USA > Ohio > Fairfield County > A complete history of Fairfield County, Ohio > Part 6
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HISTORY OF FAIRFIELD COUNTY, OHIO.
In February, 1808, Judge Belt was still on the bench. Asso- ciates at this term : Leonard Carpenter, Henry Abrams and Jacob Burton. Two indictments were found: one against John Inks and Peter Pence for assault and battery on one an- other ; one against John Fisher, for what offense is not stated. During this year, as in the Courts of the four preceeding ones, a great number of civil suits were entered on the docket.
Through the proceedings of the sessions of the Common Pleas for the six years, viz .: 1803 and 1808, inclusive; are found a great many indictments for retailing spirituous liquors without license. Other offenses against the State, so far as specified, are mostly for assault and battery. In addition to the usual business of the Courts, orphans, guardianships and the like, received due attention.
The foregoing is but a very brief synopsis of the constitution and operation of the early courts of Fairfield county. The reader will comprehend that a fuller account would be incompatible with the bounds this volume must assume.
RELICS.
(From the Ohio Eagle, sixty-one years ago.)
ONE HUNDRED DOLLARS REWARD !- Ran away from the subscriber, living near Moorfield, Hardin County, Virginia, on the 29th of April last, a negro man, named Berry. He is about twenty years of age, five feet eight or nine inches in hight, round-shouldered, rather slender made ; he is active and undaunted, but not viciously inclined ; reddish lips; stutters when closely examined. Whoever will secure said slave, in any jail in the United States, so that I can get him again, shall receive the above reward, and all reasonable charges paid, if brought home. WILLIAM CUNNINGHAM, SR. July 31, 1815.
GINSANG WANTED .- I am now buying ginsang on every Satur- day, at my tan-yard in New Lancaster, and giving seven cents per pound.
The ginsang must be sound, clean washed, and the curls taken out. DANIEL ARNOTT, for M. HEYLIN.
Mr. Heylin is also buying it at this time, at the above price, on every day of the week, at J. Bush's store in Toby Town.
August 17, 1815.
BOOT AND SHOE-MAKING .- Jacob Embich (late of Hagers- town), respectfully informns the inhabitants of Lancaster and its vicinity, that he has commenced the Boot and Shoe-making business in all its va- rious branches, in the house lately occupied by Christian Neibling as a tavern.
September 7, 1815.
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HISTORY OF FAIRFIELD COUNTY, OHIO.
MR. PRINTER: Please insert the following ticket until the next elec- tion. A VOTER.
Assembly-Richard Hooker ; Jacob Claypool.
BY MANY SUBSCRIBERS.
Assembly-Jacob Claypool ; Benjamin Smith ; Peter Reeber. Commissioners-Michael Garaghty ; John Huber.
, 1815.
MARRIED-On Sunday last, by Thomas Fricker, Esq., Mr. John W. Giesy, of this town, to the amiable Miss Magdalen Hensil, daughter of Mr. Michael Hensil, of Berne township.
December 14, 1815.
THE OHIO EAGLE.
There are some slight discrepancies among old citizens now resident in Lancaster, as to the exact year in which the Ohio Eagle was established. Its present issue fixes its origin in 1809, as will be seen by reference to number of volume at the top of first page. It is possible, however, that its first begin- ning as a German paper was a little earlier. I am told by a citizen, that General Sanderson told him, that it was first issued in 1807. The history then may be given briefly thus :
A little previous to 1810, Jacob D. Detrich began the publi- cation in Lancaster of " Das Ohio Adler," and continued it for some time as a purely German paper ; subsequently the estab- lishment fell into the hands of Edward Shaeffer, who continued the publication during the war of 1812, in the Eng- lish language. It was at that time a very small sheet, of coarse, dull, white paper. Some of its literature at that time will appear a little odd to the present age. Here are a few specimens copied from a number before me, of the date of 1815 :
"A QUANTITY OF upper and sole leather will be exchanged by re- tail for good merchantable wheat, rye and corn, at Carpenter's Mills, by ISAAC KUNTZ.
January 25th, 1815."
"TAKE NOTICE .- I take this method of informing the public that I do not offer for sale any tickets in my lottery of personal property, nor do not know that I shall dispose of any in the State of Ohio, but that I am about to draw a lottery in the State of Pennsylvania, of property in Ohio. WILLIAM DUFFIELD.
LANCASTER, May 20th, 1815."
Beyond current news, advertising and other printed matter belonging to county newspapers, the Eagle has been a strictly
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HISTORY OF FAIRFIELD COUNTY, OHIO.
political partisan sheet. In 1832, under the editorial control of T. U. White, it supported the claims of Andrew Jackson for the Presidency, and in 1836, those of Martin Van Buren. It will be remembered, that during the campaign of 1832, the Jackson party assumed the name "Democratic Party," and from that time to the present the Eagle has been the county organ of that party. During most of the time it has been ably con- ducted, and has stood high among the Democratic papers of the State.
With some trouble and research I have been able to procure a list of the editors of the Eagle, from 1809 to 1876, which I be- lieve are here put down in the order of their succession. There may be a single exception or two, but the list may be accepted as about correct. I am indebted for the information to Mr. John Wright, who has been identified with the press of Lancaster for more than half a century, and to the courtesy of Thomas Wetzler, the present editor, in referring to his files. Thus: Jacob D. Detrich, Edward Shæffer, John Hermon, T. U. White, John and Charles Brough, Dr. Casper Thiel, Sam- uel Pike, Robertson, Robinson, F. M. Ellis, John Tuthill, Charles Roland, Baker, Zahm, Thomas Wetzler.
LANCASTER GAZETTE.
The Gazette was established in 1826 by General George San- derson. Like the Eagle, it has been a partisan political weekly. In the Presidential campaign of 1828, the Gazette supported John Quincy Adams. And as the Jackson party took the designation "Democratic party" in 1832, so the Adams and Clay party took the title "Whig party" in the same year, and the Gazette was the Whig county organ until 1854, when that party disbanded to give place to the American, or Know Nothing party. During that year the Gazette advocated the Know Nothing ticket. In 1856 it adopted the Philadelphia, or Republican platform, which party it has been the persist- ent and able defender of to the present. The Gazette has doubtless earned the reputation of a leading county Repub- lican weekly of the State. Its succession of editors compare favorably with any similar weekly publication in Ohio. I have before me some of its earliest issues, from which a few ex- tracts are taken, that will recall to the mind the earlier days of Fairfield County. The following samples will suffice :
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HISTORY OF FAIRFIELD COUNTY, OHIO.
CANAL CELEBRATION. WASHINGTON VOLUNTEERS, ATTEND.
You are ordered to parade in front of Mr. Reed's tavern, at Monti- cello, on the Fourth of July, at nine o'clock, for the purpose of saluting the canal boat "Hebron," which will be the first to run on the Ohio Ca- nal. By order of the Captain.
JACOB BOPE, O. S.
AN ORDINANCE, entitled an ordinance for levying a tax for the year 1827 .- Be it enacted and ordained by the President, Recorder and Trustees of the town of Lancaster, that a tax of three-eighths of one per centum, or thirty-seven and a half cents on every one hundred dol- lars, be levied on the assessment for the current year, for the use of said town. Done in Council, this 25th day of May, 1827.
JACOB D. DETRICK, President.
G. STEINMAN, Recorder. .
MILLINERY .- MRS. ELIZABETH DEITRICH respectfully returns thanks to her friends, and the public generally, for the very liberal encouragement she has heretofore received, and informs them that she continues at her dwelling-house the making of plain dresses and Calash Bonnets. Also, Leghorn and Straw Bonnets bleached in the very best manner, and altered to any fashion desired.
LANCASTER, May 22, 1827.
The editors of the Gazette have been: George Sanderson, Wm. J. Reece, D. L. Moler, James Percivill, George Weaver, Thomas Slaughter, George McElroy, Joshua Clarke & Son, Dr. H. Scott, Robert Clarke, A. P. Miller, and S. A. Griswold, present incumbent.
OTHER PAPERS.
There have been a number of other weeklies and campaign papers started in Lancaster at various times, and one daily ; but none of them were of long continuance. We mention the "Independent Press," of 1812; the " Enquirer," by P. Van- trump; " Telegraph," King & Gruber; " Fireside," by A. P. Miller; "American Democrat," by W. S. Beaty; "Union," by Miller & Fritter.
PHYSICIANS.
The following are the names of the physicians who have practiced in Lancaster from its organization up to the year 1876. To Dr. Charles Shawk and Dr. Paul Carpenter, old physicians of the place, and both still living, I am indebted mainly for the information. The list may be relied on as en-
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HISTORY OF FAIRFIELD COUNTY, OHTO.
tirely correct. It has not been possible, for the lack of data, to fix the exact time of settlement of the early practitioners. The list, however, begins with those who are known to have settled first in the place, Dr. John Shawk being the first who came to Lancaster and erected his cabin in the woods. Thus : John M. Shawk, Dr. Erwin, Dr. Carr, Dr. Wilcox, Dr. Flor- ence, Dr. Robert McNeal, Dr. James White, M. Z. Kreider, Dr. Clark, Dr. H. H. Wait, Dr. Deepe, Dr. Wolfley, John M. Bigelow, Dr. Paul Carpenter, Dr. Wilson, Dr. Saxe, Dr. Gou- cher, Dr. Brecker, M. Effinger, Dr. Lynch, A. Davidson, G. W. Boerstler, T. O. Edwards, P. M. Wagenhals, J. M. Lewis, Geo. K. Miller, Geo. Boerstler, Dr. Turner, Dr. Jackson, Dr Frampton, O. E. Davis, Dr. Dawson, Dr. Kinsman, Dr. Goss, Dr. Flowers, Dr. Harmon, Dr. Myers, Chas. Shawk and Dr. Shrader.
Of these, the following are still resident practitioners in Lancaster, viz .: Paul Carpenter, Dr. Lynch, Charles Shawk, M. Effinger, Geo. Boerstler, J. M. Lewis, Dr. Turner, Dr. Jack- son, Dr. Goss, Dr. Flowers, and Dr. Harmon.
Of those who have removed to other parts, and are known to be still living, are : J. M. Bigelow, O. E. Davis, P. M, Wag- enhals, Dr. Shrader and Dr. Kinsman. Dr. Andrew Davidson purchased the drug establishment of George Kauffman, on Main street, where he still continues.
Those who are known to have deceased previous to 1876, are : John M. Shawk, James White, Robert McNeal, M. Z. Kreider, Dr. Clark, H. H. Wait, D. Deppe, Dr. Wolfley, Dr. Saxe, Dr. Goucher, Dr. Brecker, Geo. W. Boerstler, Dr. Dawson, George Miller, Dr. Ervin, Dr. Carr, Dr. Wilcox, Dr. Florence, Dr. Myers and T. O Edwards.
I have not at my command the facilities for learning the names of all the physicians who have practiced in the villages and other parts of the county since its organization, but men- tion the following from memory : Baltimore : Dr. Gohegen, Dr. Helmic, Dr. Horr and Dr. Sprague. Lithopilis: Dr, Minor and Dr. Eels. Jefferson : Dr. Tolbert. Royalton : Dr Paul, Dr. Daw- son and Dr. Reed. Amanda: Dr. Daugherty, Dr. Peters, and the brothers Hewitson. Oakland: Dr. Shaeffer. Clear Creek : Dr. Porter. Sugar Grove : Dr. Brown, Dr. Foster, Dr. Sharp and Dr. Brooks. Bremen: Dr. Evans, Dr. Holcom, and Dr. Frampton. Rushville : Dr. Ide and Dr. Turner. West Rush.
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HISTORY OF FAIRFIELD COUNTY, OHIO.
ville: Dr. Dolison and Dr. Lewis. New Salem : Dr. Brock and Dr. Yontz. Pleasantville: Dr. Goss. Millersport: Dr. Brison & Son. Basil: Dr. Maines. Carroll: Dr. Aldred. Dumont- ville : Dr. Mills and Dr. Bright.
I am aware that this list is not quite complete, but it is as nearly so as my possibilities will permit.
INSCRIPTIONS IN KOONTZ'S GRAVEYARD, ONE MILE SOUTH OF LANCASTER.
" Emanuel Carpenter, died in 1832." [Mr. Carpenter came into the county in 1802, and built his first cabin where Salem Wolf recently re- sided, near Lancaster].
" Isaac Kuntz, died in February, 1861, aged 75 years."
" John Carpenter [father of Mrs. John Van Pearce], died in 1807, aged 64 years."
" David Carpenter, died in 1847, aged 79 years."
" Mrs. Susana Carpenter, wife of David Carpenter, died in 1840, aged 66 years."
" Robert F. Slaughter, died in October, 1846, aged 77 years."
" Sarah Slaughter, wife of Judge Robert Slaughter, died in March, 1858, aged 63 years."
A GHOST STORY.
The mental and intellectual status, as well as the social constitution of society, was about the same throughout the whole of the north-western territories, at, or during the log- cabin era. The emigrants at first brought with them from the old States their religion, their social habits, their manners and customs ; but residence for a few years in the wilderness, far away from the more densely populated and better con- ditioned ultra montane lands of their birth, created by a kind of necessity, a state of society peculiarly western, which, pass- ing into history, constitutes an era. The times are referred to as pioneer life, frontier life, backwoods life, the log-cabin era, and the like. The prejudices and superstitions were about the same everywhere; they belonged to the age; they were not peculiar to backwoods life ; old and aristocratic, and what it is common to call refined and more enlightened countries, have had their ghosts and witches ; Fairfield County has had its ghosts, and apparitions, and witches. The story I am about · to tell did not belong to this county, but to a western county of Ohio, and it reflects the times of its occurrence.
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HISTORY OF FAIRFIELD COUNTY, OHIO.
It is more than half a century since-three-fourths of all the people concerned are dead; three-fourths of all the people of our settlement believed in apparitions, witches and supernat- ural omens. Salem Witchcraft, so-called, had infused itself over the entire country, and there were few neighborhoods that had not had, at one time or another, their ghosts, and witches, and occasional visitants from the land of " Deepest Shade." Sounds and appearances now well understood, and that disturb nobody, were then supernatural. Several volumes would scarcely suffice to narrate all the signs and wonders and inci- dents that, during that more diffused dominion of superstition, held the people in awe. The celestial realms, as well as the land of demons were represented on earth occasionally. But as the fogs and miasmas of the wilderness have lifted, so has the mind been cleared of much of its superstition by the brighten- ing rays of science. But neither have the fogs nor the mental sombre quite all gone, though the luminaries seem well up from the horizon. But no matter for all that, our neighbor- hood had its ghost, which the writer never saw but once, and we shall presently see how.
A majority of all the people within a radius of five or six miles around had seen the apparition at some time ; it usually assumed the size and form of a human being, and always clothed in pure white. It was seen by persons returning from night meetings and other gatherings, and sometimes by solitary persons who chanced to be abroad after night. There were two small graveyards in the settlement, and two or three waste cabins by the road sides that had been once occupied, and afterwards vacated. These were the points where his ghostship usually chose for his materialization as mortals passed by in the dark. The neighborhood had been in the utmost terror at times during more than two years, and it came at last to be, that only a few could be found brave enough to undertake to pass either of the graveyards or waste cabins alone in the dark. Even those who assumed to ridicule the stories that were told about the ghost, would always prefer to have company when their business required them to pass those places in the night time.
Two theories were canvassed, the first of which was, that a peddler had previously disappeared from the settlement, and under the dark apprehension that he had met with foul play,
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HISTORY OF FAIRFIELD COUNTY, OHIO.
it was believed that his troubled spirit was hovering about The other theory was, that a company of North Carolina explor- ers who had penetrated the county before the settlement began, had foully murdered one of their number, and buried his body in the forest not far, as was believed, from there, and that his perturbed spirit could not go to rest unavenged.
My father's farm was separated from that of neighbor H. by a partition fence, ours being situated on the north side. The distance between the two houses was about one-third of a mile. On their side was a stubble-field and peach-orchard; on ours was a cornfield. At the crossing of the partition fence was one of the little graveyards before referred to. It was grown up with scrubby bushes, which partially concealed a few mossy palings and log-pens that were placed over some of the graves. Altogether, the graveyard was a neglected spot.
There was a corn-husking and quilting at the house of our neighbor. It was the latter part of October, and the weather was mild, and of that kind commonly spoken of as Indian Summer. At about two o'clock in the night the work had all been finished, and the supper over, and the folks were begin- ing to depart for home. Two brothers, two sisters and my- self, with half a dozen other young folks were going to cross the field, which would take us directly past the graveyard. We were strongly fortified, and believed we should not be much afraid of ghosts ; still, all of us, I think, would have pre- ferred daylight for the walk. We had got as far as the door of the new house, where part of the young people were going to finish the night with a dance, and were halting a little to listen to the fiddle, when, by accident, I chanced to turn my face in the direction of the old house, some three or four rods distant, when I caught a glimpse of three chaps as they came out of the kitchen door, and whipped around the corner to the right. But their movement was not so quick as to prevent me from seeing a roll of something white under one of their arms by the aid of the burning candles in their rear. It oc- cured to me at once that the scamps, knowing that we were starting, were intending to anticipate us at the graveyard and give us a fright. I plucked the boys to one side and whispered my discovery and my suspicions. We called the girls, and hurried across the peach-orchard to where the stub- bles set in. Here we left them under cover of a peach tree,
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HISTORY OF FAIRFIELD COUNTY, OHIO.
while six boys of us hastencd across to the fence. The would- be-ghosts we knew would have about three times our distance to go, and we knew we were ahead of them time enough to complete our plans.
One of our number stood six feet in his stockings. He was, moreover, not much afraid of spirits, either in or out of the body, and he at once volunteered to take the role of ghost. He wore at the time white pants, and when divested of coat and vest, was white all over. He then went in among the bushes and laid flat down by the side of one of the little log-pens, where he was entirely hid from view, while the balance of us prostrated ourselves snugly in the fence corners to await what might follow. It was not more than a couple of minutes be- fore the rustling leaves and cracking sticks hearalded the ap- proach of the ghosts. They were coming from the east, and on our side of the fence. They advanced exactly opposite to where the figure lay, and having halted, began to unroll the sheet. I could easily have put out my hand and grabbed one of them by the calf, but I waited. Presently an awful groan issued from the bushes. The scamps were instantly transfixed and petri- fied. Another groan, and with it a white form began to rise up apparently from the little log-pen; slowly it ascended, un- til it had probably attained the altitude of twenty feet or more, in the enlarged imaginations of the boys who were standing in breathless awe.
Then a voice, solemn and sepulchral, was heard. It said : " Why, vain mortals, do you come at this silent hour to disturb the peaceful sleepers of the grave ? Retire and pray, for where we are, you too soon will be;" and then the apparition sank back ap- parently into the ground.
The fence was eight rails high, and without stakes or riders. I believed my time had come, and so I reached out from my dark corner and laid hold of a leg, and in the twinkling of an eye the fence rails began to tumble about us with such fearful profusion as to require the greatest activity on our parts to es- cape with sound skulls and bones, while three pair of long legs were seen making the quickest time on record across the stub- ble-field, to where the forms disappeared under the peach trees.
It is about fifty-three years ago, but from that day to the present, so far as I have ever heard, no ghost has been reported in that settlement.
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HISTORY OF FAIRFIELD COUNTY, OHIO.
There was but one wonder in the matter, and that was, how these boys had so long escaped detection.
MISCELLANEOUS.
While we are chronicling what the world denominates the dead past and the living present, it will be well if we take plenty of time to think the time all over and see if we can consent that all the claimed advancement of the age is in fact, in every respect, advancement to a higher and better con- dition of mankind. The world is surely growing wiser (the world of man), but is it growing better? Weought to try to satisfy ourselves whether, in getting wisdom, we are getting good hearts. I am impelled to introduce this suggestion be- cause I fear that morals and religion and secular governments are not as good as they were when the world was not as wise as it is to-day. The art of war, and the art of getting rich are controlling forces now. Are these forces civilizing ? I know it is a common belief that civilization and religious faith are growing rapidly in this second half of the nineteenth century. I do not contradict the claim, but let us pause and consider whether we are not leaving behind the essential maxims, and let me say good manners, good sense, and the golden rule. Where is the golden rule in war and the race for riches, and other popular movements of the age. These are all subjects for grave thought and more earnest and candid consideration than men, in their hurry, are in the habit of thinking. We ought never to lose sight of the fact that there is such a thing as educating the intellect far in advance of the heart and the moral and religious sentiments. And I think none who are careful observers can say, that such is not the present course of training the rising generations.
We demand of our orators and writers now elegance of ex- pression and diction, and hence more attention is given to brilliancy and finely-uttered sentences than to truth and humanizing thought and practice, and the really useful les- sons of life. If more pains were taken in the matter of speech than the manner, higher wisdom would be displayed. Teach- ers should labor more to instruct than to please or amuse. Am- biguity, it seems to me, has usurped the place of simplicity and unostentatious words that convey understanding and use- 5
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HISTORY OF FAIRFIELD COUNTY, OHIO.
ful thoughts. The world will condemn a man more for a blunder in grammar, or orthography, or elegance of express- ion than it will for gross immorality, often, or for the violation of the rule of good manners. To be scholarly is to be correct in grammar, and to be able to quote fine sentiments from popular authors. But he is not fit to be an educator who cares more to please his auditors by brilliancy that he may gain popular applause. And I shall insist that, with all our learning, we can profit much every way by reverting often to the old maxims and usages that we have run away from.
There are some beautiful maxims in the old school books of sixty years ago that the world has discarded, mainly. At least they are no more printed. But they are not forgotten by the old people, who, in their school days, were familiar with Webster's Spelling Book, "the easy standard of pronun- ciation." They will be easily recalled, and will bring the mind back to the little log school-house with its slab benches and oiled paper windows, and to pleasant scenes and joys de- parted, never again to return. The book has long been out of print ; scarcely a copy of it can be found in existence ; but its precepts live in the memories and hearts of those who were in school sixty years ago, and are still living. I quote from memory the following, which were the first reading lessons, my older readers, you and I learned. How delightful to pass over the lines which bring back fond recollections, and group around us delights we once felt, but which we shall feel no more. The mind at once takes in the twenty or thirty boys and girls and theteacher, every one of whom we knew so well, and we instinctively ask : where are they all now ? Here is the very first reading lesson :
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