USA > Ohio > Hamilton County > Cincinnati > The Cincinnati miscellany, or, Antiquities of the West, and pioneer history and general and local statistics, Volume I > Part 41
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Our market is the entire south and south-west. We also sell extensively to points in the west which manufacture chairs, but fail in compe- ting with us, in some instances in quality, in others in price. It is a striking illustration of the progress of this city in population & wealth, to state that fully one third of the chairs made here are for home uso and sale, and that fact Icads us to look forward to the period rapidly approaching, when the largest share in this and kindred fabrics will be wanted where made.
It is the capacity of large cities to furnish impor- tant home markets after they reach a certain stage of existence which builds them up so rap- idly; the home consumption of London for ex- ample, being of four times the importance of its foreign export.
There is another interesting feature in our chair manufacture, connected with it, since the last census. I allude to the establishment of ALBRO's veneering operations, and the rapidly in- creasing demand for this article in fancy chairs, which, in connection with what is required for cabinet work, furnishes a market extensively for his veneers, both of foreign and domestic woods of the finer qualities.
CORRESPONDENCE.
Usury Laws. No. 3.
MR. CIST :
If a law were proposed, professedly giving to the wealthy a monopoly of any desira - ble commodity in general request, driving from the market nine-tenths of the community, in or. der that the very rich-the favored few-might obtain the article at a low price, while the less wealthy, constituting the great mass of the com- munity were excluded from the dealing in it under heavy penalties, and thereby subjected to the most serious inconveniences, the law would provoke one universal clamor of bitter indignation throughout the whole country, and its infamous advocates would be held up to the merited destitution of their fellow citizens.
Now, usury laws with their penalties, have a decided tendency to give to the rich a monopo- ly in borrowing. By shutting out competition, the opulent obtain money at a low rate, while the poor are either prevented from borrowing at all, or compelled to pay the lender an extra price to cover the risk of the law. Thus, while the John Jacob Astors of the land obtain money at 5 per cent. smaller men are often compelled to pay 25. 0.
Usury Laws, No. 4.
The term usury, derived from the latin usura, had originally nothing invidions in its significa- tion. It was the only word used to express what we now mean by "interest." All rates, great or small, were called usury, as the word rent is us- ed to denote a consideration given for the use of houses and lands.
In the age of ignorance and despotism, all in- tercet was prohibited under the heaviest penal- tics. Taking the least compensation for the use of money, was denounced in the strongest terms. Governments declared it a crime against man. Religion pronounced it an offence against Heav- en. The unthinking multitude in these benight- ed days, regarded usury with religious horror.
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The fact that money lending was at this time chiefly in the hands of the Jews, tended great- ly to augment the prejudicc. It was considered a Jewish practice, and the Jews in this into.cr- ant age were regarded as an impious race, ac- cursed of earth and Heaven, and by way of ser- ving the cause of religion, were often plunder- ed and massacred by thousands.
In 1546, under the 8th Henry, usury was, for the first time in England, taken under the pro- tection of the law, and limited to ten per cent.
But so deeply rooted were the prejudices a- gainst it among all classes-so effectually had they been taught from their infancy to regard it as an abomination, that the law giving sanction to it, called forth loud murmurs of discontent throughout the whole nation. They became so clamorous in the succeeding reign, that the law was abolished, and the former penalties revived.
Under the reign of Elizabeth, usury was re- stored ; not by the old name-not as usury, but "interest," which term was now used for the first time. Thus by the substitution of a mere word, the prejudices of men were reconciled .-- The law set forth that any rate not exceeding ten per cent. was allowable as interest, but that any thing beyond that was usury, which in the preamble to the law was denounced after the old fashion. So much for the magic power of a name.
The prejudice against usury, thus engendered in superstition, and supported by ignorance, is not altogether extinct even in the present day.
Political economists have again and again demonstrated in the clearest terms, the perni- cious tendency of all laws restricting the com- merce in money. Time after time have they ex- hibited in the strongest light, the utter fallacy of the grounds on which such laws have been sup- ported.
But error is so wonderfully tenacious of life .-- Detect it-drag it forth-strike at it-by well di- rected blows cripple it, repeat the blows until every mark of animation disappears, yet ere you are aware, the mis-shaped monster is on its legs again, glaring on you in all its original defor- mity. 0.
Relics of the Past.
Among the many relics of pioneer times in Cincinnati, which are daily swept away in the onward march of improvement, an ancient building which has stood from almost the com- mencement of our city, at the corner of Butler and Front, has given way to afford space for a new Boiler Yard. The building was of frame, the foundations were of boat gunnels, and much of the other materials made from the plank and other timbers of a flatboat, in which the first set- tler came from Redstone, now Brownsville, Pa.
On breaking up the building, hardly any of the timbers-being of white and red oak-were de- cayed. A part indeed was found so far harden- ed by age as almost to bid defiance to the axe. This ancient structure was put up by Mr. Heze- kiah Flint, one of the 47, who by landing at Marietta, became the original settlers on tho soil of Ohio, and deceased here, only two years since.
Powers and Kellogg.
The following passages are extracted from a letter lately received from Minor K. Kellogg, by his friends in the United States, which bears date Florence, December 8ılı, 1844.
"The statue of a Greek slave, by Mr. Pow- ers, has been exhibited in my studio for the last eight days-previous to its departure for Lon- don. It is the property of John Grant, Esq. who will take the proper means to let it be seen to advantage in the great metropolis. The Grand Duke and Dutchess have paid their respects to the beautiful slave, and expressed their regret that she was about to leave Florence. The studio was visited by grcat numbers of the best people-botlı strangers and Florentines. In- deed the statue seems to attract the attention of all who take any pleasure in examining works of art; and it has become one of the principal attractions, if not the principal one to all who desire to see the best productions of modern sculptors. It is a source of pride to Americans, that their country has had the honor of giving to the world so great a genius as Powers, and an equal source of mortification that it has lack - ed either the taste, or the liberality, to take into its own possession so lovely a statue. It has fallen to the honor of an Englishman to ap- preciate and reward Mr. Powers' talents, and this is a source of unaffected delight to the Eng- lish. Lord Ward has ordered a duplicate of it, and this will also find a home in an English mansion -- notwitstanding the aversion of John. Bull to the 'holding of slaves.'
"Powers is still engaged on the statue of Mr Calhoun. It will be a noble work. He has not yet commenced that of Franklin. He is now full of orders, principally from the Eng. lish. Heis well, indeed I think he is in better health than he has been since I have knowd him."
"The clouds have already passed and the sun of prosperity shines again upon me. I am full of commissions, but not so full of cash; still there is enough of the latter to keep me for the present -- or, until the former shall have been completed. Ihave been obliged to receive or .. ders for copies, a thing which I was in hopes would not befal me again. However, I am most thankful that this means of livelihood was with-
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in my reach at a time of so great a pressure of poverty.
"I have determined that a bottle of cham- pagne shall suffer on account of the news of Gov. Polk's election, and as I cannot kill it all myself, I have a neighbor who works in clay -- Powers-who will join me in good wishes for the prosperity of our country under the Polk administration, and forever after. We have no politics among us here, and only make battle for our Republic against the unjust charges which the English are continually making on the subject of repudiation. They are deter- mined to believe that we are all rascals and wish to cheat the world out of their money; there are very few who are generous or just enough to look upon our Government as any thing better than a band of pirates, who are dis- turbing the peace and happiness of the whole world."
Our Country One Hundred Years Ago.
I continue extracts from B. Franklin's Penn- sylvania Gazette of 1749, nearly one hundred years since.
ADVERTISEMENTS.
"Edward Downs is removed from his house in Water street to his house in Front street, where Thomas Wells lately lived, and has to sell sundry sorts of European goods, and choice Cheshire Cheese, cheap for ready money."
"' Dropt on Sunday, the 31st December last, between the drawbridge and the church, a fash- iona'ble silver stay hook, very neatly set with stones in the figure of a true lover's knot; who- ever finds it, so that the owner may have it again, shall receive ten shillings reward, paid by Robert Warren."
"Ran away the 3d inst, from Samuel Swift of Bustletown, an Irish servant man, named Roger Flanagan, [sandy complexion, short hair, and is used to tumbling and antic tricks &c. &c.
N. B. He will probably pass for a chimney sweeper."
Among dry goods articles, 1 find a string of goods almost impossible now to identify with modern fabrics. Paduasoy, valures, poplin, none so pretties, tandems, pennistones, romals, pistol lawns, hairbines, yard wide garlix, gulix, holland starrits, tammies, camblettees, cushlas, dorsiteens, grassets, durants, ducapes, cheverets, baladine silk, brillions, grandurets, florettas, tabines, sag- gathies, chinconnes, Lemaners, cherryderries, silveretts, serpentines, paranellas, Paragons, hor- rations, &c." I presume the oldest survivor cannot tell what these articles were.
It appears by an advertisement of that date that 2 per cent was charged by the vessels sail- ing for London, on the amount of money remit- ted from Philadelphia to that city.
"Peter Knowlton, Free fan maker, from Lon- don, in Sassafras street, near the Moravian meeting, makes, mends, mounts and setts, whole- sale and retail, all sorts of fans and fansticks, and makes short fans longer" by piecing I sup- pose. "He likewise cuts and sells corks of all kinds."
"The charter of the borough of Trenton, be- ing surrendered, and the said surrender ac- cepted by his Excellency, in the following words:
'By his excellency JONATHAN BELCHER, Esq .; Captain General and Governor in chief, in and over his majesty's province of Nova Caesarea, or New Jersey, and territories thereon depending in America, Chancellor and Vice Admiral in the same, &c.
Having perused and considered the within in- strument of surrender of the charter for incor- porating the town of Trenton, I do therefore in behalf of his most sacred majesty accept the same. Dated at the city of Burlington, in the said province, this ninth day of April, in the twenty-third year of his majesty's reign, 1750.
JONATHAN BELCHER.
Public notice therefore, is hereby given to all persons, to prevent their trouble and attendance upon the fairs, which will not be held as usual."
Force of Ridicule.
An application was lately made to the Legis- lature of Alabama, for a charter to a Botanico Medical College at Wetumpka, in that State. The Bill for that purpose had gone to its third reading with every prospect of its final passage, when a story told by one of the members, with great gravity and much comic effect, did for it what all the arguments of its apponents failed to accomplish, and gave it its quietus.
The Mobile Register gives the narrative thus :
"After Speaker Moore and others had made able speeches in support of the bill, Mr. Morris- ett from Monroe, took the floor. You know him. He is an odd genius, and withal has good horse sense, (as his colleague, Mr. Howard, calls it,) and often speaks to the point and with ef- fect. With an imperturbable gravity, he address- ed the House in substance as follows :- "Mr. Speaker, I cannot support this bill, unless I am assured that a distinguished acquaintance of mine is made one of the Professors. He is what that College wishes to make for us-a root doctor, and will suit the place exactly. He became a doctor in two hours, and it only cost $20 to com- plete his education. He bought a book, sir, and read the chapter on fevers, and that was enough. He was sent for to see a sick woman-a very sick woman. With his book under his arm, ofl he went. Her husband and their son John were in the room with the sick woman. The Doctor felt of her wrist and looked in her month. and then took off his hat. . Has you got,' addressing the husband, 'a sorrel sheep ?' 'No, I never heard of such a thing in all my life.' 'Well, there is such things,' said the doctor very knowingly. 'Has you got then a sorrel horse ?' 'Yes,' said
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John, quickly, 'I rode him to mill to-day.' 'Well, he must be killed immediately' said. the doctor, and some soup must be made and given to your wife.' The poor woman turned over in her bed. John began to object, and the husband was brought to a stand. Why, doctor, he is the on- ly horse we've got, and he is worth $100, and will not some other soup do as well ?' .No, the book says so, and there is but two questions -will you kill your horse, or let your wife die ? Nothing will save her but the soup of a sorrel sheep or a sorrel horse. If you don't believe me I will read it to you.' The doctor took up the book, turned to the chapter on fevers and read as follows :- 'Good for fevers-sheep sor- rel, or loise sorrel.' 'Why, doctor,' exclaimed husband, wife and son, 'you are mistaken, that don't mean a sorrel sheep, or a sorrel horse; but' -. Well, I know what I am about,' interrupt- ed the doctor, 'that's the way we doctors read it, and we understands it.' Now,' said Mr. Morrisett, with an earnestness and gravity that were in striking contrast with the laughter of the House, 'unless the Hon. Speaker and the friends of this bill will assure me that my sor- rel doctor will be one of the Professors, I must vote against the bill.' It is unnecessary to add, that after this blow, the bill never kicked. It was effectually killed.
Air Tight Preservers.
The manufacture of air-tight tin cases for preserving lobsters, oysters, turkeys, and almost any other article of food, is a great business at Eastport, Me. The mode of sealing them up, after the air has been exhausted by an air- pump, is kept a secret -- no one being admitted to that part of the establishment .- N. B. Bul. letin.
We will let out the secret and save the use of the air pump. The case or can containing the substance to be preserved, is set in a vessel of boiling water and made to boil. In this state, while the steam excludes all the air, (which an air-pump could not well do,) the op- erator instantly closes the orifice by soldering on a small tin button provided for the pur- pose. The can is of course removed from the boiling water at the instant of the soldering. Where meats are preserved, they are introduced into the cans before the head is soldered on. It is a small hole in the head which is finally closed while the contents are boiling.
In a similar way fruits may be preserved in bottles without sugar, for an indefinite time. Put them in with water, cause it to boil, and while boiling cork tightly, and then secure the cork with air-tight cement. Green corn, green peas, &c. &c., may be had in winter in abso- lute freshness and perfection by this process. Those who have never seen it will be surprised to be told that roast meats and soups may be had in perfection five years after their cooking. But such is the fact .- Emancipator .
The Hunting Shirt.
The Hunting Shirt, the emblem of the Revo- lution, is banished from the national military, but still lingers among the hunters and pioneers of the far West. The national costume, proper- ly so called, was adopted in the outset of the Revolution, and was recommended by Washing- ton to his army, in the most eventful period of the War of Independence. It was a favorite garb with many of the line, particularly the gal- lant Colonel Josiah Parker.
When Morgan's Riflemen, made prisoners at the assault in Quebec in 1775, were returning to the South to be exchanged, the British garrisons on the route beheld with wonder these sons of the mountain and the forest. Their hardy looks, their tall athletic forms, their marching always in Indian file, with the light and noiseless step peculiar to their pursuit of woodland game; but above all, to European eyes, their singular pic- turesque costume, the Hunting Shirt, with its fringes, the wampum belts, leggins and mocca- sins, richly worked with the Indian ornaments of beads and porcupine quills of brilliant and varied dyes, the tomahawk and knife; these, with the well known death-dealing of these matchless marksmen, created in the European military a degree of awe and respect for the Hunting Shirt, which lasted with the war of the Revolution.
Washington Fashions.
I do not know that I have told you the short hand way of visiting, people have here, and es- pecially the great people. When a new Con- gressman arrives, he will be astonished at the number of cards he will find on the parlor table for him during a day. The first thought is, well, I have had a great many calls to day. The next, I must have been in when some of them came, and why did not the servants call me? These thoughts will first suggest themselves to a stran- ger. But upon inquiring, he will find no man has been at his house at all. This is accounted for on the short hand principle of visiting, which is this :' A man sits in his room writing a letter, as I now am; and, whilst he is at work at home, a negro bov is out leaving his cards to such as he pleases to send them. By and by the compli- ment is returned, and thus great men visit and are visited without losing time. When one vis- its another in person and finds him absent, he leaves his card with p. p. in one corner (proper person.) This leaves the inference that he called on business. But the social visits are all made by a negro boy with cards.
As a take off to this cold formality, the Wes- tern new members have carried the joke still further; and have large cards with the picture of a splendid dinner table, groaning under the weight of turkies, quails, oysters, pies, wines, &c. &c. engraved upon them . These they send about, and they take admirably well, and rumor says, in former days, this western fashion was introduced into the most fashionable circles of N. Y. Thus, if A sends B a card for a visit, B sends back his for a dinner. This, you see, is saving expense as well as time. Yesterday and to-day, some improvements have been made .-- Night before last, at a large party, a lady of ex- cellent talent, worth and beauty, was heard to say she was fond of riding in cabs. So, up to this hour, honorable gentlemen are sending her their cards with the picture of a beautiful cab and horse upon it. To each she sends back her card, which is as much as to say, "I fancy my- self riding in a cab with you .??
One more observation of the fashions here .- By every man's plate is a glass bowl, about the size of those we eat padding and milk out of when at home. In each of these, there is about a tumbler of water and a bit of lemon, about the size to make a good whiskey punch. Now what are these for ? For nothing but to wet your fingers and lips with, so as to keep them clean and give them a good flavor. Some of our plain republicans will say this is worse than the cards.
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Not long since, a gentleman, unacquainted with the custom, took his bowl and began to drink ; and, not finding it palatable, he called out, "Waiter, curse your lemonade, put some sugar in it." The negro laughed, his neighbors laugh- ed, and finally the whole table was in a roar, and he cleared for the bar-room.
Scene in a School Room.
'Class in history, step up. Are you ready on the questions?'
. Yeth 'ir.'
'Billy who was the first hunter ?'
Noah.'
·Why ?'
'Cause he collected all the beasts and birds and fishes into the ark, so as to save'em from being drowned.'
.Not exactly, but that will do for you. Har- vy Diggs.'
.Yeth. 'ir.'
. Bring up your compositiou. What subject did I give you !"
·Here it ith, 'ir;' composition on wales and wale fishcries. Wales are a mountanious coun- try in the continent of England. Wale fishe- ries principally go out from New Bedford and Nantucket round Cape Horner, which is crook- ed and hard to navigate; the people of Wales are called walemen. and toasted cheese are called Welsh rabbits, ar near as I can remem- ber. There is no more about Wales except whale bones and'-
'Go to your seat, or I'll whale you! Silence! Begin writing class.'
'May I get a drink, thir?' ' No.'
"Well, I swow I can't writo any, cause my mouth is so dry.'
The British Pharmacopoeia;
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OR, FARMER'S FIRST LESSON IN CHEMISTRY.
A class has been formed at a place down in Hampshire-[ Punch does not feel called upon to speak more explicitly]-for the study of Agri- cultural Chemistry. The plan of instruction is catechetical. The following lesson is founded on the responses, as reported to Punch by his own correspondent, delivered at one of its re- cent meetings. Mistakes, they say, afford often a valuable lesson. If so, it is hoped that the lesson subjoined will be of great value :--
"Chomistry is keepun" a doctor's shop. An atom is a mossel o' zummit ; a bit o' dust or zand loike. The weight of an atom is the heft on un. Light is accordun as it med be ; day-light, moon-light, or candle light. Heat is that are as comes out o' the vire."
To the question, "What are the phenomena of heat ?" the reply was, "Dovan't 'zackly know what you manes, zur."]
"The effect of heat is, rooastun mate, bilin' 'taaters; burnin' your vingers if you gets too clooase to't. Lightning is a thunderbolt fallin' out 'o the clouds; a thunderbolt is thing like a clinker. An acid is any sort o' zour stuff like vinegar or varjus. An alkali is a voreign-cerun name vor zummut or other, may be for a pig .- Potash is ashes from under pot. Soda is stuff as washerwomen uses. Ammonia is one o' them fine names as your gentlefolks gives their daa- ters. If you put zulphuric acid to lime, and makes zulphate o' lime, why, of course, if you
adds it to wuts (oats.) you gets sulphate o' wuts. A simple body means a zimpleton, like Zilly Billy at the Poorus. The laws of Chemical Un- ion is like the laws of any other Union, pretty strictish, and o' coorse every Chemical Union has got a Beadle. Chemical Affinity, Attraction, Cohesion, Composition, Decomposition, Analy- sis, Synthesis, is a parcel of outlandish gibber- ish. Justus Liebig is zome Vrenchman."
The foregoing statements, we imagine, ex- hibit some slight discrepancy with the views of Faraday ; but as the agricultural mind expands, its idcas of chemical science will very likely become rather more accurate.
Powers the Sculptor.
We were favored by a friend. yesterday, with the perusal of a letter from Florence, Italy; of a late date which thus makes mention of our na- tive sculptor, Powers:
".Powers is now in a fair way to place him- self above want. Commissions are flowing in upon him from right quarters, and of the right kind. He has sold the statue of the Greek Slave to Mr. Grant, and it will go to London in a few weeks to be exhibited in a private man- ner to the best of society. He has already an order for a duplicate of it from Lord Ward, a very rich nobleman, and there is a talk of ano- ther from a person of rank in London. The statue is favorably known in the polite circles of Europe, and few think of passing through Florence without calling to look at "Power's Slave," aud all who see it, speak of it in the most rapturous terms. My own opinion is, that Powers is the greatest living sculptor; but as I have always thought so much of his talents, I may be said to be prejudiced. There are others, nevertheless, who think the same thing, and say it, too. It is probable you will have a sight of the works next year, as he intends taking the "Eve," and a duplicate of the "Slave" to Ameri- ca for exhibition. I can promise you a treat in beholding them. Such works of art have never been seen in the New World, for they are not overshadowed, even here, by the fame of the Venus de Medicis in the Tribune.
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