USA > Indiana > Vanderburgh County > Evansville > Evansville and its men of mark > Part 29
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horse, and, in addition, as Mr. Carpenter has never hazarded a guess on the little joker since that day, he had reason to con- gratulate himself rather than otherwise.
Mr. Carpenter proceeded on his way, and before he reached Buffalo he was attacked with a serious illness. He did not suc- cumb however, and succeeded in reaching Manlins, a town lying some miles eastward from Buffalo. Here he found an old schoolmate from Vermont who had settled in Manlins as a mer- chant. Being seriously ill and his money exhausted, he grate- fully accepted an offer from his old friend, and remained in his house about two weeks. Recovering his health, and always feeling restive with empty pockets, he engaged to a man named Hutchings to assist in floating a raft of staves down the Mohawk to Schenectady, about two hundred miles. He was to receive sixteen dollars a month for his services. He concluded to leave his horse at Manlins with Mr. Preston, his host, until he should return. He was occupied for two months on the raft, and when they reached Schenectady the cargo was attached for debt. Mr. Hutchins failed badly, and could pay nothing to his hands. There was nothing for it but to walk back to Manlins after his horse. But Mr. Carpenter had now struck a streak of bad luck and it seemed that the lead was not worked out yet. On arriv- ing at Manlins, he found that during his absence his horse had died and of all his savings nothing remained. In mining par- lance, he had now struck "hard pan." He could get no lower. His money and his wages were gone, his horse was gone, and it seemed as if fortune could do no more against him. Any change must be for the better, and there was a kind of comfort even in that. He was not daunted ; his Yankee blood and pluck had now an opportunity to exhibit itself. He had been on foot at first, before he rode, and though he was on foot once more, he had no doubt of soon being able to ride again. Instead of waiting for something to turn up, he started out to turn something up, and we next see him engaged at eleven dollars per month to a large farmer and hop grower, named Coolidge. He remained with Coolidge two months and again changed his occupation.
At this time the Erie Canal was in progress, and a Mr. Anderson of Little Knolls, on the Mohawk, had quite a large con-
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tract and employed about a thousand hands. Carpenter drifted into this crowd, and at thirteen dollars per month went to work with shovel, pick and wheelbarrow. The work and pay were not bad, but the lodgings unsatisfactory. Young Carpenter was anything but fastidious, but two hundred Irishmen in a long board shanty, piling up in the straw on the floor, did not prove agreeable. After three nights he hunted out a barn in the neighborhood, and, with permission of the farmer, he took a blanket and found abundance of clean straw and no Irishmen. He made this barn his headquarters for five months, sleeping alone and joining the hands at the shanty before the day's work began. In two months he was promoted by Mr. Anderson, his employer, to the position of "jigger carrier," to serve the men with their grog. During the time he held this position, he re- ceived twenty dollars per month. About this time, also, Mr. Anderson advanced him some money and allowed him to take a trip by the canal down to Schenectady. "He purchased some arti- cles, such as the men would need, and by the sale of them again began to accumulate a little money. He continued at Little Knolls until about the first of December, when, finding his barn lodgings beginning to be too cold for comfort, and not being able to suit himself elsewhere, he settled up with his employer, much to the latter's regret, and again set forth on his travels. Thus closed Mr. Carpenter's connection with the Erie Canal, a connection not so distinguished as was Geo. Clinton's, but quite as honorable, and of which, under the circumstances, he has as just reasons to be proud. Mr. Carpenter is not the only man of mark who wrought on that great National work. Hon. Ben. Wade, of Ohio, once handled the pick and shovel there.
Mr. Carpenter started for Troy, and at a place called Granville Corners, he stopped at a tavern for dinner. A school was in session in the neighborhood, and there had been going on for some time a discussion between the big boys and the teacher, as to who should govern the school. The dis- pute had culminated and the crisis had arrived the day Mr. Car- penter reached the neighborhood. The boys had proven too many for the pedagogue, and had summarily ejected him from his throne. The trustees felt that a change in teachers was needed. One of them got a sight of Mr. Carpenter, and saw
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something in the young man's eye, which led him to believe that, if he could induce him to take the school, and the old dis- cussion should come up, it would have a different issue. Inquir- ies were made if Mr. Carpenter had ever taught, and, upon learning that he had wielded the birch in Ohio, the crucial question was asked: "Can you manage the boys, and keep order in the school?" The young man replied that he did not think there would be much difficulty in that. The bargain was soon closed, the trustees humorously giving Mr. Carpenter the priv- ilege of killing one-half of the pupils, if he would make the other half eat them. Mr Carpenter took charge of the school immediately, with the understanding that he was to receive three dollars per quarter, for each scholar, and furnish his own board and lodging. This point was specified, as it was formerly the custom in rural districts, for the " master" to " board around" among the scholars, that is, to divide up the time and spend a week with each of his patrons successsively. The young teacher grasped the birch with a firm hand, and determined to rule. Things went well for a day or two. The two hostile parties, the teacher on one side and the hitherto victorious boys on the other, were watching each other and studying the situation. The boys felt that their reputation was at stake, and probably realizing that the moral effect of their late triumph would be lost if they deferred operations too long, they commenced hos- tilities. On the third day, while the teacher was at dinner, the enemy took possession of a nice new ruler, which he had made, and burned it. He made due inquiry, but could find no trace of it. He quietly made another and waited the next move. Two days afterward the trick was repeated, and his search met with the same success as before. He now took one of the younger boys, a bright little tellow who was not in the ring, into his confidence, and under promise of secrecy, exacted from fear of the older boys, the little fellow told him of the conspiracy and the names of the conspirators, as well as the history of the rulers. The next day he sent word to the trustees to meet him in the school room in the afternoon. Coming in from dinner he gave a boy his knife and directed him to go to the woods and cut a bundle of withes. When the trustees had arrived and withes were ready, the teacher then gave a history
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of the conspiracy and the overt acts already committed. He then made three propositions : 1st, That the offenders should ask pardon of the teacher, the trustees and the school, and promise obedience for the future ; 2nd, That they should take a flogging; or, 3d, leave the school. The propositions met with the approval of the trustees, and Mr. Carpenter proceeded to apply them. Calling on the ring leader, older and larger than the teacher, and submitting the propositions, asked him which he would accept. He insolently replied: neither. Here was issue clearly made, Walking quietly to the door, Mr. Carpen- ter opened it, Returning to the room, he seized the fire poker, and made a rush for his enemy. The blustering bully did not stand the charge, but made for the door, and tumbling down the steps, measured his length in the dooryard. Considering him disposed of, Mr. Carpenter closed the door and turned to the other pupils, and called upon the other conspirators to stand up. Feeling that their case had gone against them, no one was disposed to a contest with the man who had routed their bully so easily; they all submitted. Some left the school; others took their flogging, and from that hour Mr. Carpenter was the unquestioned master of the situation. He had subdued the most troublesome and unruly school in the country, in less than a week, and never had trouble with them afterward. He remained here two years, gained the confidence of the children and their parents, and even a good feeling was established with the conspirators. During the two years he remained here, he rented some land and raised about twenty acres of corn each year, receiving assistance from his pupils in tilling it. In the latter part of the year 1824, his father came to visit him, and strongly urged him to go back to Vermont. As an inducement his father offered him a farm. But Mr. Carpenter knew that fortune had something better for him than an average Vermont farm,
The reader will remember his reasons for leaving Ohio and the leather business, and he had not changed his mind since. He was rather an ambitious man, this young Yankee. With his views of the matter it did not require much self denial to reject steadily his father's offer. We have now to record an incident which brings clearly into view his sturdy independence and his disposition to stand upon his own feet.
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When he refused the farm, his father proposed to adjust the matter by giving him an equivalent in money. This would amount to six hundred dollars, a sum equal to that which the other children received. This, for some reason known to him- self, he refused also. He preferred to build his fortune upon his own efforts. Soon after, his school closing, he visited his father's family, and after spending a short time at the old homestead, he returned to New York in the year 1824, and settled in Troy. He brought to Troy his older brother John, who had been in feeble health, (but who is still living and resides at Portage, Wisconsin. )
Mr. Carpenter now concluded to make another venture into the mercantile world. His brother had no means and his cash capital consisted of about three hundred and fifty dollars. This was rather a small capital with which to commence business, but remembering the proverb of the nimble penny, the two brothers laid in a small stock of groceries. The first year's business amounted to $2,500. This was rather a small trade, and though the brothers had lived quite economically, boarded themselves, cooked for themselves and washed their own dishes, still the profits could not have been large. Mr. Carpenter con- cluded he could do a brisker trade with a horse and wagon, and providing himself an outfit, started into the country.
This trade was more profitable, and in the year 1827 the brothers ventured into the dry goods line. They bought a stock of goods from a Mr. Lewis Burtis, an old Quaker merchant of the town. The stock was invoiced to them at $1600, and they were to have a credit of eighteen months. This was the foundation of a dry goods business which, under Willard Carpenter's management afterwards grew to large pro- portions. The brothers soon found that they had given a very handsome price for the stock of old shop worn goods and rem- nants. In fact, they were worth about half what had been paid for them, but by vigorous use of the horse and wagon they were finally all worked off on the route. Willard, the senior partner, then by advise of Mr. Burtis, who had sold him his stock, concluded to buy in the New York market. The shrewd old Quaker had made a good thing out of him himself, and as he saw the young man was bound to succeed, he was not un-
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willing that his friends should make something out of him too. So he accompanied Mr. Carpenter down to the Metropolis and introduced him to several Quaker friends, making such representations of his ability and enterprise, that the merchants sold the firm $25,000 worth of goods upon their notes, without indorsement, payable in bank and running four, six and eight months. This speaks volumes for the character of the young man, and shows how firmly his business reputation had become established to secure such recommendations.
When Willard reached home and showed what he had done, his brother was thunderstruck. The thing was astound- ing and he could not realize it. He was timid, could not under- stand a bold stroke of business, and felt himself called upon to repudiate the transaction. A dissolution immediately followed. It was best so. No timid man could understand or appreciate such a mind as Willard Carpenter's. He would be a perpetual clog upon him, and it was better that the dissolution should occur at the outset. Willard sent for his brother Ephraim, older than himself, who was a practicing physician in Vermont, and invited him to a partnership. Ephraim entered the busi- ness. He too was bold and enterprising, a man . after his brother's own heart, and they continued together ten years, doing the heaviest business of any firm in Troy.
In the year 1835, A. B. Carpenter, the youngest brother, emigrated to Indiana and settled in Evansville. He began a small retail dry goods business. His trade grew and soon became of respectable proportions. Seeing a good opening for future development, he visited Troy in 1836 and induced his brothers composing the firm there, to join with him and estab- lish a wholesale dry goods and notion house in Evansville. The new firm began under favorable auspices, but our readers will remember that it was just on the eve of the great financial crash of 1837. In common with all the business of the country the firm of Carpenter Bros. suffered. New firms especially when doing a bold business, of course were least pre- pared to stand the shock, and in 1837 the firm was dissolved, the Troy branch passing into the hands of E. Carpenter and a brother-in-law named Liberty Gilbert, and Willard Carpenter together with A. B. Carpenter, taking charge of the Evansville branch.
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Thus, in 1837, the subject of our sketch was personally introduced to the business circles of Evansville. He was thirty- four years old, with fine physical powers, great endurance, and the skill acquired during the last twelve past years, in which lie had conducted a prosperous business in Troy. He soon found opportunity to show his metal, and speedily took rank among the most able financiers and vigorous business men of Southern Indiana.
Upon arrival at Evansville he found the business of the firm in a bad way. Their up country correspondents were in a very precarious condition, and it would take sharp work to real- ize any thing out of their accounts. Mr. Carpenter was equal to the emergency. Swift, both in conception and execution, he signalized his advent to Evansville by an almost incredible piece of work which distanced all his competitors, men too who were familiar to the ground to which he was an entire stranger. and saved his house from disaster and a large loss. He had . reached Evansville on Sunday and found his brother at the old Mansion House, on the corner of First and Locust streets, at present the site of the Opera House. On the Monday follow- ing a company of merchants was to leave for the upper country by way of Vincennes and Terre Haute. He took in the situa- tion at a glance and determined to outstrip them. Major Warner of the Mansion House was at the time running a tri- weekly stage line to Vincennes and Terre Haute. Mr. Carpen- ter made an arrangement with the Major for a relay of horses, and at 9 P. M. on Sunday night he started north. Monday morning found him in Vincennes He employed Judge Law to take charge of his business there, and pushed on to Terre Haute, where he placed his accounts in the hands of Judge Farington. Daylight Tuesday morning found him in Danville, Ills,, closeted with an attorney and arranging for the care of his claims. He then started on his return. With fresh horses every ten or fifteen miles, and keeping in the saddle day and night, he was enabled on about Wednesday noon to meet the other merchants on their outward journey, between Vincennes and Terre Haute. The result may be stated here: The Carpen- ters received their claims in full, while the others hardly real- ized ten cents on the dollar. This remarkable business feat
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gave Mr. Carpenter a reputation at once. Although a young man yet, he was at once, perhaps in allusion to his mature judgment, styled " Old Willard", a soubriquet he has retained ever since.
In the February following, Mr. C. returned to Troy to finally close up the affairs of the old firm, which he succeeded in doing, and while east was married, in 1837, to Miss Lucina Burcalow, daughter of Leffordson Burcalow, Esq., of Saratoga County, New York, with whom he has lived happily for thirty- six years. His business affairs being satisfactorily settled he left Troy on the 3rd of July for New York, reaching there on July 4th. He remained but a few hours in New York, and on the same day set out on his return to Evansville. He came by way of Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, and thence by river. Owing to the low stage of water in the Ohio, he was two weeks between Pittsburgh and Evansville, reaching home on the 5th .of August.
His public spirit soon began to manifest itself. He erected the Farmer's Hotel, and stables capable of accommodating fifty horses. He had small encouragement at the time to suppose that the investment would be directly profitable, but he saw the need of the accommodations and judged that they would facili- tate trade. He speedily began to take an interest in public matters. The financial disasters of the year before had been wide spread, and the State of Indiana, which had been going extensively into public improvements, some years before, felt the shock severely, and the public credit was seriously shaken. Large amounts of bonds had been issued to aid in the construc- tion of the Wabash and Erie Canal. The financial crash had come and left money scarce, times hard, and prospects gloomy. The credit of the State was strained, and she was unable to pay the interest on her debt. The outlook was very gloomy and many feared that the State would have to repudiate. ยท Carpen- ter realized the situation. He foresaw clearly the disasters that would result from repudiation and devoted his energies to save his adopted State from the humiliation. He agitated the ques- tion in connection with such men as Chas. I. Battell, Nathan Rowley, Wm. H. Law, Lucius H. Scott, Hon. Conrad Baker, Judge Law, and others interested in the financial integrity of
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the State and the prosperity of the country. He urged that some method should be taken to secure the validity of the public debt, and after several meetings were held, it was decided that, Congress should be memoralized and asked to devote one-half the public lands within the boundaries of the Evansville Land District, for the purpose of aiding the completion of the Wabash and Erie Canal. A petition was drawn up in accord- ance with this resolution, and Mr. Carpenter devoted six months to traveling at his own expense and circulating the petition. He visited the Legislature of New York and several of the New England Legislatures, and by his representations, he secured the passage of joint resolutions instructing their several delegations in the two houses of Congress to aid in the measure. The petition was circulated in seventeen of the States largely by Mr. Carpenter's personal efforts.
In the autumn of 1843 a public meeting was held in Evans- ville and it was decided to send a man to Washington to urge the measure upon Congress Willard Carpenter was selected as the man, and accordingly he proceeded to Washington and was there during the session of 1843-4. The question of the an- nexation was the exciting topic of this session, and Mr. Carpen- ter found party feeling running very high. Carpenter was a Whig. The Congress was strongly Democratic, and he felt the need of assistance in pressing his measure. He wrote back for help and Tilman A. Howard was sent to assist him. Howard was of material aid. Robert Dale Owen was the chairman of the House Committee on Public Improvements, and Howard was his personal and political friend. He was also a personal friend of the President. The current was soon turned. The matter was urged and favorably looked upon, and though it was not reached this session, it came up and was passed during the session of 1844-5.
The credit of this measure was largely due to Mr. Carpen- ter. He had worked long and efficiently for it, and when it succeeded the State saw a way out of its financial embarrass- ment. But for it repudiation would probably have been the result.
It is not proposed to open up this old canal question, or enter into the merits of the settlement between the State and
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bondholders. Such a discussion would be foreign to the pur- pose of these pages., even if want of space did not forbid it. They are alluded to only so far as is necessary to show Mr. Car- penter's connection with them. Suffice it to say, that after con- siderable further exertions the Butler bill was passed at the Legislative session of 1846-7, and settlement reached upon that basis. One-half of the bonds were cancelled, the canal and lands given to the bondholders in lieu thereof, the State released from the burden, and repudiation averted.
In tracing continuously Mr. Carpenter's connection with the Canal question, the chronology has been brought forward several years, and it is not now necessary to go back and show that he was energetic and busy as ever in other directions.
In 1840 Mr. Carpenter and his brother sold out their store, and the same year he was elected County Commissioner, run- ning as an independent candidate. He entered rigorously upon the duties of the office. Made a personal examination of all the roads leading into Evansville, advanced the money to build the first bridge over Wagnon's Creek, and also to corduroy ' the Princeton road to the bridge. He advanced freely of his money to aid the county, and for a small part of these advances he received County Orders at par. In three years after he took office, County orders advanced from 373 to 90 cents on the dollar. The County was paying $3000 for the maintenance of its poor on his accession to office. In 1842 he advocated the building of a County Asylum, but was opposed by his Associ- ates. He then proposed to build a house at his own expense upon his own land, and to contract for $1500 per year to fur- nish board and lodging for the county poor. This offer was accepted by the Commissioners, and the county saved one-half of its annual expense by the operation. This contract was re- newed for two years, when an asylum was built.
As an evidence of the popularity of Mr. Carpenter as County Commissioner, he was elected for a second term over his own protest.
In 1850, Mr. Carpenter took an active part in the Evans- ville and Crawfordsville Railroad enterprise. He worked vig- orously to secure subscriptions of stock, and subscribed himself a larger amount to the road than any other person in Evans-
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ville, and was elected a member of the first Board of Directors. The road, as is well known, was originally intended to run from Princeton up the White River Valley, but owing to large local subscriptions and personal influence, the line was changed to the Wabash Valley, and made to include Vincennes and Terre Haute in the route. Mr. Carpenter, as a member of the Board of Directors, opposed the change of route, but was overruled. After two years' service, Mr. Carpenter, dissatisfied with the policy, resigned his position as Director.
Soon afterwards he became associated with Hon. Oliver H. Smith, United States Ex-Senator, and organized the Evansville, Indianapolis and Cleveland Straight Line Railroad Company. The company was organized under a general charter from the State.
Mr. Carpenter was elected a member of the Lower House of the State Legislature in 1851, and served during the long session of 1851-2. He was known as a valuable working, busi- ness member of the body.
The Straight Line Railroad enterprise excited much oppo- sition. As a straight line road, it was unable to satisfy the de- mands of all the towns lying contiguous to its proposed route, and they naturally opposed all grants to aid its construction. The matter is a very voluminous one, and it is not proposed to enter into it very extensively. Mr. Carpenter determined to prosecute the work. The City Council of Evansville voted $200,000 in bonds in aid of the enterprise, and this encouraged Mr. Carpenter, the brains and energy of the enterprise, to begin the work. He embarked his private fortune, and by vigorous efforts. in the Spring of 1857, he had the first division of fifty- five miles, from Evansville to the crossing of the Ohio and Mis- sissippi Railroad, nearly ready for the iron. In the latter part of April, Mr. Carpenter, conceiving that enough work had been done to give promise of the completion of the road, went to Europe to procure the iron for the first division, and negotiate a loan from the foreign capitalists. He visited the capitalists and iron manufacturers, represented the road, was favorably received and had strong probabilities of success. In fact he had nearly completed the purchase of the iron for the first divi- sion with the first mortgage bonds of the road.
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