USA > Ohio > Jefferson County > Steubenville > Century History of Steubenville and Jefferson County, Ohio and Representative Citizens, 20th > Part 47
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HOLY NAME PAROCHIAL SCHOOL, STEUBENVILLE
BEATTY'S SEMINARY. STEUBENVILLE
GILL HOSPITAL, STEUBENVILLE
WELLS HIGH SCHOOL, STEUBENVILLE
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announced one evening unexpectedly, and took the boys, who had been working all day in the blue wool, quite unawares. The array of blue feet was astonishing to the elders with towels girded around their waists, and no small source of amusement to the irreverent lookers on. But the boys were in earnest, and endured the trial of their mortification most manfully, and a trial it was, for their fellow apprentices did not fait to allude to it many a day afterwards."'
A convert to the new faith, who had the reputation of being a great cheat acknow !- edged his fault and reimbursed all those whom he had cheated, certainly a commend- able performance, but from a too literal application of scripture narrative he adopted the notion that he ought not to marry, for he said they neither married nor were given in marriage in the kingdom of heaven. He loved a sister in the church, who reciprocated his sentiment, but did not adopt his notions about marriages. His proposition was that they should live together, but not be married, for that would be like the angels. They had a long time in settling this affair, and the man, as solemn as an owl, or a dozen of them if you please, would argue the matter with Mr. Howells, who contended and reasoned against it but without effect. So did others, including his sweetheart, who engaged every one she could to persnade him to act like "any other man, " and be married. All had confidence enough in him to trust his word to live with her and be faithful to her; und at last, knowing that a public promise that he was going to live with her would bind him legally, they gave into him, and he took her home to live with him, of which he made announcement at meeting. They lived that way till they had several children, and then they were married.
Receiving a legacy of $500 by the death of Mr. Howells's grandfather in Wales the family purchased a farm in Harrison County, thirty-seven miles from Stenben- ville, where they again went through the experience of pioneer life, tobacco being among the crops raised. The nominal price of wheat was thirty cents a bushel, some- times in trade with iron at twelve and one- half cents n pound, and other manufactured goods in proportion. Whisky was cheap.
A leading cause of lawsuits was slander, from which we infer that gossip is not ex- clusively a modern art. The family moved to Wheeling and from there in 1834 to a farm near Chillicothe. Our writer had learned to set type in Wheeling und came back to Mt. Pleasant where Elisha Bates, at that time the leader of the Orthodox Quakers, had a printing office. He gives a graphic account of a disagreement among the Friends which is referred to in the sketch of Mt. Pleasant Township. Fail- ing to get work at Mt. Pleasant he went to the home of Alexander Campbell, fourteen miles from Steubenville on Buffalo Creek, Va., who was issuing a paper called the Christian Baptist, where he had fitted up a printing office in a little house sixteen feet square, where the pressman wet the paper for presswork by dipping it directly into the stream, selecting a big stone to lay the paper board upon and another for the dry paper, while he stood half leg deep in the water, which gently played over his hare feet. This was in 1828, and Mr. Howells soon after returned to Wheeling and published one or two periodicals. Here in 1831 he became acquainted with Mary Dean and was married on July 10th, of that year. They moved to St. Clairsville in August. In 1832 he returned to Mt. Pleas- ant with his wife where he worked for Eli- sha Bates, publisher of The Repository. While there the cholera broke out (1832), and Dr. Flanner, of Zanesville was de- puted to go to Wheeling where it was rag- ing, and prepare himself to treat it when the plague should appear in their town. The doctor on his return from Wheeling stopped at Mt. Pleasant to visit his three unmarried sisters. He arrived in the eve- ning, received and made some calls, ex- pecting to resume his journey the next morning. Instead of that he was attacked by the cholera, and died in twenty-four hours, while the terror-stricken people closed their doors and walked in silence nbout the streets. The Bates publication was suspended in the fall of 1833, and Howells and his wife moved to Wheeling.
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and about the first of April following moved to Chillicothe by river and canal. About this time Dr. Drake, of Cincinnati, published a historical sketch of Ohio, de- seribing the wild horse-chestnut known as the buckeye and presenting it as the em- blematic tree of the state, thus perpetuated its name in this connection. Mr. Howells worked in the printing office of the Scioto Gazette, and suggested to the publisher the idea of William Henry Harrison for pres- ident, which idea was taken up and pur- sued so successfully that it placed Harrison in the White House. The Gazette being sold, Mr. Howells went to the farm for a year and returned to Wheeling, where he relates the following :
"The next summer, while we were living again in Wheeling, two young men were hanged for the murder of an old man for his money. Their names were Boone Long and Tom Wintringer, a boy I had known in Sten. benville. The executions were public and attended by thousands. Wheeling was then controlled by Virginia laws and influence, though the people were in senliment more like those of Ohio. There were very few slaves, not, perhaps, over fifty in the city; but the few old slave.bulding families exerted a great control over the place, and they affected the manger and prejudices of the slave-holding part of the state, and pretended to think the people of Ohio were inimical to them; they seemed to think that the Ohioans were ready at any time to stimulate a revolt among their handful of negroes, whom they dared not treat as slaves usually were treated, But this was an occasion for the masters to scare themselves, and within the town they got up a rumor as baseless is could be that the people of Steubenville, who were heart- ily glad to be rid of Wintringer, were going lo Fire en masse and rescue bim. On the strength of this they called out the citizens at large to patrol the county two or three nights and days before the execution, and iwo military companies were called out beshles, I think I was never more exasperated than when called on to dlo duty on this patrol, which I promptly refused to do. Thangh threatened with ren engenres I never was visited with any. The executions came uff, the city was filled with people, and the taverns aud grog shops gathered their harvest."
The elder Howells, whose propensity for moving still remained, had in the meantime bought a lot and was building a house in Martin's Ferry, and, during the sunnner of 1836, the son followed his example and lived there until 1840. Here, on March 1, 1837, William Dean Howells, who was afterwards to become famons as a novelist and writer was born. It was not quite within the limits of the present Jefferson
County, but just over the line, so near it that under all the circumstances his birth and career are logically a part of Jefferson Conty's history. William C. Howells con- dneted a newspaper at Hamilton, O., dur- ing the 1840 campaign, and removed in 1852 to Ashtabula County, where he pub- lished the Sentinel newspaper and filled a number of public offices. He died August 28. 1894. His eldest son, J. A. Howells. steceeded him as editor, and the paper con- tinues in the same family. The literary career of W. D. Howells is too generally familiar to need further reference here.
Several years ago the writer visited the old farm on Wills Creek and took some photographic views. The house had disap- peared, a pile of stones marking the site of the cabin chimney, and fragments of pottery, etc., indicating the whereabouts of the kitchen. Supposing the views would be of some interest to Mr. Howells, a copy was sent him, and the following acknow)- edgment received :
40 West 57th St., Det. 2. 19%.
My Dear Sir :-- I feel very deeply your kindness in sending me the photographs of Wills t'reek valley and the place where my grandfather's embin stood. In 1872 1 visited the place with my father, and it seemed to me that I recognize details in the pictures which I noted then I thank you for your very interesting letter as well as the photographs, and I wish I could sometime have the pleasure of meeting you.
Very truly yours, W. D. Howells.
Mr. Doyle.
The following letters explain them- selves :
Ashtabula Sentinel. Jefferson, Ohio, Oct. 24, 159%.
Sir :- 1 have just read your letter to my brother, and have examined with much interest and some sadness the pictures of the ground my dear father traveled over as a bare-foot boy eighty years ngo and more. I have always ha' a desire to visit the place, but am afraid I will never do so. The last time I was in Steubenville except in cars was in December, 1551. 1 then went to see Mr. --- (I cannot recall his name this moment), who was then publisher of the Herald. My father had some inten tion of going into the office, but finally did not. The other office was the Messenger, which was the dirtiest office in America. I do not think they owned a broom in the building.
Yours Truly, J. A. Howells.
Joseph B. Doyle, Esq.,
Steubenville, Ohio.
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Jefferson, Ohio, 27th Oct., '98.
Sir :- Yours of the 26th came to hand, covering two views on Wills Creek, which I value very much, and for which accept my thanks. I have talked with my father time and again about his home iu Jefferson County, and want to see it, and it may be in "leafy June" of next year I may avail myself of your offer and make a pil- grimage to Steubenville. Will you kindly send me a copy of the Herald. Of course it is not the old Herald that Wilson printed fifty years ago-but for that matter none of the papers of today are as the old ones were. Yours truly, J. A. Howells.
Joseph B. Doyle, Esq., Steubenville, Ohio.
Ottawa, Canada, Nov. 4th, 1598.
Joseph B. Doyle, Esq.
Dear Sir :- 1 bave had the pleasure of seeing the photographs which you so kindly sent to my brother, W. 1. Howells, of the site of my dear father's old home on Wills Creek. I have so often heard him speak of the place, and so it was "a pleasure fair" for me to look at the spot over which his willing little feet bad so often wandered. I write now to ask you if you will put me in the way of getting copies of the two views-or any others of the locality; but especially these-which might be sent unmounted, as I would like to place them in his book where he describes them. . Of course I want you to let me know what the views will cost, as 1 am troubling you quite enough without putting you to any expense.
Very sincerely, (Mrs.) Annie Howells Friechette. 188 Maria St., Ottawa, Jan. 15, 1899.
My Dear Mr. Doyle :- I fear you will think me very ungrateful for the beautiful views which you sent me in November. But by mistake I mislaid your letter, and ouly found it this morning, and now that I have your address once more I hasten to thank you for the photo. graphs which, I prize more than I can tell you. I only wish my dear father might have seen them; they would have told him a story which would have been full of sweet memories to him. In this mail I am sending you a couple of photographs which I hope will interest you, The small one shows a toboggan party just coming down the slide at Government House. I suppose you know that tobogganing is one of the favorite winter sports in Cannda. The center toboggau in the front row is steered by Lord Dufferin, who was once Governor Gen- eral of Canada, and immediately in front of him is Lady Dufferin. The other photograph shows you Parliament Hill with the group of government buildings which over. look Ottawa river, and face on Wellington street. . . . As you see, Ottawa enn claim a very pictur- esque site, and it is proving to be a beautiful city. With sinerre though belated thanks, I am
Yours sincerely, Annie Howells Friechette.
Reference has been made to the death of Dr. Flanner in 1832 at the home of his sis- ters in Mt. Pleasant. This naturally leads to the relation of one of the most in- teresting literary episodes, coupled with a romance, in Jefferson County's history, one that was a subject of general diseus-
sion all over the country. Miss Abbie Flanner was born in North Carolina, Octo- ber 17, 1798, coming with her parents, Will- iam and Penina Flanner to Mt. Pleasant at an early date. Her father was a Quaker preacher and she had three brothers and three sisters, all of whom had to earn their living. Two of the brothers were physi- cians, and sent money out of their first earnings to build a home, which was built near the Friends' meeting house, and em- bowered in vines and flowers. It was called Albi cottage, meaning cottage of purity, by which it will be seen that the family was quite sentimental. According to tradition Miss Flanner was quite tall but not con- sidered handsome, although she was at- tractive, with an animated intellectual face. She was a fine conversationalist, and a great favorite in the village. On the last night of the year 1835 there was a gather- ing at one of the refined homes of the little village to watch the old year out. The in- coming year was leap year, and after the clock struck twelve it was suggested that those present avail themselves of the priv- ilege supposed to be accorded to the gentler sex during that period, and open a corre- spondence with some well known literary person, among others suggested being Fitz Greene Halleck, the bachelor poet, then at the zenith of his fame. Not much at- tention was paid to the matter, but in a few minutes Miss Flanner quietly bade the party good night and started for home over the snow whose brilliant crystals sparkled like millions of diamonds in the moon light. As she walked there evolved from her mind a poem and on arriving home she sat down and wrote the following:
NEW YEAR'S NIGHT.
THE MERRY MOCK.BIRD'S SONG. Q'er fields of snow the moonlight falls, And softly on the snow white walls Of Albi Cottage shines; And there beneath the breath of June The honeysuckles gay festoon, And multiflora twines.
And forms a sweet embowering shade, Pride of the humble cottage maid, Who now transformed and bold,
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Beneath the magic of a name, Those equal rights presumes to claim, Rights urged by young and old.
And who is she, to fame unknown, Who dares her challenge thus throw down Low at the feet of oue Who holds a proud, conspicuous stand Among the magnates of the land, The Muse's favorite son!
As when she roamed, a careless child, To pluck the forest blossom wild, Oft climbed some pendant brow Of rock or cliff, to gather there Some tempting tower that looked more fair Than all that bloomed below,
So now, like Eve in paradise, Though numerous offerings round her rise Of love and friendship bland, With many a sober bk-sing fraught; Would give them all for one kind thought, One line from Halleck's hand.
Like that fair plant of India's fields That most when bruised yields Its fragrance on the air, Such is the heart I offer thee. Pride of my country's minstrelsy! Oh, is it worth thy care?
She signed this Ellen A. F. Campbell in- eluding her own initials in the name of Scott's Lady of the Lake. Mails were slow in those days, but finally a packet came in- closing the following poem :
TO ELLEN. THE MOCKING BIRD.
The Scottish border minstrel's Jay Entranced me off in boyhood's day; His forests, glens, and streams, Mountains and heather blooming fair; A Highland lake and lady were The playmates of my dreams.
Years passed away, my dreams were gone; My pilgrim footsteps pressed alone Loch Katrine's storied shores ; And winds that winged me o'er the lake Breathed low, as if they feared to brenk The music of my ears.
No tramp of warrior men was heard; For welcome wong or challenge- word 1 listened, but in vain: And moored beneath his favorite tree. As vninly won'd the minstrelay Of gray haired "Allen Bune."
I saw the Highland heath flower smile In beauty upon Ellen's isle; Aud couched in Ellen's hower.
I watched beneath the lattice leaves,
Her coming, through a summer eve's Youngest and loveliest hour.
She came not : lonely was her home; Herself of airy shapes that come, Like shadows to depart, Are there two Ellens of the mind? Or have I lived at last to find An Ellen of the heart?
For music like the borderer's now Rings round me, and again I bow Before the shrine of song. Devontiy as 1 bowed in youth; For hearts that worship there in truth And joy are ever young.
And well my harp responds today, And willingly its chords obey The minstrel love's command; A minstrel maid whose infant eyes Looked on Ohio's woil and skies, My whool ink's sunset land.
And beautiful the wreath she twines Around "Albi Cottage. " bowered in vines, Or blessed in sleigh bell mirth; And lovelær still her smile that seems Bid me welcome in my dreams Beside its peaceful hearth.
Long shall I deem that winning smile A mere mockery, to begnile Somie lonely hour to rare; And will this Ellen prove to be, But like her namesake o'er the sen, A lning of the air!
Or shall I take the morning's wing, Armed with a parson and a ring. Speed hill and vale along;
Aml at her cottage hearth, ere night, Change into tlutterings of delight. Or (what's more likely ) of affright, The merry mock bird's song!
With this poem was the following letter:
New York, February 29, 1836.
Dear Miss L'ampill :- Were it not that the delight- fully flattering lines with which you have favored me (Inte ** Bissextile, " I should have taken post-bourses for Albi Cottage immediately on receiving them. As it is, I thank you from my heart for your merry mocking lard song. Though they did not seriously intend to make me a happy man, they certainly bave nitde me a very proud our. I have attempted some verses in the style of your own beautiful lines, and hope you will langh gently at their imperfections, for they are the first. with a trifling exception, that I have written for yrars. Would they were better worthy of their subject! A new edition of the humble writings which have been Mo fortunate to mert with your approbation has recently been published bere. It is, to use the printer's phrase, ** prettily gotten tp. " Will you pardon the liberty I take in asking you to arrept a copy from me, in consider- ation of the beauty of the type and the vastness of its margins, and may I hope for a return to this letter, informing me by what conveyanre I can have the honor of forwarding it to you!
I am, deat Miss Campbell, very gratefully, or if you
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are in good earnest, as I very much fear you are not, I am, dearest Ellen,
Very affectionately yours, Fitz Greene Halleck.
Miss Flanner replied to this letter at great length, in which she kindly thanked him for the tender of his book, saying that "eager expectation stands tiptoe on misty heights of the blue Ohio, to hail its ap- proach." In closing the letter she said that when he is in "fashion's crowded hall," or listening to the " tramp of deathless fame," she would claim one thought.
"*But when the bury crowd is gone, And bright on the western sky The changeful sunset hues are thrown- Oh! wilt thou thither turn thy eye
And send one gentle thought to her Whose spirit ever turns to thine, Like Persia's idol worshipper, Or Moslem lo his prophet's shrine?"'
"The correspondence continued through- out the year," it is learned from Perey G. Wilson's account of the flirtation. "grow- ing more and more interesting. The gay badinage ceased, and was succeeded by earnestness on both sides. Thought still preserving her incognita, and shielded by her assumed name, we find the lady grow- ing timid as the poet grows ardent in his protestations of admiration and esteemn. At one time she says, 'Every step I have made in your acquaintance has increased my timidity. With a reckless langh I flung my first offering on the current of accident, little thinking it would bring me back tears and smiles, ansions thoughts and fevered dreams.' Toward the end of the year she intimates that the terms of her privilege will soon expire and that the correspond- ence inst elose. The poet replies, urging its continuation, and speaks of the happi- ness it has afforded him, and the desire to know her personally. To this she replies: 'I certainly did suppose. I had written to Mr. Halleck for the last time; but you know before I confess that I am too happy to be convinced by your profound logie, that it is not only my privilege but my duty to re- spond. Your witty assumption of your ex- tension of privilege has delivered my woman's pride from the bastile of a world.
for whose adamantine bars, perhaps, I have not shown a proper respect.'
"After the interchange of a few more letters the poet announces his intention of seeking the home of his fair correspondent, and meeting face to face the lady whom, as .Ellen Campbell,' he had learned so highly to esteem. This proposal filled Miss Flanner with dismay. Remembering she had commenced the acquaintance, she re- flected that a tacit agreement to the poet's wish would place her in the character of a wooer. An ardent admirer of Halleck's poems, nothing could have afforded her more pleasure than to have met him, but under the circumstances she felt that she must not encourage his coming. Her reply was posted at Washington, whither she had sent it in care of a relative and to that address the poet's subsequent letters were sent.
"She absolutely refused him a personal interview, and succeeded in eluding his at- tempts to find her. She felt that with an interview all the illusion would vanish; that he, who had been accustomed to the flatteries and attentions of the high-born and high-bred and jeweled daughters of fashion, in their gorgeous robes and mag- nificent palaces, could not tolerate her plain Quaker simplicity and lowly surroundings, and she -- all unwisely-preferred that he should be her idol at a distance, that she loved to worship, and she to him an 'Ellen of the mind'-'A being of the air.' They never met.".
Miss Planner afterwards married a Mr. Talbot and resided in Mt. Pleasant for years, and at her death, September 9, 1852, she lived in Parkersburg, W. Va., but her remains lie buried in Short Creek meeting house graveyard. No stone marks her last resting place.
The remains of Dr. Flanner were in- terred in the old Quaker graveyard in Mt. Pleasant. His brother William, also a physician, erected a marble monument eight feet in height over the grave, but the committee having the graveyard in charge tore it down in the night season by force.
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it being a rule that no monument should be erected higher than eighteen inches, and of no more costly material than sand- stone. The doctor replaced the monument, and it was again thrown down by force. He erected it the third time and placed armed watchmen in the graveyard, and the monument is still standing.
Oliver C. Gray, who was born ou Market Street, Steubenville, on January 21, 1821, was a collateral descendant of Thomas Gray, the English poet, whose Elegy in a Country Churchyard will be a standard as long as the English language exists. He finished his education at the Grove Arad- emy in 1838 and tunght school ut Knox- ville, studied law at Cincinnati, was ad- mitted to the bar at Cleveland and returned to Steubenville, where he began the prac- tice of law. On the outbreak of the Mex- ican War he became first lieutenant of the Steubenville Greys. He remained here nn- til 1849 when he moved West, and died at Ottawa, Ill., on July 31, 1871. He attained a high reputation as an orator and writer on general subjects but it was as a poet that he merits special consideration. His works were collected by his nephew, the late David G. Fickes, into a neat little vol- une containing some artistic gems, but we have space for but a few stauzas. From his poem "The Worship of the Woods" we give the following :
Far away in his forest cathedral, In the deep and dim solitude, where The solemn trees ever are bending, Like grou hooded hermits nt prayer.
Where the incense falls, sprinkled from rendere Swung aloft by the hand of some sprite, Raptizing us all in aroma Distilled in the chalice of night ;
Lol the azure stained glass in the window, In the rift of the ceiling above, Where a sad xtar drops down. in the Twilight, Its marvelous message of love.
For the spot is loo holy for voices. And no sandaled foot bere ever trod; But the silence seems petrified music, Enfolding the presence of God.
The Tree Spirit touches an organ, And the waves of a diapaxe roll Down the aisles of the forest a paenn That melts in the aisles of the soul.
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