USA > Ohio > Hamilton County > Cincinnati > The Cincinnati miscellany, or, Antiquities of the West, and pioneer history and general and local statistics. Volume II > Part 63
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"We ask the goverment to furnish another canal, because the nation is greatly interested in the public domain yet unsold, which must be benefitted in proportion to the advantages deri- ved from national improvement.
" We would also urge the necessity of this work as an important improvement connected with the military defences of the nation. It is probable that the most effective naval force of the country must, in future, consist of stcam vessels; and the cheapnesss, convenience, and abundance, of iron, coal, lead, hemp, and provisions, on the Ohio river, render this valley the most eligible source of supply for the material and construc- tion of war vessels. Therefore, to bring such vessels into service, and to give efficiency to our military resources, the enlarged canal around the Falls is indispensably necessary."
I make no apology for the length of these ex- tracts. The subject is of vast importance, ad- dressing itself to the interests of two thirds of the people of the United States, and of direct pecu- niary relation to the whole west.
The committee close their report with five resolutions, in which they assert the necessity for a new canal; the injustice done for the past four- teen years to the West by the general govern- ment, as principal stockholder in the Louisville and Portland Canal Company, imposing a ruin- ous tax on the Ohio river commerce; the national obligation to remove the existing obstructions, and, finally, protest against any alteration of the Louisville and Portland Canal as an interruption to the whole business of the country and produc- tive of incalculable loss and expense.
This report is understood to liave been prepa- red by George Graham, the chairman of that committee, and is highly creditable to his judg- ment and statistical researches.
The QUARTERLY JOURNAL AND REVIEW. Vol. 1., No. 1. Cincinnati. L. A. Hine, Editor and Proprietor.
The tendency and tone of this work are good, and it evinces an ability in the editor for strong and useful disquisition, quite beyond the ordi- nary editorial standard. He certainly descrves the credit of having risen above his pretensions. So far I am quoting the language of Dr. Bailey of the Herald, for the purpose of adopting the judgment, and establishing it by the testimony of more than one witness. There is a vigour and freshness in the style, as well as independence in thought which I like; at the same time a squint- ing to the mysticism of the German school of philosophy which I disapprove. Mr. H. would have made an admirable pupil of Fourier and thie transcendentalists if they had laid hold of him in his earlier life.
No man who takes this periodical will, I think, doubt his obtaining the equivalent and more, of its remarkable low price-one dollar per annum. For sale at Robinson & Jones', 109 Main street.
Chronological Table.
Feb. 11 .- De Witt Clinton, died, 1828. Shen- stone, died, 1763.
12th .- Lady Janc Grey and her hussband beheaded in the Tower, 1554.
13th .- Massacre of Glencoe, 1691. Sir William Blackstone, died, 1780. Schwarz, died, 1798. Duc de Berri, assasinated, 1821.
14th .- VALENTINE'S DAY .- Captain Cook, killed at Owyhee, 1779.
17th .- Battle of St. Albans, 1461. Mi- chael Angelo, died at Rome, 1564.
18th .- Martin Luther, died, 1564.
Seventh Ward, -- Cincinnati.
This ward lies between Race and John streets, and includes all between Sixth street and the Corporation Line. The upper half has been de- voted to building purposes only for the last three years, and is occupied by our German popula- tion, who have been, during that period, making extensive and permanent improvements.
The public buildings in this ward are 12,-the Commercial Hospital, Cincinnati Orphan Asy- sylum, Engine House, on George st .; Churches -Methodist Protestant, on Elm; Fifth Presby- terian, corner of Elm and Seventh; Elm Street Baptist; German Reformed, on Elm strect; Sec -- ond Advent Tabernacle, corner Jolin and Sev- enth; Reformed Presbyterian, on George; Grace- Church-Episcopal-on Seventh; Ninth Street Methodist Chapel, and the Roman Catholic Ca-
304
thedral, nearly finished and occupied since No- vember last.
The entire number of buildings in the Seventh Ward is 1531-of which 756 arc bricks, and 775 arc frames.
Of these there were, at the closc of 1842,
Bricks.
Frames.
Total.
352
588
940
Built in 1843,
112
40
152
1844,
146
73
219
1845,
146
74
210
756
775
1531
There have been put up a considerable num- ber of neat and even substantial buildings during the past year in this ward-especially on Court street. The largest share of its improvements, however, are beyond the canal. Fine improve- ments are also going on in the northwestern sec- tion of this ward, in the neighbourhood of Betts, Hopkins and Clark streets. Three-fifths of this ward, as accurately as I can judge, is built to its full capacity.
The two Baskets.
I was perambulating the streets of Darmstadt with my German friend Von Holst, when a gen- tleman passed, whom he recognised; and they bowed to each other.
" You saw that gentlemanly person pass," said he. " It is the handsome and wealthy Baron de B."
" I observed him," said I."
" Would you believe it possible," continued my friend, " that he has had a basket sent to him?"
" Has he?" said I, somewhat mystified-for I did not perceive any reason why he should not have a basket of game or choice fruit sent to him, as well as any body else.
" Yes," said my friend, " and you will be the more surprised, when I tell you that the Baron's mind, disposition, and fortune, are as unexcep- tionable as his person."
" Extraordinary," said I, for want of some- thing else to say, for I did not see anything ex- traordinary in the matter.
As we sauntered on, I began considering and guessing what could be the contents of the bas- ket, the reception of which by the Baron seemed to strike my friend as so extraordinary, and as the cause of this remark. At last it struck me that I had hit upon an explanation of the mys- tery; some little contretems in connection with the tender passions, and the intimation con- veyed to him in this very unequivocal fashion- or it might be some low cabal, got up to work upon the Baron's generosity or his fears, to com- promise the feelings of his noble family.
My friend Von Holst, observing that I ap- peared to be ruminating on what he had told me, presently added, in a still more impressive tone than before-" I see that you are much interested for the poor Baron. What then will you say when I tell you that he had received Two baskets sent to him-actually TWO baskets.
sort of despairing no meaning; look foolishi, and utter an ejaculatory, "Oh!"'
Meantime my friend continued, " Yes, actu- ally two!" Now the first did not so much sur- prise me, coming as it did from the daughter of the Counsellor of State, Count P -. But the second, I own, astonished me, as Mdlle. S-, is only the daughter of the Banker S -- , who is not reputed rich, and has, moreover, a very large family.
1 grew puzzled and mystified more and more every moment. It was clear that my solu- tion of the difficulty was very far from the right one, yet I had gained no clue to any other.
My face, I supposed, expressed my surprise, and my friend again remarkcd-
" Only think! that so excellent a fellow as the Baron to receive two baskets both one after tho other."
" I could hold out no longer. But what the dence did the baskets contain?"
"Contain?" said Von Holst; "why, what should they contain? Of course, nothing but the refusal."
"'The refusal," I exclaimed; " the refusal of what?"
" Don't you know?" exclaimed my friend -- now puzzled in his turn. " The refusal of an of- fer of marriage, to be sure!"
The mystery was solved at last.
In point of fact the belles of Darmstadt when they object to the addresses of a lover, and will not take any milder course, fairly basket him.
Steamboat Building of the West, in 1845 ..
Boats.
Tonnage.
Cost ..
New Albany,
11
1959
118,500'
Louisville,
16
4152
270,000
St. Louis,
10
2912
180,500
Cincinnati,
27
6609
505,500
This does not include for Cincinnati, several boats under way-two of them nearly finished. The whole number of steamboats built in 1845, on the waters of the Ohio and Mississippi, will not fall short of one hundred, an aggregate of twenty-two thousand tons, and a value of sixteen hundred thousand dollars.
The above tonnage is custom house measure- ment-the actual capacity in freight being more than thirty thousand tons.
George the Third's Mother.
The Princess of Wales had always loved the Duke of Gloucester the least, although the most meritorious of her children. She thought him insuperably dull; nor was he bright. One day in his childhood she ridiculed him before his broth- ers and sisters, and bade them laugh at the fool. He sat silent and thoughtful.
" What! now, are you sullen?"
He replied, " No, he was thinking."
" Thinking!" replied the mother, with scorn, " and pray what were you thinking of ?"
" I was thinking what I should feel if I had a
I was now more puzzled than ever, and all I could do was to shrug up my shoulders with a 'son as unhappy as you make me."
305
Recollections of the last Sixty Years.No. 7. [ turned out of office upon the cold charities of the world.
BY Col. J. JOHNSTON, of Piqua.
In the year 1803, the French government ce- ded the whole of Louisiana to the United States, and in 1804, Governor Harrison was appointed by President Jefferson to receive possession of the Upper Province, and to organize its government. He repaired to St. Louis for the porpose. Many of the Indians came in from a distance to meet their new father, as was the invariable custom. The Governor ordered provisions to be issued to them. To his utter astonishment, they refused to receive any. At this he and all present were greatly surprised, for it was known they had come far, and must be hungry. They were urged for their reasons for conduct so unusual. They were for some time silent. The Indians are exceedingly averse to saying any thing cal- culated to hurt the feelings of those whom they meet in council. The speaker; seeing that a re- ply was expected, at length addressed the Gov- ernor :- Father we have traveled far to see you and are both weary and hungry; but father we are afraid to take your bread and meat, for we hear you Americans are very greedy for land that you love, and cat it; and therefore we think if we take your provisions you will want some of our land in return. The Governor having assu- red them he had no such intention, the Indians took the provisions daily while their visit con- tinued. Gen. John Gibson was Gov. Harrison's Secretary for the Indiana Territory; the same person who accompanied Lord Dunmore, the royal governor of Virginia, in 1774, in his ex- pedition against the Indians on the Scioto; and was the interpreter of the celebrated speech de- livered by Logan, the Mingo Chief, and recorded in Jefferson's Notes on Virginia; about the year 1797. The genuineness of this speech, which Jefferson pronounces to be equal in cloquence to any thing ever produced in the old world, was questioned in many of the newspapers and peri- odieals of the day. I think the ample testimony accompanying the notes has settled the question. But I had it from Gen. Gibson's lips, that every word of that admirable production, as published in the notes, was communicated from Logan through him to Governor Dunmore. Gibson was many years an Indian trader, and spoke the Delaware tongue fluently; was an officer in the Virginia line on Continental establishment in the Revolutionary War; a very old man when I knew him, nearly blind; and could render very little assistance to 'Gov. Harrison in the business of the Territory. He was poor, and the emolu- ments of the office necessary to his comfortable support. In those days the old servants of the the country, if honest and capable, were not
Twenty-eight years ago, on the death of the great chief of the Wyandotts, I was invited to attend a general council of all the tribes of Ohio, the Delawares of Indiana, and the Senecas of New York, at Upper Sandusky. I found on arriving at the place, a very large attendance. Among the chiefs was the noted leader and ora- tor, Red Jacket, from Buffalo. The first busi- ness done, was the speaker of the nation deliver- ing an oration on the character of the deceased chief. Then followed what might be called a monody, or ceremony, of mourning and lamen- tation. Thus seats werc arranged from end to end of a large council house, about six feet apart. The head men and the aged, took their seats fa- cing each other, stooping down their heads al- most touching. In that position they remained for several hours. Decp, heavy, and long con- tinucd groans would commence at one end of the row of mourners, and so pass round until all had responded; and these repeated at intervals of a few minutes. The Indians were all washed, and had no paint or decorations of any kind upon their persons, their countenances and general de- portment denoting the deepest mourning. I had never witnessed any thing of the kind before, and was told this ceremony was not performed but on the decease of some great man. After the pe- riod of mourning and lamentation was over, the Indians proceeded to business. There was pres- ent the Wyandotts; Shawanese, Delawares, Sen- ccas, Ottewas and Mohawks. The business was entirely confined to their own affairs, and tho main topic related to their lands, and the claims of the respective tribes. It was evident, in the course of the discussion, that the presence of my- self and people, (there were some white men with mc) was not acceptable to some of the parties; and allusions were made so direct to myself, that I was constrained to notice them, by saying that I came there as the guest of the Wyandotts, by their special invitation; that as the agent of the United States, I had a right to be there, or any where else in the Indian country; and that if any insult was offered to myself or my people it would be resented and punished. Red Jacket was the principal speaker, and was intemperate and personal in his remarks. Accusations, pro and con, were made by the different parties, ac- eusing each other of being foremost in selling lands to the United States. The Shawanese were particularly marked out as more guilty than any other; that they were the last coming into the Ohio country, and although they had no right but by permission of the other tribes, they were always the foremost in selling lands. This
29
306
brought the Shawanese out, who retorted through their head chief, the Black Hoof, on the Seneeas and Wyandotts with pointed severity. The dis- cussion was long continued, calling out some of the ablest speakers, and was distinguished for ability, cutting sarcasm, and research; going far back into the history of the natives, their wars, allianees, negotiations, migrations, &c. I had attended many couneils, treaties, and gatherings of the Indians, but never in my life did I witness such an outpouring of native oratory and clo- quence, of severe rebuke, taunting, national and personal reproaches. The council broke up late, in great confusion, and in the worst possible feeling. A circumstance occurred towards the close, which more than any thing clse exhibited the bad feeling prevailing, In handing round the wampum belt, the cmblem of amity, peace, and good will, when presented to one of the chiefs, he would not touch it with his fingers, but passed it on a stick to the person next him. A greater indignity, agreeable to Indian ctiquette, could not be offered. The next day appeared to be one of unusual anxiety and despondency among the Indians. They could be seen in groups everywhere near the council house in deep consultation. They had acted foolishly, were sorry, but the difficulty was, who would first present the olive branch. The council con- vened late, and was very full; silence prevailed for a long time; at last the aged chief of the Shawanese, the Black Hoof, rose-a man of great influence, and a celebrated orator. He told the assembly they had acted like children and not men, on yesterday; that him and his people were sorry for the words that had been spoken, and which had done so much harm; that he came into the council by the unanimous de- sire of his people present, to recall those foolish words, and did there take them back-handing strings of wampum, which passed round and was received by all with the greatest satisfaction. Several of the principal chiefs delivered speeches to the same effect, handing round wampum in turn, and in this manner the whole difficulty of the preceding day was settled, and to all appear- ance forgotten. The Indians are very courteous and civil to each other, and it is a rare thing to see their assemblies disturbed by unwise or ill- timed remarks. I never witnessed it except on the occasion here alluded to, and it is more than probable that the presence of myself and other white men contributed towards the un- pleasant occurrence. I could not help but ad- mire the genuine philosophy and good sense dis- played by men whom we call savages, in the transaction of their public business; and how much we might profit in the halls of our legisla- tures by occasionally taking for our example the
proceedings of the great Indian council at San- dusky.
The Indians have a great and abiding rever- enee for the places of their dead. I have known the Munceys and Nanticokes to raise the remains of their friends many years after interment, and carry them to their new homes and reinter them. The virtuous dead and those who have been use- ful and beloved in life, are long remembered and mourned after. I have seen the head chief of the Putawatimies, Onoxa, burst into tears in speak- ing of the Sun, a man who was distinguished as a preacher of peace among the tribes; who went about settling difficulties, healing the sick, and to use the language of the chlef when he told me of the death of his friend and benefactor, "he was constantly traveling about among us doing good, and died on his road.".
In 1820, the Wyandott chief, " The Cherokee Boy," came to me in great distress, stating that his dead was buried on land now owned by a white man in the Sandusky country, and that the man was clearing and preparing to plow up the graves, and wanted my assistance to prevent the apprehended desecration. I told him I had no authority over the ease; that the man had purchased the ground from the government, and could do as he pleased with it: and the only relief to his feelings which I could think of, was for him to raise the dead and remove them to his own land. It was then summer, and if he would do this, I would write a letter to the man, asking him to suffer the place of liis dead to be undis- turbed until the winter, at which time they should be removed. The old chief readily assented. I wrote the letter, and accordingly he removed the dead to his own land.
I have known Indians, not under the teach- ings of Missionaries of the Gospel, at the approach of death, have very clear hopes and expectations of going to Heaven. I have never known any that did not believe in the immortality of the sou and a future existence.
Eightha Ward, -- Cincinnati.
This is greatly the largest ward in the city, and exceeds a mile square in extent. In conjunction with the Sixth Ward it forms the entire western front of Cincinnati, and is the only ward in the city which is not more than half built up. Seven years ago, with trifling exceptions, it was a re- gion of extensive pasture fields, brick yards, and vegetable gardens. Now it has 1250 dwellings and business houses, many of them of a spacious and clegant character, and the ward comprehend- ing more neat and comfortable dwellings of the modern style of buildings, than any other in the city.
The public buildings are in number 11. These
.
307
are-one Engine and two School Houses; the Disciples', New Wesleyan, and United Brethern Churches; the Tabernacle, at the corner of Clark and John streets; a new Episcopal Church, at the corner of Clinton and Laurel; the Pest House; the old Tabernacle, on Betts street.
The entire number of buildings in this ward are 1252-bricks 491, frames 761.
Of these there werc, at the close of 1842,
Bricks. Frames.
Total.
145
504
649
Built in 1843,.
138
51
189
" 1844,
126
106
226
" 1845,
88
100
188
491
761
1252
Sixth and Eighth streets have been rendered, during the past year, beautiful and important avenues to the city, by reason of the extent to which they have been graded and paved. More work has been done for Cincinnati in this respect, in 1845, than in any equal period of the past.
An Adventure.
A late American traveler in Germany, com- plains in his narrative of the use and abuse of feather beds in that country, every where preva- lent. He says,-" You are smothered with feath- ers, as you are invariably packed down between a feather bed beneath and another above."
This reminds me of an adventure of mine, many years since, in the village of Harmonie,. Pennsylvania, a place originally built and occu- pied by Rapp and his followers. These people, holding no intercourse with' their American neighbours, were as German in their language,. customs, and habits, at the time I refer to, as the the day they settled in that part of Pennsylvania.
I had been one of a party of pleasure who rode out from Pittsburgh to Harmonie, and as we had to lodge for the night in this village, I was shewn into a large room in which werc six or eight beds, apparently all alikc.
The landlord lighted me to the room, and leav- ing the candle, withdrew, wishing me a good night's rest.
I observed, without being much struck with their appearance, that the under beds were very round, resembling bags of cotton rather than any thing else, and supposed the manner in which they were filled, resulted from a disposition to spare no expense to provide the best of every ar- ticle-as was their reputation, and judged there- fore they had put as many feathers in the ticks as they would hold. So in I sprang, blew out the light, and composing myself to slumber, being very tired, I fell asleep in a few minutes.
I was awakened to consciousness in a very few
minutes more, by a loud noise and the sudden and peculiar sensation produced by my rolling out from the bed to the floor: I gathered myself up in considerable ill-humour, and as well as I could in the dark, regained my place in the bed, which was as round as ever-I was not as heavy then as now, by some sixty pounds-and in a brief space of time Somnus once more shed his pop- pics over my eyelids. Again, alas! I pitched to the floor with the same violence as at first. What to do now I did not know,-the building was nearly as extensive as a barrack, and I wasin the third story, and had not noticed the way by which I came, and was apprehensive I might break my neck by falling through some place or other in the dark, if I were to attempt a return down stairs. The night, too, was excessively cold. Well, I climbed up a third time, making a virtue of necessity, and getting asleep, found myself on the floor, suddenly-with a sensation in my arm as if I had broken it. All sleep and desire for it was gone by this time. And merely hoping to be able to get and keep warm until daylight, I pulled one of the upper beds to the floor, and ta- king another for a covering, again composed myself to rest. By this time I had become thor- oughly chilled through, and after vainly lying still for some minutes to get warm, I rose, dres- sed myself, and, neck or nothing, groped my way out, feeling for the stairs, by which at last I made my way down to the ground floor. The bar- room was locked ;- so was the kitchen. At last I made my way to an out-building, used as a wash-house, through a window of which I saw the welcome light of a waning fire, and, getting hold of a chair, I brought myself within the influ- ence of the chimney embers about to expire. I fell asleep directly, dreaming sweetly and pleas- antly-how long I know not-but was again wa- kened by finding I had fallen head foremost into the hot ashes. I had been, through up-stairs an- noyances, in a sufficiently bad humour, but this last misadventure made me swear out right at the landlord, and the whole race of Dutch, their beds particularly, and every thing about them gener- ally. Brushing, the ashes as well as I could from my clothes, I walked out and patroled the vil- lage until daylight, singing and whooping at the top of my voice to rouse somebody to my relief, -all to no purpose. So I was kept on the pat- role till daylight.
As soon as the house was opened I made my way to the bar-room, in a delightful humour to knock the landlord down if he gave me the slight- est chance for a quarrel. I found him at the bar, and asked what he meant by putting a guest on such sacks as he kept, and then went on detail- ing what I had gone through. Ho expressed
308
much regreat, and explained that the bed should have been pressed and beaten down with my hands before I had got in. " But did you not hear me in the streets." " Yes," replied he, " and would have got up if I had known it was you, but I thought it was some one of our Irish neighbours who had got drunk and lost his way into our village, as they sometimes do, when in that plight."
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