The annals of Albany, Vol. V, Part 17

Author: Munsell, Joel, 1808-1880
Publication date: 1850-1859
Publisher: Albany : J. Munsell
Number of Pages: 374


USA > New York > Albany County > Albany > The annals of Albany, Vol. V > Part 17


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from England formed an Episcopal congregation, and the Scotch with a few English families worshiped according to the forms of the established church of Scotland; and a smaller band of their countrymen were attached to the Associate Presbytery, being of the secession. To all of these, a Yankee was unacceptable, in manners, speech and modes of thought. Yet from the very first of his coming to Albany, he was received with favor, and all joined in admitting that although he was a Yankee, they liked him.


On reaching Albany in 1781 or '82, being scarcely twenty, he entered into partnership with Solomon Balen- tine, an Englishman, whose printing materials consisted of as many types (as he often said) as a squaw could carry in her bag. In the Philadelphia Library is a copy of a pamphlet by the Rev. Thomas Clarke, of Cambridge in Washington county, entitled Plain Reasons, being a dissuasive from the use of Watts's version of the Psalms in the worship of God. It was printed at Albany by Balentine & Webster in 1783, and is perhaps the first pamphlet that issued from their press. It is in excellent preservation, in clear type, fair paper, and is executed with neatness and accuracy.


They commenced the newspaper in 1782, but Mr. Webster in 1783, dissolved his connection with Balentine on account of his uncongenial habits, and had removed to New York before the evacuation by the British army. Immediately on that event, he commenced, in company with the late John Lang, the publication of the New York Gazette ; but on the removal of Balentine from Albany, and at the earnest solicitation of his friends there, he returned and established himself permanently. The Albany Gazette was commenced in 1784, and the Almanac, with the New-England Primer, made their appearance soon after.


In 1787 Mr. Webster was married, as appears by his entry in his family Bible, made thus :


Charles R. Webster married at Hartford by the Rev.


Benjamin Boardman at the house


& of their father, Mr. Ashbel Steel,


Rachel Steel Monday, 17th February, 1787.


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His father-in-law dying soon after, he removed the widow and her four unmarried daughters under his roof. Mrs. Webster is said to have been a handsome, but delicate woman. She was declining in a consumption at the time of the great fire in 1793, and in hopes of recovering her health, her husband started with her, to visit their native place; but they had scarcely crossed the river when he was compelled by a sheriff's officer to return, that he might give his testimony at the approaching court concerning the circumstances preceding the break- ing out of the fire. Slavery then existed largely in our state; and in Albany, every family of any wealth or dis- tinction had a number, bought, or born in their houses. To them the feast of pentecost or pinkster was accorded as a week of revelry, and the profuse use of the wild honeysuckle or mayapple, in the decoration of their booths on Arbor hill, gave to that shrub the name of pinkster bloempje, which Mr. Eaton; in his popular work on botany, transformed into pinxter blomache. The slaves were much dreaded by their masters, and sup- posed to be capable of any villany ; the smoothing irons were secured by chains, and locks and bolts were placed upon every article of value. It was by common consent taken for granted that the great fire originated in a negro plot, and Mr. Webster was summoned to identify one of the supposed incendiaries. This he could not do. His printing office then stood on the corner of State street and Middle lane, now known as James street. On the even- ing of the fire, after locking his establishment, he met as he walked toward State street, a colored man of suspicious appearance, whose movements attracted his attention; but seeing nothing demanding more than the passing notice, he thought no more of it, until amid the smould- ering ruins of the conflagration, when every circum- stance was raked out that bore on the origin of the cala- mity, he mentioned his having observed the unaccount- able appearance of this colored stanger on the eventful night. A law as stringent as the curfew then prevailed, binding all owners of slaves to have them housed at an early hour; to meet a colored person after twilight, was proof that he was a rogue or a runaway. The magni-


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fying power of fear had exaggerated this slight circum- stance, into indubitable proof possessed by Mr. Webster, of the incendiary, his whereabouts, accomplices, and de- signs, Great was the chagrin when it was ascertained that his evidence was of no force to furnish victims for the popular rage.


To how great an extent he was a loser, we have never heard; the late Mr. Daniel Steele, a relative of his wife, had just before come to Albany as a bookbinder, and had a place in the building to carry on his trade. His stock was small and was all swept away.


Mrs. Rachel Webster died on the 31st day of March, 1794, at the age of 30 years and 10 months. She left two children, Mrs. Eliza Brown now residing at Albion, Orleans county, N. Y., and th Rev. Charles Webster, late Pastor of the Presbyterian Church, Middletown- point, Monmouth county, N. J.


Soon after this, Mr. Webster purchashed land in Rens- selaer .county, in Schaghticoke, on the banks of the Hudson, and his two eldest brothers Samuel and Benja- min, removed thither in 1794 with their aged parents.


Mr. Webster was married to Cynthia, the sister of his deceased wife, at his house in Albany on the 2d of April 1796, by the Rev. Thomas Ellison, rector of St. Peter's church. Mr. Ellison baptized also the children of his first marriage. The children of the second marriage were baptized by ministers of the Presbyterian church.


The Gazette, though open to both parties, for a long time, was finally identified with the federalists, and a rival paper and printing office was established and patron- ized by the democratic party. But the rapid settlement of Western New York, furnished abundant room for both papers, and gave occasion to increasing enlargement o the bookselling and printing business. Mr. Webster har associated his twin brother George with him, and after- wards took into partnership three sons of his sister, Elisha W., Hezekiah and Daniel Skinner.


Among his papers but without a date is the list of the officers and privates of the Independent Artillery Com- pany, Charles R. Webster, Capt., James Van Ingen, Ist


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Lt., Egbert Van Schaack 2d Lt., Isaac H. Bogart, Geo. Webster, Henry Gardinier, Henry Hallenbake, and Moses Hudson, sergeants, and 48 matrosses. I think this com- pany offered itself to President Adams on the prospect of a war with France, and that I have seen the letter, with the autograph of John Adams, thanking them for their patriotism.


He was active in the establishment of the Mechanics' Society and the Mechanics' Academy, and when that society was abandoned he interested himself deeply in the Lancastrian School and the Apprentices' Library.


Public offices he never held. But when his much esteemed friend William Pitt Beers, a lawyer of superior but not of shining talents, was unable to fulfill his duties as county clerk, though failing in health, he discharged them as his deputy until Mr. Beers's death, and until the expiration of the term for which he was elected, and paid to the widow and the family all the emoluments. And this was but a single instance among many of his friendship and benevolence.


During the existence of the Washington Benevolent Society, he was a member of it, and a conscientious opposer of Jefferson and Burr, and regretted to see the counsels of such men as Hamilton, Schuyler, Jay, and Kent, so little appreciated.


When Robert McClellan was appointed state treasurer, Mr. Webster joined with others as his bondsmen, It was at length discovered that there was a deficiency, leaving him debtor to the state. The democratic party were in power, and the bondsmen were federalists. They were Gen. McCarthy, Peter W. Yates, and Charles R. Webster. The prospect of a total loss of property and imprisonment for debt, opened before them. Two of them entered into arrangements by which they ceased to be owners of any pro- perty, and thus secured their families against poverty. They put on a cheerful face, and resolved to fit up their apartments in the debtor's prison and live as comfortably as at home. Into these arrangements Mr. Webster would not enter. To their relief, Solomon Southwick, the editor of the principal democratic paper in the city, brought all


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his energies, and in the assembly Mr. Shurtleff, the representative from Schenectady, was ingenious, bold and unwearied in urging as a matter of justice, that the bondsmen should be released by the state. It was claimed that the state had full means to have known of the defalcation, and that having failed to use necessary pre- cautions to prevent it, the right to require payment of the bondsmen was forfeited. The legislature released the bondsmen, and they in token of their gratitude, to the chief instruments of their rescue, gave a cask of wine to Mr. Southwick and a service of silver to Mr. Shurtleff.


The war of 1812 was marked by exuberance of politi- cal rancor. The city of Albany was threatened with the scenes which had disgraced Baltimore and ended in the murder of Lingan. Mr. George Webster armed every journeyman and apprentice, and gave full intimation that he was prepared for any outbreak of violence. The resolute and honorable course of De Witt Clinton as mayor of New-York operated with a salutary effect on other cities, and the muskets and blunderbusses were removed from the store. Before many years elapsed, Mr. Webster found himself acting harmoniously with Gov. Clinton, Chief Justice Spencer and many others, formerly leaders in every measure he disliked, while he was separated by a yawning chasm from the large body of federalists, sud- denly transformed into democrats. Amid all these exciting scenes he maintained a dignity of tone in his paper, a freedom from ribaldry and personal invective without ever compromising his character for fidelity and devotion to the cause he served.


No indictments for slander, no suits for libel were brought against him. He abhorred defamation; he suf- fered no man to make his columns a whipping post or a gibbit, he had no room in his pages for malice or rage. He scorned dictation and he preserved the notes which persons run mad with a sense of their own importance, sent to him threatening "to stop the paper;" he could afford to let them stop the paper or start another; no man's subscription gave him the right to put a bridle in his mouth and ride him with whip and spur. As a


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necessary consequence he lost the favor of many of his own party, but he retained the confidence, the esteem and affection of all of both parties, who being men of worth knew how to appreciate integrity and excellence. Morgan Lewis when a canditate for governor, thanked him for his generosity in repelling an unjust attack made on him, as soon as it met his eye, although he was busily engaged in using all honorable means vigorously to defeat his election.


Through all the great political convulsions, amid the hurry of an increasing business, and under the burden of continual and engrossing cares, he retained all his early simple habits. He rose at four and came home at nine, and laid down before ten; his diet was plain; he was strictly temperate, remarkably laborious and of unweary- ing activity. The relaxation at the close of day was a walk to the North Gate, the Hay Scale, the Willow Walks or the Pasture. Until sixty-five, he kept up the practice of crossing the river on Saturday evening with his sons and his apprentices, to bathe. Once in the water. he seemed to renew his youth, and encouraged and taught his young companions the daring feats of the swimmer. His evenings passed at the sociable Reading Room of John Cook or with his friends at their houses or his. No day found him so busy that it prevented him from reading a chapter before breakfast from the Bible and from uniting with his family in prayer.


Uninterrupted health was his portion. In 1815, while watching his youngest child, then dangerously ill of scarlet fever, he took the disease and his life was periled for a long time. He recovered, and this was the only serious illness of his lifetime.


On approaching sixty, he made a settlement of all his affairs; a division of the property was amicably made, and the firm of Websters and Skinners was dissolved by the withdrawal of the three younger partners. The book- selling, printing and binding was carried on at the old stand by C. R. & G. Webster. This firm was dissolved in 1821, by the death of Mr. George Webster. The sur- viving brother purchased his half in the property at the


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Elm-tree corner for $13,000; and the firm of E. W. Skinner & Co., purchased one half of the stock for $10,000. The new firm of Webster & Skinners continued till his death, in 1834.


The Elm Tree Corner.


The engraving represents the White House, as it was called in their advertisements, which stood on the cor- ner of State and North Pearl streets, under the shadow of the old elm tree, and was purchased by Mr. Webster soon after the fire of 1793. Each of the brothers built commodious dwelling houses for themselves on State street, adjoining the bookstore, and a brick row on Pearl street, north of the White House, was erected by the firm of Webster and Skinners, for the accommodation of their business, which was very extensive in the manufac- ture of school books for the country trade west and north.


The newspaper establishment, consisting of the Albany Daily Advertiser, and the Albany Gazette, was sold to MARTIN, HUNTER & RYCKMAN. Being released from the [ Annals v.] 19


.


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Charles R. Webster.


supervision of a daily paper, he turned himself to other pursuits; and, as we judge, most unwisely, began buying and building with borrowed money. Out of this grew many annoyances and losses; the accumulating interest ate as doth a canker, and clouded many of his closing days with gloomy forebodings.


To his habit of early rising, he added much labor in his garden; he had the burden of settling as executor the estates of the Rev. Mr. McCarty, Mr. Klinck, Mrs. Easton and Mr. Lewis. He acted faithfully and success- fully in administering the estate of his brother-in-law, Mr. Henry Guest. He interested himself warmly in the advocacy of the temperance cause; the subject of militia fines, especially, when demanded of the Shakers, found in him a resolute opponent. He gave bail for them when they were seized and carried to prison, and left no exertion untried to secure the remission of an iniquitous extortion. He was a friend of the colored man; it was with the highest pleasure, he saw any of the race rising to the possession of property, obtaining education and becoming virtuous and useful citizens. The poor knew his kindness; the widows looked to him for counsel; the children loved him.


In the year 1832, he became sensible of the hardening and enlarging of a gland under the right jaw ; for a time he took no notice of it, but gradually the increasing size attracted attention, and medical aid was sought. He dreaded to have it extirpated, and feared it might become necessary to submit to a severe surgical operation; but this was not proposed ; various means were tried with little perceptible benefit. His speech in the spring of 1834 became considerably affected; the skin of his face glis- tened, being distended by the accumulation of lymph. He was not sick or in pain, and being much harassed by business, it was thought desirable that he should leave home and go to Saratoga Springs. He made his will and left his home to return no more. His last letter was written July 14, and has these precious words :


"The aim of my life has been to have my heart right with God and my trust in the merits of the Redeemer."


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Charles R. Webster.


Being greatly oppressed by the distension of his right arm and the right side of his face, he consented to have the skin of the arm punctured ; relief followed; the second day he was in unusual spirits and on lying down early in the evening he fell into a sound natural sleep. About nine o'clock he arose and wrapping his cloak around him, walked across the room, sat down, and his wife noticing a change, said to her sister, " Call the family." He said, " Do sister," and expired almost instantly, without the slighest appearance of pain or uneasiness. He died July 18, 1834, and his body was immediately taken to his residence in Albany. He was buried, July 20, in the graveyard of the First Presbyterian church, where a monument has been erected to his memory.


J. VĂN


Monument to Charles R. Webster.


He was about six feet in height, well made in person, and erect and easy in motion. His countenance was calm, mild, gracious; his forehead high; his complexion fair; his hair, black in youth, became silvery gray in middle age. His eye was a light, clear gray, lively and full of intelligence. His manner was dignified, full of courtesy and sweetness ; his conversation was interesting, instructive, pure, entertaining and edifying.


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Old John Jones's Grocery.


Charles R. Webster died with the reputation of being a very wealthy man. His son, who was his executor, found that the estate, consisting almost entirely of land, then greatly depreciated, was encumbered by mortgages to half its nominal value, and consequently to nearly its full market price. In winding up the affairs, everything was unpropitious ; money was in the highest demand and could be obtained only for short periods. The creditors pressed for their money in chancery; the estate was placed in the hands of a receiver, who put it up at auction and sold it at such a sacrifice as left the creditors scarcely fifty cents on a dollar, and stripped the widow and the children of every farthing. For this result, persons have ignorantly held his son Matthew Henry responsible, and charged him with unheard-of villainy. How unwarranted and cruel these suspicions were, the facts plainly show. It should be remembered that print- ing and bookselling were overdone by competition, and that younger and more enterprising men had far out- stripped the old firm in everything to attract and secure patronage. While his brother's moiety of the book con- cern sold in 1822 for $10,000, his share in 1834 brought scarcely one-eighth, if one-tenth of that sum. And the property, for the half of which he paid $13,000, was sold by the master in chancery for $11,500.


OLD JOHN JONES'S GROCERY.


-


That yellow, little, queer, old tabernacle of mackerel, sugar, starch, and other groceries and provisions, which, from time immemorial, stood near the corner of Patroon street and Broadway, has at length [March, 1852] vanished from the face of earth, and given place to a substantial, modern-built house, some three stories high.


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Old John Jones's Grocery.


What an old customer it was, to be sure! When im- provement first bestirred itself in that quarter of the city, this little yellow pile looked indignantly at the masses of brick and mortar going up beside it. House after house acknowledged the potency of modern change, still the old Dutch·built grocery, with its ochred front and peaked roof, refused to yield up its antiquated notions to any- body's whimsies. John Jones made money there, spite of the venerable yellow boards that constituted his house. Now, however, change has conquered-improvement is victorious; and the Broadway promenader, while he misses the funny little edifice from its accustomed place, recognizes a new friend in the solid and substantial erection already nearly finished on the same spot. Several old customers of the same style in various quarters of the city, are looked upon with devouring eyes by certain in- novating speculators, and, one by one, will eventually topple down, and be obliterated from the memories of all. There are several yet remaining-some two or three in North Pearl street, and not a few in Broadway. Every- body knows McCafferty's old bakery, and the similar Dutch masterpiece a few doors north of the Female Academy. These old nooks maintain their appearance with Dutch resolution. Spite of the peculiarity of their fashion, and their marked dissimilarity with adjoining houses, there are hundreds who would regret their de- molition. However, improvement, that imperious damsel, claims them for her own; they are already doomed, in the minds of twenty remorseless speculators; and they are, probably, tremblingly alive to the fact, that ere long they must follow the fate of John Jones's queer little yellow old grocery, and give way to newer things. Their cake is evidently all dough; before many years some crusty old cracker will knock them into pie. All things fair and bright must fade .- Knickerbocker.


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A VOYAGE UP THE MOHAWK. 1807.


Mr. CHRISTIAN SCHULTZ, a Pennsylvanian, made a tour of the States in 1807, and published a book of travels. His transit through Albany seems to have been made per- fectly easy and oblivious, for he does not bestow a single word upon the city, but preserves entire silence until he attains a respectful distance on the Schenectady turnpike, when he records a tribute of praise, possibly by way of toll, upon that ancient thoroughfare. His account of the perils of a voyage up the Mohawk will be new to this generation. The facilities afforded to travelers visiting the west through the same region are so different now, that the reader can hardly fail of being edified with his description of the tour, and will gather a notion of the mode of travel half a century ago, when the Mohawk was the only commercial avenue to the lakes, and Albany the entrepot ; when the expense of transporting a barrel of rum, then an important article of commerce, from Albany to Detroit, was seventy-five dollars. The ex- tract below is the first chapter entire of Mr. Schultz's book.


-


UTICA, MOHAWK RIVER, July 15, 1807.


Dear Friend: Agreeably to your request and my pro- mise, I now commence sketching, for your amusement, the few hasty observations I have made on my voyage to this place; yet, as these will not be very interesting to you, who are equally well informed as to the state of improvements thus far, I shall occasionally introduce such little incidents as may occur on my voyage, being satisfied with the sincerity of your avowal, that "any thing from me will be acceptable."


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Voyage up the Mohawk.


You desired me to be particular in describing the seve- ral towns and streams I pass on my route, the respective distances between them, the time occupied and manner of traveling from one to another, as well as an account of the expenses, risks and dangers to be incurred in an inland voyage of the kind I am now performing. All these I shall endeavor to attend to in their proper time and place ; and, should I fail in affording you all the satisfaction or amusement you may have anticipated, it will not be from want of any exertion on my part.


The navigation of the Hudson, from New-York to Albany, is one hundred and sixty miles, and so generally known, that you can not expect any thing amusing in any account I might attempt to give you, either of the grandeur or elevation of those highlands through which we pass, or of the many flourishing towns and villages which adorn the banks of this majestic river. I shall, therefore, proceed to those particulars which you are more anxious to learn.


The passage to Albany generally takes up from two to five days, and costs from six to ten dollars for each pass- enger, including board. The freight upon bulky mer- chandise is forty cents a hundred pounds' weight ; but heavy articles from twenty-five to fifty per cent less. From Albany, which lies in latitude 42> 38' N. and 73º 44' W. to Schenectady, you have fifteen miles over a very good turnpike road ; and the freight* over this port- age is sixteen cents a hundred pounds' weight. Many of these wagoners are great rogues, and, should you chance to have occasion for their services, it will not only be well to be very careful, but, likewise, to make your bar- gain before you employ them. or, like me, you will have to "pay for learning." Schenectady is quite a large town, but rather small for a city ; notwithstanding which, I observed that the inhabitants always make use of the latter term when speaking of the place. It contains about four hundred and twenty houses, and is pleasantly


* Freight and wagon hire are synonymous terms over all the portages.


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Voyage up the Mohawk.


situated on the south side of the Mohawk river, about six miles above the great Cohoes. From its situation at the commencement of an extensive inland navigation, whose shores are daily increasing in wealth and popula- tion, there can be no doubt that, at a period not very far distant, Schenectady will rank as one of the first inte- rior cities of the United States.




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