REUBEN WHEELER
Was a member of this society from 1817 to 1822. He came from Rutland, where he was born, to Worcester, to execute the purposes of certain members of the Fire Society, who had become convinced that the business of tanning was very profitable. They raised thirty thousand dollars to put into the business—Mr. Wheeler was superintendent and manager—a large yard was built on Market street, the largest in the county—Mr. Wheeler built a spacious house on the corner of Main and Thomas streets, and business went on swimmingly for five or six years, Mr. Wheeler always assuring the proprietors that the business was very profitable. Some of the proprietors having had no dividends for several years, succeeded in raising a committee to investigate the affairs of the company, when it turned out that the concern was bankrupt. It was a South Sea bubble on a small scale. Wheeler left town, and the tannery rotted down. "Sic transit gloria mundi."