Show made jefferson president matthew lyon irish boy who was sold for a yoke of oxen and was congressman from two states kept burr from froin white house nearly two centuries ago july 11 14 1750 there was born in ireland a boy destined to become became a big business man to represent two of our states in congress and to enst cast the deciding vote for n president of the file then of united states of america mary gilbert smith writes in the hoston boston globe nis ills father a member of a prominent family was executed for his part in the white boys insurrection nis ills mother married again young matthew lyon lynn studious and enterprising was well treated fly by his ats stepfather who was proud and fond of the boy hut but he had heard of tile the strange new land beyond tile the sens seas anti and longed to try his fortunes there one morning when he was fourteen he bargained with a sea captain to carry earry him to the province of connecticut in return for his services ns as cabin hoy boy to ie had a guinea which lie he had find saved from his pocket money and he gave this to the captain for safekeeping safe sare keeping the captain hid bid him in the hold so that no one would find him before the vessel sailed and took the he precaution to lock him in had find he not lone done so young matthews nd adventure venture would have ended that mat same morning when his stepfather came seeking him and called to him the lad ind would have responded tit at once had he not been restrained by the locked door when they reached connecticut the captain betrayed the boys trust by selling him blin into service as a ro re dempt loner one of those impoco alous emigrants who paid for their passage to the new world by serving as servants for a number of years fortunately for young matthew his services were secured by jabez ni bi con one of the wealth les merchants in connecticut lie ho was worth half a million when ho he died a vast sum for those early days ills example and precepts did much to sot set the abbl eions hoy boy on tits wily way trade nt at tint that time was largely by barter bacou bacon gave a yoke of oxen for lyons Ivon 8 ices until he evns twenty one in after years when the young irishman was a candidate for office tills this incident was distorted by ills hla pol political itlen opponents to show that me lie was of low origin and unfit to he be it representative in congress lyoo never neer naolo apologized iced for the in tinner of his entry into connecticut nor told of the deception that had find leen pra practiced C upon him rather nattier he octet as if it were something lie he was proud of tie ile swore by the bulls that hint redeemed me to beat his opponents opponent and he lid did of ills work here J A graham in a book published in london in 1707 says in pirt part fair unveil haven joins on ough now flow whitehall N Y and s tile the most flourishing manufacturing town in the state it owes its con sequence to its founder Coln colonel nl lyon whose enterprise and perso perse veranie verance in promoting and carrying on has been of infinite utility to tile public ile he has erected a furnace for casting all kinds of hollow iron ware and two forges a slit silt ting ml mi for tile the malting making of nail rods n piper paper mill a n printing press tint and corn all and sawmills it la Is a 0 curious fact that colonel lyon lias has executed a good deal of printing nt at ills his office on piper paper manu fractured by himself of tile the hark of the basswood tree and which Is I 1 found to answer every purpose for common printing lie ile has held field some of the first of ices of tile the state anil and no man inan in it can be more qualified to flo do so BO us is ills his knowledge of the finances tint and situation of the country Is scarcely to be equaled nor does tits ills integrity ever suffer him to lose bight of the real good of the people ills friendship 9 and gerc rosity are ns as great ni ai his ambition ills passions and all his pur pursuits cults tire lire exerted for tile ben ent of mankind zenas 11 II E ills of fair haven who lives in the old Matt matthew liew lyon home has gathered a notable collection of colonial relies relics including a copy of the lie neove book at and one of franklins autobiography together with essays humorous moral an and literary chiefly tin in the manner of the spectator printed and sold bold by J lyon fair haven vt 1708 tames james lyon wits was the eldest son of col lyon the book Is printed on paper made in colonel lyons will and bound in leather tanned in his tannery it was james lyon who published I 1 tit n fair haven the paper in III which was printed matthew mi ethew lyons article attacking president john adams which caused colonel lyons arrest arres under the alien and sedition law ile he jsn ined filled and sentenced to four months month s imprisonment at vergennes ile he was vas in jill nt at the time of the congressional election but ills con rolled up tip so large n majority for him that lie ans released to return to congress tile the largest crowd assembled in vermont in party early days iyce hina him on ills his way ile he nr ar rived in time to crist cost the dell derisive sive vote that made thomas jefferson president over aaron burr the restless spirit of the pioneer now urged matthew lyon lon to turn from things accomplished to n new country where everything was yet to ile be done in fair haven he was at the herd head of a household of 10 leaving ills his sons in charge of tits his many enterprises tic he went to arkansas and later to kentucky the next state aft er tit th original 13 to bo be admitted to the union here lie he made his home for the rest of tits his life and from here lie was again returned to congress |