hing worth if we are forced to quit the place)
doo beare an equal share in Town charges with us. Those who are not yet
come up to us are a great and far yet abler part of our
Proprietors . . ."[57:4] In 1684 the selectmen inform the General Court
that one half of the proprietors, two only excepted, are dwelling in
other places, "Our proprietors, abroad," say they, "object that they see
no reason why they should pay as much for thayer lands as we do for our
Land and stock, which we answer that if their be not a noff of reason
for it, we are sure there is more than enough of necessity to supply
that is wanting in reason."[58:1] This is the authentic voice of the
frontier.

Deerfield furnishes another type, inasmuch as a considerable part of its
land was first held by Dedham, to which the grant was made as a
recompense for the location of the Natick Indian reservation. Dedham
shares in the town often fell into the hands of speculators, and
Sheldon, the careful historian of Deerfield, declares that not a single
Dedham man became a permanent resident of the grant. In 1678 Deerfield
petitioned the General Court as follows:

You may be pleased to know that the very principle & best of
the land; the best for soile; the best for situation; as lying
in y{e} centre & midle of the town: & as to quantity, nere
half, belongs unto eight or 9 proprietors each and every of
which, are never like to come to a settlement amongst us,
which we have formerly found grievous & doe Judge for the
future will be found intollerable if not altered. O{r}
minister, Mr. Mather . . . & we ourselves are much discouraged
as judging the Plantation will be spoiled if thes proprietors
may not be begged, or will not be bought up on very easy terms
outt of their Right . . . Butt as long as the maine of the
plantation Lies in men's hands that can't improve it
themselves, neither are ever like to putt such tenants on to
it as shall be likely to advance the good of y{e} place in
Civill or sacred Respects; he, ourselves, and all others that
think of going to it, are much discouraged.[59:1]

Woodstock, later a Connecticut town, was settled under a grant in the
Nipmuc country made to the town of Roxbury. The settlers, who located
their farms near the trading post about which the Indians still
collected, were called the "go-ers," while the "stayers" were those who
remained in Roxbury,