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THE GRANITE MONTHLY.

DANIEL BLAISDELL.

BY M. A. WALLACE.

Among the early settlers in Canaan, no one was more distinguished for good sense, for integrity, and for uprightness in his relations to society, than Daniel Blaisdell. He, with his brother Parrott, had done service in the war of the Revolution, and being honorably discharged, about the year 1780, in company with other soldiers, emigrated from Amesbury, Mass., to this town, and here made his home during all the years of his long and honorable life. He was eighteen years old at the time of his arrival, with but little knowledge of books, but possessing a constitution inured to toil and hardship. He came here, as did many others, because it was reported to be a goodly land where a man might make himself a home by the labor of his own hands. The soil was rich and fruitful, and only needed persevering labor to be made to bring forth abundantly. After looking about among the scattered settlers for a few days, he engaged to work for Joseph Flint for six months at six dollars per month. Mr. Flint had been a merchant in Newburyport. About a year previous 10 this time he came here from Hopkinton, and began to clear up the farm where George Davis now lives. The work was very laborious, and the master was hard and exacting upon all who fell under his control. Early and late they toiled, — daylight calling them to breakfast and candle-light to supper. He used to tell young Blaisdell that if he would remain in his service he would make a man of him, and having a large family of girls, he supposed their company to be sufficiently magnetic to make the young man forget the hard labor to which he was subjected. He served his time faithfully and well, and then hired himself to Capt. Charles Walworth, who lived on the South Road. The Captain was strongly religious, having imported his Puritan sentiments with him from Connecticut. He was a man of great natural kindness, and often gave his young friend good advice. While employed with Capt. Walworth, some of the ungodly young people got up a ball, to which they invited Blaisdell. The Captain objected to his going, using all the arguments then in common use, against the sinfulness of dancing, all of which failed to convince the young man. Then the Captain told him if he would stay away from that wicked gathering of scoffers, he would, the next day, show him something that would be of great advantage to him. Daniel staid away from the ball, but his heart was there all the evening, because little Sally Springer was to be there, and he had begun to believe that the angels had not yet all left the earth. The next day the Captain took him down into a densely timbered region (the farm where Prescott Clark now lives), and advised him to buy it, build a log house, get married, and make himself a home ; in two years he could pay for it with the crops. He bought one hundred acres, agreeing to pay Mr. Walworth $300 therefor, and went to work clearing it up, and, it is said, the first crop of wheat paid for the land. He built him a log house, and then wooed and married the little girl (who was an angel to him) in January, 1782, being scarcely twenty years old, and in due time they had sons and daughters born unto them — a house full.

He worked hard and was rewarded with increase in various ways. He became a teacher; he studied politics and was elected to various town offices; he stored his mind with much practical legal knowledge, which he imparted freely to all his neighbors. He often acted as a justice, and his