The Somerset reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1868-1909, 1886-05-12
SELECTED.
CoBuRN AND WESTON FAMILIES.

SELECTED.
coBURN AND WESTON FAMILIES.
Eddor If Somerset Repoucr.
In the obituary of Ex-Governor Coburn.
published in your paper soon after his de
cease, there are several inaccuracies, not
very important indeed but anything tina,
Is worth publishing at all deserves to be
stated correctly. He WAS not the oldest
son of his parents, the oldest was Nahum,
a promising young man, who died of ty-
phold fever soon after heWaS tWcntN-one.
The Bloomfield academy has been in >uc-
cesSfnl operation several years when the.
cN-GOver or and myself were fellow stu
dents there. boarding together ii Brniam-
in CaNford's. II mile perhaps from the
academy, at eight shllings II week, find
ing our own lights. | was reading Viz
I'll, and he, in connection with English
/ studies. WaS giving his attention To gcOm-
i ctrN. of which he showed Il clear and rea-
| dA comprehension ! never lea Il that
| Joseph Weston, Mrs Columns 9ranlfath-
e.. and min" also. WIS 4 pilot for Arnold :
forces that expedition - out FROM taM-
bridge, Ma~~., SsDl 18th, and he diel
oct. l6. lI,j. 50 H. W. with th"m but i
few day. assisting u getting the hattcatlN
that carried their b.; '4a:-e. over the rap
id, extending froil whore he lived most
Of the May Ia ShoWhegan Fails. They
were obliged to wade III the water drag
@in@ the boats a large part of the way.
and from thi> exposure he took cold re
suling in the fever from which he died.
our grandmother tunice Farnsworth.
relative of the NorrdgeWock FarnsN urtlls.
lived till Nov. 5. ls22 her deccndcnts
numbering at that time 222. She was 81
years old. | remember her a~ a tail. state
~ dame with IL rather large face. holding
lis breadth well down To her chin, and Il
complexion THAI must have been very fine
in her youth. 1t was said by some who
knew her before her removal To Maine.
that he was the handsomc>t woman hat
ever walked into Concord mcctmg-hou>c.
OF Samuel Weston. Mrs. tuhurls father
land mincJ no one NOW living can have
any personal recollection, he die June :,
lS02, two and half months before my
birth, Mrs Coburn was twenty years old
CT than |, her son Nahum was my senior
by several months, and Abncr my junior
by about seven months. And here must
notice that in the obituary, and also in the
memorial address at Watcryillc Abncr was
spoken of as a barefoot boy and men
ton is made of the severe :oils he was
obliged To undergo, compelled by the ne
ceS>ites of those early times. If it was
intended to imply that hc was reared in
poverty and want the imputaton was
wholly gratuitous. With the profits of Il
coming from his surveying jobs and var
Gus public offices that he held, Esquire
Cobnrn' was able to supply the wants of
his family literally; and though he has
been dead over 10 ycars. there are those
now living, | presume, who can testify
that he had Il decent pride in the appear
anCC of his children, and their mother WIS
noted As one who Cooked we'll la the ways
Of her household" and | will venture to
say as II contemporary. knowing HE hab-
its of the time. that if Abncr travelled
barefoot to Brighton with that drove of
cattle, it was from choice; and that he
had good stockings and shoes among their
baggage which he could wear whenever
he chose No doubt Mr. Cohurn inculcat-
ed the principles of industry and econ
omy, but that he enforced unreasonable
tolls or dcprivations on his children no
one who knew him can believe. one
thing more, | don't believe Abner Coburn
ever tanght school for eight dollars II
month for my first school had twelve
dollars month, and there was 10 reason
,yhy hc shnuId hnyr. any less There was
mo over ,upply but rather scarcity of
teachers sn mich 50 thai before thc close
| Of my first school wa. engaged for an
! Other -, kcudaIls Mills nnt hncnu.rnf
any rrnututiou that had raiped. hut thai
tLrv had mot beeu ablr IA find a teacher
who was nor engaged. The next winter
/ had fourteen dollars month nil this he
/ fora, I vns twenty one year. oragc.
From NV mother and uucles. and ny
elder brother, and sisters learned n rood
dead of my fatber, history. and There was
n large chest Standing for years in the
p,;,iu hall of th, family mansion. which
contained scarcely onythiny huf pappr, of
my fathers. maps. plans. Held notes. notes
of trials and cvamina ions before him a.
Justice of the Peace. various rcport> ON
/ church matters. etc. two or three com
mission, signed nv John Hancock in that
/ large bold hand well known by all who
/ have eyer seen facsimile of the Drclara-
j tion of Independence. one as a captain of
Militia. and think two as Justice of the
i Peace. also one from l. :. authority for
some Office connected with the collection
of District taNe> NV uncle. Major Eli
4 Weston. held some Office connected with
+ that business Although ii very active
man, my father was never robust but was
afflicted from childhood with a disease of
the Kidneys which finally proved fatal 1t
| Was for this reason that when the family
removed To Maine he WAS left at the acad-
ruN in s'Old Concord - and therefore nc.