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

480 SPRINGFIELD, 1636-1S86.
president, in which year also Chieopee was connected with Springfield
by telegraph. In 1849 the Springfield Fire and Marine Insurance
Company was incorporated, and the year following the John Hancock
Bank was organized as a State bank. The Massachusetts Mutual Life
Insurance Company was incorporated in 1851, and Caleb Rice chosen
president.
In 1850 the temperance men elected their county commissioners,
consisting of N. T. Leonard, Melvin Copeland, and William V.
Sessions, and also their special commissioners, L. F. Newton and
Elizur Bates. N. T. Leonard was luade chairman. The old board
of commissioners (democratic) caused a great excitement by issuing
liquor licenses for one year upon the last day of their term of office,
and there was thuude]' all round the horizon.
The annual April town-meeting did not work smoothly. After
the election of Joseph Ingraham, as usual, for clerk and treasurer,
and Dr. Osgood as a member of the school committee, it was im-
possible to go any further, except for minor positions. On the
22d two assessors and seven constables were chosen (whigs),
and for the purpose of filling the list a town-meeting was appointed
for April 26. The locos, the free-soilers, and the independents
ran separate tickets. On the 2(ith in question, sharp at 12, the
appointed hour, a loco foco moved an adjournment without day
before the whigs had assembled. Charles Beach was in the chair,
and as the motion was carried by four majority, the meeting
was declared adjourned. By this stroke the loco foco selectmen
of 1849 held over. Application was at once made to the Legislature
for power to hold a special town-meeting in May. The General
Court met the case by passing a general bill authorizing town elections
as late as May. A citizen ticket was at once made up, John Mills
being nominated as moderator, and Ephraim ^\ . Bond
heading the
list of selectmen. The locos nominated a select board, with E. D.
Beach at the head. It was a pretty exciting time, party feeling run-
ning high. The result was a loco foco victory, the board being :