The Press., 1921-01-13
HOLLAND.
Bnff Gan in Ciyil War Times.

some "reminiscences of Holland would
 interest the old sesidents.
 Though I was born in Enfield, my
 parents moved to Buff Cap when l
 was but little more than year old; consequently my earliest reccollec-
 tions are of Buff Cap, district north
 ward from the four corners west of
 William Bowler's on the road leading
 toward Stafford Springs; said to be named from prominent hill lying
 west toward Holland street. About
 two miles north on this Stafford road,
 was the upper-Four corners, where
 the Plains" to Holland Street road
 crossed the Stafford road, on which latter, in full sight, looking north
 ward, stood the schoolhouse, of what
 was jocularly called Holland town,
 Buff Cap City" The Plains road ran
 westward from near the Chester Bab- cock place and the site of Thomas
 Lathrop's later bone mill. A traveller
 who passed by it for the first time,
 inquired after reaching the houses farther west, What do you call this
 neighborhood?' ?'' The answer was, F'The
 Plains" The traveller, who had just
 experienced "Babcock hill" exclaimed
 in astonishment, "The Plains! Queer
 Plains! I looked back as was at the top of the first hill, and saw the rear
 end of my wagon hanging straight
 down, perpendicular" About one
 fourth mile west of Chester ~BabcOck's
 lived John Tyler, and for a time his
 son-in law, Edward Westcott; farther
 west, on the real plains, lived Pharez
 Babcock, Stephen Whiton, who had
 daughters, Lizzie and Nellie; Billy"
 Brown, and, for short time, a Shell
 don family. Pharez moved out of
 town but returned and, believe, died
 at his Q old farm. Stephen WhitOn
 moved to Holyoke at the end of the
 Civil war. I found my schOolmate
 John Sheldon, about 25. years ago,
 living near Hampden village, Mass.
 At the Four corners near the school
 house lived, on the northwest corner,
 Fiber Grover, his wife Esther (HandeD Grover, and son Charles, my older schoolmate; ruddy-cheeked big boy,
 with ready laugh. His father died of consumption a few years later, and
 Charles, after marrying May Mac Master, died of the same disease, aged about 37. Mrs. Grover returned to her people at Central Village, and
 lived with her widowed sister, Mrs Card, to more than 80 years of age.
 On the southeast corner of the Four corners lived, in my early school days, Chester Kellogg, with large family; his stay was the wish of his parents, on whose land, I believe, his house was built; he was a factory man, wool-sorter; had worked in Wales, Mass, factory and married there; and after few years returned; finally he settled in Stafford, where his eldest daughter, Mary, died a few years ago, unmarried. His next child, Nelson, died at the age of 29; both of these were, younger schoolmates of mine: Artemas and David were too young at the time. About quarter mile west on the Holland road, lived Widow Ormsby and her two sons, Arthur and Charles, who ,afterward located in Stafford Springs and died. Charles, my schoolmate, seemed to Aus boys" almost living skeleton with fingers like birds claws yet was very active and Wiry Tn this vicinity lived Un- cle John Grover, and his wife and sister, Emily, who survived the mar ried couple and was taken care of by her nephew, Joseph B. Ward, who ill- herited the place, and has brought his nephew, Nathan 0. Ward, to make again family; Joseph having lost his wife, Maryett, 34 years ago At the foot of the hill west lived Joseph's father, Dea Orrin Ward, farmer and Woodworker. His oldest son, Orrin, married Mary, daughter of Nathan Morse, and died 30 years ago, leaving one son, Nathan. Julia, sister of Orrin, IT., and Joseph, was one of my early teachers; and the youngest child of Dea. OFrin was John G. who graduated at Brown University, and became a Baptist minister. Widow Dwight and her daughter, Ella, lived while at the Ward place.
 A little farther west lived Amer Grover, and his son William H., still lives on the old farm.
 Dea. William Sumner lived next l west of Growers, but was away later; I think Orline Johnson came to Buff | Gap school from this farm, and later, Caleb WhitOn's Hattie and Ammi.
 In the north part of the district were elderly people, with grown-up children. Horatio Grover and his son, Spencer, the first to raise cultivated strawberries, in this region; Edward P. Kellogg, and his cons, Charles and Frank; the latter ran stationary saw mill on the Buff Cap Stafford road | Before left Buff Cap, Widow Debo- l rah Cady moved from northWard into ! a house back from the road, east of Kellogg's with her children Jarvis | and Anna; both 1 think living in Staff | ford.
 The family nearest on the north | of the schoolhouse was that of Tal- | man Cross and wife, and two sons, Samuel and Robert Talman was old | and died soon after knew him; Sam ueI was loud-voiced, and some com pared him with his cousin Samuel Rockwell; but he was converted and became, a Methodist preacher; sta toned for some time at Eastford; his | wife died and his daughter Georgia kept his house. Robert married Ad- die, daughter of Orson Richardson of Holland. There was one family on the forth road, from Square Pond district; he Neff's; Eli, Angeline, Delphene, Eugene and Edwin attended school at Buff Cap, before my father left TOl- and. Angeline died from diphtheria It about I2 years of age; this impress ed me particularly, as I had it at about the same time, and was nearly )f the same age.
 To return to the road between the AppoE anu Iuo 1OWSE pOuE COEu0FS. | Uncle Horace Kellogg" lived short distance south from his son, Chester, with his wife and daughter, Miss lovers of children. Uncle Horace was an original character. He described his case thus: When I was young I worked hard, with the that when became old, would have plenty laid by, so I ;ould enjoy myself, eat and drink, without needing to labor. Now am 'ld, and have the shaking palsy so oadly that can't carry my food or lrink to my mouth, nor can enjoy myself. I was fool that didn't en- oY myself as I went along" He was ] Uniyersalist, and argued to my fath- 1T, Methodist class-leader Don't he bible say that Satan was bound with a great chain and cast into the