Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-09-13

the timber at once into such merchandise
and sell 1t to his Heighbors If he did not
use 1t himself within n certain time. on
penalty of having 1t confiscated
Trying to Get Blacksmith.
In 1868 the town meeting passed reso-
luton expressing desire to have John
Prentice Of New london to come and slit
among us as a Smith and hereby offer
him the lott sequestered for Smith"
When he declined they opened communica-
tons with Deacon Hinsdale of Boston to
induce the removal of blacksmith then
living in "Roxberrie" to Hadley. Wear!ed
with the labor of grinding their own grain,
they induced Goodman Meekins Of New
London to accept an allotment of land
valued at ESQ, on the west side of the
create river on which to build a grist
mill, the citizens pleGging themselves to
patroniZe him as long as he made good
meal. Thomas Wells and John Hubbard
were appointed messengers to carry the
corn across the river in boat twice each
week and to bring back the meal for which
they were entitled TO fee of pence
bushel. Each farmer was required to have
his corn ready when they called for 1t
and the bags must be marked with his
name. Two years after the settlement
saw mill was established on the river and
better class of residences were erected.
The 'engagerS' kept strict discipline
| among themselves and their children. They
governed themselves with firm and
steady hand and lived in quietness and
peace. with none to disagree with them in
matters of religious doctrine. The law of
the general court that persons whose es-
tates did not exceed 600 should not wear
| ornaments of gold or garments Of SILK was
| strictly enforced, and the wives or SIX or
the 'engagers' were arraigned for It's VIC
| lation. They were fined and admonished
according to the gravity Of the offense
The widow of DR.. John Westcarr the first
physician of the settlement was brought
before the court for wasting his good es-
II nd Ia
eXtraVagances. 1t appears that she had
never been allowed to crafty her taste for
fine raiment during her husbands lifetime
and Immediately undertook to do so after
his death Three young men We're con-
vcted of vanity in wearing their hair long
after the fashion of the courtiers of Eng
land, and another young man was fined 3s
I'd. for Unfortunately galloping horse in
the streets"
Poor Paw of the Preacher.
At first Mr. Russell the minister of
Wethersfeld, who led the "engagers,' held
divine service in private houses, and was
paid a salary of $50 in winter wheat at the
rate of s. Sd. per pushed; peas at IS. Cd.
and Indian corn at IS. Although he was
obliged to perform his share of the manual
labor for the general good, he was not re-
uuired to preach sermons at funerals or TO
officiate at weddings unless paid extra for
that service. He was allotted tract or
eight acres on the main street next to the
middle highway leading to the woods and
had to build his own house and clear his
own land No provision was made for
frewood for his use, as was common In
those days, when every man had to cut his
own fuel, and he was obliged to chop down
trees and haul them with oxen to his own
woodshed. He had the assistance. how
ever of three negro slaves, which indicates
that he was man OF property. Russei
graduated from Harvard College In 1915.
when nineteen years of age, and had
preached at Wethersfield for ten years
when the ''withdrawaI' took place.
Delay in Church Erection.
In December 1861, the town meeting or
dered the erection of "a meeting house for
ty-fve feet long and twentyfour feet wide
for publick worship, to be scittuated and
sett up on the common street. but the cit
liens were so busy with their own cap1ns
that they did not have time to undertake
the erection of the Lords House until 1868
Even then 1t was seven years in construc-
ton This church stood for many years, I'M
til 1713, when a new meeting house was or
dered and finished in li14 That had "a
fiattish roof and bellcony' and sounding
board over the pulpit. Square pews We're
built by individuals who could afford TO do
| SO, but the seating of the different families
| according to ''age. estats and qualitica-
tons caused a great deal of Jealousy and
controversy, until it was voted at town
meeting to console the disaffected by decid-
ing that ''ye first seat in We front gallerye
is looked 10 DC edQuall with Se second seat
In We body of We meeting house and We west
end of ye side gallerye is looked to be
eaquall with ye third seat in We body of We
meeting house" Thus social distinctions
were settled.
This church stood until 1908. when the
present house of worship used by the Con-
gregational Society of Hadley was erected
and pronounced by President Timothy
Dwight Of New Haven, who preached there
soon after its completion, to be "a hand
some structure, superior TO any in this
country
In September, 1909, the children of Old
Hadley will celebrate its 2oOth anniversary
I'm this historic sanctuary,