Thomas County cat. [volume] (Colby, Kan.) 1885-1891, 1888-06-28
SQUIRE BELLOWS.
One OF the Men Who Made New EaglaaA
Rsvered Evsrywhero.

II
One OF the Men Who Mads New Eaxia>A
Revered Evsrywhsre.
| The men who made New England
knew the esquire" in Old England.
and liked him. when he had good
sense and kind heart They trans
planted him to their villages. where he
took root not as the lord of the manor,
but as the one man in the community
who had personal interest in all that
was going on. and was associated with
all public and private affairs. either BY
the helping hand or the judicious
counsel There was . succession Of
these dignitaries in Walpole. N. H.. one
of whom was Tom" Bellows. The
townspeople spoke of him as the
esquire" and his relatives called him
"Uncle Squire"
| During f'rty years he was sheriff.
and though he never failed in the per-
Torrance of official duties. yet he
was SO considerable to the unfortunate
that the people thought no one ever
had or ever could fill the Office rs 1.-THE
Squire" did. He therefore held it. as
all offices should be held. by the RICH of
being the fittest man in the community
for the place.
One of his descendants tells, in
Traditions of the Bellows Family"
story of the Squire's benevolence
and lofty morality which explains the
almost reverence in which he was held
in the community.
In 1916 there was frost every month
of the year. During the summer the
gardens and fields sparkled on several
mornings with frost and ice. The
grain and corn crops all through the
Northern States were blighted.
Spectators secured the country to
buy all the grain and corn held over
by the farmers from the preceding
years crop. They called upon the
Squire, who had on hand several hum
dred bushels of corn. and offered him
a high-price for the lot; but not
bushsl could they get from this man,
who scorned to make neighbours
necessity his own opportunity.
The Squire did not keep the corn in
his clubhouse. On the contrary. he
published far and near that poor peo-
pie could buy corn of the esquire of
Walople" for just what they paid the
year before. They came from fifty
miles away; even those without money
came. for the Squire gave corn to Gerry
poor men. He believed that giving to
such was lending to the Lord. and he
liked that sort of security.
A stranger. seeing the Squire driv-
ing in his Old-fashioned chaise through
the one long street of the village.
would say: ''Why, that man has bust
ness with about every man, woman
and child in Walpoler'
The horse. knowing his master. took
a leisurely pace; the rein hung on
his fanks, and lac always stopped
when he heard the Squirrels voice
speaking to an acquaintance. A min
ute's pause. and he would go on. to
stop again ere he had gone two rods;
there was no hurry.
During the long sermon. the Squire
would rise, res: his arms over the high
top of the square pew. and look over
the congregation to see who was pres
ent at church, and who was absent
The survey being satisfactory, he would
turn his peaceful face up to the minis
ter in the two story pulpit, and listen
until rested. when he resumed his seat
1t was such men as the Squire that
kept New England true to her tradi-
tons. and made her revered at home
and honored abroad. Youths Com
pdaion.