USA > Kentucky > Daviess County > History of Daviess County, Kentucky, together with sketches of its cities, villages, and townships, educational religious, civil military, and political history, portraits of prominent persons, biographies of representative citizens, and an outline history of Kentucky > Part 8
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"In politics, religion, medicine, and many other sciences, cer-
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tain sects have formed their opinions and will hear nothing to shake them. How is it possible that the mind can learn if the book of knowledge is closed ? When I observe a man listening with respect to opinions not in accordance with his own as if he gave due weight to them and wished to ascertain what merit they were entitled to, and what he can gather from them to improve his own stock of knowledge, I consider that he has a well-balanced mind; one possessed of natural strength, and capable of gathering strength as it goes. There are, indeed, very few minds of this character that are not of the first order. If, after having heard all that is to be said, although dissenting in opinion, a man gives full weight to all the arguments that deserve it, setting them forth in their strongest light, and even adding others in support of the views which have been given as suggested by those of the speaker, but still, in a decorous manner, showing why they fail to convince him, I naturally lean to that man. I am satisfied there is no prejudice about him; that he is in search of light, of truth, of justice, -in a word, a well-bred gentleman; for, whether he come from the cottage or the palace, he is one of nature's noblemen. If schools and parental teaching have not made him a gentleman, nature has. The opinions of such a man are always listened to with respect. They always have great weight, and the author will liold friends wherever he goes; such a man will make proselytes. But, on the contrary, if a man listen with an apparent anxiety to detect you in a false position, in a slip of language, showing that his object is victory in argument and not to elicit truth, refusing to admit self- evident facts or reasonable influences, requiring proof of what a candid mind ought to admit, indeed, leaving an impression on his adversary that he is not inclined to deal fairly,-that man may exhibit his ingenuity, his taet, his skill in argument, but he leaves an impression on his adversary of a very unenviable kind, that he is lacking in candor, frankness, honesty, nobleness. There are many grades of all these qualities, and if I had to select a man to transact my business on account of his honesty, and one should be recommended as standing unexceptionably with the world, who suited ine in all other qualifications, if I were to hear him offer unfair arguments I would not employ him, because the honest heart can do nothing unfair. He who will make up an unfair account in argument will do it in dollars and cents whenever a sufficient temptation offers.
" Once in conversation with a distinguished politician who aimed to be a leader, I admitted that on a certain point a political oppo-
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nent was right (he and I agreed in politics); 'Oh, no, no,' said he, 'you are wrong.' Eventually, however, I satisfied him that I thought I was right, if I failed to convince him. Not being able to convince me, he took me by the hand and said, 'You are a young politician, and some hints may be of service to you. Allow me to suggest that we never ought to concede that our opponents are right when they differ from the received doctrines of our party.' 'Why, sir,' said I, ' that would be a monstrous principle to ad- mit. Each party then would maintain its ground from the mere love of opposition. Every member of each would have his opinions molded for him by his leaders; he would be a mere machine, and not an intelligent being. I shall never subscribe to such opinions, sir, and hope our party will not.' From that inoment I lost all re- spect for this man, and he finally forfeited the respect of his party. There is a set of hardened political jockeys who laugh at the idea of political honesty, and view any man's pretention to it as evidence of greenness and simplicity. But for my part I cannot conceive that a man can be morally honest and politically dishonest. If a man is honest at all, the principle prevails with him throughout. It will not travel with him through morality, and then leave him in politics or religion.
"Honesty consists in never acting unfairly, whether in trade, politics or religion. Many an honest man has gone to jail for debt fairly contracted, but which unexpected events made it impossible for him to pay; many a politician has greatly injured his country by misguided opinions fairly entertained; and many an honest man has incurred public odium from professing religious opinions which he sincerely believed.
"The mind of the young should be honest; that is, open to light and willing to hear the truth and admit it. Every truth stored in the mind is future mental capital; and as it is said inoney begets money, growing and compounding in its growth in proportion to its aggregation, so do truths. Every addition to the mass of correct thinking streng+' ens the mind and adds to its power of collecting new truths, which finally constitute a mind so strong and clear that it has no false view of anything. On the contrary, the man who aims only at controversial victory, and seeks only weapons, fair or unfair, to attain success, accepting the fair and unfair arguments of others wherever they can be found to answer his purpose, ceases from that time to strengthen his mind by accumulating truths; and such a man must always occupy a second-
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ary stand. I do not mean to say that there are not smart and tal. ented men who are dishonest. But ench men worshi base preupied a much more exalted position as men of talent had they been honest; for they lose the greatest aid to the attamuent of a high order of talent in the lack of honesty; that aid which the heart gives to the head,-which makes eloquence so powerful and irresistible when there is a consciousness of right.
"The young mind should learn to be charitable, and slow to condemn an opponent for difference of opinion, or for crime where there is lack of proof. This world is awfully uncharitable, and prone to condemn on the first accusation withont investigating the justice of the charges. Hence, mischief-makers in society so often succeed in estranging friends from each other by starting reports in which there is no just foundation. The young heart, while it should not be so credulous as to be imposed upon, should be pre- disposed to a good opinion of human nature, otherwise its own good feelings will be corroded and hardened. While we allow that there is enough of baseness in the world to put us on onr guard and give us reasonable caution, we should also allow that there are virtue and merit enough to open and warm our hearts. Happiness depends much on the sympathy of virtnons hearts. To allow that there is bnt little virtue in the world would be to leave the vir- tnons heart desolate indeed. Such is not the fact. There is much to authorize us in giving our confidence and affection, observing a reasonable prudence in doing so. In carrying out this idea I do not mean to say that a man inust lend his money or his name fool- ishly to others. No friend would ask it beyond your ability con- veniently to spare it. To that extent a man may be justifiable, but certainly not further. An acquaintance will sometimes present himself with a note or bond, and say: 'I wish you to indorse this for me; it is a mere nominal thing; you will never hear of it again.' The nature of trade renders mutual aid sometimes neces- sary, and all who need it should, if practicable, make arrangements for reciprocal accommodations, securing each other for doing so.
"There are, however, friends who, under certain circumstances, are entitled to our aid, when it would be ungenerous to refuse it; and where we can see that, withont dishonesty, we are not very likely to lose we should give it. We are all sometimes so circum- stanced ne to render such aid necessary, and even at the hazard of loving we ought to give it. But never carry this friendship so far that, it you have to pay all, it will injure you. Many men keep no
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account of their indorsements, and are finally ruined when they were not aware that they were liable as security to but a small amount. Let me now impress on you to open a security account the first time you put your name on paper for any man, and make this entry : . Security Account to Bills Payable,' for this amount due on the - day of -, by A. B-, for whom I have in- dorsed $- ---. "
The father of Robert Triplett was a man of great energy and enterprise, and although he met with great reverses of fortune he never beeame disheartened. Previous to the last war with England he owned coal mines in Virginia, besides a valuable plantation; but the coming on of the war and the blockading of the Chesa- peake made bankrupt every coal-miner, himself among the rest. His limited means prevented his giving his son Robert the educa- tion which was customary for the sons of Virginia gentleinen to receive. He was well versed in the English branches and could write French with tolerable ease, but his education was not thor- onghly classical. This cansed great humiliation to the mind of young Robert. At an early age he was put to live with a merchant in Richmond, a wholesale importer, withont wages, but merely to learn business. A friend of this merchant, who was in the liabit of calling there, was so well pleased with the manner in which Robert discharged his duties that he solicited his services in his own estab- lisliment. As his employer had very little for him to do he offered no objection. Robert readily agreed to make the eliange and went to work with renewed energy. His new employer was a Scotch importer of salt, china, eroekery, queen's-ware, wine, brandy, etc., all of which was sold by the pipe or erate. As he was remarkbaly fond of his ease, he very soon gave his business matters entirely into Robert's hands. As the time of the latter was not wholly ocenpied with his duties he spent most of his evenings in reading and study. He made it a rule to read at least 200 pages of solid matter every week. He even wrote out an epitome of the histories of Rome and Greece. His genius ran in the line of math- ematies.
Mr. Triplett's first speculation was in the coal mines. There was an immense body of coal piled at his father's yard which he could do nothing with, as the English fleet lay in the Chesapeake, and it could not be exported. Robert observed that coal was $1 per bushel in Baltimore, and insurance twenty-five per cent. He asked and gained his father's consent to make an adventure in it.
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He shipped 3,000 bushels and cleared about $550. IIe made one or two other adventures and was extremely successful. Soon after this he left his employer and went to work for a merchant at Nor- folk at a salary of $900 per annum. He gave nearly all his earn- ings to his father to relieve his embarrassments.
In 1817 Mr. Triplett accepted an offer from Judge Bouldin, . xeenior of the estate of David Ross, to come to Kentucky to set- tle up that estate. There were then no railroads, nor steamboats on the Ohio except one or two that had commenced below the Falls. Horseback was the usual mode of traveling to the West. He made the trip to Frankport in sixteen days. Here he remained for some tiene iu the discharge of the duties attendant upon his mission.
About the year 1820 Mr. Triplett came to Owensboro in com- pany with an acquaintance. On arriving within twenty-five miles of the town his companion informed him that they had reached the beginning of the great survey of M., B. & Co., which extended six miles below Owensboro; thirty-one miles in length, and containing 160,000 acres. About three miles above the town they came in sight of the Ohio River which Mr. Triplett now saw for the first time. It was very full, nearly up to its banks on the Indiana side. The court-honse had been built in Owensboro, and a number of cabins; but there were not more than two or three brick chimneys in the town. After his friend had completed his business they returned to Frankport.
After making a complete digest of his Kentucky business, Mr. Triplett returned to Virginia, with the intention of joining his brother in business; but Judge Bouldin was very nnwilling to dispense with his services and he was induced to continue. So he departed a second time for Frankport. About this time there was a moneyed crisis in Kentucky, and the " Independent Bank sys- tem" was introduced. This was giving a bank to almost every county in the State. Mr. Triplett foresaw a general bankruptcy of those institutions, an'l wrote several essays, under fictitious sigua- tures, to endeavor to stay the ruin, but all bis efforts werc vain. ( This subject is treated more fully in the "Outline History of Kentucky.")
After the rising of the Legislature this year Mr. T. started for the Yellow Banks, to look into the land there, to see about getting possession of it and selling it. His first object was to survey out all the interfering claims, and ascertain how much of the land was clear in title, and what ocenpants were on it; then to have all that
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was clear in title sectionized into tracts of from 200 to 400 acres, with an accurate description attached to each section of the land contained in it, with the probable value thereof, springs, improve- ments, etc., with the settlers thereon. Having obtained an honest surveyor for the purpose, he started him on the work. But new difficulties presented themselves which were likely to give him much trouble. The occupants refused to surrender the land; he had no leases from them, and they acknowledged no tenancy; but they denied his right. The number of parties concerned would render 9 suit very troublesome, and it was important to avoid it if possi- ble. Most of the occupants were reasonable if left to themselves, but an effort was made to create resistance, and many were the "shooting " threats made if Mr. Triplett went on to certain lands. But he braved them all and no serious difficulty ensued. He en- countered one obstinate fellow who was afterward killed in a street- fight in Owensboro. Mr. T. was successful in his undertaking at this point, and then returned to Frankfort. He proceeded to put in form the materials he had collected at Yellow Banks in regard to the entries of Ross and May, which he had surveyed. They called to begin at the upper end of the Yellow Banks, abont forty miles above Green River, and run to the lower end thereof, and back for quantity. He had had a front profile of the bank taken at the upper and lower end and at various intermediate points; had all neatly painted, and an argument framed to sustain the entry, which was in litigation. The large entry of May, Bannister & Co. was also in litigation, but with a decision against them. On looking over the record and applying the facts which he knew of, Mr. Triplett saw there was a fatal defect, which had escaped notice. The ar- gument about the Yellow Banks entries was very long and com- plex. During this fall Judge Bouldin came out to Kentucky, and Mr. Triplett gave him an exhibit of his work. Judge B. instructed him to abandon the entry of May, Bannister & Co., and rely on the patent only. Mr. T. showed him the condition of every- thing at Yellow Banks, with which he seemed pleased; and in consequence of there being a large surplus in the entries of Ross & May, which could not be held against an elder patent, he was advised to go to Washington City to see the Masons and endeavor to compromise with them, giving one half for the other. These things being settled, the Judge returned to Virginia.
The papers, including many relating to titles of land, were in Cincinnati, and there it was necessary for Mr. Triplett to go to get
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them. Having accomplished the object of his visit he returned to Frankfort, and having obtained the necessary powers, proceeded to Washington, where lie met the Masons; but none were authorized to act, so he failed in making the desired arrangement. He then returned to Frankfort, where he remained until the time for the sale at the Yellow Banks, when he went down. He had a large number of maps prepared of the sectionized land to be sold, with books of surveys, the lots numbered and described, so that with a map anyone could find any lot and examine it, and the sale and transfer by number was very simple and easy. Such land as he did not sell at auction he was ready afterward to sell in his office. A reference to his book of surveys gave him quantity, quality and value. He had contracts all printed, as also deeds, bonds and every necessary paper, with the prices on the face of each traet; and after he would sell a tract of land, have all the papers signed, and the whole transaction closed in thirty minutes.
During his stay at Yellow Banks Mr. Triplett put up at Mrs. Adams's tavern; and although she had not a brick chimney to lier house, she had everything neat and tidy, and lier meals were well cooked; indeed, everything as good and comfortable as her means would admit of, and three pretty daughters to set off the whole to advantage.
As long as Mr. Triplett kept his affairs within his own control, he went on regularly upward until his ineome reached $7,000 or $3,000 per annum. But as soon as business expanded until it became necessary to employ agents, although well planned, and upon a basis which in all probability promised success, it then commenced losing, and so continued until a greater portion of what had been previously made was sunk.
The next step was a speculation in coal. His friend G. came with him to the Yellow Banks and was delighted at the prospect. Coal had been discovered in their Bonharbor hills. The coal, for which he purchased the property, was only a thin vein at the river, but a hunter, seeing them working this, said he could show them a better vein in the hills, which he did, to the depth of four and a half teci. And from this to the Ohio, three quarters of a mile they made the first railway, in 1826, which was made in Kentucky and, probably, in the West. The next year they commenced idivering coal to steamboats, being the first attempt below the falls, if not the first attempt in the West, to use coal as a steam- hont fuel.
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About this time (1826 or 1827), Mr. Triplett married Miss Pe- gram. He first settled in Frankfort, but his presence being very much needed in Haphazard, a place in Daviess County where he had previously purchased land, a portion of which had to be drained to make it of any value, he decided to move there. The firm was losing money by their distilleries; nothing went well with them, and they stopped the largest, still continuing one and the steam-mill. Everything looked discouraging. There was a ray of hope let in from the coal mines. Their first experiment had been profitable, and it was determined that Mr. B., one of tlie partners, should go to New Orleans to make arrangements to try to get it into use among the planters or sugar-makers. He author- ized an agent to act in the business, and returned, and they proceeded to send down coal, offering it for fifty cents a barrel. The experiment was eminently successful, every load being sold before it arrived. Fortune showered so many favors upon them that they proceeded to make arrangements for the next year's work upon a very large scale.
In February, 1829, a difficulty occurred with their distiller. As this event and its results are very interesting, we give the details in Mr. Triplett's own words:
"The vile business seemed to go wrong in every way. I found our distiller had been cheating us and charged him with it. This brought on a fist-fight, the only one I had ever been engaged in since leaving school. He was a powerful man, over six feet high, and would have gotten the better of me had we not been parted. My brother-in-law, Dr. P., being present, interposed, and I left the distillery, and with him went down to our office, pretending to be entirely pacitied, and laughing heartily at thic occurrence as a good joke; but as soon as I had thrown the Doctor off his guard and got him to leave me, I returned to the distillery with a toma- hawk, determined to drive the distiller ont. But, fortunately for me, he had gone, for he was a desperate character, and with his mash-stick would have been an overmatch for me with my toma- hawk. I now had the distillery closed and the business stopped. The distiller threatened to sue me for violation of contract, but we compromised the matter by agreeing to leave it to arbitration. In this arbitration occurred a difficulty which caused me circumstan- tially to relate the above affair with the distiller, which otherwise would not have been worth naming. Mr. T. Y., the most promi- nent lawyer in our district, a man of naturally good heart
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but of most ungovernable passion, was my adversary's lawyer, and, in the course of his speech spoke of the . stratagem of Mr. T.' When the argument was over I remarked to him that he had used an expression which he must withdraw. ' What expression?' said he. I replied that he had accused me of stratagem in my dealings with the distiller. 'I did not allude to you,' he replied, ' I meant your brother's stratagem of argument.' My brother was my lawyer in the case. 'Ah, well,' I replied, ' I am glad to hear it.' ' But,' he rejoined, 'I am always responsible for what I say.'
"About six months before this when T. and myself were taking some depositions, he had been needlessly harsh, as I thoughit, on my witness. I took him out to give him a friendly talk about it. His usual mode of proceeding in such cases was harsher than I was disposed to bear with; but he was so accustomed to it that he did not see any harm in it. We were neighbors and I was anxious to keep on friendly terms with him. So I told him, and that to this end more courtesy would be necessary on his part. He took this as a threat and said he would not be threatened by any inan. I told him that so far from its being designed as a threat, I designed by it to avoid any cause of quarrel if possible. But, as I had missed my object, and to the public, if we did quarrel, there might be a semblance of my being in the wrong, I did not intend then to let him draw me into a quarrel; but at any other time when he felt inclined to seek a quarrel with me he should be gratified. Thus we parted, and we were both on the lookout for the slightest provo- cation. Under other circumstances I should not have deemed his remark sufficiently offensive to require me to call him to account for it, nor he would not have refused to let his explanation stand. "Seeing now that I had mistaken him, and although deterinined not to take the shadow of an insult from him (especially as he held the whole country in dread, for when in a passion he lost all control of himself), I was still anxious to avoid a quarrel if I could do so with credit. When he said: 'I am always responsible for what I say,' I looked him earnestly in the face and replied. 'Mr. T., while I believed you intended to insult me, I intended to call yon to account for it. When I perceived my error I was anxious that the difficulty should go no farther. Your explanation was satis- factory, and under that explanation there is no need for you to hold yourself accountable; there is nothing to be accounted for. Let me beg of you now to let this matter stop where it is?' He replied that he withdrew his explanation. I walked up to him with a view
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to make a personal attack upon him, when my brother cried out, 'Good God! Robert, you are not going to strike a lame man.' I halted, and looked at him and said, 'I will not strike you, sir, nor will I challenge yon, abhorring duelling as I do, but nevertheless I will accept a challenge from you, and that you may not be withont provocation for one, I tell you that I only now spare you in con- sideration of your lameness. Now challenge me if you dare.' Our friends jumped in between us, several taking hold of him, and several hold of me. To those who attempted to hold me, I remarked in the language of a man of whom I had read, 'One man can hold me; the balance of you go and hold Mr. T.'
"In due time the challenge came, and was accepted, to fight as soon as I could provide myself with arms. I sent to Hardinsburg for a pair of pistols, said to be the best known. But T. had been there before me. One friend then jumped on a steamboat and went to Louisville, where he found a fine pair belonging to Mr. J. D. B. Another went to New Madrid, where he knew there was a pair which Burr had had on the field with Hamilton. Both pairs were obtained, and so good were they that I did not regret failing to obtain those in Hardinsburg. I now fixed the day for the fight, accepting at ten paces back to back, whirl and fire between the words, "fire " and " three," the seconds to count delib- erately one, two, three. T. objected to standing back to back, as he was lame and could not turn as quickly as I could. I then, waived that condition and agreed to stand face to face. He having the advantage of me in practice, I took time to make myself even with him, and soon found that I was a first-rate marksman, and heard that he was the same. The victory then would fall to him who could shoot quickest; therefore my efforts were to learn to shoot quick. During the interim before fighting 1 was daily engaged with B. in settling up our business, and the evening before in making the final arrangements. B. remarked, it was strange to see a man writing his will, and making such arrange- ments while yet in good health. * * * *
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