out of their way to avoid passing over Triangle street. As a measure of retaliation on some of the residents at North Amherst who had been foremost in promoting the building of Triangle street, a new highway was soon afterwards opened from North Amherst to the "Plumtrees."

TOWN BUILDINGS.

With the exception of its school-houses and almshouse the town of Amherst owned no public building until the engine-house was erected in 1860. Town meetings were held at first in the meeting-houses of the First and Second parishes, and afterwards in Sweetser's hall, Agricultural hall, Palmer's hall and Village hall. The need of a public building, if recognized by the inhabitants, found no expression at town meeting until 1851. At the annual meeting in March, 1851, a committee appointed to consider the matter of building a new town hall submitted its report; this report the town voted to place on file. At a meeting held Dec. 4, 1854, the town expressed itself in favor of building a town hall, and appointed a committee of five to secure plans and estimates. This committee reported at a meeting held Jan. 1, 1855, when the town voted, 130 to 120, to dismiss the whole matter. At a meeting held Feb. 23, 1855, it was voted to postpone indefinitely the subject of building a town hall.

The burning of Palmer's hall in 1888 impressed upon the town the necessity of providing a place for holding its public meetings. At a special meeting held April 17, 1888, E. F. Cook, A. R. Cushman and Flavel Gaylord were appointed a committee to look for a site for a townhouse, with instructions to report to the town at a future meeting. The committee inspected several pieces of land and after a careful consideration of the matter purchased the "Cooper lot," adjoining the rectory of Grace church, for $3,500. At a special meeting held Aug. 25, the town instructed its committee to take a deed of the property in the name of the town, the necessary funds being appropriated from money in the treasury received from the sale of a portion of the town's stock in the Massachusetts Central railroad company. The committee was continued, authority being given to procure plans for a building, the same to be submitted at a future meeting. At a special meeting held Feb. 9, 1889, plans were submitted but no action was taken concerning them.

At an adjourned meeting held March 5, 1889, Levi Stockbridge, E. F. Cook, A. R. Cushman, Flavel Gaylord, L. D. Hills, E. T. Sabin, J. W. Howland, D. W. Palmer and W. W. Hunt were appointed a committee, with power to contract for building a town hall, to adopt such plans as in their judgment should seem best for the needs of the town, the building, including heating, lighting and furniture all complete and ready for occu

pancy to cost not exceeding $40,000. At a special meeting held March 30, the town voted to purchase the "Palmer lot," adjoining the "Cooper lot," at a cost of $5,000. Thus for the very reasonable sum of $8,500 the town secured one of the best and most suitable building sites in the center of the village. Plans for a building, drawn by Architect H. S. McKay of Boston, were accepted by the committee. They provided for a building 123 feet long with an extreme depth of 76 feet. On the northwest corner was to be a large tower, on the northeast corner a tower somewhat smaller. The main entrance on Maple avenue would open into a vestibule 16 feet square, leading to a corridor to traverse the building north and south. The rooms on the west side of the building were designed for the use of the town officials and for rental, those on the east side for the public library and a police court-room. The main body of the hall was to be

68 x 56 feet, the stage 36 x 20 feet. Seats were to be placed for the accommodation of 675 persons on the floor and 196 in the gallery. The building was to be of brick, with pink granite trimmings, the interior to be finished throughout in hard wood. Such, in brief, were the plans accepted for Amherst's first town hall.

At a special meeting held June 17, 1889, it was voted as the sense of the meeting that the town endorse the action of the building committee in making a contract with Mead, Mason & Co. of Boston to complete the town hall for $44,500, according to plans and specifications. At a meeting held Nov. 11, it was voted that for the purpose of erecting a town hall the selectmen be authorized to contract a loan not exceeding $50,000. The work of construction began in July, 1889. The first payments were made from money in the treasury. In order to meet current expenses, the selectmen obtained $15,000 from the First National bank on their personal notes; they afterwards borrowed $20,000 from the state treasury at 3 per cent. interest to take up these obligations. Later on, four per cent. bonds were issued to the amount of $50,000 and placed on the market. They were sold at a sufficient premium to reduce the interest rate to 31 per cent. They bear date of Jan. 1, 1890, and are payable in ten years.

The building was completed in accordance with the contract and accepted by the committee Oct. 24, 1890. At a special meeting held Nov. 8, 1890, the building committee submitted their report to the town. Their expenditures were as follows: Mead, Mason & Co., on contract, $46,500; W. W. Hunt, heating apparatus, $2,562.59; Harwood Manufacturing company and Andrews Manufacturing company, seats, $1,644.12; George Graves, stage curtains, fixtures, scenery, etc., $655; architect, $1,505; painting walls and ceiling, $500; apparatus for lighting hall by electricity, $304.87; superintendence, $1,166.10; total direct expense, $54,837.67; additional expenses, $1,368.34; total, including land, $64,323.39. The

town voted to accept the report of its building committee and also to accept the building. It was voted, also, to pay to the committee $4,600 from unappropriated money in the treasury to reimburse them for money raised on their personal notes to complete the payments on the building and to extend to the committee the thanks of the town for the care and fidelity they had shown in carrying the enterprise to a successful conclusion. The care of the building was left in the hands of the selectmen. The hall was formally opened to the public Nov. 19, at a ball given by Company K, 2d Reg't M. V. M.

CHAPTER L.

CRIMES, ACCIDENTS, EPIDEMICS.-FATAL ACCIDENTS.-MURDERS.-BIRDIE

DANAHEY.-SMALL-POX IN AMHERST.

Amherst has been exceptionally free from the commission of serious crimes against either property or person. Three murders have been committed in the township limits, all of comparatively recent date. One was the deed of a tramp, the motive robbery; one by a half-witted young man, the motive jealousy; one by an Italian laborer, the motive, probably, self-defence. Not one of the murderers was a native of Amherst or had residence here when the crime was committed. The court records of Amherst are free from cases of criminal assault. Buildings have been destroyed by incendiary fires, but the perpetrators of these crimes have escaped detection. Robberies and burglaries have been committed, but seldom has the crime been accompanied by violence or the property stolen been of any considerable value. Of suicides and accidents attended by fatal results the town has had its share. A complete list of these from the settlement of the town would be difficult to compile, but a fairly accurate record of events of this character has been made for the last fifty years. One of the most peculiar suicides of earlier years was that of Dr. Samuel Gamwell, an esteemed resident of the town, who killed himself May 22, 1814, by fixing a sword against the wall of a room in his residence at East Amherst, and pressing his body against it until the blade had penetrated his vitals. Aug. 22, 1842, Wells Woodbridge, son of Ezra Ingram, aged 10, was killed by the kick of a horse. A marble tablet by the side of the highway leading from East Amherst to the "City" marks the spot where the accident occurred.

Of deaths by accident, the larger number have been caused by drowning. May 21, 1848, Orry Dodge, a young man whose parents lived in Pelham, was drowned in a small pond situated on land belonging to Lucius Dickinson at South Amherst. The accident occurred on Sunday morning; while bathing in the pond with a number of companions he was seized with a cramp and sank for the last time before aid could reach him. Nov. 25, 1861, Elisha Crossman, a boy, while crossing a stream at North Amherst fell from the bridge and was drowned. April 26, 1862, Dexter Kellogg, a resident of Amherst, was drowned in Miller's river. Aug. 11, 1863, three women were drowned at " Factory Hollow" in North Amherst; a fuller account of this tragedy is given in a later chapter of this work. Dec. 26, 1873, W. H. and S. T. Read, sons of H. L. Read, were drowned in Adams' pond. They were skating on the pond, and had gone to the assistance of another boy who had broken through the ice. Sept. 2, 1880, Charles B. Parsons, a boy, was drowned while bathing in L. E. Dickinson's mill-pond at North Amherst. Aug. 17, 1886, Charles G. Bowers and Miss Ida May Walker were drowned in Spofford lake at Chesterfield, N. H. A party of eleven persons had left Amherst the day before for a week's outing at the lake. The party were sailing on a catamaran when the accident occurred and all were thrown into the water, but only two were drowned. Mr. Bowers was struck by the boom of the boat and rendered insensible, while Miss Walker was caught in the rigging. July 3, 1887, Antonio Perletto, an Italian laborer employed in grading on the Mass. Central railway route, was drowned while bathing in Fort river. Aug. 25, 1896, Harold, son of Prof. Anson D. Morse, was drowned in Fort river at South Amherst. With three companions he was bathing in the river, when a raft on which they were playing was overturned and he, being unable to swim, was drowned.

Many fatalities have resulted from the accidental discharge of firearms. Oct. 5, 1850, Frederick Goodale, aged 17, shot and killed himself in the store of George Burnham at East Amherst. He had been hunting and was handling his gun in a careless fashion when it was discharged. Aug. 25, 1882, Merton J. Redding, a young man, was instantly killed by the discharge of a gun which he was holding while riding in a carriage. Sept. 17, 1892, John S. Davis, aged 13, son of James W. T. Davis, was killed by the accidental discharge of a rifle, while hunting with two of his boy companions in a lot to the north of Wildwood cemetery. He was alone at the time the accident occurred. Aug. 5, 1896, Henry D. Holt, aged 19, was killed by the discharge of a gun which he was placing in a boat, on the pond at North Hadley. The hammer caught and the charge of shot entered his breast.