Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1886-06-04

spirit, principles and wise laws, strikes
would be less common, at least less eX-
cusable than they are in these days, and
the morals of the employees much I'M
proved.
Col. Humphreys acquired the title of
general in 1912 by taking command of
the militia of Connecticut and organizing
it for the local defence.
1t is a little strange there should be
two accounts of the marriage relations OF
so prominent man. but it probably
arises from the effort to account for his
success in obtaining the sheep for his I'M
portation. and the liberty to get them
out of the country, as the expectation of
Merino sheep from Spain was strictly
prohibited at that time. hence his success
in this direction was attributed to his
marriage with a Spanish lady, but this
was probably Il mistake, as the more re-
liable accounts make it likely that he
married an English lady, the marriage
probably taking place in Spain 1t is
certain, that his great popularity at the
Spanish court gave him such favor with
the king that he was granted the privl-
lege of taking from some of the f1ocks or
cabannas of that country seventy-five
ewes and twenty-five rams as he was
leaving there to return to this country at
the close of his diplomatic service in lS02.
1t NAV be that the circumstances under
which this importation was made, was
the cause of the mystery that has always
surrounded them in relation to what ca
banna or cabannas they were imported
from. At first, they were claimed as
from the Paular, and later, from the In
fantado flock, but there has never been
any reliable evidence produced to show
that they were from one or the other, or
that they might have been from other of
the Spanish flocks. or were not from both
named. or from several of the Others.
Some who thought there might have been
something in name. and that it would
add to their commercial value. have not
been slow to claim that they were from
the Paular. and again of the lnfantado
cabanna; but, as said before, the only
evidence to support such claims has
been too meagre to make reasonable
case We have some good reasons for
supposing that the same party suggested
the Paular idea at first. but consented to,
if not approved of, the substitution of the
Infantado notion later. when Paulars
were numerous. or at least when many
sheep were claimed to have descended
from that cabanha.
TO conclude what | shall say of the
life of Gen. Humphreys, | give briefly a
very few more important events. mainly
to show that he was a public-spirited
man. as well as patriot and author: main
ly to inculcatean idea that man of such
intelligence and excellent character would
be likely to take every precaution that
the sheep he imported were the best that
could be procured.
The plan of managing the manufacture
ing establishment at HumphreySville
and the laws he was instrumental in hay
ing enacted in Connecticut for governing
such establishments. and the success at
tending his efforts in these directions.
are evidence that. instead of realizing his
earlier poetic fancy of spending his life
in lettered ease" his must have been a
very active and very useful life. His
plans seem to have embraced the idea of
improving the moral and social condition
of the operatives called about his estab-
lishment. as well as to make them intelli-
gent and his efforts in these directions
seem To have been very successful. The
State law referred to provided that the
selectmen and magistrates in the several
towns in which manufactures had been
or should be established, should be visit
ors of these institutions. 1t also provid-
/
ner specified. the morals of all their
workmen. and educate their children as
other children in plain families through
out the State were educated: and the Wis
itors were directed to inquire annually
into the manner in which the uroprietor-
conformed to the law. The reports OF
! the visitors at IIumphreysville. were. in
Il high degree. honorable to the proprie-
tor and his people. He also. in every
way, seems to have encouraged American
industry and American invention. aS his
machinery was all made by Americans
and the product was considered inferior
to none imported.
As it has not been our duty to investi.
gate the facts in relation TO the life OF
Gen. Humphreys, except so far as they
relate to the importation of Merino sheep
and, incidentally, his operations at Hum
phreysville. therefore, | am without in
formation that would be glad to give il
relation to the closing years of his life
but the inscription upon his monument
at New Haven. Conn, is a fitting clos,
to our sketch of the life of Il very promi
nent man. and one who made that life
very useful. The inscription was writ
ten in Latin by Prof. Kingsley, of YALE
college; the translation is as follows:
David Humphreys, LID, OF the Academ,
OF Sciences OF Philadelphia, and member o
the society of Agriculture, Massachusetts an'
Connecticut, and also OF the Royal society, q
England. Animated with the love of cOuntr,
and OF liberty, while yet IA youth, he conse
Grated his whole lite to the republic. He dc
tended his country by his arms, advanced it
interests by his counsels was an ornament L
ii by his writings, established il in FRIENDSHIP
with other nations. During the war he WA
aide to the great leader, Washington: II co
Onel in the patriotic army, general OF tn
militia in the state of Connecticut, ambassH
dor ut the courts of Portugal and OF spain. O
his return from the Peninsula, he enriched hi
country with truly golden fleece. In histoI
and poetry IL distinguished writer; in III
cultivation OF the arts and sciences, whic
serve either tor ornament or tor use, himse
: Il most distinguishes patron and cNcmpla
At length, all BIZ, duties done, his course {
life happily accomplished he yielded to tat
on the twcntY-tirst day of February, \. |
ISIS, at the age of SiNty-tiVe.
: The following account of the imports
ton of Merino sheep by Col. Humphrey
was taken from his miscellaneous papers
: Convinced that this race OF sheep, of whiC
= | believe not one had been brought to I'll
f United states It'll the importation by myscl
n,