USA > New York > Wyoming County > Perry > History of the town of Perry, New York > Part 13
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The Last of the Matter.
From the Times of Sept. 5th, 1855.
"Two weeks ago a company was organized with a capital stock of $1,000, with ten per cent. paid in, with the following named officers : Hon. R. H. Smith, president; R. C. Mordoff, treasurer ; H. N. Page, secretary. Said company to be known as 'The Experiment Company,' organized to devise ways and means to capture the snake. During the present week, very little of what the committee are doing has transpired. Last week, several members visited Buffalo, conversed with several of the oldest fishermen there and availed themselves of the suggestions and experience. It has been suggested to the com-
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HISTORY OF THE TOWN OF PERRY
mittee that Mr. Green, a submarine diver now engaged in rais- ing the treasure of the 'Atlantic' in Lake Erie, might prove of service in the capture of the monster. Whether the suggestion will be acted upon by the committee is yet a matter of doubt. Another suggestion, and one that could be easily tested, is to place live bait in and around the marsh where the serpent has been most frequently seen, elevated sufficiently to give those watching a fair shot at his majesty, should he appear. Various other suggestions are before the committee, but they seem to keep their affairs to themselves, at least for the present."
The Cause of All the Excitement, or the Real Snake.
Business had been very quiet in the hotel line in Perry for several seasons. Various schemes for improving conditions had been considered, and to the late A. B. Walker is credited the plan of creating the Silver Lake sea serpent. Confiding the prop- osition to a few of his intimate and trustworthy friends, he found that it met with their instant approval. Of various plans discussed, the following was deemed the most practical and sur- est of ultimate success. The serpent was to be constructed of a body about 60 feet long, covered with a waterproof canvas sup- ported on the inside by coiled wire. A trench was to be dug and gas pipe laid from the basement of a shanty situated on the west side of the lake, to the lake shore. A large pair of bel- lows such as were used in a blacksmith shop, secreted in the basement of the shanty connected to that end of the pipe, and a small light rubber hose from the lake end to the serpent. The body was to be painted a deep green color, with bright yellow spots added to give it a more hideous appearance. Eyes and mouth were to be colored a bright red. The plan of manipulat- ing the serpent was simple. It was to be taken out and sunk in the lake, and then when everything was ready, the bellows were to be operated and air forced into the serpent, which naturally would cause it to rise to the surface. Weights were to be attached to different portions of the body to insure its
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THE SILVER LAKE SEA SERPENT
sinking as the air was allowed to escape. Three ropes were to be attached to the forward portion of the body, one extending to the shore where the ice house now stands; one across the
THE MONSTER SERPENT OF SILVER LAKE
RAPER
EI To PERRA
lake, and the other to the marsh at the north end; the serpent to be propelled in any direction by the aid of these ropes.
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HISTORY OF THE TOWN OF PERRY
Many nights were spent by these friends in its construc- tion. It is said that the serpent was made in the old Chapin tannery, which it will be remembered, was situated in the out- let ravine. At last it was completed and taken at night to the lake and sunk in about 20 feet of water. One of the men went across to the shanty to operate the bellows, the others rema'n- ing near the spot where the serpent was sunk, to note the ro- sult of their labors. They did not have long to wait, for sud- denly the head of the serpent appeared and rose gracefully to a height of about eight feet above the water. Other portions of the monster became visible and the entire construction was so lifelike that it sent the shivers coursing through the bodie; of the builders. It was towed about by the men for a time to be certain that it would remain upright and work well gener- ally. Then the signal was given, the bellows stopped forcing the air, and the monster which was to place Perry and Silver Lake "on the map" forever sank rapidly and soon disappeared from view. Its tryout proved a great success, even more so than its builders had anticipated.
The thing to do now was for them to wait for a favorable time to "spring it" upon the people. On Friday evening, July 13th. 1855, one of the men reported a boatload of men engaged in fishing not far from where the serpent was secreted. Other conditions being favorable, it was decided that the proper time to open the show had arrived. It was destined to be a larger and more nerve-racking entertainment than any of them had dreamed.
After a period of several weeks of genuine excitement, pleasure, and a greatly increased business at the hotel, it began to dawn upon the men that things would be mighty hot for them in this section of the country if their mischief were found out. On two or three occasions only a miracle seemed to have prevented discovery, and finally, after one of these narrow
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THE SILVER LAKE SEA SERPENT
escapes, it was decided that the sea serpent had done its full duty, had accomplished the purpose for which it was construct- ed, and now must disappear forever. Accordingly, it was taken from the lake and stored in the attic of the hotel. When the Walker House was destroyed by fire in this village in 1857 the remains of the great hoax were discovered in getting out some of the contents of the building.
Following its removal from the lake to its place of hiding there was patient waiting on the part of people for its reap- pearance at its frequent haunts, but no indications of a solu- tion of the great mystery becoming apparent, the excitement gradually abated, visitors departed to their homes, and the old time routine of village affairs succeeded, and the Silver Lake Sea Serpent passed into history.
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CHAPTER XII
Political Divisions Existing in the Early Days-Anti-Masonic Feeling Entered Into Politics but Soon Died Out. Beginning of Anti- Slavery Crusade.
Political opinion in the early days of the settlement of Perry was divided into two principal parties, viz: the Federal and the Republican. 1 Prior to the War of 1812 the Federals were exceedingly popular, but their opposition to the carrying on of that war caused many desertions from their ranks and eventually the party dropped their name and its members became affiliated with other organizations. The Re- publicans had been termed by their opponents, by way of ridicule and reproach, "Democrats." a name which they came gradually to adopt. About the year 1815 this party was also known as "The Bucktails." After the disappearance of the Federal party their main opponents were "The Clintonians." They were afterwards known as "National Republicans," which name distinguished them from the "Demoerat-Republi- cans" or Democrats, as the old Republican party was after- wards called.
The Anti-Masonie party had its origin in the excitement following the publication of a book purporting to disclose the secrets of Free Masonry and the subsequent disappearance of its author, Wm. Morgan, a resident of Batavia. The party be- came fully organized in 1828 and at once became exceedingly strong in this section of the State. In 1832 the Anti-Masonic party consolidated with the National Republicans for the pur- pose of carrying the State for their ticket and electing the National Republican candidate (Henry Clay) for President. The objects of this coalition were not attained, however, and
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POLITICAL DIVISIONS
the Anti-Masonic party ceased to exist soon after the campaign ended.
The Whig party, which later became one of the chief con- tenders for honors at the polls, grew out of the combination of the two above mentioned parties, and that name was retained by them until the formation of the Republican party in 1855. Local residents who were prominent Whigs of the period of 1840-50 were: Robert and Peter Patterson, Calvin P. Bailey and I. N. Stoddard. Prominent Democrats of that time were : Rufus H. Smith, Wm. Mitchell, Moseley Stoddard, Linus W. Thayer and James Sherman.
A local history of the campaign of 1840, which ended in a notable victory for the Whigs, was kindly furnished the writer by the Hon. Harwood A. Dudley of Warsaw, a short time be- fore his death in May, 1914. Mr. Dudley became a resident of Perry in 1831. The article was originally written for the Perry Record and published in that paper in 1898.
The Campaign of 1840.
The political campaign of 1840 is still remembered by people who are old enough to remember the stirring scenes which occurred 58 (now 75) years ago. It differed from the rough-and-ready campaign of 1844, when Henry Clay was de- feated. The campaign of 1840, which resulted in the election of Gen. Wm. Henry Harrison, is often referred to as "the sing- ing campaign." The Whigs were certainly in a musical frame of mind and the campaign songs of the period are yet retained in the memory of many people. The refrain of
"Tippecanoe and Tyler, too
And with them we'll beat Little Van.
Van, Van, Van, is a used up man,
And with them we'll beat Little Van,"
fixed itself deep in the mind of a boy who was then 16 years of age, and often comes up for review, with all of the attendant circumstances of its original rendering. The song was printed on slips of paper and distributed at a meeting held in a log
CALVIN P. BAILEY. Member of Assembly, 1829-1830.
Full of energy as a pioneer business man; fearless, enthusiastic and ready for any emergency. With entire confidence in the future of Perry, he was ready to embark in any enterprise that needed push and pluck to make it a success. A man of great native talent; a strong Whig partisan. (H. A. Dudley.)
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POLITICAL DIVISIONS
cabin erected for political purposes ; or, rather, to be the center of the gatherings, for the cabin would not generally hold the crowds that gathered to hear the speeches and sing the songs that helped to keep up the enthusiasm of the campaign.
The log cabin in the Village of Perry stood on the corner of Main and Covington streets, so that the crowd of people could find standing room on the ground immediately surround- ing the cabin, as well as on two broad streets of the village. The logs for the cabin had been contributed by the Whig farm- ers of the region, and the slabs for the roof had been drawn from the upper saw mill by Mrs. James Sherman, whose hus- band was a mild and subdued Democrat. She drove her own team, standing up man-fashion on the load, and was received with the hearty cheers of the enthusiastic Whigs, who took the team from the wagon and unloaded the slabs, when Mrs. Sherman was drawn by hand to the front of the hotel, where a Whig orator thanked her for her contribution toward the election of Harrison. The old song was never sung more en- thusiastically than on that occasion. This event woke up the dazed Democrats, who thought to annoy the Whigs by taking advantage of the cover of night to bore holes in the flag-staff so that, when a strong wind should blow, the weakened pole would break off at the peak of the roof. The mischief was dis- covered at daylight and the pole was braced up and strength- ened. A watch was maintained all through the campaign to prevent another attempt to injure the property or the cause. A man and boy were always on duty after that occurrence to thwart the jealous Democrats, either to take away the braces from the pole, steal the coon skins tacked up by the side of the door, or carry off the cider barrel that was kept on tap near the entrance. My turn at watching came with Walter Scott Bailey, one of the most enthusiastic young Whigs of the town. The service was cheerfully rendered by both of us.
Alfred S. Patterson, a venerable resident of Westfield, per- formed a feat of horsemanship during that campaign which probably has never been excelled. Mr. Patterson then lived in Perry. He drove from the village to Rochester, a distance of over 40 miles, a 40-horse team attached to a two-story log cabin on wheels. The structure contained over 100 persons who made
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HISTORY OF THE TOWN OF PERRY
the trip in this novel fashion to attend a monster Whig demon- stration. It took all one day to accomplish the feat, but Mr. Patterson landed his load on time. A remarkable feature of the trip was the successful turning of Buffalo and Exchange streets in that city. Thousands of people witnessed and ap- plauded the act.
There was a combination of patriotic feeling and pioneer enthusiasm in the campaign of 1840 that was unique and telling in its effects. It was the first break of the people from a long line of Democratic successes, which may be said to have de- rived its strength from the vigor of the Jackson regime. The campaign touched the hearts of "the common people," or as Lincoln called them, "the plain people," and they determined to throw off the yoke of what they believed to be a Democratic aristocracy, which seems to be a paradox. The line of Presi- dents had all been from the South ; the North had a strong vot- ing power, but not much influence at Democratic conventions, and this good-natured campaign seemed to have been a turn- ing point in our political history, which is still felt and recog- nized.
Systematic agitation of the slavery question began in 1833, during which year "The American Anti-Slavery Society" was formed. From then on until the close of the Civil War, slav- ery became the main issue of contention. From time to time the Legislature had enacted laws concerning slavery, extending up to the year 1819. In 1799 a law was passed providing for the gradual extinction of slavery in New York State. In 1817 a further act was passed decreeing that there should be no slavery in the State after the 4th of July, 1827. Ten thousand slaves were set free by this act. County organizations of The American Anti-Slavery Society were formed throughout the State. Such a society was formed in this county (then Gene- see) about the year 1836 at Batavia. The pro-slavery agitators were quite numerous in the Northern States at this time, and several meetings of the local society, and other abolition rallies
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POLITICAL DIVISIONS
were broken up through their efforts. In explanation of this it should be understood that at this time there was a general feeling all through the North that slavery was allowed and upheld by the Constitution of the United States, and as a con- sequence, many people opposed the abolition movement.
The Genesee County Anti-Slavery Society, at a meeting convened at Warsaw on March 23d, 1836, decided to establish a paper for the purpose of expressing the abolition sentiment. One thousand dollars was subscribed for its support the first year. This paper, The American Citizen, was accordingly established at Warsaw, but at the end of a year its finances were in such condition that its abandonment appeared neces- sary. At this juncture, Mr. Josiah Andrews of Perry, an ardent supporter of the anti-slavery cause, purchased the newspaper and outfit and removed it to Perry, furnishing the capital for its continuance. David Mitchell and Lewis were its publishers, Mr. Lewis soon retiring and being succeeded by Ansel Warren. In January, 1841, the publication was removed to Rochester.
This was not the only philanthropy of Mr. Andrews, who was perhaps the best read and educated man in the town at that time. He was born in Buckfield, Maine, in 1799, and came to Perry in 1817, his brother Mark having made his home here the year previous. With the exception of six years spent in Cincinnati, O., he resided in Perry until his death in 1847. Mr. Andrews was known as the village orator and poet. In the earliest days of the anti-slavery crusade Mr. Andrews was' an earnest foe of the evil and for a time was connected with the "underground railroad" and assisted slaves in escaping pursuit under the fugitive slave law. He was liberal in giving to all good causes in which he was interested, and was prob- ably Perry's greatest temperance advocate, going so far as to purchase the old National Hotel for the sole purpose of hav-
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HISTORY OF THE TOWN OF PERRY
ing it conducted as a temperance tavern, in opposition to the other hotels which were licensed.
The Liberal Party, formed from the American Anti-Slav- ery Society, was organized in 1839. Although it had many sup-
JOSIAH ANDREWS
porters in this section of the State, a great majority of the Abolitionists refused to join the new party, preferring to re- main with the old parties and voting for candidates who were opposed to the extension of slavery and in favor of its gradual extinction.
For a few years previous to 1848, the Democrats had been divided into two factions, namely: "Hunkers" and "Barn
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POLITICAL DIVISIONS
Burners," the last named being opposed to slavery extension. The Liberty Party and the Barn Burners joined forces and or- ganized the "Free Soil Party" in 1848. At the ensuing elec- tion many of the Whigs voted with the new party, and together they made a formidable combination.
Among the Perry men who were active supporters of this movement were D. L. Gilman and L. A. Haywood, both prom- inent lawyers of the village. In 1850 the Barn Burners and Hunkers settled their differences, reunited and nominated Hor- atio Seymour for Governor. Many of the Hunkers were opposed to this union. These were known as"hard shells" and those who favored the proposition were termed "soft shells." At this time the Whig party became affiliated with factions known as "conservatives" or supporters of the administration, and the "radicals," who were under the leadership of Wm. H. Seward. In Perry and vicinity the radicals of the Whigs and the soft shells of the Democrats were largely in the majority in their respective parties.
In 1852 the Whigs were overwhelmingly defeated at the polls and from the ruins of the organization was formed the present Republican party. This party included many who had belonged to the Barn Burner faction of the Democrats. The Republican party was established for the purpose of fighting the extension of slavery. At that time the feeling regarding the slavery question ran high, and the Republican success of 1860 precipitated the great Civil War and the final extinction of slavery.
The Prohibition Party and other political organizations that have came into existence since the Civil War have had some adherents in Perry, but the great majority of the citizens of the town were affiliated with either of the dominant parties -Republican and Democratic- until the formation in 1912 of
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HISTORY OF THE TOWN OF PERRY
the National Progressive party, which caused some defection from the ranks of both of the great parties, principally from the Republican. In local government, party lines have been largely obliterated and voters have acted independently on many occasions.
As far as spectacular features are concerned, Presidential campaign rallies-especially of the earlier days-have always been red letter occasions in the town's local history. March- ing clubs from neighboring towns, with their gay uniforms, torches, red fire, drum corps, bands, ete., were always on hand to make and stimulate enthusiasm. Main street was usually gaily attired for such occasions and presented an avenue of color. The business places, with few exceptions, participated in the general effort to make Perry as brilliant and attractive as possible. The store windows and those of private residences along the line of march of the various par- ading clubs showed grandly in their array of designs, from colored paper, lanterns, flags, bunting, and the ornamented pictures of the party candiates. The men and women who were deeply interested in the success of the party in whose honor the decorations were made exhibited great enthusiasm, and the chikhen were delighted by the display, which was only to be witnessed in the larger of the country towns. Pole-rais- ings with speeches were frequent features of Presidential cam- paigns. Each of the local political organizations had its res- pective marebing club and vied with those of other towns in making the best appearance, also in prodneing the unique in attractions, such as the 40-horse team hauling the log cabin to Rochester, as previously mentioned. During the campaign of 1888 the Castile Republican Chib came to Perry drawn by two traction engines. The uniforms and insignia of the marching «Inbs usually brought out some characteristic of the party's candidates, as in the Lincoln campaign of 1860 the marchers
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POLITICAL DIVISIONS
carried large tin beetles, wedges and rails, symbolical of the Great Rail-Splitter ; and again the Roosevelt campaign of 1904, at which time the last political marching club was formed in Perry, when their constume consisted of the uniform adopted by the Roosevelt Rough Riders.
The little cannon now adorning the pinnacle of the Robeson Cutlery Co's stone builling has spoken in sonorous tones at many of the early campaign rallies.
CHAPTER XIII
Perry's Part in the Civil War-Organization of the 24th New York Battery, in which Many Local Residents Enlisted-Town's Loy- alty and Patriotism Abundantly Evidenced.
A history of the 24th New York Battery was written by J. "Wheat" Merrill and published in 1870. It is hardly neces- sary to state that this work has been used extensively in the preparation of the following paragraphs.
Systematic agitation of the slavery question which was destined to result in the greatest of civil wars, began in about 1833. People in general throughout this section were ardently opposed to legislation which would permit the extension of slavery into our new states or territories. Anti-slavery socie- ties were formed and many meetings were held advocating the restriction of slavery to certain bounds, and leading to its gradual extinction. Among the residents of Perry who were active in the abolition movement were : Josiah Andrews, David Mitchell, Ansel Warren, Samuel Phoenix, Willard J. Chapin and a Mr. Lewis. The movement inaugurated by these societies throughout the country never lost its momentum, but gained followers as the years advanced. Local churches took decided stands against slavery, a position from which they never re- ceded. The local press continually denounced the pro-slavery leaders of the country. Noted orat.>s visited the town from time to time and did their full share in arousing anti-slavery sentiment.
Citizens of the country throughout the North did not be- lieve that the differences of opinion held between the North and the South would result in armed conflict, and not until like a thunderclap came the news of the firing upon Fort Sum-
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PERRY'S PART IN THE CIVIL WAR
ter did they appreciate to what extreme measures the South would go in defense of its convictions. But when war came it found Perry ready. No town in the United States was more loyal, none more generous, none more enthusiastic. The first citizen of Perry to volunteer his services in defense of the Union was Mr. M. S. Salisbury, who enlisted on April 25th, 1861, in Company C, 74th New York State Militia. On account of no more militia regiments being accepted by the Govern- ment, he promptly re-enlisted in Company C, 21st New York Volunteers, on May 7th, 1861. A few others followed Mr. Sal- isbury's lead and enlisted in regiments of their choice during the Summer months. In the Fall of that year, Mr. Jay E. Lee, a young and successful lawyer of Perry, convinced that more men were needed for the army, determined to offer his services. Upon investigating the tactics of the different branches of the service, he selected the artillery as that most needed and desir- able. Together with Mr. James Wyckoff and Harry C. Page, he set forth interesting the young men of the place in organiz- ing a company which would represent the town and vicinity in the Federal Army.
In the local columns of the Wyoming Times, under date of September 27th, 1861, we find the following paragraph :
"Meetings and speeches in favor of the war, we had sup- posed 'played out.' Action, action is now the word. All are enlightened on the subject of war, or ought to be. Monday evening, however, another meeting was held, called by Messrs. Wyckoff, Lee and Page, with a view of obtaining recruits for a company of artillery. Prof. Atkins was called to the chair, whereupon J. E. Lee, Esq., stated that it was their purpose to organize an artillery company to be attached to G. D. Bailey's regiment, and enlarged at some length upon the advantage of this branch of the service over all others. He was followed by Harry C. Page, Prof. Atkins, Rev. Mr. Tomlinson, Rev. Joseph R. Page, Judge Gilman, N. P. Currier and Philander Simmons, after which an opportunity was given to enlist."
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HISTORY OF THE TOWN OF PERRY
The result of this meeting was a response from about 50 men to the call, who pledged themselves to the organization proposed. For some reason or other, which we are unable to explain, when the actual time came for going to Buffalo for muster, only 20 of the number kept the faith. These consoli- dated with other squads from other towns and formed a com- pany of which Mr. Lee was elected captain. Soon after he received his commission, the people of Perry, appreciating his efforts. and ability, presented him with a purse of $65, contrib- uted by them for the purpose of purchasing side arms for his use in the service of his country.
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