USA > Ohio > Guernsey County > History of Guernsey County, Ohio, Volume I > Part 34
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Moore and Beatty parties, near to Newark, as they were crossing Licking river. They showed fight, and General Moore knocked one of them down with his horse-pistol; the other two ran, but were soon caught. Each man had a bundle in which was the money, divided nearly equal. The amount taken was over three thousand dollars. They were brought to Cambridge and placed in the old log jail. After being in jail a short time, they, by some means, raised a smoke in the cell, and called to the jailer that the cell was on fire. This was a little after dark, the jailer opened the door to find out what was the matter, they knocked him down, and were soon out in the dark- ness to liberty. These robbers having followed Mr. Taylor from the West, after passing through, taking the old Wheeling road, passing northeast and west of the Steubenville road, could see that the nearest woods was north, so they took from the jail in a northern direction.
The writer's mother, then a girl, was staying with Mrs. Rev. Morris during his absence from home, on the circuit. They were alarmed by the outcry made, of "catch the thieves, this way, here they go." On going to the door, a number of men passed by the cabin and stated to them that the "Taylor robbers" had broke out of jail. They struck what was then known as the "Gomber wood lot," and were never seen or heard tell of afterward. Mr. Taylor on a return visit seemed pleased that they had made their escape. He had got his money, and had liberally rewarded his captors, and said that he left relieved that he did not have to appear against them as he felt that his life was spared by his pledge made to say nothing. These robbers did not give their true names and are only known in history as the "Taylor rob- bers."
The above was selected from Colonel Sarchet's numerous historical writings in the Cambridge newspapers many years ago.
HENRY CLAY IN CAMBRIDGE.
Many of the most distinguished statesmen of the nation in its early existence passed over the National road, from their homes in the West to the Capital and back, at the opening and closing of the sessions of Congress, and on the inaugural occasions.
Jackson, Harrison, Taylor, Polk, Cass, Sam Houston, Davy Crockett, Black Hawk (the renowned Indian chief), Antonio de Santa Anna were among the most noted.
The Hon. Henry Clay was the great champion of the National road. The reader will bear in mind that the National road and the Cumberland
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road are one and the same. In Mallory's "Life of Henry Clay," it is stated that he advocated the policy of carrying forward the construction of the Cumberland road as rapidly as possible, and we learn from his own account that he had to beg, entreat and supplicate Congress, session after session, to grant thie necessary appropriations to complete the road. He said: "I have toiled until my powers have become exhausted and prostrated, to pre- vail on you to make the grant."
Hon. Henry Clay and his wife passed, in a private conveyance, through Cambridge, Ohio, August 20, 1825, on his way to Washington, D. C. He was accompanied by a colored driver and a body servant. There was also a colored maid for Mrs. Clay. Great preparations had been made at Zanes- ville to give him a grand ovation and public dinner, and many of the citizenis of Cambridge had made preparations to attend the great event.
But their joy was changed into sorrow when news came that he was detained at Lebanon, Ohio, by the sickness of his daughter, who died there August 11, 1825, and was buried in the old graveyard. A monument in the old Lebanon graveyard still marks the resting place, on which is inscribed :
ELIZA L. CLAY Died August II, 1825. Aged Twelve Years. Erected by Henry and Letta Clay.
The construction of the National road was begun in 1825. The St. Clairsville Gazette of August 26, 1825, says :
"The first division of the National road, from the Ohio river ten miles, is now under contract, and undergoing the operation of grading."
Henry Clay passed through Cambridge November 28, 1833, in a char- tered coach on his way to Washington, D. C. The Cumberland road was then completed west to Zanesville, Ohio. He stopped at the old Wyatt Hutchison house, located on the now National hotel site. He had just been defeated in 1832 as the Whig candidate for President, by Gen. Andrew Jack- son, in one of the most vindictive and bitter campaigns of the nation.
COLONEL SARCHET'S SEVENTY-THIRD BIRTHDAY BANQUET.
The publishers of this work deem it but appropriate to here insert a description of the banquet tendered the author, Col. C. P. B. Sarchet, on
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his seventy-third birthday anniversary, at the Noel house in Cambridge in 1901, the same being extracted from the local press :
As indicated in our last issue, the celebration of the seventy-third birth- day anniversary of Col. C. P. B. Sarchet with a banquet at the Noel hotel last Wednesday evening was an affair full of pleasure to those present. The guests were all above fifty years of age, with one or two exceptions. But on this occasion they "renewed their youth" and jollity and good cheer reigned. A number of the guests had been the associates and friends of Mr. Sarchet for many years and this occasion served to more firmly weld that chain. A tempting menu was furnished by Landlord Smith. . At the request of Mr. Sarchet, the Reverend Doctor Milligan was chosen master of ceremonies and he filled the place well. Reverend Doctor McFarland invoked the blessing and then the participants fell to feasting with an appetite like unto the days of romping childhood and with almost the same gleeful spirit. Thus passed an hour and then followed a season of speech-making. Doctor Milligan made some pleasing introductory remarks and was followed by Mr. Sarchet, who spoke as follows :
"It affords me the very highest degree of pleasure to look into the bright smiling faces of so many old time friends. Many of you I have known all my life long. Some of us were boys together. We sported in boyish glee. In spring time, barefooted, riding stick horses and making music with walnut bark whistles. In summer, down in the old swimming hole, we paddled and splashed and kicked and swam and went under out of sight and didn't care a fig whether school kept or not. In winter we coasted o'er the snow, on sleds of our own make, down the hills for the pleasure of hauling them back up again. We skated on the ice above the old mill, cut our names in the ice, cut circles forward and backward and played "high buck or low doe," "shin- ney on your own side," now modern football, by day and by night. Then we thought Old Father Time moved slowly; we wanted to be men. As big boys we began to go to the old time rag and candy parties, singing 'King William' and 'Over the River to Charley,' kissing the girls and going home with them. Then we thought that the farthest way around was the nearest way home.
"When I look back through the years of the past to those days of boy- hood and young manhood, the many happy hours of pleasure and social en- joyment, and think that the great majority have passed from earth away, my breast fills with emotions that I cannot find words to express. Many of us entered upon the busy, surging sea of active life together, elbowing against and pushing each other in a manly strife for its honors and preferments, its
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labors and rewards. Arrayed against each other we fought many fierce, hot- blooded political battles, but when the smoke had cleared away there were no dead or wounded to carry off the field ; we were yet friends. And now around this festal board, in these opening hours of the twentieth century, I greet you as friends. I had almost said old friends-but no! I greet you as boy friends, we are boys again, to-night."
It was growing late for "old people" by this time and the exercises were brought to a close by tendering Mr. Sarchet a vote of thanks and then there was a closing prayer by Doctor Pope.
Colonel Sarchet was born in Cambridge and has spent nearly, if not all, his long and useful life here. He has seen the town grow from a mere ham- let to a growing city. He has kept in touch with its progress, and recorded many interesting incidents along the way. He possesses a good memory and a ready pen and with these has given in these columns from time to time much valuable information relative to the history of the town and county, even some adjoining counties. His writings have given him the title of the "Guernsey historian" and it is deservedly conferred. His social qualities are admirable and this in a great measure accounts for his popularity. He is a good jolly fellow-a very companionable gentleman, though never afraid to express condemnation for that which he considers wrong. That many more years of sojourn here may be allotted him is the earnest wish of his host of friends.
The register at the banquet shows the following persons present, together with their ages: C. P. B. Sarchet, seventy-three; J. W. Creswell, seventy- four; J. G. Black, seventy-five; James Stewart, sixty-seven; John Carlisle, seventy-two; T. S. Crow, sixty-nine; James W. Moore, sixty-two; E. Mc- Collum, sixty-eight ; James Patterson, sixty-seven; John S. Gallup, eighty- one ; Ross Scott, seventy-five; B. F. Fleming, seventy-six; John Boyd, sixty- three: Thomas H. Bell, seventy; William Johnston, seventy-three; T. G. Brown, sixty-two; S. W. Luccock, seventy-four; Alex. McCracken, eighty-six; James R. Barr, forty-six; E. W. Mathews, sixty-nine; Charles L. Campbell, sixty ; J. P. Mahaffey, fifty-five ; S. J. McMahon, sixty-nine ; J. T. Rainey, sixty-five : Ross W. Anderson, sixty-two; J. R. Keyes, fifty-six ; P. T. Suit, sixty-eight ; Russell B. Pope, fifty-six ; J. P. Ogier, seventy-three; A. F. Hubert, seventy; W. V. Milligan, seventy-three; A. J. Hutchison, seventy ; WV. H. McFarland, sixty-eight and one-half; C. L. Blackburn, thirty-one; John M. Amos, sixty-one; James O. McIlyar, seventy ; D. D. Taylor, fifty- eight ; William B. Kirk, seventy-eight.
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EARLY GUERNSEY COUNTY MARRIAGES.
(From the Times in 1903.)
"The first marriage ceremony performed by a minister in Guernsey county was that of Thomas Sarchet, Jr., to 'Catty Markim,' September 11, 1809, by Rev. James Quinn, elder Methodist Episcopal church, both of them of Cambridge, Muskingum county, Ohio. There was some bad spelling by the elder or clerk of record. This was the first marriage in Cambridge and should read : Thomas Sarchet, Jr., to Catharine Marquand.
"The first marriage in Guernsey county was James Boler to Sally Leunce, September 11, 1810, by Thomas Henderson, justice of the peace, of Oxford township.
"We give some of the first marriages at Cambridge. John Robin to Mary Hubert, September 20, 1810, by Thomas Knowles, justice of the peace, both of Cambridge. Cyrus P. Beatty to Nancy Sarchet, June 11, 1811, by David Kirkpatrick, justice of the peace, both of Cambridge. Lloyd Talbot to Nancy Sarchet, November 10, 1811, by David Kirkpatrick, justice of the peace, both of Cambridge. John Dixon to Elizabeth Bryan, December 7, 1811, by David Kirkpatrick, justice of the peace, both of Cambridge. Thomas Lenfesty, Jr., to Cartaretta Hubert, January 9, 1812, by the Rev. William Lambdin, of the Methodist Episcopal church, both of Cambridge. Thomas Ogier to Rachel Marquand, May 28, 1812, by the Rev. William Lambdin, of the Methodist Episcopal church, both of Cambridge. Thomas Metcalf to Sarah Gomber, March 17, 1814, by David Kirkpatrick, justice of the peace, both of Cambridge. Thomas Bryan to Joannah Olive, October 17, 1814, by David Kirkpatrick, justice of the peace, both of Cambridge."
A HUMAN, TEAM.
"A novel spectacle, and, we may add, a moving one, was witnessed in this place ten or twelve days since, exemplifying in one of the strongest points of view a state of bodily degradation most painful and revolting to the feelings of human nature. It consisted of a wagon filled with such articles of furni- ture, etc., as usually belong to an emigrating establishment bound for the 'Far West,' drawn by two men and a boy, all duly harnessed, acting in the capacity and doing the work of a team of horses! The individuals thus engaged ap- peared cheerful and patient in the exercise of their laborious employment. They were ascertained to be emigrants from Germany, on their way to the distant regions of the West."-Times, October 19, 1833.
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METEORIC SHOWER OF 1833.
The following appeared in the Times, by Mr. Sarchet, in November, 1890 :
"The old house now being torn down on North Eleventh street, at the divergence of the street through the McCracken and Matthews additions, is one of the early houses built in Cambridge.
"It was built by Peter Sarchet, Sr. It was a freak of architecture, a frame, the intervals between the studding being filled in with brick, and was plastered on the outside in imitation of stone. Another house in the same locality, which stood on the northwest corner of Eleventh street and Steuben- ville avenue, was of similar build, except that it was lathed on the inside and plastered. This house was built by John Torode. Neither of these houses stood the test in our variable climate, and soon began to look ragged and unsightly, by reason of the bond in the mortar or cement giving way and falling off, but both, when new, were attractive looking houses.
"But it is to relate an incident well known in history, in connection with the house then occupied by a Mr. George Clark, that we began this reminis- cence. In November, 1833, quite a number of citizens of Cambridge assembled at Clark's, as was a custom, to engage in 'fighting the tiger.' During this frolic and carousal, toward the 'we sma' hours,' one of their number went out and returned with the alarming declaration 'that the world was coming to an end. and the sky falling in.' These midnight revelers looked upon a meteoric scene that led them to think that home, rather than a gambler's den, was the best place to be when the 'sky was falling in.' So for home they made as best they could, so suddenly awakened from a drunken debauch, to be ever after during their lives living witnesses that the 'sky fell in.
"The New American Cyclopedia gives this description of that Novem- ber night, 12th and 13th, 1833 : 'But the year 1833, on the night of November 12th and 13th, is memorable for the most magnificent display on record, and was visible over all the United States, and over a part of Mexico and the West India islands. Together with the small shooting stars, which fell like snowflakes and produced phosphorescent lines along their course, there were intermingled large balls of fire, which darted forth at intervals, leaving lumin- ous trains, which remained in view several minutes, and sometimes half an hour or more.'
"The writer of this, then a boy seven years old, well remembers the eventful night when the 'stars fell.' At our home we were all engaged in the annual fall custom of making apple butter, which generally partook of the
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nature of a neighborhood frolic, paring and cutting the apples and stirring the butter until late into the night. Some one of the number, going out, re- turned with the cry that the 'stars were falling.' We all looked upon the scene with wonder and amazement, and one of the number said, 'What's the use of making apple butter, when the world is coming to an end.'
"But the world did not come to an end, nor as yet have wonders ceased. People come and go ; one builds up, another tears down, and out of all we see the onward march of destiny."
VARIOUS CYCLONES.
The Times of June 25, 1885, speaks as follows of a roaring cyclone :
"The village of Byesville was visited by a genuine cyclone last Sunday evening. It was a veritable 'ring-tailed ripper and roarer,' to appropriate the graphic description of an impressed Byesvillian. It was of the old-fashioned orthodox funnel-shape, with the little end down, and the big end several hun- dred feet up in the air. It carried in its swirl boards, limbs, small trees and general debris. It ambled in from the southwest at the rate of about five miles an hour, and after a deliberate but rude caress to the orchards at the edge of town it came hopping and hitting and skitting and slipping along through the village, leaving destruction behind, going off to the northeast when it grew tired.
"It was after four o'clock when something unusual was detected by the villagers. The June afternoon was sultry, and the atmosphere oppressive. A dead stillness pervaded the air, and the sun shone bright and hot. Then there came a low rumbling sound from the southwest, growing rapidly into an angry roar, that drew the villagers from their homes to look and listen. Far to the southwest the tops of the trees were bending and breaking. A dark-hazel cloud, compact and threatening, was flying above the tree tops to- ward the town. A monster freight train seemed crashing through the forests. Some few divined the cause and, foreseeing destruction, fled for refuge to cel- lars. The consternation spread and, panic-stricken, the people rushed for the cellars. It struck, and the angry roar was heard for miles. The town of Byesville more than likely owes its escape from total destruction to the fact that the cyclone only struck a corner of the town, and did not strike it with its full volume. It unroofed stables and demolished outhouses, carried away boards and timbers, as it was, and one house was moved eight feet off its foundation. The house was occupied by Mr. Shields, the saddler, with his wife and little daughter. They had fled to the house at the approach of the
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cyclone, but had barely entered when the windy monster took the house in his grasp, lifted it, and jammed it down. The shock loosened the chimney, and the bricks came tumbling down into the room. All three were injured, more or less, but none severely. These are the only injuries reported.
"The cyclone moved slowly, and there was something awful in its deliber- ate majesty. All the way the hazel-cloud seemed topping it, going on before. It struck the tall trees on the creek banks, bent them low, broke them or tore them up, dipped dry the creek as it passed, and struck the hill that lies to the northeast, as a sentinel over the village. The shock demoralized the cyclone, as no further damage of consequence is reported. Its path was about fifty yards wide when it passed through Byesville. It uprooted trees and nearly destroyed several orchards in and about the town, among them the orchards of Henry Wilson and Jesse Linkhorn. Shortly after the passage of the cyclone. a terrific thunderstorm broke over the town, and for a little while the people fancied that the long-predicted judgment day was come."
CYCLONE OF 1890. (Jeffersonian, May 1, 1890.)
"The first genuine cyclone that has visited Guernsey county for many years passed through Monroe township Saturday evening. About four o'clock the citizens were aroused to a sense of danger by the appearance of a small funnel-shaped cloud approaching from the southwest at terrific speed, ac- companied by lightning and a terrible noise. The first account we have of its devastation is when it struck what is known as the Lytle farm, on Irish ridge. Here it leveled the barn and stable, unroofed and crushed in one end of the brick residence; then, striking Commissioner John Thompson's farm, a large amount of timber and fencing were blown down and one steer killed; fences and timber were destroyed on Philip Randal's farm, but his buildings were outside the path of the revolving terror and escaped. Mrs. Yarnell's farm next lay in its path, and nearly all the timber and fences were leveled to the earth and scattered about; Mrs. Hollingsworth's farm met the same fate, but the buildings on both farms escaped, being outside the track of the storm. Jonathan Colley's farm was stripped of about five hundred panels of fence and two acres of timber were leveled to the earth. The path of the storm was a short distance from his buildings, and they escaped serious damage. It then passed over the farms of Weston and Asbury George. On the former, the fences were leveled and the barn unroofed, and on the latter an addition recently built to his residence was blown away, together with milk house, corn
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cribs, wagon shed and the grain scattered in every direction, the sheep house removed from its foundation, six hogs killed, their mother's back broken and a bureau carried from the part of the house blown away, to a distance of about fifty yards, where it was lodged against a fence. All the buildings on David Meek's property were unroofed, and a large orchard swept away, only four trees left standing. A large amount of timber was destroyed along Laurel creek. The storm passed on in an almost direct line to the northeast. The path of the cyclone varied in width from ten to twenty-five rods. It seemed to bound along like a ball of India rubber, passing over spaces, and wherever it struck the earth carrying everything with it. Wheat was shaven off as by a scythe, the furrows where sod had been broken, lifted and scattered about. in some places lodged at quite a distance away."
A HAIL STORM IN 1826.
(Guernsey Times, July, 1826.)
"A most tremendous storm of hail passed through this county on Satur- day, the Ist inst., in a direction from northwest to southeast, about five miles north of this place. Much injury has been sustained upon those farms which were within range; fortunately, however, the vein was very narrow, from a half mile to a mile in width ; many of the hailstones were nearly the size of a hen's egg. We have heard of some farmers who had every vestige of their crops destroyed-corn that was nearly ready to tassel had the stalks entirely cut to pieces, to within six inches of the ground ; wheat ready to harvest was completely threshed, and the straw cut to pieces and tangled together, so as to destroy it entirely ; tobacco was wholly cut up, so as to appear as though it had never been planted; the trees in the woods and orchards were stripped of their leaves and fruit. We have not been able to ascertain the extent of the injury in full, but from the best information we can receive, there certainly never has been so destructive a visitation to the citizens of this community, in proportion to its width."
COLD WEATHER STATISTICS.
(From the Jeffersonian, February, 1899, by Colonel Sarchet.)
"Some time ago you said : 'Can you give us a little cold weather history ?'
"We will go back to the beginning of Ohio history as a state. The win- ter of 1807-8 is known in Ohio history as 'the cold winter.' We are unable to give the cold by degrees, as thermometers were not then in general use.
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"My grandfather then resided in a cabin on the north end of what is now the Guernsey National Bank lot, on North Seventh street. We have heard our oldest uncles, who were then aged seventeen and thirteen years, say that they had two ways of keeping warm ; one was to cut and carry in wood to keep up the fire, the other was to carry water to throw on the mud and stick chim- ney, to keep from burning up the cabin. The water was carried from a spring, west of Sixth street, near the residence of Hon. David D. Taylor, on North Fifth street.
"The next was the winter of 1817-18. We have heard it said it was so cold that a bucket of water thrown into the air would be frozen to ice before it could fall to earth.
"The next was the winter of 1835-6. This comes within our recollec- tion. There was snow from two to three feet deep. We well remember wading through it when it came well up to the waist. My grandfather then had a thermometer which he kept hanging on the south side of his house. He came to our house on the coldest morning, and said to me : 'Boy, it's colder than you are old.' I was then eight years old."
The writer then gave the temperature for the winter months from 1850 to 1865, but we will simply abridge and give his figures for the coldest day of the several years: In 1850, coldest day was ten degrees above zero; 1851, in December it was seven degrees below zero; 1852, January 20, it reached seventeen below: 1853, January 27, one below; 1854, January 23, at zero, 1855. December 27, two above; 1856, January 9, twelve below ; 1857, Janu- ary 26. six below; 1858, February 23, seven below; 1859, February I, five below; 1860, January 5, four below; 1861, February 8, zero; 1862, February 16, seven below ; 1863, January 18, four above ; 1864, "the coldest New Year's day," the thermometer indicated a change of forty-six degrees from nine in the evening until six in the morning, and went as low as eight below, and in the following month reached nineteen degrees below.
The subjoined table shows the coldest weather from 1841 on to 1871, in Cambridge, Ohio:
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