History of Chautauqua County, New York, and its people, Volume I, Part 65

Author: Downs, John Phillips, 1853- ed. [from old catalog]; Hedley, Fenwick, Y., joint ed. [from old catalog]
Publication date: 1921
Publisher: Boston, New York [etc.] American historical society, inc.
Number of Pages: 649

USA > New York > Chautauqua County > History of Chautauqua County, New York, and its people, Volume I > Part 65

Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).

the "Independent." The tributes to Mr. Howland's memory from the great, all over the earth, attest to his high position in the editorial world. One writer speaks of him as the best loved publisher in New York.

One of the most notable men to live among us for a time was Jacob Riis. For some time he was in James- town, with the family of Nicholas Romer. Mrs. Romer and her daughter live now in Dunkirk, and it is through the kindness of Miss Romer that I have the following information and the letter incidentally mentions an- other writer.

My dear Mrs. Schlender :- My father, always ready to lend a helping hand to everybody, probably offered our home to Mr. Riis. He had a good jolly time while he was there. About a score of years after he came to Buffalo to lecture and to renew his acquaintance with the old haunts. In "The Making of an American," Mr. Riis mentions a young countryman of his by the name of Anton B. Ronne, a young man about the same age as Mr. Riis, and of whom he became very fond of. I do not know how long Mr. Ronne resided in James- town, but it was a little longer than Mr. Riis. Mr. Riis speaks of Mr. Ronne as being serions-minded. Indeed, a more marked contrast could scarcely be found than between the dispositions of these two men. The one was almost a pessimist, while the other was a great optimist, the bright spots of life standing out most conspicuously. They were both destined to become writers of note. Mr. Ronne settled in Hartford and be- came deeply interested in labor problems and sociologi- cal questions. He wrote several articles which were published in the "Popular Science Monthly," and was a frequent contributor to the Hartford newspapers. Mr. Ronne prepared an essay on Herbert Spencer's "Synthetic Philosophy," not, however, designed for publication. A friend of his who was interested in hearing it read, obtained a copy to send to Mr. Spen- cer and another for publication in the "Hartford Daily Times." The friend, Mr. Albert H. Walker, said: "It must be real satisfaction to Mr. Spencer in his old age and retirement to receive evidence that his life work is being appreciated among the people as well as among the scholars of the United States. He is prob- ably the most intellectual man now living on this plan- et, and it must be a just satisfaction to Mr. Ronne to have received his attention and his approval."

The information concerning Mr. Riis I have taken from a little pamphlet I happened to have. It does not give a complete list of Mr. Riis' works, for it was writ- ten several years ago.

Sincerely yours, JENNIE C. ROMER.

Jacob Riis was one of the most picturesque and com- pelling figures in American literature ten years ago. He can be compared very truly to Theodore Roosevelt, his lifelong friend and admirer. The two were intensely sympathetic. Mr. Roosevelt said of him, "He and I look at life and its problems from substantially the same standpoint. Our ideals and principles and purposes and our beliefs as to the methods necessary to realize

them were alike." He was one of the greatest reformers America ever had. He fought almost singlehanded against the politicians and landlords of New York City, backed by all the power of selfishness and graft, and he stuck to it until he won, until he had wiped out a dozen blocks of the worst tenements in the city. The story is recorded in "The Making of an American"- one of the most affecting things in recent American literature.

Charles M. Dow, of Jamestown, has found time in his busy and useful life to record the results of his years of study and research. Besides many articles in "Out- look" and "Review of Reviews," he has written a history of "100 Years of Finance and Commerce in Chautauqua County," and "A History of the State Reservation at Niagara." In the introduction to the lastmentioned book, Mr. William B. Howland says, "The History of the State Reservation at Niagara is recited in these pages by a man who has for fifteen years given his great ability to the work of opening to the whole world under agreeable conditions and without the sordid influence of commercialism, the stupendous natural wonders of Niagara Falls." Mr. Dow has just completed a very exhaustive "Bibliography and Anthology of Niagara Falls." Mrs. Dow has written some very graceful, fanciful Indian legends of Chautauqua Lake.

There are many men and women who write much and well for magazines and periodicals. There is not time to go into detail about their work or to even mention them all; but Chautauqua county may be proud of its long list of literary folk. Just a few of them: James Parker Hall, dean of the Chicago Law School; Willis R. Whitney, an authority on scientific subjects, principal- ly chemistry ; Miss Mary Hazeltine has contributed to library periodicals. Also Hon. Benj. Dean, Lynn Lew Sprague, Ernest Cawcroft, Dr. Palmer, Daniel Post, Mary R. Willard, Lewis Mckinstry, Miss Grace R. Mc- Kinstry, Mary Barrett Howard, William S. Rann.

In "The Atlantic Monthly" of November, 1918, and February, 1919, appear two stories written by Hascal Avery, a former resident of Forestville, now a lawyer of New York City. "Caveat Emptor" is the story of the bartering and trading of Silas Ball's old horse, "Dob- bin." in and about Forestport. Forestport is Forestville, and Pompton is Pomfret or Fredonia. The story is well remembered by local raconteurs. "A Change of Venue" takes place also in the Arkwright Hills, and character- izes Fredonia thus: "It is now necessary to explain that Pompton was an attractive place for widows and old maids, and that its chief business enterprise was a State Normal School." Mr. Avery has the gift of being a natural story teller.

Forest Crissey was born in Stockton, and received training for his literary achievements with the "Chicago Times" and "Chicago Post." He has contributed to "Country Gentleman," "Harpers" and "Saturday Even- ing Post." His short story, "The Pretender," in "Har- pers," is a splendid delineation of boy character, and his book, "Country Boy," shows a keen understanding of things youthful. Of late Mr. Crissey's writings have taken a more serious trend. His articles in the "Satur- day Evening Post" show an understanding grasp of world problems. "White Lights and Lean Larder," in a recent number, was especially good, also "Our Soviet Sleeping Sickness," and "Larger Leisure." He is also a regular contributor to "Collier's Weekly." Mr. Crissey has the faculty of presenting facts interestingly and forcefully. He is also the author of "In Thompson's Woods;" "Tattlings of a Retired Politician ;" "The Story of Foods." He wrote the poem, "Chautauqua County," which prefaces our "Centennial History." Mr.

simple where bear's

she h Her er: a Finest

head pasty dull

2By C Fre

sente tinct Her but Ene story Fast

predet:

Pense

He-

Ene is r

re n for Star

293

SOME MEN AND WOMEN WRITERS OF CHAUTAUQUA COUNTY

Crissey's "The Story of Foods" is, I believe, unique, and I want to quote from its introduction. "The book is a vivid presentation of a subject of daily interest to every pupil and teacher in school, as well as to every other member of the household and community. Mr. Crissey's book has an important function to perform in the school, but it also deserves a place as a working handbook in the home, for it holds a rich fund of prac- tical information." Let me mention some of the chap- ter headings: "The World's Commerce in Meats," "Vegetable Oils." "The Story of the Salmon," "Tea, The World's Social Drink," "What the Wholesaler Does," "What the Retailer Does."

One of the great men who has achieved fame as a writer, a former resident of our county, is Richard Ely, now head of the Department of Economics of the University of Wisconsin. Mr. Ely has an international reputation as an authority upon political economy, and is probably the best known writer on that subject. Among his later books are "The World War," and "Leadership in a Democracy." At the close of the war he was decorated hy the French government in recogni- tion of his splendid services in organization work in the State of Wisconsin.

Jean Webster ( Mrs. Glenn Ford Mckinney) is es- sentially a Chautauqua county product, and has the dis- tinction of being the author of at least two best sellers. Her "Patty" stories gave her some measure of fame, but it remained to "Daddy Long Legs" and "Dear Enemy" to give her the position in the front rank of story tellers. All are familiar with the stories-the two last have the merit of being written for a purpose. Jean Webster had a message and she put it across. "Dear Eneniy" is perhaps the best book she has written. There is not alone fun in the book, there is solid stuff of life, with the young society woman suddenly placed at the head of the orphan asylum, a drear gray place, full of pasty faced small persons in gingham, oppressed by dull rules and bad food. The story is told in drear, sad, quaint funny letters, and one wouldn't want it told in any other way.

Fredonia has another woman writer of whom it is justly proud. Grace Richmond. The "Ladies' Home Journal" published her first stories in 1891. Since then she has written many others, and about twenty books. Her "Juliet" stories endeared her to the younger read- ers, and she may well be classed as one of the very finest story writers of today. She has, more than most of her contemporaries, the gift for disclosing the simplest and deepest feelings of men and women every- where in just those words which are at the back of our heads and hardly ever on our lips. They are the words we ache to utter, but never quite bring ourselves to say. Her humor is so natural, especially in her stories of the newly married. She has created several types ; "Red Pepper Burns" is the best known. We like Mrs. Rich- mond because we are all emotional creatures and she reflects our emotions for ns. "On Christmas Day in the Morning" is a tiny book in size, but it is a world- wide sermon, a sermon without being preachy, too.

The new papers of the county have discovered and helped develop many men : among them, George V. H. Philpot, now known as George V. Hobart. While in Jamestown he petitioned the county court of Chautauqua county to allow him to abandon his surname and be known as George V. Hobart, the latter being his moth- er's name. The petition was drawn by Marvin Smith, a brilliant lawyer, twenty-five or thirty years ago, and it is often quoted as an example of legal wit. Those who remember Mr. Hobart when he was a telegraph operator taking the United Press reports for the "James-

town Morning News," say that he was a dreamer, and of little use in practical work, often declaring the lines out of order, so as not to be disturbed in his own more congenial work of writing and drawing. After leaving Jamestown he did special work with other papers, and finally drifted to New York. My informant says he wrote several light operas with touches of Chautauqua county in them, and later developed his funny page in colors for the newspaper, in which he has achieved great success, and is most prosperous.

John R. Spears was the publisher of a newspaper in Sliver Creek many years ago, leaving that place for New York, and later being on the "New York Sun." Mr. Spears is the author of the "History of the United States Navy," which is authority above any other books on that subject. Ray Spears, his son, is a writer of stories of adventures for such magazines as "Argosy."

Another newspaper man who ranked among the fore- most in the profession was the late Don Martin, of Silver Creek. Mr. Martin began his career with the papers of Buffalo, going from there to the "New York American" and later to the "Herald," where he re- mained twenty years. In the November "American" is an article telling of his almost uncanny predictions of presidential elections and incidentally giving some in- teresting sidelights on his personality. The author says, "A better companion on the wait-over at the trolley junction would be difficult to find. I have known Don for fifteen years and don't know whether he is a Demo- crat or a Republican. He is like the man who, speaking of Eternity, said he had friends in both places. But he does get vehement when the question of American- ism is touched upon, and he can cry 'traitor' and 'sedi- tion' as loudly as the best of them when he hears some one say Uncle Sam isn't the same invincible old chap he was in former historic periods." The article goes on to tell of Mr. Martin's successful foretelling of presi- dential election results for the past fourteen years. The newspapers and magazines paid wonderful tributes to his memory at the time of his death, all attesting to the high regard in which he was held.

One of our younger writers who has won distinction is Harold Stearns, of Dunkirk. Mr. Stearns is a con- tributor of verse to such high class poetry magazine as "Bellman" and "Contemporary Verse." as well as "Bos- ton Transcript." New York "Tribune" and "Sun." A collection of his poems has been presented in hook form called "Interludes," and he is now at work on an "Anthology of Andover Verse." He is an instructor at Andover, and is a member of the exclusive Authors Club of Boston, which numbers among its members such celebrities as Amy Lowell and Robert Frost.

As we know, our county has a long list of illustrious men and women in the literary world that she can claim -as her own, but there is no one to whom we point with greater pride than the world-famous war-correspondent, author and lecturer, Mr. Frederick Palmer. It would be impossible in the short space allotted to adequately review Mr. Palmer's activities. To quote from a maga- zine article :

"The man who campaigns year in and year out, as a profession and not as an occasional lark, has no time to play to the grand-stand. Frederick Palmer is one of these. He is a war-correspondent because he likes it and because he knows the game. Here are a few of his assignments covering a relatively short time. The First Rush to the Klondike, the Greek War. the Philippines, on the Olympia with Dewey, hack to the Philippines, with the Allied Columns to Peking, from China to Korea, to Europe over the Trans-Siberian Railway, to Panama, to Kiel, Europe, with Special Work in Paris and Rome; to the Balkans, Russo-Japa- nese War. We know that since then he has heen cor respondingly busy. During the trouble in Tien Tsin

294

CHAUTAUQUA COUNTY AND ITS PEOPLE

they tell of his covering two thousand miles in a week, by land and water, in many kinds of craft, to get his story in the earliest mail. Such feats as these in the day's work preach the fact that added to the gift of the ability to write a good descriptive story, Mr. Pal- mer possesses initiative and daring."

Besides his newspaper work, he has been a steady con- tributor to the magazines of late, principally "Collier's." Among his best known articles are: "England's Man of Common Sense," "In the Canadian Trenches," "On the Belgian Bread-line," "Smiles among Ruins," and "Tak- ing it out of the Tourist." The last is a keen scathing indictment of the traveller who is so gullible as to imagine he is making an impression by his lavish ex- penditure of money ; the final sentence, is "bear in mind that the American who spends his money like a fool, will be considered nothing else by the members of the guild who greet his liberality with ingratiating smiles."

Mr. Palmer has written many books: "Going to War

in Green," "The Ways of the Service," "Central America and Its Problems," "My Year of the War," "My Sec- ond Year of the War," and some fiction: "Over the Pass," "The Last Shot," "Our Greatest Battle." There is in his novels more idealism than one expects from the hardheaded newspaper correspondent. But Mr. Palmer combines those qualities that we knew too in Richard Harding Davis, the quality of the idealist and the seer of visions with that of the practical man of action.

When this paper was first suggested, it was the idea to include in it only the distinguished writers of our county-those men and women who had written books of importance-but later it was decided to mention as many others as possible-those, perhaps, who were not so prominent, and the list is a long one, and Chautauqua county can feel that she has contributed no mean share to the literature of the country.

CONSERVATION OF FISH AND GAME. By Richard H. Heppell.

The carly history of Chautauqua seems a romance when read by the present younger generation, and it seems difficult for it to realize the stern life of the early settlers and the obstacles which they faced and overcame.

Here was a section of country in its virgin simplicity and grandeur; a land of hills and valleys; level tracts of high and low altitudes covered with a wealth of forest and dotted with beautiful lakes and streams. It was situated on the south-east shore of the inland sea called "Conti" by the Indians, and "Lake Erie" by the white settlers. Early historians assure us that at that period buffalo, deer, bear and other animals in abundance roam- ed the county ; birds of numerous varieties found here ideal conditions for nesting and feeding, and fish of many species abounded in the lakes and streams. The climate was of unusual variety, stern and rugged easter- ly of the range of hills during the winter months, and temperate in summer. Along the shore of the lake it was mild and windy during the winter, but also mild and pleasant during the summer, and delightful during the early fall. It was so tempered by the water of the in- land sea that late spring and early fall frosts were rare, a prolonged favorable condition for all life, a charm not found in other parts of the new country. It is no wonder the red men coveted this territory and waged fierce war for possession, later to look with disfavor on the advent of the white man whose mode of life was not theirs and whose first act was to fell the timber and clear the land, thus driving away the buffalo, deer and other animals that had furnished food and sport for the Indians from time immemorial.

Of course man must live and the congested humanity of Europe having learned of a new continent rich in all of nature's endowments had started a pilgrimage toward the west. They were to satisfy a great yearning to pos- sess land, and to experience liberty hitherto unknown. History furnishes the story of their arrival and their conquest of the red man, the wild animals and the forests ; the building of homes, their forming of ham- lets, these in time to grow to villages and cities. It may be asked what this has to do with the conservation in Chautauqua county. Conservation is a very broad subject, though many think of it only in the familiar term as applies to forests, foods and to fish and game, subjects of present day use, and also the now widely dis- cussed conservation of health. In fact, the word seems to have taken possession of the people, and an awakening

of conscience is spreading over the land, as education in the many forms of conservation is being furthered. The answer is the happiness, prosperity and life itself of the present and coming generations.

The early settlers felled the brush and trees so they might clear the land and plant grain and other crops on which to keep life. The timber and brush were heaped in huge piles and burned as there was no use for them. This indeed seemed needful and necessity knew no law. With the great increase of immigration and subsequent natural increase of population, mercantile industry de- veloped. Lumber was needed for the building of homes and factories, and saw mills flourished throughout the land. Timber seemed so plentiful as to be almost in- exhaustible. As a result only the best was in demand, the remainder being burned or left to decay. So the history of waste started with a people striving for ex- istence and waste has continued through the methods employed by the lumber interests to the present. The result was soon apparent to those of foresight. Di- minished forests afforded but little conservation of the winter's snow and spring and fall rains. Springs "dried up" and streams diminished, and man continued to slaughter the wild animals, good and bad alike.

From James Macauley's volume, "The Natural, Statis- tical and Civil History of the State of New York," under date of 1829, under the heading "Zoology," the following is quoted :

The black moose is the largest quadruped found in our State. It inhabits the extensive forests lying be- tween the Mohawk and the St. Lawrence rivers and lakes Champlain and Ontario. In the summer the moose go in families. In winter they congregate to the number of twenty or thirty. They choose the cold- est places, and when the snow is deep, they form a kind of yard, consisting of several acres, in which they con- stantly trample, or beat down the snow that they may more easily range around. The hunting of this animal is with some a favorite amusement.

The elk, at present, inhabits the forests of Alle- ghany, Cattaraugus and Chatauque. It is very swift on foot, and often escapes the hunter. When hard pressed, it plunges into rivers and lakes, and either swims across, or keeps in the water till its pursuers abandon the chase. Its meat is highly relished by

some.

The deer originally inhabited all the counties in the State, but at present, it is chiefly confined to the north- ern and western forests. The hunters, in the new set- tlements, bordering the forests, kill great numbers every year. In half a century, very few, if any, will remain. None are now to be seen in the old settle-

lat I

The the prin

thon or Qua

The rent ness

CONSERVATION OF FISH AND GAME

295

ments, some on Long Island excepted. Half a century ago they were to be seen in herds within a mile or two of the Mohawk river; but now there are none. In 1762, these animals were so numerous in Queen's and Suffolk counties that they were taken in pits. The legislature, in December, the same year, passed a law to prevent taking them in this way.

This reads like a dream, as our largest wild animal today is the red fox, whose chief ambition is to eat the few grouse man has left. Thus has the large game be- come extinct in the county, and the fish have not been spared. Lack of forest protection has resulted in great- ly diminished streams, whose water in summer soon becomes too warm for the brook trout, and man's in- difference to the welfare of others, not to mention the fish, has allowed municipal and other sewage to pollute the waters which should have been kept pure. Streams that abounded in bass, pickerel, pike or trout, now contain mullett, suckers, horndace and chubs.

Lake Erie was famous for black bass, pike, trout. white fish and sturgeon, but the wasteful methods of the early commercial fishermen were about equal to those of the lumbermen. "Pound" and "trap" nets, set on reefs, frequented by bass and sturgeon in spawning time, took everything large and small. Sturgeon were in demand for the eggs, which were shipped in quanti- ties to the East, where they were put up in cans and sold for "Russian Caviar." The carcass was usually discarded, beirg thought of little value for food, and thousands of tons of sturgeon were used for fertilizer or were discarded. The few who realized the good quality of sturgeon meat profited however, as the fisher- men of 1876. who gladly accepted twenty-five to fifty cents for choice fish weighing thirty to forty pounds. The "gill" nets were devised to stretch across the cur- rents to catch the deeper water fish, and a thriving busi- ness was soon established, most of the catch of this vicinity being shipped from Dunkirk and Westfield. The catch started as soon as the ice began moving down the lake, the first catch being white fish. The meat is prime at this time. Next came blue and grey pike (perch pike), then "ciscoes," which had little value, and later in the fall came the second catch of pike.

The ruthless catching of fish at spawning time and the indiscriminate and wasteful methods of net fishing aroused the indignation of the real sportsman, as the supply became greatly diminished as the fishing business increased. Sportsmen met and organized fish and game clubs, and petitions were sent to the legislature urging the passage of more stringent laws to regulate the catching of fish and taking and killing of game in the county. Later the Commission of Fisheries was created (now the Conservation Commission with greater field and powers ), and an effort was made to propagate and protect the wild life. Small appropriations made by the legislature allowed only a limited amount of work to be done by the Commission, probably as the impression of the general public was that the sportsmen only were benefited. Today we more fully realize the need of "out-of-door" recreation, to maintain healthful condi- tions of body and mind.

The few game wardens and protectors appointed were soon in great demand and frequent visits were made to Chautauqua county. Thousands of dollars worth of "pound" and "trap" nets were seized and destroyed, and other violators of the game laws apprehended and punished.

Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.

History of Chautauqua County, New York, and its people, Volume I, Part 65

Author: Downs, John Phillips, 1853- ed. [from old catalog]; Hedley, Fenwick, Y., joint ed. [from old catalog] Publication date: 1921 Publisher: Boston, New York [etc.] American historical society, inc. Number of Pages: 649

Author: Downs, John Phillips, 1853- ed. [from old catalog]; Hedley, Fenwick, Y., joint ed. [from old catalog]
Publication date: 1921
Publisher: Boston, New York [etc.] American historical society, inc.
Number of Pages: 649