The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1899-07-02

the shoulder, and taking aim, advanced
| rapidly upon the old man, who ex-
claimed in great alarm: +
| Hold on, hold on, my gun isn'tload4
ed Neither is mine" said the joker,
showing him the broken lock as he
walked away. -
Abel Jacques was of thrifty nature,
and added to his income by receiving
as boarders and assuming the care
! through series of years, of some mem
bers of prominent Boston family, who
were afflicted with mental disease. One
| of these persons was very corpulent,
and when in bed could not lay his head
on the pillow. An acquaintance of the
writer remembers seeing him in this
| position with his head protruding from
his rotundity like the stem of a pump
kin.
These patients roved over the farm
and to some extent through the neigh
borhood, and it is thought that their
| presence in the JaqueS family had an
injurious effect on some of its members
for Mrs. Jacques and her daughter SUI
san were afterwards afflicted with in
! sanity, and the dread of it for many
years distressed the mind of George
Jaques.
The streets running west and NORTH
from Main street, between Austin street
and King street were laid out through
this farm, the results of this develop.
1 ment bringing large wealth to the
Jaques family.
| The Ethan Allen estate was a part
OF the Jaques farm, the old house
| standing where the Allen mansion now
IS, which was the one occupied by the
] Chambers, being removed to the head
of Wellington street, where it remained
through the occupancy of the Jaques
Iamlly, and its use as hospital build
ing by the city, until it's last remoya.
| to the north side of Chandler street
near Piedmont. 1t is said that Mr.
Allen paid $1,000 an acre for 25 acres
Goat hill, where the Dread now stands
was sold to Eli Thayer in 1845 at $15(
| an acre.
Mrs. Jaques died July 1. 1874 and
| Abel Jaques on the 7th of October
1852. OF the three children, John Crane
| jacques managed the farm after bis
| fathers death, and was of a more
| practical nature than his brother. and
was more in contact with the world
| He married late in life, and died of
| pneumonia while on his wedding tour
April 10, 1862. The sister, Susan, ats.
suffering many years from mental dis
ease, died February /, 1859 r.5.~s.
| George Jaques, whose name stands
among the foremost Of Worcester
| benefactors, was born in BROOKLYN
| Conn.,, February Is, 1916. He attended
| Leicester academy and other prepare
| tory schools, and, entering Brown uni
| versity. was graduated in the class of
| 1885. He was engaged more or less DUR
| ing the next few years in teaching, at
| Uxbridge, in Nottaway county, Vir-
| ginia, and in Worcester. He always had
| a deep interest in education, was many
| years a member of the school board.
/ ND OF Of !,
| man of the high school committee He
had strong natural taste for horti-
| culture, and was prominent and
| useful member of the Worcester Coun-
| ty Horticultural society, many years its
secretary, and the editor of it's publ
| cations. He wrote much for newsr a.
| pers and magazines on agricultural
and horticultural subjects, and pre-
| pared one or two volumes on these
| topics. AS scholar he was thorough
| and accurate, having a critical knowl-
| edge of several languages, especially
| French.
| He was a person of fine feelings and
| sensitive nature, and being subjected
| to unfaYorable conditions and inf1uen-
| ces during his early life, his Unborn
| diffidence and timidity were never fully
| overcome, and he was in consequence
| restricted in the use and display of his
superior abilities through life. OF an
i extremely nervous temperament, he
continually exhibited too much activity
for his strength, and this unquestion
ably shortened his life. He died on the
i Gath of August, 1872
/ In 1869 Mr.. Jaques offered to the city
as a free gift his homestead estate of
| seven acres for public park, with the
Implication that the Ethan Allen estate
was to be purchased and added to it.
| This offer was declined In 1872 he
presented to the city tract of about
flour acres on Prince street as a site
| for a hospital, and subsequently the
public received nearly the whole of
| his large estate as an endowment for
| the support of that institution. The
Hand, being the remainder of the fam
Gus Chandler farm, after the city took
possession was rapidly improved and
Is now mostly covered with streets and
buildings.
Favored as a boy with George
Jaques' acquaintance and kindly con-
sideration, the writer has clear re-
collection of the condition and appear
ance of the Jacques farm, house and
1 the remaining members of the family
during the period 1860 to 1872 AS he
can remember, John Jaques indicated
no popularity to distinguish him from
the average person of his occupation
and station, seeming to be a sensible
and practical man. conducting his af-
| fairs In the manner of other people,
susan Jaques exhibited marked pecu-
| liarities, sometimes appearing on the
street in a dress of pink cambria. a
sundown hat and sunshade of some
bright hue, or In other equally odd APP
parei. She appeared to be much older