USA > Ohio > Hamilton County > Cincinnati > The Cincinnati miscellany, or, Antiquities of the West, and pioneer history and general and local statistics, Volume I > Part 3
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1. That this light is Magneto electrical.
2. 'That it is produced by permanent Magnets, which may be increased to any indefinite extent The apparatus now finishing by the inventors or discoverers in this case, will possess twenty mag- nets.
3. That it supplies a light whose brilliancy is insupportable to the naked eye.
4. That a tower of adequate height will enable a light to be diffused all over Cincinnati, equal for all practical purposes to that of day.
5. That this light when once set in operation will continue to illuminate without one cent of aditional expense.
6. And lastly, that the inventors in this pro- cess have nearly solved the long sought problem, PERPETUAL MOTION. They suppose they have accomplished this, which I doubt, although there is as much evidence for it as I conceive can be furnished to the existence of Mesmerism or Ani- mal Magnetism, sufficient to convince others it not myself.
I suppose this light will prove the great diseou- ery of modern times. It is needless to add how much it gratifies me that Cincinnati is the place and two of its native sons, J. Milton Sanders, and John Starr, the authors of the discovery. Mr. D. A. Sanders has gone on to Washington for letters patent, and on his return, public exhibitions will be made of its astonishing capa- bilities.
The Whale, that great sea lubber, has been el- bowed out of the community by the hog, the great land lubber. Gas for public use has super- ceded both-alas for them all when doomed to be reckoned among the things that were!
I have not time to specify the many uses to which light, independent on combustion may be applied, and will merely suggest as one, its perfect adaptedness to mining, in which respect it is far superior in efficiency as well as security to Sir Humphrey Davy's safety lamp. Its aid to the Daguerreotype art alone is invaluable.
Equivoques of our Language.
The English language is wonderfully equivo- cal. A servant girl, once fatigued with the labors of a hard day's employment, exclaimed, "She wished she was a mistress, for she was tired of being a maid."
I remember in Philadelphia, in my boyish days an old skinflint named Conrad Weckerly, much such a man as Hathaway of our city .- Although rolling in wealth, he denied himself many of the ordinary comforts of life. One day having treated himself, in an urwonted fit of generosity to a sheep's pluck, the cheapest article in market, he was carrying it home on a skewer, when he was met by a tenant of his, who to curry favor with him, observed that nothing was better than sheep's pluck. "Nutting petter as sheep's pluck. Dat ish great mishtake," re. plied Cooney indignantly and with much em- phasis, "Sheep's pluck is petter as nutting."
Quartering on the Enemy.
In 1839, it may be recollected, vigorous efforts were made, in the City Council, for the suppression of coffee houses, by raising the price of license to some applicants, and utterly refusing them to the rest. To coun- teract this, the coffee house interest came in applying for tavern licences; in many cases, where they had neither stalls for hors- es, nor beds for travelers. By this course, two advantages were gained. Twenty-five dollars was the usual price for tavern licen- ces, while the coffee house keepers paid from seventy-five to three hundred dollars; and the assumption of the innkeeping character secured them one more day in the week to sell liquors, the coffee houses being restrict-
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ed from selling on the Sabbath.
Among others who came in for licences to keep tavern, were Evans and Levering, of the Cincinnati Hotel, and their application was resisted by myself, with others, on the ground that this description of houses might entertain travelers, so far as to secure the tavern character, but that they were not the less coffee houses on that account, selling liquors being their principal business, and that it would be fraudulent on our part to give them a license at twenty-five dollars, while we charged avowed coffee houses, but a few doors off, who did not sell one-tenth as much at their bars, as high as 300 dollars. Sufficient interest was made at the board, however, to pass this application through in the mode desired by the applicants. Jonah Martin, of the 3rd ward, and myself, were, probably, the most active and obstinate in this case; of course, on different sides. I incurred, naturally enough, the displeasure of the proprietors of that house, and was in- formed, even after the application proved successful, in no ambiguous terms. that I should catch goss, on the first suitable oppor- tunity.
I had been eastward, and, on my return, made acquaintance on board the steamboat with an interesting party of travelers, who concluded to put up at the Cincinnati Hotel, where one of them had previously lodged. I accompanied them up from the boat to the house, proposing to see them again, and to shew them the various objects of interest in the place. While I was addressing a few parting words, I noticed that the firm was at my elbow, and and appeared as if waiting an opportunity to accost me. I was under no apprehension of violence, but expected and dreaded abusive language, particularly as strangers were present. As I was about to depart, one of these gentlemen addressed me with a polite request to stop and take din- ner with them, which I considered ironical, but quietly declined, on the plea that I had not yet seen my family, and was now on my way home. They persisted in the appli- cation with such sincerity and earnestness that I knew not what to make of the scene, and as the party added its solicitations, I said I would return for that purpose, as soon as I had found the family well. I must own my curiosity was strongly piqued to see what was meant,
At the regular hour, dinner being ready, we were all led to the eating room, one of the proprietors doing the honors at the head of the table, and the other attending to sup- ply the guests. Among these, I was distin- guished by choice selections of the desıra- ble parts of a fine turkey, and still finer roast pig, "Shall I help you to this?" "Shall I help you to that?" were the questions put to me continually. In short, had I been Gov- ernor of the State, I could not have received greater attentions,and was wondering what all this could mean, when the question,- 'Will you have a glass of ale, Mr. Martin, let the cat out of the bag. I was enjoying a feast of fat things on the credit of my op- ponent, Jonah Martin, for whom I was mis- taken then, as I have often been since. The mystery was solved, and vowing internally to hold myself a dinner elsewhere in debt to Mr. M; as soon as I could retire with de- cency, I made myself sufficiently scarce.
N. B. This was the first public dinner given to me in my life, as it probably will be the last.
MORAL. As long as you live, quarter on the enemy.
Unwritten History.
JOHN Ross, long and well known to the Ame- rican people as the distinguished Cherokee Chief, arrived here on Monday last. He was accom- panied by his bride, an accomplished and charm- ing woman, whom he has lately made his own, thus adding by his marriage relation, a new link to the chain of friendship which has so long bound him to the pale faces.
His visit to this city is calculated to revive re- collections of the past, which have slept for fifteen years. Cincinnati having been at that date the theatre, and many of its most distin- guished citizens the victims of a singular and most daring imposture. An individual calling himself General Ross, and personating the son of the great Cherokee, by dint of forged letters, a consummate share of impudence, and that gullibility which characterises the American people, where titled foreigners are concerned, obtained access to the first circles of Cincinnati, and made himself for nine days-a nine days wonder and bubble -- the observed of all observ- ers. Judges of our Courts waited on him. Dis- tinguished members of the bar rode out with him to show him every thing remarkable. A candidate for Congress accompanied him on the Sabbath to the Wesleyan Chapel. One of our distinguished lilerati escorted him to the theatre, after having taken an entire box, so as to shut out the profane and vulgar from the company of the General. Military officers of high dis- tinction shared his bed-room, perhaps his bed, the chambermaid testifying that of the two beds in the room, but one appeared to have been
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slept in. In short, there was as great a sensa- tion, as the French call it, produced by this vi- sit, as when John Quincy Adams or Old Hickory himself, were at Cincinnati. The feeling was as intense, if not so diffused throughout all classes. The nose of the stranger at Strasburg, recorded by Sterne, was a mere circumstance in creating excitement, compared to the anxiety to obtain a sight of, and exchange greetings with, General Ross. He was a tall, good-looking fel- low, of about three and twenty, with black straight hair, and coppery face, but in many res- pects, speech especially, indicating Afriean ra- ther than Indian extraction, and African he proved to be. But let me not anticipate. Par- ties were made for him evening after evening, always of the most select character, and happy the gentleman or lady who were admitted to the favored circle. One evening, at General ---- 's, another at the Shakspeare Coffee House, a third at the house of a great millionaire, and lastly at Major -'s.
"How happily the days of Thalaba passed by." One incident is all I have space to individualize. In the midst of all this empressement, a well known and respectable gentleman approached to bask in the sunshine of the General's counte- nancce "I hope, General, you will do me the honor of calling on me, in the course of your stay." "I will do myself the pleasure, if pos- sible," replied the General, with all suavity, where shall I find you Sir? I am at No. 45, Main Street -- you will find the sign over the door, ***** ***** , Merchant Tailor. Ah! said the General, on reflection, I am afraid I |hours, or the neighbors here will lynch you.
shall not have time. This was the cut direct.
There is no telling how long the General might have enjoyed the consideration so liberally a- warded him, had not temptations which proved too strong decoyed him into improper society for one of such distinguished rank as himself .- There is a story in the Arabian Nights Entertain- ments of a cat transformed into a beautiful Prin- cess, who was slipping into bed on her wedding night, and heard a mouse nibbling in the room. Nature proved too strong for habit. The Princess leaped out of bed and became again a cat. So with the General, as my readers will perceive.
Jeral. Give my compliments, and tell him that we are all impatient to see him. Dont lose an instant. If massa pleases, said Fowler, who wasas shrewd a fellow as lives, white or black, I think I can find the General and not go so far to hunt. Where ? said the host. If I dont mistake, said Jo, he is down at a Nigger dance in the bottom. Surely, said the master, the General would not associate in such places. Socate or not, replied Fowler, sturdily, de General got a good deal affinitude wid dem Darkies. He's half nig any how, said Jo, chuckling. Fowler being despatched, found the truant as he expect- ed at a dance house on Columbia st, with his slippers off, dancing and playing the jaw bones or Castanets.
Jo made his report to the horror of all the party, who shipped off, one by one, as quietly as possible. The General of course immediate- ly became, as Webster called Nick Biddle, an exploded idea, and " fell from his high estate weltering" in disgrace. To speak less poeti- cally, next morning General Roes was in the hands of the constables, one of whom finding out that he had a master at Alexandria on Red River, took him to that place as a runaway slave. On application to the owner for the re- ward which it was supposed had been duly earned, his master flew into a violent passion and threatened to prosecute the constable for bringing the fellow back. Here, said he, I have been in hopes never to see the rascal's face again, and there seems to be no getting rid of him. Clear out and take him along within six
That fellow, says he, is too smart to live in these diggings.
'This is the last authentic tidings ever heard here of the distinguished General Ross.
Cincinnati Artists.
I doubt if there be more skill or ingenui- ty in existence at any place than in Cincin- nati. A few facts will place this in a strong light.
Sheppard and Davies, who make the gold pens, are also cutters of names on punches. There is no work superior to their's any- where. I have seen a seal bearing this im- pression-SEVENTH ANNUAL FAIR OF THE OHIO MECHANIC'S INSTITUTE, cut by them in a circle so small that four of them would no more than cover a half a dime, and yet every letter had its appropriate bold and hair strokes. These men are self-taught, and never had an hour's instruction in their bu- siness.
A party, the last which his traveling engage- ments permitted him, as he said, to attend, was made for him by a distinguished civil officer, pesident in Cincinnati. The guests, ladies and gentlemen, had all regularly assembled and been nearly an hour kept in suspense by the non-ap- penrance of General Ross. Still they waited, and still he came not. The host in an agony of anxiety, called his waiter, Jo Fowler. Jo, said he, jump on a horse and ride down to the We have all heard of Daguerre's chemi- Cincinnati Hotel and see what detains the Gen- Ical pictures. They have been taken for ex-
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hibition throughout the world, and it was said when they were shown here, that it was impossible for such paintings to be made by any one else. They were indeed of singu- lar beauty and magnificence. Well, one of our young Cincinnatians, T: Winter, set to work, and after the preparatory labors of 3 months to perfect his materials brought out chemical pictures, equal to Daguerre's, one of them indeed, in the judgement of New York connoisseurs,-Belshazzar's feast -- surpassing its rival of Daguerre's.
Some of my readers who attended the ex- hibition of the last Mechanics Institute must have noticed the air pumps, on the speaker's desk. One of these was made by the celebrated Tronghton, of London, whose scientific skill is known wherever the English language is spoken, or English commerce penetrates. It belongs to the Institute, hav- ing been purchased in days when we were as afraid to give Cincinnati artists orders for air pumps, as we are now to trust them with furnishing us with a telescope for our Observatory. Well, -- one of our philosoph- ical instrument makers here, Mr. James Fos- ter, jr., of such modest merit, that he is hardly known out of the sphere of his own circle of acquaintance, sent in for exhibition, an air pump of his own manufacture, supe- rior in every respect, to the London article, and pronounced so by every votary of sci- ence present, who saw the performance of the two. A brief statement shall show con- clusively in what that superiority consists.
A gallon receiver was exhausted of its air by the London pump in fifteen minutes, and the operator was as thoroughly exhaus- ted himself, under the exercise, so severe was it. The same operation was then per- formed by the Cincinnati instrument in less than one minute, and with remarkable ease. In fact five strokes of this pump so far ex- hausted the air in a pair of hemispheres laid together, that the strength of five men was insufficient to pull them apart. The London instrument cost, I believe, about $140, the Cincinnati one, $35, just one- fourth the price of its rival, and in every respect its inferior. Never was a competi- tion more fairly made, and a trial more con- clusive and satisfactory to those present.
I place my prediction on record here, while I am on the subject, that a short time only can elapse before we shall find our great Munich telescope surpassed by some of our optieal instrument makers here. I shall state only one more case.
arts, it might have been inferred that its Daguerrotypes are the best in the world. But this is so far from the fact that all Americans who have been to Paris, express their dis- appointment in this respect. Miner K. Kel- logg, declined sending from Italy, a daguer- rotype of himself to his friends, under the acknowledgement thatin none of its ci- ties could one be executed that would do to show along side of Cincinnati work, of the same nature, and when he had it taken at last on a visit to Paris, and sent it to his friends in this city, they all agree that the only comparison to be made of that portrait and those made here as a work of art, is the difference in favor of ours. Mr. E. C. Haw- kins, who has succeeded admirably in this art, and that without an hour's instruction from any artist, and but for some useful hints received from Mr. Morse, of the Elec- tro Magnetic Telegraph, owes nothing of his art to a soul living, turns out work which has no equal elsewhere, as far as I know or can learn. If any man doubts this, let him visit Mr. H. and examine his specimens. Instead of those portraits we have hereto- fore seen, visible in one light, and in' one light only, and absolutely invisible in all others, and when seen imaging a corpse rather than a living human being, we can see their faces as faithfully portrayed in ex- pression as mezzotint in fullness of light and shade, and when required with the ex- act tints and hue of the most roseate cheeks. Mr. H.'s portraits have another advantage over all others, that have fallen under my notice-they may be invisible in one light, but they are visible in all others, reversing the usual order of things in this respect .- The result of all this is that he frequently takes likenesses of those who, until they see his, are prejudiced against daguerro- types entirely. While I was at his rooms a few days since, I saw two gentlemen sitting for their portraits, who stated to him that they had refused to sit for them in Phila- delphla, when on there, and probably should never have had them taken anywhere,if they had not visited his rooms. I could say more on these subjects, but content myself with ending as I began :- It may be well doubted if more skill and ingenuity exists anywhere among mechanics or artists than in Cincin- nati.
The Power of Kindness
No man hath measured it -- forit is bound- less; no man hath seen its death-for it is eternal. In all ages of the world, in every clime, among every kind, it hath shone out, a bright and beautiful star, a beaming glory !
Look at the case of Saul and David. Bit- ter and blasting jealousy filled the heart of Saul-and he "sought to take the young man's life," With hellish hate, he hunted him, even to the dens and caves of the earth. But David conquered his enemy-even the
The Daguerre art, as every one knows, originated in France, and from the reputa- tion of that country, in science, and the fine proud spirit of haughty Saul, he humbled.
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And how? Not with sword and spear -- not with harsh words and coarse contumely, for these did never touch the heart with gentle influence. No, but with a weapon, simple as the shepherd's sling, yet sure as the ar- row of death. 'Twas kindness! This kill- ed rankling hatred, and left Saul to live. And when it had done its work, Saul said to David, "Thou art more righteous than I, for thou hast rewarded me good, whereas I have rewarded thee evil." Was not here a vic- tory, more glorious, more godlike, than a Wellington ever knew?
See Josephi, in the hands of his wicked brethren. For a few pieces of paltry silver, they sold him into Egypt. Providence, in kindness, broke the bands which held him in slavery, and made him a ruler there. Fa- mine spread over the land her dark mantle, and the cruel brethren of Joseph hungered They went to Egypt for corn. And how acted Joseph? More than once he filled their sacks, and returned them their money, and then he made himself known. "I am Jo- seph, your brother, whom ye sold in Egypt!' Here was kindness, forgiveness. And it crushed to death the spirit of jealousy, that had once made him a slave. He had con- quered.
Come farther down in the world's history, and tell me, what word of all those spoken by the ** meek and lowly Jesus" -- the 'Prince of Peace," the "Savior of the world" -- was best calculated to soften and subdue the hard hearts of his persecutors? Are we not poin- ted to the cross on Calvary? Are we not asked to listen to the soft, sweet tones of that voice, "Father, forgive them?" O, here was kindness.
Look over our extended country at the present day. What has changed those mis- erable hovels of other days, where misery and wretchedness had dwelt, iuto the neat and beautiful abodes of plenty and peace?
What has kindled anew the flame of love those who desire to reside beyond the tu- and affection, in hearts long estranged and freezing with coldness? What has made happy the homes of thousands of wives, and tens of thousands of children? What. in short, has been the great propellant of the late temperance reformation, which has car- ried joy and gladness all over the land? What, but kindness?
Reader, have you an enemy whom you would make a friend, a neighbor who needs repentance, a fallen brother, whom you would restore to sobriety and virtue? For- get not the power of KINDNESS.
some merchants, and some ministers. But, what do you think was the answer of this little boy? Better than all of them, 'I mean to be a man!' said he. It will matter very little whether he is a farmer, or a merchant, or a minister, if he is a man,-he will be successful, and be loved and respected .- The editor has known some persons who never became men, but were great boys af- ter they had grown up. Ask your teacher, children, what makes a man, and then, like this little boy, aim to be one.
Hear what Robert Burns says:
"What though on homely fare we pine, Wear hoddin-gary. and a' that, Gie fools their silks, and knaves their wine,- A man's a man, for a' Ihat, For a' that, and a' that, Their tinsel shows and a' that,
The honest man, though e'er sae poor. Is King of men for a' that."
First Promissory Note.
The following is probably the first obliga- tion given in Cincinnati; at any rate, it is doubtless the oldest one now extant.
"On or before the 15th April next ensu- ing, I, Thomas Pecke, promise for myself, my heirs, &c., to deliver and pay to Hugh McClellan, or as'ns, one cow and calf, other- wise,one cow with calf to the valuation of five pounds, Penn. currency.
Witness my hand, at Cincinnati, where s'd cow is to be delivered to s'd McCllend, &c. this 28th June, 1790.
THOMAS PECK.
Test.
THOMAS RICHARDS,
ASA PECK,
Endorsed."
Command you may, your mind from play, any moment in the day.
Covington.
Adjacent to every large city, will be found smaller ones, and suburbs, to accommodate mult and dust of a metropolis. Such is Covington to Cincinnati.
Wonderful as has been our own advance in prosperity. it is hardly more remarkable than that of our neighbor. Major Bush, a man of respectability, who resides in Ken- tucky, opposite North Bend, and who was one of the pioneer settlers, assured me that he could have taken up any quantity of farming land in and adjacent to Cov- ington, at five pounds-$13,33-the hun- dred acres.
I AM GOING TO BE A MAN !-- The Editor was visiting some time since in a family In fact, he was offered two hundred acres, including the point at the intersection of Licking and the Ohio rivers, as an in- where he saw a little lad, about four years old. Calling the little fellow to him, 'Well, my little boy,' said he, 'what do you intend| ducement to settle there. These two hun- to be when you grow up?' He had asked the dred aeres must now be worth considerably question a great many times before, and more than a million of dollars, if even sold some boys told him they meant to be farmers, at Sheriff's sale.
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Rattle Snakes.
I remember the day when the danger of rat- tle snake bites was seriously felt and urged as an objection to a removal to the West. From what I know of the notions current eastward on this subject, I have no doubt that many cmi- grants felt a terror of rattlesnakes hardly inferi- or to that they entertained respecting the sav- ages themselves. To this day, it is currently re- ported by most of our friends in the Atlantic cities, and in Europe, as devoutly held an article of faith as any fact of record in the Bible, that the bite of the rattle snake inflicts certain death. One of the last cautions I received on leaving the parental home, was to take care always to wear boots when out in the woods, and avoid all places where these reptiles were supposed to lurk.
Now, the whole popular notion on this sub- ject, is a vulgar superstition, which must fade away in the increasing light of the age, and will some future day, rank among the belief in love philtres, the mad dog stone, the Phoenix rising from its ashes, the corpsc bleeding afresh at the touch of the murderer, and various other com- mon notions, most of which have been long since exploded, and the residue shortly will be. The simple fact is, that the bite of the rattle snake is rarely fatal, and no more dangerous than the sting of the honey bee, which, in some constitutions, will produce as severe and painful swelling as the rattlesnake's bite,although unac- campanied with the sickening sensations, which attend the last.
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