USA > Ohio > Hamilton County > Cincinnati > Cincinnati in 1841 : its early annals and future prospects > Part 12
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July 11 .- " Thomas Gregg has opened a new tavern in the town of CHELICOTHA, at the sign of the Green Tree. Travellers and others supplyed with every thing necessary for their accommodation-and supplyed for their journey through the wilderness."
The wilderness, I suppose, comprehended the whole coun- try north and west of that place-north to the lakes, and west to the Mississipi.
July 16 .- " Advertisement for an apprentice. There is a vacancy at present in the SPY office, for an apprentice to learn the printing business. Any person wishing to learn his son a business which has been the most beneficial to mankind since its discovery, would do well to embrace the present op- portunity. A Lad from fourteen to fifteen would meet with generous terms. One from the country would be preferred."
July 23 .- A runaway apprentice. Robert M'Gennis ad-
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vertises his boy, Philip Drum. A reward of sixpence worth of cucumbers would be given in next December,-when they should have grown, I suppose.
Here is a specimen of the privations and sufferings of the early settlers.
" Captain E. Kibby, who sometime since undertook to cut a road from Port Vincennes to this place, returned on Monday reduced to a perfect skeleton-he had cut the road 70 miles, when by some means he was separated from his men; after hunting several days for them without success, he steered his course this way. He has undergone great hardships, and was obliged to subsist on roots, &c., which he picked up in the woods. Thus far report."
Same date .- Ephraim Morrison, having charged Benjamin Walker with killing or making use of public cattle, and being unable to prove the fact, or satisfied he had no reason to say so, gives what is termed in early times a libel, properly a lie- bill, or certificate of having slandered him, in these terms :
" Finding that the Impeachment I have laid in against Benja- min Walker cannot be substantiated with sufficient proof, I do for the future clear and acquit him therefrom ; and likewise in the case of Slander, I do consider him clear of either murder or felony in any sense or meaning whatever. Nov. 28, 1798.
EPHRAIM MORRISON."
Dunning advertisements appear in all varieties, and in the usual forms, in new countries. Some are printed upsidedown to attract notice ; some coax, and others threaten. Some ap- peal to a sense of honor or conscience, others to the terrors of the law. Others again regret that the English language has not terms forcible enough to express the urgencies of their case.
July 30 .- Obituary of Rev. Peter Wilson-the first cler- gyman who had settled here-in the second year of his min- istry.
We have next,-" A Recipe to make beer from the shells of green peas. Pour six gallons of water on a bushel of pea- shells, and boil the whole until the shells are insipid to the
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taste. Pour off the water, which will be very sweet, into a clean tub or keg, and add a pint yeast and two ounces ground ginger. Fermentation will soon take place and the beer be fit for use.
" Beer obtained in this manner is very clear, has a fine am- ber color, is pungent to the taste and bears a fine bead when poured into a tumbler : is superior to molasses beer and not inferior to mead.
" One bushel of the shells will make several dozen bottles of beer. The beer should be put in strong bottles and the corks secured by wire. If the cellar is not cool the bottles will burst with an explosion, as the author of this communi- cation has experienced.
" The beer distilled yields a spirit of the taste and color of whiskey."
Duns. Aug. 6 .- William Austin's patience being almost exhausted, calls the attention of those indebted to him &c.
" OBSERVE. The undersigned having a particular call to go to the Atlantic States, requests his customers to pay off, &c. In so doing they will not only be considered honest men, but particular friends of their very humble servant,
:
Aug. 19, 1799.
C. AVERY."
It seems by a note, that many of these accounts were of five years' standing. Long credits are the besetting sins of an early state of society, which its progress always finds matter both of necessity and interest to correct.
On the 22d of the next month, Mr. Avery again makes his compliments to the reader and his debtors, in the following terms :-
" My generous friends,-it may seem like an absurdity to give you another call, to assist me to perform my journey to the Atlantic States. One moment's reflection to men of sense, as I know you all are, will be sufficient to shew you that it is out of my power to bring out my family to this place without a considerable sum of MONEY, &c.
" GENTLEMEN, you are to say whether I shall go to the At-
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lantic States or not. I flatter myself that there is not one man among you but what will exert every nerve to accomplish my wishes this time. Your distressed friend and very humble servant."
Here is a dun from some meeker and more subdued spirit : " The subscriber requests all persons indebted to him, to call and settle immediately, as he intends to start for the Atlantic States in two weeks. Thomas Frazer. Sept. 13, 1799."
Levi M'Lean, who figures at different periods as jailer, pound-keeper, butcher and constable-four pretty hard-hearted trades-and teacher of vocal music-a softer one-makes his debut at this period, in a call on his debtors whom, by way of contrast to the title given by Mr. Avery, he calls " my un- generous friends."
But the most pathetic dun is the following.
" Those indebted to Dr. Homes are desired to remit him the sums due-he being confined to jail deprives him of the pleasure of calling personally on his friends-they will there- fore particularly oblige their unfortunate friend, by complying with this request without loss of time. Hamilton county pri- son, Oct. 29, 1799."
"Look sharp! last notice. Thomas Thompson. Jan. 15, 1800."
Thomas Frazer, whose courteous notice has been already referred to, complains, February 12, " that little attention has been paid his former notice, and requests all persons indebted to him to come forward before the 10th of March next, as he is going to Pennsylvania."
Feb. 19 .- " No mail this week." It seems that the good people of Cincinnati, had received but one mail for the last four weeks. As they had but one newspaper, and that of weekly issue, such frequent failures were of much more im- portance than our present mail delinquencies, which leave us sometimes three successive days without a mail beyond Wheeling. The disappointments in those days, appear not to have excited as much growling as in ours.
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Feb. 19 .- Michael Brokaw calls on his debtors for imme- diate payment or else !! !
March 4 .- The Rev. James Kemper advertises " his farm of 154 acres at seven dollars per acre." Mr. K. resided on the premises for more than thirty-five years afterwards, and lived to see this ground worth five hundred dollars per acre.
March 12 .- The president appoints Charles W. Byrd sec- retary of the territory of the United States, north-west of the Ohio.
Aug. 27 .- We have under this date, a speech delivered by sundry Indian chiefs to major Simeon Kinton-Simon Ken- ton, doubtless-and published by him to allay apprehensions of Indian troubles in this region.
William and M. Jones advertise :- " That they still carry on the Baking business, and as flower is getting cheap, they have enlarged their loaf to four pounds, which is sold at one eighth of a dollar per loaf, or flour pound for pound, payable every three months." O rare and conscientious dealers ! a pound of bread for a pound of flour, and at three months' cre- dit, too. What would our friends of the hot oven think of this arrangement now-a-days? What say you, friend Jacob Wolf, would it not be equitable to the public and sufficiently profitable to the baker? As flour is now a cash article, the credit on the bread, however, should be dispensed with. I knew a worthy German in Philadelphia, who had made a for- tune by baking for the continental service ; he delivered to the commissary bread for flour, pound for pound, saying that no honest man ought to ask more.
Sept. 3 .- Details are given of the atrocities of Micajah Harpe and Wiley Harpe, who about this period were the ter- ror of the wilder regions of Kentucky and Tennessee. With the names and career of these land pirates, the public have been rendered familiar by Judge Hall, in his interesting legend of the Harpe's Head.
Sep. 10 .- " Notice to smiths. A blacksmith is very much wanted at Dayton, there being none within 20 miles of the
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place, which subjects the inhabitants to great inconvenience. A smith might settle himself to good advantage here," &c.
We have here a specimen of the beginnings of the coffee- house system, as places of refreshment. " Francis Menes- sier begs leave to inform the public that he has opened a cof- fee-house at Cincinnati, at the foot of the hill on Main street, where he proposes to retail different kinds of liquors, and all kinds of pastry, &c. He will punctually attend the coffee- house, which will be open from 2 o'clock until 9 P. M. His sign is PEGASUS the bad poet, fallen to the ground. Also teaches the French language. School to begin on Monday the 23d inst., at his house : teaching every evening, Saturdays and Sundays excepted," &c.
It is to be hoped his knowledge of the French language was more profound than it appears to have been in mythology, where he is guilty, if not of hypallage, in putting the cart be- fore the horse, at least of mistaking the horse for his rider.
The property "at the foot of the hill," is the lot at the south-west corner of Main and Third streets, on which now stands the banking house of the Life Insurance and Trust Company. This piece of ground, squaring one hundred feet on Main, by two hundred on Third street, was bought by Menessier for an old saddle, worth probably fifteen dollars, a short time previous to this advertisement. About the same time, Mr. Hezekiah Flint paid one hundred and fifty dollars for the lot of similar dimensions, on which he now resides on Walnut below Fourth street. If it be wondered why the Main street property, worth ten times as much as that on Walnut street, should command no more than one tenth the price of the last, thus reducing the Menessier property to one hundredth part of its proportionate value, the only reason that can be given is, that the Main street property was overhung by the abrupt front of the hill, which injured present improve- ment in that region of the city, and induced the population to spread over the second table, even at a greater distance from the public landing and business streets of the city. The citi-
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zens of that day do not appear ever to have contemplated such growth and improvements of the city as to render such a piece of property of much value.
John Kidd commences the baking business in its various branches, in the house, corner of Front and Main streets --- now occupied by Holland and Compton as a grocery store.
The legislature of the north-western territory, October 3d, 1799, appointed " WM. HENRY HARRISON, Esq. to represent the territory in the congress of the United States."
October 7th .- We have here some insight into Cincinnati prices of that day : Imperial or Gunpowder Tea, $3 per lb. ; Hyson, $2 25; Hyson-skin, $1 50 ; Bohea-a meaner article than the clover tea, which, under the name of Pouchong, &c. is now the fashionable article of modern times-at $1 per lb. ; loaf sugar, 44 cents ; pepper, 75 cts .; allspice, 50 cts. Dear tea-drinking and sweetening in those days.
Thomas Goudy comes out in the dunning line without pe- riphrasis, and much to the point. " All common-place ideas of circumstances is unnecessary-the subscriber wants his money-most of it has been due from one to seven years, and all notes or debts not paid by the 15th instant will be put in suit," &c.
Seven years ! No wonder he was out of patience.
October 17th .- Wm. M'Farland commences a manufactory of earthenware, probably the first factory of any kind in the place ; certainly the first of that description of goods.
Schools appear to have been of early establishment. James White advertises a day and night school. Evening school $2 per quarter, the scholars finding firewood and candles. Writ- ing, arithmetic, &c. taught .- Oct. 2Ist, 1799.
Menessier's coffee-house takes fire ; and Mr. M. returns a card of thanks, in which he recognizes " the fact that none but republicans and Americans could have done so much to save his property : and, to testify his gratitude, stands ready, at any future period, to sacrifice his time, his fortune, and his life, in the cause of humanity," &c .- Nov. 18, 1799.
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In the progress of improvement, we now arrive at R Haughton, who makes his bow to the public as a professor of dancing, " teaches the cotillion, French and English sets, in all the various and ornamental branches. Also, the most fashionable Scotch reels, and the favorite city cotillions. Com- mences in the morning, at 10 o'clock. Gentlemen whose oc- cupations will not allow them to attend in the day, taught in the evening, from 7 to 9 o'clock."
Dec. 17 .- Great complaints made at this date, as since, of incendiaries being about and at work, firing the town in vari- ous places.
The new year's paper opens in mourning and announces the death of General Washington.
" Mourn, Columbia mourn !
Your father, your protector's gone !"
Under same date, the territorial legislature addresses presi- dent Adams. In that document is the following significant passage: "To your firmness we attribute the enjoyment of the rich country we now inhabit."
This refers to a piece of secret history connected with the treaty of Paris, in 1782, which is even yet not as extensively known as it should be.
Mr. Oswald, the commissioner appointed on the part of Great Britain to negociate a treaty of peace, proposed, as the basis of limits, to make the Ohio the northern boundary of the United States. Under the representations of the Count de Vergennes, the French minister, by whose judgment the American commissioners, in their instructions, were to be guided, Dr. Franklin acceded to the suggestion. John Adams, however, seconded by Mr. Jay, resisted the proposition, prin- cipally on the ground, that the territory north of the river had been conquered by general Clark, in 1778, and was at the time in the occupation of the United States. This, at the time, broke up the conference. Dr. Franklin suggested whe- ther it would not be better to yield that point than fail in making a treaty, so desirable in other respects for America.
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Mr Adams, who found himself supported by Mr. Jay, was inflexible. Oswald ascertained, through a third person sent by him for the purpose of sounding Mr. Adams, that Mr. A. had declared his determination to write home, urging on his government to carry on the war so long as they could main- tain a single soldier in the field, in preference to accepting such a boundary ; and, being under peremptory orders to con- clude a treaty at all hazards, and on the best terms possible, Oswald then proposed the line as it now stands.
.. While full credit is due these statesmen for their patriotism and firmness, it is certain that neither Mr. Adams, nor any other statesman of that day, could have formed any adequate idea of the future importance to the United States of the me- morable stand thus taken, or of the incalculable injury which would have resulted, from acceding to the originally proposed limits.
: January 15 .- No mail this week. This fact is given with- out note or comment. What would be said in these days to be a whole week without news ?
The territorial laws published, and by subscription, being the first volume ever published in this place.
January 28 .- No mail this week.
February 5 .- Aaron Cherry's advertisement: " Whereas, a certain woman who calls herself Mary, and has for a long time passed as my wife, but who is not, as we never were lawfully married, has eloped from my bed and taken with her my property to a considerable amount; I hereby forewarn all persons not to trust her on my account, as I will pay no debts of her contracting." He was determined, I suppose, that she should not make two bites of A. CHERRY.
February 1 .- A funeral procession in Cincinnati in memory of general Washington. The troops from the garrison at Fort Washington, under captain Miller,-the town military, in- cluding a troop of dragoons under command of captain Find- lay,-the civil authorities,-and the Masonic Order,-with the community at large,-united in the pageant.
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Governor St. Clair delivered an interesting address on the occasion.
Feb. 12 .- " A good schoolmaster wanted on the Great Miami. One with a family will be preferred."
March 12 .- " We have the pleasure of informing our read- ers that a post route is now established between Louisville, at the falls of the Ohio, and Kaskaskia, to ride once every four weeks. There is also one established between Nashville and Natchez. This will open an easy channel of communi- cation with those remote places, which has heretofore been extremely difficult, particularly from the Atlantic states."
Here follow complaints of husbands against wives, in va- rious forms; and notices not to trust the wife on the hus- band's account.
Injustice !- " Whereas, my wife Margaret has left my bed and board, &c. DANL. GOBLE."
John Bentley, sergeant Ist regiment U. S. advertises his wife Mary as having not only left his bed and board, without just cause, but also taken up with a fellow named Sylvanus Reynolds, &c.
March 19th .- " Advertising favors must be accompanied with the cash."
An academy commences at Newport, Kentucky, opposite Cincinnati, where, besides the ordinary branches of education, were taught the dead languages, geometry, plain surveying, navigation, astronomy, mensuration, logic, rhetoric, book-keep- ing, &c .- the elementary studies at eight dollars per annum, the higher branches at one pound-267 cents-per quarter.
March 25 .- A dun. " Take a friend's advice. M. Bro- kaw having repeatedly solicited those indebted to me to settle up their accounts, and little or no attention being paid to the same, Now know all persons whom it may concern, that un- less due attention is paid to the notice, the next will be Ham- ilton ss."
April 9 .- " Owing to the pressing necessity for publishing the laws of the territorv. there will no paper be published for
P
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three weeks, &c." This is rather a better excuse than that of the Arkansas editor, who stated that he should attend a great squirrel hunt, and therefore no paper would be issued that week ; or of the Alabama editor, who apologised for the non-appearance of his paper, on account of a sudden attack of a severe toothache. N. B. The three weeks stretched from the 9th April to the 28th May, a period of fifty days.
" Notice .- Refrain from Gambling! the vice and immor- ality bill goes in force on the first of May next."
" April 26th .- The year 1800 has arrived, and all persons are notified not to deal with or credit my wife Susannah, as I will pay no debts of her contracting. ANDREW WESTFALL."
To such as may not perceive the connection between the new century, and Westfall's paying no more debts on account of his wife Susannah, it may be suggested, that he thought proper, probably, with the new year, and especially with the new century, to turn over a new leaf in the chapter of accounts.
June 18 .- " Advertisement. The following articles may be had at the landing place in Cincinnati, at the most reduced prices, at Mr. Mahoney's boat: Imperial, young hyson, hy- son skin and bohea tea ; coffee, loaf-sugar, gun-flints, bran- dy, &c."
25th .- "Nehemiah Hunt gives notice that he shall sell fresh beef at his old shop, on Sycamore street, to those that will favor him with their custom, almost every morning."
The Spy, about this period, publishes from time to time, in the order of occurrence, various testimonies to the merit and honors to the memory of general Washington, offered in France, England, Holland, &c. In that print of the 28th, is the memorial by the society Felix Meritis, one of the most distinguished and venerable in Europe, which is very inter- esting, but too long to transcribe here.
Modern prophecies .- " A child of James Walker, born blind and only five years old, is visited by crowds of people for his great sagacity and foresight. He foretold the yellow fever in New York and Philadelphia last season, and also the
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present scarcity of bread in Europe. He says that before the year 1808, the jacobins are to swarm into our country, to over- throw the present government and to put to death the clergy and the religious of both sexes ; that having effected this revo- lution they will then fall out for the supremacy, and finally destroy each other with the sword ; after which the present government will be restored and the country flourish for one hundred years."
While we are in the wonders I will extract " a letter from a very respectable gentleman at Philadelphia," dated June 6th, 1800.
" We are at present afflicted with a calamity, which, in many respects, is more grievous than the yellow fever. Clouds of locusts infest our unfortunate city in such multi- tudes as to intercept the light of heaven. The darkness occa- sioned by these pests, has been so great for the last two days, as to render the aid of candles indispensable to the transaction of business, and to-day the watchmen are lighting their lamps. Nor does the evil end here; the incessant croaking which is kept up by these animals exceeds thunder ; a human voice at one yard's distance cannot be heard, and on many occasions we have to communicate with each other by signs. If this intolerable noise continues, divine service will be suspended next Sunday, and I know not when the consequences will ter- minate. Two ladies of my acquaintance have lost their hear- ing by it, and the citizens are flying from the town in multi- tudes. Yours, &c."
It is difficult to believe the writer of this letter to have been sincere in all respects ; yet, I well recollect, for I resided in Philadelphia at the time, the alarm and surprise among the ig- norant, which attended the visit of these locusts; and the let- ter, although highly colored in most parts, hardly exaggerates in some of its details. There are features in the Jetter, how- ever, which must place the writer in the class of which Fer- dinand Mendez Pinto was the type, " a liar of the first mag- nitude."
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July 9 .- " William Ludlow advertises a farm of between thirty and forty acres, in Springfield township, Hamilton coun- ty ; in part pay for which he will take a breeding mare, &c."
Much of the early supply of manufactures for city con- sumption was made in the country. Lyon & Maginnes ad- vertise at their shop, eleven miles out on the Hamilton road, desks, escritoirs, dining-tables, plain and veneered, &c.
A correspondent who deals in statistics of fashion, remarks in the close of his article : " It has been ascertained, that with- in the last year throughout the United States, from the pres- ent fashion of muslin undresses, as many as eighteen ladies have caught fire, and eighteen thousand have caught cold ; both classes of accidents terminating in death."
" BEEF ! BEEF ! David J. Poor informs the inhabitants of this place, that he still carries on the butchering business, &c. He expects his customers to settle up with him every Satur- day, to enable him to furnish beef of the first quality, for money is the TRADE that will fetch it. He has also candles for sale."
"'Tis strange, ' tis passing strange, ' tis WONDERFUL. Was taken up FLOATING on the Ohio on Saturday last, a blacksmith's anvil. The owner, by proving its brands and earmarks and paying the charges, may have it again.
July 16, 1800. THOMAS WILLIAMS."
" Heads up, SOLDIERS. Those gentlemen who wish to join a volunteer light infantry company, are requested to meet at Mr. Yeatman's tavern, &c."
This was the first organization of a military company in Cincinnati ; it was commanded by James Smith, sheriff of the county at the time.
Another dun. "MIND YOUR EYE .- All persons in- debted, &c."
An election for seven persons to represent Hamilton county in the general assembly of the territory. Of the seven chosen, the only survivor is Jeremiah Morrow, since governor of Ohio, and now member of congress from the Lebanon district.
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Military notice-sunshine soldiers. "In consequence of the rain, the muster, &c., of the Cincinnati light infantry is postponed."
A card from the garrison-no more riding. "A TRUE BILL .- The quarter-master U. S. has been much pestered in the accommodation of the citizens of this place ; let them ap- ply in future and they-shall want. October 29th."
Richard Haughton, dancing master, re-opens his school in the house of captain Vance ; acknowledges past favors during last visit, &c.
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