Springfield 1636-1886, History of Town and City, by Mason A. Green ...

476 SPRINGFIELD, 1636-1SS6
of the profession in so adroit a manner tliat it is said a clergyman
wanted to bet a small amount that a certain card had not chanoed
from one hand to the other.
The introduction of gas, also, was a matter for self-felicitation.
" We shook off onr suburbs," one man remarked, " and now Spring-
field is in better shape for becoming a city than ever before."
David Ames died in August. 1847, at the age of eighty-six. He
was born at Bridgewater, and became a manufacturer of shovels and
guns, supplying both for the American army. Ames was an officer
in the Revolution, and in 1794 was appointed by Washington superin-
tendent of the national armory in Springfield. After nine years of
service he became a manufacturer of paper, and, in the course of the
establishment of the largest paper manufactory in the country,
made many inventions and improvements, including the system of
" hot pressing," which subsequently came into general use. In June,
1847, came the death of Dr. William O. B. Peabody. He was a sou
of Oliver Peabody, of Exeter, N.H., twin brother of Rev. Oliver B.
W. Peabody, of Burlington, Vt., was graduated from Harvard in
1816, and, as we have said, settled in Springfield in 1820.
Two years later Pxlmund Dwight, of Boston, died. He was a large
owner of the factories at Cabotville and Chicopee Falls, and was
one of the first to take up the project of starting a new city at Had-
ley Falls. He was born at Springfield, was brother of Jonathan
Dwight, represented Springfield in the Legislature several years, and
was a substantial friend of the Western Railroad.
As to newspapers, it may be noted that the " Republican " be-
came an evening daily in 1844, the first daily paper in tliis part of the
State. It was changed to a morning paper in 1845.
E. F. Ashley & Co. sold out the " Hampden Post " in 1843 to Alan-
sou Hawley, and Mr. Beach retired as editor, after nearly nine years'
work, and turned his attention to the law, as has been stated. The
local papers at this time were : The
" Republican," age, 19 ; " Hamp-
den Post," age, 14; the "Gazette," age, 12 years; "Cabotville