USA > New York > Albany County > Albany > The annals of Albany, Vol. I > Part 18
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).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39 | Part 40 | Part 41 | Part 42 | Part 43 | Part 44
153
Travel in New York, 1796.
LIGHTS AND SHADOWS OF TRAVELING IN NEW YORK FIFTY YEARS AGO.
[In 1795, Mr. Isaac Weld Junior, viewing the frightful progress of an- archy in Europe, was desirous of " ascertaining whether in case of future emergency, any part of the United States might be looked forward to as an eligible place of abode." He accordingly made the tour of the United States and Canada, and like a great many others of his genus,. found very little to his taste, and nothing to give him the "slightest wish to revisit it." He could not learn that the trees in the wilderness were any where more than seven or eight feet in diameter! nor was there much of any thing on a sufficiently grand scale to meet his antici- pations, except the musquitoes which he found at Whitehall. He ar- rived at New York in the summer of 1796, and gives the following ac- count of his approach to, vexations at, and departure from, Albany. ]
Being anxious to proceed on our journey before the season was too far advanced, and also particularly desirous of quitting New York on account of the fevers, which, it was rumored, were increasing very fast, we took our passage for Albany, in one of the sloops trading constantly on the North river, between New York and that place, and embarked on the 2d day of July, about two o'clock in the afternoon. Scarcely a breath of air was stirring at the time; but the tide carried us up at the rate of about two miles and a half an hour. The sky remained all day as serene as possible, and as the water was perfectly smooth, it reflected in a most beautiful manner the images of the various objects on the shore, and of the numerous vessels dispersed along the river at different distances, and which seemed to glide along, as it were, by the power of magic, for the sails all hung down loose and motionless. The sun, set- ting in all his glory, added fresh beauties to this calm and peaceable scene, and permitted us for the last time to behold the distant spires of New York, illumined by his parting rays. To describe all the grand and beautiful prospects presented to the view on passing this noble river, would be an endless task; all the various effects that can be sup- posed to arise from a happy combination of wood and water, of hill and dale, are here seen in the greatest perfection. After sunset, a brisk wind sprang up, which carried us on at the rate of six or seven miles an hour, for a considerable part of the night; but for some hours we had to lie at anchor at a place where the navigation of the river was too difficult to proceed in the dark. Our sloop was no more than seventy tons burthen by register; but the accommodations she afforded were most excellent, and far superior to what might be expected on board so small a vessel ; the cabin was equally large with that in a common mer. chant vessel of three hundred tons, built for crossing the ocean. This was owing to the great breadth of her beam, which was no less than twenty two feet and a half, although her length was only fifty- five feet. All the sloops engaged in this trade, are built nearly on the same con- struction ; short, broad, and verp shallow, few of them draw more than five or six feet of water, so that they are only calculated for sailing upon smooth water. The highlands, as they are called, extend along the river on each side for several miles. The breadth of the river is here considerably contracted, and such sudden gusts of wind, commenc-
154
Travel in New York, 1796.
ing from between the mountains, sometimes blow through the narrow passes, that vessels sometimes have their topmasts carried away. The captain of the sloop we were in, said that his mainsail was once blown into tatters in an instant, and a part of it carried on shore. When the sky is lowering, they usually take in sail going along this part of the river.
About four o'clock in the morning of the 4th of July, we reached Albany, the place of our destination, one hundred and sixty miles distant from New York. Albany is a city, and contains about eleven hundred houses; the number however is increasing fast, particularly since the removal of the state government from New York. In the old part of the town the streets are very narrow, and the houses are frightful ; they are all built in the old Dutch taste, with the gable end towards the street, and ornamented on the top with large iron weathercocks ; but in that part which has been lately erected, the streets are commodious, and many of the houses are handsome. Great pains have been taken to have the streets well paved and lighted. Here are four places for public worship, and an hospital. Albany is in summer time a very dis- agreeable place ; it stands in a low situation, just on the margin of the river, which runs very slow here, and towards the evening often exhales clouds of vapors; immediately behind the town, likewise, is a large sandbank, that prevents a free circulation of air, while at the same time it powerfully reflects the rays of the sun, which shines in full force upon it the whole day. Notwithstanding all this, however, the climate is deemed very salubrious. The inhabitants of this place, a few years ago, were almost entirely of Dutch extraction ; but now strangers are flocking to it from all quarters, as there are few places in America more
advantageously situated for commerce.
The flourishing state of its
trade has already been mentioned; it bids fair to rival that of New York in process of time. The fourth of July, the day of our arrival at Albany, was the anniversary of the declaration of American indepen- dence, and on our arrival we were told that great preparations were making for its celebration. A drum and trumpet, towards the middle of the day, gave notice of the commencement of the rejoicings, and on walking to a hill about a quarter of a mile from the town, we saw sixty men drawn up, partly militia, partly volunteers, partly infantry, partly cavalry; the latter were clothed in scarlet, and mounted on horses of various descriptions. About three hundred spectators attended. A few rounds were fired from a three pounder, and some volleys of small arms. The firing was finished before one hour was expired, and then the troops returned to town, a party of militia officers in uniform march- ing in the rear, under the shade of umbrellas, as the day was excessively hot. Having reached town, the whole body immediatety dispersed. The volunteers and militia officers afterwards dined together; and so ended the rejoicings of the day ; no public ball, no general entertainment was there of any description. A day still fresh in the memory of every American, and which appears so glorious in the annals of their country, would, it might be expected, have called forth more brilliant and more general rejaicings; but the downright phlegmatic people in this neigh- borhood, intent upon making money, and enjoying the solid advantages of the revolution, are but little disposed to waste their time in what they consider idle demonstrations of joy.
155
Travel in New York, 1796.
We remained in Albany for a few days, and then set off for Skenes- borough, in Lake Champlain, in a carriage hired for the purpose. The hiring of this vehicle was a matter attended with some trouble, and de- tained us longer in the town than we wished to stay. There were only two carriages to be had in the whole place, and the owners having an understanding with each other, and thinking that we should be forced to give whatever price they asked, positively refused to let us have either of them for less than seventy dollars, equal to fifteen guineas. We on our part as positively refused to comply with a demand which we knew to be exorbitant, and resolved to wait patiently in Albany for some other conveyance, rather than submit to such an imposition. The fellows held out for two days, but at the end of that time, one of them came to tell us we might have his carriage for half the price, and accordingly we took it. Early the next morning we set off, and in about two hours arrived at the small village of Cohoz, close to which is the remarkable fall in the Mohawk river, about ten miles from Albany ..... From hence we proceeded along the banks of the Hudson river. through the town of Stillwater, which receives its name from the uncommon stillness of the river opposite to it, and late in the evening reached Saratoga, thirty-five miles from Albany. This place contains about forty houses, and a Dutch Reformed church, but they are so scattered about, that it has not the smallest appearance of a town. In this neighborhood, upon the borders of a marsh, are several very remarkable mineral springs; one of them, in the crater of a rock, of a pyramidical form, about five feet in height, is particularly curious. This rock seems to have been formed by the petrifactions of the water: all the other springs are likewise sur- rounded with petrifactions of the same kind. The water in the princi- pal spring, except at the beginning of the summer, when it regularly overflows, remains about eight inches below the rim of the crater, and bubbles up as if boiling. The crater is nine inches in diameter. The various properties of the water have not been yet ascertained with any great accuracy ; but it is said to be impregnated with a fossil acid and some saline substance; there is also a great portion of fixed air in it. An opportunity is here afforded for making some curious experiments. If animals be put down into the crater, they will be immediately suffo- cated; but if not kept there too long, they recover again upon being brought into the open air. If a lighted candle be put down, the flame will be extinguished in an instant, and not even the slightest spark left in the wick. If the water immediately taken from the spring be put into a bottle, closely corked, and then shaken, either the cork will be forced out with an explosion, or the bottle will be broken; but if left in an open vessel, it becomes vapid in less than half an hour. The water is very pungent to the taste, and acts as a cathartic on some people, as an emetic on others.
Of the works thrown up at Saratoga by the British and American armies during the war, there are now scarcely any remains. The country round about is well cultivated, and the trenches have been mostly levelled by the plow. We here crossed the Hudson river, and proceeded along its eastern shore as far as Fort Edward, where it is lost to the view, for the road still runs on towards the north, whilst the river takes a sudden bend to the west. Fort Edward was dismantled prior to the late American war; but the opposite armies, during that
156
Travel in New York, 1796.
unhappy contest, were both in the neighborhood. The town of the same name, is at the distance of one or two hundred yards from it, and contains about twenty houses. Thus far we had got on tolerably well; but from hence to Fort Anne, which was also dismantled prior to the late war, the road is most wretched, particularly over a long causeway between the two forts, formed originally for the transporting of cannon, the soil here being extremely moist and heavy. The causeway consists of large trees laid side by side transversely, some of which having de- cayed, great intervals are left, wherein the wheels of the carriage were sometimes locked so fast, that the horses alone could not possibly ex- tricate them. To have remained in the carriage over this part of the road, would really have been a severe punishment; for although boasted of as being the very best in Albany, it had no sort of springs, and was in fact little better than a common waggon; we therefore alighted, took our guns, and amused ourselves with shooting as we walked along through the woods. The woods here had a much more majestic ap- pearance than any that we had before met with on our way from Phila- delphia ; this, however, was owing more to the great height than to the thickness of the trees, for I could not see one that appeared more than thirty inches in diameter ; indeed, in general, the girt of the trees in the woods of America is very small in proportion to the height, and trifling in comparison of that of the forest trees in Great Britain. The thickest trees I ever saw in the country was that of a sycamore, which grew upon the bank of the Skenandoah river, just at its junction with the Patowmac, in a bed of rich earth, close to the water; yet this tree was no more than about four feet four inches in diameter. On the low lands in Kentucky, and on some of the bottoms in the western territory, it is said that trees are commonly to be met with seven and eight feet in diameter.
Beyond Fort Anne, which is situated at the distance of eight miles from Fort Edward, the roads being better, we once more mounted into our vehicle ; but the miserable horses, quite jaded, now made a dead stop; in vain the driver bawled, and stamped, and swore; his whip had been previously worn out some hours, owing to the frequent use he had made of it, and the animals no longer feeling its heavy lash, seemed as determined as the mules of the abbess of Andouilles to go no farther. In this situation we could not help bantering the fellow upon the excel- lence of his cattle, which he had boasted so much of at setting out, and he was ready to cry with vexation at what we said; but having acci- dentally mentioned the sum we had paid for the carriage, his passion could no longer be restrained, and it broke forth in all its fury. It ap- peared that he was the owner of two of the horses, and for the use of them, and for driving the carriage, he was to have had one-half of the hire ; but the man whom we had agreed with, and paid at Albany, had given him only ten dollars as his moiety, assuring him, at the same time, that it was exactly the half of what we had given, although in reality it fell short of the sum by seven dollars and a half. Thus cheat- ed by his companion, and left in the lurch by his horses, he vowed ven- geance against him on his return; but as protestations of this nature would not bring us any sooner to our journey's end, and as it was ne- cessary that something should be immediately done, if we did not wish to remain all night in the woods, we suggested the idea, in the mean-
Travel in New York, 1796. 157
time, of his conducting the foremost horses as postillion, whilst one of our servants should drive the pair next to the wheel. This plan was not started with any degree of seriousness, for we could not have sup- posed that a tall meagre fellow, upwards of six feet high, and clad in a pair of thin nankeen breeches, would very readily bestride the raw boned back of a horse, covered with the profuse exudations which the intense heat of the weather, and the labor the animal had gone through, necessarily excited. As much tired, however, with our pleasantries as we were of his vehicle, and thinking of nothing, I believe, but how he could best get rid of us, he eagerly embraced the proposal, and accord- ingly, having furnished himself with a switch from the adjoining thicket, he mounted his harnessed Rosinante. In this style we proceeded; but more than once did our gigantic postillion turn round to bemoan the sorry choice he had made; as often did we urge the necessity of getting out of the woods; he could make no answer; so jogging slowly along, we at last reached the little town of Skenesborough, much to the amuse- ment of every one who beheld our equipage, and much to our own satis- faction ; for, owing to the various accidents we had met with, such as traces breaking, bridles slipping off the heads of the horses, and the noble horses themselves sometimes slipping down, &c., &c , we had been no less than five hours travelling the last twelve miles.
Skenesborough stands just above the junction of Wood creek with South river, as it is called in the best maps, but which, by the people in the neighborhood, is considered as a part of Lake Champlain. At pre- sent there are only about twelve houses in the place; but if the naviga- tion of Wood creek is ever opened, so as to connect Lake Champlain with the North river, a scheme which has already been seriously thought of, it will, doubtless, soon become a trading town of considerable im- portance, as all the various productions of the shores of the lake will then be collected there for the New York and Albany markets. Not- withstanding all the disadvantages of a land carriage of forty miles to the North river, a small portion of flour and potash, the staple commo- dities of the state of New York, is already sent to Skenesborough from different parts of the lake, to be forwarded to Albany. A considerable trade also is carried on through this place, and over Lake Champlain, between New York and Canada. Furs and horses principally are sent from Canada, and in return they get East India goods and various manu- factures.
Skenesborough is most dreadfully infested with musquitoes; so many of them. attacked us the first night of our sleeping there, that when we arose in the morning our faces and hands were covered all over with large pustules, precisely like those of a person in the small- pox. This happened too, notwithstanding that the people of the house, before we went to bed, had taken all the pains possible to clear the room of them, by fumigating it with the smoke of green wood, and after- wards securing the windows with gauze blinds; and even on the second night, although we destroyed many dozens of them on the walls, after a similar fumigation had been made, yet we suffered nearly as much. These insects were of a much larger size than any I ever saw elsewhere, and their bite was uncommonly venomous. Gen. Washington told me, that he never was so much annoyed by musquitoes in any part of Ame- rica, as in Skenesborough, for they used to bite through the thickest boot ?
14
158
Rutten Kill-Brick.
Musquitoes appear to be particularly fond of the fresh blood of Eu- ropeans, who always suffer much more the first year of their arrival in America than they do afterwards. The people of the country seem quite to disregard their attacks. Wherever they fix their sting, a little tumor or pustule usually arises, supposed to be occasioned by the fer- mentation when mixed with the blood, of a small quantity of liquor, which the insect always injects into the wound it makes with its spicula, as may be seen through a microscope, and which it probably does to render the blood more fluid. The disagreeable itching this excites, is most effectually allayed by the application of volatile alkali; or if the part newly stung be scratched, and immediately bathed in cold water. that also affords considerable relief; but after the venom has been lodged for any time, scratching only increases the itching, and it may be at- tended with great danger. Repeated instances have occurred of people. having been laid up for months, and narrowly escaping the loss of a limb, from imprudently rubbing a part which had been bitten for a long time. Great ease is also derived from opening the pustules on the second day with a lancet, and letting out the blood and watery matter.
RUTTEN KILL.
The grading of the great Hudson street ravine, anciently known as the Rutten kill, was nearly completed in 1847, from Hawk to Lark streets, and from near Lydius to State. During a period of about three years, from 50 to 250 persons, and 60 teams, were employed upon the work of grading and filling this extensive area. The ravine, origin- ally 300 feet broad and 50 feet deep, throughout its entire length, re- ceived the lofty banks upon its borders, and was raised to a convenient grade, thereby furnishing a large tract for habitation, that had long been waste, or only occupied for brick kilns, and dirty reservoirs, where truant boys fished and bathed. Not less than 600,000 yards of excava- tion were made in blue clay, and an equal amount of filling was done by one contractor.
MANUFACTURE OF BRICKS.
The number of bricks manufactured in Albany during the last fifteen years, has averaged sixteen millions per annum, until the year 1847, when the quantity produced was only half' that number in consequence of the reduced price, $2.50 per thousand.
159
Chronicle of Events in Albany.
CHRONICLE OF EVENTS IN ALBANY, 1847 AND 1848.
SEPTEMBER, 1847.
13. The Albany Morning Express, a penny daily paper commenced by Stone & Henly, with a reported sale of 1600 copies of the first num- ber. James Stanley Smith, editor. This constituted the fifth daily paper in the city at this time ....... Capt. Abram Van OLinda of the Albany Republican Artillery, killed at the battle of Chapultepec, in Mexico. ...... The fall examination of the State Normal School commenced. At the close of the exercises 64 graduates received their diplomas. . .. . The superintendent of the Alms House reported to the Common Council, that the establishment had in charge 404 persons, the majority of them sick.
14. John H. Webb, of the late firm of Webb & Dummer, in this city, died at Hartford, Ct.
15. News received of the battles of Contreras and Cherubusco, which were fought in Mexico on the 18th and 19th of August, in which Lieut. Jacob Griffin of Albany was among the wounded.
16. First frost of the season ... . A fire occurred at No. 164 North Pearl street, which destroyed the large carpenter's shop of John Jervis, a two story dwelling house, with several adjoining sheds. The firemen had a quarrel on the occasion.
17. Andrew Hamburgh died, aged 24.
18. Hannah Leavitt died, aged 51; wife of N. K. Leavitt.
19. Rev. John McCloskey installed, by Bishop Hughes, the first bishop of the new diocese of Albany .. ..... Mary Law died, aged 55.
20. Upwards of a hundred vessels in port.
22. Flour $5.75 ....... William T. Lee, formerly of this city, died at Philadelphia, aged 27.
23. Margaret Nugent died, aged 33; wife of Henry P. Nugent.
24. The Democratic County Convention met; two sets of delegates appeared from one of the wards; failing to effect a compromise, a sepa- ration took place, the Barnburners choosing Peter Cagger to the state convention proposed to be held at Syracuse, and the Old Hunkers choos- ing Henry Rector. Both parties nominated Conrad A. Ten Eyck for Assembly ...... Charles C. Vail died, aged 21 ....... John Stanwix died, aged 39 .. .. .. Lydia Platt died, aged 82; widow of the late An- nanias Platt.
25. The following steam boats were advertised to leave for New York this day: Hendrik Hudson, Captain Cruttenden: Isaac Newton, Capt. Peck; South America, Capt. Hultse; Columbia, Capt. Tupper; Rip Van Winkle, Capt. Riggs; Alida, Capt. G. D. Tupper; New Jersey, Capt. Hitchcock; all night boats except the Alida .. ..... Martha Tappin died, nged 78 ....... Wm. J. McDermott died, aged 25 ; a printer, of New York, formerly of this city.
27. Over 20,000 bushels of corn arrived by canal this day ....... The first term of the Court of Appeals held in this city, closed its session, having exhausted the calendar of 40 cases.
29. The Whig County Convention met, and nominated Robert H, Pruyn for Assembly.
160
Chronicle of Events in Albany.
30. The amount of flour transported over the Boston and Albany Rail Road since the 1st of January, 352,317 barrels more than the quantity transported in the same space of time last year. Receipts for September, 47,527 barrels.
OCTOBER, 1847.
1. Catharine Van Benthuysen died, aged 33.
4. Mary M. Dexter died, wife of George Dexter.
5. The district schools of the city held a celebration. The scholars, numbering near 2,000, marched in procession with banners to the park in South Pearl street, below Lydius, known as Kane's Walk, where ad- dresses were delivered and several pieces of music sung. The nine district schools of the city are attended by about 5,000 pupils, usually. .. .James Clark died, aged 74; a merchant of good standing and wealth, for many years extensively engaged in the dry goods line, on the corner of Broadway and State street .... . Mary A. Davidson died, aged 75.
6. Great meeting at the Capitol of the friends of a general manufac- turing law ....... Fire in the sheds behind the two story brick row: 182 and 192 North Pearl street; loss about $300.
8. Great meeting of that portion of the democratic party known as the Barnburners. There was much rain from above, and indignation from below. John Van Buren recited the wrongs and perils of himself and coadjutors at the recent convention at Syracuse, where they were voted out as irregular delegates. His speech was received with great applause on all sides.
9. During the week ending this day, 16,000 barrels of flour were transported over the rail road to Boston.
10. Abigail Osgood died, aged 28.
13. A convention of Antirenters met in the city, and adopted can- didates from the tickets of the other parties, of such men as were known to entertain favorable views of their cause.
14. A meeting of the friends of the Wilmot Proviso, for the disposi- tion of the slavery question, convened at the City Hall. Mr. Lewis of Ohio was the principal speaker on the occasion-
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.