When Maine was a district of Massachusetts, Ezekiel Whitman was chosen to represent the district in the Massachusetts legislature. He was an eccentric man, and one of the best lawyers of his time. He owned a farm, and did much work on his land, and when the time came for him to set out for Boston, his best suit of clothes was a suit of home-spun.
"I will get a nice suit made when I reach Boston," he said.
Reaching his destination, Whitman found rest at Doolittle's city tavern. Let it be understood that he was a graduate of Harvard, and at this tavern he was at home. As he entered the parlor of the house he found several ladies and gentlemen assembled, and he heard the following remark from one of them:
