Year: 1867

Ol;vorst rand took q lease of house In summer
st.. one of the handsomest and most cohlinou'ou'
in Roston with ample stable-roon ana every coh-
venonce that wns then thought essential 10 geh'ie
MANS town residence. Here the winters Weie sPo"'.
Tho Summers, which were always lehg'heheu ou' "'
hth ds "a much as possible, were passed at quincy.


&C., leaving Congress- he took the management OF
.1o form, into his own hands. He was an enthusiast
~ ,botever he undertook, and he entered into farm
inc with all the zeal of his ardent temperament Ills
agricultural experience, like that OF most gentlemen
farmers was rather profitable to others thah 10 HIN


self. He was full of experiments, when, though no.
emineptly successful 10 the ucre OF gam were Oh
great value to the farming interests OF MS
hood and of the State. He brought improved inpio


onts 70 the notice of the unbelevng farmers round
about. He set an example in the matter OF root cui
tnre and of the succession of crops which redounded
to the general benefit if not to his own personal ad
vantage. And latterly he introduced the custom OF
selling or stal-feeding of mich cows and argued its
merits in the agricultural papers of the day. These
ESSAYS he collected and republished in his old age as
his last contribution to agriculture One of his favor


e schemes was the substitution of hawthorn hedges
for the old-fashoned rail-fence OF New-England.
They kept themselves in repair, he would say, aud so
saved the expense of renewing the fences OF dead
wood, which was material item in the cost OF farm
inQo At one time his whole farm was fenced only
with this verdurous wall and the system worked ex-
ceeding well as long the cattle wereakept IN the
stalls But when in 1923 he obliged TO give up the
supervision of his paterna acres for that OF the city
of Boston, and the tenant TO whom he let them, IN
sisted on pasturng his cows, the hedges were found
not TO be equal to the occasion. A hedge might be
sufficient TO restrain the wandcrngs of the civilized
cattle of England, which had been accustomed to be
led into fat pastures for generations; but u was
otherwise with the hardy kline of New-Hampshlre
and Vermont whence the herds of the lowland coun-
try were chiefly recruited, which, brought up to
browse in the woods and on the mountains made
little account of any obstacle that offered itself In
the shape of green leaves and twigs. The thorns
they seemed to regard as an appetizfng condiment-
a kind of sauce piquonte-thrown in to increase the
pleasure of the meal So in the end, rail fences had
to be provided to protect the hedges from the beasts


However his experiment settled tho hedge question
as far as New-England was concerned"


In the Spring of 1923, he was inaugurated as the
second mayor of Boston, which Office he hilcd win
characteristic activity and ZEAL always intent on u


dicious improvements in the affairs OF the city, ana
correcting abuses of long standing without respect to
personal consequences Amore fathfula and energetic
municipal officer was never known in this country





permanent benefit to the city. He gave his entire
time and attention to the performance of his public
duties and provided his fellow-citizens with such
means of comfort and safety they had never
known before. Utterly free from self-seeking from
all love of maneuver from every taint OF craft and
guile he preserved clean hands and n pnrc heart,
amid the temptations of his post. He inexorably
refused TO favor any Of his friends in the matter OF
public improvements and contracts. presenting
noble example of official integrity His admnistra-
ton was too upright and straightforward not 10
create many enemies, well many friends. lie
said from the beginning that no man could do his
duty in such an Office without being turned out OF
H. His own experience formed exception To the
rule After five successive reflections hs oihclal
life was brought TO n close in lS2s. ls address, on
retiring from the city government is masterpiece
Of digni6ed cloquence, beraying profound self
respect, noble sense of honor and indignant i'm


patience with chicanery and intrigue. Though de
Iivered on an occasion of purely local interest its
lofty tone of sentiment. and its masculine and i'm
pressye rhetoric give il a permanent valnc among


the records Of public service IN this country.


The usual good fortune of Mr.. Quincy. by which
opportunity was accorded TO capacity at the right
moment s illustrated by his accession 20 the prcs


doncy of Harvard College, Office which holds
rank in Massachusetts almost incomprehensihle 20
the members Of a merely commercial community
After the chair had become vacant by the resignation
of President Kirk land the claims many eminent gen
tlencn TO be his were the subject of general
discussion in tho literary and social circles Of Bos
ton. Mr. Quincy had never been regarded & can
ddate for the office. His previous occupations in
public life did not suggest hs elevation TO the head
of the oldest university in America. Bnt the best
friends of Harvard were of one mind as 10 his
peculiar fitness for the place, especially at that
juncture i'm the affairs of the college. He accepted
the appointment with hesitation but after the de-
cison was made lac applied himself to his duties
with constitutional earnestness and fidelity. with
all due deliberaion he made his observations the
state of things in the college, and considered how IL
could be best improved, and gradually introduced
such changes in its discipline and instruction his
experience and knowledge of the world suggested.
The doubts which some of the friends Of the college
had entertained, that he would lack the power of
adapting himself to tho government of young men,
and their fears that he would be severely strict in
his dealings with them were soon dissipated by the
development of his plan of administration. 1t soon
appeared that his fitness for his place not tmted
by his experience in business matters, which had first
suggested HIM as a fit man 20 fill it. This part Of his
duties, indeed he discharged with eminent success
With the assistance of the other able associated
with him in the Corporation, he placed the finances
Of the college on footing of perfect safety, and
their condition when he left Office more flourish
ing thanit had been before. But his hearts
desire to make tho college nursery Of high
minded, hgh-principled, well-taught, welconducted


well-bred gentlemen, fit to take their share grace
fully and honorably In public and private life His
knowledge Of the world, and long and close inter
with men, had taught him how to approach and
influence the sons well the fathers. The pervad
ing principle of his treatment of the undergraduates
was to make them law unto themselves, by the de-
velopment of Of honor and selfrespect which