Evening star., 1909-05-01
ENDOWED TOWN.
An Example for Other Rich Men
Of Country Birth.

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Of Country Birth.
From the Hartford Times
Hardwick. on the hills north of Ware, is
one of the westerly towns Of Worcester
county. in Massachusetts. 1t CAN be
reached by automobile in two hours from
Hartford. without violating the speed law
of this state. 1t Is one Of the most PROS
porous farming towns In Massachusetts,,
and contains some herds of cattle that
are famous-perhaps the finest In Amer
ica- Hardwick Is q producer of good
men. also men whose quality is not in
ferior to that of Jersey cows they raise.
One of these Hardwick men, Calvin
Paige. who made goodly fortune in
business in New York city, and whose
ancestors are buried in the town ceme-
terry. joined them there two weeks ago.
His will, d!sposing Of an estate of some
tains bequests amounting to $4,000 for
public objects in the old town, Of which
he was very fond.
The New Englander who leaves his ma
tive town In his boyhood, and Is taken
back there to be buried when he dies. is
apt to feel good deal of interest In the
local cemetery, and this is a fortunate
thing, because every cemetery ought to
have supporting fund. In most Of the
country cemeteries there is much need
for the resetting of all stones and monu-
ments on concrete foundations going be-
low the frost line. and this is costly Mr..
Paige thought water system the great
est need Of the Hardwick cemetery. and
needed water. and to add to the amount
annually available for adorning and
caring for the grounds.
For the town schools Mr.. Paige pro-
amount is left to the Universalist Church
Of Hardwick for promoting public wor-
ship" The Universalists of New Eng
land have not been behind the so-called
orthodox religious societies In producing
the sort OF men who go to the big cities
and make big successes when they get
there. Calvin Paige was one Of these ef-
ficient country boys. and the $1,000 or
$l,25O which the Universalist Church in
Hardwick will receive annually hereafter
from his bequest will go far toward the
maintenance Of 1t.
But the biggest bequest of all in the
Paige will is $4,000 ''for the improve
ment of agricultural pursuits in and about
Of $4,000 or $1,000 a year for the leading
interest in a town which already stands
In the front rank Of the cattle-breeding
and milk-producing town Of New Eng
ldHu MI dlSc cSlOcNtly 1GIt that the
men who had stuck to the Hardwick soil
and made agriculture pay, without accu-
mulating fortunes as large as his own.
deserved to share in what he had acc.
mulated with perhaps less effort. So.
henceforth. agriculture is to be an en-
dowed industry in Hardwick People al
ready come from across the continent to
see the Hardwick herds. and there viii
probably be stronger reasons for them to
come in the future. Before many years.
according to present indications, It will
not be easy to purchase any Of the fertile
Hardwick acres.
Here, 1t seems, was q model will made
by a man who must have been worth
knowing. He left an endowment for the
local church. an endowment for the town
schools. an endowment for the town
cemetery and a large endowment for the
principal industry and interest OF the
town. How could any man who has the
money to spare appropriate more wisely
a sum approximating $500, 900 than in that
manner?
We don't know how many of these en-
dowed towns there already are in New
England. but the number is considerable,
and is increasing all the time It is a
fine American trait~-this affection for the
place where one was born and the dispo-
sition to adorn and enrich that place. BY
1t New England Is to be greatly benefited
and beautif1ed as the years GO on