Part 2

“Please to let the bearer have a pint of lamp oil for the eggs which Gardner Slade left.

Mary Earle.”

Not only the weavers and the spinners but even some of the relatives were being obliged. And that did complicate things.

“Betsy P. Slade wants you to send her a yard of Italian Crape.

Phoebe Slade.”

“Please let the boy have seven pounds of fish and charge to me.

Charles Slade.”

All this credit was none too good. But that was the way the village wanted it. It kept them in debt. Had they wished to leave! But they did not want to leave. They were very well pleased with Scrabbletown and Swansea. Just read the letters in the barrel. People were moving in, not moving out.

_Stocking the Company Store_

To stock their stores, the partners had had to buy an immense variety of things. Long and varied invoices are in the barrel. I have seen in the homes of the descendants of the men and women who wove for Brayton and Mason, the china they took in trade for the cloth they carried back to the Company Store. I have seen the furniture, the wall hangings, the linen, that Brayton and Mason sold to the countryside. There is nothing better.

The trade, with Boston especially, grew rapidly. Israel picked up what he could, where he could, but most of his drygoods were brought over the road from Boston. Philip Bowers was soon renting his waggon to take Israel’s venture in woven cloth to Boston, weekly; (before Israel bought a waggon of his own;) bringing back all he could carry; and very bulky many of the articles were. Once he brought down a trunk. But that was a special order. By the way, nothing from Boston was sent down on approval or in speculation.

Israel had some merchandize brought down by the regular baggage waggon. Perhaps the need for a waggon of his own was more obvious then than now. It will help to understand his situation if we read a Boston newspaper of 1819:

“Taken from behind the Baggage Waggon, between Boston and Milton Hills, on Monday afternoon, by cutting the rope with which it was fastened, a basket containing knives, forks, a few snuffers and trays, pocket knives, slates, Naples soap, brass lamps and candlesticks--reward ten dollars.” In the same issue: “Just received from London, drygoods. Gentlemen can occasionally be furnished with Garments readymade.” And--“Lane and Honeywell have received--from Bremen--scales, lookingglasses, Bristol teapots.” Israel’s customers expected him to stock whatever was advertised, of course, and get it down to Swansea somehow.

_The Boston Wholesale Houses_

Many Boston wholesale houses did business with Israel Brayton. Appleton and Paige sold him book muslin, Brittania handkerchiefs, red flannel, lilac Calico, pink and white robes, Tartan Plaid, Caroline Plaid, swansdown, and many other things. Fowle and Lincoln sold him India Goods, mostly Indian Shawls.

Grant’s Paper Hanging Warehouse at 6 Union Street (near the Old Market) sold him both imported and domestic wall paper; many rolls of striped paper and some with borders.

James W. Paige and Co. sold him scarlet chintz prints--among other things. Norcross and Mellon, later Otis Norcross and Co., sold him blue edged plates, tifflers and muffins. Lustre tea sets. State House Plates. Imported glass ware. Fancy mugs. Toy images. Oval tea pots and sugar bowls. Nappies. Threaded creams. Square sallads. And so forth.

Thomas Tarbell of 66 State Street, under the Massachusetts Bank; Rich silks. Thomas Thurber; Italian silks, Russian sheetings, flag handkerchiefs. Tuckerman, Rogers and Cushing; Blue broadcloths, towels, tablecloths, Madras handkerchiefs, white silk.

Hubbard and Greenough at 69 State Street, sold him Russian sheetings and hooks and eyes. Richard and Seaver of 5 Liberty Square sold him Tartan Plaid, woolen stockings, doeskin mittens, Canton silk, spool cotton, tape, silk gloves, Mecklin lace; and J. and E. Phillips sold him Canton crape and sarsanet.

Thomas A. Davis sold him brass candlesticks and shell canes, while Lowell, Adams and Co. sold him brass andirons and supporters.

Charles Davenport sold him nothing but Malaga raisens, and Rufus Farnham furnished him with nothing but gold beads.

But Lane and Honeywell at 17 Dock Square sold him all sorts of hardware, particularly snuff boxes.

Lane and Read sold him knives and forks, German Jews Harps, gilt buttons, black tin tea pots, and Maynard and Noyes’ ink powder.

P. Hale sold him velvet bindings, Valentia shawls, Thread, and Merrimack sheetings, along with other commodities.

There were other Boston merchants who carried his accounts, of course. One day, Israel bought from Jeremiah Fitch, of 5 Market Street, Boston, some “Power Loom Cotton Cloth”. This was in 1820. Of course he did not know that the power loom cotton cloth would soon be shutting down the looms in the farmhouses. He did not know that the farms and villages were at the peak of their buying power, their desire and their ability to buy really beautiful things.

This trading in what we call “luxury articles”, was hazardous. But all trading was a venture, as Israel well knew. He could not always pay his bills promptly. There are letters from the Boston firms demanding settlement, really demanding it. There are also letters showing that Israel began at once to try to collect money due him. He was not always successful. There must have been anxious moments in the back room of the shop in Scrabbletown, fairly often. There was no security that the firm might not fail, the factory did not stand behind it. Israel had to borrow money from the bank occasionally--and would have borrowed more often if the bank had been more willing to lend. It is also true that Israel was caught out in passing counterfeit money rather surprisingly often. He apparently took it without a thought and sent it up to the Boston Merchants who were more thoughtful. The letters from the Boston Firms about counterfeit money are unpleasant, but Israel kept them and put them in the barrel.

I think Israel’s solvency amazing, considering all the irons he had in the fire. And he was only a farm boy, with no experience in trading. Unless you count horse trading, of which the whole family had done plenty. Israel and his partners kept books and corresponded with dozens of different firms--there is no sign of confusion anywhere.

_The New York Wholesale Houses_

Connections with New York Firms were few, but Israel did have commission merchants in New York, to whom he sent, care of some Somerset skipper, such goods as he thought would sell in New York. There were also a few New York importations. G. B. Miller sent Israel American Segars and Smoaking Tobacco. So did Thomas Agnew. Samuel Gray shipped them on. Samuel Waring and Co. sent him some drygoods in 1820, among which were “cotton flag handkerchiefs” and “imitation shawls”.

_Whale Oil, Nails, and Pitchforks_

Whale oil he bought at wholesale from the Rodmans of New Bedford. Nails, and he sold a good many, were bought from the Fall River Iron Works. Israel bought a lot of pitchforks from Amasa Goodyear of New Haven; two-tined and three-tined pitchforks.

_The Leather Trade_

His leather goods he did not buy outright, but got them on consignment from John Peckham Jr. of Bristol. Peckham wrote Israel the following letter in 1824:

“Sir. Wishing to keep a quantity of saddling in Swansea for sale, such as harness and saddles, trunks, bridles, etc. and knowing you, I thought I would write you word to see if you would take a quantity of the above articles to sell for me on commission; if you would be kind enough to take an assortment of the above articles to sell please to write me word and at what commission

Yours etc. Jno. Peckham Jr.”

Israel took them. Larned Wilmarth ran a sort of baggage waggon from Bristol up to Dighton and points beyond, and was willing to bring up Peckham’s goods as wanted. Peckham and Israel traded with each other with mutual satisfaction until Feb. 6, 1832, when, with the payment of $16.00 in full, the account was closed out. For Israel was shutting up shop.

There are a number of letters in the barrel which throw light on the saddlers’ trade.

--“The harness, I calculated for the hearse harness, if they should want it. I therefore put all black buckles.”

Mr. Peckham did not believe in a fixed price. “I want you to get the price these things are marked, but if you cannot, you must take less. I had rather you should take less than have a man go away and not buy on account of price.” He was not one to be put upon, either. In 1826, he wrote to Israel:

“Sir

This bill I took of you appears to be counterfeit. I did not undertake to spend it before today and I carried it to the bank to change and the cashier says it is a counterfeit bill. If you will change it and send it back by Mr. Wilmarth you will oblige your humble servant

John Peckham Jr.”

In 1828, Mr. Peckham wrote again:

“When I was at your store a few days since, your son (it must have been William Bowers Brayton, he was just twelve years old) said there was a man talking of wanting a saddle. Therefore I thought I would send the one I have on hand. The price is nine dollars. If you please, you may put on a pair of stirrups that you have on hand, and you can arrange them on your book accordingly.”

He also wrote: “no doubt you thought the cheeses to be what you recommended them to be, but they are not.”

There was quite a bit of trade with the shoemakers; local men. Enoch Babbitt who lived in Berkeley was in the habit of sending down a few shoes every once in a while. In 1830, he brought Israel 9 pairs of boots to sell on commission of ten per cent. But in 1831 he wrote he was so busy he could not make any more shoes for Israel. He had sent down 12 pairs three months earlier. Anthony Morse who lived in Scrabbletown was employed by Israel to mend shoes brought into the stores of Scrabbletown and Egypt. A certain Mr. Chace of Swansea made shoes to order. “If Mr. Chace has no shoes that is raised higher in the instep than common, he must make a pair or else I dont want any.” It was not unusual to order a pair of morocco walking shoes. But calfskin shoes made by John S. Russel were more in demand. The calves were born on the farm.

_The Cracker Barrel_

In Israel’s day, the cracker barrel was not a figure of speech. Israel kept a barrel of crackers in his store. In 1824, Edward Wilcox sold to Israel 200 crackers for one dollar. The bill is in the barrel. The next year he charged only a dollar for 220 crackers. Daniel Saunders’ crackers were 210 for $1.00. The amounts billed are small but the bills were frequent. The largest single shipment to Israel was 600 crackers, bought May 20, 1825. This was wholesale. One cracker cost the customer one cent, bought right out of the barrel. I am forgetting the time Israel bought a whole barrel of crackers at once, from Stephen Wrightington, for three dollars. The barrel held 720 crackers, so Wrightington said.

And Horatio Smith sold crackers to Israel. So did Alvin K. Luther. This cracker business was a big one. For of course the ships wanted crackers. I found no “ship biscuit” listed on any bill. The ships bought crackers.

Some of these bakers of crackers made gingerbread as well. Israel usually kept a few pans of gingerbread in stock. They cost him ten cents a pan.

_Hearts and Kisses_

Israel ran a confectionary department, of course. Isaac Lum of Somerset supplied peppermints, hearts, and kisses. Hiram Buffinton was the Swansea confectioner. He charged 20 cents a pound for his sweets, wholesale. And he sold oranges to Israel, wholesale. Though very few oranges were billed to Israel. It was hard to get them up from the South, unspoiled, in a sailing vessel.

_Combs and Codfish and Palm Leaf Hats_

The list of Israel’s purchases is very long, but I hate to omit the traders in combs Daniel Briggs, Asa Holman, Thomas Coggshell, and Abiel Fuller. Did they manufacture combs? They were Swansea and Somerset men.

James Sherman sold Israel what pork he carried; and many barrels of flour. Though Hezekiah Anthony had most of Israel’s flour trade. (See about him later.)

Henry Cleaveland, a farmer in Swansea, sold Israel 12266 feet of board at one time. He had a woodlot--and somebody handy with the axe.

Simeon Talbot of Dighton sold Israel hats, felt hats, not straw. Asa Kilby of Somerset kept him supplied with dried codfish. Nathan P. Johnson sold him all the palm leaf hats and palm leaf brooms he could use. And more. They did not sell rapidly. The palm leaf hats brought up from the South by Isaac White did better.

Windsor soap was a good article to carry, for the turnover was rapid. Abner Beard of Somerset and Henry Sanderson both supplied Israel with Windsor Soap. Powder, more used then than now (not face powder) was supplied by Charles Pettibone. Elijah Corbett had many bills for scythe sneads. And William G. Chace once sold him 2000 cigars.

_Garden Seeds_

The little trays of garden seeds which stand on many country counters today, were on Israel’s counter, of course. In 1828 Israel wrote: “I have a good assortment of garden seeds from the Shakers, for sale.”

In 1830, Jeremiah Williams of Warren wrote to Israel: “I have sent you one box or bundle of garden seed; containing 109 papers for which I shall make you a deduction of 20 per cent when sold on account.” He wrote a little later: “The time for making a return on garden seeds has arrived. Your balance would be gladly received as soon as is convenient.” Jeremiah Williams had sent seed to Israel from Warren from the opening of Israel’s first store. The kind of seed he sent never varied.

“Warren, April, 1829. Mr. Brayton. Dear Sir,

When you were in Warren, you were speaking to me about onion seed from Concord. It has just arrived and should you now want it, I can supply you with a good article at----

Yours most respected Jeremiah Williams by James Gardner”

The only named seeds carried by Israel were:

Concord Onion Seed Rob Roy Beans China Dwarf Beans Early Red Eyed Beans Dwarf Prolific Peas Early June Peas Beet Seed Clover Seed

_Trading with Providence_

Trading with Providence was mostly confined to trading with Hezekiah Anthony, Israel’s brother-in-law. Hezekiah and his wife, Sally Bowers, had moved up to Providence from Bowers’ Shores in Somerset in 1818. On June 15th of that year he opened a wholesale Grocery Store in Whitman’s Block at 11 Weybossett Street, Providence, which he conducted successfully for 48 years.

One branch of his trade was extremely successful. He imported rum from St. Croix which was put through the Customs at a small port in Connecticut. The Custom declarations are in the barrel, receipted. Israel sold a great deal of this St. Croix rum. Israel also sold a great deal of flour imported from Albany by Hezekiah. This was “Canal” flour. And Israel sold “Philadelphia” flour, imported by Hezekiah from Philadelphia of course. Flour was billed to Israel by Hezekiah in every invoice. Sugar was billed almost as often. Israel really did sell a great deal of coffee and tea, purchased wholesale from Hezekiah. But some of the China Tea sold by Israel came direct from Canton to Somerset.

Snuff was in great demand. Israel bought it from Hezekiah. The invoices tell of bladders of snuff sent down from Providence. Snuff boxes had been purchased rather often from the Boston Merchants. I seem to remember that there were snuff mills at one time in the South County, but the barrel tells nothing of the origin of Hezekiah’s snuff.

Segars were purchased from Hezekiah in large quantities, American Segars were the cheapest. Molasses, salt, ginger, nutmegs, cloves, allspice, and raisens, were supplied frequently. Occasionally some window glass was shipped down, some shaving soap, wrapping paper, corn brooms, salt cod, starch, and of course, shot. There was a gun on every farm.

Gin was bought by everybody; “Jenck’s Gin”, “Haskell’s Gin”, and the gin of “Fox Point”, and Hezekiah sent down a great deal. There was some demand for cognac brandy, which he supplied, and for many a barrel of “sweet wine”.

Hezekiah carried on a correspondence with Israel through the years by means of notes appended to the invoices.

“Mr. Anthony’s son died this morning”. This was written by a clerk, of course. Mr. Anthony had six sons, all of whom died in childhood, I am told.

“If father is severely ill, I will come down by stage” was written in Mr. Anthony’s own hand.

“Perry got in from Spain this morning and is still in quarantine. I do not know how long it will be before he can get down.”

“Perry is expecting to sail for the East Indies about October 15.” There were a good many notes about Perry.

“Times is hard”, at the bottom of an invoice of flour.

“Late news from Europe has checked all speculation, particularly in cotton goods.” What news was that?

This close friendship between Hezekiah Anthony and Israel Brayton existed through Israel’s life, and he named one of his sons Hezekiah Anthony Brayton. The business relations between the two men were also satisfactory. And well it was so, for business came first and was no more secure than mutual confidence could make it.

TRADING WITH THE LYMAN COTTON MANUFACTURING COMPANY

In 1818, when the Swansea Union Cotton Manufacturing Company was running smoothly and the weavers of the Swansea Company’s yarn were well organized, Israel Brayton and John Mason took on a new connection.

The Lyman Cotton Manufacturing Company, operating a Yarn Mill in the village of Lyman near Providence, began to send its yarn to be distributed by Brayton and Mason from their Store in Scrabbletown. In one of the Brayton and Mason ledgers I noticed that in a single year, 1818, home weavers wove 5242-1/2 yards of cotton cloth from the Lyman Cotton Manufacturing Company’s yarn--distributed, inspected, and returned by Brayton and Mason.

It was all piece work. The weavers took what yarn they wanted, wove it as fast as they wanted their pay for the weaving. Some people kept a comparatively small amount all winter--the roads, of course, were bad. Some kept the same amount around three weeks or less.

These weavers were not, I hope you understand, weaving for sustenance. There was food enough for all, all over the place. Surplus farm products for the asking, clams for the digging, rivers running with shad and herring, trout in every stream, all free, no license necessary. All the fruit a man could eat--if a man were willing to go berrying or climb a cherry tree. There was shelter of sorts in the old farmhouses and outbuildings. No man temporarily out of luck was ever turned away. Woolen clothing, woven and made on the farm, never wore out. The weavers were not weaving to keep alive, certainly not. They were weaving to get hold of some spending money. To spend on dancing lessons, perhaps, or a trotting horse--black silk dress of fine quality--a real lace collar--a locket--possibly some pretty shoes and stockings. Nearly everybody went barefoot in the summer season, winter footwear in the country had been rough stuff--made to wear well--stockings were knitted at home by hand. On Israel’s shelves were silk stockings--really--and bronze slippers, oh, yes.

Life in Scrabbletown cannot be understood unless you know why every man worked and worked hard--at his own pace and when he wanted to--while enjoying a standard of real comfort and independance such as never was known on the globe before. This I truly believe. Nor, in the essentials of comfort, since.

The men and women who wove the Lyman Factory yarn were the same people who wove the Swansea Factory Yarn--that appears clearly in the Yarn Books. Coming for yarn, a weaver was given what yarn was on hand. What else appears clearly, in a note from Wheaton Luther to Israel, even as early as August, 1819, is that the weavers were exceedingly independent. “Weavers won’t weave 4/4 for 1 cent per yard more.” So they didn’t.

Though wages by 1821 were a minor matter. What really mattered by then is apparent in the letter which follows:

“Sir

I do not know what to tell people when they come to the store. All last week I told them they could have yarn on Tuesday. I then told them they could have it on Wednesday. They came in and there was no yarn. And I know no other way at present than to tell them I shall never have any more and then if I disappoint them it will not be to their prejudice.

I have promised goods in the same way and now I have an opportunity to sell a silk gown for cash but I must lose it because it did not come in at the time I promised. I am very sure that there will be no necessity of keeping the store unless I can make promise of goods and of yarn etc.

Wheaton Luther.”

The weave books of the Lyman Company are well kept and Israel maintained excellent relations with both the weavers and the Lyman Company until he shut up shop.

The Lyman yarn was shipped to Israel in Egypt, I suppose. For by 1818 Brayton and Mason had opened a Branch Store in Egypt, a suburb of Somerset, and was using it as another distributing center for yarn. It was far more convenient than Scrabbletown, being close to Slade’s Ferry Landing. And close to the shipyards of Somerset and Troy and Egypt. Ships were again on the stocks. That meant more trade for Israel.

Many letters are in the barrel giving itemized accounts of the transactions between the stores of Egypt and Scrabbletown. Goods were always being sent back and forth. But always, as you have seen in Wheaton Luther’s letter, the store in Egypt could never get enough.

Israel had to buy a waggon of his own, to send the goods demanded. Nobody could wait for the Troy baggage waggon which crossed the Ferry when the weather permitted, and ambled over from Somerset to Swansea and parts beyond. After careful correspondence, Israel ordered a waggon to be made in Rutland by a certain Mr. Bigelow. It was ordered in the spring and delivered in September. It was a major transaction. There had to be boxes to fit the waggon, of course; and extra boxes. Philip Bowers whose waggon in the early days was hired by Israel, complained that new and better boxes must be furnished to carry Israel’s goods--if he was to take them. He used to complain to Wheaton Luther.

You will notice that Wheaton Luther, the Scrabbletown clerk, after being transferred to the Egypt store, took full charge of its running. And wrote many letters to Israel, more than I have space to quote. Wheaton was an extraordinary man, really. You ought to read all his letters. And the three letters from his sister-in-law, also found in the barrel. They were written in Charleston, South Carolina, in 1818 and 1819.