USA > New York > Lewis County > Gazetteer and business directory of Lewis county, N.Y., for 1872-73 > Part 9
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MISCELLANEOUS.
PILES-PERFECTLY CURED. - Take flour of sulphur 1 oz., rosin 3 ozs., pulverize and mix well together. (Color with carmine or cochineal, if you like.) Dose-What will lie on a five cent piece, night and morning, washing the parts freely in cold water once or twice a day. This is a remedy of great valne.
The cure will be materially hastened by taking a table-spoon of sulphur in a half pint of milk, daily, until the cure is affected.
HOOF- ALL IN SHEEP .- Mix 2 ozs. cach of butterof antimony and muriatic acid with 1 oz. of pulverized white vitriol. and apply mice or twice a week to the bottom of the foot.
COMMON RHEUMATISM .- Kerosene oil 2 oz-create-foot oil 1 cz .: off of organum oz. shake when used, and rub and heat in twice daily.
VERY FINE SOAP, QUICKLY AND CHEAP- LY MADE. - Foarteen pounds of bar soap in a half a boller of hot water ; cut up fine; aid thave pounds of sal-soda made fine; one oftuce of pulverized rosin ; stir it often Hlad is dissolved : just as you take it off the are. put in two table-spoonfals of spirits of turpentine and one of ammonia ; pour it in A barrel, and fill up with cold soft water ; tit stand three or four days before using. It is an exet flent soap for washing clothes, extracting the dirt readily, and not fading colored articles.
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, VALUABLE RECIPES.
WATER PROOF FOR LEATHER .- Take lin- seed oil 1 pint, yellow wax and white tur- pentine each 2 ozs. Burgundy pitch 1 oz., melt and color with lampblack.
- To KEEP CIDER SWEET .- Put into each barrel, immediately after making, > 1b. ground mustard, 2 oz. salt and 2 oz. pulver- ized chalk. Stir them in a little cider, pour them into the barrel, and shake up well.
AQUE CURE .- Procure 13% table-spoons of fresh mandrake root juice. (by pounding) and mix with the same quantity of molas- ses, and take in three equal doses, 2 hours a part, the whole to be taken 1 hour before the chill comes on. Take a swallow of some good bitters before meals. for a couple of weeks after the chills are broken, and the cure will be permanent.
CURE FOR SALT RHEUM OR SCURVY .- Take of the pokeweed, any time in sum- mer ; pound it ; press ont the juice; strain it into a pewter dish: set it in the sun till it becomes a salve-then put it into an eartli- en muz: add to it fresh water and bees' wax sufficient to make an ointment of com- mon consistency ; simmer the whole over a fire till thoroughly mixed. When cold, rub the part affected. The patient will al- most immediately experience its good ef- fects, and the most obstinate cases will be cured in three or four months. Tested .-- The juice of the ripe berries may be pre- paired in the same way.
SUPERIOR PAINT-FOR BRICK HOUSES .- To lime whitewash, add for a fastener, sul- phate of zinc. and shade with any color you choose, as yellow ochre, Venetian red, etc. It outlasty oil paint.
FELONS .- Stir 1 oz. of Venice turpentine with & tea-spoonful of water, till it looks like candied honey, and apply by spreading upon cloth and wrapping around the finger. If not too long delayed will cure in 6 hours.
A poke root poultice is also said to be a sure remedy.
WATER PROOF BLACKING AND HARNESS POLISH .-- Take two and a half ounces gum shellac and half a pint of alcohol, and set in a warm place until dissolved; then add two and a half ounces Venice turpentine to nentralize the alcohol; add a tablespoon- ful of lampblack. Apply with a fine sponge. It will give a good polish over oil or grease.
MOSQUITOS .-- To get rid of these tormen- tors. take a few hot coals on a shovel, or a chating dish, and burn upon them some brown sugar in your bed-rooms and parlors. and you effectually banish or destroy every mosquito for the night.
CHEAP OUTSIDE PAINT .- Take two parts (in bulk) of water line ground fine, one part (in bulk) of white lead ground in oil. Mix them thoroughly, by adding best boiled lin- seed oil, enough to prepare it to pass through a paint mill, after which temper with oil till it can be applied with a common paint brush. Make any color to suit. It will last three times as long as lead paint, and cost not one-fourth as much. IT Is SUPERIOR.
CURE FOR A COUGH .- A strong decoction of the leaves of the pine, sweetened with loaf sugar. Take a wine-glass warm on go- ing to bed, and half an hour before eating three times a day. The above is sold as a cough syrup, and is doing wonderful cures, and it is sold at a great profit to the manu- facturers.
How to Judge a Horse.
A correspondent, contrary to old maxims, undertakes to judge the character of a horse by outward appearances, and offers the fol- lowing suggestions, the result of his close observation and long experience:
If the color be light sorrell, or chestnut. his feet, legs and face white, these are marks of kindness. If he is broud and full between the eyes, he may be depended on as a horse of good sense, and capable of be- ing trained to anything.
As respects such horses, the more kindly you treat them the better you will be treat- ed in return. Nor will a horse of this de- scription stand a whip, if well fed.
If you want a safe horse, avoid one that is dish-faced. He may be so far gentle as not to scare; but he will have too much go- ahead in him to be safe with everybody.
If you want a fool, but a horse of great bottom, get a deep bay, with not a white bair about him. If his face is a little dish- ed. so much the worse. Let no man ride such a horse that is not an adept in riding -they are always tricky and unsafe.
If you want one that will never give out, never buy a large, overgrown one.
A black horse cannot stand heat, nor a white one cold.
If you want a gentle horse. get one with more or less white about the head; the more the better. Many persons suppose the parti-colored horses belonging to the cirenses, shows, &c., are selected for their oddity. But the selections thus made are off account of their great docility and gen- tlenvss.
Measurement of May in the Mow or Stack. - It is often desirable, where conveniences for weighing are not at hand, to purchase and sell hay by measure- ment. It is evident that no fixed rule will answer in all cases, as it would require more cubic feet at the top of a mow than at the bottom. The general rule adopted by those who have tested it, is that a cube, each side of which shall measure eight feet. of solid Timothy hay, as taken from mow or bottom of stack will weigh a ton. The rule may be varied for upper part of mnow or stack according to pressure.
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TWENTY YEAR CALENDAR.
Almanac or Calendar for 20 Years.
CB
A
G
F
ED
C
B
A
GF
E
1864
1865
1866
1867
186S
1869
1870
1871
1872
1873
D
C
BA
G
F
E
DC
F
E
D
1874
1875
1876
1877
1878
1879
1880
1881
1882
1883
1
8 15 22 29
Sun.
Sat.
Frid'y.
Thurs.
Wed.
Tues.
Mon.
2
9.16,23 30
Mon.
Sun.
Sat.
Frid'y.
Thurs.
Wed.
Tues.
3 10 17 24 31
Tues.
Mon.
Sun.
Sat.
Frid'y.
Thurs.
Wed.
4 11 1825
.
Wed.
Tues.
Mon.
Sun.
Sat.
Frid'y.
Thurs.
5 12
19 26 .
Thurs.
Wed.
Tues.
Mon.
Sun.
Sat.
Frid'y.
6 13 20 27
Frid'y.
Thurs.
Wed.
Tues.
Mon.
Sun.
Sat.
7 14 21 28
.
Sat.
Frid'y.
Thurs.
Wed.
Tues.
Mon.
Sun.
Jan. and Oct.
A
B
C
D
E
F
G
May.
B
C
D
E
F
G
A
August.
C
D
E
F
G
A
B
Feb., Mar., Nov.
D
E
F
G
A
B
C
June.
E
F
G
A
B
C
D
Sept. & Dec.
F
G
A
B
C
D
E
April & July.
G
A
B
C
D
E
F
EXPLANATION .-- Find the Year and observe the Letter above it; then look for the Month, and in a line with it find the Letter of the Year; above the Letter find the Day ; and the figures on the left, in the same line, are the days of the same name in the month.
Leap Years have two letters; the first is used till the end of February, the second during the remainder of the year.
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LEWIS COUNTY.
LEWIS COUNTY.
LEWIS COUNTY was formed from Oneida, March 28, 1805,* and received its name from Gov. Morgan Lewis.t Its boundary lines were altered slightly by the erection of Pinck- ney, Feb. 12, 1808, and Wilna, April 2, 1813. It lies north of the center of the State and west of the vast and celebrated wilderness known as the "North Woods," or " Brown's Tract," which slightly impinges upon the east border. It lies prin- cipally within the valley of Black River; contains 747,788 acres; and is centrally distant from Albany 116 miles. Its greatest length is fifty-six miles, and width thirty-four. The surface has a general inclination on both sides toward Black River, which is generally low, so low that at intervals the land adjacent to it is swampy.} It attains its greatest elevation in the west, where it is about 1,500 to 1,700 feet above tide.
* The bounds of the County are thus described in the act erecting it: " All that part of the county of Oneida, contained within the following bounds to-wit : Beginning at the south-east corner of the county of Jefferson, thence sontherly on the westerly line of the town of Turin, to the south-west corner thereof ; thence easterly, along the south line of eaid town, to the south-east corner thereof; thence north fifty-two de- grees east, along the southerly line of the tract of land known by the name of Ma- comb's purchase, to the line of the county of Herkimer ; thence north, along the said last mentioned line to the bounds of the county of St. Lawrence : thence along the south-westerly line of the said last mentioned county to the line of the said county of Jefferson, and thence along the southerly and easterly bounds thereof to the place of beginning. * *
+ Gov. Lewis was born of Welsh ancestors, in New York, Oct. 16, 1931. He gradu- ated at Princeton College in 1773, and studied law with John Jay. In June, 1775, he entered the army before Boston as a volunteer in a rifle company, of which he was chosen captain the following August. He served with distinction during the war of the Revolution and that of 1812, and on the 2d of March. 1>13, he was promoted to the rank of Maj .- Gen., having previously held many important intermediate offices. Ile was elected to the Assembly in 1790 and '92, was appointed Attorney-General in 1791, and served as Governor of this State from 1501-7. He was elected to the State Senate in 1810. by a larger majority than had ever before been given. His generosity was rendered conspicuous during his military career. while on the Canadian frontier, by the advancement of large sums from his private means to defray the expenses of exchanged prisoners, at a time when the credit of the government afforded no security, and during his eivil life, by the remission of A year's rent, to each of his tenants as served during the war of 1812, for every campaign in which they participated, either personally or by substitute, and of three years' rent to every family having a near relative killed or maimed during the war. Gov. Lewis married Gertrude, daughter of Judge Robert Livingston of Clermont, in 1777. He died at New York, April 2, 1811.
# In Martineburgh, Lowville and Denmark extensive flats are submerged at times of freshets.
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LEWIS COUNTY.
Occasional low ridges, isolated masses of gneissose rock and the rugged gulfs* and narrow chasms worn by its streams diversify its physical features. To the center of the half west of the river, from Lake Ontario, the surface is characterized by a swampy plateau, but east of this it descends in a succession of terraces to the river. These terraces are broken occasion- ally by the valleys of streams flowing from the north-west, which cross them obliquely. Gneiss crops out upon the surface at places distant only about half a mile west of the river. East of the river the inclination is more gradual, the east border being about 1,400 feet above tide. The streams from the east generally flow over sandy beds, and those from the west, over rocky and gravelly beds, and often through wild ravines. The soil east of the river consists of a light yellow, sandy loam, and is inferior for culture, while upon the west side it is, in places, exceedingly fertile. The soil in the lime- stone region, though sometimes of little depth, is everywhere productive. At the foot of the plateau in the west part is a strip of stiff clay which extends the whole length of the County. It is but a few rods wide, and gives rise to numerous springs and swamps. The whole country was originally covered with a dense growth of timber, and much of the County, especially in the eastern and south-western parts, is still occupied by forests.
The County possesses much of interest to the geologist, though no valuable minerals have been developed whose quan- tity and quality render them profitable.t Iront and leads have been found and worked to some extent. Its rocks belong to the second and third groups of the lower Silurian era. Those cropping out upon the base of the plateau forming the west
* Numerous gulfs appear upon the elevated plateau which forms the west boundary of the County, and is underlaid by slate and shales. They are in some instances from 100 to 300 feet deep and over three miles in length. The most conspicuous of these are Chimney Point and Whetstone Gulf in Martinsburgh. Beaver meadows were found upon the streams flowing from this plateau at an early day in the history of the County.
+ " Zircon. sphene. tabular spar, pyroxene, gieseckite, nuttallite, blue calcite, bright crystallized iron pyrites, Kon-selaerite, quartz in minute crystals lining cavities and coccolite are found near the Natural Bridge."- Gazetteer of the State of New York, 1872. Vast quantities of sea shells are found embedded in the rock.
+" Magnetic ores with much sulphuret of iron, have been mined in the village of Port Leyden, and have been found in Greig, interstratified with gneiss. Iron sand is com- mon on the borders of the streams and lakes east of the river. Bog iron was formerly taken from swamps near the river, and reduced to bar iron at Carthago."-Gazetteer of the State of New York, 1872.
§ " Lead veins have been explored at a vast expense. and with barren results." "In 1837 a lead mine was somewhat extensively wrought one mile north-west of Martins- burgh village, and several tons of lead were made at a great loss. Mines in Lowville and Martinsburgh, but more especially in the latter town, have within a few years been an object of speculation and ruinous investment. * * Black oxyd of manganese has been found in swampe upon the sum tof Tog Hill, in the south-west part of Mar- linsburgh, but not of a quality or in quantity worthy of notice."-Gazetteer of the state of New York, 1872.
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LEWIS COUNTY.
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border of the County are the Black River limestones .* Next above these are the Trenton limestones, which form an irregu- lar terrace with a nearly uniform thickness of 300 feet. It is very compact and but slightly affected by the action of the elements. The streams which have cut through to this stratum have generally a single perpendicular fall, and in many places is presented the face of steep declivities. Above this and to the west of it the Utica and Lorraine shales rise 500 feet higher to the table land on the west border, forming a ridge, which in this County, has received the suggestive name of Tug Hill. The junction of the limestones and shales is concealed by the strip of clay before alluded to, so that it is no where discernible.t Underlaid by the shales is a fine, deep soil, admirably adapted to grazing, but it is liable to late and early frosts.
The principal streams are Black, Beaver, Deer, Moose, Os- wegatchie, Indian and Sugar rivers, the north and west branches of Salmon River, and Fish, Independence, Otter, Crystal, Cobbs and Martins creeks. Those flowing from the east are generally very rapid, and some of them furnish valu- able water power.
Black Rivert flows north, in a circuitous course, through near the center of the County, and is the recipient of most of the other streams. It furnishes in its course some excellent mill seats. and during the early settlement of the County, before roads were constructed or were sufficiently good to ren- der them passable at all seasons in the year, it afforded an excellent highway for the transit of persons, produce and other commodities. Its navigable waters which extend from Lyons Falls to Carthage, a distance of 424 miles, are connected with the Erie Canal at Rome, by the Black River Canal.
The passenger traffic of this river is now monopolized by the railroad which extends along its valley. Three steamers are employed, principally in propelling canal boats.
Beaver RiverS enters the County from Herkimer, in the north part of which it rises, near the center of the east line of Watson, and flows north and west through the north part of that town and the south part of Croghan to Black River, forming for a few niiles from its confluence with that stream the dividing line between Croghau and New Bremen.
* Waterlime has been made from the lower strata of this formation in Lowville and Martinsburgh, and veins of lead have been disclosed in the upper strata of the Trenton limestones, in. the same towns.
t Wels sunk east of this strip of clay invariably reach limestone, while those sunk to the west of it as invariably reach slate or shales.
+ Known to the Indians as Kahuahgo, Nikahionhakowa and Kamargo, being varioue- ly named by the different tribes.
SKnown to the Indians as chasine, which means crossing on a stick of timber.
64
LEWIS COUNTY.
Deer River* rises in the south-west part of Montague and flows in a north-easterly direction through the west part of that town, across the south-east corner of Pinckney and the north- west corner of Harrisburgh, and through the west part of Den- mark, to Black River.
Moose Rivert enters the county in the south-east corner of Greig, and flows westerly through the south part of that town to its recipient, the Black River, furnishing in its course some excellent mill privileges.
Oswegatchie River, or rather a branch of it, enters the County from Herkimer and flows west through the north-east part of Croghan, to near the center of that town, when it deflects to the north and flows through the center of Diana. Its course is mostly through uninhabited portions of the County.
Indian Rivert rises in the central part of Croghan and flows north-west to the north line of Croghan, across the south-west corner of Diana, and leaves the county at Natural Bridge, Jef- ferson county. It turns at nearly right angles soon after pass- ing the underground passages worn in the coarse white lime- stone which here forms the surface rock, and flows north to near the center of the north-west border of Diana, when it again turns south and finally leaves the county in the north angle oc- curring on the west line of Diana.
Sugar River rises in the south-west part of West Turin and flows north-east to the center of that town, when it curves to the east, crossing the town, and flowing south-east centrally through Leyden to Black River, which it joins a little south of the south line of the County.
Salmon River§ rises by its north and west branches in the west part of the County. The former rises in the south-east part of Montague and flows west through the south part; the latter rises in the east part of Osceola and flows south into Lewis, when it turns west and flows through the south part of Osceola.
Fish Creek|| rises in the south-west corner of Martinsburgh, and flows south through the west border of High Market, south- east across the cast angle of Osceola and the south-west corner of High Market, which town it again enters, and in a southerly
* Known to the Indians as C'anegotodo, which means corn pounder.
t Known to the Indians as Tekahundiawio, which means clearing an opening. .
* Known to the Iroquois Indians as Ojegback, meaning Nut River, and to the St. Regis Indiaus, as Ofriquake, "where the black arh grows with kuota for making clubs."
§ Known to the Indian + as Gtheme 171.
" There are two creeks beirin ; this name in this County. The smaller one flows weat through the central part of Greig, and empties into Black River. The larger was known to the Indians as Tayusuke.
65
LEWIS COUNTY.
direction through the central part of Lewis, on the south line of which town it leaves the County.
Independence Creek, enters the County in the north-east cor- ner of Greig, and passes immediately into Watson, in a west- erly direction to Black River, entering Greig on the north-west border again just before forming the junction.
Otter Creek* enters the County in the north -east part of Greig, and flows west through the north part of that town to Black River.
Crystal Creek rises in the north part of Watson and flows westerly through the south part of New Bremen to Black River.
Cobbs Creek rises in the north-west corner of Martinsburgh, and flows in a north-westerly direction, diagonally through the center of Harrisburgh, and unites with Deer River in the west part of the latter town.
Martins Creek rises in the west part of Martinsburgh and flows east through the center of that town to Black River.
There are numerous other small streams, some independent of, others branches of these. In the north and east parts are several picturesque lakes, many of which are remote from the principal settlements. Several mineral springs occur in the County, west of Black River. Many of them originate in the shales, composing Tug Hill, but the principal one emanates from the limestone in the south of Lowville. All of them emit sulphuretted hydrogen gas, and some have been used for medicinal purposes.
The nature of the soil is such as to readily adapt it to the culture of spring grains, and some of the coarser kinds, such as corn, oats and barley, are raised in considerable quantities ;+ but it is peculiarly adapted to grazing, and dairying is the chief branch of agriculture. It is emphatically a dairy coun- try, and this branch of industry is rapidly increasing in im- portance and developing the wealth of the County. The census of 1870 reports 32,29S milch cows in the County. At the present time (1872) there are about fiftyt cheese factories in the County, which produce about 8,000,000 pounds of cheese annually, worth about $1,000,000.5 In 1869, 2,080,259 pounds
* Known to the Indians as Daireennet, which means the otter.
t .An abstract of the census reports for 1570, which will appear in another portion of the work, will give a detailed tabular statement of the agricultural products of the County.
+ In 1871 there were 39 cheese factorice in the County. 33 of which wand in the aggregate the milk of 16.310 cows. - Ferenth Annual Report of the American Duiry- WWW's Association for 1671.
§ Speech of Chancellor Pruyn at the feld meeting of the Aldany Institute, at Low- ville, Sept. 12, 1572.
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LEWIS COUNTY.
of butter were made in the County, and 5,273,183 gallons of milk sold .* Less butter and more cheese is now being made. Lumbering and tanning form branches of industry which are of no inconsiderable importance. Vast forests of timber still cast their somber shadows over the east and west borders of the County, and immure, like mural giants, the thrifty and enterprising inhabitants of the fertile hills and vales border- ing Black River. Those upon the east extend nearly to the river. These, however, are fast disappearing under the con- stant and increasing demands of the numerous saw mills, whose steel jaws tax the energies of the sturdy ax-men to supply them. Already the value of forest products of this County rank the eleventh in the State. There are about 130 saw mills in the County, some of immense capacity, which produce annually as many million feet of lumber. Of this large quantity about one-third is manufactured in Greig. There are twelve great sole leather tanneries in the County, which annually manufacture a half million sides of leather and consume over 30,000 cords of bark.t Iron, to a limited extent, paper, wood pulp for paper, tannin, cheese boxes, sash, doors and blinds and pumps and wood piping are manu- factured to a greater or less extent.
The County seat is located at Lowville, having been removed from Martinsburgh, the original seat, by an act passed March 10, 1864.1 The first courts were held in Martinsburgh, Dec. 8, 1805, at the inn of Chillus Doty, where they were held for nine successive terms. During the eight succeeding terms they were held at the house of Ehud Stephens. One term of the court of oyer and terminer was held at Lowville Academy, previous to the erection of the court house. The original court house and jail was erected on a site donated by Gen. Martin of Martinsburgh, in 1811, an act having been passed March Ist of that year to raise by tax 81,200 and $300 by loan.§ The first courts were held in the new build- ing, January. 7, 1812. The present court house is a brick
* Census of 1870.
t Speech of Chancellor Pruyn.
+ A strife was manifested between the residents of Lowville and Martinsburgh for the location of the County seat, but the latter place was selected. The commissioners appointed by the Governor and Council for the selection of the County seat were Matthew Dorr, David Rodgers and John Van Benthuysen. The first County officers were Daniel Kelley, First Dige ; Jonathan Collins, Judah Barnes and Solomon King. Judges ; Lewis tiraves and Asa Brayton, Asst. Justices ; Asa Lord, Coroner ; Chillus Doty, Sheriff ; Richard Coxe, Clerk ; and Ionac. W. Bostwick, Surrogate.
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