History of Oneida County, New York : with illustrations and biographical sketches of some of its prominent men and pioneers, Part 147

Author: Durant, Samuel W
Publication date: 1878
Publisher: Philadelphia : Everts & Fariss
Number of Pages: 920

USA > New York > Oneida County > History of Oneida County, New York : with illustrations and biographical sketches of some of its prominent men and pioneers > Part 147

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" The increasing population, the rage of speculation in land by Americans, Dutch, and Englishmen, double actually the value of the lands. An nere sold four years since from one to six shillings is now valued at ten. I speak of woodland ; cultivated farms have risen from £4 to £6, and this price is doubled in the neighborhood of villages.

" Every family does increase the value of the adjacent uncultivated lands, and five and twenty of the one hundred farms sold at one dollar per acre nugment the price of the remaining 75 to sixteen shillings, while the sale of 25 more, the soil being equal, doubles it yet four or five times.

" The western parts of this State, sir, ere now generally considered ns its richest and most valuable part, which spurs every forehanded man to npproprinte a part of it to himself or his children. It is, never- theless, to be regretted, although this hindrance is compensated again by some great advantages, that few individuals become owners of such immense tracts, by which, as soon as they have made some flourishing establishments, they are enabled to increase the price of the remainder arbitrarily ; but here, too, avarice betrays often the possessor. The prudent Inndhulder blends the public interests with his own, reaches in both his aim; hecomes his benefactor of a country, which repays him with usury; is their father, who are delighted in their welfare and opulence; and obliges his country by multiplying its useful citizens, augmenting the products of the land, and increasing the wealth of the State.

"Justice requires, as I hinted the disadvantages of a few great Innd- holders owning more ocres of land than many princes and dukes in Germany, that I mention the favorable side of this question. They open, generally with enormous expense, the roads, erect mills, make liberal advances to the honest, industrious settler, and make his pny- ments easy. Besides, n few of these have resolved to settle in the wilderness, and allore by their example many respectable families to press their steps.

" All this shall, I hope, dear sir, convince you that the western parts of this State shall be settled within a few years, that the actual owners of the lend must become independent, and that every industrious family which invests her small property in a good farm, if it continues to exert itself, must, under God's blessing, ere long be at ease and affluence.

" I am yours,

"Fn. AD. VAN DER KEMP .*

" KINGSTON, 19 Jaly, 1792."

"KINGSTON, July 27, 1792.

"MY DEAR SIR, -I asserted, when I had Intely the pleasure of seeing you, that I did not boast when I assured you in my Inst letter that the western counties were the best part, and would be, ere long, the most potent part of our State in every sense of the word; that it cannot fail, or every judicious landholder in the Western District, who is ac- quainted with the value of his lands, who knows when he may sell, and when his interest requires to put a stop to his sale, must acquire a considerable fortune within twenty-five years; or, that every inde- pendent family which makes a purchase there, and retains in reserve a surplus to supply it in the beginning with articles of the first neccs- sity, and smooth the ruggedness of their new career by what the con- venience and comfort of a family requires, may, within six years, be as much at ease as in any other part of the State, and shall be plenti- fully rewarded by the fruits of their labors, and secure to their children, even during the life of their parents, an independent station. I might have snid-which I know could not be an inducement to you- that seats in both houses of the Legislature, offices of honor and trust, are, of course, allotted to men of any respectability, if this glitter has any eharms in their eye.

"You may recollect, sir, that when I communicated to you my cx- cursion to the western branch of the Delnware, I informed you of some particulars relating to the settlements of that part of our western world, which drew forth a few others with regard to Dutchess and Ulster County. These may be subservient to illustrate my assertions in favor of the west. The situation of Dutchess, now one of the most populous counties, was, fifty years past, not more favorable than that of innny parts of the Western District nt.present. Mr. Livingston, then clerk of that county, could scarce nfford to keep a horse from the emoluments of his office, while now his annual perquisites exceed £700.

" The families of Livingston, Beekman, Van .Reosalaer, Van Courtland, Sehuyler,-in one word, all the powerful families of this Stnte, merchants excepted,-ncquired their actual wealth end respectn- bility by the purchase of new lands and their judicious settlements on these. I should not have been surprised, my dear sir, had a cer- tain respectable family succeeded in the purchase of Rosevelt's tract, or we should have seen ere long an elegant country-seat on the banks of Lake Oneida, encircled at some distance by well-cultivated farms. You would have fostered a similar opinion,-with this difference only, that it would have been generally more favorable, ns you were, during the last years of your residence in Europe, better inured by fatigues than your friend,-could you, as I did hope, have accompanied him on this journey. His excellency, George Clinton, thought so, and joined our oames together in all the letters of recommendation with which his kindness honored me again, as he was wonted to do in former ex- cursions.

" I remained long in suspense before I could resolve in what man- ner I should undertake the expedition, either with a sloop to Albany, then with a wagon to Schenectadi, and so ascend the Mohawk in a bateau, or with n chair to Schenectadi, or at once on horseback to Fort Stanwix ; ense pleaded for one of the former, my preference wns given to a chair; bot the impossibility to obtain one here in any way,

# This gentlemen was a distinguished scholar in several languages of Europe, but had only a small acquaintance with the English ; and due allowance giust be made for the various incongruities ubservable in these letters.

PHOTO BY WILLIAMS.

D.A.CRANE,M. D.

NCE OF DR. D.A.CRANE, HOLLAND PATENT , ONEIDA C º, N. Y.

LITH BY L.N. EVERTS, PHILA. PA.

ALEXANDER PIRNIE.

LITH. BY L.H EVERTS, PHILA.PA.

RESIDENCE OF ALEXANDER PIRNIE, TRENTON, ONEIDA CO N.Y.

545

HISTORY OF ONEIDA COUNTY, NEW YORK.

and the approbension that the sloop und batean would require a vast deal of time, more than I could have allotted to this exenrsion, made me at length resolve, although with reluctance, to go on horseback. Since 1773, when I asked my dismission the Dutch cavalry, I had not rode a horse, except in 1778, from Alexandria to Mount Vernon, when I visited General Washington. Now it was a journey of nearly two hundred miles. But I was resolved; my good neighbor provided me with a saddle and other accoutrements of a cavalier,-I risked to take ons of my own horses, an I proceeded slowly on. You are acquainted with all these parts so far as the house of the widow of Peter Scbuy - ler, so that I cannot communtente anything deserving your attention. Now and then I ventured a few rods, but soon permitted the horse to resume his easy pace. About noon I had passed the Grooten Imbogt, about twenty miles from home, went on after dinner to Catskill, and took tea with Mr. Bogardus at the Landing, which is indeed a very agreeable spot. The increasing population of the western country gave birth to this little hamlet on the North River. Several mer- chants from New England and this State had established themselves; Just year their anmber was augmented to twenty, and this year sev- enteen new buildings, houses and stores, were finished. The situation is indeed delightful, on the banks of a large creek, and not far distant from the North River, very well adapted for trading with the western country. .

" The soil has nothing extraordinary to recommend it, neither was it chosen on this account by the first settlers; their views were fur- ther extended; they did foresee tbut even barren rocks, which hy no means is the case, might, under the vivifying influence of commerce, render these a comfortable habitation. The inhabitants were chiefly respectable toen, while the family of Mr. Bogardus peculiarly might have tempted you and me to fix our residence on that spot, ennld we have contemplated it, on our arrival from Europe, so as it now appears.

" Towards evening I rode on to Cough Sagie? aod stopped at the honse of John Brunk, persuaded, after having traveled forty miles at the first onset, that I could accomplish my purpose. My supper was but indifferent,-tea, bread and butter, with a bit of warmed mutton,-but in full compensation of it the mistress of the house was very civil. Next morning I went to Albany, where I met with a cor- dial reception from Dr. Marcius, whose hospitality, frankness, and amiable character leave you scarce time to do justice to his profes- sional merits. Every instant the decision of the election of a new Governor wns expected, and as the city was pretty equally divided between the two illustrions candidates, Clinton and Jay, a painful anxiety was legible in every conotenance. At 8 o'clock it was known with certainty that George Clinton was re-elected for the sixth time. The joy of his friends was more moderate than might been con- jectured from the ardent zeal with which they had patrocinated this highly-respected statesman, while the friends of Mr. Jay, spurred by the noblest motives in promoting his election with all their strength, knew too well their interests and duty to disturb it. This is the gen- uine spirit of Republicanism, but, alas! too seldom listened to. In the morning the sound of guns proclaimed the Governor's election to the neighborbood.

" On Friday morning I rode on to Schenectadi, where I spent a few hours with the Rev. Romeyn, one of the most learned and emincot divines of the Reformed Church in this State, beloved by his flock, respected by the most respectable in the State, as a man, a citizen, and & Christian preacher. He communicated to me many important observations with regard to the soil, the stupendously increasing population of the western country, with its vast increasing strength. ' Without Albany, without the commerce of New York,' continned he, pleasantly, 'the south of the State might soon become an appendage to the west.' With a lively ecstasy he expatiated on all its advan- tages, and gave me, with his usun] accuracy, a picturesque description of the various settlements of the Mohawk. He praised the luxuriant fields on this river; dwelt with delight on the towos of German Flatts and Herkimer ; but Seboharie be called a terrestrial paradise, and described its farmers amongst the wealthiest and happiest inhabitants of New York State. He assured me that fifteen hundred families passed hy his house, during the winter of '91, to various parts of the western lands; while I was afterwards informed by another credible witness that, during the winter of '90, within forty miles of the

river-point, where the rivers of Onondaga, Seneca, and Oswego are joined, had been counted 240 spon oxen.

"I proceedod after dinner about twenty miles further; stopped a few moments at the ancient residence of Sir William,t now occupied by Mr. Jacob Cuyler, and remained at night on Trip'e Hill, at Mr. Putnam's, six miles from Coughwaga. On Saturday morning I breakfasted at Simon Veeder's, Esq., rode on eight miles further to Bankert's Ion, and arrived about noon et the mansion of the respect- able widow of Colonel Phil. Schuyler, in Palatine-town. There I mnet with n cordial reception. Mrs. Schnyler appeared most interested in the welfare of Mrs. v. d. K. and our John, who with us, four years past, had been entertained under her hospitable roof. I was again inch pleased with her animated, intelligent conversation, and gathered more real information from a desultory discourse than I might have received from an elaborate discussion of a philosopher who had never seen the country. She informed me, too, of the best houses on the road.

" After dinner I crossed the Mohawk, three miles nbove Pantine- town, and did see Canajohari, which name, although I cannot now interpret, yet I hope to have it in my power after a while. You recollect that sample of Canadian song-

"'Cani-de-jouve, cani-de-jonve, He, he, he, he, ha, heura, heura ou ce be.'

" In the Diction de Musique, if you can explain this, you too mny give the etymology of this place. After a ride of seven miles further, I tarried at a ci-devant Indian castle, now a very recommendable inn, kept by Mr. Hudzon, to drink a dish of superior good tea. It was my design to proceed to Herkimer, as I was informed that I was to meet there a good reception, but iny good horse was scarce able to lift one foot before the other; consider further, that this good beast, by often going and returning to examine one or other object a little more care- fully, by always pacing even on the roughest road, was thoroughly fatigued; that the sun was set ; that I was ignorant of the road, and, as you would say, not much to be trusted where I knew it; and that, above this all, Captain Bellinger, the landlord of a homely tavern, endeavored to persuade me that I ought to stay with him, because, be said, the horse could not proceed farther ; that to-morrow, if he might now recruit, it would make it up with a double speed. And then, re- flecting that the cavalier longed for rest as much as his beast, yon cannot be surprised that your friend yielded so soon to the urgent en- treaties of that noble captain. My supper was not above mediocrity ; my bed and sleep of the first-rate. The hope of repairing my loss of the evening by a good breakfast made me stir carly, so that I arrived at eight at Mr. Aldritz, in former days another Indian castle. The respectable appearance of the landlord and his lady, their dress, coun- tenance, manners, language, the furniture, the neatness of the house, the order and promptitude with which the commands were executed, soon convinced me that my conjecture would not dwindle away in nn airy vision. Good bread and butter, excellent tea, fresh eggs, with a disb of salmon-tront-a sort of European sorrel-worthy to be pre- sented to the best man in the State, were more than sufficient to satisfy a craving hunger. Now was I in Herkimer; crossed again the Mohawk ; puced slowly through the German Flatts, a beautiful plain, whose rich fertility must strike even the inattentive eye, from the charming fields covered with all sorts of grain,-here whent, corn, potatoes; there oats, peas, barley ; there, again, another variety of the sime products, at intervals surrounded or separated with clover. These flatts, terminated from one side by the Mohawk, from the other by the rising bills, at whose bottom the farm-houses and churches were constructed, maintain many thousand descendants of native Germans, who, searching a refuge from infatuated despotism in this land of liberty, have chiefly preserved the manners, language, and religion of their ancestors. The same is true with regard to their neighbors in German-town and Herkimer,-all of German origin, somewhat tempered with British, Dutch, and American blood.

" Colonel Staringht was the man by whom I intended to dine if it was obtainuble. Although his honor was at the same time a judge of the Common Pleas, thus high in civil and military grandeur, yet he kept a public-house, and my imagination was soon highly inflamed wben I glanced on his mansion and its appurtenances. The colonel was gone to the mecting; his barn was the place of worship. I went thither; the assembled congregation wus very numerous; our Lord's

t Sir William Johnson.

# Staring.

# Now Coxsackie.

546

HISTORY OF ONEIDA COUNTY, NEW YORK.

Supper was celebrated with deceney, and, as it appears to me, by many with fervent devotion. Four children were baptized by the Rev. Rosekrantz, of the German Flatts, who made this pastoral visit to dircet these religious solemnities. After service the flock erowded promiscuously in the eclonel's house and used sparingly some refresh- ments. The large majority gloricd at the renewed election of George Clinten, while the weighty principle of many was, 'Now, certainly the court-house should be fixed there, as they had generally given their votes for George, while very many on the German Flatts, with the same motive, with the same hepc, had been lured to vote for Mr. John Jny.' So wantooly plays the multitude with that for every freeman so precious privilege of election : for traveling a mile, more or less, yea, for thousand times more pitiful if not for more contempt- ible motives, is nominat liberty transformed in actual slavery. I cannot see it, or I bewail the general state of mankind ! How divine is the theory, how difficult, how unattainable, nearly, the solid prae- tice, of a pure, popular government. except among & poor, virtueus class, within its family of brothers, as in Switzerland ! We, my dear sir, paid dearly for our visionary schemes of perfectien, and I do not yet regret it, as we found here liberty blended by laws, and so much aristocracy rendered constitutional that neither the one nor the many can do wrong for a loog time, god so much demoerney sared as to keep the remainder from degenerating and degrading herself; while I deem him a miscreant who abuses this good by naine, to spread a cloak over bis nefarious, ambitious views, till he sees the road open to crush the few and the many together. May Adams' defense become a general school-book, and his lessons brought in practice!

"The presence of the Rev. Pastor; the solemnity of the sacred festival; the presence of the fathers of the baptized children, some of them related to the colonel, procured me a good dinner. A very good soup, salad, roasted chiekens, beef and pork, with bread and butter, were soon destroyed by fifteen or sixteen hungry guests. The Rev. Rosekrantz was born in the Duehy of the Paltz-Tweebruggen, from " respectable family ef Swedish origin. Endowed with a learned education, he was not a stranger in elegant literature; a serious preacher, who knew the art to enliven society with a well-regulated hilarity.

" At nine miles' distance, near Old Fort Sehuyler, I crossed the Mobawk River for the last time; took my tea at Mr. John Post's;# renched Whitesborough abont evening, and stopped at the house of Judge White, the father of this flourishing settlement, to whom and Mr. Jonas Platt his Exeelleney, George Clinton, had favored me with letters of introduction. I met on the rond to Whitesborough a group of Oneida Indians, some of them horseback, others walking and jumping ; the one with a bottle, another with a jug or small keg with rum ; for the most part merrily jolly ; some deeply soaked hy the beverage distilled from the cane. Their numbers increased in pro- portion ns I approached nenrer Whitesborough. There I saw about two hundred, of every age and of both sexes, around their fires near the road, cating, drinking, smoking, singing, laughing, all ef them in perfect harmony together, though many a little before had tried their strength and agility upen one another.

"The occasion of this unusual conecurse was that they came to receive the corn frem the State, which had been stipulated in one of the articles of the late treaty. But they soon changed this corn- certainly for a large part-by the merchants for money, which they changed again for chintzes, silk, handkerchiefs, linen, ete.

" How longer and oftener I contemplate these Indinn tribes, how more I am confirmod in my ecojecture, which was supported by Buf- fon, 'that the northerly inhabitants of America, as well as a large part of those in the south, chiefly have the bleed of Tartar origin in their veins.' By this I will not say that nene of the offspring of the aborigines of this country are remaining; neither that the inhabitants of some parts may not be the offspring of savage tribes, driven before these Tartarian herdes from their castern seats on the confines of the northeastern Asiatie shores; no more as I would eontest that a few islanders, even Norwegians, might have been indueed er compelled to settle en the northern parts of the American continent. Manners, language, features, render it rather plausible; but to con- clude for these reaseos with Grotius -- that stupendous wonder of learning, of whom might be asserted what Livius said of Cato, 'That his intellectual endowments were so extensive that he exeelled in what-

ever he undertook, and seemed to devote himself to that seience' -- that our country was colonized by Norwegians, and extort arguments from etymology, you might as well derive Alfana from Equus.t

" Michaelis may convince yon that the ten tribes could not have searched here an asylum, nod I dare assert that had this hypothesis been placed on a solid foundation there would yet exist incontrovert- ible proofs. Perhaps I may glance at this topic some future day, and then you will judge with what success.

"I doubt not, my dear Mappa, or I shall convince you of the plausibility of this cherished hypothesis when I have time to collect my arguments, as the Chancellor Livingston desired, and put these in battle array among my Philos. Rea. or the theories of Buffon and Jefferson ; and if then I may be so successful ss to render it prob- able that the Gauls, the Francks, the Celts originated all from the same immensely prolifie bee-hive, then nothing is wanting but correct genealogieal tables to prove to the first fair squaw-and there are handsome ones, indeed, if you make some small allowances-that we are distant cousins.

"The greatest part of the Indians whom I have seen are tall and robust, with strong, well-shaped limbs, broad foreheads, the nose somewhat eurved, the ears loog and broad,-deformed by art.

"Several of the Oneidas speak the English tanguage very correctly, as I am informed, and many, too, write it. Peter Otyageit, who, dele- gated to Congress, died this year on his journey, had been for some time in Frunce with the Marquis Lafayette, and was io some respects highly eivilized and master of the French language and politeness, although it was doubtful if his heart was improved as well as his head; at least he has been accused that he did learn to blend the viees of the savages with these of a polished nation. So true it appears with regard to those unhappy tribes, that if their fathers did ent sour grapes their children's teeth have become dull indeed; and it may be justly questioned if the vicinity of their white neighbors is to them not rather a eurse than a blessing. How contrary is this with the genuine spirit of Christianity ! But what chemieal operation is powerful enough to extract it from Indian traders and straggling borderers ? Captain Jacob Reed speaks and writes with tolerable necuracy, shows a bold and courageous appearance, and dresses as a white man ; but now, toe, I delineated bis chief worth. Beech-tree, their chief, had the greatest influence on them.

"The cradles of their babes are of a curious workmanship, often lined with silver plates, ornamented with wiogs, and wrapt in silk. Their principal merchandise are furs, with whose value they are thoroughly acquainted. The principal are those of Benvers (Fishers), Hespans, or Raccon3, Martins, Minks, Muskrats, Beers, and Deer- skina.

" Judge White was commissioned to distribute ameng them the stip- ulated grain. He is a man between fifty and sixty years of age, of a middle stature, corpulent, and of a comely appearance. He enjoys now that exquisite gratification of being the creator of his own for- tune, and plucing all his children in an independent situation. Judge White resided in Connecticut in the year 1785. He made a journey to the western part of this State; made a purchase of the land be now lives en ; moved thither in 1786t with his five sons; built a log bonse and barn; went the next year for his wife ond remaining children, although there was not at that time one single white man in the nine miles around him. In 1788 be constructed a saw- and grist-mill ; possessed in the fourth year all which he wanted for his convenience, ense, and comfort in abundance; built in the fifth year a convenient frame house and substantial barn; and is now eneireled by a number of respectable families,-amongst these two of big married sous and Mr. Jonas Platt, son of Judge Zephaniah Platt, married with Miss K. Livingston, a sister of that eminent divine in New York, who yet reeellected with a grateful remembrance the time he spent at the Dutch universities.

"I deem the nequaintance of this young man a real acquisition, for which I am again indebted to our friend George Clinton. I bava often, indeed, been surprised with admiration at his knowledge of men, which is a distinguishing trait of his character, and in my opinion

t "" Alfana vient d'Equns, sana doute ; Mais il faut avener aussi Qu'en venant de là jusqu'ici Il a bien changé sur la route.' " P. BONHOAR's Man. de bien parler, Dial. ii. p. 173. 1 Ses history of Whitestown for correet statement.

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History of Oneida County, New York : with illustrations and biographical sketches of some of its prominent men and pioneers, Part 147

Author: Durant, Samuel W Publication date: 1878 Publisher: Philadelphia : Everts & Fariss Number of Pages: 920

Author: Durant, Samuel W
Publication date: 1878
Publisher: Philadelphia : Everts & Fariss
Number of Pages: 920