USA > Ohio > Summit County > Akron > Fifty years and over of Akron and Summit County : embellished by nearly six hundred engravings--portraits of pioneer settlers, prominent citizens, business, official and professional--ancient and modern views, etc.; nine-tenth's of a century of solid local history--pioneer incidents, interesting events--industrial, commercial, financial and educational progress, biographies, etc. > Part 5
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AUTOBIOGRAPHY. .
A NIGHT IN AN INDIAN WIGWAM.
On concluding his book-canvassing labors, in the late Fall of 1834, the writer, then nineteen years of age, concluded to resume mercantile life, and permanently settle in the South. Not succeed- ing in finding a clerkship in Augusta, and the several other cities and villages visited in Georgia and South Carolina, in company with a young northern printer, a few years his senior, he started, in his double-rig Yankee peddling wagon, overland, for Mobile, Alabama, having to pass through the territory of the Creek Indians, then in rather an unamiable mood, by reason of the agitation of the question of removing them beyond the Mississippi. It was about sixty miles through the territory, with one intervening white set- tlement and trading post about midway, at the ferry across the Wetumpka river. The road through the wilderness was blind and difficult, the Indian trails, from time to time diverging therefrom, being more distinct than the road itself. Darkness setting in, before reaching the ferry, we at length found ourselves wedged in among the trees, and on reconnoissance, in the darkness, for we had no means of striking a light (friction matches not being then in general use, as now), discovered that we had branched off on to a trail, but were wholly unable to discern the point of diver- gence.
In this dilemma, our only resource, except to remain all night where we were, was to unhitch our horses and follow the trail whithersoever it might lead. A quarter of a mile, or so, brought us to a log hut in which were two squaws-evidently mother and daughter. Endeavoring, by words and signs, to make them under- stand that we wanted to find our way to the ferry across the Wetumpka river, the elder squaw lighted a pine-knot torch, and motioning to us to follow, started diagonally to the left from the trail we were on, through the woods, ten minutes' walk bringing us'to the bank of the river, running rapidly and darkly through the murky forest.
We were now, of course, no better off than before, and could only follow our guide back to her hut, where we found a gayly dressed young Indian buck, to whom we also endeavored to explain the situation, in doing so, in addition to signs, saying in English that we had got lost, wanted some supper and to stay all night. Borrowing a torch, he started in an opposite direction, we and our horses following. Our guide was in a very merry mood, indeed, gayly singing as he went, his music being interspersed with loud peals of laughter, frequent repetition of our phrases, "got loss! got loss! suppaw! suppaw! 'tay all night! 'tay all night!"etc., with an occasional blood-curdling and hair-lifting Indian yell, or whoop, that made the surrounding woods-the darkness being intensified by the flaming torch he was carrying-all ring again!
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AKRON AND SUMMIT COUNTY.
RIGHT ROYALLY ENTERTAINED.
Ten or fifteen minutes brought us to a somewhat more preten- tious cabin, from which, warned by the noisy antics of our guide, there came forth to meet us a fine looking Indian, somewhat past middle life, his wife, another buck about 25 years of age and his wife, the latter bearing in her arms a six or eight months' old pappoose-our guide also being a member of the family.
After a short palaver with the head of the family, active meas- ures for our "entertainment" were inaugurated, the men helping us to unharness and properly secure and feed our horses, the feed consisting of corn in the ear, and corn-fodder cured in the same manner as among the planters of the South, generally, in those days. Our "suppaw" consisted of bread made from pounded corn, and baked before the fire, sweet potatoes roasted in the ashes, some bear's meat fried in a small iron kettle, and some sort of home- made but quite palatable coffee, the rude table being set with reg- ular dishes -- plates, cups and saucers, knives, forks, spoons, etc. Later in the evening, and just before retiring to rest, the family supper was partaken of. A large tub of mush and milk was placed in the middle of the bare earth floor, the members of the family squatting themselves in a circle around it. It was provided with one large wooden spoon, or ladle. The elder Indian, picking up the spoon, takes a mouthful and returns the spoon to the tub. The elder squaw next takes a mouthful, and so on around, according to- age, a running merry conversation being kept up during the repast, of which the "strangers within their gates" were apparently the. principal subjects.
Across one end of the cabin was a platform, about two feet from the floor and six feet in depth, devoted to sleeping purposes. Spreading a blanket on one end, and rolling up some of their sur- plus clothing for pillows, they motioned us to take our places thereon, my chum taking to the wall and myself turning in next to him, with a blanket for covering. The elder Indian then planted himself next to me, the old squaw next, and the younger squaw with her pappoose next, the two younger bucks stretching theni- selves out upon the floor.
Our slumbers were reasonably tranquil, being occasionally interrupted by the distant howl of the festive wolf, and once or twice disturbed by the rushing forth of our hosts to drive away their own horses running loose in the woods, while trying to pick a quarrel with our animals in the snug pole-pen in which they had been corralled.
AGAIN UPON OUR WINDING WAY.
Rising with the earliest dawn, harnessing our horses, paying our hosts liberally in silver coin for our entertainment, and bidding
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AUTOBIOGRAPHY.
them all good-by, we started in the direction of our wagon. The three bucks, however, fell into our wake and helped to get our wagon up into the main road, only a few rods distant, it appearing that the trail ran for a considerable distance nearly parallel at the foot of the ridge along which the wagon road passed. The con- tents of our wagon were found to be intact, and producing from one of the trunks some slight presents of cheap jewelry, pictures, etc., for each of the three bucks, the two squaws and the pappoose, we again bid our tawny friends good-by and started for the ferry.
The people at the ferry were very greatly astonished at our early call to be ferried over the river, it being deemed very unsafe for pale-face strangers to travel through the territory, especially at night, a number of murders having been committed during the previous Summer. From our account of our night's adventure, it was thought that we had staid at the house of one of their "kings," who, as well as the other members of the household, could both understand and speak English, but that their natural cunning led them to affect ignorance with strangers, in order, as in our case, to learn what might be said about them; but that even had our criticisms been offensive to them, having sought their hospitality, they would have permited no harm to come to us or our belongings within the limits of their jurisdiction.
TWENTY APPLICANTS TO ONE VACANCY.
Disposing of my horses, wagon and other property at Mobile, I renewed my efforts to obtain a clerkship, but without success, as was also the case at New Orleans, whither I went a couple of weeks later, there being scores of young men from the North watching for any vacancy that might possibly occur.
I then " floated" up the river to Louisville and Cincinnati, where everything in that line was also found to be more than full. In the latter city I made an arrangement with a publishing house to canvass for a book in the northeastern portion of the State, but on going to the office the next morning, to procure my outfit, found the entire establishment in ashes.
Thus, for the second time, had my plans been frustrated by fire. I now determined to visit "New Connecticut," as the Western Reserve was then called, where, at Aurora, Portage County, an old family friend, 'Squire Artemas W. Stocking, a former employe of my father, was located, an unmarried aunt of mine being also a member of the 'Squire's family.
NARROW ESCAPE FROM ARREST.
My journey from Cincinnati to Cleveland was by stage, via Columbus, Mount Vernon, Wooster, etc. Leaving Cleveland by
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AKRON AND SUMMIT COUNTY.
stage, before daylight, on the morning of Wednesday, March +, "dragging our slow length along," through the unfathomable clay mud of the "turnpike," between Newburg and Twinsburg, we arrived at the " stage house," in the latter village, between 9 and 10 o'clock in the forenoon. Taking breakfast with the rest of the passengers, while they resumed their journey I sought to secure a chance ride for myself and baggage, to Aurora, five miles to the eastward. No such chance presenting itself, I remained to dinner and finally, leaving my two hand trunks at the hotel, I started for Aurora on foot.
During my stay at the hotel, at which, besides the landlord and his help, a number of village idlers dropped in during the afternoon, I had probably, like many another " traveled" young man . not yet out of his teens, put on a good many airs, and perhaps in settling my bill made a somewhat reckless display of the rather showy, but exceedingly meager amount of wealth of which I was then possessed.
My Aurora friends, whom I had not seen for five years, made me very welcome, and the next day the 'Squire loaned me his horse and wagon to go for my baggage, the 'Squire's younger brother, "Sam" (about my own age) accompanying me. Through the 'Squire and Sam I was pretty well acquainted with most of the villagers by the end of the week, some of whom were from the same town in Connecticut.
On Sunday morning, about 10 o'clock, while the rest of the family were reading or resting in their rooms, I slipped out to the 'Squire's carriage shop to sharpen my knife. The grindstone was under the staging in front of the shop, and while turning the crank with my right hand, and holding on with the left, I observed three men approaching from the direction of the hotel, while quite a crowd stood in front of the hotel, apparently watching for some- thing extraordinary to "turn up."
As the trio approached, I discovered one of them to be a young man with whom I had been quite familiar at the Twinsburg hotel. I greeted them pleasantly, and, in answer to the leader's inquiry for 'Squire Stocking, directed him to the house, the back way, through the shop. Entering the shop, I sat down on a saw-horse at one of the benches and began honing my knife, holding the whetstone in my left hand, the two remaining men following me in, apparently much interested in the work I was performing.
Presently the other stranger, with the 'Squire and Sam, put in appearance, the faces of the two latter bearing a distressed expres- sion that I could not at the moment account for. After an embar- rassing silence of a few seconds, the leader directed his attention to me, by saying: "Your name is Lane, is it?" "Yes, sir," I replied. "Well, Mr. Lane, I desire to ask you a few questions," said he. "All
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AUTOBIOGRAPHY.
right, go ahead," said I. "Mr. Lane, where did you come from to Aurora?" "From Twinsburg," I replied. "Where from to Twins- burg?" "Cleveland." " Where from to Cleveland?" "Wooster." " Where from to Wooster?" "Mount Vernon." " Where from to Mount Vernon?" "Columbus." "Where from to Columbus?" "Cincinnati." "Where from to Cincinnati?" "Lonisville." "Where from to Louisville?" "New Orleans." "Mr. Lane, were you ever in Detroit?" "No, sir; but I should very much like to go there," said I, jestingly. "Well, sir," said he, sternly, "you may soon have your wish." He then asked: "Mr. Lane, did you ever go by the name of Charles Lewis ?" "No, sir!" "Or by the name of George Davis?" "No, sir!"
During this colloquy I had continued sharpening my knife, and at this stage my interrogator said: "Mr. Lane will you oblige me by straightening out the fingers of your left hand?" "Suppose I can't do it, what then?" I smilingly enquired. "It will be all the better for you, if you can," he rather savagely replied. After a few seconds' aggravating delay, I suddenly extended my open hand to- wards him for inspection. "You are not the man I'm after," he stammeringly responded and then it was my turn to ask questions.
His explanation was this: That he was a Deputy Sheriff from Detroit; that a young man named Charles Lewis, but who some- times called himself George Davis, about 25 years old, and answer- ing to my general description, but with the fingers upon his left hand seriously crippled, had committed several forgeries in Detroit, and was also believed to be connected with an extensive gang of counterfeiters. The officer (who had never seen him) had traced him to Cleveland, and from thence on board the Pittsburg stage, on Thursday morning (it will be remembered that I came to Twins- burg on Wednesday morning); that on reaching Twinsburg, on the Saturday morning stage, he, the officer, was assured by landlord Grant and his bar-keeper, that the party he was after had stopped off there and had gone to Aurora to visit one of the most respecta- ble men of that township, 'Squire Stocking, their statement being verified by the dining room girl, who had particularly observed that in handling my fork and food, I didn't straighten out the fin- gers of my left hand; while the clerk was sure I had quite a quan- tity of counterfeit money with me.
Thus assured, he had remained at Twinsburg over night, as the man he was in pursuit of was a desperate character, always went armed to the teeth, and a dangerous customer to encounter in the dark. On Sunday morning, calling to his assistance a Twinsburg constable, and taking along a young man who had seen me at the hotel, to point me out, the Detroiter and his posse had duly arrived at the Aurora hotel as stated.
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AKRON AND SUMMIT COUNTY.
Making known his mission to landlord Woodruff, and others at the hotel, he was assured that there must be some mistake about the matter, but he knew better; he was after the right man, and though he expected to meet with a desperate resistance (exhibiting a number of weapons) he intended to secure him either dead or alive, even if he had to take him out of church, to which it was suggested that I might have accompanied the family.
At this juncture the spy of the party had observed me passing from the house to the shop, and entering upon the knife sharpening operation alluded to, and they had approached as stated. On making known his errand to the 'Squire, he also assured the officer that there certainly must be some mistake about it, as his young friend was the son of his old boss, Judge Lane, of Suffield, Conn., and although he had not known much about him for five or six years, it could not be possible he was the desperado intimated. The officer, however, was positive, and called upon the 'Squire as a magistrate, notwithstanding his friendship for the family, to aid him in bringing the offender to justice. The rest has already been told.
By the time the denouement had been reached, a number of the villagers had ventured into the shop. To say that the 'Squire and Sam were indignant, and the by-standers excited, would be a mild statement. Sam was for booting the Detroiter and his Twinsburg aids out of the shop, and several other young men manifested an ardent desire to help him do it; but the 'Squire and myself inter- ceded and they were permitted to depart in peace. Whether the real Charles Lewis, alias George Davis, was ever apprehended, this deponent knoweth not; but one thing is certain, the writer, for over half a century, has retained a very vivid recollection of his first visit to Twinsburg, though his intercourse with many of her good people during the intervening 56 years has been both inti- mate and pleasant.
ARTISTICAL, THEATRICAL, ETC.
Remaining with my friends nearly two months, about the first of May, 1835, I again started out to "seek my fortune." At this time the art of making sun pictures had not been discovered, and aside from painted portraits and miniatures, about the only mode of securing a semblance of the "human face divine," was by the silhouette process-drawing, with tracing rod and universal joint, a sideview outline of the features on white paper, deftly cutting out the same and placing a piece of black silk back of the opening, the whole being mounted with frame and glass.
On this crude device I essayed an improvement, in that, instead of cutting out the center and producing a simple black profile, I finished it up with pencil, india ink and water colors,
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AUTOBIOGRAPHY.
tracing in the hair, eyebrows, eye, nostril, lips, ear, chin, wrinkles, drapery, etc., my apparatus being adjustable from miniature up to quarter size. After some gratuitous experiments in Aurora, my first objective "business" point was Ravenna and the contiguous townships of Shalersville and Streetsboro. Though infinitely superior to the plain black profile, owing to the enhanced cost of their production, and the general scarcity of money in the country, the business did not prove to be remarkably remunerative, besides footing it from house to house with my pretty heavy outfit, was found to be decidedly hard work.
At this time an amateur dramatic company-The Thespian Society-was being organized by the young people of Ravenna, and I was invited to assist in painting the scenery, also taking prominent parts in both the tragedy of "Barbarossa" and the comedy of "Fortune's Frolic," during "Court Week" of the June term, 1835.
HOTEL CLERK, BAR-TENDER, ETC.
My Aurora friends advised me, whatever I did, by all means to steer clear of Akron. But during my brief stay in Ravenna I met a number of Akron gentlemen, lawyers and others, at the hotel where I boarded, and after closing my theatrical "engagement," I concluded to run over and take a look at it. Accordingly, on Wednesday, June 10, 1835-by stage, via Franklin Mills, (Kent) Stow Corners, Cuyahoga Falls, Old Forge and Middlebury-I wended my way thither, sleeping the first night in the southwest corner, second story, of the frame building now standing on the northeast corner of South Main and Exchange streets, then kept by Mr. Lewis Humiston, and designated as the "Stage House," and later as the "Railroad House," and kept by Mr. Charles P. McDonald, father of the veteran livery man, Mr. Venning McDonald.
The next day, visiting North Akron, or "Cascade," as it was then called, I made an arrangement with Mr. Charles B. Cobb, proprietor of the "Pavilion House," northwest corner of Howard and Market streets, to keep his books, tend bar, wait upon guests and make myself generally useful for my board, until some other suitable employment could be found. Clerkships were as scarce then in Akron as in the other Western and Southern towns which I had visited, and by this time I was beginning to think that "counter-jumping" wasn't very good business, anyhow. (The grapes were getting very sour, you see.)
ANOTHER NARROW ESCAPE.
At this juncture, the late Gen. Lucius V. Bierce, then the Prosecuting Attorney for Portage County, being about to establish
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AKRON AND SUMMIT COUNTY.
an office in Akron, made me a proposition to enter his office as a law student, offering to furnish me with gratuitous instruction, and to help me through with my board during my studies. I interposed the objection that my education was inadequate, having no knowledge whatever of Latin or the other dead languages. But the General held that all that was needed to make a successful lawyer was a fair common school education, a reasonable famil- iarity with Shakespeare and the Bible, and ordinary common- sense. Distrusting my own inquisitorial and forensic abilities, however, I respectfully declined the General's kind proposition, and the legal world will probably never realize the full magnitude of its loss, by reason of such declination, though the "generality of mankind in general" may well congratulate itself upon its narrow escape from so calamitous an infliction.
HOUSE AND SIGN PAINTER, SCHOOL-TEACHER, ETC.
About two months later, as half apprentice and half journey- man, I entered the service of a house and sign painter, my first job being a piece of ornamental work that the boss himself was incapable of performing. With the slowing up of work in the late Fall, I again returned to the " Pavilion," but a few days later engaged to teach the school in district number seven, Portage township, (opposite the northeast corner of the present. Infirmary farm), as detailed in another part of this volume.
EMBARKS IN BUSINESS FOR HIMSELF.
After the close of my school, in the Spring of 1836, I opened shop as a full-fledged "House, Sign and Ornamental Painter," and though not making "rich" come very fast, I may, with all due modesty, claim that I was fully as expert on general work as any of my "regularly bred" contemporaries, while on sign-writing and ornamental work I was ahead of all competitors, with considerable skill as a wood and copper-plate engraver, stencil-plate and brand- pattern maker for marking flour barrels, etc.
PUBLISHER OF THE " AKRON BUZZARD."
As detailed in Chapter X1 of this work, under the editorial nom de plume of "Jedediah Brownbread, Esq.," while still carrying on my painting business, on the 7th day of September, 1837, I started a small semi-monthly paper under the above title, utilizing my knowledge of the printing business acquired in the office of the "Southern Spy," by setting up and striking off the first number with my own hands, with the type and press of Judge Bryan's suspended Akron Journal, elsewhere alluded to, afterwards hiring it printed in the office of the American Balance.
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AUTOBIOGRAPHY.
The object of the paper was to combat and expose the black- legism, and other crookedness and wrong doing then so prevalent in Akron and neighboring villages along the line of the canal. The editorials were constructed on the Yankee dialect plan, these excerpts from its salutatory being an example: " You see, I cum from Varmount about tew munths ago. Uncle Jed was monstrous glad tu see me, now I tell you. Says he, 'Jedediah,'(you see I was named arter Uncle Jed, and he thinks a monstrous site of me), 'I'm mity glad you've cum and I've bin 'spectin you this tew or three years, for I new that a chap of your genus and enterprise wood'nt be contented tu stay in Varmount all your lifetime, an' then die poor, when you cood make a fortin here in six munths.' * * * You see, I
was raised to the occupashun of teechin the young idee how to shute, but seein as how as that's ruther poor bizness in this secshun, I've concluded to try my hand at editerin awhile. Uncle Jed says that a real-jolly-nothin-tu-du-with-polyticks-anti-blackleg-respect- able paper will du well here, an that's jist what I'm goin tu print. * * Sum folks may think, perhaps, that I've got a curious name for my paper, so I'll jist explain it tu em. You see, a buzzard is a kind of hawk, an my "Buzzard" is near of kin tu the turkey-buzzard that I've hern tell on way down south, where it's a fine tu kill 'em, cause, you see, they remove all the filth an carin from the streets. Now, you see, I calkulate to make my paper prodigous handy in this way. If there 's enny thing wrong goin on, I calkulate to tell on't, an expose an endevor to remove newsances and so forth from the city."
THREATENINGS DIRE, ASSAULTS, ETC.
As may well be imagined, the plain-speaking of the BUZZARD was well calculated to arouse the ire of the wrong-doers inveiglied against, and many threats to destroy the office where it was printed, whip, and even shoot, the editor, were indulged in, and innumera- ble schemes for revenge were attempted, a few, only, of which can be noticed here. One evening, just at dusk, after the appearance of a pretty pointed article on counterfeiting and counterfeiters, a boy entered the office saying that there was a gentleman at a neighboring hotel who wished to see me. Learning, on inquiry, that a well-known blackleg, by the name of George Miller, had sent the message, I at once suspected that mischief was brewing, but not wishing to exhibit the white-feather, in company with a friend, I promptly responded to the message. As I entered the bar-room, in which were a number of well-known sporting gentlemen who inade the hotel their headquarters, I found the head-center of the counterfeiting fraternity, "Jim" Brown, in confidential conversa- tion with the said George Miller, and noticed the significant glances and grimaces indulged in by the crowd.
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AKRON AND SUMMIT COUNTY.
Approaching the bar I said to the mixer of whisky toddies: "Your boy told me there was a gentleman here who wanted to see me. Who is he?" "I don't know," replied the bar-keeper, "he's a stranger; you'll find him in the sitting room." Thinking it possible that some Eastern acquaintance might have come to town, but still keeping my wits about me, I stepped across the hall and opened the sitting-room door. The first glimpse revealed the fact that, though not yet lighting up time, the window curtains were closely drawn and the room duly lighted. Keeping my hand still upon the latch of the door, I swung myself far enough into the room to discover that its only occupant, standing with his back to the grate, was a well-known local bruiser by the name of "Jim" Blane, who a few years later, while drunk, fell from the West Market street bridge to the canal towing-path below and broke his neck.
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