AN OLD SKETCH OF LANCASTER.
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��services, and a committee of five was chosen to give him instructions for the future. Thus was the right of instruc- tion established to govern the first rep- resentative ; may God grant that that right may never be subverted. Near and soon after the close of the war, several families, who had lost much of their property during the conflict, mi- grated to Lancaster. Maj. Jonas Wil- der, with a large and highly respectable family, was of the number. He built a "grist and saw mill." In May, 1787, Capt. John Weeks, for a like reason, came to this town, bringing his eldest daughter and son, (the writer of this article, then six years of age) with him ; they rode on two horses, with bed and other furniture appended. The best of mothers and the other children followed the next October ; and the pleasure of meeting, in a neat log house, surround- ed within a few rods by the dense and sturdy forest, will be among the last of our recollections. The town had now acquired the very respectable number of twenty-four families, exclusive of several young men. Our forests abounded with moose ; our rivers with trout, salmon, and various other kinds of fish — articles essential to even the existence of the settlers.
Nothing can exceed the symmetry and beauty of the limbs and horns of the moose ■ the round part, or that near the head, is about fourteen inches in length, where it becomes palmated, and is, in some instances twelve inches broad, surmounted in one instance (seen by Edward Spaulding now living) by seventeen spikes on each horn. One, now before me, is one inch and a half in diameter at the base, and eight in- ches in length, terminating in a point.
The largest class of horns spread five feet, and weigh about one hundred pounds. Yet this enormous proportion of horn is of unusual growth, being moulted every February. Even at this early period, cars were used for the transportation of baggage; not constructed however, precisely like those now employed on our railroads, as they were composed of two poles, one end of each resting on the ground,
��the other ends passing through the stirrups of a saddle, with two transverse sticks behind the horse, on which rested the load, and to one of which the whip- ple-tree was attached. Capt. John Weeks, as delegate from the upper Coos, on the 21st of June, 1788, at- tended the Convention for ratifying the Federal constitution, and was one of fifty-seven, who voted in the affirmative against forty-six negative voters. He was in favor of giving even more power to the Federal compact, and being an honest man (though deceived in this instance) he through life acted with the Federal party. He lived to his seven- tieth year, and probably never saw a moment when he would not divide the last dollar of his property with him who was in greatest need. Of course he ear- ly became poor, and cheerfully main- tained that condition through life.
New Hampshire was the ninth state adopting ; consequently, every consid- eration within the reach of man was put in requisition during the delibera- tion of the Convention. And now, in the year 1S39, we have more fear of consolidation than all other evils that can assail our unparalleled happiness and prosperity. At the March meeting in 17S9, twenty votes were cast for State officers ; and even this small num- ber were divided by important political considerations ; twelve friends to popu- lar rights however prevailed. And we have reason to believe, that, at the re- mote period, when the other sections of our country shall have sunk below the standard of civil and religious right, the bracing atmosphere of the White Mountains will keep our inhabitants true to themselves, their country, and their God. In 1791, the town voted "to build a Meeting House," and chose a committee of five to fix the site and superintend the building. It was large, and many years elapsed before it was finished. A congregational church of twenty-four persons was gathered on the 1 7th of July, 1 794 ; and on the 1 8th of the following September, the Rev. Joseph Willard was installed. He being the first settled minister, was en- titled to the right of land (over 300
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