Diary of Hiram Harvey Hurlburt Jr - Chapter 18

A part of the Diary of Hiram Harvey Hurlburt Jr

I must now get ready to leave Ripton - But have to wait until non resident sale of land for taxes. I had the year before did some, what they call, good work, straightening out records, that were in a muss. For instance to give an example: Lot No 87 Right John Hawley - set in list Orlando Wooster. (Who lived in Rutland) Then same lot set in list to Hiram Rider. (Lives in Bristol.) Still the same lot set in list to David Olmsted. (Lived in East Middlebury). These mistakes had been made by ignorant collectors who had auctioned them off to these men, then when the redemption year was finished given the men a deed, while at the same time the first had redeemed, even put on record in town clerk's office, but collector had neglected to look it up.

For to find some proofs had to go to the County Clerk in Middlebury to find records when town first organized. The clerk "Dugald Stewart" would help me and then take notes to Mr. Chipman for right decision. What they call in Vermont a "Kendue Sale" gives the best title to land obtained.

There were several of these errors, which I ferreted out, and the select men were so pleased, John R. New. Wm Codman, Noble C. King that they were to have a correct sale, that they sent word out about it. Now Pope, Peake and Holley ??? first lived in Lincoln, Vt. the other two in Bristol, Vt., they had twenty four hundred acres of ??? undivided land of Ripton, all in one body, never divided into 100 acre lots like the rest of the town, which had been drawn by lot when town was first organized to original proprietors from Massachusetts and Connecticut, except this which Pope, Peake and Holley claimed in one plot, and paid the price made by the state of Vermont. Well, Pope seemed to be the main one to do anything about this individual part; and he came to the sale. He was a man I should judge well over sixty years; would weight two hundred, he had an old appearance had been a Free Will Baptist preacher. He took snuff, carrying loose in his righthand vest pocket, and it showed plainly on his vest from his pocket in direction to his nose. He had sometimes come through from Lincoln to the Hollow, the road leading by father's and always stopped at fathers for the night. I suppose because father was a preacher and had preached more or less in Lincoln., Elder Zobra's Pope's home.

When the name was called out to bidders, Pope, Peake and Holley, land on who the taxes were between nine and ten dollars, it was struck off to the Elder for the whole section - no one offering to take the payment for a less number of acres.

My sales ran up that day to near two hundred dollars. This tax of Pope, Peake and Holley was the largest on my list.

After closing the sale I went to my room to count up the money and see if any mistake, as I had done everything myself keeping an accurate list of persons struck off. Looking over the money found a one hundred dollar bull on Middlebury Bank. I remembered no such bill. Where could I have got it? I thought of Elder Pope and he must be the man, then I remembered of his taking out one bill from the left side pocket of his vest the other side was his snuff trail. When my papers were arranged I drove up to fathers where I staid nights some of the time, expecting to find Elder Pope there, they were just through supper. I went and spoke to the Elder. If he had missed any money. He felt in his left vest pocket and took out five and ten dollar bills. He said, no. His money is all right. Then I told him he must be mistaken, for I had found too much money in my hands, and some one had paid me a one hundred dollar bill. Pope looked bewildered. He put his head in his hands and thought awhile. When he spoke up. I have it. I was down to Bristol last week settling up, and there was due me from a man some money, and the man gave me a one hundred dollar bill on Middlebury Bank. As I had not mentioned the name of the bank, I was satisfied, and gave him the bill, and he paid the tax with a ten dollar bill. He then spoke to father he might be proud of such a son.

I spent the night there, and Elder Pope told of a great religious revival in the section where he lived before coming to Lincoln, Vt., from Connecticut. It was quite wonderful to hear him tell it, while the tears coursed down his cheeks.

In the morning after breakfast, he spoke about family prayer and referred to me of my act of the day before, and when I think of it, it has always encouraged me to look to keep in the right path.

I did not want this told of, for I thought it looked blundering in me to take a one hundred dollar bill for a ten dollar one, but it got out some way and Miss Smith's father said to me, it might happen to any one as the Middlebury Bank bill was most liable to mistakes, the way it was executed. This complement from Mr. Smith was the year after I proposed for his daughter, but I call it one "straw that shows which way the wind blows."

I attended this annual sale in 1849 made everything correct, joined the Lake Dunmore Lodge of Odd Fellows in Middlebury, went down to Albany, N.Y. to find a job. I stopped awhile on Jay street with Edgar Barber a cousin of mine, but his wife was a peculiar wished me to take her to a theater three of four times a week which cost for each time one dollar for us two, I seemed to have no help to meet this expense. So I got boarded at the Mansion House on Broadway near State Street for two dollars and a half a week.

I finally found a chance to sell receipt books, just published and was working over the places of Albany and Troy. When I met a friend I had known in East Middlebury. Carlos Billings who introduced me to an English book concern. 26 Pal?noster Row, London, England. New York Office 26 John Street. It was not steady work. The books would not be received in New York to fill orders. I once in the summer of 1850 took a vacation at Kingston, Ulster County, N.Y.m but made myself useful in copying in Westbrook and Kenyon law office.

Went to the Episcopal Church Sabbaths - introduced to George F. Root who had charge of the music. He invited after trying my voice, to take the tenor which I did several Sabbaths. Professor Root afterwards became celebrated in composing and publishing music in Chicago, Illinois.