USA > Ohio > Hamilton County > Cincinnati > The Cincinnati miscellany, or, Antiquities of the West, and pioneer history and general and local statistics. Volume II > Part 44
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but as I had no interpreter, I could say nothing to them. The land about this creek is indeed as rich as heart could wish for; but the water is al- ways muddy, occasioned by the intermixture of the soil. Though this creek is narrow and very crooked, yet it soon grows deep enough to carry large canoes, and by these they transmit their peltry to Fort Pitt. Here I overtook Mr. David Duncan, a trader of Shippy's town, who was go- ing to Fort Pitt. Wednesday 10, set out early, for we expected to travel about forty miles before night: our course was more north than northeast. The land was for the most part low and level; consequently when the horses broke through it was very bad road, but the soil was good. Be- fore night we came to a small town known by the name of Dan. Ellet's wife's: here were some Shawanese and some Delawares. We lodged in a negro house, which was vacated for our use this night. This Shawanese is very rich in cat- tle, horses, and captive negroes. We got plenty of milk, aud corn for our horses at a very expen- sive rate; but Mr. Duncan paid for me here, as well as in the remaining part of my journey while we traveled together. About a mile before we came to this town we crossed a large creek, called Salt Lick creek, which empties into the * Mooskingung, on which the chief town of the Delawares is situated. Thursday 11th, set out for a place known by the name of Conner's: we traveled near a northeast course. The land ap- peared very good, and the distance was not so great as the journey of the preceding day, so that we came to this small town some time before night: it is not situated near any stream as I saw. The land is level and the timber chiefly black oak, so that good wheat might be propuced if the trial were made. Mr. Conner, who is a white man and a native of Maryland, told me he in- tended to sow wheat this year, and was resolved to proceed to farming at all events. "Tis proba- ble that he will be as good as his word, for he is a man who seems not to fear God, and it is likely that he does not much fear man. There are some circumstances favourable to him in such attempts, for he and the chief man of this town are in their way married to two sisters. These" women were captives among the Indians, and it is likely from their childhood, for they have the actions of Indians; and I cannot tell whether the Indian's wife can speak but very little English !. Notwithstanding Mr. Conner is one of the worst. swearers that I have met with, yet he was kind and respectful to me. This town is a mixture of Shawanese and Delawares, and dwell in tolera- ble log houses. Friday 12th, set out for New Comer's town in company with Mr. Duncan: in
* The present Mus ingum.
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a few miles we came to a town called the Little Shawanese Woman's Town. This woman is very rich, and as she is the chief person, the town is named after her. It is situated on the west side of the Mooskingung, and consists chiefly of Shawanese. Here we tarried only to warm ourselves and crossed the river in a canoe, onr horses swiming by its side. The country now began to be hilly and broken, interrpersed with barren plains. We passed Capt. White Eye's Town, but this noted Indian was with my interpreter down the river Ohio, so that I had not the satisfaction of seeing him this visit, though I saw him several times during my first journey. He was the only Indian that I saw in all my travels who had any design of accomplish- ing any thing future. He told me he intended to be religious and have his children educated. He saw their way of living would not answer much longer-game grew scarce-they could not pretend to live much longer by hunting, but must farm, &c .: but he could not attend to mat- ters of religion just now, for he intended to make a great hunt down the Ohio, and take his skins to Philadelphia himself. This he accomplished, going down the Mississippi and round by the Gulf of Florida. On this occasion I thought of that text of Scripture which says, " One went to his farm, and another to his merchandise," and it may be said the Indian went to his hunting. This was the case last year, and it may be some- thing as important may employ the time this year. Seme miles north of White Eye's Town, there is another small town of Delawares: at this we drove our horses into the river and obli- ged them to swim over, following them in a canoe belonging to the Indians. Thence we traveled over very hilly land, till we came within three miles of New Comer's Town; and from thence to the town is fine level land, covered with black oak and hickory, for the most part. We arrived at the town before night, and found it was a great triennial feast; consequently little could be done, till that expired. From the great town, Chillicothe, to this great metropolis of the Dela- wares, is about one hundred and thirty miles: the course may be estimated as northeast, though it varies in many places as the path goes.
"'Pickled Cockles."
A parrot, the property of a lady, was one day detected by the enraged cook, for the fiftieth time, in the act of larceny, in stealing pickled cockles. The matter was upon him, and she inflicted a summary punishment on the green-headed dc- linquent. " What! you've been at the pickled cockles again, have you?" said she, hurling a la- dle of hot soup at him. The feathers of liis head were scalded off, and from being excessively talkative, he became mute, bald and solemn for nearly a year.
At last, the stubs began to prøp out on his pate; and the mistress' father came from the country to see her ;- the old man was bald. The- bird had never seen him before, and was doubt ess struck with the coincidence of naked heads; for the moment the old gentleman entered the room, the parrot broke his long silence by vocif- erating with immense emphasis and glee,- " What, you've been at the pickled cockles again, 'have you?"
A Negative Compliments
One of those individuals, who seem to be pe- culiar to every house, store, and office; familiarly known as "idlers," " loungers," &c., but more appropriately as " loafers," stepped into a store on Market street the other day, and proceeding to a clerk very busily engaged at the desk, as- sailed him with a string of interrogatories, some- thing after the following style:
" Young man, is Mr. Readymoney within?" " No."
" Do you know how long it will be before he returns?"
" No."
" Do you know where he has gone?"
" No."
" You know where he lives at, I suppose, don't you ?"
" No."
For the information of the reader, be it ob- served, that eaeh negative had, in due propor- tion, been delivered with an increased elevation of tone, and the effect of the finisher will be " better imagined than described," as the intru- der demanded with some indignation :-
" Is that the way you answer a gentleman ?" " No!"
A clap of thunder was a fool to it, and the loafer was extinguished.
Changes of Fortune.
A Boston paper, published in 1787, illustrates by the following examples in the lives of distin- guished Englishmen, the extraordinary changes which a few short years often produce in the con- dition of individuals:
In 1777, Mr. Hastings received an humble pe- tition from Shaw-Allum, the Great Mogul, for relief against his enemies. In 1787, Mr. Hastings is on his knees before the House of Lords, taken into custody by a servant of the House of Com- mons, and obliged to give bail to insure his not flying from his country.
In 1777, Mr. Burke was reckoned the best speaker in the House of Commons, and the first formidable opponent of the Ministers. In 1787, Mr. Burke is either conghed down or not attend- ed to, and is formidable only to the opposition that he acts witlı.
In 1777, Lord North managed the helm of state, and directed all the public affairs of the kingdom. In 1787, we read in a newspaper, that poor Lord North was led out of Westminster Ab- bey by one of his daughters.
In 1777, Sir was a very smart and ac- tive waiter at a public tavern. In 1787, Sir ----- is a nabob, a baronet, and a knight of the shire.
In 1777, one Arnold het ded the American troops that retired from Canada at Saratoga. In 1737, this same Arnold is closeted at St. James', where he and his Majesty are one.
In 1777, Col. Conway, Sir Henry Clinton's
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aid-de-camp, offered to fight a duel for the sake ! Just hear how his small voice can shout. of a woman. In 1787, this same gentleman preached a sermon on the following text :- " If any one strike thee on the left cheek, offer him the other."
In 1775, Dr. Prettyman went to the gallery of the House of Commons to hear Mr. Pitt's speech, and was turned out. In 1787, Dr. Prettyman rose in his seat in the House of Lords, in defence of a drayman, while Mr. Pitt stood below the bar to hear him.
Such are the changes that may happen in ten years!
To those who only know the lamented Laman Blanchard, as the wit and humourist-one of the ablest, as he was one of the earliest, contributors to the Punch newspaper-the following verses, which breathe of the purest spirit of poetry, will be at once new and acceptable.
Saturday Night.
BY LAMAN BLANCHARD.
"The water! the water, who brings? Run, Lucy, the water, while yet there is light You can go to the first of the springs;
"To-morrow, remember, the Sabbath bell rings, And this (how the weeks fly!) is Saturday night.
Where's the pitcher? there's water within it- Not half enough ;- here, skim away down the path, The rogue will be stript in a minute, His little heart, feel, how it pants to be in it, And longs, like a frolicksome bird, for the bath.
Now, then, all is ready, and here, Ah! here is the water, a feast for the sight, Pour it in till its sparkles appear-
Why the child's very forehead is scarcely more clear, And his eye, though it glistens, is only as bright.
There's a bath for young beauty! so in, In, sweet little bather, one splash and its o'er; We'll sprinkle you just to begin-
There, there, now it's over, he's up to his chin, And the silver drops down from his gold ringlets pour.
With his wet hand he rubs his wet nose, And he shuts up his eyelids and lips like a book; And as down each drop trickling goes, His flushed cheek resembles a dew-dripping rose, And his brow seems a lily just snatched from a brook.
Now his other hand dashes away The drops that are trickling his forehead and chin; And he opens his eyes in his play,
Like some quaint little water-sprite peering for day, With glances that seemed to ask how he got in.
But anon comes his time of delight: The bathier begins to breathe after the dip; Much more is he now like a spirite, And now will he celebrate Saturday night With the play of his limbs and the power of his lip.
While he sparkles and splashes there, much like a fish;
How he scatters the bright drops about- How he laughs, and leaps up, and look prankish! no doubt
He would turn o'er the bath, if he had but his wish:
At last the ablution is done;
The wild little innocent's gambols are o'er- The dripping limbs dried one by one;
And the mother breathes kisses all over her son, And thinks he was never so lovely before.
Her arms round her darling she twines, And his flower-like senses in sleep are up-curled ; So he lies-till the Sabbath sun shines,
When, waking, his Saturday dress he resigns, And puts on the prettiest frock in the world.
May he, when his childhood's resigned, With its dress, and the rough paths of life are in sight, As immediately wash from his mind The dust and the stains of the world-may he find' Before him, a Sabbath of love and delight!
Passing Strange.
" Where will you pass the winter Tom?" " Upon my soul I do not know; The times to such a pitch have come, That nothing passes nowhere now."
Philosophy.
A story is told of a love smitten professor in some College, who after conversing awhile with his Dulcinea on the interesting topic of matrimo- ny, concluded at last with a declaration, and put. the emphatic question of-
" Will you have me?"
" I am sorry to disappoint you," replied the lady, " and hope my refusal will not give you pain; but I must answer no."
" Well, well, that will do, madam," said her philosophical lover, " and now suppose we change the subject !"
A Valuable Index.
A gentleman was wading through the index of some law reports the other day, and under the " G.'s" he found " Great mind-Mr. Laing," and knowing that his worship was not possessed of a very large body, he was naturally curious to learn something of the dimensions of his mind, and turning to the page refered to, he found the following, " Mr. Laing said he had a great mind to commit John Thomas for the misdemeanor.
Definitions.
RING .- A circular link put through the snouts. of swine, and on the fingers of women, to hold them both under subjection.
TINDER .- A thin rag, such as modern female dresses, intended to catch sparks, raise a flame· and light a match.
GUARDIAN ANGELS .- Cautious mamas, with a: dozen frolicksome daughters.
An old maid eyes a single gentleman with the. same feelings that we look at a street dog in dog -- days, viz: wondering whether he intends to bite ..
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"Varirty's the Spice of Life."
Reader whoever you may be, whether a trav- eled agent, or an exclusive book-worm-whether you have inspected high and low life in London,
offer her hand, she has a right to do so according to the laws of gallautry and chivalry, and in such a case, it is op tional with the gentleman to shake, squeeze or kiss it. The prettiest and best be- or scen the cat jump nine ways for Sunday in | haved girl we ever saw, always sprang forward, these diggins, it matters not-you have not sech a rarer curiosity we venture, than the bill which follows, which we copy verbatim, and which was actually paid. Pope, we guess, it was, who said-
" Various the mind of desultory man."
But we poets and philosophers of Florida, are constrained to cry out,
Various the professions -- of some folks. Major 1840. To Dr.
Oct. 10-To 2,000 Shingles, at $6 25 $12 50
66
One pair of Shoes 2 50
By Cashı -
8 50
.66 - Repairing Coat - 1 50
By Cash 12 00
66 Playing the Fiddle one night 10 00
.6.
Jacket and pair Pants for Negro 9 00
66
Mending Bouts 2 00
Playing the Fiddle another night 10 00 Setting four panes Class 1 00
Sonring a load of wood -
1 00
Scouring Coat - 1 75
66
Making a thousand Brick -
4 50
66
Painting Dog House - 2 50
66
Butchering a Beef 4 00
Pulling six teeth for Negro boy Ike 75
Curing your gray Horse of colic 5 00
$88 50
And then the way the fellow added debts and credits all together, must have been somewirat distressing to the gentleman whose imperative duty it became to " lam up" the gross amount. - Florida Journal.
Manners.
It is bad manners for a gentleman to run against a lady in the street, and when he does so, he should gracefully fall back a step or two, take off his hat, make a low bow, and humbly beg her pardon.
It is decidedly bad manners to stare a pretty girl out of conntenance. She don't like it. A pretty girl likes to be noticed, feels proud of ad- miration; but a stupid, vulgar, impudent stare, disgusts her. It is better to look at her when she don't notice you, and to let your eye fall when it meets her's.
It is not considered correct for a lady and gen- tleman to walk in a fashionable prominade, arm in arm, in the day time, unless they are engaged or married, or one is a stranger in the city, or it Is a public day, and the crowded streets require it. It is proper in unfashionable streets, or when you get into the country. At the Fast, walking arm in arm, in the day time, unless with the ex- ceptions we have made, is considered equal to a publishment in the parish church.
It is shocking bad manners not to give a lady the wall when walking with her. When you meet, in general, it is best to turn to the right, as that prevents any confusion, and when the walks are crowded, it is absolutely necessary.
We have decided that it is most distinctly bad manners for a gentleman to offer to shake hands with a lady, with whom he is on terms of but wcommon acquaintance, but that should the lady
and gave us both hands, when we had not seen her for a day or two. She was a bit of a romp, to be sure, but we like such romps.
Juvenile Bally.
The carly developement of the passions which the present system of education calls forth, call- not be elucidated by any thing so foreible as the following anecdotes :- A Lilliputian in long clothes, throwing herself languishingly upon a sofa, on her return from church, cried lately to: her mother, "I really must decline going to church in future, at least we must have our places changed." " Why so, my dear?" asked her astonished parent. " Because there is a per- son in an adjoining pew who stares at me like a pest, and I do assure you, mamma, I never gave hin the slightest encouragement." This incipi- ent coquette had attained the respectable age of seven years. The eldest daughter of a gentle- man in Russel square, aged' six, received a card which ran thus: " Miss B- - at home at seven, punch at eight, quadarilles." It was for the same evening-rather short notice, to be sure, for a fashionable assemblage. It elicited the follow- ing reply, the father being somewhat of our way of thinking in these matters :- " Miss R- presents her compliments to Miss B -- , and regrets to say that she is to be well whipped at seven, and in bed by eight."-Monthly Magazine.
New Music.
We have received from Messrs. Peters & Co., the following pieces of new Music, which have just been published by them in a neat and elegant style.
" We'll go to Sea no More," a popular Scotch Ballad, written by J. Haskin: Music arranged by Win. C. Peters. This little Song, as we have heard it sung, we can commend as a sweet and beautiful Ballad.
"Thou Sucet gliding Kedron," is a Sacred Song and Chorus, the music of which, by John Candy of Louisville, should be (if there be any virtue in a name,) a sweet thing.
" Vespers for the Assumption and other Festi- vals," and " Alma Redemptoris, an Anthem for Advent," from Pleyel, are sacred pieces, adapted more especially for the worship of the Catholic Church, to the members of which they will no doubt be highly acceptable.
" The Departed, written by Park Benjamin, .Esq .; composed and arranged as a Duett, and dedicated to Mrs. R. S. Nichols, of this city, by Lewis J. Cist," is the title of a new piece, also published and for sale by Messrs. Peters & Co., East Fourth street. Price 25 cents, nett.
CINCINNATI MISCELLANY.
CINCINNATI, DECEMBER, 1845.
John S. Wallace.
An incident or two in the pioneer history of Johan S. Wallace, one of the earliest settlers of Cincinnati, and a resident here until his death, which occured but a few years since, are worthy of being recorded from the oblivion to which the greater share of the narratives of those days is rapidly hastening.
Mr. Wallace was, with most of the first set- tlers of Cincinnati, a native of Pennsylvania, and had been engaged in trading voyages on the Ohio, at a date even prior to the first settlement of our city.
On his second visit to Cincinnati, in 1789, he was informed that Capt. Strong's company of regulars, who had been stationed at Fort Wash- ington to protect the infant settlements in Judge Symmes' purchase, were about to abandon the post for want of provisions, supplies from stations higher up the Ohio having given out. Wallace called on the Captain, and suggested to him, that he could probably buy as much corn at Colum- bia as would furuish bread-stuffs for some time, while he-Wallace-would take the woods with a hunter or two in company and supply the meat rations. The suggestion was well timed as well as judicious, and readily adopted. Strong, accompanied by Capt. Kearsey, rode up to Co- lumbia, applied to Capt. James Flinn, for his corn, which he refused, alleging that when the government paid him for corn which he had sup- plied at Belleville to the garrison at Fort Har- mar, he would furnish more. While they were thus engaged, Luke Foster, still living and now residing in Springfield township, interposed and asked what was the difficulty. The Captain re- marked, " Difficulty enough, we are out of pro- visions below, and will have to retreat on starva- tion, for we have nothing left for the garrison to eat." Foster thereupon offered to lend them one hundred bushels corn, which he did, getting it back in small parcels the next season. How op- portune this offer was may be judged by the fact that the corn in the hands of Flinn and Foster constituted two-thirds of the whole supply of Columbia and Cincinnati.
In the meantime Wallace started to the woods, accompanied by two of the early settlers, Dren- nan and Dement. Drennan did not understand much of hunting, and Dement had never at- tempted it, but they were both serviceable in the only department in which they were needed by | of his shirt into the bullet hole to stop the flow of
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Wallace, that is in paeking the meat-Indian fashion-on their backs-Dement, especially. They went down the river in a canoe, some ten miles below Cincinnati, on the Kentucky side, where they secreted their craft in the mouth of a small branch, fearing the Indians might be indu- ced to lie in ambush for their return, if it fell under their notice. Here they struck into the woods and secured an abundant supply of buf- falo, deer and bear meat, to last the troops, about seventy in number, for six weeks-until provi- sions should arrive from Pittsburgh.
This supply was of great importance. With- out provisions the military station here must have been relinquished, to the prejudice of its speedy re-occupation, and to the necessary dis- couragement of persons settling at the place, as well as tempting the abandonment of the exist- ing settlements of Cincinnati and Coluumbia.
Early in January, 1791, Wallace, accom- panied Abner Hunt, who was a surveyor, with two other persons, Sloan and Cunningham, on surveys on the west bank of the Great Miami. On the night of the 7th, they encamped there. Next morning after they had been roasting veni- son, on which they breakfasted, they- set out to explore the Miami bottoms above, where the Colerain settlement or station, was located. They had hardly left their camp seventy yards behind, when they were beset by the savages on their rear, who fired a volley of eight' or ten guns. Cunningham was killed on the spot. Hunt, having been thrown from his horse, was made a prisoner before he could recover, and Sloan, although shot through his body, kept his seat and made his escape, accompanied by Hunt's loose horse. Two of the Indians pursued Wal- lace more than a mile and a half, but owing to. his uncommon activity he made out to overtake Sloan with the spare horse, which he mounted and succeeded in crossing the Miami in Sloan's company. In his flight on foot, he was twice shot at, but without effect. His leggings had been getting loose, and at the moment of the first shot, he tripped and fell. Supposing him struck by the bullet, the Indians raised a shout, Wah! hoo! calculating to a certainty on his scalp; but hastily tying his leggings, he resumed his flight and effected his escape. After crossing the Mi- ami Sloan complained of faintness from his wound, when Wallace advised him to thrust part
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blood. Leaving the river they directed their course to Cincinnati. On traveling six iniles or more, they fell into the trace from Dunlap's sta- stion, since called Colrain, to Cincinnati. Here they held a consultation, the result of which was, to visit the post, and put the settlers there on their guard. That night it rained, froze and fin- nally snowed six or seven inchies in ceptli. On the 9th they buried the slain man, and returned to the station, which the Indians invested the next day at sunrise-just as the women were milking the cows. Hunt was compelled to ask and urge its surrender, which in the hope of sa- ving his life he did in the most pressing terms, promising that life and property should both be held sacrad. Lieutenant Kingsbury, who was stationed there with a mere handful of soldiers, promptly rejected all such propositions, telling the Indians that the garrison had despatched a man to Judge Symmes', who would soon be up to their help, with the whole settlement at the river. He failed in imposing this upon them, they replying that it was a lie, as they knew that Symmes was in New Jersey. The invaders were nearly three hundred in force, and com- manded by the infamous Simon Girty, as was subsequently ascertained through a man who had been taken prisoner a few days before the attack, at a short distance from the fort; after his return from a seven year's captivity.
Finding their party unsuccessful, the Indians commenced a fire on the fort, which they kept up all that day and part of the night. At ten o'clock that night Wallace made an cffort to es- cape for the purpose of obtaining a reinforcement from Gen'l. Harmar at Fort Washington, but was obliged to return, the Indians encompassing him on cvery side. At three o'clock in the morning, however, he left the station, accom- panied by a man named Wiseman, crossed the the river in a canoe, took the bushes, descended the river bottoms a mile or so, attempted to cross the river through the running ice, but the water proving too deep, returned, ran a mile further down, crossed the river and took the woods to Cincinnati. Six miles out from that place he met Capt. John S. Gano, at the head of a com- pany of Columbia militia, and returned with him to the station. On their arrival, they found that the Indians, despairing of success and apprehen- sive of reinforcements arriving, had abandoned the siege. Hunt was found dead, his brains beaten out, a brand applied to his bowels, and two war clubs laid across his breast. He had been also stripped of his scalp, as well as of his clothes. In their retreat, as the tracks shewed, the savages had filed off, right and left, from the fort. On the first fire the Indians shot into the
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