USA > Ohio > Hamilton County > Cincinnati > The Cincinnati miscellany, or, Antiquities of the West, and pioneer history and general and local statistics. Volume II > Part 30
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39 | Part 40 | Part 41 | Part 42 | Part 43 | Part 44 | Part 45 | Part 46 | Part 47 | Part 48 | Part 49 | Part 50 | Part 51 | Part 52 | Part 53 | Part 54 | Part 55 | Part 56 | Part 57 | Part 58 | Part 59 | Part 60 | Part 61 | Part 62 | Part 63 | Part 64 | Part 65 | Part 66 | Part 67 | Part 68 | Part 69 | Part 70 | Part 71 | Part 72 | Part 73 | Part 74 | Part 75 | Part 76 | Part 77
150
were seized and their properties confiscated. | the Jewish nation, more especially amongst What has been the result? Who has got the those who reside in America. I have conversed and been in contact with many thousands of my brother Israelites, and have yet to meet the first one ignorant of reading and writing! I shall conclude this part of my subject with a gen- eral statement of the number of their Synagogues and population in America, as far as can be as- certained. Canadas? And what has become of San Domin- go? In 1641, a considerable number of Jews who were banished from Spain and Portugal, settled in the Brazils, formed plantations, and built towns and villages; and were protected from the Spaniards by the Dutch. In 1654, on the Portuguese obtaining possession of the Bra- Pop. zils, the Jews were ordered to quit, their planta- Syn. 2 tions and houses confiscated; but they very in- New England States, dulgently granted them the privilege to carry States of N. York and N. Jersey, 12 18,000 away their personal property, providing a fleet " Pennsylvania and Delaware, 5 4,000 of ships to carry them wherever they chose. " Maryland and D. Columbia, 2 2,500
It is supposed that a small portion of them landed about that time at Newport, Rhode Island, and at New Amsterdam, (now New York.) Soon after that period they erected a Synagogue in Newport, the first in the thirteen Colonies. The congregation throve for about seventy or eighty years, when New York hav- ing overcome its rival in commercial pursuits, Newport declined, and the Israelites gradually withdrew to the rising city of New York, and not one family remained to protect its lonely Synagogue and burial ground. A sufficient sum was left by a legacy of the late Mr. Touro, to keep and constantly repair them, until at some future period Israelites might congregate there. This is faithfully performed by the corporation of the city. The Israelites in New York have flourish- ed exceedingly. They have become numerous, wealthy, and respectable; nearly numbering at this time, fifteen thousand, having eight Syna- gogues. In 1733, forty Jews arrived in Savan- nah, Georgia, from London, where they and other emigrants have congregated to this day. They are highly respectable. In 1750, a congre- gation was founded in Charleston, which has gradually increased and become very numerous. They are many of them wealthy and respectable, having filled some of the first offices in the City and State of South Carolina. It is well known that during the War of Independence, the Jews were very active and patriotic in their exertions for their adopted country. We may also state that the late Col. David Franks, confidential aid to General Washington, was a member of the Jew- ish nation and religion. Since the Revolutionary War, Jewish Congregations have been establish- ed at various places in the United States and British possessions, viz: New Orleans, Mobile, Louisville, St. Louis, Little Rock, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Xenia, Albany, Troy, Buffalo, New Haven, Baltimore, Philadelphia, Richmond and Norfolk, Va .; also at Quebec and Montreal, Canada, and St. Johns, New Brunswick. There are several other locations in the U. S. not recol- lected. There is one important fact respecting
1,500
" Virginia and Kentucky, 3 3,500
" North and South Carolina, 4
5,000
" Georgia and Alabama, 2
2,000
" Louisiana and Florida, 2 3,000
66
" Missouri and Mississippi, 1 1,500
" Arkansas and Texas, - 1 1,000
66 " Illinois and Indiana, - 0 1,500
66 " Ohio and Michigan, 6 4,000
British Possessions,
4 2,500
West India Islands,
12 14,000
State of Mexico,
0 1,000
States of Columbia and Central
America,
0
1,000
State of South America, -
2
8,000
Cincinnati, Sept. 22, 1845.
J.
Excuses.
"Who broke this pitcher?" asked the master of the house of his lady. " It is not broke, my dear, it is only cracked." Some months after- wards he found it in the closet in fragments. " Who broke this pitcher?" he again asked. " Why that pitcher was broke long ago; it has been cracked more than four months."
This was a Cincinnati excuse, but, as the al- manack makers say, will answer for any other meridian in our country, and in some beyond its limits. It is accordingly published for the bene- fit of those who have not ingenuity enough to in- vent excuses of their own.
Cultivation of the Grape.
The following communication addressed by the writer to the Cincinnati Horticultural So- ciety, will be found one of the most valuable ar- ticles on the subject to which it relates, that has ever appeared in print.
CINCINNATI, Sept. 26, 1845.
Mr. President :
Upon referring to some memorandums of my father, I find amongst others, the following ac- count kept of the produce of the vineyard since 1837. As a number of our members are cultiva-
-
58
74,000
151
ting the vine, I thought it would be interesting, as it is difficult to obtain a statement of the kind, kept minutely for a series of years.
It shows the actual produce, and the certainty of the crop before any other fruit in this latitude, and the difference between the Catawba and Isa- bella, as to the yield and certainty. The Isa- bella having borne a first rate crop for nine suc- cessive years, the Catawba failing occasionally from rot and the attack of insects.
The vineyard has a southern exposure, front- ing on the Ohio River, was planted with rooted plants in 1834, and contained at that time seven- teen hundred and seventy-five vines, placed in rows four feet apart and three feet distance in the row-the ground being previously frenched, and the stones taken out to the depth of two feet.
In the fall of 1837 the first crop was picked as follows :- 164 bushels of Grapes, from which was made 667 gallons of Wine. At this time there was 1125 Isabella and Cape vines yielding 113 bushels, making 469 gallons, and 650 Catawba yielding 51 bushels, making 198 gallons. 1838-Vintage, Sept. 10th, produce 327 gallons. 1839 5th 440 66 66
1840 66
20, Isabella 260
Catawba 45-305 galls.
This year (1840) most of the Catawba rotted on the vines. From this time there were twenty- three hundred vines, about one half of each kind. 1841-Vintage, Sept. 15, Catawba 237
1842
Isabella 275-512 galls. 12, Catawba 166
Isabella 319-485 «
1843
66
15, Catawba 250 Isabella 288-538 «
1844
12, Catawba 108
Isabella 306-414 “
1845 60
9, Catawba 349
Isabella 283-632 «
About one-eighth of the Catawba Grapes were destroyed by bees and other insects after ripening. The quantity eaten by three families is not taken into the account.
The ground has always been thoroughly hoed in the spring and kept free from weeds; never manured until last winter, when the ground was covered and dug in, in the spring; and from the result this season it would pay well, as the vines are in better condition than they ever were, after yielding a heavy crop.
The vines have been trained to stakes, and the bearing wood cut out, after having borne one season, leaving two shoots, trained the same sea- son, one to form the bearing hoop or bow, and the other cut to two eyes, to propagate wood for the next year, the vine never having but the hoop and the two eyes left for fruit, each year's growing at the same time.
This year the ends of the vines have been nip- ped and the suckers taken out four different times. The following estimate I have made from what it has cost this year, and is not far from the actual expense, although the labour has been done by the hands doing the other work on the farm, and in making wine extra hands were always employed. By planting cuttings, and preparing the ground by subsoil ploughing when it can be done, would lessen the expense. The price is what the wine was sold at from the press this season, and is a low estimate:
ESTIMATE.
2300 Vines, at 6c., $138.00
2300 Poles, at 2c., 46.00
1000 do. replaced, 20.00
Trenching ground and planting, 80.00
Manuring last fall, 30.00
Two months work each year nine years, 225.00
Extra work in making wine, . 150.00 Interest on investment before crop, 15.00
Cr., . $704.00
By 4306 gallons Wine, at 75c., $3229.50
$2525.50
The expense of cultivation previous to the first crop is not accounted for, nor is the press, casks, &c .; but the actual expense of cultivating an - acre of grapes, when persons are hired to attend to other work, would not amount to but very little, as but a short time is required to attend to clearing the vines during the season.
Yours respectfully,
WM. RESOR.
From the Cincinnati Herald. Medical.
There is for sale at Robinson & Jones', 109 Main street, Cincinnati, a mailable publication of some hundred pages, on the subject of Consump- tion of the Lungs, by W. Hall, A. M. M. D., of New Orleans, who has an office in this city du- ring the summer. As tubercular disease is esti- mated to destroy one in six in civilized society, a book on this subject is more or less interesting to all. The Preface is short, and explains the design of the publication.
" The design of the following pages is to en- - courage such as have Consumption, or are threatened with it, to use in time those means which have saved others, and may save them.
" The Author, both before and since visiting Europe, for professional purposes, has met with the most gratifying success, and hopes to place within the reach of many whom he may never see, the means of cure.
" Difficult terms are avoided, that the most common reader may easily comprehend all that is important to be understood."
The main points stated are that-Consumption of the Lungs is a disease which admits of a per- fect and permanent cure.
That it is curable in its last and worst stages. - That these opinions are, and have been advo-
152
catel by the most distinguished physicians of the | either class being the closest dealing people in the last half century.
That it is as susceptible of cure as Bilious Fever.
That like Cholera, when taken during the pre- monitory symptoms, it is manageable; and less so, as the symptoms progress.
'That it is not only curable, but that it can be cured in different ways; the principles of cure, however, remaining the same.
That sea voyages more frequently kill than cure.
That going to the South for lung diseases, or to a warmer climate, is a useless, injurious and fatal practice.
That, under named conditions, a cold climate is preferable to a warm onc.
The nature, causes and symptoms of the dis- case are stated in familiar language. All the re- marks are founded on one hundred and fifty con- secutive cases, treated by Doctor Hall with singu- lar success. It is not pretended to offer a specific for the disease, or to cure every case. The great point seems to be, to make the reader under- stand what are the premonitory symptoms of the disease, and to induce him to make a prompt ef- fort for their removal; and encouragement is given to make an effort in the very last stage. It may with great truth be said, that every class in society is interested in the topics presented, for who has not lost a friend by this ruthless disease? Who is exempt from it?
Obituary.
The death of JOHN H. JONES, a young and promising member of the Cincinnati Bar, on Thursday last, in the 22d year of his age, seems to call for something more than a passing notice.
Mr. J. was a young man of fine mind and bid fair for usefulness and distinction in society. " None knew him but to love him, nor named him but to praise." That such individuals should be taken away in the bud of their usefulness, while hundreds of no imaginable use to society survive, is one of those inscrutable dispensations of Providence, which are sore trials to near and dear friends.
Heaven takes the good, too good on earth to stay, And leaves the bad, too bad to take away.
As regards the deceased, his friends have the best evidences of his preparation for future ex- istence, in his possession of the Christian's hope, and his exemplification of the Christian's life.
To Readers.
The article on the Jews in America, is worthy of all confidence, the writer having ample oppor- tunities of being conversant with the whole sub- ject. I might assign another reason, however, for that community leaving Newport, R. I., than my correspondent gives. There is an old proverb " That a Jew can make a living in any part of Europe but Scotland, or America, but among the Yankees." Hence there are Jews neither among the Scotch nor New Englanders,
world, the other excepted.
Independently of the statistics, which are of deep interest, there are many singular details in "J.'s" statement, which should commend it to the reader's notice.
Early Jails.
In the last volume of the Advertiser, I spoke of the character of our carly jails. McClean, one of the first turnkeys, was in the habit of getting' drunk, and when he got into a spree, turned in and gave the whole batch of prisoners, whether such for debt or crime, a flogging all round, by way I suppose, of asserting his authority. The following document of those days' speaks of other abuses:
OCTOBER 10th, 1807.
Sir,-We take this opportunity to inform you that Mr. Wheeler does not attend to his business here, as I expect, for I do not know the rules of keeping the jail; but Mr. Wheeler is absent from morning till night, and locks the keys in the cup- board, and takes the cupboard key with him, and we cant have nothing regular. When we speak to him about it he answers very abruptly and pays no attention. And in case of fire we cannot think ourselves safe or done justice by no means: And we hope you will not let these lines be known to the jailor, for it might cause dis- turbance between us and him, but that you will take these premises to your serious consideration, and have affairs better conducted, &c.
EVI MARTIN, THOMAS COULTER, JAMES HADLOCK, JAMES NICHOLS.
To the Rev: Mr. AARON GOFORTH, Sheriff, Cin- cinnati.
I suppose it would be difficult. for a prisoner, under any circumstances, to consider his jailor an angel of light, unless he came to announce to him his deliverance; but irresponsible authori- ty is subject to abuse, and I have seen enough of jails and penitentiaries as a grand juror and a visiter, to satisfy me that they are worthy of hav- ing been invented by the Great Spirit of Evil, whose malignity against the human race might well find gratification in the miseries they inflict and the corruption they generate. And I should devote my energies to the abolition of the whole system, and the adoption of colonising for crime by the State of Ohio, if unhappily and unwisely our State Constitution did not prohibit the mea- sure.
MARRIED.
At St. Paul's Church, on the 30th inst., by the Rev. George D. Gillespie, Mr. JOHN M. HUNTINGTON, Of the City of New York, to Miss JENETTE H., daughter of Horace Canfield, Esq., of this city.
DIED.
On Monday, the 29th inst., ELLE'N AMANDA, only daughter of Willard and Rebecca S. Nichols, aged 22 months.
On same day, Mrs. ELIZA ANN CHASE, Wife of Sal- mon P. Chase, aged 23 years and 10 months.
153
Conveniences of Side-Walks.
There is an article going the rounds of the press on the conveniences of a dish kettle, as fol- lows:
" You want nothing but a dish kettle," said an an old housewife in the back woods, to her daughter who had just got married. " Why, when your father and I commenced, I had noth- ing but a dislı kettle. I used to boil my coffec in it, and pour it into a pitcher, then boiled my po- tatocs in it, and set tliem on a warm plate, while I stewed up the meat in it, and always after a meal I fed the pigs out of the dish kettle. You can do a great deal with a dish kettle, Sally, if you are only a mind to."
It might be thought that this is carrying to its full extent the principle of putting one article to as many uses as possible, and that nothing can therefore surpass the convenience of this re- markable kitchen appendage. But we can put other things to equally accommodating purposes in Cincinnati. I refer now to our city side- walks, in its business regions.
What the original design of sidc-walks was, on Main street, for example, can only be matter of conjecture. They might have been, as they probably were, designed as a substitute and im- provement to the boat gunnels which once form- ed the path-ways from the mouth of Main street to the hill at Third street. But whatever was the original purpose, they are now made to serve as many uses as the remarkable dish kettle, if not more.
In a walk from the river up Main street, the other day, I noticed the following " convenien- ces " of side-walks:
Ist. Retail stores for jewelry, &c. This is a great saving to all hands, as it cnables the pur- chaser to see what he wants at a glance; and the seller to get clear of store rent. One such, for example, is ncarly in front of Mr. Joseph Alex- ander.
2d. Warerooms to open goods. Such as Tre- vor, Woodruff & Reeves' auction establishment. Here boxcs may be opened without being in the way-of the proprietors. If a coat has an inci- sion by an awkward blow from a hatchet, or a lady's dress torn by a straggling nail; or the pas- scr by has his boots ruined by the operations of a saw, the victim may console himself with the reflection that it is all for the benefit of trade, and that some one of the many customers who buy at that store stand ready to make good his or her loss at fair prices.
3d. Another purpose of side-walks is to display the amount of a merchant's sales, and thus form a species of permanent and costless advertisc- ments of his goods. Such a display I found at the door of Mcssrs. D. Root & Co., in stoves, grates, &c.
sell ready made clothing, find a different usc --- namely, to make a parlor or a drawing room of the side-walks. Here chairs are in rows for themselves and friends, and the whole air is re- dolent with the fumes of the cigar, and musical with the pressing invitation of " step in and sec what you want," as the subject passes by. D. Spatz & Co. are an example of this nature.
5th. They form a counting room or store, where the merchant has no other, spacious enough. Here goods are marked, or invoiced, or packed, as the casc may be. Boylan & Co., for example.
6th. Lastly, where awnings are kept they form admirable shelters to the public in time of rain, and shady places in the heat of summer,-where Mrs. Smith rests with a basket or two at her feet, while she holds a deeply interesting colloquy with Mrs. Brown, who has probably a basket on each arm, to ascertain for mutual benefit the state of health of the " old man," or the " dar- ters," or the "byes " of either party, which blocks up the passage long enough to give re- spite and rest to the weary footsteps of the busi- ness man on his way home fsom the bank or the post office.
The awning posts answer another valuable purpose, namely-to fasten horscs to; and the side-walk affords at the same time a convenient stall where they may stand without being in the way of drays or wagons on the streets.
Out of the centres of business the side-walks serve other purposes also. Those sufficiently level for use, are chalked into various occult mathematical figures and horoscopes, such as Euclid never saw, or wizard never cast, with the design of playing marbles or hopscot. On ground sloping sufficiently for the purpose, the side-walks also are improved during the season of snow and ice, with hand sleds by the boys of Cincinnati. I say improved, for the foot-way is made so smooth as sometimes to enable a pas- senger to tako but one step from the head to the foot of the hill, and get forward at the rate of a mile in two minutes, on his way into the busi- ness part of the city.
As the old lady might have said, " You can make a great many uses of a side walk as well as of a dish kettle."
Riches.
Almost all men desire to be rich. The excep- tions arc so few that they incur the imputation of affecting to undervaluc what they cannot ob- tain, as the fox contemptuously spoke of the grapes as sour which were beyond his reach.
Yet there is no plainer proposition than that happiness is independent of wealth; and in the casc
4th. Our Hebrew brethren, on Main street, who ' of extreme wealth incompatible with it. John Ja- 20
154
. cob Astor's millions afford him his living, and do 110 more towards it, than thic mere hundreds or thousands they possess, do to less wealthy indi- viduals. He lias innumerabie cares and anx- ieties about his estate from which the men of the world arc exempt. How would you like to take care of liis large cstate for your victuals and elotlies? Yet this is all he gets. But you have nothing laid up for old age, and your children may be beggars. Not half as likely as his sons, let me tell you. Here is a decrepid old man, nearly bent double with age, and so fceble that it requires two servants to support his feeble steps as he takes his walk, or rather hobble, from the door of his dwelling to the next corner. Hc is nearly blind, and absolutely deaf, I under- stand, and his senses of taste and smell arc nearly gone. What enjoyment are his millions to lim? Would you barter health, youth, strength, and activity of mind and body with his infirmities, and take his wealth into the exchange? What do you envy in his possessions that the man poorer than yourseif does not in yours? The rich man would give money for your appetite, as you would for that which hard labour carns.
I know a man in Cineinnati whose daily bread is supplied by his daily labour; and yet, in iny standard of wealth and enjoyment, is one of the happiest and richest men in the place. If he wishes to relax from toil, hc lounges in his friend Longworth's garden, eyes the beautiful shrub- bery, or scents its perfumes with a sensation of exquisite enjoyment which its owner has long since lost. He contemplates the statuary or the paintings of the hospitable proprietor, with all the interest and delight which novelty imparts, and sceretly feels that while the trouble and cxpense of keeping up such an establishment devolves on the owner, it is done all for his sake and that of hundreds in his cireumstanees. If he walks the streets a friend in more opulent eireumstanees than himself passes by in his barouche: he jumps in if he feels disposed to enjoy a ride. The grati- fieation the owner knows, and remembers only among the things that were. The pleasurable excitement of the drive is his, the trouble and cost of maintaining the equipage another's. What wealth or luxury are to every man after the first relish is gone, may be summed up brief- ly as a possession, which, while it does not con- fer happiness in its enjoyment, distresses you in its loss.
City Solens .-- Gallery of Portraits .-- No. 2.
My present subject is a clear headed and sensi- ble man, who understands his own interests well, and, of course, ought to understand those of the publie,-as he docs in a great measurc.
Hc is excellent on a committee, but having
been looked up to by his acquaintances in pri- vate eolloquy, lias acquired quite a taste for ma- king specchies at the board. I do not accuse him of doing so for display, but plaec him in the same category with Edmund Burke, who did not de- sire a man's vote even when ready to give it, without first making himself sensible it ought to follow his; and as Goldsmith characterised him-
" Who still went on refining,
And thought of convincing while they thought of dining."
No. 2 is an old member, and if report has not done him injustice, has had as much influence with his successors as with his original and pres- ent colleagues, I suppose from the fact that he has been for years a lobby member of the board.
Couneilman Griffin once characterized himself as the loek chain of the Council, to check a too rapid progress when they were going hill, as he thought. Number 2 is his successor in this re- spect in the present board.
The subject of this portrait is a pleasant, good humoured and intelligent citizen. Having a keen perception of the ludierous, as well as a eute knowledge of human nature, he delights in boring appropriate eases; but as is common in sueh individuals, eannot himself bear to be bored. A diverting circumstance occurred in respect to him, a few days since, which I must relate.
The SONS OF LIGHT, who are just finishing their fine Hall at the northeast corner of Third and Walnut streets, while projecting that edifice, felt themselves short of mcans. As one resouree, they obtained subscriptions in work to the build- ing, a libe ral one from our friend among the rest. Still they were likely to fall short; and a sugges- tion being made in the building committee, to eall upon members of the Order among our He- brew eitizens, for money on loan subscriptions, as their Christian brethren had already been, one of the board expressed his doubts whether they would realise anything from the Jews. This led Elam P. Langdon to remark, that he thought differently, for therc was Brother - -, (Num- ber 2,) who had already subseribed several hundred dollars. Mr. L. thus expressed himself, being under an impression that our friend was of that nation, having probably been led into the error from his being a particular friend of Rabbi Jonas. The mistake was of course matter of great merriment with the party; but it was a sore joke to our friend, who could not be induced to believe it a mistake, and for weeks was not able to bcar the least hint on the subject.
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.