Word of his skill got around fast and he profited handsomely. His quaint craft was put into Joseph C. Lincoln’s Cape Cod book, “Queer Judson”. And, “It is not unlikely that a day may come when a ‘Crowell bird’ will be as much sought as a genuine bit of Sandwich glass or a slender piece of Sheraton furniture,” prophesies Arthur Wilson Tarbell in “Cape Cod Ahoy!” Religion was a strong point of Harwich’s early days. A variety of fifteen denominations once functioned within the town’s borders and at times emotions ran high. It is recorded, for example, that the Rev. Edward Pell of Harwich left a request for his burial to be in the North Precinct, or present-day Brewster, for, “if left among the pines of the South Precinct (Harwich) he might be overlooked at the resurrection, that the Lord would never think of looking in such an un-Godly place for a righteous man.” MAN WITH “THE BRANDED HAND” In 1743 came the “Great Awakening” evangelical movement and with it the all-out sects known as “New Lights” who “made the pine woods of Harwich ring with Hallelujahs and hosannas, even from babes!” Moreover, there was “a screeching and groaning all over, and it hath been very powerful ever since.” Touching on activities of the New Lights, Henry C. Kittridge, Cape Cod historian, narrates that “when under the spell of their mania, they walked along the tops of fences instead of on the sidewalks; affected a strange, springing gait, and conversed by singing instead of ordinary speech, in the distressing manner of characters in light operas.” Could it be that author Kittridge was spoofing us a bit? A native of Harwich--recorded in history as the first liberator of slaves--is eulogized in verse by Whittier. Capt. Jonathan Walker in 1844 put out from Pensacola with seven runaway slaves aboard his vessel, having responded to their appeals to be taken to the British West Indies, where they would find freedom under the Union Jack. The Cape Cod skipper was captured, he was imprisoned in irons and thence the brand, “S.S.” (slave stealer) was seared into his right hand. Captain Walker is hailed by Whittier: “Hold it up before our sunshine, up against our Northern air; Ho! Men of Massachusetts, for the love of God, look there! Take it henceforth for your standard, like the Bruce’s heart of yore, In the dark strife closing round ye, let that hand be seen before.” The culture of cranberries on Cape Cod--a source of revenue that runs into the millions--was begun on a commercial scale in Harwich in 1845, though it was Henry Hall of Dennis who was the pioneer grower in 1816. Fishing was on the decline and a retired harvester of cod spoke the sentiment of his salty brethren: “I put up my chart and glass, and took to raising cranberry sass.” Before then the cranberry was regarded as only food for the cranes. Crane-berry was the original name the pioneers gave this famous Cape Cod product. CHATHAM----