the limits of Franklin and Hampshire Counties, a larger amount of naked rock appears, the hills are more craggy and precipitous, and in general the soil is poorer.  The three principal elevations in Princeton are mainly composed of gneiss.  This variety of rock is identical with granite in its composition, the distinctive point between the two being that gneiss has lines of stratification while granite has none.  The rock of which Wachusett is mainly composed has rather obscure stratification, and hence may be called granitic gneiss.  What stratification there is does not show the irregularity that one would suppose would result from the elevation of the mountain to so great a height above the surrounding country; on the other hand the rock does not differ essentially in hardness from that in the regions below, and hence the theory that all the adjacent land was once as high as the summit of the mountain, and was subsequently worn away by the action of water and weather, is hardly tenable.  The gneiss of this region is not especially rich in other mineral contents.  Some fine specimens of mica have however been obtained from the summit of Wachusett.  The only other extraneous mineral found there to any great extent is the sulphuret of iron before mentioned.  The common name of this mineral is iron pyrites, and being of a yellow color has in many localities in New England, in times past, caused a vast waste of time and money in a vain search for gold.  It does not appear that the inhabitants of Princeton were ever thus deceived, though Whitney wrote in 1793:  “Perhaps its bowels may contain very valuable hid treasure, which in some future period may be descried.”  In describing the summit of the mountain he speaks of it as “a flat rock, or ledge of rocks for some rods round; and there is a small pond of water generally upon the top of it, of two or three rods square; and where there is any earth it is covered with blueberry bushes for acres round.”  The small pond and blueberry bushes are visible at present, or were a year or two ago at any rate, but the area of bare rock has increased somewhat as time went on, though the top is not as bare as is that of its New Hampshire brother, Monadnock, nor are its sides so craggy and precipitous.

The people of Princeton have always kept abreast of the times.  From the first they were ardent supporters of the measures of the Revolution, and foremost among them in patriotic spirit was the Honorable Moses Gill, previously mentioned in this paper, who, on account of his devotion to the good cause, was called by Samuel Adams “The Duke of Princeton.”  Their strong adherence to the “state rights” principle led the people of the town to vote against the adoption of the Constitution of the United States; but when it was adopted they abided by it, and when the Union was menaced in the recent Rebellion they nobly responded to the call of the nation with one hundred and twenty-seven men and nearly twenty thousand dollars in money—­exceeding in both items the demand made upon them.  Nor is their record in the pursuits of peace less honorable, for in dairy products and in the rearing of fine cattle they have earned an enviable and well-deserved reputation.  As a community it is cultured and industrious, and has ever been in full sympathy with progress in education, religion, and social relations.