deed as strong as it could be. He did not leave the matter to be
settled by a will, but determined to enjoy, while living, the
satisfaction of being true to his plighted faith. He was known, in his
later years, as "old Ben Scarlett." He did not feel ashamed to call
himself a servant. But humble and unpretending as he was, I feel a
pride in rescuing his name from oblivion. Old Ben Scarlett will for
ever hold his place among nature's nobles,--honest men.

The extent to which Endicott went in improving his lands is shown in
the particular department which gave the name to his original grant.
In 1648, he bought of Captain Trask two hundred and fifty acres of
land, in another locality, giving in exchange five hundred
apple-trees, of three years' growth. Such a number of fruit-trees of
that age, disposable at so early a period, could only be the result of
a great expenditure of labor and money. So many operations going on
under his direction and within his premises made his farm a school, in
which large numbers were trained to every variety of knowledge needed
by an original settler. The subduing of the wilderness; the breaking
of the ground; the building of bridges, stone-walls, "palisadoes,"
houses, and barns; the processes of planting; the introduction of all
suitable articles of culture; the methods best adapted to the
preparation of the rugged soil for production; the rearing of abundant
orchards and bountiful crops; the smoothing and levelling of lands,
and the laying-out of roads,--these were all going at once, and it was
quite desirable for young men to work on his farm, before going out
deeper into the wilderness to make farms for themselves. There were
many besides Grover who availed themselves of the advantage. John
Putnam was a large landholder, and an original grantee; but we find
his youngest son, John, attached to Endicott's establishment, and
working on his farm about the time of his maturity. In a deposition in