Diary of Hiram Harvey Hurlburt Jr - Chapter 28

A part of the Diary of Hiram Harvey Hurlburt Jr

In December there was five hundred dollars due from Mr. Wm. Wilson according to contract. Mr. Wilson had sawed out a lot of custom lumber, but it was slow collecting bills. I had taken aside a team and gone six miles west to be with him to some of the wealthy farmers in New Haven to see what could be done. First he called upon Mr. Allen Barton. We found him in his house, waiting on Mrs. Barton, who had been an invalid several years. Mr. Barton was in no mood to produce money, and Mr. Wilson wished me to drive onto New Haven street where Mr. Meacham who married a Hoyt daughter, they were of note and supposed to always have cash on calling. Mr. Meacham, found he was absent, but Col. Hoyt was aware of the sawmill clue, but the Colonel had no cash in sight.

We were in the dining room seated, both Col. Hoyt and Wilson were somewhat stiff with age. They were seated about six foot apart, and the Colonel was anxious to make known to Wilson how sad are many circumstances of the time, the excessive prodigality of the present generation. Why they take the tallow that would make candles and carry it to foreigners, and sell it for six cents a pound and buy and pay ten cents a pound for candles. The two men leaned towards each other until it really looked as if they might with the least exertion tumble towards each other on the floor; so earnest were they in talking and repeating.

On Mr. Wilson’s resuming his seat in the carriage, he was led to tell me his story of his Barton in the house—a nice fair day, in his shirt sleeves, caring for his wife and the wealthy Col. Hoyt with his money in sight continuing. It is reported the Col. Hoyt was known to have under his pillow money every night. Bringing me had to have the gate shut with energy.

“Well, well!” blurted I. “But I know sure who has the cash. We will drive down to Ezra Nash and see how the land lies.” We were soon there at the Generals. He was just come home from Middlebury. And he had to shortly remove some of his coats with peculiar slowness, but at last invited myself and Wilson into his office. Mr. Wilson made known his wants, when Nash said, “I have no cash on hand; perhaps a little balance in Middlebury Bank. (He was at the time president of that institution) but after much thought and reflection, he seemed to see a way to accommodate, as he knew parties who had money, and, Mr. Wilson must expect to pay a small gratuity for the accommodation.” Mr. Wilson mentioned, “There was quite a bill for sawing.” Nash promptly answering, “This would be met by the sale of wool; or from dividends from the Bank Jan. 1st.” They had some more earnest talk about the cost of trouble. When Nash took his checkbook and gave out the amount.

This experience of Mr. Wilson’s seemed to stir him up a great amount. And its remarks has made appeared to be a new lesson to him in this old age. “Why,” says Wilson, “I have always known Hoyt. Many years ago he raised hemp and he had it stacked in a large field; but he could not get the price he thought he ought to. So sent a hired man down to the stacks and set fire to them, all burned up!” Col. Hoyt, you see why he had money, more than he knew what to do with. Why Hurlburt: You can trace that land near to burn up which settlement could well believe.