USA > Indiana > Whitley County > Counties of Whitley and Noble, Indiana : historical and biographical > Part 7
USA > Indiana > Noble County > Counties of Whitley and Noble, Indiana : historical and biographical > Part 7
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64
HISTORY OF WHITLEY COUNTY.
There never has been a person executed for murder in this county since its organization, which speaks well for its inhabitants. The first application by an alien for naturalization was made by Charles Ditton, an Englishman, who made the proper proof, and took the oath of allegiance in open court at the October term of the Circuit Court, in 1840. The first term of the Probate Court in the county was held at the house of Richard Baughan, on the 11th of Novem- ber, 1839, the court being composed of the following officers : Christopher W. Long, Judge; Abraham Cuppy, Clerk, and Richard Collins, Sheriff. One of the first acts of the court was confirming the letters of administration on the estate of John Braden (deceased), granted to Price Goodrich by the Clerk in vacation of court, on the 9th of April, 1839, being the first letters of adminis- tration granted in the county. The first will admitted to probate in the county was one executed by James Perkins (deccased), which was admitted to probate in open court on the 11th of February, 1840. The Common Pleas Court was organized in 1852, and probate jurisdiction was transferred to that court, and the office of Probate Judge was abolished. The Common Pleas Courts were dispensed with, and probate jurisdiction transferred to the Circuit Court, and the office of Common Pleas Judge abolished in 1872.
The following are the names of the Judges of the Circuit Courts in the circuit of which this county formed a part, from the organization of the county, in the order they served : Charles W. Ewing, John W. Wright, James W. Bor- den, Elza A. McMahon, Edward R. Wilson, Robert Lowery and Elisha V. Long, the present incumbent. None were residents of this county. The Com- mon Pleas Judges of the Nineteenth District, composed of the counties of Noble and Whitley, in the order they served, were Stephen Wildman, James C. Bod- ley and William M. Clapp (James C. Bodley was a resident of this county, the others of Noble County), who served until the jurisdiction of this court was transferred to the Circuit Court, and the office of Common Pleas Judge abol- ished in 1872. The bar of the county has been composed of the following- named attorneys, at different periods since the organization of the county : James L. Warden, James S. Collins, Joseph H. Pratt, Justus H. Tyler, Mr. Stout, A. Y. Hooper, C. W. Jones, I. B. McDonald, Abraham Myers, Mr. Hardesty, Alex- ander J. Douglass, D. H. Wilson, Samuel B. Eason, Michael Sickafoose, John S. Cotton, A. J. Gool, Walter Olds, Joseph W. Adair, John Krider, Cyrus B. Tulley, Ed A. Mossman, Thomas R. Marshall, William McNagney, J. A. Campbell, Mr. Brit, F. B. Moe, Hugh Well, Jr., O. P. Stewart, W. S. Gandy, James E. Knisely, John Wigent and Charles Hollis.
The first public building erected in the county by order of the Board of County Commissioners was a jail, built of hewn logs, located on the southeast corner of the public square, built on contract by William Blair in 1840, at a cost of $490, and used as a jail until burned by John Wheatley in March, 1855, who was confined therein awaiting trial for larceny. He was indicted, tried, convicted and sentenced to State's Prison for two years, for the offense,
65
HISTORY OF WHITLEY COUNTY.
at the March term of the Circuit Court, 1855, which was thought by many of the citizens to be a hard verdict. The next public building erected was a two- story frame structure, for a court house, on the west side of the public square, on the lot where the engine house for the Fire Department is located, built by Joseph W. Baker, on contract, at a cost of $411.50, and completed in October, 1841; the lower story used for court room, a part of the upper story used as an office for Clerk and Recorder. The next public building was a one-story frame, located on the west side of the public square, divided into two rooms, one for Clerk and Recorder's office, the other for County Treasurer's office, built on contract by Benjamin Grable, Jr., completed in September, 1842, at a cost of $197. The next, a one-story building of stone and brick, located on the east side of the public square, with two rooms, one for office for Clerk and Recorder, the other for County Auditor, supposed to be fire-proof, having tin roof and iron shutters, built by David Shepley, on contract, and completed in 1844, at a cost of $1,250. The next was a two-story brick court house, built on the public square, court room above and offices below for Clerk, Recorder, Auditor and Treasurer, built by Henry Swihart and Thomas Washburn, on contract, completed in 1849 at a cost of $7,747.50, and is now in use in a good state of preservation, but is not quite as fancy as many of the older coun- ties have. The next, a two-story jail and Sheriff's residence, built of brick, stone and wood, the cells lined with planks spiked together, the partitions be- tween the cells made in the same way, located on the site of the old court house, built by James B. Edwards, on contract, and completed and accepted October 10, 1855, at a cost of $5,224. Owing to improper ventilation for the cells, it was very unhealthy and not at all secure for prisoners, rendering it necessary to construct a new one. The next was a three-story brick building on the county farm, one mile west of Columbia City, an asylum for the poor of the county, built by David J. Silvers, on contract, and completed and accepted December, 1864, at a cost of $12,400. The next was a jail and Sheriff's residence, southeast of the court house, the jail two stories high, built of stone, iron and steel and roofed with slate, containing twelve cells and all the modern improvements. The Sheriff's residence is built of stone, brick and iron, two stories high, with mansard roof covered with slate; contains two commodious cells on second story for female prisoners, and contains all the modern improvements, the whole building heated by steam ; the structure built by James M. Bratton, on contract, under the supervision of J. C. Johnson, architect ; completed and accepted June 26, 1876, costing the county $34,486. It is one of the best buildings of that character in the State, and is a credit to the county.
On the following page will be found a tabular statement showing the county officers from the organization of the county up to the present time, including the present incumbents :
66
HISTORY OF WHITLEY COUNTY.
NAMES OF OFFICERS.
What Office.
Date of Comm'n.
Date of Expiration of Term.
Abraham Cuppy
Clerk
April, 1838.
August, 1842; resig'd July 16, '42.
Richard Collins.
Clerk
July 16, 1842. November, 1855.
I. B. McDonald.
Clerk
Nov. 1, 1855 .. November 1, 1859.
William E. Merriman
Clerk Nov. 1, 1859 .. November 18, 1863.
James B. Edwards
Clerk Nov. 1, 1863 .. November 19, 1871.
E. W. Brown.
Clerk
Nov. 1, 1871 ... November 1, 1875.
James Rider.
Clerk
Nov. 1, 1875 .. November 1, 1879.
James M. Harrison, the present in- cumbent.
Clerk Nov. 1, 1879 .. November 1, 1883.
Abraham Cuppy.
Recorder April, 1838 ... August, 1842.
Richard Collins
Recorder ... August, 1842. November 1, 1855.
Charles W. Hughes
Recorder. Nov. 1, 1855 .. November 1, 1859.
Henry Swihart ...
Recorder Nov. 1, 1859 .. November 1, 1863.
Casper W. Lamb
Recorder. Nov. 1, 1863 .. November 9, 1867.
1
D. A. Quick
Recorder. Nov. 1, 1867 .. November 1, 1871.
J. S. Hartsock.
Recorder. Nov. 1, 1871 .. November 1, 1875.
John Wigent.
Recorder. Nov. 1, 1875 .. November 1, 1879.
W. A. Lancaster (present incumb't). Richard Baughan
Sheriff. March, 1838 .. August 23, 1838.
Richard Collins
Sheriff.
Aug. 23, 1838 August 27, 1842. Resig'd July, '40.
James B. Simcoke.
Sheriff. November,'41 August 19, 1844.
Jacob Thompson
Sheriff.
Aug. 28, 1844 August 28, 1846.
Jacob Wunderlich.
Sheriff
Sept. 10, 1846. September 10, 1850.
James B. Edwards.
Sheriff. Sept. 10, 1850 September 10, 1854.
William H. Dunfee.
Sheriff. Nov. 11, 1854 November 11, 1858.
John Brenneman ...
Sheriff. Nov. 8, 1858 November 19, 1860.
Adam Avey.
Sheriff. Nov. 19, 1860 November 19, 1862.
John Wynkoop.
Sheriff. Nov. 19, 1862 November 19, 1866.
Oliver P. Koontz.
Sheriff. Nov. 19, 1866 November 19, 1870.
Jacob W. Miller.
Sheriff. Nov. 19, 1870 November 19, 1874.
William H. Liggett ..
Sheriff
Nov. 19, 1874 November 21, 1878.
Alexander T. McGinley
Sheriff. Nov. 21, 1878 November 21, 1880.
F. P. Allwine (present incumbent) Sheriff.
Nov. 1, 1880 .. November 1, 1882.
John Collins.
Treasurer ... May 7, 1838 .. May 5, 1840.
Benjamin Grable.
Treasurer ... May 5, 1840 .. August, 1848. Office vacant by death, March, 1848.
Joseph H. Pratt.
Treasurer ... March 7, 1848 August, 1848.
Charles W. Hughes
Treasurer ... August, 1848. August, 1851.
Jacob Wunderlich
Treasurer ... Aug. 25, 1851 August, 1852. By appointment.
Charles W. Hughes
Treasurer ... August, 1852. November, 1854.
James T. Long.
Treasurer ... Nov. 11, 1854 November 11, 1856.
Robert Reed.
Treasurer ...
Nov. 19, 1856 November 19, 1858.
Jacob Wunderlich
Treasurer ...
Nov. 8, 1858 .. November 19, 1860.
Henry Gregg.
Treasurer ... Nov. 8, 1860 .. November 8, 1862.
John S. Cotton
Treasurer. Nov. 8, 1862 .. November 8, 1864.
William Reed
Treasurer ... Nov. 19, 1864 November 19, 1866.
John Q. Adams
Treasurer ... Nov. 24, 1866 November 8, 1870.
Henry McLallen
Treasurer ... Nov. 23, 1874 November 8, 1878.
Jacob A. Baker.
Treasurer ... Nov. 8, 1878 .. November 8, 1882.
Joseph Clark (present incumbent). Jacob Wunderlich*
Treasurer.
Charles W. Hughes*
Coroner August, 1838. Did not qualify.
Seth A. Lucas
Coroner Aug. 25, 1839 August 25, 1841.
Asa Shoemaker
Coroner Aug. 25, 1841 August 25, 1847.
David Richmond.
Coroner Aug. 25, 1847 August 25, 1849. Died Mar. 6, '49.
William Guy.
Coroner ..
Aug. 25, 1849 August 25, 1851.
William M. Swayze.
Coroner Aug. 25, 1851 August 25, 1853.
Adam Avey ..
Coroner . Nov. 8, 1853 .. November 8, 1855.
Benjamin F. Beeson.
Coroner Nov. 1, 1855 .. November, 1863.
William Walter.
Coroner Oct. 1, 1863 ... October 1, 1865.
Henry H. Hackett ..
Coroner .. Oct. 28, 1865. October 28, 1867.
A. Y. Swigart.
Coroner Dec. 2, 1867 .. December 2, 1869.
* Jacob Wunderlich and Charles W. Hughes each received an equal number of votes for County Treasurer at the annual election in August. No person being elected, Jacob Wunderlich was appointed Treasurer.
Treasurer .. Nov. 8, 1870 .. November 23, 1874.
Samuel Nickey
Recorder. Nov. 1, 1879 .. November 1, 1883.
67
HISTORY OF WHITLEY COUNTY.
NAMES OF OFFICERS.
What Office.
Date of Comm'n.
Date of Expiration of Term.
John B. Firestone ...
Coroner
Oct. 23, 1870. December 5, 1874. .
John Richards
Coroner
December'74. December, 1878.
William Yontz (present incumbent). Coronor
Oct. 28, 1878. October 28, 1882.
Abraham Cuppy
Auditor .. August, 1841. August, 1845. Resigned.
Richard Collins
Auditor ..
August, 1842. August, 1845. Resig'd June 7; '44.
Charles W. Hughes
Auditor .. June 7, 1844. August, 1844. Appointed until
annual election.
Thomas Washburn
Auditor
August, 1844. November 11, 1845.
Adam Y. Hooper ...
Auditor
Nov. 11, 1855 March 1, 1859.
John S. Cotton.
Auditor
Nov. 8, 1859 .. March 7, 1863.
Simon H. Wunderlich
Auditor ...
Nov. 8, 1862 .. November 8, 1870. Died.
Theodore Reed.
Auditor ... Oct. 18, 1869. November, 1874.
Robert A. Jellison.
Auditor
November, '74 November, 1878. Died Dec. 1, 1877.
W. H. H. Rutter
Auditor
Dec. 4, 1877 .. November 8, 1882. Died Apl 21,'81. April 26, 1881 November 8, 1882.
Joseph Pierce.
Probate Judge .. August, 1838. Did not qualify.
Christopher W. Long.
Probate Judge .. August, 1839. August, 1846.
Charles W. Hughes.
Probate Judge ..
August, 1846. August, 1848.
Price Goodricht.
Probate Judge .. August, 1848.
The Board of County Commissioners, at their session in June, 1838, dis- tricted the county into three Commissioners' Districts, as follows: Range 8 to form the First District, Range 9 the Second District and Range 10 the Third District.
The following are the names of the persons who served as County Com- missioners, from the organization of the county, from each district, in the order they served :
DISTRICT NO. 1.
DISTRICT NO. 2.
DISTRICT NO. 3.
Joseph Parrett, Jr
Nathaniel Gradeless.
Otho W. Gandy.
Lorin Loomis ..
John G. Braddock
Joseph Pierce.
James L. Henderson.
Adam Creager
Daniel B. Rice.
John S. Cotton ..
Henry Knight
Thomas Neal
Henry H. Smith
Adam Egolf.
Daniel B. Rice.
Price Goodrich
Adam Creager
Jacob Nickey.
Christian H. Creager.
Henry Swihart
R. M. Paige.
Alfred J. Koontz.
Andrew Adams
James H. Shaw.
William Dunlap.
George Eberhard.
John Snodgrass.
George W. Hollinger
William Dunlap
M. B. Emerson ....
Benjamin F. Thompson.
Jacob A. Ramsey.
William Tanneyhill.
Shaw, Thompson and Tanneyhill are the present Commissioners.
The following is a list of the County Surveyors, in the order they served, from the organization of the county: John H. Alexander, appointed 1839; Stephen Martin, elected 1842; George Arnold, elected 1846; John H. Alex- ander, elected 1848; Jonathan Miller, elected 1850, resigned; Richard Knisely, appointed 1851; Levi Adams, elected 1854; Amasa W. Reed, elected 1856; Eli W. Brown, elected 1858, resigned in 1864; John H. Tucker, ap- pointed 1864; Thomas B. Hathaway, elected 1864, left June, 1865; D. A.
+ Price Goodrich served until Common Pleas Court was organized in 1852, and the office Was then abolished.
Wm. E. Merriman (present incum.)
Auditor
68
HISTORY OF WHITLEY COUNTY.
Quick, appointed 1865, to fill vacancy; Edward A. Mossman, elected 1865, resigned; C. B. Tulley, appointed and elected 1867; Charles D. Moe, elected 1870; James E. Dorland, elected 1872; Herman Theil, appointed and elected 1874; Levi Adams, elected 1878; Roscoe A. Kaufman, elected 1880, now serving.
The following are the names of the Commissioners appointed to expend the three per cent fund, which they were entitled to receive from the State, in the order they served: Benjamin H. Cleveland, appointed 1838; Richard Boughan, appointed 1840; Zebulon Burch, appointed 1840.
The Clerk of the Circuit Court was ex officio Clerk of the Board of County Commissioners from the organization of the county until 1841. Then the duties of the office were transferred to the County Auditor.
The following were the Associate Judges :
NAME OF JUDGES.
Appointment.
Expiration.
Remarks.
Benjamin F. Martin
April, 1838.
August, 1845.
Died in 1841.
Jacob A. Vanhouten.
April, 1838.
August, 1845
John Wright
August, 1842
August, 1845
Died in 1845.
Richard Knisely
August, 1815.
August, 1852.
Henry Swihart
August, 1846.
August, 1852.
Resigned in 1847.
Lorin Loomis.
August, 1847.
August, 1852
Loomis and Knisely served until the office was abolished by the Legislature in the year 1852. The following were the School Commissioners :
NAMES OF COMMISSIONERS.
Appointment.
Expiration.
Andrew Compton.
August, 1839.
August, 1845.
James B. Edwards.
August, 1845
August, 1847.
Henry Hanna.
August, 1847
August, 1850.
Hanna served until the duties of the office were transferred to the County Auditor, and the office of School Commissioner was abolished.
There were no political organizations in the county prior to 1844. The first political caucus in the county was held at Columbia by the Democrats some time before the annual election held on the first Monday of August, 1844, to select candidates for the county offices then to be filled. The first regular political convention held in the county was at Columbia, previous to the annual election in 1848 by the Democracy, followed in a short time by the Whigs holding a convention at the same place. Conventions were regularly held after that date for the selection of candidates for the different county officers, delegates to the State Congressional, Senatorial and Representative Conventions in the district of which this county forms a part. The leading political organizations in the county were the Democrats and Whigs until 1854, when the Whig party changed their name to that of Republican. In 1854, the party known as Know-Nothings flourished, but was short-lived. In 1878, the party known as Greenback flourished in this county, and there are men yet who clamor for more greenbacks. The Democrats have claimed, since the first political caucus,
I am yours Truly
71
HISTORY OF WHITLEY COUNTY.
in the county, majorities ranging from twenty-five to four hundred, in the greater number of cases electing their candidates, and holding the important offices of the county a greater portion of the time. The following statement shows the vote of the county at each Presidential election since the organiza- tion of the county :
NAME OF CANDIDATE.
Of what Party.
Date of Election.
No. of Votes.
William H. Harrison.
Whig.
November, 1840
98
Martin Van Buren.
Democrat.
November, 1840
91
James K. Polk
Democrat
November, 1844
219
Henry Clay.
Whig
November, 1844
216
Lewis Cass.
Democrat
November, 1848
355
Zachariah Taylor.
Whig.
November, 1848
318
John Van Buren
Free-Soil
November, 1848
21
Franklin Pierce.
Democrat.
November, 1852
568
Winfield Scott
Whig ..
November, 1852
497
James Buchanan.
Democrat
November, 1856
851
John C. Fremont.
Republican
November, 1856
797
Horace Birney
Free-Soil.
November, 1856
57
Stephen A. Douglas
Democrat
November, 18 :0
1133
Abraham Lincoln
Republican
November, 1860
1067
John C. Breckinridge
Democrat.
November, 1860
1
George B. McClellan.
Democrat.
November, 1864
1327
Abraham Lincoln
Republican
November, 1864
1074
Ulysses S. Grant
Republican.
November, 1868
1872
Horatio Seymour.
Democrat.
November, 1868
1628
Ulysses S. Grant.
Republican
November, 1872
1401
Horace Greeley
Lib. Republican
November, 1872
1650
Charles O'Conor.
Democrat.
November, 1872
28
Samuel J. Tilden.
Democrat.
November, 1876
2052
Rutherford B. Hayes
Republican
November, 1876
1660
James B. Weaver.
Greenback.
November, 1876
23
Neal Dow.
American
November, 1876
3
At the annual election in August, 1838, there were only four organized townships in the county, as follows : Cleveland, Richland, Thorn Creek and Smith, and only four voting precincts. At that election, there were seventy-two votes polled in the county. The offices were not very lucrative, and but few persons were desirous of being promoted. There is no means of knowing the precise date of the first election held in the county, the returns of the election having been made to Richard Baughan, Sheriff, the only officer in the county ; and the poll-books and tally-sheets of that election were never filed in the Clerk's office ; hence there is no means of knowing the exact date of the elec- tion, or the number of votes polled ; there certainly were not more than sixty votes cast.
There was but little trouble with blacklegs in this county. Professionals of that class were not very numerous at any time. There were a few bad men in the county, who were connected with organized bands of horse-thieves and counterfeiters who made raids into this county, scattering counterfeit money (coin, principally) and running off horses, giving information as to the whereabouts of good horses and the proper routes to travel and the safe harbor- ing places on the route. Our horses generally traveled north, and may have found a market in Michigan. There were, at different periods, organizations
D
72
HISTORY OF WHITLEY COUNTY.
of Regulators formed for the better protection of their horses, following and recovering them when stolen, and, if possible, arresting the thief or thieves. It was reported, and generally accepted as true, that there was one or more of the citizens of this county roughly handled by an organization in Noble County, known as the "Regulators." (They understood keeping their secrets.) The public knew but little of their operations, yet they were credited with effecting a very decided reformation in the behavior of the roughs throughout quite an extent of country.
The first State road located across the county of Whitley ran from Fort Wayne, Allen County, to Goshen, in Elkhart County, crossing Eel River where Adam Hall settled, who, after the location of the road, erected and maintained a toll-bridge across the river, at his place, for a number of years, or late as the year 1838 or 1839. The road passed where the town of Churu- busco is now located, and the trading-post of John B. Godfrey, north of Blue River, who was located there at the time the road was surveyed and located in 1833. He was engaged in trading with the Indians, they being his principal customers. In those days, that was a very lucrative business, if men were not scrupulously honest. The next important road located across the county was the State road, running from Fort Wayne, the nearest and best route, to Yel- low River, where the Michigan road crosses the same by way of Turkey Creek Prairie. This road passed the Indian village in Whitley County (known as Seek's village) and several other Indian villages. It also crossed Blue River two and a half miles northeast of Columbia, where Richard Baughan's mill was erected, in Thorn Creek Township. The road was located and surveyed in the summer of 1834, under the direction of Francis Comparet, a Commis- sioner appointed by the Legislature of the State, and known as the Yellow River road. The next was a State road running from Huntington, in Huntington County, to Goshen, in Elkhart County, crossing Eel River where South Whitley is now located, and passing where the old town of Summit was afterward lo- cated, just west of Larwill. It was located and surveyed in the year 1835. The next road of importance located across the county was a State road from Osceola to Rochester, in Fulton County. This road was located, in 1836, by Reuben Howe, commencing at Rochester and terminating in the woods near Pierce's saw-mill, in Union Township, the Commissioner being unable to find the place called Osceola. The next road across the county was a State road from Fort Wayne to intersect the La Gros road where the same crosses the Tippecanoe River at Peter Warner's, near the center of Kosciusko County; located, in April, 1838, by Peter Warner and Jacob Sebring. This survey crossed Blue River some distance south of Columbia City, and is now known as the Colum- bia and Warsaw road. The next was a State road from Logansport to Sparta, the then county seat of Noble County; located by Samuel Lowman in 1838. This survey passed some distance west of Columbia City; but little, if any, of this line was ever improved, on account of the manner in which it angled across
73
HISTORY OF WHITLEY COUNTY.
the county. The next important road was a State road from Lima, in La Grange County, to Huntington, in Huntington County ; located and surveyed, in November, 1839, by Isaac Spencer and W. T. McConnell, Commissioners for that purpose. This road passed along Line street, in Columbia City, and the south part of it is much traveled.
A part of the State roads described was partly cleared of timber and the impassable places bridged and crosswayed by appropriations from the three per cent fund set apart for the improvement of State roads in the different counties, of which the county of Whitley received and disbursed the sum of $3,192.21. This was quite an advantage to the early settlers of the county. Had it not been for the improvement of the roads with that fund. it would have been many years before the roads could have possibly been opened.
The early settlers of this county suffered many privations, and endured many hardships incident to the settlement of a new country heavily timbered as this was. Just for one moment think of a family of husband and wife and one, two or more small children hewing a passage for team and wagon into the forest, miles from any white inhabitant, then encamping until logs could be cut and a cabin erected into which they could find shelter, in the meantime, the husband having to leave the family in charge of his trusty dog, and absent himself for a number of days in quest of provisions. The settlers in the west- ern portion of the county in 1836 generally got their meal and flour in the land of Goshen, located near the Elkhart Prairie in Elkhart County, at the mill of one Wyland. In the spring of 1837, a number of parties joined and sent a team of cattle and wagons to the Wea plains, below La Fayette, for & cargo of corn-meal and bacon. When that cargo arrived and was distributed, there was great rejoicing in the land. Near the streams, the inhabitants fared better than those a distance away, owing to the great amount of wild onions growing there spontaneously, and they were much used and appreciated by the settlers in the absence of better and more palatable vegetables. In the spring of the same year, a party of men from the west part of this county and the east side of Kosciusko County constructed a mammoth canoe (or pirogue) out of a large yellow poplar tree found some distance northwest of where the town of Colla- mer is now located, conveyed it to Eel River and successfully launched and christened her " Pioneer," provisioned and placed her in charge of two ex- perienced sailors, and she started down the river under full sail for the south- ern port of La Fayette, to purchase a cargo of corn-meal and bacon, and after forty-eight hours' sailing, they ran the Pioneer into harbor, not having encount- ered any adverse winds or fogs. Eel River was somewhat dangerous to navi- gate on account of dams, and driftwood running in the stream. The parties succeeded in purchasing a cargo of corn-meal and bacon, and started up the Wa- bash River, and after a great amount of hard poling succeeded in getting up into Eel River a short distance, but finding their vessel drew so much water, they could not navigate Eel River any farther. They tied up the pirogue, and one
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