Page:One of a thousand.djvu/387

 LELAND. LELAND. j/J Among his best-known productions may perhaps be named " In the Stable," " Three Veterans," "Smuggler," "On the Road," " The Pet," " Waiting," " Dogs," and " The Fearnaught Stallions." LELAND, LUTHER ERVING, son of Samuel and Achsah (Mason) 1. eland, was born in Leverett, Franklin county, July 22, 1824. He received his early educational training in a Christian home, having for teachers, loving, intelligent parents — also in the public schools of Montague and Holliston. After attending the Holliston Academy for a short time, he entered Worcester Academy, where he fitted for college under the late Nelson Wheeler, afterwards pro- fessor of Greek in Brown University, Prov- idence, R. I. His intentions were to finish his academic studies at Brown, but owing to the impaired health of both father and mother, and the fact of his being the youngest of the family — the one to whom his parents had looked for care and support in the decline of life — he saw that his duty was to relinquish his cherished hopes, and to tenderly and lov- ingly care for those parents the remainder of their allotted days. During this period he studied medicine with Dr. J. C. Harris of Ashland, and at- tended lectures at the Berkshire Medical College, Pittsfield. He did not complete his medical studies, but, as he had previ- ously done, engaged in teaching a part of each year, and in farming and manufactur- ing the remainder. Following his early in- clinations, from twenty years of age until he was thirty-four, he had taught school in Milford, Holliston, Hopkinton and Lynn- field. At this time he accepted a call from the school board of Newton, and took charge of the grammar school (now Ham- ilton school) at Newton Lower Falls, in 1858. He has been master of this school from that date to the present time. During six years of this time he was also master of the Williams school at Auburndale. Mr. Leland was married in Sherborn, May 10, 1849, to Lucy Fli/.a Twitchell. Of this union there were three children : Ida Rozella (deceased), Samuel and Min- erva Eliza Leland. His second marriage occurred in Westport, August 4, 1875, with Ellen Maria Gifford, by whom he has one child : Waldo Gifford Leland. Mr. Leland was for several years a mem- ber of the school board and town clerk of Ashland ; has been a member of the city council, Newton, and has been frequently called upon to represent the Free Soil and Republican parties in city, county, district, and state conventions. He has held a commission as a justice of the peace for nearly forty years, and has had quite a large amount of business in writing deeds, wills, and administering estates. His church connections are with the Baptists, of which denomination he is a prominent and active member. He is a member of the Masonic fraternity, is past master and a charter member of Dalhousie Lodge, a life member of the Massachu- setts Consistory, and has been president of the Union Masonic Mutual Relief Associa- tion of Massachusetts since its organization •^1 t^ LUTHER E LELAND. in 1873. He is a member of county, state, and national educational associations, has been called upon to address educational meetings, and, to a limited extent, has con- tributed to educational periodicals. He was one of the original members of the Middlesex County Teachers' Association, of which he has been president ; was one of the organizers and the first president of the Middlesex Schoolmasters' Club. He is the senior grammar master of New- ton, a conscientious and faithful teacher, fearless and independent in thought and action, never relinquishing his manhood for expediency or success in his life's duties.