| Show made jefferson president matthew lyon irish boy who was sold for a yoke of oxen and was congressman n from two states kept burr from froin white house nearly two centuries ago july ll 11 1750 there was born in ireland a i boy destined to become a big business man to represent two of our states in congress and to cast the deciding vote for a president of the then of united states of amerl america ca mary gilbert smith writes in the boston globe nis ills father a member of a prominent family was executed execute for his part in the white roys boys insurrection nis ills mother mar married rietI again young matthew Hatt liew lyon studious aarl enterprising was well treated by ills his stepfather who was proud and fond of tile the hoy boy but he had heard of the strange new land beyond the seas and longed to tr try y his fortunes fortune there one morning when tic ho was fourteen lie he hinr gained with a sea captain to carry him to the province of connecticut in return for his services as cabin boy he had a guinea which lie had saved from his pocket money and lie he gave gare this to the captain for safekeeping the captain hid him in the hot hold so n that no one would find him before the lie vessel sailed and took the precaution to lock him in had lie ho not lone done so young matthews adventure would have ended that same morning mornin when his stepfather came seeking him and called to him cu the lad would have responded tit at once had he not been restrained by the locked door when they reached connecticut the captain betrayed the hoys boys trust by selling him into service as a dempt lonor ioner one of those impecunious emigrants who paid for their passage to the new world by serving as bond servants for a number of years fortunately for young matthew ills services were secured by jabez na ba con one of the merchants in connecticut he was worth half a million when he died a vast sura sum for those early days nis his example and precepts did much to set the ambitious boy on ills his way trade at thit time was largely by barter bacon gave cave n yoke of oxen for lyons services until he was twenty one in after years when the young irishman was a candidate for office this incident was distorted by bli political opponents to show that he hd was of low orl origin in ind and unfit to bo be 11 representative in congress lyon never apologized for the manner of his entry into connecticut nor told of the deception that had been practiced upon him rather he acted as it if it were something lie he was proud of lie ile swore by the bulls that redeemed me to beat his opponents and lie be did of ills work here J A graham in a book published in london in 1797 says in part fair hanen joins on Skenes bor ough now whitehall N Y and s the most nourishing flourishing manufacturing town in the state it owes its con sequence to its founder colonel lyon whose enterprise and perso perse veranie in promoting pro and carrying on manufactories manu factories has been of infinite utility to the public ile he has erected ore ctol a furnace for casting all kinds of hollow iron ware vare and two forges a slit tinz ting ml for the making of nail rods a paper mill a printing press lind and corn and sawmills it Is a curious fact that colonel lyon has executed a good deal of printing at ills his on paper manu fractured by himself of the bark of tile the basswood tree and which Is found to answer every purpose tor for common printing lie he has held some of the first ot of flees of the state and no man annn in it can be more qualified fied to do so ns as ills knowledge of the finances and situation of the country Is scarcely to ti be equaled nor does docs ills integrity ever suffer him to lose sight of the real good of the people ills friendship ship and cre rosity are as great as his ambition its passions and all his pursuits are exerted for the benefit of mankind 11 zenas 11 II ellis of fair haven who lives in the old Matt matthew liew lyon home has gathered a notable collection of colonial relles relics including a copy of the abovementioned above mentioned book and one of franklins autobiography together with essays humorous moral anil literary chiefly in the manner of the spectator printed and sold by J lyon fair haven vt 1798 james lyon was the eldest son of col matthew lyon the book boob Is printed on paper made in colonel lyons mill and bound boond in leather tanned in ills his tannery it was james lyon who published at fair fladlien II 11 nei the paper in which wag printed matthew lyons article attacking president jolin john adams which caused colonel lyons arrest under the alien and sedition law ile iia asa fined and sentenced to four months imprisonment at vergennes tie ne was in jail tit at the time of the congressional election but ills his con rolled up so large a majority for him film that he was released to return to congress the largest crowd assembled in vermont in early days sped him on his way UP ile ar rived in time to cast the t be derisive decisive vote that made thomas jefferson president over aaron burr the restless spirit of the pioneer now urged Matt matthew liew lyon to turn from things accomplished to a new coun country try liere everything was yet to be done in fair haven he was at al the herd of a household of 16 leav ing his firs sons in charge of his many enterprises lie he went to arkansas Arkun sas and later to kentucky the next nest state aft er th original 13 to be admitted to the union here flere he made his home for the rest of his life and from here ile he was again returned to congress |
