The Somerset reporter., 1895-10-17
For the Reporter:
A Grave Which should Not BIZ
Forgotten.


Iso miles north of Bingham village,
IN that part of Moscow Familiarity known
a. "sugartown,a one notices from the
raad lttle country cemetery whose old
-late and more recent marble slabs dot
the greene ward, little distance from the
town highway. Il Is one of the Oldest
cemeteries 10 this part of the state, and
within its limits rest the remains of at
least three generations of Moscow citi-
zens. There are few interments in this
old cemetery of late as the dead. like the
living, seem drawn from the country
toward the town, and Bingham cemetery
now receives the remains of nearly all
persons who die within radius of sew.
eral miles.
In one corner of this old Moscow Gem
eterF, hidden beneath the tall grass of
summer, with no stones to perpetuate
tie names of those who lie beneath, are
lie graves of three men who died upon
the charity of the town. One of these
graves is that of David Decker. mem.
ber of the Boston Tea Party" which
On Dec. l6. l113, boarded the British
ships in Boston harbor and threw over.
IA ard their cargoes of tea. This act,
ole of the first resistances offered bv
the Colonists against the unjust taxa
ton Of England, is familiar to almost
every schoolboy of the land History
tells US there were about fifty men in
this celebrated Tea Party" and as they
were disguised as Indians, their names
were unknown for several wears, or
until the colonists had declared their in
dependence from the mother country,
and the safety of these reckless law
breakers was assured. As they were
nearly all young men who participated
IN this act they We're no doubt widely
scattered throughout the country during
the pioneer fever which followed the
Revolution.
David Decker drifted TO this part of
the country and at one time lived in
the west part of Moscow. near the brook
which now bears his name. There seem
to be but two people now living in Mos
COW, who personally remember him,
although several of the older citizens
remember his name. Mr.. Seldom Cleve-
land, a man well up in the seventies, and
his sister, Mrs. Greenwood. remember
Mr.. Decker asliving the last days of his
life with their parents, he being then
town charge.
Like many of the early settlers in
new country, Mr.. Decker failed to accu-
muate a sufficiency for his old age and
died in poverty, and 1t is hardly certain
which Of the three graves mentioned
above contains his remains.
Considering the yeneration in which
We New Englanders hold all persons
who figured in the early history of our
national life, it seems shame upon us
that the grave of this man remains I'M
marked and his name almost forgotten.
No doubt at the time of his death inter-
est was lost in him from his being a
town pauper. Because fortune defeated.
man neglected him. 1t is so the world
over. yet how often the poor in purse
are rich i'll the noble qualities of which
their more fortunate neighbors are
entirely destitute.
We are able TO learn but little of
the life of David Decker. but whatever
the facts may be it still lemains that any
man who braved the wrath of England
in those trying days of Colonial oppres-
SION, deserves the grateful remembrance
of his cOuntrymen. Because he filled a
pauper's grave, his name should not be
forgotten. Poverty as we'll as opulence
may be honorable, and if through IN.
fortunate circumstances the early actors
in our National drama were unsuccess-
full in life; if
"Chill penury repressed their noble rage.
And chilled the genial current of the soul"
they should be equally esteemed by
succeeding generations, and we trust the
day will come when David Decker will
be suitably remembered by headstone
al his grave. NoRYAL.
Bingham, Maine, Oct, ID, 1870.
The REPORTER cordially concurs in the
hope expressed by our spondent
and if people of Moscow or Bingham
will move in the worthy project of erect
Ing suitable headstone for David
Decker's grave, citizens of other Somer-
set towns. we believe, will take pleasure
in helping along the cause. We shall be
glad to contribute.