low; he saw Mr. Mickles and made a bargain for the fire dogs, he (Talbot,) agreeing to chop and pile up seven and a half cords of maple wood for them. He returned home put his axe in excellent order, and on the following day a little after day-break he commenced his work felling the trees, chopping, splitting and piling up the wood; about sunset Mr. Mickles went into the woods to see what progress Talbot was making, and found him cording up what he had chopped, which measured a little over seven cords. Mr. Mickles was surprised to see the result of the day's work, and said to Talbot, "you need not chop any more I am satisfied and you can come to the furnace and make your selection of "fire dogs,” which he did, taking them, together with his axe, upon his shoulders and started for home.

Mr. Talbot was a devoted member of the Disciples church, and a consistent temperance man, honest and square in all his dealings with the world. He left a son (Alvin, since deceased,) and a daughter, (Mrs. Morse,) who is now living on the old homestead in Pompey, on the road leading to the Hollow and Jamesville.

ELIJAH WELLS.

Among the pioneers of the town of Pompey may be numbered Elijah Wells, who was born in the town of Wethersfield, Hartford County, Conn., February 27, 1775; he was married January 16, 1800, to Lucy Sellew, of Glastonbury, of the same county; he came to Pompey in the fall of 1799, and purchased a forest farm of one-hundred acres, on Lot No. 51; after making his purchase, he returned east to spend the winter. In the spring of 1800, he returned to Pompey, and applied himself to clearing up his land. During the summer he cleared ten acres and also built a log house for his future residence. In the fall he returned east and prepared to remove his family to what might be regarded his wilderness home. In February, 1801, he left the home of his childhood for his chosen residence in the then far west. The journey was performed at this incle

ment season of the year in an open sleigh with the additional responsibility of caring for an infant child of a little more than three months old. Deacon Asa H. Wells, who, till 1874, resided a half mile north of Pompey Hill, was that little child whose familiar voice in the choir of the Congregational Church at Pompey, for nearly a half century has been heard nearly every Sabbath, singing praises to the God who then preserved him. Thus they came into this western wild, bringing with them their effects to commence the battle of life. Often has the writer of this little sketch been thrilled in listening to the recital of the perils and trials of those pioneer days. Elijah Wells and his wife were both for many years active members of the "First Congregational Church," in Pompey, and for many years he was one of the Deacons of the Church. Their children feel that they owe very much to them, and cherish their memory with feelings of veneration. Those early days in the history of our fathers, were days of severe struggle and privation; and this was peculiarly so with the subject of this sketch. In order to dispose of the heavy timber of the dense forest, and get his logging done-not having a team of his own, he was obliged to depend upon a neighbor who had an ox team, giving two days of his own labor, for the services of his neighbor with his team one day. In this way he accomplished the clearing of the first ten acres. In the fall of the same season, he sowed it to winter wheat, which gave him an abundant crop the following season. The nearest market to him at this time was Utica, fifty miles away, and in the winter of 1801 and 1802, he hired another neighbor, Artemus Bishop, who was always actuated by a high sense of honor and ready to accommodate as are pioneer settlers generally, and who had a horse team to carry his crop to market; for it when delivered at Utica, he re. ceived forty cents per bushel. the transportation to market. ginning to build up the town small beginnings, they contributed by mortgaging their

From this he had to pay for This was the manner of beof Pompey, and from such

farms to build up Pompey Academy. From this, let the present generation learn a lesson and show a little public spirit by stopping the decline of that venerable institution, by contributing out of their abundance sufficient to place it financially upon a firm basis.

To them were born five sons and two daughters; four of the sons are yet living; one son and the daughters have passed away. Elijah Wells, the subject of this sketch, died in the fall of 1830. Lucy Wells, his companion, died in the fall of 1857. Of their family Asa H., the eldest son, now resides in Manlius, and George, the youngest, still remains in Pompey. John S., the second son who married Polly, a daughter of Moses Hinsdale, died at his residence near the old homestead in 1854. Russell, the third son, is a resident of Manlius village. Elijah, Jr., the fourth son, resides in Naples, Ontario County, N. Y.; he alone chose a mercantile life, while all the others have made agriculture their pursuit for life. Of the daughters one died in infancy, the other at the age of twenty-five unmarried. The sons have all been married, and have long enjoyed the society of their respective families.

EDWARD WICKS

Was born at East Hampton, Long Island, in 1752, and died in the year 1834, aged 74 years. His father, Capt. Edward Wicks, was a sailor, and having charge of a schooner which sailed between Connecticut and the West Indies, took his son, the subject of this sketch, with him. He was thus taught the rudiments of a sea faring life, till he was about fourteen years old; then he was bound to a tailor; but being ill used he ran away from his master, and in company with his younger brother, Capt. John Wicks, father of the late E. B. Wicks, of Syracuse, took charge of a vessel making voyages to the West Indies, until the war of the revolution. He was then obliged to return to his trade for support, and worked in Providence, R. I., from house to house for fifty cents per day, taking pay in Continental money, of

which he paid $210.00 for a pair of shoes; these, however, he said were a "good pair." He married Elizabeth Conklin, of East Hampton, daughter of Lineas Conklin, and aunt of Judge Conklin, formerly of Auburn, who was the father of Hon. Roscoe Conklin, of Utica, and of Frederick Conklin, of New York. During the revolution, his father had moved to Guilford, Conn., with his family, and remained there till 1800, and then emigrated to Oneida Co., N. Y., between Clinton and Paris Hill. In 1816 he came to Pompey, and bought of Mr. Handy the farm which Barrs the Hessian, one of the thousand taken prisoner by Gen. Washington at Trenton, had settled. The farm was lately owned by Dea. Asa H. Wells, and now by David King. Here he remained till his death, which occurred in 1834. His wife died at the age of sixty-four years, in the year 1826, in Pompey. They left four children. Harriet, the eldest, married Augustus W. Chappell; Marvin died in 1848; Isaac C. now lives at the age of seventy-five years, in Pompey Hill village; Eliza, who was six years younger than Isaac C., married John Clark, and settled in Brunswick, Medina Co., Ohio, and died in 1850. Mrs. Chappell died in 1829 in Pompey, of a malignant fever then prevailing, as did also her son, Edward F. Chappell. She left surviving three other children-Helen, Sylvia and Byron.

DANIEL WRIGHT.

The subject of this sketch was born September 9th, 1794, in Hebron, Conn., and from there emigrated to Pompey, arriving February 29, 1799, with his parents, who settled on Lot No. 16. His father died Nov. 13, 1805, and his mother March 13, 1806, the year of the great eclipse. Then young Daniel went to live with his brother-in-law, and remained with him two years. He then commenced to work by the month and day for different persons, always strictly fulfilling his contracts, till 1812, when he bought a farm and paid for it with the money that years of toil had secured. But the title to his land failed and he lost it. Again he went to

work by the month and day, and when over thirty years of age he married Miss Eva Helmer, of Manlius, April 21st, 1826. Their children were ten in number, and were raised to become men and women. To support his large family he continued to work by the month and by the day. His wife died July 17th, 1866, since which time he has lived with his sons. The 18th of February, 1869, his leg was broken by a fall and the broken limb was cared for by Dr. Knapp, of Jamesville, under whose skillful treatment aided by the strong vitality of his patient, he was enabled to be about in a short time. At the age of 78 years he could chop and pile two cords of wood in a day, and although the vigor of his younger days is departing, he can walk ten miles in a day. His life spent among the farmers of Pompey, hast demonstrated that though poor a man may be honest. But his life's labor is nearly done, and he is now only waiting to join the pioneers of Pompey, who have gone before him over the river. In conversation he shows that though young when he came to Pompey, he well remembers the scenes and hardships of pioneer life. He remembers of families suffering for the want of food, and so reduced as to eat beach leaves. In a mortar they pounded their corn and baked their corn cakes in the ashes, rolling them up in cabbage leaves and covering them up with coals. But they thanked God and were contented, looking for a better day.

AUGUSTUS WHEATON.

Augustus Wheaton was born in the year 1775, at New Milford, Conn., and died at the age of seventy-seven years, and was buried within a mile of the place of his birth. Four brothers emigrated from Scotland and settled in Connecticut. Their names were Esuek, Orange, Sylvester and Joseph Wheaton, the last named being the father of Augustus, who came to Pompey in 1810. He had purchased land in Pompey in 1807, but did not move his family till 1810. Three sisters, Lydia, Sylvia and Loraine had preceded him. All