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PRESKNTKl) liY •
3HE X IS "I" €> 3E1. "5r
OF THE TOWN OF
RIVERHEAO
Ti
"Written by Hon. George Miller, and read by T. M. Griflang,
Esq., at tlie Centennial Celebration,
July 4, 1876.
> ■»♦» <
The town of Riverhead embraces all
that part of the town of Southold, as
Cf)n8tituled by statute, bounded north-
erly by the Sound, easterly by the east
line of the Albertson farm, so culled,
extending from the Sound to the bay,
and chiefly b^longi'ig to tlie late Israel
Fanning; southeily by Peconio Bay
and Pecoiiic River, and wet-terly by
the town of Brooktiaven. The origi-
nal east line of that town extendeil
from a pepperidge tiee stsinding '-'at
the head of a small brouk that runnetli
into the cre< k called Panquacnnsuck,"
(which is Wading River cieek.) north
to the Sound and south io the ocean.
That tree stood nearly opposite the
house late of Gabriel Mills, deceased,
now of Robert H. Corbelt, and has
ever been regarded as the bound be-
tween the towns. The territory west
of the said north line and east of the
Wading River creek belonged to
Brookhaven. but that to«?n ceded it to
Riverhead, on condiiitju that the latter
town should support a pauper that lived
there.
The patent of the town of Southold
was bounded on llie south by u line
running from the head of Jied Creek
to the head of the said brook at Wad-
ing River. It crosses Peconic li'wev
at Riverhead in the neighborhood of
the present waste gate, and from thence
westward. It has always been a
known line, and a landmark between
the iiivisions of land lying north and
south of it. The land on the south was
granted by the Colonial Governor to
Chief Justice Smith by a patent bound-
ed on the west by the Brookhaven
line ; on the northeast by thi« Manor
line to Red Cieek ; thence southeast-
erly by a line extending from Red
Greek to the head of Scat'ick It is
believed that ihe portion ol thivs patent
lying between the Manor line and Pe-
conic River was joined to the town of
iiouthold by the e;triiest legislative di-
vision of the townn, and that people of
Southold purchased of Judge Smith the
land north of Pecon.c River and allot-
ted it.
There is nothing in the records of
the town of Southold to show that the
proprietors under the patent of tlutt
town ever made a recorded allotment
of" their hinds now within the town of
Riverhead But most of the proprie-
tors took the lands severally allotted
to them without entering the same on
record. Il appears that in 1G59 the
proprietors granted to John Tooker
and Joshua Horton the privilege of
building a saw mill on Peconic River,
with a little land. Tooker in Hll
conveyed 400 acres of land to Jubn
Parker, bounded cast by Parker's land,
south by Pecotiic River, west by wiJ"
ow Cooper's land, and north by tlie
Sound. Talker owned ibe land on the
south side of the river. In 1726, by
deed of jjilt, John Parker conveyed to
Joseph Wickham and Abigail Wick-
ham, his daughter, all bis land north
of Peconic River, to the said Josepii
for life and then to his daughter and
her heirs. Her husband died iti 1749.
His widow died in 1780, and her old-
est son, Paiker, inherited her estate,
which was confiscated alter the war
and purchased by Gen. Floyd, who
Bold thn property to Mr, Ja<iger.
In 1153 Thomas Fanning sold the
hotel property, 130 acres, with the
dam as far as the saw mill, to Ji,hn
GriflBng, for £1,000. In 1715 John
Griffing conveyed his land south of
the highway, with tne grist mill and
his part of the stream, to Nathaniel
Griffing, bis son, for .£500 Jolm Gril-
fing was a patriotic Whig and went
to Connecticut with his family when
the war came on, and died there in
1780, intcMtute, and all his esiale da-
scended to his eldest son, John, who
occupied the property until he sold it
to Benjimin Brewster about the begin
oing of this century. He, within tiu
years, ccjnveyed it toBartleti Griffing.
the yoiing( st son of John Griffing the
elder, and he within a yenr conveyed
it to his brother, William Griffing, in
whose family it ever after remaiiMjd
until it was conveyed to John P. Ter-
ry, the present proprietor, in 1864
The main huilding of this hotel was
erected by the Messrs Gr;ffings in
1844.
The village of Riverhead for nearly
30 ^t-ars alter the lit volution remained
stationaiy, with but lour bouses, viz. :
The Griffing Hotel, Joseph Osborn's
house , on Terry & VVeile's corner, Da-
vid Jagger's house, and the mill house,
built by William Albert.son.the owner -
of the grist mill. David llorton lived
in the Court house and kept the jail,
Stephen Griffing occupied the place
late of Dr. Thomas Osb'^rn,
In 1815 Nathaniel Griffing, Jr,, built
the house now occupied by Mr, Miller,
on prennses his father had pnrcliased
40 years before. The same year Hnl>-
bard an 1 Wells Gi iffing built the sloop
McDonough, the first vessel built in
Eiveihead after the war. They run
her until 1825 and then sohi her and
built the sloop Pacific. Atterwards
Oapt. Jmies Horion bought the Mc-
Donough. rebuilt her and run her many
years and sold her. She is now in
Connecticut and was seen in New York
last summer in quite good condition.
Beiij itnin Brewster liought tiie grist
mill of William Alliertson and run it
some years after the war of 1812.
During this lime it was burnt, Mr.
Brewster got his idsurance and fehuilt
the mill, "-etting it on an elbow of the
dam, which he cirritda cousiderahh;
distance northeast from the former
site. When he sold his bote}, about
1808, he bnilt the house late of Hub-
bard Griffing, decer.sed, which be oo-
cnpied until he sold the mill to Ezra
Hallock. Ill 1824 the grist mill was
overhanh.'d, and greatly iiuproved with
new water wheels. In that summer
the water was drawn oif the mill pond,
causing, as was supposed, C(;nsiderablo
sickness and some deaths.
In 1825 the village had considerably
aJvanced and increased, Moses C. Cleve-
land had det up a shoe shop, and Jedediah
Conkbn a blacksmith's shop, both of whom
were active business men. There were
three stores, kept by Llijah Terry, Will-
iam Jagger and William Griffing, Jr. Since
then business and population have greatly
increased. There are now some 20 stores,
three drug shops, fom dentists, lour butch-
er's shops, five physicians, six lawyers, five
churches and a largo Union School,
Gift
Th«» Soaietf'
Tlie Long Tshind House still occupies a
part of the original hole) owhed by the
Grifliugs I'JS years ago.and owned by some
o/ the family nearly ever since until it was
purchased by John P. Terry, the present
landlord.
Henry L. Griffin owns a large liotel near
the railroad, or part of the Griffing farm,
built in 1862.
The Suffolk Hotel, kept by John Cor-
win, was built on a part of the same prop-
erty in the year 1825, first as a dwelling,
afterwards greatly enlarged, and kept as a
hotel since 1834.
The large brick store on Bridge street
was built in 1854 by David F- Vail. John
Downs built his biick block on the corner
of Main street and Griffiag ave. in ]871-2.
The Messrs. Hill built their th-ee story
double brick siore on Main street in 1874.
Dr. Thomas Os orn was the first phy-
fiicLm in the village and the only one tor
thirty years. He commenced practice very
early in this century and died in 1849 Dr.
Joseph Doane practu^ed in this village 12
years and died in 1847. Dr. Conk-
lin was the Itiist physician in the town.
He lived and practiced at Lower Aque-
bogue.
Kiverhead has two Engine Companies.
The first, Red Bird, was organized in 18.33.
It has now two hand engines and 40 mem-
bers ; Gilbert H. Ketcham foreman. The
f^ec^nd, Washington, was organized in 1862.
It has one hand engine, and a new steamer
purchased ii\ 1875 ; members 36 ; Oliver
A. Terry foreiuan.
The Kiverhead Savings Bank was organ-
ized in 1872 — Richard H. Benjamin then
and stid Pr«:sident, with twenty Trustees
whose services are gratuitous. It has av-
eraged more than one new depositor for
every day since, has paid $113,000 to its
depositors, and has now invested over
$200,000. Its influence has bet u very be
neticent.
An early individual enterprise was per-
formed by the l-ite Isaac Swezey, kSr., by
which in 1818 he dug a canal over 80 rods
long and moved his grist mill from the dam
on Little Biver tu the village at the verge
of the Great Uiver.
Charles Hallett has contributed much to
the growth and materia! prosperity of the
village. In 185G he started a planing mill,
using to some extent both steam and water
power, which finally passed into other
hands. In 1860 he built a steam planing
mill on tlie north side of the river, which
did a large business — th« first year to the
amount of $22,000, and in the years 1873
and 1874 the business amouated to $125,-
000 a year, and his pay roll was $3^,000
in 1873 and $.34,000 in 1874. Heha^now
rented out the steam mill, which is run by
Weeks & MiUard, we believe prosperously
fur the times.
In 870 Mr. Hallett started a paper mill
for making board paper of straw. In 1872
he started a tiounng mill, which he has now
fitted for making flour by the newpioccss,
and is ruuning the mill with much success,
commanding patronage, by the railroad,
Irom Queens county. His paper mill has
been ujuch improved by new inventions,
ada ted to the pressure of the times, so as
to make a very superior board that can be
sold at a profit.
The village of Kiverhead has received
great benefit from the improvement of the
channel of the river. Congress has made
three appropriations, amounting in the ag-
gregate to $25,000, and the State has ap-
propriated !ji;5,000, all of which has been
carefully expended in deepening the chan-
nel with a steam excavator. The result
has been not only very favorable to navi-
gation, but it has caused the water to run
off" at low tide nearly a foot lower, while it
very unexpectedly prevents as high a rise
of water as formerly with an east wind,
rendeiing great advantages to the mill
stream and making the adjoining lots and
gardens, cellais and wharves more com-
tortable and valuable. Further appropri-
ations are necessary to make the work com-
plete. It is believed that $20,<j00 would
effVct all that could be desired.
At the close of the Kevolution agricul-
ture Was at a low ebb as w^ll as business
of every other kind. The cultivated lands
had been worked down and become poor,
and the peop e were without fertilizers.
Manuring with fish was then unknown
and the people of this branch of the Island
went to Coram and Middle Island with
their horse carts to buy rye to live on.
People were deeply in debt according to
their means oT payment. As an illustra-
tion of this, it appears from the records
that more than 100 writs were returnable
to the Court of Common Pleas of this
county during tlie first year after the war.
Before or soon after the beginning of this
century bunker fishing for manure was be-
gun by the farmers. This soon improved
their circumstances, enabled them to raise
good crops, and produce manure from oth-
er sources so as to make their land perma-
nently good, and the condition of the peo-
ple very much improved. Buying fertiliz-
ers from abroad was not then practiced.
Judge John Woodhull was the first man
in the town to buy ashis for manure, and
it enabled him to make hay superior to that
of his neighbors. Fifty yeais ago he owned
the only steel spring carriage in the town,
and about that time it was thought quite
an improvement for the hotel at Hiverhead
to have a sulky with wooiec springs and
thorough-braces
The Long Island Railroad commenced
running the last day of July, 18l4. The
passenger train run three times a week and
so continued through the ensuing winter
and probably longer. Fifty years ago we
had the mail at Riverhead once n. week by
a one horse wagon, and it we went to New
York by stage we must cross over to
Quogue and reach ihe city by the mail
stage towards night of the second day.
After a few years we came to have a mail
stage hioiigh on the middle country road
Passengers would start from Riverhead at
noon, stay at Thomas Hallock's at the
Branch the first night, and arrive :.tBrook-
lyn towards evening the next day. After
some years we cau.e to have two mails a
week, but the change is very great now.
We have the mail to ana from New York
twice a day, and three trains a day in tlie
summer.
No part of the town of Riverhead has
increased so much and so r>>pid]y in agii-
cullural wealth as Norlhville. That village
and the whole extent of the north road to
Wading River, prove that the early hislo
riaus of the town miscorceived the charac-
ter of a large part of the lands in the town
ni)t then brought under cultivation. They
are in fact valuable for that purpose and
have been much improved within a few
years.
Wading River more than 50 years ago
had a- good deai of enterprise in the coast
ing business, and built some valuable ves-
sels for that trade and launched them into
the Sound. The railroad, which has done
so much for the prosperity of other parts
of the town, has rather tended to retard
the growth of this place.
The village of Jam^sport has come ioto
being within the last half of our Centennial
period. It is built on Miamogue Point.
The wharf was built in l83;i and the hotel
in 1836. It has grown to be a considera-
ble village and is very pleasantly situated
for a su ; rLcr resort, enjoying great advan-
tages for the navigation ef the bay.
At about 1797 Jeremiah Petty built a
F rge for making bar iron, on Peconlc Riv-
er at the Forge Pond, where he did busi-
ness until his death, after which, in 1799,
the property was purchased by Solomon
Towcsend of New York, who did business
there for a while, and after his death and
in 1818 the property was sold by his ad-
ministrators to Bartholomew Collins, since
which time but little business has been
done with the large water power of the
mill pond except as a reservoir for the
mills below, and since 1870 the water has
been drawn off during the summer for the
purpose of cultivating cranberries on the
bed of the pond. The samn use is now
being made of the pond above on Ihe same
stream by draining it and yet using the
water of the river above by means of a ca-
nal
The Upper Mills, so called, one mile
above Riverhead village, on Peconic river,
was the site of a grist mill, ful ing mill and
saw mill, all owned by Richard Albertson,
the fiither and then the son, and built late
ill the past centmy.
In 1828 John Perkins became a proprie-
tor in the water power and established a
woollen fiictoiy, which has been continued
ever since. It was ever regarded as very
valuable to the people on both sides of
the Island, and facilitates the transition
from spinning and weaving ch'th at home
t3 carrying wool to the factory and taking
manufactured cloth in return The factory
was run during the life of Mr. Perkins,
who died iu 1866, and since his death by
his sons, who are merchants in Riverhead.
The present woolleft factory was built by
Mr Perkins in 1845.
LAW.
The first Court-house was built in Riv-
erhead in 1728. The Couit was first held
on the last Tuesday in September, 1728.
An order was entered that all process
should be returnable at the County Hall,
and that is vvhat it was called. Before
thai the Courts appear to have been held
alternately in the towns of Southold and
Southampton. The first term of the Com-
mon Pleas was held after the war on the
last Tuesday of March, 1784. EzraKHom-
medieu and Abraham Skinner were both
then admitted to practice as attorneys and
there appears on the records no other law.
yer. Mr. L'Hommedieu was Clerk of the
County, which ottice he held 26 years, dur-
ing which time he was for one term a
Member of Congress and raauy yeaisa
State Senator, besides having a very large
practice as attorney, having over 80 writs
returnabie in the Common Pleas in one
year
Daniel Osborn, the father ot Ihe late Hull
Osborn and of Dr. Themas Osborn, was a
member of the bar and a Member of As-
sembly in 1787; he died in 1801. Hull
Osborn was a practicing lawyer in River-
head for many years until 1817, and was
for one year Clerk oi the county in 18 lU.
He died iu 1834, very highly respected as
a man and a lawyer.
The other practicing lawyers in early
times were George Smith of Smilhtown
— he moved ta Connecticut — Jos Strong
of Orange county, wIjo moved into this
county and practiced law a number of
years, and Silas Wood of Huntington.
Eliphalet Wicks of Jamttica, a man of high
biauding, practiced law in tbe county many
years These are all the members of the
bar who i^ad ceased to practice in the coun-
ty btfore 1825. The following are the
lawyers that were practicing in Suffolk
county when tho writer came to the bariu
1825: Abraham Skinner, Chas. A. Floyd,
Selah h. Strong, William P. Buffett, Abra-
ham T. Kose, Hugh Halsey and Daniel
Robert. All these, together with every
oflicer who then attended Court, have
passed away except Mr. Robert, who is
still living in New Utrecht. His office was
in New York, but he attended all our courts
and was one of the .eadmg advocates until
1831.
The first Judges were Selah Strong,
the elder, Abraham Woodhull, Thomas S.
Strong, Joshua Smith, Jon ithan Conklin,
Hugh Halsey, Abraham T. Rose, William
P Buffett, J. Lawrence Smith. George Mil-
ler, Henry P. Hedges and John R. Reid.
The last four are still living.
ILe following persons have been Mem-
bers of Assembly from this town : Capt.
John Wells, Usher H. Moora, who was
also a member of the Constitutional Con-
vention in 1821 ; C;.pt. Noah Youngs, John
Terry, David Warner, George Howell,
John C Davis, James H. Tuthill. John S.
Marcy and Nathan D. Petty. The three
last have been members for two sessiots
each
The first Clerk's office was built in 1846.
The new Courthouse was built in 1856.
In 1875 the first Clerk's office was sold
and a new building erected for Clerk's and
Surrogate's offices.
RELIGION.
At the time of the Revolution it is be-
lieved that the only places of worship in
the town were at Lower Aquebogue, Up-
per Anuiibogue and Wadmg River, the first
Presbyterian and the other two Congrega-
tional. At Baiting Hollow a Congrega-
tional house of Worship was erected in
1802 and built anew about 1839. In 1815
separate worship was set ud by Swedenbor-
giaus and in 1839 a house of worship was
erected by them. In Wading River the
first house was built about 1750 and a new
house was erected in 1837- In Lower
Aquebogue the first house was built in
1734; it was repaired in 1830 and rebuilt
in 1859. The church some years ago be-
came Congregational. At Upper Aque-
bogue a house of worship was erected in
the fore part of the last century. In 1797
a new church was built. In 183.^ it was
remodeled and rebuilt, A new church eu-
ifice was built in 1862. This society be-
came in a measure the mother oi two other
congregations. There was a separation of
the congregation in 1829 and the seceders
built a house two miles east of Riverhead.
In 1834 this new congregation harmoni-
owsly divided, and one portion took the
ine«!tiug-house and moved it to Northville ;
the other portion removed to liiverhead.
receiving compensation for their interest
in the building, and worshiped in the low-
ei room of the Seminary building until
1841, when the present Congregational
Church was built, which was enlarged in
the year 1868.
The Methodist Society in Riverhead was
organized in 1833 and their first meeting-
house was built in 1834 Their present
noble edifice was built in 1870.
The Swedenborgian Society was organ-
ized in 1839 Jheir houses of worship was
built in 1855. Before the erection of their
church they occupied a comfortable room
as a place of worship, which was also used
as a school room.
The Episcopalians commenced stated
worsLio in Riverhead in 187U, and in 1873
they erected a neat chapel.
The Free Methodists erected a meeting
bouse in 1872.
The Roman Catholic Society held ser-
vices for several years in the old Court-
house and in a house on East street. In
1870 their present haLdsome church and
parsonage were erected.
At Jamesport a buildiug was erected in
1839 JiUd has been occupied as a p.ace of
worship for the Methodist Society since
and sometimes as a school house.
The village of Riverhead was in 1825 and
always had been a part ef the Congrega-
tional Society of Upper Aquebogue. Mr.
Swezey, the miaister, statedly preached in
the Court house every other Sunday at 5
o'clock, or in the evening. The Method
ist circuit rider statedly preached in the
Court house every other Friday afternoon
or evening, and was entertained at Dr. Os-
born's. In March, 1827, a stated weekly
prayer meeting was established and ever
after maintained. In June following a
Sunday School with nearly 100 scholars
was established in the Court-house and
kept up, except that it was not held in the
■winter.
In 1828 or 1829 meetings were held and
a sermon road in the Court-house at 1 !
o'clock on the Sabbath and kept up for
several years. At some time afterwards
meetings were held statedly in the Court-
house on Sunday evening';, at which the
Congregational and Methodist mmisters
preached alternately. So the tHO societies
grew up together as the population in-
creased. We thought then and we think,
still that there was much more moral and
religious influence for good exercised than
if only one denomination had occupied the
wnole ground.
EDUCATION.
There have been great advances in the
caase of education since the Revolution.
During that war the Island was in poses-
s)on of the British, and the people were
great sufferers from their troops and from
marauders (plunderers they used to be
called), who came from New England, so
that the opportunities for schools were
small ; and then came up a generation dur-
ing the war whose education was very lim-
ited, and no considerable public provision
was made for education until long after
the war. Iv the early part of this century
there were two schools taught by native
teachers that were very commendable for
those times, and many young men received
an education there which well fitted them
for active life. We allude to the schools
kept at Upper and Lower W^qiiebogue. the
former by Josiah Reeve, afterwards Sheriff
of the county, and the latter by Judge Da-
vid Warner. No special efforts for extra
edncatiou were made until the Franklin-
ville Academy was erected in the year
1832. That soon became a prosperous and
efficient institution and many young men
were educated there It continued to flour-
ish for many years and constituted a new
era in education in this part of the connty
and drew many pupils from other towns.
The standard of female education im this
branch of the Island was very low up to
this time. Indeed it had been so through-
out most parts of the county. When Dr.
Beecher preached at East Hampton his
wife taught quite a class of female schol-
ars from difleient parts of the county. The
influence of those scholars told very favor-
ably upon the communities where they
were afterwards located. With that ex-
ception we know of no schools in the coun-
ty for the speciiil education ot ff-males.
The oppoiluuitics of girls in the two
academies of East Hampton and Hunting-
ton were in those dnys very secondary.
Indeed academics afforded inferior oppor-
tunities forthoiough education They were
generally taught by young men who had
little primary education, but had devoted
their efforts to the classics and msilhemat-
ics suffijientiy to pass through college, and
during theii ; rogle^s to a profe;siou taught
academies and high schools, imparting
chiefly such learning as they had acquired.
Female education had been overlooked or
neglectea, and thoiougb primary instruc-
tion nearly as much so
In view of this state of things Dr. Josh-
up- Fanning and the writer undertook to
orgiuize a Female Seminary, and in the
year 1834 we erected the present seminary
building in the village of Riverhead. In
the spring of 1835 the school was begun
rtit'i good success. Its object was to give
thoiough instruction in all the priir.ary
branches of an English ediication, with
Latin and Mathematics. The effect of tiie
school was almost magical upon the com-
munity. The ideas of people in regard to
female education were rai:ed more than
one bundled per cent, in a short time, and
the ditference in the estimate of people in
legard to thorough primary education soon
became great and told upon the academies
of the county, and the examination day at
the close of the terms were lor years among
the proudest days of Iliverhead.*
At the b?giunuig it was s-upposed that
young ladies must be educated in exclusive
schools, but this was after a while lound
to be a mistake with us, and it is now gen-
erally conceded that schools of both sexes
can be best governed and instructed.
This stmmary and nearly all other
schools in Riverhead have been supersedtd
by the Union School, established iu 1871,
which has been a great success. A school
of this kind acts under the sanctiou of the
law and is amenable to the judgment and
* When this was read at our Centennial our
neiglibors were nut entirely satisded, and request-
ed that it sliouid appear lliat Miss Leonard ot Mas-
sacliu etls taught the Seminary in its tirst years,
an.i afterwards as Mrs. Miller taujjlitit at different
limes, iu all uventy one years. ,
good sense of the whole ommunity, and
lias advantages for oiscipline and eood gov-
ernment which can never be enjoyed by a
private school.
HEALTH,
Riverhead is believed to be remarkable
for the healthi'uluess of its climate. There
have been no prevailing climatic diseases
iu the village in 52 }'ears. The make of
the earth is such that there can be no stag-
nant water above or below ground, and
water for use is dniwn Irom pure white
sand, yhich makes it perfect in quality,
while it is as cool as persons in poor health
should dii'sire. Summer diseases, which ai
times prevail in almost every village, have
never been prevalent here.
At the south of Riverhead there is a
pilch pine barren seven mile's in extent,
over which the ocean breezes pass, often
loaded at the start with log and dampness,
which are absorbed by the dry country
over which they pass. Fogs are very cora'-
mon on the south side but rare at River-
head In the spring the aroma Irom the
pine growth is often perceived in the south-
erly breeze by strangers. This dry pine
country is probably little inferior to the pine
barrens at the South, which are often
sought by invalids. It undoubtedly has a
lavorable effect upon the health of the vil-
lage. The same causes, we think, render
Jamesport equal if not superior to any wa-
tering place en the north side of Peconic
Bay.
It is easy to chronicle events but not al-
ways si) easy to relate with accuracy the
moral state of a people or community as it
bears on past and present times. The state
ot things now and fifty years ago iu regard
to morals and good government is vastly
different, and the question is have we ad-
viinced? Are there proportionally more
happy families, and more children trained
to kuowleuge, yiitue and industry? The
truth is, that if we would have advance-
ment in the right direction we must go still
further and higher. There must be great
reforms iu every department of the govern-
ment, and the people must hold ti.eir serv-
ants to a responsibility not thought of here-
tofore.
There can be no doubt tha^ there have
been great changes iu some of the moral
and Social relations of the people. In re-
gard to intemperance the change is great.
In 1828 the liquor drank iu the town was
live times as much as it was two j^ears af-
terwards. The first temperance meeting
in lliverhead was held lale in January
1829, when 17 signed the pledge. At the *
next meeting a fortnight later tlie signers
•were doubled and the consumption ot liq-
uor was undoubtedly lessened one half in
three months. Before that liquor was al-
most everywhere. Every merchant and
man of Imsiness kept his open bottle. On
every public occeision drunkards abounded.
But as soon as the principles of total absti-
nence was adopted a change came over the
community. At the very next town meet-
ing the people all went home before night
sober. At the next launchii'o^ of Capt.
Henry Horton's vessel no liquor was used.
Fishermen abandoned it ; nierchauts who
sold other goods quit the sale of it. The
people soon saw clearly, what fifty years
lias proved to be true, tliat even the mode-
rate use of liquor is not necessary but hurt-
ful, and that sound morals and good gov-
ernment require that its ha: itual use should
be abandoned. It would be hard to esti-
mate the amount of temporal blessings this
great leformation in principle and practice
has caused to houseliolds and individ als.
O if some of our temperance Iriends would
only get the foulisli crotchet out of their
heads that no man is fit for any office if he
■will not at once vote for total prohibition,
we might soon prove by the laws we liave
"whether we are in a condition to have laws
more efficient than tlie Local Option Act
If they would join in oue party or the oth-
er the' great body of honest voters of llie
State in the present struggle to elevate the
standard of official duty and purify the pol
iticsof the country, they will find them-
selves standing on a much firmer basis for
further assistance from the laws. Let us be
sure, if possible, that men are honest and
capable whom we support for office, but
never let us reject such because ihey are
not for prohibition where such a law is not
in question.
Our advantages for educatioa and llie
training ol children are vastly greater than
they were 40 or 50 years ago, but do we
improve lliem as we should? Are children
and boys just passing to manhood restrain-
ed as they should be? The foundation and
corner stone of gO(jd government is that
boys should never be sufl'ered to run at
large in the streets in the night time. Lax-
yess in lliis matter is preparing children
tor the si (Ughter. Above all things, if pos-
sible, make your family a happy liome for
your children. In no point of view have I
for 35 years looked upon tlie young ladies
educated at our Seminary with so much in-
terest as with the hope that they would ac-
quire knowledge and training that would
tlie better fit them to make their homes
happy, with the more skill to control chil-
dren and youth under their care. We looii
with L'reat hope for the good influence of
our Union school in this matter.
We could not well say less in regard to
moral questions which have afiecled us bo
deeply i n time past and must for lime to
come. \Ve enter upon the second century
of our national existence under very aus-
picious circumstances and iu nothing so
much as the feeling that has arisen among
thoughtful and true men ot all paities that
tlie standard of morals iu politics, and iu
the conducting of our National and State
goverunieuts, must be greatly elcvattd.
LIBRARY OF CONGRESS
014 205 249
