Download The History of the Old Town of Derby, Connecticut, 1642-1880; with Biographies and Genealogies Volume 2 Book in PDF, ePub and Kindle
This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can usually download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1880 edition. Excerpt: ...that came with the clay and the dust; But add--as you may perhaps--to the verse, For his having lived in it, the world was no worse." STEPHEN N. SUMMERS, A native of Trumbull, Conn., and one of the first settlers in Birmingham, began the journey of life with no equipments except his head and hands. When only fifteen years of age he hired to a farmer for $6.00 per month, and at the end of seven months took the farmer's note for $40.00. He then earned $12.00 and used them for expenses during the winter while attending school. The next spring he hired to another farmer for $10.00 per month, which in time amounted to $70.00, $60.00 of which he placed at interest, and then, having $100.00 at interest, he claims to have been "the richest day of his life." Soon after he went to Bridgeport and learned his trade, keeping his $100.00 at interest until he was twenty-one. At the age of twenty-three he came to Derby with a capital of about $400.00, and after being here six or eight months a kind farmer from Huntington advised him to build such buildings as he needed, and offered to lend him the amount of money he might desire in so doing, which offer was accepted, and a dwelling, warehouse and shop were erected in the autumn of 1835, into which he removed from Derby Narrows in the spring of 1836. His dwelling-house was the sixth put up in Birmingham. When these buildings were completed he had drawn on the farmer Perry for $700 00, for which he offered security on the property, but this Mr. Perry declined, saying, he preferred security in a man rather than a house. This act of friendliness is spoken of by Mr. Summers with great appreciation, and the principle of security advocated by farmer Perry commends itself to all classes of...