Page:The Granite Monthly Volume 5.djvu/75

 WILLIAM H. Y. HACKETT. 59

chusetts, only generally not stated so openly. Webster had just gone to Boston, when Mr. Hackett came, but Mason and Bartlett, and Woodbury and Cutts, and N. A. Haven, Jr., show how eminent the bar was, while among their students were the names of Franklin Pierce, John EKvyn, Lory Odell, Charles W. Cutter, and others prominent in the later afiairs of the State or city.

Mr. Hackett was admitted to the bar in 1826, and soon after was invited to a partnership in the law with Mr. N. A. Haven, Jr., a man of great promise, whose early death Portsmouth has always looked upon as one of the most serious personal losses in her history ; but the brief association with Haven, gave to Mr. Hackett, together with his own faithful industry, a rapidly increas- ing business. In that same year he was married to Olive Pickering, a lineal descendant of Capt. John Pickering, one of the prominent men in the early affairs of the Piscataqua settlement, and especially active in all its religious concerns, where he had his way not always with a gentle and forbearing spirit, when year after year the legislature was called upon to decide the struggle, which for a long time divided the town, as to which should be the old parish and have the right to the glebe land, and the town tax.

Thereafter, for a little more than fifty-two years, Mr. Hackett lived in the dwell- ing on Congress street, where he began house-keeping immediately after his marriage, and for all this period was a prominent figure in the interests of his adopted city. He was fond of a quiet, regular, well-ordered life ; of his home, and his large circle of companions, with whom conversation was a great pleasure ; of his books, whose reading never wearied ; of his party, which he warmly defended ; of his church, which he loyally sustained. He knew no idle moments, and by method and regularity, and a disposition unfretted by the sensitiveness or criticism which wear other lives away, he accomplished an amount of varied work which would surprise many of younger years or greater vigor. In his chosen profession, he had a large practice until his death ; he was for many years, more or less, in politics ; he was largely engaged in bank- ing interests, and organized the First National in the country, through his friendship with Secretary Chase ; he wrote a great deal for the press, and took a real interest in the system of education ; he was an admirable presiding ofiicer, so rare a gift, that for a whole generation he was gladly sought, upon all occa- sions of greater or less importance ; he was exceedingly fortunate in his gift of paying tributes to his departed friends, which came sincerely out of a kind heart, which was ever willing to see the best in others ; and, withal, he always found leisure to meet with his circle of friends at the Athenaeum, to converse upon the topics of the day, or those personal reminiscences in which he abounded. There was nothing censorious in his nature, and for an unusually long Hfe he was an example of diligence, fidelity, temperance, success in all public duties and private relationship ; of uniform kindness and hospitality ; one who attained wealth, position, influence, not by a fortunate turn of speculation, but by persevering toil ; a representative of a generation fast pass- ing away, which held that steady application to a chosen pursuit was a charac- teristic of all true manhood, and all useful living.

It was on the twentieth of January, 1862, that I first met Mr. Hackett. I had preached the day before at the South Parish, and on Monday was taken to the First National Bank to meet some of its directors, a most venerable body, of which ex-Gov. Goodwin remains the sole representative. Mr. Hackett met me with that genial manner and encouraging spu-it which many now no longer young can testify was his custom towards the young, and particularly towards young men of his own city. I have personal knowledge of several whom he assisted, so as to open the way for them to be prominent and useful citizens. It will be a hard thing for the smaller towns of New England to hold their own

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