Page:One of a thousand.djvu/17

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ADAMS. ADAMS. the end of this time he retired from the store and became a dealer in real estate, manufacturer of lumber, notary public, collector and conveyancer. On the 3d of July, 1S59, Mr. Abbott was married to Hannah M., daughter of Nelson and Hannah (Morse) Potter. Their children are Nellie F. and Hattie G. Abbott. In 1S74 Mr. Abbott served in the House of Representatives, and in 1879 ar >d 1880 was a member of the Senate. For nine years he was chairman of the board of selectmen, assessor and town treasurer. He is now one of the trustees of the Whit- insville Savings Bank, and one of the in- vestment committee. His present resi- dence is East Douglas. Mr. Abbott is distinctively a self-made man. When he was quite young his father lost his entire property by fire, and at the age of sixteen he was obliged to make his own way in the world and do what he could in the way of support of the family. His energy overcame all obstacles, and he has succeeded in placing himself upon the list of successful men in Massachusetts. ADAMS, CHARLES FOLLEN, son of Ira and Mary Elizabeth (Senter) Adams, was born in Dorchester, Norfolk county, April 21, 1842. He was the youngest but one of ten children, and has now five sisters and three brothers living. He received a common school education, and leaving the grammar school in Dor- chester at fifteen years of age, went as a boy into the well-known house of N. D. Whitney & Co., Boston, to learn the busi- ness. He was afterwards salesman in the same house, then went into business for himself with John D. Clapp, under the firm name of J. D. Clapp & Co. In 1872 he became a partner in the firm of Nichol- son & Adams, hair goods for ladies' wear, and later on made a change in business to that of furnishing supplies for the five, ten and twenty-five cent counters that have had such a phenomenal run — the firm name being Newell, Adams & Co. He sold out his interest January i, 1885, and is now doing a manufacturing and com- mission business, in addition to his journal- istic work. At the age of twenty, in August, 1862, he enlisted in the 13th regiment Massa- chusetts volunteers, and was in the battles of Second Bull Run, Fredericksburg, Chan- cellorsville and Gettysburg — wounded in the latter and held prisoner for three days, when he was re-captured and taken to the hospitals in New York and Rhode Island. After his recovery he was detailed as ward- master in the convalescent hospital at Washington, where he remained until his term of service expired, in August, 1X64. He returned home and established the business that has since demanded his at- tention. The literary portion of his life is only his diversion, never interfering with his methodical business habits. CHARLES F ADAMS Charles Follen Adams, however, is best known from his humorous and dialectic poems, he having sprung into recogni- tion at once upon the production of his " Leedle Yawcob Strauss." His first effort at rhyme was written in 1870, and his first dialectic verse, " The Puzzled Dutchman," appeared in 1S72. From that time he was an occasional contributor to Boston papers, "Oliver Optic's Magazine," "Scribner's Monthly," and others, until 1876, when " Leedle Yawcob Strauss" appeared in the "Detroit Free Press," since which time his poems have appeared in that paper, "Harper's Magazine," and other publica- tions. The house of Lee & Shepard published Mr. Adams's first volume of poems, entitled " Leedle Yawcob Strauss, and Other Poems." His second volume, entitled " Dialect Ballads," was published by Harper & Brothers, New York (18X7), being a companion to the former volume. Mr. Adams was married in Boston.