The Arkansaw traveler., 1884-03-08
A POETS BIRTHPLACE

ke4dtng IS one of those old wealthy conservative communities apt to as:oaish the casual visitor by their wealth of liter ary and historic associations. Its founder Colonel John Read, one of the great lawyers ot his day. who afterwards be- cane ptominen, member of the colonial government of Massachusetts, m maintained here his hall ard deer-pafk and a re,inue at servants, and imparted an aristocratic ;one to the town. something of which yet remains. This spirit was most intense in the days immediately preceding the revolution. To thS period belonged old Squire William Heron, an off-shoot of the !ush nobility. who lived in consider able state al his sea, on Bedding Ridge. A, town meeting one day, the squire and other magnates present, small far mer living on ,he outskirts of the town was nominated for grand juror. The
 sqllre 1t once rose m the majesty of itted waistcoat, ruilies, silver shoe buck te,, md go!d-hedied cane, and earnestly oppa,ed the nomination. MT. Moder. atos. said he, who is this k,ve Mor- gaa Why. a man brough, up in Hope. wei Woods. He fears neither God, man. nor tne devil. If we elect him, who is 10 be fesponsible for his acts? Will you. NJ Moderator, or a Why, sir, he can mil anybody. sHe can arrest yoar honor. or with pause even myself :" so ,mPfessiag the assembly wi;k his e.Qi !ence that the obnoxious nomin- a:ion wAs withdrawn
 l%o revolutionary events ot moment aie conaet ted xi.h the town the march through i.s senttal portion of rryon's eN2"dluon against DAnbury in I---. aua the winter cantunment in l7rs.) of General Fu,nam's division of 'ae continental army. Three brigades ai New England troops. Hazen' corps of mi tHiry. and Sheldon's cavalry were here, And inc local aatigIary still points ou, he s.ics oi ther three camps, and nar- -.'ez many I pleAsAn, legend of Old Fat. aad os his gallant brigade com- m 1niefs. Pusons. NJ D)usal and Hunt inston.
 The holar will be attracted to the toNn. however. ehieily from its literary associations aS the birthplace and early home oi oel Bnlow. the father of the Amer san epic. Barlow was a man much greater than his reputation, and so 4e pieasan, details of his youth Among these hills are in my posses
 .he ttmliy was what Is known m Con aeencu. as good stock" that Is, they lId been respectable, wel-to-do people To. i've generations, paying their church h'hes promptly and giving no cause of complaint to the magistrates. Samuel Barlow, father of the poet. was the third Tn lneal deseen, from John Barlow. the founder of the family, who irst appeared ID FIirfeld in io6S The former was twice married by his inst wife he had three sons and one daughter, and by the second. who was Esther Huh. of Red ding four boys and one girl-,hat is. il the farheld records are to be relied on. The matter derives importance from the reference in the poets l. Hasty Pudding to the ten stalwari tfcemen of his fa'he' s family. l, will interest heredi- ,arians ;o know that the mothers family was noteworthy. q branch of ii having gwen 10 the American navy it's Com modoie Hull, ard to the army a famous bu, not So creditable general officer
 Inc site oi the dwelling in whi h Satnac. Barlow lived Is still pointed out on she westernmost of the three yrc.; lateral ridges which traverse the town hAilow was well-to.do farmer. and the early lite oi Joel was spen, in the pastoral a,faosphere of the farm. As child [ however, he lisped m numbers, " and i, ! was not long ere rumois of the boys ' propensity for rhyming reached the ears | os the Rev. Na,h iniei Blr,leu. the shep- herd of the il,cs which numbered the | Barlows among its members. Like mos, ot the educated men of his day, the pas .er was ardently hoping for the adven, Of an American poet, and he verse-mak- Ing boy tonce became an object of ln- tcrest 10 him. He had several informal | chats with the lad and the lads mother, the result oi which was that the former became pupil in Mir. Bu,le,t's famous preparatory school for boys and youth. |
 To explain the origin of this school il ,s necessary ,o glance briefly at the state l ot society Tn the poets native town d, this I tune. This, as throughout New Eng ! land, was highly ohgarchical, few hrst | families. ruling Tn both church and | state. The pews were dignihed. i. e. as- signed thelr occupants with strict regard | 10 the la,ter's tax lists and social position. and patricians being seated under the pulpit. the rest nearer the doors while | the tirsi families"--the Reeds. Sanfords | Burrs, Hulls, and Herons- .xacted hom a..e from the eommonal,y the same in | kind. if not in quantity. as tha, paid the English squire by his dependents. The first families desired better opportunities of education for their boys than was af. | forded by the common schools, and Par son Bartlett, a graduate of laie College, born educator as we'll as leader | among the clergy of his church, was pre- vailed spon 10 assume the labors of schoolmaster as well as pastor.
 In this excellent school the poet re- ceived the elements of education. and in year or two was sent to Moor's prepar- atory school at Hanover, N. M., then of considerable repute as ftting-place of youth for Dartmouth College. His ia ther had died while he was student un- der Mir. Bartlett, leaving him a patrimc- ny sufficient to defray the expenses of a liberal education. The lad entered Dart