The Late Luther Boyden

Mr. Boyden was bor In Coaway, Mass., Sept. 30th, 788. Leavim; honn; art an early age, b traveled extens: vel ƒ in 'he áouth, engaged in varions pnrsiiits'. lu 1820 tic emlgrated to Mlelitgan, and locatcd tlie farm on which lie has sincc resiclcd. Michigan was at tliat time almost an unbroken wililoruïS-1, A.UU Arbor contained but a few lop; cabins, and Dotroit was the nearest milllog and trading point. Froin teu to ftitcuu days, with pwvlsions fur the jiHinuy, and axe In baad, following In'Man tralie, fordlng streams, hn cattle suiis ting upon browse aud wild t,rrjsíM;s along tb route, were conusmcii in ni.iklng tiie trip. Arriviug late in the season for farming operations, Mr. Botden, by dint of harrt work, stieceeded iuerectiia sitbstantia: and cüiofortabic. lofi bomc, anrif pnttiiiü in ton aei-os r wlieüt toe Brat yuar, gettin;: his seed by rare good luck of Lukk Wnrrjíokji, of Pttts&eld. Ín tlie lo'.lowing summer he en I argot t his clearing, reservlng one aero, wblch lias hi'cn regularly plantad with swcet-coru for over forty-flve years, and has ylelded good retnrm for tlie investment. Iu Juneof Míe sam.' ye.ir his son .luns Augustus, was born, b:-lng the fïrst W'liite malechtld born in W.asl',tenav county. ít wou'il Beesa. alinost superfluous to speak o( Mr. B's mocesa aa .1 f;irm,er ; ytt as the largor portlon of h!s liffc tv;is spent in thls purtult, it may not be am'iss to say that liis observalion of tlie givat proiiu-, tive capihilitii-8 of th bOttom-'and ol thu plaiitef muy liuve determinad Inip Iu the MleetlQQ (.f tho sitp of tj own ttiougli h:s oíd Qii)w:iy oelgMton Kgarded it as alínost valiicless, belng unuble to oc&icclve how lanc vvhich in a statu of nature eould produce auly scrub oaks could be deiencled ou for coreáis. A.t an early perisil Mr. Rot-thot coa ceived the Ule-a of raafclug for Inuiself and family a p!eas:int ho.ne, and prompted by hisloveof the beautifiil he eoininenced a well-plantied "ysteui of s!i ub ancl treepia'iAinif aloug tlie hiñes uní avenues of his hoinesteafl, whicl stan 1 to-:lay, iiunuinents of liis auergy and escolleut taste At the vury oulset he Cook an ai i vaneed" position in agrlcaltnral mittors. DLscardlny the old lasliiouinl, clumsy ulcnsils , lus keen mcchaiiical eye was quiok to disceCli the i'.tility of more modern inventions, and he vus not siow to test their virtue. ïo hlin Cyuls V. McGoiiMtcii owes the flrst ntruductlon of his reaper luto Wuslitenaw (iounty. The organlzutian af the Washte naw Agricultural Society was 011e of the niany projeets with wliich lie was identiÜL-d ; while th.e improvement of the nativo breeds of oattle was greatly lorwardcd by hls personal extimple. A luui af positivr OOOVlcUODS, he made the ftvst imiovation upon the long stauding custom ol furlitsli Ing liquor at raisings. He determined, In opposition to the protests of lnterested paitics and predictious oí follare, to raise his barn witliout whisky. The day arrivcd, tho frame went up, and tlie men, well fed froni his liberal board, went home sober and well satisfied, while the cause of temperance gíllned a plorious triumph. In politics lie belonged to the school of Cr.,AY and Weusteii, and waaau active, ivorkiug meniber of the party, thougU never deseeitilng to the levei of the mero offlcc seeker. On tlie disrnptiou of tlie old Whlg party, ha wa present vriih tao people assembled beneath the oaks at Jackson, and asalsted at the birth of the Kepublican party. During the War of the Uebelliou his luyalty ro.se to tlie highest pttoh of DBtliusiasm, and no 011e awatdetl t boys in blue a higlior meed of piaise tlian he Educalion and its iutci'csU found in hiin an earnest and cordial supporter. On one occasion he opeued his own house lor a public schooi, wueu uo other place could bc proeuïed. JJe was instrumental In locatiug the county scat in Ann Arbor, Ivild great influ ence 11 fbumling the University and deter. uilning Ita site, unUalsj In deciding the route of the M. C. IÍ. Iï. Tlie fonnation of the I'owusliip of Wcl)ster by the división of Dexter was among his earlicst acts as a el tizan. He made a profession of religión in 1837, and uulted with tlie First Presbytcrian Church of Webster, thougli from the organ izatiou of tlie society, iu 1832, he had beori a constant attcndant and liberal supporter. 1 Ilis CliristiiUi syinpathlcs wcre not conflicd to his own denornlnatlon. Kvery object of benevolente found u hls heatt a ready response. Of a fmnily of eiglit chiUlren thrce have Koiic before him. Two died In lnfancy ; the liist born of AVashtenaw County llevpa bcnenth the shadow of the Sierra Nevadas. Since tlie dcat!i of his vvife, wblefa oceurred ei-iit yeare ago, he hafelt atboajtb !iis vori; oí eartli vna oesriy done, ana has takotvbiit little interest in workïly . fairs. At limos lie seemed to enjoy a kincl of melanchoiy pleasure in polntlng to tiro oaks that stood In the family cpmetery, the cm: he called mothcr'.s auil tliu other his ovni, The ivCíer l;r efestb bean to decay, anif at the next so son of fli:ts t gtood leafleas apiinst the sky. The other s ill ruiuains, aud nlfetherit will In springtime follovv the sïleut iavitútiou of ita mate lie will not be here to see. All that hmmin ald could accotnpllsh for his comfort has been done. After three yoaro of Intense SQfiferlDg, on the 9th of January, 1872, ftt 2!) minutes past 4 r. M., Lbtubr Boydex fell asleep ou earth, to awíike in lieaveiv. And I iwn xhid tlmt lio has IíyoíI thuit long, And glad tíint he hvs u:iu I ' !ih r-wiird tToi asem that kinJly natura di'l him vñwft Hoftly tima to dinenfíaffc the vital coid.