USA > Ohio > Hamilton County > Cincinnati > Centennial history of Cincinnati and representative citizens, Vol. I, Pt. 1 > Part 79
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'In connection with this anecdote, Mr. Long- worth told the following oft-repeated tale: "A newcomer here was indicted for stealing a horse.
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He had no copper pennies, but he had a second- hand copper whiskey still and horse (not the one stolen). He had left them at the tavern of Joel Williams (we had no hotels in those (iays). He offered me my choice to take the horse or still for my fee. A fair presumption was that both might be stolen and the horse most likely to be recovered and I am compelled to admit that this crossed my mind but I gave him not this reason but one that excited his grat- I itude and caused him to sqeeze my hand. told him that I would take the still and leave him the horse for a reason greatly to his benefit, -- that if he succeeded in getting his acquittal he could run away on the horse but could not on the still. He was acquitted, mounted the horse and did not even wait to bid the jailer goodbye. I went to Williams' Tavern to get the still. He told me he could not part with it, that he had built a whiskey distillery and I must sell it to him for fourteen and a half acres of ground in the city on Western row south of Eighth street. He was a brother Jerseyman and I con- sented. The ground is now worth if vacant only seven hundred and fifty thousand dollars. It would be an error to suppose that in those times of low fees the eloquence of the bar was at a low figure."
Another real estate transaction which failed was described as follows: "When I tried to purchase of our leading citizen Jacob Burnet on credit his cow pasture for five thousand dollars of thirty-two acres, for which he paid eight hun- dred dollars, he refused my offer saying What would be its operation on my character. They would say in our native town of Newark, New Jersey, that you came here to study law under my care and the first thing I did was to make you a slave for life by saddling you with a debt you could never pay for a piece of property good for nothing but pasture or to raise corn.'
"Judge Burnet had no rival at the bar and no lawyer's character ranked higher. By the failure of the old Miami Bank and the factory he had aided, the Judge. lost a heavy sum and was obliged to sell the square his residence was on and had but little left but his eight hundred dollar purchase trade. The family still own a large part of it. The cow pasture is now worth two millions, four hundred thousand dollars."
THE POST OFFICE.
Dr. Drake tells us that Major Ruffin, who was postmaster for the town, performed all the duties of the office with his own hands ard that
the great Eastern mail was then brought once a week from Maysville, Kentucky, in a pair of saddle-bags. Major Ruffin unfortunately did not succeed in his business pursuits and was afterwards elected sheriff of the county for sev- eral terms. He was one of the most popular officials ever in the service of the town and the county and died in 1834, having earned the respect of the whole community after a long and useful life. During his incumbency the service was much improved. In 1799 a mail route was established between this place and "Chelicotha" and in 1800 we are informed by the newspaper that the post route had been opened between Louisville and Kaskaskia and another between Nashville and Natchez. There was but one mail route through the Miami country itself and this passed through Hamilton, Franklin, Dayton and as far north as Stanton, a town on the east bank of the . Miami opposite the site of the present town of Troy, thence through Urbana, Yellow Springs and Lebanon back to Cincinnati. After- wards it was reversed, starting by way of Le- banon and returning by Hamilton but touching at the same points. There was then no post office west of the Miami River. ( McBride's Pioneer Biography.)
"In 1808-09 Peter Williams had contracts for carrying the mails between Louisville and Cin- cinnati, Cincinnati and Lexington, Cincinnati and Chillicothe, and Cincinnati and Greenville, in Darke County. All these contracts were per- formed with packhorses through the dense forests and along the 'blazed' tracks or paths which, in those days, were called roads. The trip from Cincinnati to Louisville was generally performed in about two weeks' time. The pro- vender for the horses had frequently to be car- ried along, it being impossible to procure any on the way. So of the other routes to the dif- ferent places named-everywhere through the grand, dense forests, filled with wild game of all kinds. Our informant recollects many rude in- cidents which occurred on many trips he, as a boy, made with his father, and afterwards by himself, as he became older, to Chillicothe, Green- ville, Louisville, etc. Mr. Williams retained these mail contracts up to 1821, using packhorses dur- ing the whole time, and only releasing them on the advent of the stage-coach, owners of which could afford to carry the mails at about one-half the price he was getting. In those early days the packhorse was the only way in which sup. plies of every kind could be transported any distance ; and Mr. Williams distinctly remembers
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that his father possessed the only wagon in the country 'around Cincinnati, and that, being of no use, was suffered to rot down in the barn." (Cincinnati Commercial, quoted in Ford's Cin- cinnati, p. 363.)
Among the mail carriers employed by Mr. Williams was Samuel Lewis, who afterwards became one of the city's most useful residents and the first superintendent of public schools in the State of Ohio. To Mr. Lewis it will be remembered it is largely due the founding of both Woodward and Hughes high schools. In his biography published by his son, William G. W. Lewis, is given some account of his life as a post-boy.
"After working a short time upon the farm, he was employed in carrying the United States mail-for which Mr. Williams had a contract at that time. His route was at first from Cincin- nati to Williamsburgh, and afterward from the latter point to Chillicothe. This work often re- quired seven days and two nights in the week, making the labor very severe. In addition to this, the creeks and small rivers along the route were to be forded, bridges at that period being out of the question. This was all done on horse- back. The routes covered most of the country cast of Cincinnati to the Scioto River at Chilli- cothe, and southward of this to the Ohio River, including Maysville, Kentucky.
"Over some of these streams, during high water, it was necessary to swim the horse; while often the attempt was accompanied with much danger. At one time, being compelled to swim his horse, he had secured the mail-bag, as he supposed, and commenced crossing the stream, swimming himself and leading the horse. When nearly over, the mail-bag, from some cause, be- came unloosed and floated off. His horse was first to be secured, and then the mail. Its re- covery and the renewal of his journey would have been speedy, but he was struck by a float- ing log in the water, and severely injured. Mak- ing his way with extreme difficulty to the shore, lie succeeded in mounting his horse, and contin- uing his journey to the next town, which he reached completely drenched and exhausted, and where he remained for some days before he was able to renew his round. The accident unfitted him for his employment for the time, and when
he returned to Cincinnati, he was occupied with other labor."
Major Ruffin was succeeded by Rev. William Burke some time in the year 1814. Mr. Mais- field gives us a somewhat striking view of this well known citizen who was postmaster during the time covered by his reminiscences. He tells us that Burke was a Southern man and had many of the prejudices of the South. "He seemed to have lost his voice and always spoke low and in guttural tones. He was always chewing tobacco and being a postmaster was always a Democrat. He was a strong Methodist and seemed an amiable man." Burke remained in office for over a quarter of a century until by the death of Harrison, Tyler became president and President Harrison's son-in-law, W. H. H. Taylor, was appointed to the office. He re- moved the office from Ruffin's Corner to Main street above Columbia or Second street and a little later to Main street on the west side above Fourth. In the Directory of 1819 it appears at No. 157 Main street. The assistant post- master for many years under Burke was Elam P. Langdon. The Post Office was the center of interest, particularly from the fact that in con- nection with it Mr. Langdon kept up the Cin- cinnati Reading Room, where could be seen the leading news and literary journals of this coun- try as well as many foreign publications. Many citizens congregated here and strangers who came to town were made heartily welcome. Ac- cording to Dr. Drake, the mails in 1815 were but nine a week. Some seventy different news- papers and periodicals were taken at the office, aggregating three hundred and fifty sheets a week and also a large number of public docu- ments.
That there was serious complaint as to thie efficiency of the postal service is apparent from a notice inserted in Liberty Hall of November 15, 1814, calling for a meeting of citizens who had been aggrieved by the injuries and neglect of the general inail department. This meeting was held at the Columbian Iun at four o'clock on the afternoon of the following day. O. M. Spencer was chairman and Samuel W. Davies, secretary, and a long series of resolutions, 11 in mumber, were adopted. Resolutions were to the effect that the notorious delays and abuses in bringing forward the mails, particularly the
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Eastern mails from Chillicothe, were the result of the authorities not being in possession of accurate information and the contempt and neg- lect of the former Postmaster General or the clerk in office. A committee of 15, including Jeremiah Neave, Jacob Burnet, Jesse Hunt, O. M. Spencer, Daniel Drake, Solomon Langdon, Martin Baum, Samuel W. Davies, Samuel C. Vance, George P. Torrence, William Ruffin, Arthur St. Clair, Jr., Daniel Symmes, James Findlay and J. S. Gano, were appointed to cor- respond with their representatives in Washington on the subject,-with what degree of success is not now easy to ascertain.
THE WATER SUPPLY.
Considerable improvement was made in the matter of water supply during this time. In 1806 one William Gibson carted around water in a cask. Another water carter was Samuel Arthur. Eleven years later Jesse Reeder built a tank, on the bank of the river near Ludlow street where by means of elevators assisted by horse power he raised the water and sold it to the carts. By the ordinance of March 31,, 1817, the exclusive privilege of conveying water by tubes or otherwise from the Ohio River to the streets, lanes and alleys and commons of the town was vested in the Cincinnati Manufacturing Company for a term of 99 years. The company was required to complete the work so far as conveying water into that part of the town lying south of Third street commonly called the Bot- tom by July 1, 1819. It was to convey the water into that part of the town lying north of Third street commonly called the Hill so that the same might be delivered three feet above the first floor of James Ferguson's kitchen in the Second Ward of said town within another year. Water was to be taken from the reservoirs and con- ductors whenever necessary to extinguish fires and for this purpose the company was required to provide a fire plug for each square. The company was permitted to dig in the streets, alleys, lanes and commons of the town for the purpose of sinking their conductors and to de- mand from citizens who used the water such sums as they might agree upon. The rights of the company were not subject to forfeiture be- cause of any temporary interruption in the sup- ply. During the time covered by the lease, the franchise was to be an exclusive one. For this
valuable concession the company was to pay the sum of $100 a year, which money was to be ap- propriated for the purpose of extinguishing fires.
By an ordinance passed the following year the time limit for the completion of the work in the Bottom was extended a year. The company whose principal business was the manufacturing of woolen goods expected to throw the water by a steam engine into a reservoir on a hill 200 feet above the river from which it was to be conveyed in aqueducts to different parts of the city. The cxpense it was thought would exceed $100,000. Work was commenced very shortly afterwards and & reservoir 40 by 30 feet and six feet deep was excavated on the hillside and two frame buildings erected on the bank, one to the north and the other to the south of Front street. The lifting pump was placed in the building on the south side of Front street and carried the water into a tank on the north side of Front, whence it was forced into the reservoir which was a little southwest of the present one. The work, however, did not progress rapidly enough to give any accommodation to the people during this period and it was not until after the incorporation of the city that any but the most primitive methods of supplying water were in use.
Reeder's appliance stood until the fire of May 7, 1829. (An elaborate history of the Water Works is contained in the City Water Works Report for 1880, found in the Cincinnati Annual Reports, 1880, pp. 463-519.)
FIRE AND POLICE PROTECTION.
Provisions against fire have been partly de- scribed in the extracts from Dr. Drake's book. A meeting of citizens hield July 14, 1802, at the new Court House on Fifth and Main, already referred to had made the provision of $12 for six fire ladders and the same amount for as many fire hooks. Mention is made of the pur- chase, on September 3, 1807, of two hand en- gines, one to be used in the Bottom and one on the Hill. It seems difficult to trace the source of this statement. From the account in the first directory quoted hereafter it will appear that very little was accomplished in the way of fire prevention during this period.
The Select Council discussed the purchase of an engine in the year 1808 and a meeting was
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called for the purpose. An association called the Union Fire Company was formed and included in its membership nearly the entire male ele- ment of the city. The engine proved very unsat- isfactory and the organization of the company was even worse and as a result it soon dropped out of sight. In July, 1808, the Cincinnati Fire Bucket Company was organized. Its appa- ratus consisted of a large willow basket placed on a large four-wheel truck and containing leather fire buckets. The whole affair was about ten feet long and six feet high. Each house- holder was required by ordinance to keep two of these fire buckets in a conspicuous place on his premises. The headquarters of the company were on the north side of Fourth opposite the site of the present St. Paul Bulding ..
An interesting relic preserved in the relic room of the present department is the old fire drum which dates from the year 1808. This gigantic drum five feet high with a circumference of. sixteen feet five inches and heads five feet four inches in diameter was used until as late as 1824 to call the citizens to fires. The principal part of the town at that time was east of Walnut and along the river. In a field' about where the end of the esplanade facing Walnut street now stands was a one-story frame bulding which was used as a carpenter shop. The drum was placed on the roof of this house, where it could be reached by any citizen desiring to give an alarm. A ladder in the rear of the house ex- tended to the roof and furnished the means of access to this novel fire alarm. As the city grew, even. a drum of these magnificent pro- portions was insufficient for the purpose and the more penetrating noise of the bell was substi- tuted in its place. The principal one used was the bell of the Presbyterian Church at the corner of Fourth and Main, which it is said could be distinctly heard for miles along Read- ing road. This bell was used for fire purposes until about 1845. When the drum was aban- cloned, in 1824, it was placed in a hay press at the southeast corner of Sixth and Walnut streets. Here it was found in later years by an old painter, a former fire warden, named Oliver Lovell. He took it to his home and used it as an oat bin. Eventually it was discovered in his stable by some members of the old volunteer fire department and was taken possession of and has been preserved to the present day.
In 1810 the Washington Company, No. 1. was organized as an outgrowth of the Union Fire Company. Three years later the purchase of an engine was authorized by the Council, but although the tax was levied for this pur- pose the engine was not bought until 1816. It was purchased by Gen. John S. Gano and was put in charge of the company known as the Relief Fire Company, No. 2. Fortunately at this time fires were quite infrequent and the neces- sity for better fire-fighting facilities was not impressed upon the minds of the citizens. (His- tory of the Cincinnati Fire Department, p. 55.)
The provision as to fire buckets and require- ments as to attendance upon fires by all citizens are given in the quotations from Drake. (Pic- ture of Cincinnati, p. 139.)
The discontent concerning the fire department seemed general. A fire at the brewery of Davis Embree which occurred February 12, 1815, im- pressed upon the public the necessity for a better department. Says Liberty Hall: "On this sub- jeet a reform is indeed indispensable. Another and better engine should be procured-rival companies should be organized, and their officers invested with power to press into active service or disperse the mob of knaves, fools and gentlemen who generally press round our fires and look up with the smiling and idiot gaze which they would bestow on a flight of rockets." Despite this pessimistic statement, the same issue contains a card from Mr. Embree presenting his grateful acknowledgement to his fellow citizens for their exertions in saving his property and stating that "on this occasion they evinced conduct which would do credit to the best organized fire companies."
Police protection was not much better. An ordinance establishing a night watch was passed March 29, 1803, as a result of a severe fire a few nights before. By its provisions, the poll was to be taken of all citizens of the town above the age of 21 years who were to be divided into classes of 12 men cach who should serve as watchmen in rotation: From each set of 12 men one was chosen as the officer of the night. This patrol was divided into two sets who took turns in watching and guarding the town "by walking to and fro through the streets thereof in a quiet peaceable manner." Substitutes were permitted, provided that the substitute was a strong, able,
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discreet, sober man of 21 years of age and up- wards. The houses of Hugh McCullum and David J. Poor were designated as watch houses. If any man refused to act as a commander of the watch, he was subject to a fine of $10 and any one who refused to watch was fined $5. Any per- son insulting a patrolman on duty was subject to a fine of $20. The watch carried a watch- man's rattle and large perforated tin lanterns. Their duties were not severe as the public gen- erally retired at about nine o'clock and after that there was but little heard on the streets, except the hourly call of the patrolman.
John Palmer, who visited Cincinnati in 1817, says : "The police of the city are respectable ; they have however no lamps or watch nor do they need any. We boarded in the heart of the town and our doors were mostly open night or day. Theft is very rare; the lowest character seemed above it." As the city at this time ex-
tended but from the river to Sixth street and from Broadway to Walnut with a few outlying houses it was not difficult to patrol the entire district. Any violations of ordinances were tried before the president of the Council, who acted as mayor.
In 1817 the guard consisted of a captain and six subordinates who were appointed by the Council. The captain's duty was to see that the watchmen kept the street lamps trimmed and lighted them about dusk. The watchmen were required to repair to the watch house at nine o'clock, where they continued under the cap- tain's command until daylight. Any person found abroad after ten o'clock at night in commission of an unlawful act was to be taken before the cap- tain, who could hold the prisoner until morn- ing, at which time he was to appear before the mayor.
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CHAPTER XXVII.
THE TOWN OF CINCINNATI (1802-1819)-III.
SOCIAL LIFE, AMUSEMENTS, CELEBRATIONS AND NEWSPAPERS.
THE SOCIAL LIFE OF THE TOWN AS DESCRIBED BY MANSFIELD, COPPIN, MRS. YOUNG, FLINT, LONG- WORTH, DR. DRAKE AND OTHERS-INVITATIONS-ST. CECILIA SOCIETY AND SOCIAL READING PARTY-AMATEUR THEATRICALS-THE SHELLBARK THEATRE-THE THESPIAN CORPS-THE PITTSBURG COMPANY-CINCINNATI HARMONICAL SOCIETY-THE AFRICAN APE AND THE CAS- SOWARA -- GASTON'S FIREWORKS-MR. AND MRS. PEREZ-FOURTH OF JULY CELEBRATIONS-THE NEWSPAPERS OF THE TOWN-NOTICES AND ADVERTISEMENTS.
THE SOCIAL LIFE OF THE TOWN.
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It is difficult of course after the lapse of many years to form any accurate conclusion as to the manners of a time already a century passed. The contemporary accounts are necessarily more or less colored by the people met by the writer. That there was a charming social life during the period of existence as a town is clear from the statements quoted from Drake, Mansfield or more especially from the visitors from abroad. This social life was undoubtedly of the simplest character and it is clear that luxury and dis- play in dress were almost unknown. The pas- sage already quoted from Drake's lecture, re- ferring to the state of society about the year 1800, of course applies as well to that of a few years later. There was, however, a change which be- came manifest very shortly before the settlement entered upon its town life. During the years before, the military element predominated and the unfortunate excesses to which the soldiery were prone at that time necessarily affected the whole community. After the wars had termin- ated and the fort ceased to be a post of import- ance, this influence became of less consequence.
Drake, speaking of a later time, tells us that the inhabitants,-in the main mechanics,-were tem- perate in their habits. Wealth was pretty evenly distributed and there was not very much luxury or extravagance. The traveler Ashe, writing of Cincinnati in 1806, received from the people in general a favorable impression. They were orderly, decent, sociable, liberal and unassum- ing. Some of the citizens he thought were of special worth and he mentions a number of names of distinction. Mansfield, writing some years afterwards in his life of Drake, describes the town of about the same period. The list of names given by him leaves no doubt as to the charm of the social life of the community.
MANSFIELD.
"Cincinnati was then emerging out of a village existence into that, not of a city, but of a town. In 1806 it was but a small and dirty county- town. But about that time continenced a career of growth and success which is unequalled in history. Such success, notwithstanding all nat- ural advances, is always due as much to the mind and energy of the citizens as to all physical canses. If we look to the young men then as-
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sociated with Dr. Drake and to the older citizens whom I have already mentioned, it will be found that no young place in America has gath- ered to itself a greater amount of personal energy and intellectual ability. I have named among the pioneers the St. Clairs, Symmeses, Burnets, Ganos, Findlays, Goforths and Oliver M. Spencer. In the class of young men, about 1806-7, were John McLean, now Supreme judge; Thomas S. Jessup, now quartermaster-general ; Joseph G. Totten, now general of engineers ; Ethan A. Brown, afterwards Governor, judge and canal commissioner; George Cutler, now colonel in the army; Mr. Sill, since member of Congress from Erie, Pennsylvania ; Joseph Crane, afterwards judge; Judge Torrence, Dr. Drake, Nicholas Longworth, Peyton S. Symmes, David Wade, Samuel Perry, Joseph Pierce, a poet of decided talent; Mr. Armstrong and John F. Mansfield.
"The last two died early-the former, a young man of great ability, and the latter of dis- tinguished scientific attainments and high prom- ise. Such a circle of young men would grace any rising town, and impart to its mind and character a tone of energy and a spirit of am- bition."
COPPIN.
Another reminiscence of this period is given in the inaugural address by Joseph Coppin, de- livered before the Pioneer Association in 1880. His account of the costumes of that time is a little bit surprising :
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