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

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SPRINGFIELD, 1636-1S86. 48U
through the Westfield intluence. Tlie road was incorporated in
1856.
R. A. Chapman and Charles Stearns were once more pitted against
each other in 1853 over the armory superintendency inatter, the Presi-
dent of the United States liaving appointed a eonnnission of military
men and citizens to investigate the merits of both systems. After many
weeks of labor the commission was suddenly called to Washington, and
a report of the Secretary of War showed that the government was de-
termined to stand by military superintendents. Abijah W. Chapin, son
of Col. Harvey Chapin, was made postmaster in 1853. The Pynchon
Bank was organized this year. The Springfield Society of the New
Jerusalem (Swedenborgian) was organized. In the spring the " Con-
necticut Farmer and Mechanic" was started, and also the " Chic-
opee Weekly Journal." In 1854 the Springfield Five Cents Savings
Bank was organized.
The State temperance convention met in Hampden Hall June,
1853, and was presided over by Dr. Edward Hitchcock, of Amherst
College. This convention, while it believed in moral suasion, had
still greater faith in the " necessity of legal action." The municipal
elections of December, 1853, at the close of Caleb Ilice's second term of
oflflce generated into party strife. The dream of non-partisan contests
was indeed too good. A workingmen's caucus was called to nomi-
nate a mayor, and Philos B. Tyler was nominated. The democratic
caucus, a few days later, made the same nomination. The whigs
then nominated Col. James M. Thompson. Persons dissatisfied with
these nominations met in the police court-room, but it was claimed
that they were outvoted by machine-shop workmen, and Tyler was
nominated. The animus of this charge, whether true or false, lay in
the fact that Tyler was president of the American ^Nlacliine Works.
Many prominent citizens, free-soilers and temperance whigs, turned to
Caleb Rice, and he was put up again. Some independent workingmen
set up a ticket with Charles Stearns at the head, and the bolting
democrats nominated E. D. Beach. The polling stood as follows: