay State in olden
Times.
"Reminiscences of other and
better days.
1. Munger in tho Springfield Republican.

H.
| This is an expansive age. Our richest
men began with mere nothing but their
brains and hands, and with little education.
Chester w. Chaplin, one of the richest men
| in Massachusetts, when he was 81 years
old let himself out to work 12 to IA hours
a day for $12 a month, farming and team
| ing from the armory to the boats on the
Connecticut river; but he laid his money
| up. Now you would insult a young strip
| ling of Is years to offer him such wages.
| He was the tax collector in 1922 for the
town of Springfield. His fees were $50 for
collecting $8,000-the whole taxes for
that town He pays more taxes now
than the whole town did then. 1t
cost more time and travel to collect
them then than now. The people were
so scattering, and they were so afraid of a
tax collector, he said, some would run and
hide up stairs or down cellar when they
saw him coming, and in some instances he
hunted them up in their hiding. places after
their family said they want therep'
After finding the delinquent he would get a
part of the tax money and go again for the
rest or pay it himself. He has paid Ill this
way hundreds of dollars, finding it easier to
earn the money than to collect it. Money
was scarce and worth something then.
recollect in 1926 or 1926, in our town meet
ing, the proposition was to raise for the
coming year S14 900 for the town of
Springfield Oliver B. Morris arose and
objected by saying: What are we com
ing to? 1t is astonishing that pride and am
bition, or fashion, should demand such a
tax" But they ovenuled the old man,
and he lived to see pride fashion and am
bition rise much higher. great change
surely.
The fashion of those days l recollect.
When my mother was going to get a new
dress, or gown, as it was called then, the
woman that was engaged to come to the
house to cut and make it told her she was
so tall and large she would have to get six
yards for it. Five yards was a common
pattern, and so cents for cutting and
making and dinner found What a
change from that day to this! The cloth
cost 81 and the making so cents, and the
dress was worn to meeting. The fashion
and pay of the preachers has changed.
The first Methodist preacher in our town
got 500 for one years salary, and if he
had present of pair of socks he must re
port it. The second preacher had wife
and got $3.50. The third preacher had a
wife and three children, and $50 was added
for each child. Bishop Needing in our
time got less than $75 year. Also Priest
Clough and Lorenzo Dow less than either
Our old Methodist preachers worked for a
living and for God, instead of for a reputa
ton and salary.
| was thinking about the fashions in do
mestic affairs, say music, fifty five years
ago. Gov. Trask and | met at Manson for
Thanksgiving, with the family where he
got his WHEAT old Uncle Sam Squirrel
uncle to us both Their house music was
fpr !ta fiaN n -X-l nj
or run by one of the girls; for the tenor,
the large spinning-wheel, played by
another girl; for bass, the old lady
whacking away at the old loom; all work
ing to make their music profitable and
healthy. The fashion of those days was to
have good healthy family of from eight
to ten children, all learned to work
for Il living What a change! Instead of a
good, healthy family now, all up in the
morning early to work, we see from one to
three little pimping children, with sickly
mother, not able to take care of two as
easily as our mothers would ten, fifty
years ago, without a hired girl The
children now must be in fashion, lie in bed
until s or in the morning, no appetite
little vitality They play on some kind of
instrument, and 90 to school to be crowded
with more kinds of lessons than our school
teachers ever knew. But this is the fash
ion and pretended improvement of the age.
Perhaps this generation does not look at
these things as I do, but l think that
health, economy and morality are not inn
proved by getting high wages or a fashion
able education. This generation will
spend what its fathers have earned. Gen
orally it is watching the pulse Of the man
who has property, longing for the time to
come when it will come in possession of
what it has not earned. 1t is a known
fact that the rising generation are spend
thrifts
Apother great change is in the mode of
travelling. Fifty years ago we had to 90
through the country by stages, at the fast
speed of seven miles an hour. This was
much faster than the common farmers
travelled. 1t was considered a great treat to
take the stage at old Jeremy WARMERS
tavern-start at 4 o'clock in the morning
and get to Boston at 8 in the evening, if
the going was good. When the fare was
reduced to s., two of us worked two weeks
to get money enough to pay our fare to
Boston, lightweight miles. The young
men in these days earned money enough in
one day to pay their fare, and 90 in three
hours instead of seventeen. Our conduct
ors get for driving their team through to
Boston S3 or 81, and the old stage-drivers
got $12 a month. This was Chester w
Chapin's standard price in those days. Con-
necticut river steamboats,, started by Blan-
chard, fifty five years ago, cut down the
fare to Hartford to 81, which enabled us
all to 60 to Hartford and back in one day
for 50, and stay four hours in Hartford.
This was another great treat for 50, cost
ing US five days work. Now young men
can earn enough in half day, and go and
back in the other half.