President Arthur's Birthplace

The most valuable statement was obtained f lom Dr. C. L. Case, of Branden, a town on the Vertnont Central Rail rond about eighty miles south of St. Albans. At the time William Arthur moved to North Fairlield, Case was 9 years old, and live about a quarter of a mile from the Arthur' house when a son was bom to them. Dr Cnses's statements deserve particular attention bccause he is quite clear as to de tuils, and because he Isa clil.en of hit;l Standing in Blandón. His tastes are re lined and his mental facultiesare vigorous His large libr.iry is lined with scieutilio works, the best fiction, and the leading magazines. He is also a man of música culture, and bas ftudled several works on musical theory and composition. He is s frequent contributor of the Rutlaud Herald and liis articles are writte n in a clear. concise, a-id straightford style. Of all the testimony gathered his was the most important. He is a Baptist, was a member ol William Arthur's eongregation, and also ut tended his school. "Klder Arthur," he said, "succeeded Elder Spaulding in the spring of 1828. Ut moved into the old parsonage, about half a pile trom us, which made us near neighbors for those days. All that year anu a part of thefoilowing year hetaught school, lip bad tour daughters when he carne to Fairlleld. The three oldest daughters wert plavmates Oi mine. I recoHect that tht eldest, Regina, was known ka one of the gmartesl little girls a'roünd. In those days people used to mak l'uu of the Baptists, ai'u onc time, while Regina and I were walking home trom school togother, a younp feil ow wlio was herdlngtheepneara bfool called out to lier, and asked it' she didn't want i" imptizi' mooi' hu lamba 'accordin to ber fathci's lasliion.' Wkhoal a vvorc shc clambercd over the fence, took a lanil In her urins, lamped into a pool with it and, although the water rose above her waist, she went through the entire ceremony. "Shortly after Eider Arthur arrived here the school-house where he preached while the new meeting-house was being built bc carne too small for the crowd he attracted, and they used to have service In a large barn. I remeinber the flrst service In tin barn perfectly well. The women sat on slabs on the barn-floor, the deacons and their families took the stalls in the stables, and young men ind women made theinselves comfurtable on the hay mow, while 1 and a few other youngsters clampered up among the beams and perched there. ¦ ''Eider Arthur's popularity led the congregatloü to build him a new parsonage, and in the rail of 1829 ray unele gave the church a lot about a quarter of a mile from our house. It was decided that whenever a member of the congregation could spare the time, he should lend a helping hand on the building. Ofcourse, in these circumstances days would pass when no work was done at all on the new parsonage. In fact, the skeleton remained standing all the winler of '29 and '30, and it wasn't till the summer of the latter year that the house was ü ii i-hi-ri. The skek-ton of the house was rather a cranky-looking concern and soinewhat out of sbape, because so many different penple had worked at it independciitly of onenother. In those early days it was customary to christen the skeleton of a house, and repeat an appropriate verse from one of the rafters. In accordance with this custom we Baptists, and some others from the neighborhood, assembled one ufteruoon late in the autumn of '2H. Just as the young man we had designated was about to mount the ladder, an uncouth, boisterous rustic, who wanted to have a little fun, clambered up a pole and, holding on with one hand while he waved his cap with the other, shouted: "Thlslsashell That Icmks like heil, Wrought out of crooked wood, But ril bet a curse, Were It ten times worse' Baptists would cali 11 nood.' "While the new parsonage was building Eider Arthur and his family lived in a little log hut about a mile and a half from here. 'l'liey moved into the new parsonage in the summer of 1830, and I was then in and out of their house pretty much all the time with Regina and her sisters. I recollect distinctly there was not then a boy In the family, for Regma often wished for a brother, and about that time my grandmother and mother used to teil my father that Eider Arthjir wantml - ' '¦ ' ¦'" frrr"r "Well, as it drew near to October, I was told I musn'tgo to Eider Arthur's house so often, and when I asked for reasons I could get only evasive answers. One day, early in October, my grandmotber and mother were away all day, and were not home when it was time for me to go to bed. The iHfxt morning my mother told me that they had a little boy over at the Arthurs'. My grandmother carne over from the Art.hurs' soon atterward, and said she had been dressing the boy. " 'And think of it,' she said to my father in rather a reproachful voice; 'when I anuounced the boy to Eider Arthur he danced up and down the room.' "Eider Arthur's dancing with delight was rather severely commented on by his tlock, for in those days it was not thought consistent with ecclesiastical duties to takc a uopeíul or joyous view of life. tlegtna thought the baby was going to be just as big as her boy playmates, and was vcry lunch disappolnted to see bow sniall he was. The next time Ür. Abell called she said to liini. leJmlug to liis own boys, who were about my age, 'Doctor, why didu't yon bring us a boy like your specimens at home?' "The boy was named after Dr. Chester Abell, and I was surprised when he berame prominent in politics, some thirty or f'orly years after these events, to hear him catted 'bcsler Alian Arthur. But I'm surc bè is the jChester A. Arthur who was boni at Palrfleld. You see, until Eider Artbur'i death he carne to see me whenever he passed through Brandon, at intervals of about seven yearg. We were in the habit of speaking about the family and I reineinber his referring to his son Chester, 'the boy who was born up there at Fairfield when we were neighbors,' asdoing well at Union The next time 1 saw liini he said something about Chester'ö succes! as alawyer, and so every time he relerred with jiride to the boy who was born in Fairtield. The last time I saw Mr. Arthur he spoke of Chester's becoming Collector of the Port of New York. The family temained in Kairfleld until about 18:!'; at least until Chester was old euough to walk and talk, for I can remember perfectly well seeing him standing in the doorway, looking up at me with hls large dark eyes." Dr. Case'si meinory as regards the date ofthe Arthur family' üeparture from Fairfield is upheld by eutries in an old acoountbook which belongs to Ezra Wright Sherman, a resident of Montgomery Centre, abmilHwenty-five railesfrom Fairtield. This accouiit-book belonged to Mr. Sherman s failnr now dead, who lived in Fairileld, and who moved Mr. Arthur's family from Waterville In 18)8, and had frequent dealin, 's with him while In Fairtield. The date! oAhe accounts witli William Arthur beêtn in May, 1828, and close in January, fúOQ In'orderto dispcl the doubt about the Prestdi-nt's middle name, a gentleman intimately acqualntedwlüi the President's llfe and family, and of so high politioal poai tion that his reputatioii is more khan national. was asked for an explanation. He sW, without a moment'B hesitation, tliat the President wM named Chester after Dr. Chester Abell. AUau wns tlit: natnj of l.is irrandfather on his father's side, and his "iitlicr gave him Alian for a middle name, in order to have both families represented in the iull name, Dr. Chester having been a relative of William Arthur's wife. This gentleman say he has scen ii the Arthur family Bible, and in William Arthur' liandwriting. this record: Chester Alian Arthur, bnrn in Falrfleld Frankliu Co., Vt., Oct. 5, 1830.