John Quincy Adams Digital Diary

6. IV:15. I wrote this morning an answer to a Letter received a few days since, from Joseph Lancaster, upon the subject of his method of instruction, and of a project that he has for opening one of his Schools in Boston; which I earnestly wish may succeed— Lancaster was at Washington last Winter, and gave two or three Lectures there, which I 179accidentally missed hearing— Since I have been here, he went out to my father’s house to thank him, for a Letter in his favour, which my father wrote, and which has been published; and with the expectation of seeing me, there; but I was that day in Boston— I was also to have met him at Dr Ingalls’s; but was obliged to send an excuse for that party— He has now written to solicit my aid in the promotion of his plan; which I would cheerfully give, as far as I possess the means— Dr Parkman called upon me; and gave some information respecting the recent appointment of the Professor of Rhetoric and Oratory at the University at Cambridge— Mrs Adams went to Cambridge to take leave of our Sons, George and John: she returned to Boston to dinner, and brought me the deed that I had left with the Register of Deeds to be recorded. I went with General Sumner, and saw again Treadwell’s printing Press; it was at work, and confirmed me in the opinion of its superiority to the ordinary presses and even to Clymer’s that I had formed last Saturday— Judge Davis and President Kirkland were there— At Wait’s I revised two or three proof-sheets of the Convention Journals, and gave him the minutes I had drafted for the Supplement. I called at the Mutual Fire Insurance Office, and agreed to take the two Policies on my houses in Court Street, and Hancock Street, on the terms proposed by the Company— At the State Bank I took the Certificate of Stock, 5. Shares, which had been transferred to me last week by my brother— Dined at our lodgings, the only time since I have been in Boston; immediately after dinner, Degrand came, and kept me about two hours, in conversation, chiefly upon his own Affairs. He wants an appointment as Consul at some Port in France. Mrs Humphreys had sent me by Artiguenave a Message requesting me to call upon her, which I did this afternoon. Her object was to speak with me concerning the Establishment at Humphreysville, near New-Haven, Connecticut; and extensive Woollen Manufacture, upon which her late husband General Humphreys expended much money, and made as she says heavy losses— He had connected with it; large farms of Merino Sheep; a village, and a school for the children who worked at the manufactory— It was a project upon a large scale; mingling purposes of benevolence, of patriotism, and of speculation for profit— But according to Yorick’s sarcastic remark upon the French character, it was better conceived than combined. Plans so gigantic and complicated, are not suited to the simplicity and mediocrity of Fortune prevailing in this Country. While the late War lasted the manufacture might thrive sufficiently to defray its own expences, but when Peace came, Humphreysville soon became a burden to its owner, which no one person could, and no company would take from his shoulders— Mrs Humphreys put into my hands several drafts or copies of Letters found among his papers after his decease; from their contents they appear to have been addressed to Mr Monroe, between the time of his election and inauguration as President of the U.S. and to another person, a member of Congress, about the same time— They proposed that the Government of the United States should purchase the whole Establishment of Humphreysville, which they represent to be excellently well suited for a military school or academy. This is also now the object of Mrs Humphreys, who has been obliged to stop entirely the work at the manufactory, and to whom the whole establishment is a mere dead weight of expence, with the exception of a grist-mill and a paper-mill, which yet work— I took the papers with me and perused them; and soon came to the conclusion that this was one of the cases almost numberless, in which I can only regret my inability to render any essential service— In the Evening I called, first at Mr Cruft’s and afterwards at Mr James H. Foster’s— Mrs W. Smith, mother, Mrs D. Pickman, sister, and Thomas Smith, brother of Mrs Cruft were there, and went to the Circus— While I was at Foster’s there was a cry of fire; he immediately went out with me in search of it— We soon found it was at the rope-walk belonging to Winslow Lewis, at the bottom of the Common— The whole building, near 600 feet long was burnt down— Although erected on the Marsh, the tide being out there was no water to be had— There was little wind; but the fire itself, and the smoke of the burning tar created a draft, which raised and floated burning coals entirely across the Common— One of them as big as a pigeons egg fell close at our feet on the Common, and near its upper end— Foster went off to take care of his Store in Marlborough Street, which he thought was in danger, and I 180went to the fire. There was a great crowd of people, and several Engines, but only one pump from which Water could be drawn. There were three other Ropewalks, close by the side of one another; but the wind blowing from them they were all saved; with some damage to the one next the fire. I met John Welsh there, and after waiting some time, and perceiving that we could render no service, I went with him to his father’s house. Mrs Adams was there— And Mrs Bailey, Dr Welsh’s eldest daughter, with her child—from Wiscasset where she resides— My son John soon came in— He was from Cambridge, and had come with the Fire-Engine from the College— He soon left us to attend his engine— Returning home, I sat with Mr Burr, who has just returned from Machias where he has been preaching, and conversed with him, and two of my name-sakes and fellow-boarders, upon Trinity and Unity, until one in the Morning, when the Fire, though still burning, was nearly extinct, and I retired to bed.