While he resided in Worcester, was a portly, polite and pleasant
landlord. He succeeded Col. Reuben Sikes, one of the founders of the
first line of stages from Boston to New York, as the proprietor of the
public house on Main street, now called the Exchange Hotel. It may not
be inappropriate to mention here, that all the fuel that Capt. Thomas
used for heating his hotel for years, was Worcester anthracite coal,
procured at two dollars a ton. This coal was found in the northeasterly
part of the city, where there is an abundance, when the enterprise of
citizens shall develop it. He was admitted to this society in October,
1824, and after his admission the society held its quarterly meetings at
his hotel. The fare was crackers and cheese, ham, or tongue, and wine,
and each member paid twenty-five cents for his entertainment. At the
annual meetings a sumptuous supper was provided, with wines and liquors,
and the charge was one dollar for each member.
Of course Capt. Thomas was a popular member, and remained an active
member for sixteen years, until his death.
He was born in Brookfield in 1779, and died in Worcester, April 24th,
1840. Capt. Thomas was pleasant and agreeable in his manners, popular
with his fellow citizens, and was chosen a representative to the General
Court, from Worcester, in 1834, and had many warm admirers.
* * * * *
_Gentlemen of the Society_:
In obedience to a request of your Committee on Publication, I have
hastily drawn up these historic sketches of the fifteen members of the
Society next preceding the oldest living member. If I have been so
fortunate in my sketches as to meet the approval of the members of the
society, I shall feel myself amply compensated for the labor of
gathering facts from history, and from the records of towns and
counties, and taxing the recollections of our venerable citizens, in
order to accomplish the object requested of me by the Committee.