USA > Ohio > Hamilton County > Cincinnati > The Cincinnati miscellany, or, Antiquities of the West, and pioneer history and general and local statistics. Volume II > Part 47
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That in our hearts is echoing even now We two shall dwell His glorious throne before, With souls, not bound, but blended evermore.
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Marin Fageworth.
In my late visit to Memphis, I met with an in- telligent young Irishman, who having resided here some years, has lately revisited his native country. I gathered at his hands several inter- esting notices of Maria Edgeworth, who resides in the town where my new acquaintance was brought up. I shall state but one or two at present.
Miss Edgeworth, as is well known, after the publication, more than thirty years since, of "Patronage," had given nothing to the press. But the Edinburg reviewers having taken occa- sion to insinuate that the works of fiction bear- ing her name, had been written by her father, , Richard Lovel Edgeworth, as had been rendered apparent by their cessation, after his death; Miss Edgeworth was piqued into a reappearance on the literary arena with " Helen." The copy right of this she sold at twenty-five hundred pounds sterling, more than twelve thousand dol- lars. On Sir Walter Scott's visit to her, he made her sensible that she had disposed of the book, at a sacrifice, and as a consequence, she has refused various offers for a work on which she has been since employed, intending to be her own publisher henceforth. Miss E. is over eighty years of age, but with unfaltering health and spirits. The title of the new volume is, "As you like it."
My Memphis acquaintance was employed by Maria Edgeworth in transcribing "Helen" for the press. Of course he is thoroughly acquaint- ed with her and her writings. While he does full justice to her talents, he represents her as desti- tute of patriotic feeling, and so thoroughly Eng- lish in her tastes, partialitics, and prejudices, as to be rendered incapable of doing justice to Irish character and feeling.
My own estimate of Miss Edgeworth, if I may state it without presunption, is entirely different. She never wrote but for the direct purpose of inculcating some great moral princi- ple, and has done more for the world in this re- spect than all the novel writers of the last fifty years, Walter Scott inclusive. She wrote for the London market and English readers.
Shut the Door.
A hint in time is like a stitch in time, and not only saves additional hinting, but much ill-hu- mour in the breast of suffering humanity. Of all nations under the sun, there are none which may compare with Americans in trespassing on the the score of leaving doors open, and this when the thermometer is probably down to zero.
I remember traveling a few years since with an observing and intelligent Englishman. " Ev- ery nation," he remarked to me, " has its dis-
tinctive peculiarities, and if I were to point out the characteristic feature of your countrymen, it would be that they never shut doors after them. In the course of nearly two years traveling through the United States you are the first indi- vidual I have noticed shutting a door after him." I laughed, and expressed an opinion that the case could not be so general as he thought. " If you find any man between here and Columbus shut a door after him, I will pay your bill when we leave that city." We were then at Sharon, and I suppose that on our journey we stopped at thirty different places to take our meals or water the horses. It was as inclement a spell of weather as ever I traveled in. At every public house there were blazing fires in the bar-rooms, and yet the very individuals whose first move- ment after they got in was to punch the fire afresh, invariably left the doors wide open, even in cases where they led direct to the road or the street. " Landlord," said I, in one casc, where a carpenter was employed repairing the door, what do you keep doors to your room for?" He stared as if to enquire what I meant. " Why," said I, " there is no earthly use for a door in a country where nobody shuts it. There have been twenty persons out and in through the op- posite door since we came, and I have not seen the first man shut it." Turning to my English acquaintance, I then said, " I give up the debate."
Citizens and Strangers.
The inhabitants of a city acquire from coming into daily contact with numbers in the various relations and occupations of life, a character and appearance, which enables them to detect a stranger from our interior towns at a glance. He may get his clothes or his hat or boots, or any thing else, from our most fashionable establish- ments. Still there is something in his gait or want of easy self-possession, or a difference in shuffling over city side-walks, which points him out as at once the stranger. In this manner our dry goods clerks know a young lady from the in- terior of Ohio, or from Kentucky on her very en- trance, and act the salesman accordingly. There are other marks still more palpable which expose persons visiting a large city to imposition and even robbery, from which the citizen is exempt. If a stranger walks our street, as he may occa- sionally be seen, eating an apple in the streets, perhaps with a knife open in his hand, such an individual is sure to be followed, and in all proba- bility victimized, by some of the loafing gentry which infest every large city. Stopping on the side-walks to converse, or at a picture or fancy shop to look at fineries, also marks out a subject to depredators. Opening a pocket book in the streets to examine if its contents are safe, exposes.
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the individual doing it to dangers of the same wort. Hence we find that inost cases of picking pockets or street robbery, are perpetrated on strangers, while citizens are visited and plundered by breaking into their houses.
Reminiscences of the War of 1512.
The Hon. Lemuel Sawyer, who was a member of Congress in 1812, furnishes the following in- teresting reminiscences in a letter to the editor of the New York Courier and Enquirer:
I well remember the occasion of the presenta- tion by Mid. Hamilton, of the flag of the Macedo- nian. I was present, though unintentionally, at the grand naval ball, given about the 14th of De- cember, 1812, by the citizens of Washington, to Capt. Stewart, in return for one he had given them a little previous, on board his ship.
The ball was held at Tomlinson's Hotel, on Capitol Hill, where I boarded; and being some- what indisposed, I had retired to bed just as the ball opened. The music, and the regular vibra- tion of the floor to the motion of the dance, kept me awake. I considered as I was thins con- demned to suffer the evil of the ball, I might as well compensate myself by its gratification. I found it well filled with the beauty and fashion of the place, and honoured with the presence of Mr. and Mrs. Madison, and the Heads of the Depart- ments, among whom was Paul Hamilton, the Secretary of the Navy, his lady and two hand- some daughters.
In the midst of our enjoyment, at about eleven o'clock, a messenger came to the door and com- municated some news secretly to the manager. They were then observed to whisper something to Mr. Hamilton, who had a private conversation with the President. Immediately it was buzzed about that a messenger had come and was wait- ing below, with the glad tidings of a signal vic- tory of one of our ships over one of the British, with equal force.
In a moment, and without the least noise or confusion, an arrangement was made by the managers, to give full effect to the fortunate co- incident. The Secretary's impatience to run down stairs and meet his son, was restaained, and a delegation of three gentlemen were ap- pointed to wait on Mid. Hamilton and invite him up, with the trophy of victory of which he was the bearer, the flag of the Macedonian.
An opening was left through the crowd of spectators, from the door to the part of the room. Secretary Hamilton and his family were placed at the bottom of the passage, and in front of the door, while the President and his lady, with the members of the cabinet, were placed on each side. A breathless silence prevailed. The ladies stood up on the back seats, between the columns that supported the ceiling, the whole length of the room, gazing with intense interest at the door.
It may be mentioned that Mid. Hamilton had been absent two years, and that he had escaped, by a miracle, from the conflagration of the Rich- mond theatre, the winter before, by breaking through the sash of one of the upper windows, and leaping to the ground, a distance of thirty feet. At length the head of the procession en- tered the room, consisting of Mid. Hamilton, sup- ported on each side by a member of the commit- tee, followed by a train of gentlemen, having the captured flag.
Young Hamilton, seeing his parents waiting
his approach with outstretched! arms, with mot- est demeanor and accelerated steps threw himself into the arms of his mother, who hid her face in his bosom, overcome by her feelings of silent joy; from thence he tore himself to grasp bis father's hand in a long and cordial shake, and ended by returning the enraptured embrace of his sisters.
As soon as thishighly dramatic scene was over, one sudden burst of huzzas resounded through the room. The flag was paraded, and marched through the room to the tune of Hail Columbia -after which it was brought before Mrs. Madi- son, and laid at her feet, but she did not tread on it, as some of the opposition papers alleged. You may well expect that this new and unex- pected feature in the ceremony, gave an in- creased zest to the entertainment, and that it went off with charming and enhanced gusto.
Young Hamilton was a very handsome officer, and invested as he was, with the virgin henours of this great naval victory which dissolved the charm of British invincibility on the ocean, was the cynosure of all the fair eyes present; but he bore his triumph meekly. He was promoted to a lieutenancy, and in that capacity was cut in two by a chain shot, in the action of the Presi- dent with the Endymion, or rather a British squadron off the coast of Rhode Island, a few months after, while he was bravely discharging his duty under the gallant Decatur.
A Western Simmile.
At Memphis, I met with a very intelligent co !- oured Baptist clergyman, from Jackson, Tennes- see. Finding out I was from Cincinnati, among other questions he asked me, " Do you know a preacher there, Dr. S .? " " Perfectly," I replied. " Well sir," said he, " he lived five or six years in our town, and I heard he had gone to your place. He is a most wonderful man, don't you think so ?" " I don't know," I replied, " we have abler preachers than the Doctor in Cincinnati, I think." " That's what I think too," replied my acquaint- anice-He scatters like a shot gun. Those who know how a shot gun stands in the estimation of a western man, as compared with the rifle, will understand, and relish accordingly the simile. It was so apposite that I gave way to a hearty burst of merriment. And I shall never hear a preach- er of that deseription, without thinking of the shot gun.
Annecdote of Gen. Jackson.
A distinguished politician of Cincinnati, on a visit to Washington in 1835, was accounting to Gen. Jackson for the defeat at a recent election, of the party to which he belonged, by alleging that " they had not used proper policy, and that a little management in the disposal of a cer- tain question, would have doubtless rendered their party successful," with other remarks of similar tenor. The general heard him through without making the slightest comment, after which, walking up to the fire place, he knocked the ashes out of the pipe he had been smoking,
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which he deposited on the mantel, then turning to his visitor, he observed : " Mr. - , you are a young, as I am an old man-suffer me to give you a word of advice: never use that abominable word policy, again, in that sense, nor practice the principle. Rely on it sir, honesty is as much the best policy in politics as it is in any thing else.
Journal of Rev. David Jones in 1773 .-- No. 4. Communicated by H. G. Jones, Jr., of Lever- ington, Pa.
Wednesday 17tlı, Killbuck's son was kicked badly by a horse, therefore no business could be · done, for he could not leave him. Thursday 18th, in the afternoon, Killbuck told me that the young men were very desirous to hear me preach; consequently I concluded to preach next day. In the evening conversed with Joseph Peappi, who was willing to interpret for me, but when I told him my Society allowed me only to pay five pound a month, he said he would have seven pounds. I find the Indians from the greatest to the least, are mercenary and excessively greedy of gains; indeed they are so lazy, that they are always needy, and must be so, if they do not apply themselves to cultivating their land, for deer are scarce, so that the great part of the year, they rather starve than live. Mr. Evans, who is a trader in this town, told me that last summer they supported themseves by suck- Ing the juice of green cornstalks. Friday 19th, I expected to preach, but Killbuck told me that they were not yet fully united on the . point. I found the king was not much for it, though he said little; neither have I any reason to believe that Joseph was desirous of it, for I was often told by the traders that the Mo- ravians taught their Indians to disregard others, and by Joseph's talk I believe there is too much reason for the report. I asked Killbuck why they were not agreed about my preaching; he said if I had come last fall while they were in the notion of it, it would have been otherwise. But I found by conversing with him, that they were jealous, lest the white people had some design of enslaving them, or something of that nature. He said that a Highland officer took one of their Indian women as his wife and went to Maryland near Joppa, and he had heard-from a gentleman of Philadelphia-that there he sold her as a slave: as they never could see the squaw, they were ready to conclude the case was so. I told him I never heard of it, and was certain that it could not be true that she remained in slavery; for if the officer was so bad as to be guilty of such a crime, the law of our land allowed no Indian to be a slave, and the magistrates would surely set her free. He said their people did not know our law, and therefore ach reports as this made
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them afraid of us, and said he, what has become of the woman, for she has never come back to us again? I replied that I could not tell-perhaps she was dead, or if alive, did not choose to come. By this time I was almost starved, for what they call a feast, with us would be considered a fast; no meal was to be had for love or money. I bought milk for nine pence a quart, and butter for two shillings a pound, but could not be half supplied. From the king I bought the rump of a deer, dried after their fashion in the smoke to preserve it, which made it very disagreeable. I had coffee, chocolate and tea, but sugar was very scarce, so that I could not often use it. There- fore, on Saturday 20th, I made enquiry for a guide to go with me towards the Oliio. The season was as cold as severely cold weather at Philadelphia, so that the king and Capt. Killbuck would not suffer me to go, for they said the cold was so great that it would kill an Indian, and therefore would surely kill me. The weather continued so intensely cold that I was convinced that travelling was impracticable-though my continuance was very disagreeable, for notwith- standing the traders of this town were very civil, yet they had no taste for religion, so that I was alone and had no suitable sustenance, waiting the permission of Providence to depart home- wards. Sabbath 21st .- This was a remarkable cold day. I spent part of it conversing with Capt. Killbuck on several subjects, in which I enquired into the belief of the Delaware Indians; -in particular I asked him if they believed there was a God who created all things. He said they all believed in this. Then I asked if they be- lieved that when a person died, his soul went either to a happy place or a bad one ;- he said this was their belief. Then I enquired whether they knew that God would by his great power raise all the dead to life again-to which he replied that this they knew nothing of, until lately they had heard it among the Moravian In- dians. But these Indians have been so long ac- quainted with us, that it is not easy to determine what they have learned of us. To-day Killbuck told me, that as they had concluded their feast, if I had an interpreter, I might preach as much as I pleased; but he would not accept of Joseph, for he said I might as well not speak as to have Joseph, for instead of delivering what I said he would say what his own heart thought. I soon perceived that Killbuck had such an aversion to Joseph, that nothing could be done if he was made use of: therefore all I spoke in the way of preaching was in the council, using Capt. Kill- buck as my interpreter. He is a sensible man in common affairs, but knows not half as much as Joseph in matters of religion. I saw now, that through the want of Mr. Owens, my old in-
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terpreter, I was altogether frustrated in this visit | and could do nothing. To-day the king and council concluded that no more rum should be drank in this town, and that there should be no dancing except at their Triennial Feast. This made me think of the laws of New Jersey about horseracing, in which there were such reserves as evidently demonstrated that some of the assem- bly loved the sport. Monday 22d, Captain Kill- buck told me they were making up a speech to Governor Penn, who had written to them last fall, and that I must wait and carry it-telling me at the same time not to concern myself about a guide, as they would provide one. Tuesday 22d, the same message was sent, informing me that for six dollars I should have a guide to see me to the Ohio. This news was not the most agreeable, as the wages of the guide were unrea- sonable, and my daily expenses were similar. It was impossible to get a piece of bear's flesh or venison ham. This people live very poorly-their land, however, is good, but the price is in fool's hands. In the afternoon a messenger came for me to wait on the king and council. I attended, and found about twenty persons convened in their council house, which was sixty feet by twenty-eight. It had one post in the middle,- there were two fires around which the Indians sat ou skins, nearly all having long pipes which they kept in constant use. They prepared a stool for me, and presented me with a bowl of homony, of which they were eating, but they had a great advantage over me by reason of their very wide mouths which suited the broad ladle, used by them instead of a spoon-one ladle serving for four or five Indians. After our repast a sheet of paper was brought, and Killbuck being interpre- ter informed me that it was their desire that I should write to Governor Penn from them, desi- ring him to let his people know, that, if they or any white man or Indian brought rum to their side of the Allegheny or Ohio, they had appointed six men on penalty of death, to stave every keg; and that he would let Gov. Franklin know that they desired all the Jersey Indians to move to them, as their country was large enough. Ac- cording to request I drew up a letter and had every word of it interpreted by Capt. Killbuck and an assistant. This I delivered to his honour Richard Penn. Wednesday 24th, I was called to the council, and was. desired to deliver a speech to the Quakers of Philadelphia; but there was nothing in the message worthy of writing, and hence I delivered it verbally to Mr. Thomas Wharton of Philadelphia. As I was to start on my journey the next day, I took leave of them at this meeting-giving them all the advice I thought proper, which they seemed to receive in a friendly manner-so that we parted in love and peace
These Indians are not defective in capacity, and their long acquaintance with us has given some of them better notions than many other savages hold. They are as void of government as the Shawanese-their virtues are few-their vices nearly the same as those of other Indians. Their apparel and customs are similar to those of the Shawanese; but they do not paint as much, and they have a great feast once in three years. I asked Killbuck the reason of this, to which he replied that it might have had some meaning at first, but it was only observed as an old custom. These Indians have noblyad of worship but in- cline to have learning among them, and are be- ginning to farm. Indeed it appears to me that a schoolmaster and minister may go with safety and success among them, if they keep their con- clusion to suffer no rum to be used in their coun- try. On this subject I spoke much, and they answered with loud voices, Kehellah, which is the strongest affirmation. They were very civil to me, and honour a minister. Their number, including men, women and children, is about six hundred: they increase much more than the Shawanese, licentiousness and polygamy not being so common. This town is in no regu- lar form. Neither these nor the Shawanese claim any distinct property in land, nor do they know where their boundaries are. Neetotwhea- lemon is among them styled a king, and is con- siderably honoured-his house has a good stone chimney-a good loft and stairs. Providence seems to point out the civilizing of these Indians, for a farming life will lead to law, learning, and government to secure property. Capt. Killbuck told me he saw there was a need of a magistrate to recover debts and expected by and by they would have one; but their people did not yet un- derstand matters. This I can say; though the want of an interpreter and provisions, rendered my continuance impracticable, yet I left them with a heart full of pity, considering them my fellow creatures.
Thursday 25th, having got a guide ready, who cost six dollars, I set out about eleven o'clock for the river Ohio. My guide was a Jersey Indian named Pontius Newtimus, who spoke good Eng- lish, but was almost as great a stranger to the woods as myself, and we had no road only a small part of the way. The spot on the Ohio at which I aimed lay a little south of east from Newcomer's Town-traveled fifteen miles and encamped by a brook, where we were surrounded by an abundance of howling wolves: we made a large fire and slept well. Friday 26th, we set out about eight o'clock, and traveled over ex- ceedingly fine land for wheat-covered with ex- cellent timber and gooseberry bushes. Crossing a number of brooks. running southwardly, we
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came at last to a creek about fifteen feet wide | and after you go near the Great Kanawha, large running southeast, where we encamped. We could not tell whether this run into the Ohio or Mooskingung; however we slept safe on its bank in the midst of the wilderness, having traveled at least thirty miles.
Saturday 27th, wc soon left this creek and went through the woods an cast course, until at length we canc to a creek which we followed. and a little before sunset came to the river Ohio, opposite Wheeling. This creek comes into the Ohio against an island and was not mentioned in Hutchins' map; there,+.re, atore as I gave information of it, in the map it will bear my name. Sabbath 28th, I parted with my guide in great love and friendship, having traveled at least seventy-five miles together in the solitary wilderness; and though he behaved very well, yet I must say that I was not without some fear lest he might have done me an injury. I went about for milcs down the river and came to a place opposite Mr. Wm. McMeeken's; from whence I took the water for the Shawanese: The river had much driving ice in it, yet when I called Mr. McM. came over in a small canoe and took mc over safely, having left my horse behind ou account of the ice, but in a few days I obliged him to swim over. When I set my feet on shore on that side of the Ohio, I felt as if I was at hoinc and hope rose high in expectation of seeing New Jersey onee more. Here I tarricd some weeks, waiting for my brother and Mr. Clark to return with corn from the Monongahela, for I could not set out however until I saw them, because I had left part of my clothes with them. As I am now about to depart from this famous country, I think it proper to say something on a subject which I forgot when speaking of it before. The land itself I have justly described-but this is not all the excellency of this new world, for its waters abound with the greatest abundance of famous fish that are any where to be met with. There is a kind called white perch, which is much larger than a shad and is very agreeable food; the ycl- low perch, called sun fish, are here as large as shad. There is another fish called Buffalo fish which is much larger than our sheep's hcad. Catfish of an extraordinary size arc taken-some weighing one hundred pounds, and we took onc from which fourteen persons ate and then part was given to the Indians. Large salmon are also to be found-some sturgcon-prodigious large pike, with herrings, chubs, mullets, and various kinds of small fish, and what is remarkable, they are found not only in the Ohio, butin the creeks. There is also a soft shell turtle, which is good food. This country abounds with an abundance of turkcys, some of which are very large-wild geese, ducks; and some swans are also seen-
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