Ottumwa tri-weekly courier., 1903-11-17
CHAPTER II.
Mason's Corner Folks.


In 1856 the town of Eastborough |
was located in the southeastern part |
of Massachusetts, in the county OF Nor
mouth. 1t was large town, being tul-
! ly five miles wide from east to west
and from five to seven miles long, the
northern and southern boundaries be-
ing very irregular.
! The town contained three villages;
the western one being known as west
Eastborough. the middle one as East
borough Centre, and the easterly one
/ as Mason's Corner. West Eastborough
was exclusively farming section, hav-
| ing no store or postoffice. AS the ex-
IRENE western boundary was only
mile and half from Eastborough Cen
| tire, the farmers of the western section
| of the town were well accommodated
at the Centre. The middle section
contained the railroad station,at which
five trains day. each way, to and
| from Boston, made regular stops. The
/ Centre contained the town hall. two
churches, hotel, and express office.
a bank. newspaper office and several
general stores. Not very far from the
hotel, on a side road, was the aims
house, or poorhouse. as it was always
called by the citizens of Eastborough.
/ Between the Centre and Mason's
Corner was a long interval of three
miles The land bordering the lower
and most direct route was. to a great
extent hilly and rocky, or full of sand
and clay pits. The upper and longest
road ran through more fertile sec
ton The village of Mason's Corner
contained the best arabic land in the
town. and the village had increased in
population and wealth much faster
than the other sections Of the town.
, To the east of the village OF Mason's
Corner lay the town OF Montrose, and
, beyond that town was situated the
. thriving city of Cottonton. devoted
;; largely, as it's name Indicated, to the
, textile manufacturing industries.
The best known and most popular
resident of Mason's Corner was Dea-
f con Abraham Mason. He was retir-
, ed farmer on the shady side of fifty.
He had married young and worked
very hard. his labors being rewarded
with pecuniary success. When a little
, over fifty, he gave up active farm work
! and devoted his time to buying and
. selling real estate and to church and
town affairs, in both Of which he was
!, greatly interested. His house stood
!, about half way down somewhat steep
hill. the road over which, at the top
made sharp turn. 1t was this turn
: which had received the appellation oil
;, Mason's Corner and from which the
6 village eventually had taken its name
Mrs. Sophia Mason, the Deacon's
J. wife, was little less than so wears
4 of age. She was a comely. bright
faced. bright-eyed, and energetic WON
Z an, who had been both loving wife
u and valued helpmeet to her husband
/ Their only living child was daughter
. named Huldah Ann, about 19 years o
:, :, age. and considered by many to be thu
u prettiest and smartest girl in Mason!
= Corner The only other resident II
V Deacon Mason's house was Hiram
. Maxwell. Young man about 80 YEAR
q of age. He had been farm hand. bu
had enlisted in 1861, and serve'
y through the war On his return hom
~ he was hired by Deacon Mason to d.
% such chores as required a man
strength, for the deacon's bushes
le took him away from home great dea
id Hiram was not exactly what would b
st called a pronounced stutterer or stan
t. merer, but when he was excited o
liz had matter of more than ordinar
lingual paralysis seemed to oyertak
~ l. m and interfered materially with tn
a. vocal expression of his thoughts an
ou ideas Type would be inadequate I
express the facial contortions and wha
W. might be termed the chromatic scale
of vocal expression in which he ofte
r: indulged, and they are. therefore. le
for full comprehension to those OF Il
IT. ventiye and vivid imaginative power
81 This fact should not be lost sight {
rs in following the fortunes of this bray
d. soldier, honest lover, good husban
\ and successful business man.
er- The Pettengill homestead was situa
as ed on the other side o. the road, sout
ee west from Deacon Mason's house. Ez
lIiel's grandfather had left three son
Ir. Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. the latt'
ell being Ezekiel's father. Abraham ha
Mt died when he was young man, ar
re Jacob had been dead about five year
so Uncle Ike was in his seventy-six
year, and was Ezekiel's only liviI
in near relative. with the exception OF b
TX sister Alice, who had left home 500
nd after her fathers death and was no
Ter employed as bookkeeper in a large d
goods store in Boston.
ng Ezekiel was about 2S years of az
ge. being seven years older than his siste
Hi He was hardy. strong -willed, self-l
ed liant young fellow. He loved farmil
ud and had resolved to make better Ii
on ing out of it than his father had ev
done. A strong incentive TO win S,
nts cess proceeded from the fact that
he had long been in love with Hui
nd Ann" the deacon's daughter, and
ce, had every reason to believe that /
YER affection was returned. although
,ad formal engagement existed betwe
,ol- them, and marriage had never be
in spoken of by them or the young lad.
nto parents.
vas Uncle Ike Pettengill had been 81
for cessful business man in Boston. /
at the age of so had wearied OF G
ntil life, and decided to spend the rest
in ne his days in the country Desnite