States, should be governed. It was no easy matter to frame an instrument that would confer a sufficient degree of power on a United States Government, and at the same time not deprive individual States of a portion of their Constitutional rights and privileges. But a Constitution was framed and sent out to the several States for their action upon it. And in a Convention of delegates chosen by the towns in this Commonwealth assembled in Boston, in1788, after mature deliberation, that Constitution was adopted by a small majority, the delegate from this town voting in the affirmative. Since the close of the first half century of the town's existence as a corporation, but few events have occurred in which the patriotism of the inhabitants has been put to the test. On the ground that obstructions imposed on commerce might injuriously affect the agricultural and other interests essential to their prosperity and happiness, they yoted in town-meeting to petition the President to remove the Embargo of 1808, or call Congress together. And in the last war with Great Britain, when there was thought to be some danger of an invasion, the spirit of '75 was manifested by a vote to pay those who, were detached into the military service at South Boston in 1814. And even at

the present day, should their political rights and privileges be infringed, a vast majority of the inhabitants of this town would, doubtless, at once stand forth in the defence of freedom, and to sustain the laws, and support the Constitution, both of this Commonwealth and of the United States.

General George Washington, the first Pres'ident of the United States, after an illness of only two or three days, died at Mount Vernon, Dec. 14, 1799, in the 68th year of his age.

On the third day of February, A. D, 1800, under an Article: To see what measures the town will take to commemorate the death of the late General George Washington, or act or do thereon as they shall think proper, the town voted that they would adopt measures to commemorate his death, and chose a Committee consisting of Thomas Legate, Esq., Dr. Thomas Gowing, Major David Wilder, Mr. John Simonds, Wm. Nichols, Esq., Col. Timothy Boutell, Capt. Ephraim Lincoln, Mr. Michael Newhall and Capt. Thomas Legate, to make arrangements and carry the vote into effect. And thus authorized, the Committee made their arrangements for the twenty-second of February, the anniversary birth-day of him whose sudden and lamented death was to be commemorated.

The

three military companies the seven winter schools preceded by their respective teachersand the inhabitants of the town generally, moved in slow and solemn procession into the meeting-house and were seated. The house was densely filled. The pulpit was shrouded in black. A most comprehensive and fervent prayer was offered up to the Supreme Being by the Rev. Francis Gardner. Several pieces of appropriate music were performed by the choir and a eulogy was pronounced by Doctor Daniel Adams, then a practising physician in this town, and now a resident of Keene, in the State of New Hampshire. The most perfect order prevailed from the beginning to the end-the performances were all of a high character—and the deep impressions made upon the minds of those present have probably never been obliterated.

At a town-meeting subsequently held, a Committee was chosen "to return the thanks of this town to Doctor Daniel Adams for the elegant and patriotic oration, delivered by him in commemoration of the death of General George Washington, and to request a copy thereof for the press.

The town voted an appropriation sufficient to defray the expenses of printing the oration,

and directed the Committee to furnish every family in town with a copy of it, and Doctor Adams and the Rev. Francis Gardner with fif ty copies each. Doctor Adams was a graduate of Dartmouth College in 1797, and received the degree of Bachelor of Medicine from that Institution in 1799, and Doctor of Medicine in 1822. He was a native of Townsend, and married the daughter of Doctor Mulliken of that place.

ROADS.

In February, 1734, after many of the lots had been surveyed and located by the proprietors, a road was laid out and established by the town of Lancaster, passing along by White's ` Pond, and over the Follansbee Hill through the casterly part of what is now the North Village, and then in a Northerly direction to Lunenburg line on the West side of Chualoom Pond. It was five rods wide and with great propriety was called the "broad road." On the first of October, 1740, a road, commencing at the river, about four rods above the dam of Ebenezer

Wilder's mill-pond, five rods wide, was laid out, running straight into the "broad road" a little North of John Bennett's log house to the bridge over the little brook. On the sixteenth of December, 1740, a road was laid out from Oliver Carter's, running through the land of Jonathan, Rufus and Ebenezer Houghton to Josiah White's saw-mill on the Monoosnock Brook. Numerous other private ways in various directions, to the lines of the adjoining towns, were early laid out and established. In 1751 a private way was laid out from the great bridge (across the mill-pond above mentioned) to the meeting-house. It does not appear, however, that this road was accepted by the town; nor was it necessary, because in the following year a County road was established from the centre of Lunenburg, through a part of the "broad road," crossing the mill-pond, and over this same private way to the meeting-house, and so on over Bee Hill, and almost all the other high hills to the town of Worcester. And it is not yet twenty-five years since the traveller in that direction has been able to avoid the steep ascent and descent of Bee Hill by taking another road, judiciously located by the County Commissioners, a little to the West of it. For many years the principal road to the centre of this