USA > Ohio > Hamilton County > Cincinnati > The Cincinnati miscellany, or, Antiquities of the West, and pioneer history and general and local statistics. Volume II > Part 28
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Far different is the lot of another class in so- ciety, who, to preserve the figure of the proverb, enter life with wooden ladles .instead of silver spoons in their mouths. Of this class was the unlucky individual with whom nothing succeed- ed, and who was finally led to the conclusion, that if he had been born a hatter, the Creator of all things would have constructed men with- out heads. Of this class was my friend Bergudd.
Charles F. Bergudd was a native of Poland-a country whose people are dissatisfied at home, and more unhappy still abroad. He was born too early and too late-too early for the last revo- lution-too late for the first. But he was born for revolutionary times. Of his history he never spoke, further than to say, that he could not breathe, for a single day, in any other atmo- sphere than that of a republic, and that " where liberty dwelt, there was his country." So he came to America; and, it was in a country town in the West, not far from Pittsburgh, that I made his acquaintance. He then spoke French indif- ferently, German worse, and English execrably. Of all nations on earth, the Poles appear the least fitted to acquire foreign languages; English at any rate.
He had been endeavouring to get into business, first in Pittsburgh, and afterwards in the coun- try; but all in vain. He had no genius for la- bour of any description; indeed, he had all our aboriginal Indian contempt for it. He felt him- self fit for what he called better things. Perhaps,
- $600
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the poor progress he made when he assayed to learn some of the every-day employments, in which he found himself thrown into the shadc by others, who were, intellectually, his inferiors, contributed to nourish this feeling. So, after months of well meant exertions of his friends, to tame him into civil life, he was given up as a hopeless case, and suffered to hunt, fish, and fill up his time as he saw fit. His manly feeling and good humour made him a general favourite.
After some time, as was natural, he got tired of these profitless pursuits. "I must get at something," he remarked to me one day; " this kind of life will never do. I have written to Mi- randa, who is now in New York, and I under- stand intends to make a dash at the Spanish Main, and offered myself to fill up his noble band of volunteers." In due course of time, an an- swer came, which sufficed to decide Bergudd to set off. A few days devoted to leave-taking for his journey, found him ready; and, followed by the best wishes of his neighbours, his old asso- ciates, he departed.
I heard nothing of Bergudd, who had promised to write as soon as he had any thing to tell, for some weeks; and the first notice conveyed of his whereabouts, was a brief letter written soon af- ter landing-of which I shall take the liberty to furnish an abstract.
The letter was dated at some obscure town on the Spanish Main, in the rear of Cumana.
After expressing his gratification at being on Terra Firma, he proceeded to draw a vivid pic- ture of the enthusiasm with which all classes --- the priests excepted-received their advancing detachment. Coro, an important town in the in- terior, was in an insurrectionary state. Varinas and Angostura were ripe to follow its example. Indeed, the whole country was receiving its lib- erators with open arms. Every thing he saw and heard was portrayed, as the French say, couleur de rose. A mighty Republic would be erected in Venezuela above all Greek, above all Roman fame; and the gallant spirits who were to carry the great enterprise into effect, would ob- tain a distinguished niche in the temple of his- tory; their memories consecrated by the grati- tude and happiness of the future millions of this magnificent empire. The letter wound up as it had been commenced, in the most exulting spirit; and, the writer only regreted that I could not witness and participate in his triumphs.
Well knowing the sanguine spirit of my friend, and still looking on the adventure as a wild chimcra, I was folding the letter to put it in my pocket-book, when I observed a linc or two which was written across on the margin, with paler ink, and doubtless of a later date. I glanced them over and deciphered, " To-mor-
row, at 10 o'clock, I shall be hung, it's a hell of a business."
Poor Bergudd! I read with melancholy inter- est the narrative of the final scene, which made its appearance in due time, in one of our Atlantic cities. He died as he had lived, firm and fear- less, and living in the future. " Miranda will soon be here, and settle all accounts with these scoundrels. O, Liberty! dear as the breath of life to me, I die thy willing martyr!" He then submitted to his sentence.
I never saw a man who filled up in the living individual, so completely my idea of a hero. He· should have died by the side of Kosciusko, when dragged to his dungeon, or Skrzynecki in the last hour of Poland's death struggle for liberty,
While mute they watched till morning's beam, Should rise and give them light to die.
Daniel Boone.
The late funeral ceremony at Frankfort, Ky., .. of the 13th inst., was the occasion of bringing to light many circumstances connected with the history of this distinguished man, which other- wise would probably have been forever lost.
A chart of the family records from the days of Oliver Cromwell to the birth of Daniel Boone, made out in beautiful chirography by his uncle James, a schoolmaster, was produced at Frank- fort, and I can truly say, I never examined a more remarkable manuscript document. A copy of it will probably appear in some future- number of the " Advertiser."
It appears that the family of the Boones were . Friends, or as they are more popularly named, Quakers. The immediate ancestors and their next relatives, residcd at Bradninch, England, and emigrated to Pennsylvania, and settled in Exeter township, Berks county, not far from Reading, in which town Danicl Boone was born, July 14, 1732. Many of his maternal ancestors were from Wales. His father and mother, both died before he was thirteen years of age, and the children, eleven in number, under charge of James, the oldest brother, moved to the neigli- borhood of Winchester, Va. After residing here two years, Daniel removed to Rowan county, N. C. and was followed by two of his brothers, James and Squire, who settled on the Yadkin river. Here Boone married Rebecca Bryant, the daughter of Joseph Bryant, and remained in N. Carolina until he settled in Kentucky in 1760.
In 1773, when he attempted to remove his family to Kentucky, he started from North Caro- lina ; and when the Indians attacked his compa- ny, he fell back and settled on Clinch river, where he remained until the spring of 1775, when he removed 'to Kentucky. In the fall, 1799, he removed with his family to Missouri, and
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lived near the Missouri river, some 150 miles from York county, Pennsylvania-orderly, re- above St. Louis, where he died on the 17th day of October, 1820, at the age of 88 years. His wife died a few years before him. Daniel Boone was one of seven sons and four daughters, whose names were as follows :
Sons .- James, Samuel, Jonathan, Daniel, George, Squire, Edward.
Daughters .- Sarah, Elizabetlı, Mary, Hannah. Col. Daniel Boone had nine children, as fol- lows :
Sons .- James, Israel, Daniel, Jesse, Nathan.
Daughters .- Susan, Jemima, Lavinia, Re- becca.
The eldest, James, was killed, 1773, by the In- dians ; and his son Israel was killed at the bat- tle of the Blue Lieks, August 19th, 1782.
His son Nathan, a captain in the United States service, with his descendants, are I believe, his only posterity, bearing his name ; but an exten- sive and honorable collection of Kentuekians of the last and present generation, are related to the old pioneer by consanguinity or affinity.
The Pioncer Mothers .-- No. 3.
The following incidents are taken from a letter addressed by Capt. Nathaniel Hart, of Woodford county, Ky., to Governor Morehead:
Dear Sir .- Connected with your address de- livered at the celebration of the first settlement of Kentucky, at Boonesborough, the circumstances attending the escape and defence of Mrs. Woods about the year 1784 or '5, near the Crab Orchard, in Lineoln eounty, may not be without interest. I have a distinct recollection of thein. Mr. Woods, her husband, was absent from home, and early in the morning, being a short distance from her cabin, she discovered several Indians ad- vancing towards it. She reached it before all but one, who was so far ahead of the others, that before she could close and fasten the door, he en- tered. Instantly he was seized by a lame negro man of the family, and after a short scuffle, they both fell-the negro underneatlı. But he held the Indian so fast, that he was unable to use either his scalping knife or tomahawk, when he called upon his young mistress to take the axe from under the bed, and dispatch him by a blow upon the head. She immediately attempted it: but the first attempt was a failure. She repeated the blow and killed him. The other Indians were at the door endeavouring to force it open with their tomahawks. The negro rose, and proposed to Mrs. Woods to let in another, and they would soon dispose of the whole of them in the same way. The cabin was but a short dis- tance from a station, the occupants of which, having discovered the perilous situation of the family, fired on the Indians, and killed another, when the remainder made their eseape.
This ineident is not more extraordinary than one that happened, in the fall or winter of 1781-'2, to some families belonging to our own fort at the White Oak Spring. My father settled this fort in 1779. It was situated about a mile above Boonesborough and in the same bottom of the river. It was composed principally of families
spectable people, and the men good soldiers. But they were unaccustomed to Indian warfare, and the consequence was, that of some ten or twelve men, all were killed but two or three. During this period, Peter Duree, the elder, the principal man of the connexion, determined to settle a new fort between Estill's station and the mouth of Muddy Creek, directly on the trace between the Cherokee and Shawanese towns. Having erected a cabin, his son-in-law John Bul- lock and his family, and his son Peter Duree, his wife and two children, removed to it, taking a pair of hand mill stones with them. They re- mained for two or three days shut up in their cabin, but their corn meal being exhausted, they were compelled to venture out to cut a hollow tree in order to adjust their hand mill. They were attacked by Indians-Bullock, after run- ning a short distance, fell. Duree reached the cabin, and threw himself upon the bed. Mrs. Bulloek ran to the door to ascertain the fate of her husband-received a shot in the breast, and fell across the door sill. Mrs. Duree, not know- ing whether her husband had been shot or had fainted, caught her by the feet, pulled her into the house and barred the door. She grasped a rifle and told her husband, she would help him to fight. He replied that he had been wounded and was dying. She then presented the gun through several port holes in quick succession -- then calmly sat by her husband and closed.his eyes in death. You would conclude that the scene ought to end here-but after waiting sev- eral hours, and seeing nothing more of the Indi- ans, she sallied out in desperation to make her way to the White Oak Spring, with her infant in her arms, and a son, three or four years of age, following her. Afraid to pursue the trace, she entered the woods, and after running till she was nearly exhausted, she came at length to the trace. She determined to follow it at all haz- ards, and having advanced a few miles further, she met the elder Mr. Duree, with his wife, and youngest son, with their baggage, on their way to the new station. The melancholy tidings in- duced them, of course, to return. They led their horses into an adjoining canebrake, unload- ed them, and regained the White Oak Spring fort before daylight.
It is impossible at this day to make a just im- pression of the sufferings of the pioneers about the period spoken of. The White Oak Spring fort in 1782, with perhaps one hundred souls in it, was reduced in August to three fighting white men -and I can say with truth, that for two or three weeks, my mother's family never unclothed themselves to sleep, nor were all of them, within the time, at their meals together, nor was any household business attempted. Food was pre- pared, and placed where those who chose could eat. It was the period when Bryaut's station was besieged, and for many days before and af- ter that gloomy event, we were in constant ex- pectation of being made prisoners. We made application to Col. Logan for a guard, and ob- tained one, but not until the danger was mea- sureably over. It then consisted of two men only. Col. Logan did every thing in his power, as county lieutenant, to sustain the different forts-but it was not a very easy matter to order a married man from a fort where his family was, to defend some other -- when his own was in im- minent danger.
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I went with my mother in January, 1783, to | jeweller in Broadway, he placed the ring on the counter, and asked the value of " that brilliant." The jeweller looked at him and smiled. " It is paste," said he, "and worth about fifty cents." " Have you a real stone about the same size and shape?" said the Southerner.
Logan's station to prove my father's will. He had fallen in the preceding July. Twenty armed men were of the party. Twenty-three widows were in attendance upon the court, to obtain let- ters of administration on the estates of their hus- bands who had been killed during the past year. My mother went to Col. Logan's, who received and treated her like a sister.
Diamond Cut Diamond.
When there is a scarcity of natural pigeons, sporting men by way of keeping their hands in, occasionally płuck one another. A rich case of this kind in which two of the fraternity, one a Southerner and the other a New Yorker, figured pretty conspicuously, occurred in this city last week. We give the facts as related to us; indeed they want no amplification. The whole sport- ing world of Gotham has had a pain in the side for several days past, in consequence of thic par- oxysms of langhter in which it was thrown by the denouement. We omit the names of the par- ties, but in other respects the statement may be relied on as full and faithful.
It appears that in the early part of last week Mr. - , of South Carolina, an " upper crust " gambler, arrived in town, with plenty of the fluid, for the purpose of betting on the approach- ing raee between Peytona and Fashion, and of picking up any thing verdant that might come in his way. Soon after landing from the Philadel- phia boat he wended his way to a well known restaurat in Park Row, where blacklegs most do congregate, for the purpose of meeting some of his old acquaintances and making professional inquiries. He had just lighted his segar and was in the act of raising a glass of brandy and water to his lips, when the flash of a large jewel on the finger of one of the eraft who was performing the same operation, arrested his attention.
" That's a fine diamond," exclaimed the South- erner, setting down his tumbler, and stooping forward to obtain a closer view of the jewel.
" Yes," remarked the other, earelessly-"it ought to be; I gave five hundred dollars for it, and got it cheap at that. I wish I had the value of it now though, for I got regularly cleaned out at -'s, Barclay street, yesterday.
" What'll you take for it cash down," said the Southerner, who, like most of his tribe, was fond of showing bijouterie, and having a pocket full of rocks, felt remarkably self-complacent ...
" Well," said the New York land shark, speaking slowly, and taking a puff at his segar, at every second word, " as I want money, and you are a pretty clever fellow, I don't care if I let you have it at four hundred and fifty dollars."
" Say four hundred, and it's a bargain."
"Well, as it's you, the half hundred dollars shant spoil a trade. You shall have it."
The ring was transferred and the money paid. By this time the parties had become the eentre of a little knot of knowing ones, upon whose faces sat a sneering expression, which the Southerner, who like all gamblers, was a good physiognomist, perceived and did not relish. When the transac- tion was completed, his keen ear caught the sound of a sniggering whisper which ran round the little circle, and he at once concluded he was donc. He showed no symptoms of suspicion, however, but called for champaigne, treated the company, declared himself delighted with the pur- chase, and bidding his friends good evening, left the place. Proceeding to the store of an eminent
" I have," was the reply; and a beautiful table diamond, of which the mock stone seemed a fac simile, was produced.
The price was four hundred dollars. The Southerner then exclaimed that he wished to borrow it for a few days, and would leave the value in the jeweller's hands until it was return- ed, and pay twenty-five dollars for the use of it. The proposition was agreed to, the real diamond substituted for the counterfeit, and the South- erner left the store.
On the next evening he paid another visit to the restaurat, and found the old party assembled. They all began to quiz him; declaring that he had been regularly "sucked in;" that his ring was not worth a dollar, &c., the former owner of the trinket appearing to enjoy the joke more than the rest.
"Well, gentlemen," said the supposed dupe, with a self-sufficient air, "you may think what you please; I know it's a diamond. I've travel- led some, and I'm not to be taken in so easy as you think for. I'll bet a hundred dollars this is a real brilliant."
The bet was taken up in an instant, and otlı- ers offered to the amount of five or six hundred dollars more, all of which were promptly met by the Southerner. The stakes being put up, out sallied the sportsmen to find a jeweller. The first they questioned pronounced it a fine dia- mond; and worth from four to five hundred dol- lars; so said the next, and the next. The betters stood aghast !- it was a real diamond, and no mistake; and as the Southerner pocketed the "tin," he eoolly observed: " I told you, gentle- men, I had travelled some!"
The following day he took the stone back to the jeweller of whom he had borrowed it, and had the composition counterfeit replaced in the ring, and in the evening he sought the restaurat for the third time. The same set were there, but looked crest-fallen. After joking with them for some time, our hero gravely addressed the cute gentle- man from whom he had purchased the ring, after this fashion:
" Well, my dear fellow, I have had my laugh out of you ; I don't want to rob you, and I don't want the ring. Marquand has offered me three hundred and fifty dollars for it; you shall have it for two hundred and fifty dollars, and you can go to him to-morrow if you like, and make a cool hundred out of it.
The offer was too tempting to be refused. The shark bit, and the Southerner received two hundred and fifty dollars worth of gold, and the sharper fifty eents worth of paste. The next morning the Carolinian was non est inventus; and the overreached sharper found lying on his table a beautiful note sealed with perfumed wax, and stamped with a figure of Mercury, the god of thieves. On removing the envelope, the note was found to contain only three words, viz: " DIAMOND CUT DIAMOND."
This was a puzzle: but the first jeweller to whom our "sporting friend " showed the ring explained the mystery. The victim, unable to bear up against the ridicule brought down upon him by this denouement, has left town for a few weeks on urgent business.
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College of Dental Surgery.
On the first Monday of November, the lectures of this Institution will commence. The profes- sors arc men of competent judgment, acquirc- ments and experience, and I doubt not that they will acquit themselves creditably in their new re- lation to the science.
I have adverted two or three times to this sub- ject, and regret that therc appears so little inter- est manifested in it by my brother cditors in Cincinnati. I suppose this results from their considering it simply a professional matter, in which the public at large have no direct interest. If so, it is a great mistake.
There are quacks in all professions, but in none arc they so abundant as in dental opera- tions, and the reason is obvious. There is no test apparent to the patient, which enables lim to judge between a merc pretender and a man who understands his business. Hence, all around us we find men, who, having failed at making a subsistence in the practice of law or in retailing goods, or who have perhaps not been brought up regularly to any business, assume the practice of dentistry, to the irreparable injury of their pa- tients. For all this there is no remedy except a regular education for this department of medical and surgical science, such as this College affords, and the evidence of it to the community in the diploma or certificate it issues.
The newly established College of Dental Sur- gery is actually a coadjutor to its neighbour, the Ohio Medical College, in whichi respect it deserves an equal share of patronage and support. It will, in the course of a few years, doubtless be felt equally influential and important, while the sphere of its operations must necessarily occupy a wider space.
Force of Habit.
In the days of my apprenticeship to the hard- ware business in Philadelphia, although quite young, I was salesman to our establishment. In that capacity I put up bills for the various west- ern merchants of 1806, and of even later datcs. But the lapse of forty years has made many changes in this mutable world of ours, and witlı the exception of H. G. Phillips, of Dayton; Samuel Perry, of our own city; Jephthah Dud- ley, of Frankfort, and J. W. Tilford, of Lexing- ton, Ky., who are now all out of active business, the merchants of that day have passed off the scene of life.
Tilford and Dudley I have not seen for almost forty years, until Saturday, the 13th inst., when I made myself known to Col. Dudley, on my late visit to Frankfort. I found him at his door cut- ting a piece of pine shingle, the very employment he was at forty years before, when I last saw him
and bid him good bye, on his departure from Philadelphia. The Coloncl assured mne, low- ever, that it was neither the same knife nor the same shingle.
The English Language.
Various have been the attempts to reduce to system, the orthography, and prosody of our fan- guage-all to little purpose.
Many and weighty are the embarrassments which the anomalies of pronunciation disfiguring the English language, inflict upon the luckless forcigner, in his attempts to master its rules.
I will give a specimen of analogies of this sort. Take and follow it out in its various pronuncia- tions.
Bough
OW
as
cow.
Cough
off
as
doff.
Dough
ow
as
flow.
Hough
ock
as
lock.
Lough
och
as
cochran.
Youghiogany
Tough
uff
as
luff.
Fought
aw
as
law.
Through
00
as
loo.
Thorough
u
as
· hunt.
Hiccough
up
as
cup.
Here are eleven different sounds given to the same monosyllable. Is not this example at once, a comment and a satire on the labour of gramma- rians and lexicographers.
Koenke and his Organs.
My friend Koenke is, I find, still busy making Organs for the West. His last, is a splendid in- strument of six stops, made for a Church at Lan- caster, Ohio, which I would recommend all wlio delight in musical sounds, to examine at his shop on Williams street, north of the corporation line.
Koenke's only fault as an organ builder, is, that every instrument he turns out, excels its predecessor. This renders it difficult to deter- minc when he will reach the ne plus ultra of cx- cellence.
MARRIED.
On Sunday, the 21st., by the Rev. W. P. Strickland, Mr. ISRAEL WEAVER to Miss PHEBE JANE SMITH.
DIED.
On Tuesday, the 10th inst., Mr. JOHN R. CLINKIN- BEARD, in the 39th year of his age.
On Wednesday, the 17th inst., at the residence of her son, John Richards, Mrs. JANE DEE, aged 75 years.
On Thursday, the 18th inst., SAMUEL REAM, of Indian- apolis, Ia.
On Friday, the 19th inst., at his residence in Storrs township, Mr. WILLIAM BICKHAM, merchant of this city, in the 46th year of his age.
CINCINNATI MISCELLANY.
CINCINNATI, OCTOBER, 1845.
Nuisances.
It has long been a settled fact, that Corpora- tions are bodies without souls. Hence, we see individuals every day countenancing practi- ces as a corporate body, which they personally disclaim and despise. If the members of our City Council could follow out the consequences of their legislation in their final results, it would materially affect their votes on many questions, and cover their faces with shame, if shame be left in their veins.
A few days since the City Council gave a cir- cus company license to exhibit at the corner of Broadway and Fifth, for a series of nights. This is a region of family residences simply, and there are some ten or twelve houses of worship within gunshot of the spot. It might have been suppo- sed tliat a neighbourhood in which the indi- viduals resided patronsing such moral and intel- lectual exercises, would liave been more appro- priately selected for the convenience of all parties. No! Our Councilmen are friends to equal rights, and an establishment which up to eleven o'clock, and even beyond twelve o'clock, is making " night hideous" with yells and other noises, which might more appropriately come up from the bottomless pit, is placed where none of its patrons reside. What the effects of all this on the health and comfort of the unhappy neigh- bours is, may be readily imagined. It is a sim- ple fact, neither heightened by fancy " nor sus- ceptible of being so," that there is an amiable lady dying of consumption, and whose dissolu- tion may be momently expected, whose death will have been hastened by these brutal orgies licensed by the City Council.
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