That Fall mother sent me over to Justus Haywards to see if he would take me. He looked me over, felt of my arms, and decided they were not strong enough to amount to anything so I went back home. I next went over to Uncle John Hastings. He wasn't my uncle but I always called him that. There was in the family Uncle John, Aunt Mary his wifes, sister, a widow.Aunt Mary his wife and Aunt Annie his wife's sister, a widow. I stayed there about 4 years. I don't remember as I ever rec'd any wages. I went to school 12 or 13 weeks in the winter. It was a large ungraded school, perhaps 50 or more from the youngest beginning their A.B.C.'s to big boys of 20 years or more. I was a good scholar especially in spelling the first class which was the largest and best scholars was heard the last thing before school was dismissed at night.
They spelled "taking up words" it was called. The class was called and we took our places, a long line reaching clear across the room. The teacher would see that we stood in a straight line. He would then say "Attention" and we would all bow. He would begin at the head of the class and give out a word and so on down through the line. If a word was misspelled be would say nothing, just give out the next word and so on, but the first one that noticed it instead of spelling the word that was given him would take up the misspelled word and go above the the one who had misspelled. When the lesson was over the teacher would say "Attention" We would make our bow and take our seats put up our books. The teacher would then say "School is dismissed and we would all rush for the door yelling like young savages.
I remember one teacher we had his name was Foster Edwards, on examination day when the First class was spelling the Superintendant had his daughter there. I thought she was the prettiest girl I had ever seen. There was a big, boy way down near the foot or the class. He spelled his word and looked way up to me. I nodded my head. Foster Edwards saw me and yanked as out of the class and bowed my head round through the floor right in front of that pretty girl. I was mad. I said to myself when I grow up I will lick you.
I was awful temperry. When I grew up and I worked for my Uncle in his saw mill, I heard him say one day "You have to handle Albert as you would eggs he is so temperry. I thought to myself if that is the case I will stop being so temperry, and from that day one would not think I had a temper but I have, and can control it.
I was 15 when I left off going to school in the winter and went to work first for John Emerson on the farm way back from North road at least 2 miles. He and his wife were always fighting, with words, anything he wanted to do she would do Just the opposite He wanted to go to bed early & get up early. She would go to bed late and get up late. I have thought that perhaps he would have been a hard master if she had not opposed him in every thing. He was always good to me and when I got through he offered me more money than I could get of anyone else. I never did work for him again.
Mrs. Emerson was a good cook and they had luncheon at 10 a.m. but let me tell you in haying time he would call me at 4 a.m. No sooner did he call than my feet were on the floor. He would tell me to take my scythe and go to mowing, and I would mow till breakfast 8 oc. It seemed to me I should die I wan so hungry. I lost weight when I should have been
One Presidential campaign Oscar Buswell contrived a plan to get Ransome vote. Oscar was a Dem. Mr Clough a Rep. There was an apple tree in Buswell's orchard that bore excellent eating apples. His plan was that a couple of the boys in the saw mill go with Ransom one bright moonlight night and steal a few apples. When they got there they suggested that Ransom go up the tree while they kept watch. After he was well up they heard a feartul yell and Oscar appeared. The other boys of course ran off. Oscar told him he was going to tie him to the tree and then go after the sheriff at Newport and have him locked up. He ordered Ransom down and then with a long rope he had brought wound it round and round Ransom and the tree and started off for the sheriff. He left the poor fellow trembing with fear. Pretty soon the other fellows appeared and in a loud whisper called "Ransom, are you there". Well he wasn't anywhere else. They quickly untied him and told him to scoot. It was over a mile to the mill boarding house and he "scooted". He tumbled into a shallow well and got soaking wet. He got out and went to the boarding house safe. When the other boys got. back they told him they had seen Oscar and persuaded him, till he finally told them that if Ransom would vote the Democratic ticket in tile election for Pres, he wouldnt do anything more about it. Ransom was glad enough to do that and keep out of jail.
I will now speak of Mrs. Flanders and her cousin in East Barnet, Emily Norris, and their descendants. Miss Norris married my best friend Edward Bosworth, and I married Mary L. Gilfillan, always called Minnie where she lived in Barnet. The children of Bosworths were Arthur, Raymond, and Claire. Eds. wife was burned to death while cleaning a cushion chair with gasoline out of doors. She probably rubbed too vigorously, and the gasoline suddenly exploded and burned the chair and Ed's wife so that she lived only over one night and died.
Arthur when he grew up and was educated became an expert Accountant. Edward C. Bosworth was my best friend from the time I was about ten years till he died in Rochester, New York.
My wife Mary L. Flanders had for her best friend, Emily Norris, of East Barnet Vt. My wife lived in Barnet Vt. Ed. Bosworth was about three years older than I, his wife Emily Norris was five years older than my wife. Mr. and Mrs. Bosworth were not married until after we were.Ed's wife was a fine housekeeper and very active.
When I was a young man I started with Hen. Hilliard, Lo. Hilliard, Ed. Bosworth and one or two others for Mt. Kearsarge twenty-five miles more or less from North Grantham. After going about two miles we came to Ben Hall's. We pretended to be pretty drunk, we got out off the wagon and rapped on the door till we got Hall up. He opened a window and asked what was wanted. We told him we wanted some rum, asked him for some he was afraid and said he hadn't any, and didn't know where we could get it at that time of the night, so, we went on. The next thing I remember was at Hersey Eastman's place. There must have been a clear night and a good moon. We saw an oxcart beside the road such as was used to bring potatoes and apples in to the buildings, with out a word we jumped out and tipped that cart over and smashed the body. We dumped into the wagon and hurried along. We decided we wouldn't come back that way but, went home over what was then called Hog Hill. He never heard any thing from Hersey Eastman. The next piece of mischief that I remember was where the road branches off to go through New London. Lo. Hilliard went to a porch where there was a large rug, he took it to put over our knees as it was getting cold, just before sunrise.
I worked in the Sawmill and one spring L. Hilliard and I took a job of getting out bed slats. We were both pretty quick and made a little better than day wages. We were satisfied and no doubt Uncle Thomas was. This Loren E. Hilliard came to see me few months ago. I hadn't seen him for more than 55 year. We spent a very pleasant 2 days talking over old times. He told me among other things that he thought I was just about right and he made me think that we don't know the influence we have over our chums. We should be very careful of what we say and do.
I must go on. Not long after a Miss Gilfillan from Barnet Vt appeared. I dont know as I ever heard of her before. She was a neice of Mrs. Charles Clough. Mr. Clough had died sometime previously and his wife Aunt Hat we called her, bad moved down nearer the north road. We young people used to go up there about every night. I remember we had planned one night to go up to Davis pond 2 miles or more and have a boat ride. But the night was dark and we thought of course we would wait till it was pleasanter. But Miss Gilfillan insisted that she saw one star. So we decided to go. I made up a little poem about. "Who, where, when, How & Why.
There was Frank, and Lu,& Ella, 5180 Minnie G. the cousin, Albert, Ed, C.B. and Avis just one more than half a dozen These are they who went a boating.
In the month of August Lovely was the summer evening only It was dark & wet rind cloudy with bit one star lone & lovely That was when we went a boating.
Up the mountains past the sawmill Passed a bowl or sliced cucumbers* To a forest bordered lakelet, where the water lilly slumbers That was where, we went a boating.
Neath our feet was mud and water O'er our heads the dark cloud masses Through the mud and water splashing and the wet and tangled grows That was How we went a boating Not the bravest of that party upon any provocation Dares discuss that Madcap frolic or attempt an explanation Why we went that night a boating.
They always used to slice *cumbus thin & put thin in a bowl with vinegar salt & peper till they pickled. Then they were ready to eat.
When I was 20 I went to the Colby Academy for 9 weeks. Here I made a record which I have always been proud of. I attended 9 weeks. I boarded myselt for 79 &1/2 cents per week. I walked home every Saturday but one--13 miles--I gained 18 pounds in weight and I was marked 100 in each study each week. I remember that Prof. Titus urged me to stay and take a complete course, but my older brother had died and I was then the oldest. There was one brother and two sisters, besides my mother, and they needed me. Our family Doctor Dr. Hurd wanted me to study medicine. He offered me the use of his books and to help me in every way he could.
I might have made as good a minister as he was, but I didn't study theology. But "There's a Divinity that shapes our ends. Rough hew them how we will".
Had I become an Md. or a Rev. the chances are that I would never have met Mary L. Gilfillan, who became my wife on Oct. 14, 1879. The Drs said she would die young but last year we celebrated our Golden wedding and today she seems as well as she has for several years. She has always been a true help-mate and we have yet to have our first quarrel. She has bourn 9 children and they are children to be proud of. We lived in Barnet Vt., for 2 or 3 years,
We then went to Pawtucket, R.I. There was where we had a struggle to keep "The smoke coming out of the chimney". After leaving the city for a few years, we moved out to "Reservoir Heights. I still worked in the same woodworking shop but lived 2 1/2 miles out. I was blest with good health I have never had a headache in my life. I set out a firm lot of Red Rasberry plants and in the summer time I would get up to work as early as I could se and work till breakfast. Then walk to the shop and do a days work work and then walk home. I kept 2 or 3 cows and before the raspberries were large enough to yield I would carry down 2 cans of milk to sell. When they became mature enough to yield, I managed to get a horse so I could carry the berries.
I took a job trimming Toy Tool Chests. Later I packed them finally I took the job of turning toy piano steels. I would have as many as 12 working for me in the busy season. I would never allow and dirty talk. I employed all nationalities and I must admit that I never had but one american that was first class. I paid higher wages than others paid but I got the work done cheaper. Sometimes when they had done extra well, I would say now boys one of you go over to Maggies and get a quart of Peanuts and we will sit here and eat them. It would be perhaps 10 minutes before quitting time. I didn't have any set price but paid them what they were worth. They would begin at a low price and I would advance them as they grew more efficient. There would be some whom I would tell that their room would have to be used for a smarter boy.