George Francis Dow

"Of course it goes without saying that when a whale was sighted, the whalemen were in for a hard job, a harder job than the uninitiated could ever appreciate. The chase, the capture, the , the were dangerous and inordinately wearisome. But the chase and the capture, too, had their better sides. The love of a princely sport thrilled the whalemen when the cry of "blows" came from aloft."

"The ' shipped 15,000 brown biscuit and 5,000 white, that is, , i.e. crackers; also or half-cooked bacon, as it came from the , which was much liked with the biscuit and when fried was considered a delicacy. Haberdyne () was also a staple article of diet; also . Potatoes were practically unknown at that time and the store of cabbages, turnips, onions, parsnips, etc., soon ran short and gave way to boiled mush, , s, etc. Their beer was carried in iron-bound casks."

"In 1918 he retired as an officer of the , and in the following year was elected of the . Here he officiated for the remainder of his life, serving as curator, director of its museum, and editor of its nationally known magazine, "Old-Time New England." In 1894 he founded the Topsfield Historical Society, serving as secretary and treasurer of the Society, and editor of its publications. When the came into the posssssion of the Society, he was in charge of the restoration. Because of his knowledge of early New England architecture he was often consulted, and had charge of the restoration of a number of eighteenth century houses for individuals and historical societies throughout New England. He also designed the . In 1922 he organized the Marine Research Society at Salem and edited its long and valuable series of publications."