16

SAMUEL M. CONANT, Active hl Pl'ocming Sotdiers Monument.

Quinabaug Historical~ Society Leaflet.

•

VOL 3.

NO. 2

WORCESTER SOUTH Agricultural Society

By OIcIARr..ES V. COlUW

MI{. Pj~E,'lDENT AIoo"D Ml-:J1L<E!~~ OF 'rHE Qlfj)iABAuG HISTvl-:W.\T. S''''CTE'fY:

You will not expect auy Iligllts of oratory or bursts of eloquence fI'OUl ine, '" plai 11 private citizen. 1 have a plain un varnished story to tell about what I "hu,ve Iearuerl and w hat I can remember about some of the old lairs of the Worcester South Agricultural Society ill Sturbr-idge, for it goes without saying that the Sturbridge Cattle Show is and has H,lwaYR been the great BYBnt of that town. It has generally been conceded that the earliest, inception of an agrieultural society in Sturbridge "as in 184"3, but ill a book which wall published in 18()U, aile Iruudred years ago, mention is made uf 1L1l agricultural society in Stmbridge. The contents of ~his book was printed iu pamphlet; form and found among the papers of the late Mr. Mnuuiug Leouard by Iris son Beruaad, wbo gave them to Mr. Ohuse, who very properly placed them ill the Joshua Hyde public Library, with It request that when they were bound the edges should not be trimmed; but the binder, thinking probably that he could make a neater looking job, did trun them, and cut off some of the words of the written answers. 'I'hese pamphlets, issued by tile Massachusetts society £01" prompting Agriculture, were issued for the purpose of asking questious of people and societies ill differ· ent parts of the state, ill regard to the condition of the soil, crops, etc. :\Iany of these questious W61'(' auswarad. by Dr. Erasmus Babbit t. who was a promineut citizen of Sturbridge aG that time. He was fil"st recorded as Iiv iug ill Brookfield but after finding thathe lived in Sturbr.idge the uustake was corrected aud rueution was

•

18

made of an agricultural society ill Sturbridge in lSOG. Davis history also mentions it, giving Rev. Zenas Leonard [18 president and David Wight, Junior, secretary. Deacon Phillipa, Oliver Plimpton, Esq., Abner Lyon, J~sia.h WalktJr alHi Nat huuiel Wulker are mentioned as being members of this sociaby, but what they did, or whether tbey ever held a fair I have unt 1J"011 able to learu. EI,j· dently they wanted to promote agriculture but the records, if any were made, h!we passed into obltviou.

The society which we know about originated in the minds ot' a fcwprominent men in Sturbridge ill 1~<13, and the first meetlug was held !Lt the old hotel, then occupied and kept by Mr. J. N, Chamberlain. The meeting is recorded in November 1 c4iJ, rather late we should think for 3, country fair. H is seen that it was confined entirely to Sturbridge Fragments of infonnation established the fact that sometime in tbe summer of 1844 some Iriurl of preparation was made for a-8eoo1](1 sbow. The next record we fiud is a letter dated July 15, 1845, signed ]JY tbe secretary, B. D. Hyde. referring to a meeting held the twenty-eighth of April previous at which It certain tanner was appointed as collector in school nlstrict No.5, to solicit members at a fee of fifty cents. No reco: d has been found telling what success the man had. About tlu.; I·~I\W the Bociety was fortunate in having for a supporter Mr. Luther Hammant of Sturbridge. He was indefa-tigable ill his efforts to have interest ln the plan deepen and increase, to have new friends added to it, and to collect funds to insure the annual exhibitions. Soon ocher towns were attracted and were urged by Mr. Hammaut to join. He went from town to tow-n, and hous to boll, e, armed and stimulated with facts and arguments that would serve to draw money and members into his cherished undertaking. U nd outrtedly, to Mr. Hammant mnst be given, more than. to allY other man, the credit of starting ';he society OIl. a solid foundation.

AHer the so<Jiety was fairly started, some Southbridge people looked on the scheme with envious eyes and wanted the fn.ir hel(l ill Southbridge; but, thanks to our electric. road, a botter acquaintnncs and the charm of the rid- to our beautiful grounds. that feeling has been eliminat-ed and I will venture lie say !;hat Southbridge citizens would not now change the location if it could be done. Up to 1868 the fairs were held every year on the common. The neat stock was kept in movable pens which were put up on the center oI the common, snd which afforded a delightful play ground to the chfldreu a faw day/S before and after tbe show, 'rhe working oxen

19

an.cl ste 1',9 were tier1 to stakes outside, The plowing was the fu'st thing, awl wax doue on different farms, as land could be obtained and the. to;;ting of' the oxen and steers was done on the meeting house hill. On cue occasion a colored man mown R6 Uncle Sam, whu was supposed to bo 100 years, plowed with a wooden plow ueruly as old, aud the report says, considering the age of the mall aU:l .I;be IJ]OW, the work was well doue. The horses wore shown by dl'l ving around th e common, und usually there was t~ tipover I or smashup, cansed by turuing corners too rapidly, The fakirs, oys,ter stands aurl baker's carts were on hand, and how good the baker's ~il ger bread tasted to the average small boy. A man recently said to 1]10, "1 carue to cattle show on this oonnuon :fifty years ago, and the first thing I (lid was to get a square of ginger bread .. The fruit, vegetables and fancy artioles were exhibited in the TOWLl hall, w lrieh was It low one story building until 1858. At Lhat tiuia Iunds euongh had acoumulated to warrant the society to enlarge, and perraissioi; was granted by the town to PUt another story on t,hl'l t.OWLl .halt and to add fifteen feet to its length, Little did. the proiec~or8 realize t,lmt their hall would not be kept by the ~oclety ~onLll t.Hue, wheu the words . 'Agl'i{)uHuraiHaU" were carved III gL'aillte and placsrl ill the gable end. As long as the fair waa held on t he Common, and for two yeMS ai't(ll' that, some dis tin. guished speaker was eugaged to speak ou an agrlculunral subjeot, bn t th 18 excellent custom has been discontiuued.

. Anot~er interesting featnre was the reading of the reports of the [udgea 1U the church. 1I1\10h wit and wisdom was displayed in these l'epo:ts. D~-. U. ~. Fiske, John O. McKinstry, Geo. V. Oorey and Captain David WIght were often pitted against each other. An extract from one of John 0 MoKiustry's reports all Swine says: "Fl'om time immemorial certain people have had a positiv~ abhor.rellce of swine. They actually rejoice at the choking of the herd mto Wh1Ch Iegion entered, and are equally well pleased that the devils themselves were not drowned at the same time and place, ~leD object to haviug anything swinish attributarl to them aud yet names the world. will not let die have been derived from the auimal Itsalf or parts of the same. A shepherd poet of Scotland was named flogg'. A renowned philosopher of modern times was Lord Bacon, and the father of the whole colored race was Ham."

Dr. Fiske, in a report on horses, says: "Tbe committee have attended to their duties amid scenes and dangers scarcely less dan.

20

gerons tb au those that ell corn pn ssed Ph arao b and lris cbaerots and horsemen 14[lD B. 0., w heu 1m I'" rsner] the Iarae lites; 'I'h e horse, then as now, was just.Iy est imarcd and used as tho fnith.fu.! Hfl"nmt of man, in WILr and peace. hn t Pharaoh tlflA as suitablau place iu the Red Sea to exhibit; the nohle 'Juf,lities of tho animal, U~ the SOCLety provides for the exhi hitiou of horses on Sturbridge Oommon , fI. fitting appellaeion for their ahow gloum1, for' it is notoriously eorumon to lien and beasts, of every name !loud n atnre.' 'I'he doctor was facet.ions i n the use of large words, {lUI'! those eud i I'll'.' in "tion". He says, in a report on cows: "Mv eonvict.ion is that the indispoaibinu of the cow to abutrdaut lactatiou re~t8 Ul)on no hypothecation. 'fhe verifioation is a work of supererogation and this asaertion is no exaggeration."

Mr. Geo. V. Oorey says in a report on swino : "As to any advice YOllr committee might offer about the mauegemeut of awinn, it is evirleut thp,t those who bava exhibited here today need none; those who have not, deset've none; therefore we give noue, saying in gelleral t.erms,. obtain the best breed, give thorn enongh to eat, make them comfortable, ha ve their babit"tiollS not 1;00 fm' hom yOllr own, lest they B"llffel' for care: neiLher too near, lest YGU suffer

also; and ,

"Deem it not one of the deadly sins

To know where the house 1 eaves off an d the sty begins."

o ne popular ilt~Ta()tion was I he competibors in town teams of 15 pairs of oxen. Oharltcn usually hook tile ist prize .. but. Stl'l!'britlge was 3; close second, A ftel' oxen became RQ scarce L.h is class was giv~,n np, No extra at.tractions W€H'C ever thoug'ht of other than strictlyagricultun!.l. A]:JOut 1855 someone suggested that we have a cavalcade and ride at the fail:. A bout fifl·.y rneu and boy" were got together nnder tha leadership of Capt. A. P. Taylor. We marched and countermarched up and down and around the Oorumou. made charges and hollow squares. and although not as expert as tbe cavaJrYGrOOp we hi.d from Fort Ethan Allen last yoar,we attracted much attention and intended. to r id .. at the fair, but alas, the weather, that great disturber of wan '8 plans, was against Il.B and it rained hard all da,y and o.:uly two or three ventured onto The fair was held ouly oue day. and no one ever tbGught of poatponlng 11. fair ill I',hose dan. The ne;;:~ year we wauted a cavalcade, and the boys and Jon!l!!" men wanted the girls to r ide with them, but Oapt. 'I'aylnr said ha would have nothing to do with us if we had the girls ride. The 'c;:ir!~ did ride and we bad

21

lot" of fun, but did not dare to rine t 'I ", .

what DJ·. :F'iske s:1.id ahoul, PII .0 ~1.." l€ farr. We remembered l'eport Rho ws tJl u,t a cr . . ru ,to, a,J d the Rerl sea, But th e the flli.r ill 1861 T h »upan Y ot ladies £HId gem tlOl:UOJJ di d ride at

J .• C.V were probably more co.

were, 'n'l ehe rep:l!"L of til ,.. '. l1tagel.J1ls than we

tOWl1 and lost that sight 1 B comuu tteo IS "IS follows: (I was not in.

"The cOll1mittee report. ,he eu~orill' f

uumberecl abont flity.funr ho . 't~O .olll,}' one cavaicarle, which big-Illy rleli"hted with 'I· rses wr ririers. Tile cOlumlttee WR~

. '" "lQ manner arid luau· f.

as rlislJIayed by tbe nnlll.erou~ ridl;>l"s TJ t~~u .. ent 0 . tile horse.~,

Iested grCfl.t COUl'age and . .. JIl a ]<"8, espeClaJly, lUILU [,

vary beautiful ill ·ap' woro ,£'J:Y gJ::il.cefu.l in mauner, [[8 well as

c . peurallce ~nd 'tll() '0 . t I .

prinCipa I attrac t ion of th d' - ., '. munr <]8 t J lU II tlJ at til e

tbe !'p'eell or' COll.'IllOll,· eAnH.: ~l'll..StJl~ ca~alc'H1B us it ro'hl round the town of Stl1rbl'id .... c. may lIGfl tl1lClJ inoi o, the. uommittee thiulr

. . .~ , we ",e prond of so III f' h

With such nllmbers of bea t'f I d 'flUy ,;;11, C'r.<ea,

mittee hope that ~ t tl . .~ 1 11 all g'f"aC<lful rirlers. TJ1f)UOIll.

c • re next aunual meeting of tl .

other towns will cllIDIJeto \.Il"ith th to- f'. .." le soc.lety soms

play of so much grace aurllplmtv e ,0Awn a 8b~nr"bndge III their.' dis-

tl ,. - ~ , .~ no ot er en try w· d

)1') camunttee award tho ti.I'st rem i '" . as rna !;

Sturbrirlge." p unum of :ff\~O to tIle (;OWI] r f

'The samet . . . JOSEPH POPE. for O"I1Huitlee.

.v "ItS llicorpor<1.ted iu r i::i - e: . I d

Sotlthbridgl.\ Dudley, Oxford Web t . ~U, inc 11. 109 St'l1l"bdrlge

field, North and We8t Brookflekl ~el:. Oha.rl~O[J, Svencel', Brcolr T he attsll dance i UCrOIl.'lB<I so fa 't ' f m I e~l. BI:lIl'.fip.ld aurl Halla II d. W1l.'3 really too much of n gOOd';1 . rOl~ t ~r. hill o. un I.iJ 18US that it the OOillmOn. It overrun the'! ll~,g ~~ ne people living around

ro.11" r a I"u ~ back yards d .

and IIp stairs, allcl even thu I."' ," ,own stall's

intl·ll.ders. Thill crowd sure- d . a.;!y til. chamber was not sale from

b I' ",e III o he "tares nud .hotel re d t

uy ,leg, borrow or steal everyth i uno thf" . ld .., a y 0

Rough ~el1ows Onell gut, to ci _'hUn'=' ,Y con gEt then Ilallds ou fellow who was geUiug tile \\'o~""t ~l't ,In one of these ~cu.ffies a mell, another after him. up ';hs ~,l a~ Int? our .f~·on~ d~or pallOccupaots had Iy Par . . , lOll, stairs, fl"lghteDlllg tl'e

. ... Ice protect;lol.l. "Was ot nn avui l The . d

sometull.es beoaurs a mob. III lS{l.J ami IS66 '. 01 OW

look around for a sui table pJ ace "0" f. . tl::tescclety begau 10

d ' I a air ground and iu th .

au early 8priu» of 1868' . ri ' " ," e wmter

bard of Bl:imfield N " (~e1~~le thf.e !Jre~ent IOCil.tlOU, N. S. Hub.

-, . '''. '''''''SOll 0 Warrell adD . I

Dudley wera mado a cornmi tl~e • b. n azue DYl'jght of

,,,-,0 pm-o ase tIl I rt 8 I

Dresser of Soutbbl'idge "1'0'1'1<1 presi[le ~ H : .. e [1.,]., .1"' ve~t.er

. n, en rj- Haynes of Sturbridge

22

, .. i hf treasurer. TDEl total cost of laud, ball.

secretary, and David \V g , "'I.' "[,2 00 '3y Ivester Dres-

·1 fl.l improvcuicuf.s W ElH. '0' '-',.J ,.. • , I

track RllO gt:ner, . . for th debt 'I'hey were t le ser with eleven others, went secunty ~l e: uute fol'

' . h had faith in the uudertakiug aud signed a 1

meu W ~ T hecredi t cl pushing the WOI"k along was [1 ue lar ge y $10,000 0 '.. D . tv f Ohar.ltou. W 1\0 worked bin d ear ly and to ~ I r B111l11Hlllge on" 0 ill . f .. ' in the ue IV grounds in 1868. bt~ to get reurly to hold '.Ile d·sIt a01111~'.lfl~ 'u.dersoll aurl Bela J.

bl E1.SSlsLe )y ~ v~ el_

J\lr. Duuty '\'fI<I a y sssfnl nd in 1880 the socieby was

Stone. The Iilll'H were very sncces 'n a .

on~~f t~et~~t uime the priuclpal attraction wa~ ho:.s~t trot~~~~ff ~:

. Lon attended the lair and Gov. rae ce an .

1882 Gov. . g t 1 by the Scutbbrirlge III ilit.ary company, In

1887 and was escor e~. U first oue 1.U this part of the illS'! a ballonn ascension was made. t._ e . tile gate receipts .'jF'700.00

f I iucreasm g • ~~

country, and was euccesa u... . do by Madame Oar-

. The ascenSIOn WlJ.8 ma .c .

01'01· tho year previous. f N York who made his gas on

lotta, the wHe of Prof: MY,oI"S: \:~v hiR w;~'c into tbo basket and t.he grounds, inflated hl~ halloo ,I if II over the cellter of Stur-

T She floated b\JMH n y

sent her awa).. . .. and Globe Villagt' , then uOI:tberly and

bridge, over Fl S ke hill h 'r1 presideu t. M I' Ole men ce, w lao,.

I'd ho farm of our OUOlL" -.. .,.. d

anue Oil [ .' . . b nied to his horne a,url rouu

when he; learned where she was, .~ ... 1 the lady would caU 011 bel'.

. d til "ho said she expec tee

his goo rno er, \\ .. I_~ . had Wild West and

. b' t )pel" Sl1lce. we uava

eutertaiuing 01 a SUI. . .ts Japanese day fireworks,

Vaudeville sbows.Hook and Lrtil~~l" co~ t~,:cl~~ Steellle Chase ridiug more BAlloon ascen siou R. OO<le fllJ.~ L I'~· Oa~~Lrv Troop from I!'ort andjumping a.ud the gl·f\n~e~l, 0 ,."f 'eo; attracl;i~.Ils this year with ITtha.u Alfeu last year allll n :"allC ,yTo,- fa.ir has had the h8arty

f . familiar. ue au

which some 0 y. 0. u ale. ~has been partioularly

li towns all. ,

cooperation of the SUITount up; , ., ,

fortuuate in its presidents I1.IHl ex~c~,t~::soi :eS·Waliaces, Webbers

H Ilanrl formerly had au tl ve ex .11 • .' d • in

L· 0 ib t 'I. 't e 'y efficient pres} en"

d I-I zIetts Brimfield coulr]' II er, v , B' W

I1ll 011 '. :I. d'~ clue t' marshal ui Mr. yron .

l\Ir Newton ii, I-lub:Ja:-( ,.~Il c s bad the Shermans. the Booths Charles. aud rnr r-xhibito S It Jut. . . 1 ts ill Thomas II.

W .',. t uruieh e,1 toW(l pI eSL( en _

f111d Haleys. arren ~ 1 1 d large exhibits from the Balls,

' S N Gleasou aud las Ill.. 11 t

Jones auu . . W " B. okfield hW.l1ished uu exce en.

Bli [1 Slrerrys eer to,

Days, isses an d' '[ hibttors in the Fairbanks, W. atsons

id I· E B Lvu e all( ex 1 - f'

presl eu ~ ill , " '" r.u iHhArl ~be fiL"R ~ presi den t a "er

aucl RiohflntNoo~ .. B["[~OoHi~[\t ~r a~d later ill Walter, O. l\'1flllE'D, incOl'porat,]on III OhV~l . eo,

:JS

and t,he ProlltYB, Gays, Peliett:;, Rices aurl Uud{'nvoods. have a.lways taken much in terest, North Urooldield has had large ex.hibitol'S in Mess)"~ Wood is, Bush anil "Wood; aurl OUl· veryetIi_ cient (:Ilie! J\J arshul and iuost of Ins niiles are ii·OIlI thn .• town. Spellco1·, al~bo\l!-:"h having a faiI" of its own, has COlJ tl'fbuted to our success Dy tile HO\,vlaud'J, WilSQn8 auj Ctlsey~. Oh1'tl"lton has JOllg been the bRDIl(ll"liown iu takiIlg the mosL pram inins aud exhibiting liuB oxen and other catl;j(J, It bi1~ fl1t"l1i~hcd t \'·0 pl'€Nid,"Dts ill Rufus B. Dot1ge aud BailJ.brWge OOU~YRud a popul!LI'Cbief Marshal in Otis Farnum, and a fail' wHbout tbe CbarlloIl Cal·pen tel's would be like t!:.: ~ play of BamIe, Il'i til Ham le t len 011 t. It i ~ said tb EI. t Otis F,trnulU was the must popu 1:>1" 111. u'shn I t.hat. 0 vei- l"O'1e a ,borse Other huge exhibitors are Me~srs Davis . .Remis, SiDley, }\];;e1'8. Rays and many othera. Oxford bas a fair bnt 11:1,8 shaWL! iuterest in Olll·S] Messrs. Rimball, Welliugtol1 WIll other~ have been exllib. ttors. D[ldky bas furnished a presi(lent iu Daniel DWight, who, wi th the E;ealYR ,W illialll". I 'ooks, K'~yes, nu cJ l'Yloores have been largeexbilJitors. Webster fllruit;herl a presidl:lnt in Mr. Waldo Jnhllson, and had Supporters in the Spauldil,gs and Sbnmways, Solomon Sbmuwns bm7illg been a chief marshal, and the Bowards, Pool"rys and Siucluirs bll;ve shown ill ucl; interest.

Sonthbridge, and what shnll I sa,y for Southbridge I We could hardly exist witbout her buuclrec1s and tho\lsaU,ls j::om·ilJg in at our gates, Sb", bas furnished five pl"6sid!"uts in Ml,", SylveHter Dresser, :\Ir. John o. MCKlnstrs. Mr. Geo. W. Wells, MI'. O. D. Pnig'e, nlld OUl' present presldeo t, ~Il", Geo. L. Clealf)ll Gel, all of whom nil. \713 done much to mal,e the fair a SUCCI:l8~, Dr. Ourtts <tIlc1 the MOl·ses have been large exhibiturs. StuI'bri(\ge fOI"merly contl"ibu~ed largely to the Ilxbibit~, Wbenl was a boy nearly every farmar and m6challic i'elt it a duty 1;0 e.';:hibi~ somethillg-, From my home we invfI.l:iably exb I bieed so Illcthiug, a platfl of app les, a peek of cran Denies or II. .few grapes, I arn sony to be obliged t,o say ~hilt Stn,'bridge pecpls flo not show the illt-erest which they did fonnoJ:·Jy, Iu my opinion it is tbe lal'ge Dum ber of suiall exhibitm B I:bat illllLke a fau- mora i IJ.tsrestiug thaI] a. small n umber of large exllibHors, A few farmers like I\1J.., ''lhepard aud Mr. Nkhols respond nobly. Sturbridge has fUl·Ili~bed four preSidents, LUlher RallUU!bnt: Dr. 0, p, Fiske, Nutlla[]iel Upham and Hall. A, B. Chamberlaiu. The secreta.ries have been B(lnj, Bullock, A, TIf. Merrick, Aaron Lyon, Henry Haynes, Davill Wight. N. D. Lf.ltlil, S. H, lJobbs, A. o. Mortle, Wm. WbitteruOl·e auu the presen t illcnlIlbsut, who has had tbe

plefisure of silting beside nine prosidouts Rill! he is happy GO 1>1>,. uoue but the most pleasant relations have existed with all of them.

Tile first fall' in 18cji:) , w itb seventy five yokp-.s of oxen ill a stril.lg, 110 doubt att racted much.n tteu t iou , uud they all came f roru SLurbridge but ill those CLays eVE:I'y i'anlH'" kept f'roui au" to :live yokes aad I will venture to soy it was not so great an artruotiou us the one hundred and one yokes we ha(UJll~()30r the sixty yokes we had this year, since oxen have become almost; nbsolete ill this pa:'t of the country, Speaking of oxeu, if I way be allowed to relate a little personal experience, I was bl'l_lllght up with them, My father always had one good yoke. III 1$00, jnst fifty years ago, I got permissiou to trdro om' oxen and plough and draw autl back The ploughing that year was Oll Fi;>ke lnll on the ~hlleoll Mursh farm, 'I'll laud there is quite different from the land au illy father's l"arDl, which was llOHtly in the Quillebl~llg valley, and with a plow t;hat weighed half as urnch as I did, and to plough without a driver was no easy proposition. We each had to plow J1! of an [lOI"" and all had ox teams. I had fOr competitors Simon Oarpen ter , David Oarpeuter, Loring, Reuben and Elijah Carpenter, Bela Stone, Andrew J' Hooker of Southbridge, auoted ploughman, and others. I captured ~he fonrth premium of four dollars, and th~JJ on the cart, with the e competitors. I got the fourth agaiu , and with that eight della sand ,vith a tinl,et for Ohicago I started for the Windy Oity soon after the fair and bad for a fellow passenger and seat mate from Albany Theodore Parker, There were no sleeping cars or Pn.lluiuus ill those clays, Mr. Parker W!lS an ilis way to stump the tu,t(' of Lllinois for Fremont. and Dayton, {1I][1 tbe conversations carried on those d!lYS and nights will never be forgotten, but as Kipliug says than's another story,

[ fear I have exhausted YOUI pat.ieuce aud with due defernnce t.o all of the present executive committee, who are peculiarly well adapted to do the work, we think the history of the fairs would not be complete without meuttcnin-g the sen ices of r<11'. H. T. Hyde. We believe a little taffy while t:le -persoll is alive. is better tliau a lot of epitaphy aft- r one is [lead. For genuine hustle. unbounded enthll.siaru, ~J!(1 the faculty t. I arouse it ill others, aud for

rigtuating higb class ideas, [mel iudetatigahle ill dustvy , om friend Hyde "t·akes the pie", and we Leliev if be had an O1'(le1' 10 produce oue hundred yokes uf oxen ill forty-eight hours, if be could have !iI', Balcer with his automobile, he would do 1, The society has over fifteell hundred .rueuibers and as good equipped grounds as there are iu the state. What a trcmendens success we could have ii' each member would do a little bit to help it alorig ? In the voeabu lary of tile society wuinh, with ell rgy, prudence and oooperatioll tlie Iuture Lolds out to us, there should be 110 such word as fail.

Quinabaug Historical Society Leaflets:

VOL. 3

NO_::-

Newspapers

of Sout'~br;dg6J

DI!LJVIlIlED AT l\U:E'fUW

DF SOCIETY, FEB 27, 19J:t

The fjnt neWSPaper published' ~

Janlmry 28 1898 by P' lD Southbrldge was startd;< ..

, ~, ierponr El B B Ih - " ... ,

Reformer and ]\I[oraljst a ,. II . : 0 am. it was caHed 'I'h E'

,_ , , eli SOUIldIIl'" name

OJy the spirit of the times. Til e <> , suggested, EQ dOUbt

spirit ual awakening among til y ar before bad begun l'I lll.ltable continued with unabated de p~ople of llil.S region whkb 'l'a'"

a r or (01' t I ~

movement took its chief directi . t east two years, This

minating SOOn ailer the !"ttl on a eng temperance ttnes, cut- 600 persons pledging tlJ.e~s 1e paper was Illarled, in mare than.

The R f erves to total abstinence

e ormer and Moralist, at til ' .

strongly adVocated tile sub' e outaet of' Its career I reots then eD'gagi' •

ts colUmns during the first f Jig mell's minds. ana-

th ew months conrat d j'

an trumpet calls (0 d 1 ,alae. tttle cme

. u J!, But toward til I '

one may note the coolin e e ose of the rear

, g ardor of its xh t . "

from its chan.o-ed tall e of e 01' atlOns, and tll.lte

<> Comment a BUre' th

of enthusiasm bad run it ' Sign' at the excess

I S course The t"tl f

was cbanged from Th R ~ . 1 e o; the paper itseU

e ezormsr and Mol' r L

a,nd GeI1Bral TJ:Ltelli~en a IS to The Refonne1

" eel', and only a f

February 1829 it suspend d '. ew months after, in;

, e PUbhcatlOn aIto th

paSsed into the bands of Moses p . ge er. The Dian.

Snow of Providence .... ' I h lim pton , who sold' it to JOSiah "' ru, ., W 0 started til

newspaper Similar in mal e publication of a

. . . . reup to Tbe Reform .

calling it The Southbridge Re i ter S er and Moralist,

until 1832, when, for a short gt.S er, now remajJ]ed as editor:

. IDle, the name of' L H.

appears as editor Tbis ' GQlanQ,"

. naper SUSP61lding publicaUoIl e~le:; iJ: