Cotting, who, on the next Wednesday, in his individual capacity, sent out the paper in handsome form, while the trustees of the subscription fund were scarcely able to communicate their misfortune. A curious state followed, realizing the confusion of external identity, imagined in the Comedy of Errors. Two papers were published in the same town, on the same day, claiming to be the true Ægis.' A contest painful to retrace ensued, disturbing the repose of the village, proceeding almost from words to blows in private discussion, and furnishing subjects for judicial investigation. The good sense of the community, for a time amused by the bitter feeling of the combatants, and the personal insult degrading pages which should have been devoted to common improvement, at length, acted on the source of the commotion, and after a few months of infamous existence, the false print disappeared.

After some changes, the Ægis, in 1807, went into the hands of Henry Rogers, then late of Hartford, who was publisher until the close of 1824, when Charles Griffin became partner with him. In July, 1833, it was united with the Yeoman, and became merged with that print not long after. 1

The MASSACHUSETTS YEOMAN was commenced Sept. 3, 1823, by Austin Denny, Esq. who continued to be sole or principal editor, proprietor, and publisher, until his decease. It was issued on Saturday. In July, 1833, it was united with the Ægis, and in January following, the title was changed and the existence of the paper ceased.

The WORCESTER REPUBLICAN was established in 1829, by Jubal Harrington, and has been under the management of that gentleman, except during short intervals.

The WORCESTER PALLADIUM Succeeded to the Ægis and YeoIt was commenced in January, 1834, and has continued under the editorial care of Mr. J. S. C. Knowlton.

man.

1 Among the editors of the Ægis, at different periods, were Francis Blake, Edward Bangs, Levi Lincoln, Samuel Brazer, William Charles White, Enoch Lincoln, Edward D. Bangs, Pliny Merrick, William Lincoln, Christopher C. Baldwin, William N. Green. A paper borrowing its descriptive appellation from the worst of reptiles, the Scorpion, came out July 26, 1809, and on successive Wednesdays, without the name of printer or publisher, resembling those abusive periodicals serving as safety valves to convey away the fermenting malignity of base hearts. Its existence was evidence of the unlimited freedom of the press, and its speedy suppression, an instance of the power of public opinion to restrain its licentiousness, and of the healthy tone of moral sentiment amid the violence of party hostility, crushing the slanderer under the weight of general contempt.

The WORCESTER WEEKLY MAGAZINE. An act of Massachusetts, March, 1785, imposing a duty of two thirds of a penny on newspapers, and a penny on almanacs, which were to be stamped, was so unpopular from its very name, that it was repealed before it went into operation, and as a substitute, for the purposes of revenue, a tax was levied on all advertisements inserted in the public journals. This was regarded by Mr. Thomas as an undue restraint on the press. He suspended the publication of the Spy during the two years the act was in force, and printed a periodical in octavo form, with the name at the head of this article, beginning in the first week of April, 1786, and ending the fourth volume on the last of March 1788.

The WORCESTER MAGAZINE and HISTORICAL JOURNAL, was published by William Lincoln and Christopher C. Baldwin, in 1825 and 1826: the numbers of the first volume were issued twice a month, and those of the second once a month: It was intended to contain a particular history of each town of the county. Notices of Templeton, Sterling, Shrewsbury, Leicester, Northborough, West Boylston, Paxton, and Lancaster, and a general view of Worcester county, were furnished by different writers. At the expiration of a year the work was discontinued.

The WORCESTER TALISMAN, a literary and miscellaneous journal, consisting principally of selections, was published on Saturday, during the year after April 5, 1828, on an octavo sheet, forming one volume, by Messrs. Dorr and Howland, and was continued to Oct. 15, 1829, in quarto form, by John Milton Earle.

The FAMILY VISITOR, a religious quarto, was published weekly by Moses W. Grout during a few months of 1832; but was soon discontinued. 1

1 Printing was formerly carried on by Isaiah Thomas to an extent, which, relatively to the general state of business at the period, was immense, and would be considered as great, even in comparison with the rapid publication of recent years. Seven of his presses were worked under his immediate direction, and the number of persons employed by him, in paper making, printing, binding, and the branches of bookmaking and selling, was about 150. There are in 1836, four printing offices.

The books belonging to the societies and associations, number about 20,000 volumes : probably those in private libraries would exceed 50,000 volumes.

The number of newspapers and periodicals circulated in the town, is greater than the whole amount printed in the state before the revolution. In no community are the facilities of instruction and information greater; and there can be few where they are better improved.

336

TOPOGRAPHY AND HISTORY.

Situation.

CHAPTER XVII.

Boundaries. Extent. Divisions. Streets and Roads. Turnpikes. Blackstone Canal. Rail Roads. Public Buildings. Public Lands. Burial Places. Face of the Town. Ponds. Streams. Hills, Mines and Minerals.

SITUATION. Worcester, the shire town of the county, is situated 40 miles westward from Boston, 40 N. N. W. from Providence, 60 miles E. N. E. from Hartford, about 50 miles from Northampton, the nearest point on Connecticut river, and 394 from Washington. From the boundary of New Hampshire, in the shortest direction, the town is distant about 30 miles; from that of New York, about 70; from Rhode Island, about 20; from the tide waters of Boston Harbor, about 40 miles. Lines drawn on the map, intersecting each other at Worcester, Boston, and Providence, would form a triangle almost equilateral. The north latitude of Antiquarian Hall, ascertained by Robert Treat Paine, Esq. is 42° 16' 9": the west longitude, computed from observation on the annular eclipse of the sun in February, 1831, by that gentleman, in degrees, is 71°, 49', in time, 4h. 47m. 16s.

The elevation above the ocean, as estimated by the engineer of the Blackstone Canal, at Thomas street, near the centre of the village is 451 feet: the elevation of Main street above Charles street, in Boston, is stated by Mr. Fessenden at 456 feet.

BOUNDARIES AND EXTENT. The town is bounded, on the North principally by Holden, touching at the northwest corner on Paxton, and at the northeast extremity of the line, on West Boylston; East by West Boylston and Shrewsbury, and for a short distance at the southeast corner by Grafton South, by Millbury and Ward: West, by Leicester, and at the southwest corner borders on Ward.

The area contained within these lines, is about thirty six square miles; or more exactly, 22842 acres: about 600 acres are covered with water; 700 used for roads; 1925 are estimated to be occu

pied as tillage; 5683 as mowing; 10262 as pasture; 3730 with wood; and about 1000 are unimproved.

DIVISIONS. The town is separated into twelve school districts, having permanent boundaries: the centre is marked 1: directly west is that designated 2: next south of this is 3: the others are numbered in regular succession, circling around the centre district, with the exception of 12, which was formed by partition of an original district, and lies between those distinguished as 9 and 10, disturbing the symmetry of the arrangement.

The principal village, so surrounded by hills that it is scarcely seen by the stranger until he enters its streets, has extended but little south of the territorial centre on which the founders seem to have designed it should be planted. The description of Dr. Dwight, 1 about 1812, has not ceased to be correct: the houses are generally well built frequently handsome and very rarely small, old, or unrepaired. Few towns in New England exhibit so uniform an appearance of neatness and taste, or contain so great a proportion of good buildings, and so small a proportion of those which are indifferent, as Worcester.'

:

Villages have grown up around the manufacturing establishments. New Worcester is situated on the road to Leicester: Trowbridgeville, on the road to Oxford: South Worcester on that leading to Ward: the Quinsigamond Village on the Millbury road: Adams Square upon the old road to Lancaster: Northville on the road to West Boylston.

STREETS. The most ancient passage way through the town is Main street, used in 1674, and constantly travelled over since 1713. It is still the principal avenue of the town, extending about a mile from north to south. It is broad and planted with fine shade trees. 2

Nearly cotemporary with the permanent settlement, was the establishment by use, of a road from the Meeting House to Pine meadow, now Front street; of a path to the first burial place, over a

1 Dwight's Travels, i. 366. Letter xxxvi.

2 The time when these beautiful ornaments of the village were first set, appears from an ordinance for their protection, April 7, 1783 : 'Whereas, a number of persons have manifested a disposition to set out trees for shade, near the meeting house, and elsewhere about the centre of the town, and the town, being very desirous of encouraging such a measure, which will be beneficial as well as ornamental, Voted, that any person being an inhabitant of this town, who shall injure or destroy such trees so set out, shall pay a fine not exceeding 20s. for every offence to the use of the poor.' Other and more strict municipal regulations have from time to time been adopted for their preservation.

part of Summer street; and the Lancaster way, through Lincoln The roads now Salisbury, Pleasant, Green, and Grafton streets, existed at a very early period.

street.

Mechanic street was laid out in 1787. In 1806, Isaiah Thomas made and gave to the inhabitants the street called by his name. It was planted through its whole length with poplars, perhaps fortunately destroyed, soon after, by some malicious person.1

Most of the other streets have been opened within the last five or six years by individuals at their private expense, as the increasing population has rendered it desirable to occupy their lands for buildings.

The length of roads within the town in 1826, was equal to 82 miles and 88 rods. At present the extent would exceed 100 miles.

TURNPIKES. At the beginning of the century, great improvements were made in internal communication by the establishment of these highways. A corporation was chartered for building a turnpike to Stafford, in Connecticut, Feb. 15, 1806 and March 17, 1806, the Worcester turnpike was incorporated. It was a favorite principle with the engineers of that time, that roads must be carried on a straight line between the points to be connected, without any deviation from the direct course to conform to the undulation of the surface. On this plan, the turnpike to Boston, going out from the north end of the village, went through a considerable eminence by a deep cutting, passed a deep valley on a lofty embankment, ascended the steep slope of Millstone hill, crossed Quinsigamond by a floating bridge, and climbed to some of the highest elevations of the country it traversed, when inconsiderable circuit would have furnished better and less costly route. These undertakings, of great convenience and utility in the period of their construction, have been more beneficial to the public than the proprietors.

The Worcester and Fitzwilliam Turnpike, incorporated June

1 The following memoranda from the interleaved almanacs of Isaiah Thomas, Esq. show something of the customs of the time. 1806. October 6. Finished work on the new street. The selectmen came and surveyed it and laid it out in form. The Light Infantry company, under arms, commanded by Capt. Flagg, marched through it, halted on the bridge, and discharged three vollies. The gentlemen of the street prepared a large tub and two pails full of excellent punch, and the selectmen, at the request of those present, and in conformity to their own proposal, named the street Thomas street. The Infantry company had as much punch as they chose to drink, aud all present. Three cheers were given, and the company marched off.'