delightful country-seat, on which a house and stable and such other buildings as were requisite for a convenient and tasteful home had been completed and brought into use for his family. And here, on a beautiful day in May, they were living in the full enjoyment of what such a place can afford to lovers of life and of Nature, confident and expectant of life's long continuance.

This cheering prospect was soon to be cut off by the deepest of shadows; was to be followed in a moment by a scene of horror and a never-changing season of gloom. The brother of Mrs. Sawyer, Mr. John Gibbs, of Charlestown, had been making them an afternoon visit, and they were taking him in their carriage to the depot on his way home, when they were run down by an express-train as they crossed the track, no warning signal having been given of its approach. Mr. Sawyer and his eldest daughter, sixteen years old, and Mr. Gibbs, were instantly killed. Mrs. Sawyer, with an infant in her arms, was caught by the cow-catcher and carried for some distance along the track, to be restored to consciousness after many hours of watchful anxiety and doubt. Her life of disappointment was continued until the 13th of February, 1895, when she died at her residence on Bunker Hill Street.

The details of this accident, or catastrophe, cannot be dwelt upon. The shock it occasioned in the city was very great, and the whole community was in attendance in and around the Universalist Church where the funeral took place, May 26, 1852. The services, conducted by Rev. Mr. Townley, pastor at the time, and by Rev. T. Starr King and Rev. Dr. E. H. Chapin, former pastors of the society, were solemn and impressive, and the tolling of the bells, as the bodies were borne to their

graves, emphasized, never more clearly, the uncertainty of human life.

Soon after his death a long notice of his life and character, from the pen of Mr. Griffin, was printed in The Bunker Hill Aurora, and with some extracts from this notice we close the present article :

The death of William Sawyer has settled deep and lasting grief in numerous hearts outside the circle of his relatives. I do not say this in a heartless formality of an obituary. I do not say it in view of the hold he enjoyed in the confidence of the public for many years and at the time of his death, as evidenced by the stations of respectability and trust he filled. Mr. Sawyer himself never based his own estimate of any human being upon his reputation and the position he held; he criticized the character and scrutinized the man. A generous heart was always by him regarded as a better diploma of merit than a title or an office. . . . A most intimate knowledge of his modes of thought and principles of action qualify me, I hope, to speak with accuracy in regard to him. It is the more easy, as he had no disguises as respected those near him. To his friends he uniformly opened his whole heart and dealt with a bold frankness which might offend a stranger. His impulsive spirit never hesitated to give forcible expression to the thought or the feeling which struggled for utterance. This was not less a quality of the heart than of the mind. His intellect was vigorous and acted with astonishing celerity. He never debated a proposition for any great length of time. His first thoughts were those upon which he acted, and they were generally such as to lead him to no mistake. He reached in a moment that point which many would fail to attain by a day's reflection and mental travail. That time which men would lose in doubts and fears and hesitancy he filled full of the most efficient action. And yet he never acted rashly. . . . Joined to this there was an iron and courageous industry which

chained him constantly to the post which duty assigned him. Whatever his hands found to do he did with all the energy of his spirit. He went to his labor and sustained it with a glad heart and an unvarying buoyancy of spirit which made him a most acceptable fellow-laborer and companion. He adorned his daily life with a constant assiduity and an unwearied cheerfulness which will linger long in the memories of those dear to him here. His talents were most readily recognized and he was most loved by those who most intimately knew him. I speak what every one of those intimate with him will say when I assert that William Sawyer never did an intentional and deliberate wrong. But he has gonecut down in the maturity of his strength, in the happiest years of a happy life, in the midst of his usefulness, and leaving many loved ones behind him to drink together the bitterest cup of grief ever offered to their lips.

J. Q. A. Griffin, who was the law-partner of William Sawyer for some time previous to his death, continued the business in Charlestown until his own death on May 23, 1866, aged thirty-nine years. Much of the time he was a resident here. He represented the city in the Legislature of 1855, and was city solicitor for some years. He very soon became prominent as a member of the bar, and as a legislator was at once marked as a man of genius and ability. He made many warm friends, and although naturally sarcastic in his manner he was successful in retaining his popularity. His health failed early in his life, and he died a young man. A career of great promise was thus cut off and a life of usefulness and eminence made all too short.

SEPTEMBER 7, 1895.

WE

E are hearing so much about Havana and of what is going on there that it calls to mind our former townsman, the late John Wade Damon, who spent so many years of his life in Cuba. I have wondered what he would say to us as to the duty and policy of helping to free that island from the government of Spain. He could throw light upon many points that it would be well for us to see, and help us to form a proper judgment as to the size of the job we have undertaken in our declaration of war. I think he would say to us that, in the progress of the world, the time has arrived for the independence of Cuba, and that, from its nearness to the scene of action, the intervention of the United States has been unavoidable. One thing is certain, he would be emphatic in his charge to us to give our flag to the breeze, and to stand firmly and faithfully by the Government until its task is accomplished.

Some notice of Mr. Damon as one of the old residents of Charlestown will be of interest.

Perhaps the best example of a modern-built place of residence within the limits of Charlestown is the brick building which stands fronting the Monument on the

corner of Monument Square and Monument Avenue, now the residence of Mr. P. O'Riorden. It was erected for Mr. John Wade Damon, its first occupant. He was a son of Massachusetts, born in Scituate, West Parish, November 12th, 1792, but he had spent many years of his life in Havana, Cuba, where he accumulated a fortune, largely, but not wholly, from his connection with the icebusiness, under a monopoly granted by the government at first to Frederic Tudor, with whom Mr. Damon afterwards became a partner.

Mr. Damon, who was an uncle of Dr. Henry Lyon, on his visits here made the doctor's house his headquarters, and in this way became acquainted with Charlestown people and interested in the property and welfare of the place. This led to his purchase of the house on the corner of Green and Main streets, in which he resided for some years; and also to the purchase of a large estate situated about half way between the old bridge and the Navy Yard, known at the time as Harris' Wharf, and later as Damon's Wharf; and also of the very eligible lot of land on Monument Square, on which was erected by him the building we have referred to which became his homestead some years before his death which occurred here. After he had secured this lot of land and decided upon the erection of a new house, he, as much of his time would be spent in Cuba, entrusted the carrying out of his plans to an old friend, a well-known mechanic of Boston, Mr. J. G. Newell, who was to proceed with the work as if it were his own, having instructions to spare no expense necessary to make everything about it of the first class, taking time to have materials and workmanship as perfect as possible. In this way,