the chignecto isthmus and its first settlers-第38章

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〃Maccan　River；　N。S。；　〃June　24th；　1810。

〃DEAR　COUSIN；

〃Long　ago　I　have　had　it　in　agitation　of　writing　to　you　and　now　an　opportunity　is　just　at　hand；　which　I　gladly　now　embrace；　hoping　these　lines　will　find　you　and　your　family　all　in　good　health；　as　me　and　my　family　are　the　same；　thanks　be　to　him　that　ruleth　over　all。　I　am　now　going　to　give　you　a　little　sketch　of　our　country；　of　Bonny　Nova　Scotia；　and　the　advantages　and　disadvantages。　I　settled　here　on　this　river　about　23　years　ago；　upon　lands　that　had　never　been　cultivated；　all　a　wilderness。　We　cut　down　the　wood　of　the　land　and　burnt　it　off；　and　sowed　it　with　wheat　and　rye；　so　that　we　have　made　out　a　very　good　living。　Here　we　make　our　own　sugar；　our　own　soap　and　candles；　and　likewise　our　own　clothing。　We　spin　and　weave　our　own　linen　and　wool；　and　make　the　biggest　part　of　it　into　garments　within　our　own　family。　This；　I　suppose；　you　will　think　strange；　but　it　is　merely　for　want　of　settlers　and　more　mechanics　of　different　branches。　There　were　twenty…　five　petitioned　to　the　Government　for　new　lands　when　I　settled　here；　and　we　all　drew　500　acres　of　land　each。　I　bought　500　acres　joining　mine；　which　cost　me　about　eighteen　pounds；　and　my　part　of　the　grant　cost　eight　pounds。　I　have　lived　on　it　ever　since　and　make　out　a　very　good　living。　We　milk　ten　cows；　keep　one　yoke　of　oxen；　three　horses；　betwixt　twenty　and　thirty　sheep。　I　do　not　doubt　but　that　in　the　run　of　ten　years　more　I　shall　be　able　to　milk　twenty　cows。　We　generally　kill　every　fall　six　or　eight　hogs。　We　use　betwixt　four　hundred　and　five　hundred　pounds　of　sugar　every　year　for　tea　and　other　necessaries。　The　disadvantage　we　have　here　is　in　the　winters　being　so　long。　There　is　six　months　to　fodder　our　cattle；　and　what　is　worse　than　all　the　rest；　the　snow　falling　so　deep；　sometimes　four　feet。　The　last　three　or　four　winters　have　been　very　moderate；　which　we　think　is　owing　to　the　country　and　woods　being　cleared　more　away。　We　have　very　much　trouble　with　bears；　as　they　destroy　our　sheep　and　cattle　so　much。

〃JOHN　HARRISON。

〃N。B。I　have　two　sons；　up　young　men。　Pray　send　them　each　a　good；　industrious　wife。　Pray　send　out　a　ship…load　of　young　women；　for　there　is　a　great　call　for　them　that　can　card　and　spin。　The　wages　are　from　five　to　six　shillings　a　week。〃


CHAPTER　X

THE　FIRST　SETTLERS　OF　CUMBERLAND。

IN　the　early　part　of　the　last　century　several　emigrants　from　the　Old　Country　found　their　way　to　Prospect　Farm；　with　whom　family　friendships　were　formed　and　remained　unbroken　for　many　years。　The　Davis　family　is　one　of　these。

Daniel　Davis　came　from　a　small　town　near　Bristol；　England。　He　was　a　weaver　by　trade；　but　owing　to　the　introduction　of　the　power　loom　in　Great　Britain；　which　ruined　the　hand…loom　industry；　Mr。　Davis　came　to　America　in　the　hope　of　finding　some　other　means　of　gaining　a　livelihood。　He　with　his　wife　and　one　child　came　to　Prince　Edward　Island　in　1812。　They　were　greatly　disappointed　with　the　appearance　of　things　on　the　island；　and　Mrs。　Davis　says　she　cried　nearly　all　the　time　they　stayed　there。　After　a　year　on　the　island　Mr。　Davis　moved　to　Point　de　Bute。　Although　he　was　a　small　man　and　not　accustomed　to　farm　work；　he　remained　in　Point　de　Bute　for　ten　years　and　made　a　good　living　for　his　increasing　family。　At　the　end　of　that　time　he　got　a　grant　of　good　land　in　Little　Shemogue；　on　what　is　now　called　the　Davis　Road。　On　this　land　Mr。　Davis　put　up　a　log　house　and　moved　his　family　there。　After　undergoing　most　of　the　privations　incidental　to　such　an　experience；　success　came；　and　with　is　a　comfortable　and　happy　old　age。　In　his　later　years　Mr。　Davis　made　a　trip　to　his　old　home　in　England；　and　received　a　substantial　legacy　that　awaited　him　there。　He　had　a　family　of　ten　children；　five　sons　and　five　daughters。　Henry；　the　second　son；　was　a　member　of　the　family　at　Prospect　for　fourteen　years；　and　came　to　be　looked　upon　almost　as　a　son。　John　settled　in　Leicester；　N。S。；　and　was　a　successful　farmer；　with　a　large　family。　One　son　is　a　Methodist　minister　in　the　Nova　Scotia　Conference；　and　another　is　stipendiary　magistrate　for　the　town　of　Amherst。

Henry　Davis　was　a　miller；　and　settled　first　in　Amherst。　One　of　his　sons；　T。　T。　Davis；　is　a　professor　in　a　western　College。　The　other　sons　of　Daniel　Davis　were　farmers；　two　of　whom　remained　at　the　old　home　in　Shemogue；　where　some　of　their　descendants　still　live。

John　Woods　was　another　of　the　early　emigrants　who　found　his　way　to　Prospect。　He　was　a　Manxman。　After　a　time　he　bought　a　farm　at　Tidnish；　N。S。；　and　subsequently　moved　to　the　Gulf　Shore；　Wallace。　Mr。　Woods　visited　Prospect　Farm　in　the　seventies；　and　was　greatly　delighted　to　see　the　old　place　again。

Samson　Clark　was　also　a　member　of　the　family　for　a　time。　He　was　a　brother　of　the　late　Alexander　Clark；　D。D。　When　he　left　Prospect　he　located　on　a　farm　on　what　he　called　the　〃Roadside；〃　back　of　Amherst；　N。S。；　now　Salem。　Samson；　although　a　strong　man　physically；　and　with　plenty　of　brains；　did　not　make　life　a　success。　He　became　blind　in　his　later　years；　and　never　prospered　financially。　Politically　Mr。　Clark　would　stand　for　a　countryman　of　his　who；　when　asked　soon　after　landing　in　America　what　his　politics　were；　answered；　〃Is　there　a　government　here？〃　He　was　told　that　there　was。　〃Then；〃　said　he；　〃I'm　ag'in　the　government。〃

Isaac　Vandegrift　came　from　Halifax　to　Point　de　Bute。　His　mother　was　a　widow。　He　married　Miriam　Smith；　from　Sackville；　and　the　ceremony　took　place　at　the　〃Brick　House；〃　Prospect。　Isaac　settled　at　Hall's　Hill；　but　afterward　moved　back　to　Point　de　Bute。　He　was　an　excellent　ploughman；　and　was　one　of　the　drovers　north　when　the　Richibucto　and　Miramichi　markets　were　supplied　with　beef　from　the　Westmoreland　marshes。　He　contracted　consumption　and　died　comparatively　young。　Mrs。　Edward　Jones；　of　Point　de　Bute；　is　the　only　one　of　his　five　children　now　living。

A　family　named　Ireland　came　to　Prospect　early　in　the　centry；　and　Mr。　Trueman　took　some　trouble　in　assisting　Mr。　Ireland　to　locate。　These　entries　are　found　in　the　journal：　〃May；　1811Robert　goes　to　Amherst　for　Mr。　Ireland's　goods；〃　and；　later；　Mr。　Trueman　〃goes　with　Mr。　Ireland　and　Amos　Fowler　to　Westcock　for　advice。〃　Mr。　Ireland　moved　to　King's　County；　where　he　farmed　for　a　time。　Later　he　went　to　Ontario。　The　late　Hon。　George　Ryan；　when　at　Ottawa；　met　some　members　of　the　Ireland　family　and　renewed　old　acquaintanceship　after　a　separation　of　forty　years。

COLPITTS。

Extracts　from　the　historical　paper　read　at　the　re…union　of　the　Colpitts　family　in　Coverdale；　Albert　County；　Sept。　6th；　1900：

〃In　the　spring　of　1783；　immediately　after　the　close　of　the　Revolutionary　War；　there　came　to　Halifax；　from　Newcastle…on…Tyne；　England；　a　tall；　stalwart　Englishman　with　his　wife　and　family　of　seven　children。　The　name　of　the　man　was　Robert　Colpitts；　as　far　as　we　know　the　only　one　of　the　name　to　come　out　from　the　Mother　Country；　and　the　progenitor　of　all　on　this　side　of　the　Atlantic　who　bear　the　name。　What　his　occupation　or　position　in　society　was　before　his　emigration　we　can　only　conjecture。　Strange　to　say；　there　does　not　exist　a　scrap　of　writing　which　throws　any　light　on　these　questions；　and　tradition　is　almost　equally　at　fault。　Later　in　life　Robert　Colpitts　was　a　captain　of　militia；　and　it　is　thought　he　had　some　connection　with　the　army　before　his　emigration。　Whatever　his　occupation　was　he　must　have　been　possessed　of　some　means；　as　among　the　articles　brought　from　England　were　things　which　would　be　counted　as　luxuries　rather　than　necessities　for　a　new　settler　among　the　wilds　of　New　Brunswick。　For　instance；　among　these　articles　were　three　large　clocks。

〃Tradition　says　that　this　was　not　his　first　visit　to　Canada。　Before　the　outbreak　of　the　American　Revolution　he　had　been　over；　it　is　believed；　in　connection　with　a　survey　of　the　Bay　of　Fundy。　At　this　time　he　had　made　a　small　clearing　on　what　is　now　the　Charles　Trites'　farm；　in　Coverdale；　and　put　up　a　small　cabin　on　the　place。　He　then　returned　to　Newcastle…on…Tyne；　and　closed　up　his　business　with　the　expectation　of　returning　with　his　family。　In　the　meantime　the　war　between　England　and　her　American　colonies　had　broken　out；　and　he　could　not　reach　Nova　Scotia　until　the　trouble　was　settled；　which　was　not　for　seven　years。　For　a　part　of　this　ti