Wednesday, October 8, 2008

101 Ways, Part 53: Finished a Long and Useful Life

For a brief intro to the "101 Ways to Say 'Died'" series, click here.
Sanders Pitman of Providence, RI was a respected goldsmith. According to various advertisements in the Providence Gazette, he was also a silversmith and jeweler whose works were "made equal to (and sold as cheap) as any in New-York or Philadelphia." At one point, he shared his house/shop with a clock/watchmaker.
Pitman's epitaph has a sense of humor, using the language of his trade to attest to his character:
Sacred
To the memory of
Mr. SANDArS PITMAN
Goldsmith,
who finished a long and
useful life on the 15th day
of August, AD 1804
in the 74th year of his
age.
His works were useful standard weight & pure,
But still his virtues were applauded more.

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