Chapter VII: Part 7

His military title comes from his service as chief of the staff of Gov. Dinsmoor from 1848 to 1850. He was also for several years commander in the brilliant and popular organization known as the "Governor's Horse-Guards." As a popular orator, outside the domain of law and politics, Col. George also takes high rank. His oration upon Daniel Webster, at the recent centennial celebration of the birth of that most illustrious son of New Hampshire, under the auspices of the Webster club of Concord, is surpassed in power and felicity of expression by none which the event anywhere called forth.

Col. George was united in marriage, in September, 1849, with Miss Susan Ann Brigham, daughter of Capt. Levi Brigham, of Boston, who died May 10, 1862, leaving five children, three sons and two daughters. In July, 1864, he married Miss Salvadora Meade Graham, daughter of Col. James D. Graham of the United States engineers, by whom he has one child, a daughter. His eldest son, John Paul, graduated at Dartmouth College in 1878, entered the Harvard Law School, and is now a student-at-law in the office of George & Foster. His second son, Charles Peaslee, graduated in June, 1881, at the naval school at Annapolis, and is now a midshipman in the U. S. navy. His third son, Benjamin Pierce, is a member of the sophomore class in Dartmouth College. His eldest daughter, Jane Appleton, is the wife of Mr. Henry E. Bacon, and resides in Portland, Me.; his second daughter, Anne Brigham, is at home; while the youngest daughter, Charlotte Graham, is at school in Washington, D. C.

The family residence of Col. George is the old paternal mansion on North Main street, in Concord, wherein he was born. He has also an excellent farm a few miles out of the city, in Hopkinton, where he makes his summer home, and where, in his little leisure from professional labor, he indulges a fondness for rural pursuits, and especially for the breeding and care of domestic animals, which was one of the characteristics of his boyhood. Incidental as this may be, his farm is known as one of the most highly cultivated in the section where it is located, and his horses and Jersey cattle are the admiration of all lovers of good stock.

As a citizen, Col. George is public-spirited, and freely devotes his time and energies to the furtherance of every movement and the advocacy of every measure which he believes calculated to promote the material or educational welfare of the community. No man in Concord has done more than he to advance the prosperity of the city in every essential regard. The efficiency of the public schools has ever been an object of deep interest to him; and as a private citizen, as a member of building committees, and in the board of education, he has given his services freely in perfecting the admirably equipped public-school system, which is far from the least of the attractions which render our capital city one of the most desirable places of residence in New England.

The general extension of the railway system of the state, to which most that has been accomplished in the development of its material resources for the last twenty-five years is due, has ever found an enthusiastic supporter in Col. George, who has been and still is directly connected with several railroad enterprises in different sections, which have proved of great local and general advantage.

Few men have more or warmer friends than Col. George. A man of positive opinions, frankly and honestly declared, he commands the sincere respect of those with whom he comes in contact in all the relations of life, private, social, public, and professional. Formidable as an opponent, he is nevertheless fair and honorable, as he is true and faithful as a friend and ally. He is a prominent member of the Masonic order, having attained the rank of sovereign grand inspector-general of the 33d degree, and a member of the "Supreme Council of the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite of the Northern Jurisdiction of the United States."

This brief sketch can perhaps be no more appropriately concluded than in the following language of the gentleman (Sidney Webster, Esq.,) heretofore quoted:

"Years of incessant toil, while they have diminished somewhat
the energetic temperament and the exuberant animal spirits of
Col. George's youth, and have naturally softened his once blunt
and almost brusque manner in debate, have not diminished the
real force and strength of his genuine character, for character
is just what Col. George has always had. As the ripples of his
experience spread over a wider and wider area, he may have less
and less confidence in the infallibility of any man's opinions,
and less belief in the importance to society of any one man's
action; but Col. George has reached and passed his half century
with his mental faculties and his moral faculties improving and
strengthening, year by year. New Hampshire has to-day very few
among her living sons better equipped to do triumphant battle
for her in the high places of the world."

WILLIAM GORDON MEANS.

WILLIAM GORDON MEANS, for sixteen years clerk and paymaster of the Amoskeag Manufacturing Company, and afterwards treasurer of the Manchester Locomotive-Works, was born at Amherst, Hillsborough county, April 27, 1815. He is of the third generation in descent from Col. Robert Means, who came to New Hampshire from Stewartstown, Ireland, in 1766, and commenced business at Merrimack, with Dea. Jacob McGaw, who emigrated to this country about the same year. This partnership, which had prospered, was dissolved when Amherst became the shire town, and Col. Means opened a store there, in which he prosecuted a successful business. A man of great energy, he was prominent in the affairs of the town; elected its representative at the general court three times, also a member of the senate three years, and councilor for Hillsborough county, his name is identified with the most important measures of that period.

Col. Means had a large family. Several of the daughters were married to gentlemen who subsequently attained great distinction in the learned professions. Of the sons, Robert became a lawyer, and David McGregor, who bore the name of his mother (a daughter of Rev. David McGregor of Londonderry), succeeded his father as a merchant. He married Catherine, daughter of Hon. Joshua Atherton, who is described as a woman of vigorous understanding and positive convictions, ready in conversation, and of sprightly and pleasing manners. By this marriage, David McG. Means had three sons and six daughters, of whom the subject of this sketch was the third son and the fourth child, receiving the name of his uncle, Hon. William Gordon, at that time a lawyer of great promise in Amherst.

Among his schoolmates, William G. Means is remembered as a quick-witted boy, fond of adventure, and overflowing with fun. The schools in Amherst at that date did not furnish advantages of a high order. Aside from the training of the household, the youth had no superior privileges, except a few terms at Pinkerton Academy, Derry, then under the care of Abel F. Hildreth, an eminent teacher. For parts of three years he attended this school, in company with his brother James, Edward and Alfred Spalding, E. D. Boylston, and other students from Amherst.

In the autumn of 1830, Mr. Means went to Boston, and entered the store of Daniel McGregor, then a dealer in dry goods,--finding employment, after an apprenticeship of four or five years, in the house of Robert Appleton & Co. By the commercial crisis of 1837, like hundreds of young men similarly situated, he was thrown out of employment, and returned to his home in Amherst. These years of service in Boston were not without their valuable uses, though a new direction was soon to be given to his capacity for business. He saw the perils that beset the career of the tradesman, and learned the wisdom of that conservatism which underlies the avenues of success in mercantile pursuits. While living in Boston, he became interested in the lady who was subsequently to share his fortunes and build his house.

In March, 1838, Mr. Means became clerk of the Amoskeag Manufacturing Company at Manchester, taking charge of the books and pay-rolls of the land and water-power department, then under the direction of Robert Read, Esq. The city had no existence except in the plans of the projectors. There was not a mill on the east side of the river, not a building except the scattered farm-houses; the canal had been laid out, a site for a cotton mill set off, but nothing was finished. It was during this constructive period of the city's history that he was occupied with the oversight of workmen, the execution of land sales, and the varied duties of the Amoskeag counting-room, thus gathering the knowledge and experience which qualified him for the important agencies that have since engrossed his time.

In 1854, desiring a more independent position, he resigned his place in the Amoskeag company, and united with O. W. Bailey, Aretas Blood, and Joseph M. Stone in organizing a company for building railway engines. By the act of incorporation, they took the name of "Manchester Locomotive-Works." Without adequate capital, and with adverse times, the projectors of the enterprise had a weary struggle before them. Having no reputation as builders, and with limited capacity for production, it was not easy to obtain patronage; but with the pluck and persistence which deserved success, the proprietors determined to make only first-class engines. At the end of ten years they had gained a position which commanded wide confidence, and they then began to divide profits. Since that time, with occasional interruptions, the business has steadily increased, so that, in the number, size, and weight of the engines now constructed, the product of a month often exceeds in value the entire product of some previous years.

In 1858, Mr. Means was elected treasurer of the Salmon Falls Manufacturing Company. The mills of this company were in the eastern portion of the state, and for convenience of access he removed his family to Andover, Mass., still retaining his place as treasurer of the locomotive-works, and having an office for the business of both companies in Boston. Under his management the condition of the Salmon Falls company was much improved. The capital stock of the company was, by cash payment to its stockholders, reduced from $1,000,000 to $600,000. New mills were erected, and the productive capacity of the concern enlarged by one-fourth, without any assessments or sacrifices on the part of the stockholders,--a result which illustrates beyond dispute the good judgment and skill of the management. Mr. Means resigned the treasurership September 1, 1877.

On the 26th day of February, 1840, Mr. Means was married to Martha Allen, daughter of Bethuel and Martha (Bent) Allen, of Newton, Mass. They have had eight children, of whom six are now living,--four sons and two daughters. The sons, as they have reached manhood, have found employment in the corporations with which the father is connected.

In politics, Mr. Means has been Whig and Republican. Conversant with the affairs of government, and a careful observer of public men, he has manifested a generous appreciation of the good qualities of those with whom he did not agree. Loving justice, and abhorring the wrongs by which any class of his fellow-men suffered injury, he strongly adhered to the principles and steadfastly upheld the policy of the party with which he voted. In 1854 he was elected representative from ward three in Manchester, and served one term in the house at Concord. Having removed from ward three, he was not returned a second time.

In religion, Mr. Means has firmly held to the evangelical system of doctrine. In early manhood he made profession of his faith by uniting with the Congregational church in his native town; transferring his membership to the Hanover-street church in Manchester, and thence to the South church in Andover, with successive chances of residence. In all of these places he has proved a stanch friend of the ministry and a liberal supporter of Christian institutions. A man of clear convictions and of marked independence of character, he has not stood aloof from the community, but, cherishing a hearty respect for human nature, he has taken an active part in the popular movements in behalf of education and local improvements. To the appeals for charitable aid, whether coming from individuals or churches or institutions of learning, the response has been cordial. The establishment of the Means prizes at Phillips Academy illustrates his discriminating beneficence. In times of difficulty and depression he has been helpful in bearing burdens, making good deficiencies, and quietly upholding the cause he had espoused. For a few years past the family have spent the winter season in Boston; but, whether in city or country, the man is unchanged. He is still interested in the welfare of the church and the state, thoughtful of his friends and former associates, considerate of neighbors, and bestowing sympathy and assistance where they are needed, seeks to keep alive the ancient virtues of New England life, and maintain the best standards of service and citizenship.

EX-GOVERNOR FREDERICK SMYTH.

FREDERICK SMYTH was born March 19, 1819, in Candia, Rockingham county, N. H. His ancestors were farmers, men and women of thrift and intelligence. He was trained in the hardest kind of farm labor, receiving, in addition, such education as the good common schools of that town could give, supplemented by a brief course at Phillips Academy at Andover, Mass. With a view to further education, he taught school several winters, and in 1839 found employment at the store of George Porter, Esq., in Manchester. Elm street was then a sandy and uninviting thoroughfare, with only one other store. At the end of the year Mr. Smyth's employer persuaded him to give up the idea of a college education and adopt a mercantile life. He soon became a partner in the business, which was successfully carried on until 1849, in which year he was elected city clerk,--the beginning of a long official career, local and national.

In 1852, Mr. Smyth was elected mayor, the city then containing a population of fifteen thousand. Mayor Smyth's first message contained many practical suggestions; for instance, that the police or school committee be empowered to take vagrant children from the streets and put them in school; that proper sidewalks be constructed and maintained; and that a special committee be appointed to confer with the corporations in regard to the introduction of pure water. In May of that year he set trees on Elm street, the commons, and about land owned by the city. To this matter the mayor gave his personal attention, and not only at that time but every year since, with few exceptions, has inspected the trees and given notice to the proper authorities of any lack. This thorough attention to detail, and desire for doing the work belonging to his office personally and not by proxy, was characteristic of Mayor Smyth. In March, 1853, he was re-elected by an increased majority, and the year was marked by the annexation of parts of Bedford and Goffstown to Manchester, and by the rebuilding of the Amoskeag Falls bridge.

The subject of lighting the streets with gas was first introduced to the attention of the city councils at that time, and a few lamps experimentally established. The free public library was also urged,--a recommendation then somewhat in advance of the popular sentiment. It was, however, advocated by the late Hon. Samuel D. Bell and some others, and was finally carried through both branches of the city government without serious opposition. It has resulted in the establishment of a library of which any city might be proud, and a building for its accommodation costing, with the recent annex, nearly forty thousand dollars. A special vote of the trustees at that time recorded their appreciation of Mayor Smyth's effective exertions in the matter. Having been a third time elected mayor and with still increased majority, the annual message of 1854 set forth the working plan of the library, proposed a change of city charter to allow the consolidation of school-districts, and again urged the imperative need of a supply of pure water. At the close of this term of office he declined a re-election, but was soon appointed, by the governor, chairman of a committee to locate and build a house of "reformation for juvenile offenders." His associates in this work were the late Hon. Matthew Harvey, ex-governor, and judge of the United States circuit court, and Hon. Hosea Eaton.

GOVERNOR OF NEW HAMPSHIRE 1865-66]

The first report of the commissioners was a vindication of the humane policy of the state, containing a sketch of what had been done in this and other countries for the reform of young offenders, with a full report of progress made. In May, 1858, the house was dedicated to its purpose with appropriate ceremonies, and the commissioners were complimented by Gov. Haile for the fidelity with which the task was accomplished. While engaged in the supervision of this work, Mr. Smyth represented ward three in Manchester in the legislature of 1857 and 1858. He was made treasurer of the reform school and of the N. H. Agricultural Society, holding the latter office during ten years of its greatest usefulness. It was in this time, Judge Nesmith being president, that Daniel Webster spoke at one of the annual fairs in Manchester to the farmers of his native state, and Edward Everett made one of those matchless speeches which lives in perennial beauty like the landscape it describes. Mr. Smyth was at the same time a director of the U. S. Agricultural Society, manager of the fairs held by that association at Louisville, Richmond, Chicago, and Cincinnati, and vice-president of the American Pomological Society. Such varied activities having brought him favorably to the attention of people throughout the state, he received some votes in the convention which nominated the Hon. Ichabod Goodwin for governor. The next year Mr. Smyth was made president of the convention. In 1860 he was appointed, by Secretary Chase, an agent to receive subscriptions to the national loan, and being cashier and principal business manager of the Merrimack River Bank and of the savings bank, he invested largely for them in government bonds. The bank of discount soon after became known as the "First National Bank."

In 1861, Mr. Smyth was appointed by government a commissioner to the International Exhibition at London, and was then made one of the jurors. The favorable exhibit made by the textile fabrics of Manchester was in no small degree owing to the care with which he looked after their disposal. His appointment gave him unusual facilities for study and observation in the highest circles of London and England, and he was also accredited from the various associated bodies with which he was connected at home to the Royal Agricultural Society. Upon these and kindred topics he wrote some interesting letters, which were published in the _N. H. Journal of Agriculture_. He also took a trip on the Continent, accompanied by C. L. Flint, Esq., secretary of the Massachusetts board of agriculture. The gathering proportions of the war at home, however, led him to cut short his travels, and he arrived at New York, via London, in September. He now gave his time to the care of the banks, encouraging subscriptions to the national loans, and taking active part in measures calculated to strengthen faith in the administration.

In May, 1863, a fair was held in Smyth's Hall in aid of the sanitary commission, at which nearly four thousand dollars were raised. Mr. Smyth gave the use of the hall and his personal efforts as chairman of the committee, sparing no pains to make the occasion successful; and his enthusiasm and zeal stimulated that of others. After the battle of Gettysburg and of the Wilderness, he went to the front and gave efficient aid in caring for the sick and wounded. One result of exposure to the burning sun and malaria of the battle-field was the first serious illness of his life. In that same year, when the importance of good municipal government was felt to be superior to partisan considerations, at the solicitation of men prominent in both parties, Mr. Smyth allowed his name to be used as a candidate for mayor the fourth time. He was elected practically without opposition, and his election had the desired effect, to give confidence to all classes and stability to the financial standing of the city.

It has been noticed that he was thought of before this as a possible candidate for governor, and the feeling had so strengthened that in 1865 he was nominated for that office, his chief competitor in the convention being the late Hon. Onslow Stearns. The nomination proved a very popular one, and after an active canvass he was elected by a majority of over six thousand, the highest given to any man for twenty-four years. Such support was very gratifying to the governor-elect; but, nevertheless, he felt that he had undertaken no light task. The state debt, which heretofore in times of peace seldom exceeded a few thousands, had now arisen to millions. Moreover, loans must be made in competition with other states and with the general government. State bonds were hard to sell at any price, and all the time expenditures were going on. In less than three months from Governor Smyth's inaugural message he had raised, by personal solicitation, largely from banks at Manchester, over one million of dollars, and the credit of the state, strained but not impaired by its patriotic efforts, was firmly re-established. Much time in this year was occupied in the reception and discharge of returning soldiers, and from June until Christmas day, when the last regiment was mustered out, the state echoed to the tread of the home-coming veterans.

Governor Smyth's correspondence at this time reveals great care taken for the needs of the men, for inmates of military hospitals, or for companies unnecessarily detained in camp. In this busy period he found time to make brief practical speeches at Portsmouth, Milford, and various other places, each of them calculated to draw attention to the resources and credit of New Hampshire, and to foster a healthy confidence in our ability to overcome every difficulty. He also delivered in Concord the annual address before the New England Agricultural Society, the late Govs. Andrew of Massachusetts and Buckingham of Connecticut, with other N. E. governors, being present, and highly commending the address. This year Governor Smyth was made one of the corporators of the national asylums for disabled soldiers, and served on the committee whose duty it was to arrange the working details, with Gen. Grant, Admiral Farragut, Gen. Butler, Surg.-Gen. Barnes, Hon. H. J. Raymond, ex-Gov. Todd, and Admiral Davis.

In 1866 he was unanimously nominated for re-election as governor, and, as before, chosen by a handsome majority. Some events of the second year are of much interest. The appointment of Dr. Bouton as state historian, resulting in the preservation and publication of the Provincial Records, was a peculiarly fitting act; laws in regard to the river fisheries were carried into effect; and initial steps taken toward the foundation of the Agricultural College, of which Gov. Smyth is at this date a trustee and the treasurer. The financial and executive report of the two years' work is very concisely given in the valedictory address of June 6, 1867. On two occasions the governor spoke briefly at the annual dinner of the sons of New England, at Delmonico's in New York, and was very warmly received. Some of the most influential and respectable papers of the state advocated his nomination for a third term; he, however, definitely declined the honor in a letter to the _Statesman_. He was a delegate at large to the Republican national convention which renominated Gen. Grant, and was also a member of the last constitutional convention of New Hampshire. In 1866 he was chosen, by vote of congress, one of the managers of the military asylums for six years, other members of the board being Hon. R. J. Oglesby of Illinois, Gen. B. F. Butler, Hon. L. B. Gunekel of Ohio, Jay Cooke of Philadelphia, and Gen. Martindale of New York, with the President, Secretary of War, and Chief-Justice, _ex officiis_, any one of whom had authority to admit to the Homes on application being made in due form. The proper discharge of these duties involved a vast amount of correspondence, much travel, and constant care. Gov. Smyth was re-elected for a second six years' term in 1872, and was vice-president of the board. In 1878, the house being Democratic and the senate nearly a tie, Gen. Shields was proposed as his successor, but failed of an election. Two years later, however, the Democracy were able to unite on a successor.

Since the close of his term as governor, he has delivered addresses on several occasions,--one before the Vermont State Agricultural Society, another at the dedication of a soldiers' monument at Washington, N. H., and, later, the "Oration to the Unknown Dead," delivered on "Decoration Day" before Louis Bell Post No. 3, G. A. R., in 1880; and in 1881, an address on a similar occasion, at Rochester, N. H.

In 1878 he was appointed, by President Hayes, honorary commissioner to the International Exposition at Paris. Accompanied by Mrs. Smyth, he left New York, April 24, in the steamer Russia, for Liverpool. Visiting London and some English cities by the way, they reached Paris at the grand opening. Soon after they left Marseilles for Alexandria, Egypt, and from thence made a tour of the Holy Land, _via_ Cairo, Ismailia, and the Suez canal, afterward journeying to the Levant, stopping at Constantinople, Smyrna, Athens, and other points of interest. They were received with uniform courtesy and attention by officials at the U. S. legations, and particularly spoke of the interest manifested in their welfare by Ministers Noyes at Paris, Maynard in Constantinople, Reed at Athens, Consul-General Fairman at Cairo. Nearly everywhere they seem to have found friends to smooth the roughness of the traveler's path; and on their return to Paris, which they did by way of Rome, Switzerland, and most of the continental cities, it was regarded as an exceptional piece of good fortune to be present at the memorial celebration in honor of M. Thiers. Ex.-Gov. Smyth was there also received as a member of the Stanley club. While thus absent, he wrote a series of interesting letters, which were published in the _Mirror and American_, and read with pleasure by a large circle of acquaintances. Since returning from the East he and Mrs. Smyth have made an extended trip into Mexico, touching at Cuba by the way. Their experience in that land of the sun appears to have been equally pleasant with that in other places.

The ex-governor, frequently if not always accompanied by his wife, has visited almost every nook and corner of our own land except, possibly, Alaska, and is therefore well qualified to make comparisons. This long and varied experience in affairs, in acquaintance with men, and in travel, has made him a very interesting man in conversation whenever he chooses to indulge in the reminiscences of a not distant past. His house abounds in tokens of travel, curious and rare bits from many lands, and he has entertained there, from time to time, many distinguished guests. Before local associations and to personal friends he has given some familiar and delightful talks on what he has seen in these vacations of a busy life. He also pays the penalty of success in other ways, which, if flattering, are not always agreeable. His advice is daily sought, not only, as is natural, in financial and political matters, but on matters more remote from his habits of thought. But, whatever it may be, he gives cheerfully, and no man more readily lends a hand to those who are trying to help themselves.

Offices of trust also flock to one who has proved himself capable of taking good care of his own affairs, and among appointments which he holds at this date, not before named, are: 'director of the Concord, Suncook Valley, and Boston & Acton railroads; director and treasurer of the Manchester Horse-Railroad; vice-president of the New England Agricultural Society; president and director of the Northern Telegraph Company; treasurer of the Elliot hospital; cashier and manager of the First National Bank of Manchester; trustee and treasurer of the Merrimack River Savings Bank: vice-president of the American Pomological Society. In 1866 the faculty of Dartmouth College conferred on him the degree of A. B.

CHARLES ELLIOTT TILTON.

Charles Elliott Tilton, son of Hon. Samuel Tilton, was born in Sanbornton, September 14, 1827, and in that part set off and incorporated as the town of Tilton. He received his early education in the common schools, and at the age of fifteen was put under the instruction of Prof. Dyer H. Sanborn of Sanbornton Academy. Later he was admitted into the Norwich University (a military school), where he remained three years.

When war was declared with Mexico, Gen. Ransom, the president of the university, was commissioned to raise a regiment, and induced nearly every student to enlist, offering young Tilton the command of a company, which honor, through the influence of his father, was declined. About this date he left home, going to New York, where he remained with his brother a short time.

He then sailed for the West Indies and South America in pursuit of a fortune. At this point a business career was inaugurated which for thirty years called for untiring labor. He visited all the islands, prospected the Orinoco and Amazon rivers to their head waters, went overland to Caracas and La Guayra, thence to Maracaybo, St. Martha, Carthagena, and Chagres. Here he heard of gold discoveries in California, and proceeded at once to San Francisco _via_ Panama. A hasty survey of the outlook satisfied him that "merchandising" rather than digging for gold afforded better chances for success, and on this foundation determined to build his fortune. In 1850 he went to Oregon, and in the succeeding year formed a copartnership with W. S. Ladd. Esq., for general mercantile pursuits, which continued until 1859. That his operations were diversified and on a large scale, the public prints of that era are ample evidence. He was interested in establishing a line of vessels to run between Oregon and China, one of which, the "C. E. Tilton," had made the quickest passage from New York to Oregon on record to the present time. She was subsequently sold to the Japanese government and by them converted into a man of war, and was finally sunk in an encounter with the U. S. ship "Powhattan." In 1859 the banking-house of Ladd & Tilton, Portland, was organized, so favorably known and generally advertised during the settlement of the presidential vote of that state in 1876. He remained a partner in this institution twenty-one years, retiring in 1880.

In all this period Mr. Tilton was interested in many other enterprises on the Pacific coast and frontier. Among these may be mentioned the navigation of the Columbia and Willamette rivers. He was one of five who controlled what has developed into the Oregon Railway & Navigation Company, with a capital of $24,000,000. He had an interest in the banking firm of Ladd & Bush, Salem, in the First National Bank of Portland, and First National Bank of Walla Walla, W. T. At the same time he was largely engaged in transportation across the plains. He fully understood the requirements for merchandise in Utah, Montana, Wyoming, and Colorado. He furnished and dispatched large trains from San Bernardino, Cal., to Utah, and from St. Joseph, Mo., to Colorado, and from there to Montana, giving his personal attention to them all. This was no pastime twenty years ago. A country largely held by hostile Indians had to be traversed, and few trains reached their destination unmolested. Desperate encounters frequently occurred, resulting in more or less loss to life and property, and once ending in the capture of an entire train by the "Red Devils." Other obstacles had to be met, incident to such undertakings, like storms, swollen rivers, and break-downs, which would have seemed insuperable to any one of less force of character. Realizing what the great West might be, he purchased land in all the territories, which investments have proved advantageous. He engaged in many other transactions which his keen perceptions led him to believe would be remunerative, so that, in fact, there were but few enterprises of importance connected with the growth and development of the Pacific slope, whether pertaining to its finance, internal improvements, or its foreign and domestic commerce, in which the cool and sagacious subject of this sketch was not a participator.

To organize and direct successfully such varied and extended operations, outlined here only in part, required a mind strong in perception and purpose. A union of these qualities, with that adventurous spirit which led the youth of eighteen to the sources of the Orinoco and the pampas of the Amazon in pursuit of wealth, constituted a mental alliance which could well measure the possibilities of a new country and avail himself of their fulfillment.

In all this time Mr. Tilton enjoyed excellent health and immunity from serious accident. After living amidst the steaming malaria of tropical lagoons, sleeping by the side of his mustang on the plains, blockaded by the storms of the Sierras, assailed by the hostile Apaches, he returns to his native hills unscathed, with a sound constitution and the early purpose of his will fully accomplished.

Mr. Tilton's munificence has manifested itself most liberally to his townsmen within two years. In that time he has erected and conveyed to them a town hall finished in an elegant and substantial manner. It contains a market and town office, a store and post-office, all commodiously arranged, no expense being spared which would add to convenience. They return to the treasury a handsome rental. The hall proper is easily approached, is finished in hard wood, as is all the interior of the building. It is artistically frescoed in water-colors and gilt, lighted with gas, has a stage fitted with drop-curtains, changes of scenery, a beautiful proscenium, proper furniture, a Steinway piano, all after the most approved styles. The building, with its appointments, is the admiration of visitors and the pride of towns-people. He has placed an iron bridge, the present season, from Main street to Island Park, costing over eighteen hundred dollars. The public are allowed at all times to use and occupy this delightful resort. Its airy summerhouse, built after an European model, surrounded by works of art, is unmatched in loveliness. For remodeling one of the village churches he contributed more than three thousand dollars; and donated five hundred towards an iron bridge between Tilton and Northfield, which act results in two by the towns named. He expended a large sum in the purchase of land and improving it for a public park near by the village, and, including the gift of the fine town hall, January 4, 1881, must have appropriated forty thousand dollars for the pleasure and benefit of his townsmen. During this period he has paid thousands of dollars for improvements on his own premises, giving employment to a large force of laborers and mechanics.

Mr. Tilton's elegant and spacious residence is situated on an eminence commanding a magnificent prospect, and overlooks the village that bears his name. When built, a few years since, it was deemed one of the best in central New Hampshire. In the last two years it has been materially improved, while large additions have been constructed, consisting of an extensive conservatory and aviary on the one side of the main building, and a spacious drawing-room on the other; it is unequaled in its appointments, perhaps, in New England. It is twenty-eight feet by thirty-eight feet in area, and twenty-two feet in height. Seven thousand five hundred feet of mahogany were used to complete it. To the height of four feet the most elaborate work in wainscoting is produced, while pilasters in the same wood, ornate in their design, extend from the floor on either side and meet in the ceiling above. This arrangement in finish running at right angles leaves the walls and surface overhead checked into panels, either square or oblong, each of which is filled with an individual conception of the artist, but collectively form a general design. An exquisitely designed gablet holds the porcelain tiled fire front, its three sides partly filled with French plate mirrors, and a Swiss styled hooding covers the apex which contains the clock. Carpets and rugs, drapery and furniture, mirrors and chandeliers, were manufactured for the room. We know the owner is averse to anything that attracts attention to himself. The public on proper occasions have had the pleasure of seeing these premises; and what we have here recited has been gathered from sources that have been open to all.

Mr. Tilton is cordial and pleasant in his intercourse with his neighbors and acquaintances, and in feelings and tastes one of the people. The steel portrait is an excellent one. He is in the prime of manhood and intellect.

Through life, so far, he seems to have been conscious that his capacity was for business and not politics. He has never sought or held public office, and says he never will. The frequent mention of his name in political circles and sometimes in the press, in such connection, is not inspired by him.

He comes back to a common welcome after thirty years of incessant labor, from amidst surroundings, which, if detailed, would seem stranger than fiction.

Mr. Tilton was married December 29, and sailed in the "Gallia" from New York for Liverpool, January 4, 1882. We understand it is the intention of the happy pair, if Providence permits, to stay abroad as long as pleasure or profit can be derived from their trip.

COL. CHARLES E. BALCH.

Charles Edward Balch was born in Francestown in 1834, and is the son of Mason and Hannah Balch, his mother being a daughter of Joshua Holt, of Greenfield. His boyhood was spent upon a farm, and his education was obtained in the common schools and Francestown Academy. When eighteen years of age he began life for himself as a book-keeper in the dry-goods store of Barton & Co., in Manchester, and two years later had so established himself in the confidence of the managers of the Manchester Savings Bank that he was called to a clerkship in that institution. In this position his industry, courtesy, and excellent judgment won good opinions from all with whom he came in contact, and when the Manchester National Bank was organized, in 1865, he was chosen its cashier, and has filled this responsible position ever since. He has also been a trustee of the Manchester Savings Bank since 1862, is a member of its investing committee, treasurer of the Manchester Gas-Light Company, a director and member of the finance committee of the New Hampshire Fire Insurance Company, and a trustee of many large estates. In all these positions, Mr. Balch has proved himself a sagacious, careful, and safe financier. The banks to which he has given the most of his time and energies reflect in their strength and uniform success his honesty, reliability, and prudence; and those whose funds have been intrusted to his management have always found their confidence justified by steady and satisfactory returns.

Mr. Balch is, moreover, a man whose private character is above suspicion, a citizen whose public duties are never left to others, a friend whose fealty is never doubted, and an acquaintance whose courtesy, candor, and affability command universal respect and good will. He has been too modest to ask, and too busy to accept, political honors; but his influence has been potent in advancing the party to which he belongs, and in shaping the policy of the city in which he resides. In affairs of state and city, as in business matters, he makes little noise; but his work tells, and his convictions of duty bring substantial results. He was commissioned a colonel of the state militia in 1879, and served on Gov. Head's staff for two years.

In July, 1867, Mr. Balch married Miss Emeline R. Brooks, daughter of Rev. Nahum Brooks, then of Bath, Me., but now of Manchester, who presides over and dispenses the hospitalities of his pleasant home.

HON. JOHN CARROLL MOULTON.

BY COL. THOMAS J. WHIPPLE.

The ancestors of Hon. JOHN C. MOULTON were among the fifty-six inhabitants from the county of Norfolk, England, who first settled in the town of Hampton, then Winnicumet, in the year 1638. The names of John Molton and Thomas Molton appear in a partial list of these original settlers, which may be found in "Belknap's History of New Hampshire." Vol. I. p. 37.

General Jonathan Moulton was a descendant of this family, and the great-grandfather of John C. Moulton. He was born in Hampton, N. H., June 30, 1726, and died at Hampton, in the year 1788, at the age of sixty-two. He was a large proprietor in lands, and several flourishing towns in the interior of this state owe their early settlement to his exertions and influence. This fact is mentioned in "Farmer & Moore's Gazetteer," published in 1823. When he was thirty-seven years old, the town of Moultonborough was granted to him and sixty-one others, by the Masonian proprietors, November 17, 1763. He was already noted for the distinguished service which he had rendered in the Indian wars, which ended with the Ossipee tribe, along the northerly borders of Moultonborough, in 1763. Many of his adventures during this bloody period have been preserved and transmitted to the present time; enough, indeed, to fill a large space in this brief sketch. It may be well to preserve one of these incidents in this record:--

An octogenarian in the vicinity of Moultonborough relates that, during the Indian wars, Colonel, afterward General, Jonathan Moulton went out with a scouting party from Dover. After numerous adventures, they met with and attacked a party of six Indians, near a place now known as Clark's Landing, on the shore of Lake Winnipesaukee, all of whom fell in the skirmish which ensued, with one exception. The colonel had a large dog with him, which, after the affray was over, he placed upon the track of the escaped Indian. The dog ran on the shore a short distance, and then struck off on to the ice. The party followed, and as they approached the entrance of what is now Green bay they saw in the distance that the dog had the Indian down upon the ice; and when they got to the spot the Indian was dead,--killed by the dog.

The active services of the general in these border wars had made him, at an early age, well and favorably known to the leading men of that day. His numerous raids and scouts, in the region occupied by the Ossipee tribes, had made him well acquainted with the then wilderness, and with the adjacent country upon the western shores of the lake, and no doubt secured to him the land grant which he obtained, in common with many of his companions in arms. He was rightly placed at the head of the grantees, by the Masonian proprietors, and the town of Moultonborough, which was named after him, perpetuates the memory of his rugged virtues and of his enterprising character. His descendants have been inhabitants of Moultonborough and of Center Harbor to the present time. After obtaining this grant, the general devoted much of the remainder of his life in promoting the settlement and the development of this new territory. Among other things in this direction, he obtained from Gov. Wentworth the grant of land now known as the town of New Hampton, which was formerly a part of Moultonborough gore, and then called "Moultonborough Addition." The following amusing account of the way in which Gen. Moulton secured this last grant appears in "Fogg's Gazetteer," and is to be found in other histories of those early times:--

"In 1703, Gen. Jonathan Moulton, of Hampton, having an ox
weighing one thousand four hundred pounds, fattened for the
purpose, hoisted a flag upon his horns, and drove him to
Portsmouth as a present to Gov. Wentworth. The general refused
any compensation for the ox, but said he would like a charter of
a small gore of land he had discovered adjoining the town of
Moultonborough, of which he was one of the principal
proprietors. The governor granted this simple request of General
Moulton, and he called it New Hampton, in honor of his native
town. This small gore of land contained nineteen thousand four
hundred and twenty-two acres, a part of which now constitutes
Center Harbor."

Thus it appears that General Moulton, by his energy and enterprise, largely contributed to the formation of three towns,--one named New Hampton, by him; another named Moultonborough, for him; and the third, Center Harbor, was carved from a part of his grant called "Moultonborough Addition."

* * * * *

The following is the genealogical order:--

1. Gen. Jonathan Moulton, born in Hampton, N. H., June 30, 1726. Jan. 7, 1749, he married Abigail Smith. He died in 1788.

2. Benning Moulton, son of Jonathan Moulton and Abigail (Smith) Moulton, born May 21, 1761. He married Sally Lovett, Nov. 7, 1782. He settled in Center Harbor in 1783, and there died Dec. 23, 1834.

3. Jonathan Smith Moulton, son of Benning Moulton and Sally (Lovett) Moulton, born at Center Harbor, Dec. 14, 1785. He married Deborah Neal. He died Nov. 15, 1855.

4. JOHN CARROLL MOULTON, son of Jonathan Smith Moulton and Deborah (Neal) Moulton, born in Center Harbor, Dec. 24, 1810. In addition to the ordinary opportunities of the district school, in his native town, he attended Holmes Academy at Plymouth, N. H., where for several terms he pursued his studies under the instruction of the late Samuel Burns, who ranked among the foremost teachers of his time. To perfect himself in mathematical studies, for which he showed an early and natural aptitude, he placed himself under the tuition of Master Dudley Leavitt, the noted "almanac-maker," who, for many years, opened an annual term of high school in Meredith, where he taught all the advanced branches of mathematics to pupils, who in that day flocked from every part of the country to place themselves at the feet of this great mathematical Gamaliel. These studies he ardently pursued far beyond the limits of the ordinary academical course, and they seem to have impressed upon him a permanent proficiency often called for and manifested in the various large business transactions with which he has been connected for so many years. During the intervals of schools he assisted his father--who was in trade and a large farmer--as clerk and general assistant in his extensive business. In 1831, at about the age twenty, he opened a store and commenced trade at Sandwich. N. H., where he remained about a year, when he returned, and resumed the same business at Center Harbor.

July 15, 1833, he married Nellie B. Senter. He then opened a hotel in what has since grown to be one of the famous boarding-houses at Center Harbor, and, with the aid of his brilliant and accomplished wife, united the duties of landlord and merchant, which employments he continued there for several years. In 1836, Lake Village, N. H., began to attract attention as a place of large prospective business, and Mr. Moulton left Center Harbor, and opened a store at that place. He also engaged in manufacturing, and continued in these employments for several years.

In 1841 he removed to Laconia, then known the world over as Meredith Bridge, and took charge of the Belknap Hotel. This being the only stage house of that lively place, it was usually inundated with the stream of public travel peculiar to those times. He continued this business about two years, when he opened a bookstore and an apothecary-shop in a building which stood on the site now occupied by the post-office and the national bank. He was soon after appointed postmaster,--in the latter part of Tyler's administration; was re-appointed by President Polk, through whose term he held the office, which he continued to do a short time during the term of President Taylor, when, being a life-long Democrat, he was removed. He was re-appointed by President Pierce, and also by President Buchanan, during whose terms he held the office, which he continued to do a short time under President Lincoln, when he was superseded by the appointment of a Republican. Thus he held the office of postmaster during part of the terms of three Republican, and the full terms of three Democratic administrations, making his term of office about sixteen years in all. The duties of his long term of service were performed in a manner universally acceptable and satisfactory to the public.

In 1848 the Boston, Concord, & Montreal Railroad was built and completed from Concord to Plymouth. In anticipation of this event the firm of Charles Ranlet & Co. built large and extensive car-works at Laconia, which they designed particularly for the construction of freight-cars. The firm commenced and carried on the business until the decease of the senior partner, in 1860, when the works were suspended. In 1861, Mr. Moulton became a partner, and by his great energy and business capacity has developed a large business, which employs some two hundred men, most of whom are skilled workmen. The monthly pay-roll is about eight thousand dollars. The works have been repeatedly enlarged, and several extensive buildings erected, to accommodate the increase of business. For several years, passenger-cars of the finest style and finish, as well as freight-cars, have been built at their works, and their annual gross earnings are to be reckoned at several hundred thousand dollars. In February, 1881, these car-shops, with most of their machinery and contents, were burned to the ground, only some of the out-buildings being saved. Before the ruins were done smoking, lumber began to be hauled upon the ground, and in thirty days from the fire cars were being built in new shops which had been erected on the old foundations. Mr. Moulton was then over seventy years of age, and was well able to retire from business, with an ample competence, to the quiet repose which most men desire as the closing blessing of an active and arduous life.

In 1871 and 1872 he was chosen senator from district number six, and performed his official duties with his accustomed promptness and fidelity, and to the satisfaction of his constituents. He was also elected councilor for district number two in 1874. In 1876 he was one of the delegates to the Democratic national convention held at St. Louis, which nominated Samuel J. Tilden for the presidency, and in the ensuing presidential campaign was one of the candidates on the Democratic ticket for elector.

In 1865, rapid growth of the manufacturing, commercial, and other business interests at Laconia and Lake Village suggested to him the great need of added financial facilities. To meet these demands, it was necessary to procure a charter from the government to establish a national bank at Laconia. Almost insurmountable obstacles to success in this enterprise were encountered, and finally overcome. The charter was procured, and the bank established, largely by the active and persistent labor of the subject of this sketch. Upon the organization of the Laconia National Bank, he was chosen its first president, and has continuously and acceptably held the position to the present time. It may well be said, that the impartiality with which the accommodations of this bank have been extended to promote all hopeful enterprises has done much to advance the growth and prosperity of the place.

For several years, Mr. Moulton was a stockholder in the Gilford Hosiery Corporation at Laconia. In 1868 he became sole owner of the entire stock and property. He has steadily continued its successful operation, with an annual product of one hundred and twenty thousand dollars, until now. The factory employs about one hundred and fifty hands, mostly females, at the mill, and gives employment to many households in the surrounding country. Mr. Moulton and Benjamin K. Thurston are joint owners of the extensive flouring and grain mill of Laconia. He is also a large owner of the stock in the Laconia Gas-light Company, and has done much to place this important pioneer enterprise upon the solid basis it now holds among the public improvements of this growing town.

Mr. Moulton is a member of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows. He is one of the charter members of Winnipisseogee Lodge No. 7, which was established at Laconia in 1842, and is now one of the Uniformed Patriarchs of the order.

His domestic and family relations are as follows:--

July 15, 1833, he married Nellie B. Senter, of Center Harbor, who was the daughter of Samuel M. Senter. Her ancestor, Col. Joseph Senter, and Ebenezer Chamberlain were the first settlers in that town in 1765 and 1767. She died Nov. 18, 1860, at Laconia. Five children were born to them, of whom three survive.