USA > Ohio > Hamilton County > Cincinnati > The Cincinnati miscellany, or, Antiquities of the West, and pioneer history and general and local statistics. Volume II > Part 66
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If economy were a great object, two piers might be resorted, for the support of a centre span, of six to seven hundred feet, and two end spans of lesser dimensions. But I for one, would say, do not obstruct " La belle riviere"-there is but one in the world.
The Monongahela Suspension Bridge was open- ed to-day for wagons, and was literally covered with teams from one end to the other, without showing any signs of the fever and ague; it proves more steady and firm than a wooden bridge ;- it will present a very pretty appearance when en- tirely finished. I am yours,
Very respectfully, JOHN A. ROEBLING.
Legal Ingenuity.
A farmer attending a fair with a hundred pounds in his pocket, took the precaution of de- positing it in the hands of the landlord of the public house at which he stopped. Having occa- sion for it shortly afterwards, he resorted to mine host for the bailment, but the landlord, too deep for the countryman, wondered what hundred he meant, and was quite sure that no such sum had been left in his hands by the astonished rustic. After ineffectual appeals to the recollection, and finally to the honour of mine host, the farmer ap- plied to Curran for advice.
" Have patience, my friend," said the counsel- lor-" speak to the landlord civilly, and tell him you might have left your money with some other person. Take a friend with you, and leave with him another hundred in the presence of your friend, and come to me."
He did so, and returned to his legal friend.
"" And now, sir, I don't see how I am to be bet- ster off for this, if I get my second hundred again; but how is that to be done?"
" Goand ask him for it when he is alone," asid the counsellor.
" Ay, sir, but asking won't do, I'm afraid, with- out my witness at any rate."
" Never mind, take my advice," said the coun- sellor, " do as I bid you and return to me."
The farmer returned with his hundred, glad to find them safe in his possession.
" Now, sir, I must be content, but I don't see: I'm much better off."
" Well then," said the counsellor, "now take your friend with you and ask the landlord for the: hundred pounds your friend saw you leave with him."
We need not add that the wily landlord found that he had been taken of his guard, while our honest farmer returned to thank his counsel, ex- ultingly, with both hundreds in his pocket .-
Pork Packing.
The putting up of Pork has been so impor- tant a branch of business in our city, for five and twenty years, as to have constituted its : largest item of manufacture, and acquired for" it the soubriquet of Porkopolis. Requiring. as it does, in the various processes, from the kill -. ing of the hogs, to their being finally made ready for shipment, a great extent of room in the ' Pork houses, there are few things which make a more vivid impression on the visitor, who sees : Cincinnati for the first time, than the magnitude - and extent of the various buildings connected with this business; many of them with four sto- ries, extensive fronts, and reaching in depth from street to street. If he should be here during the packing, and especially the forwarding season of the article, he becomes bewildered in the attempt to follow, with the eye and the memory, the va- rious and successive processes he has witnessed, in the putting up; and the apparently intermina- ble rows of drays, which in great numbers, and from early dawn to dark, are filling the streets leading to the river, and the immense surface of ground on the side walks, on lower floors of stores, and on the public landing, occupied with pork barrels, bacon hogsheads, and lard kegs.
Our pork business is the largest in the world, not even excepting Cork, or Belfast, in Ireland, which puts up and exports immense amounts in that line; and the stranger who visits Cincinnati during the season of cutting and packing hogs, should, on no account, neglect making a visit to one or more slaughter houses, and pork packing establishments in the city.
It may appear remarkable in considering the facility for putting up pork which many other points in Illinois, Indiana, Ohio and Kentucky possess, in their greater contiguity to the neigh- bourhoods which produce the hogs, and other ad- vantages which are palpable, that so large an amount of this business is engrossed at Cincin- nati. It must be observed, however, that the raw material in this business-the hog-constitutes 80 per cent. of the value when ready for sale, and being always paid for in cash, such heavy dis- bursements are required in large sums, and at a day's notice, that the necessary capital is not readily obtainable elsewhere in the west, than here. Nor in an article, which in the process of
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»curing, runs great risks from sudden changes of weather, can the packer protect himself, except where there are ample means in extensive sup- plics of salt, and any necessary force of coopers, or labourers, to put on in case of emergency, or disappointment in previous arrangements. More than all, the facilities of turning to account in various manufactures, or as articles of food in a dense community, what cannot be disposed of to profit elsewhere, renders hogs, to the Cincinnati packer, worth ten per cent. more than they will command at any other point in the Mississippi valley.
The following table serves to show the pro- gress of this business since it first became of suf- ficient importance to preserve its statistics:
1832
85,000
1833
123,000
1834
162,000
1835
123,000
1836
103,000
1837
182,000
1839
95,000
1840
160,000
1841
220,000
1842
250,000
1843
240,000
1844
173,000
1845
275,000
The value of the pork put up in 1840, was $3,208,790. It will exceed $5,000,000 the pres- year.
As a specimen of the amazing activity which characterizes all the details of packing, cutting, &c., here, it may be stated that two hands, in one of our pork houses, in less than thirteen hours, cut up eight hundred and fifty hogs, averaging over three hundred pounds each, two others pla- cing them on the block for the purpose. All these hogs were weighed singly on scales, in the ·course of eleven hours. Another had trimmed the hams-seventeen hundred pieces, in Cincinnati style, as fast as they were separated from the carcases. The hogs were thus cut up and dispo- sed of at the rate of more than one to the minute. It may be added that this is very little better than the ordinary day's work at the pork houses.
A Paris Joke.
A rich and very avaricious capitalist of Paris, returned home one evening after having spent the afternoon as usual at his club. To his astonish- ment he saw the staircase decorate. with splen- did exotics; the upholsterers had taken pos- session of his apartments and had arranged throughout the most tasteful decorations .- " What does this mean?" cried the rentier in surprise. " These are preparations for a bali which Monsieur gives this evening." " I? a ball!" The upholsterer exhibited the written | Dabney, obtained the privateer's figure head, an
order, which was in an unknown hand; it was a complete mystification. While the rentier was yet beside himself, came the confectioner, with a train of tarts and ices; champaign bottles were already standing in close batteries before the side- board; cold edibles stood ready in great baskets, and to complete his embarrassment, Musard, the son, appeared at the head of a powerful orches- tra. The guests were not long in coming, and the rentier was compelled to put a good face upon the jokc. The supper was delicious; the poor man received a thousand flatteries about his good taste; and the next day paid the bills to avoid a suit, which would have made him the talk of Paris.
Life in Mississippi.
The hotels at Jackson are celebrated for sump- tnous entertainments, but instead of printed bills of fare, they call out cvery dish with a loud voice, frequently giving the price and history of their dishes. For instance, at the Mansion House, a negro boy takes a prominent position in the hall, and after the guests are all seated he begins :- Fresh butter, costs thirty cents per pound; eggs, fried, boiled, and scrambled; biscuit made from the best St. Louis flour and costs eight dollars per barrel; spare ribs, genuine Berkshire spare ribs, south-down mutton chops, we use no other kind at the Mansion House; if any gentleman at breakfast wishes to buy some, let him write to Col. C., of Adams county, who furnishes these. Venison from the free state of Rankin, &c. &c.
At McMakin's, the polite General discharges this duty himself, and when seated for dinner he begins :- Roast beef, roast mutton, roast turkey, boiled ham, boiled mutton, McMakin's ducks, Philip's potatoes, Scott county peas; after which comes old fashioned peach pies, buttermilk, sweet milk, cheese, crackers and molasses. Gen- tlemen don't neglect my liquors. Gentlemen we are a great people.
.
CORRESPONDENCE.
CINCINNATI, Feb. 23, 1846.
MR. CHAS. CIST :-
I was greatly interested, as doubtless others werc, in your article, published a few weeks since, on the important bearing which the gallant de- fence, in 1814, of the privateer, Gen. Armstrong, in the harbour of Fayal, had upon the issue of the battle of New Orleans, and the safety of that city which was its result. But the narrative had an additional interest from the circumstances con- nected with the subject of that vessel, which I shall procced to narrate.
So brave and spirited an action, in which a force so superior was defeated, with the loss of nearly three hundred, killed and wounded, on the the part of the assailants, while our gallant coun- trymen lost only seven, killed and wounded, made an extraordinary impression among the Portuguese residing at that port, and filled the Americans there with patriotic pride. When the termination of the war soon after, rendered pri- vateering obsolete, our Consnl at Fayal, Mr.
1838
190,000
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effigy of General Armstrong in uniform and in- stalled it in his garden, where it crowned an arch in the centre, every successive 4th of July. As a part of the paraphernalia of the day, it was decked with flowers and evergreens. There, en- compassed by our national flag in festoons around it, the head made a conspicuous figure in the eyes of the Portuguese, who regarded it that of the American patron saint, and the 4th of July as the saint's day, Americans and na- tives drinking the General's health with great gusto. The natives considering this as the only saint we have in the calendar. P.
Ambiguous Compliment.
The following appeared in the Nashville Or- thopolitan :+
" We, the undersigned, passengers on board the steamer Felix Grundy, subscribe our names to this certificate, of the good behaviour of the chambermaid Jane. We found her kind and at- tentive to the wishes of the passengers, and prompt on all occasions to gratify their wants."
Thirteen names were signed to the bottom of the card.
A Valuable Slave.
A bill passed the Legislature emancipating, by desire of his master, a servant named Horace King, belonging to Mr. John Goodwin, of Russell county.
The servant, says the Montgomery Journal, is well known for his intelligence and skill as a mechanic, which is displayed in many of thé im- portant bridges in this section. He has been very valuable and faithful to his master; and it was stated in the Legislature, he had earned for him some seventy-five or eighty thousand dollars. His master has refused fifteen thousand dollars for him. -Mobile Herald.
Chronological Table.
Feb. 25th .- Sir Christopher Wren, died, 1723. 26th .- Napoleon escaped from Elba, 1815. 27th .- Dr. Arbuthnot, died, 1735. 28th .- Montaigne, born, 1533. March Ist -St. David's Day.
2d .- John Wesley, died, 1791. De Witt Clinton, born, 1769. 3d .- Boileau, died, 1711. Otway, born, 1631.
The West.
A few weeks ago a well known master me- chanic of Louisville, Ky., who was sojourning at the Tremont House, in Boston, walked into the dining room at the summons of the bell, and see- ing in the long row of chairs one that was turned up against the table, to indicate that it was ap- propriated to some particular individual, he de- liberately took it and commenced his dinner. In about five minutes, a young dandy, in whiskers and moustache, walked up behind him, and re- marked in a supercilious tone- Sir, you have got my plate." " Have I?" said Jim, carelessly,
" well, you are perfectly welcome to it," hand- ing his empty soup-plate over his shoulder. A loud laugh ensued, and the man in the moustache beat a very precipitate retreat.
The Farmer's Progress.
1776.
Man to the plough,
Wife to the cow, Girl to the yarn, Boy to the barn, And all dues were netted.
1837. Man a mere show, Girl piano, Wife, silk, satin, Boy, Greek, Latin,
And all hands Gazetted.
1945.
Man all in debt, Wifes in a pet, Boys mere muscles, Girls snuff and bustles, And every one cheated.
Almanac and Picture of Cincinnati, --- 1846.
A neat and portable volume bearing this title, has just made its appearance at the publishing es- tablishment of Robinson & Jones, having recent- ly issued from the press.
It embraces a description of the city, compre- hending its public institutions and edifices, busi- ness operations, city government, courts of jus- tice, business directory, periodicals, and a great variety of useful and interesting matter not easi- ly reducible to heads, furnishing a great amount of useful intelligence to our own citizens and a guide book to strangers, which exists in no other shape.
I extract, as specimens of the publication, two or three articles from that department of the work which is made up of my contributions. They will be found under the heads, " The Masonic Hall," " The Cincinnati College," and "Pork Packing."
An Almanac for reference and one for memo- randa, form a valuable department of the " Pic- ture of Cincinnati," which is also illustrated by a new and accurate map of the city.
" You told me, neighbour Twist, when I paid Tim Doolittle in advance, on his promising to work for me in haying time, that I should find him as good as his word." " To be sure I did, for I always knew his word was good for nothing!"
OBITUARY.
JOHN D. CRAIG, L. D. D., a man who has devoted his energies, time and resources, to the cultivation here of a taste for natural science and philosophy to a remarkable degree, in days when we had few individuals in Cincin- nati to render such services, closed a long life of useful· ness, at Philadelphia, on the 25th ult., at the age of 80. He was to a great extent the founder of the Ohio Me- chanics' Institute.
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A New Church in Texas.
Our pork and flour dealers whose business car- ries them up Sycamore street to the Canal, have doubtless noticed the handsome improvement which has transformed the well known Black Beur Tavern, kept for many years by our re- spected fellow citizen, Isaac Marchent, from an old fashioned frame, into a spacious and extensive brick hotel, hardly surpassed any where for beauty and convenience. Our friend Marchent still commands the post, and the time honored Black Bear yet occupies his station as guardian to the establishment. Being well aware that the frame tenements of Cincinnati, as fast as they give way to brick buildings, generally emigrate to Texas, I kept a bright look out for Fort Mar- chent during my late explorations of the Eighth Ward, and had nearly completed it, without re- cognizing the emigrant. Finally, however, it made its appearance at the corner of Clinton and Laurel streets, but in so changed an exterior that nothing but my long acquaintanceship enabled me to recognize it. The whole establishment had becu remodeled and repainted in and outside, a neat cupola now crowned its gable front, and rendered it obvious that it was being converted to some public purposes. The Clinton street front I found fitted up for a Temperance hall; tho rear and out building constituting a family dwel- ling, and the upper part of the building had un- dergone the necessary change to fit it for a Church, by taking out all above the second story and putting up a suitable dome. All this was so neatly and appropriately done as to take me by surprise. The building is amply lighted and ven- tilated, and is of dimensions sufficiently lofty and spacious for religious services. The whole ex- pense of the enterprize is nine hundred dollars, and as the ground rent is but twenty dollars per annum, the congregation is at a rent,-calcula- ting interest on their disbursement-of but seven- ty-five dollars per annum. To meet this and afford a revenue to defray other expenses, they rent the dwelling and Temperance hall for one hundred and eighty-five dollars yearly.
I have read of Theatres being converted into Churches, and Distilleries into Temperance halls. Here is a tavern transformed into a temple for the promotion both of morality and piety. The bar where ardent spirits were sold and drank, be- comes the stand for the lecturer on total absti- nence; and the second story, as in apostolic days, is made an "upper room" for devotional purposes, capable of holding as many as in that period con- stituted the whole church of Christ.
Here is an example of the extensive good which may be accomplished at comparatively trifling expense by a few energetic public spirited men.
I should add that this is denominationally an Episcopalian enterprize. I wish them all success, and that they may stimulate other religious per- suasions to " go and do likewise."
As an out post of civilization and christianity on the extreme borders of our city, I take the deeper interest in this movement. This church must be nearly two miles from our first house of worship, then the centre of Cincinnati.
Thrilling Adventure.
I had just turned over in my berth, in hopes to resume a very pleasant dream, the thread of which had been broken by some noise on deck, and was about closing my senses to external delight, when a cry of " Sail ho!" caused me to jump up, and make haste on deck. I met Mr. Tompkins in the gangway, coming down to call me. " Where is she sır?"
" On the lee beam."
" A ship?"
" No sir, I believe a schooner, but I can't make her out."
" Steward, hand up my glass."
The day had scarcely dawned, and by the grave and uncertain light, unassisted by the glass, I could only make out an object, but the moment I put my telescope to her, I saw she was a schoon- er with raking masts, standing to the westward, with a square sail set. We were heading south, close hauled, with a light air from the eastward, momentarily expecting the Trade Winds. As the day dawned more perfectly, and we were perceived by the stranger, his square sail came in and he hauled his wind with such celerity, that I did not hesitate to pronounce him a slaver or a pirate, which indeed, are synonymous terms in blue waters.
"Call all hands, Mr. Tompkins; hoist our col- ours."
" Ay, ay, sir."
The stranger showed Portuguese colours in re- ply to ours. This did not relieve the anxiety which had seized on me the moment I had a fair view of the schooner, for that nation was still ac- tively engaged in the slave trade, and we were just in the track of outward bound vessels to the coast of Africa and the Cape de Verd Islands, al- so where they often stop to refresh and refit. Our crew consisting of only two men, besides of- ficers, cook and steward, were soon nunstered aft.
" I have called you, my boys," said I, " to stato my intentions in regard to that vessel to leeward, which I suspect to be a rogue. We will pre- pare for as stout a resistance as possible. If he is honest, I can see by your actions which of you I can really depend upon, and there will be noth- ing lost; and if a rogue, we must take it for granted that, if we give up like cowards, we shall have our throats cut; and as this is to be our fato whether we resist or not if he boards us, let us make up our minds to sell our lives as dearly as possible; and remember men, one man devoted to a good cause is able to beat off a dozen enga- ged in robbery and murder." They gave a sim- ultaneous shout of approbation in good spirits.
It was now broad daylight, and we could plain- ly perceive that the stranger gained to wind- ward, though he dropped astern a little, render- ing it somewhat doubtful whether he was supe- rior to us in sailing. Our good bark was repu- ted a first-rate sailor on the wind in her best
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trim; but she was pretty deeply laden with a full | shouted I. All obeyed excep: Tompkins, who cargo of cotton bale goods, and about one hun- coolly looked through the glass. dred thousand dollars in specie, and it could not " There she flashes, sir," and in another in- stant a heavy shot whistled through our main- top-gallant-sail. be supposed that we could sail with a clipper schooner on the wind or in any other way. Our ship's armament consisted of two six pounders, "He shoots well, that's a fact," said Tomp- kins. twelve muskets, and the same number of boarding pikes, and a brace or two of pistols; my private I looked as the smoke lazily curled away, and saw that he had not the same flag flying. " Tomp- kins, what is that at the peak ?" armament consisted of a good rifle, a large duck- ing-gun, a double barrelled Joe Manton, a pair of duelling pistols capable of discharging six balls in as many seconds; and I accounted myself a good shot with all of them.
At eight o'clock it was nearly calm, the chase about two miles on the lee quarter, and heading directly for us.
Mr. Tompkins was a six footer, a real down east Yankee, who had been mate of the Ark, for all I knew, and was equal to any man in that ca- pacity, although he might be taken for twenty years of age, if seen going aloft; there were peo- ple who had known him at least that time as chief mate. He had always obeyed orders promptly, never failed to have an answer ready, and exact- ed from all under him the same prompt and strict obedience that he paid to his superior officer .- My crew were all active young men, and the cook (or Doctor, as he was called,) was a real specimen of a first-rate runaway Virginia slave; he could cook as well as he could fiddle, and on Saturday night he would amuse all hands by a tale of a 'possum hunt or a deer drive. Having now described our crew, our vessel, and all we knew of the stranger, I will hasten to put the pa- tient reader in possession of the facts for which he is anxiously looking. My orders were as fol- lows, and they were obeyed in as short a time as I shall take to write them:
" Mr. Tompkins, load the small arms, one ball and four buckshot in each; look to the flints; also load the great guns with round and can- ister."
" Ay, ay, sir."
" Doctor, put two iron bolts in the fire, and keep them red hot, and fill your coppers with boiling water."
" Mr. Turner, muster all the hats and pea- jackets, and stick one on each handspike near about the ports; it will make him think that we are well manned; and trice up all the ports, sir, and put a log of wood out of each, and give them a dab of black paint."
Mr. Tompkins, send old Brown to the helm, and tell him to steer small."
These arrangements being completed, I went down below and loaded my arms, and on exam- ining the Doctor, I found that he was quite fami- liar with the instrument of death, the rifle; I ac- cordingly gave him my flask and bag of balls and other materials, telling him I should call upon him to load for me when the time came.
" Oh, neber fear, Massa-gib us breeze and him no catch us so easy," said he, grinning from ear to ear, and whetting his long knife on a stone.
I put a ball and four slugsinto my double bar- rel, and a handful of buckshot into my " duck- er," and a quantum sufficit of balls into the pis- tols. I had scarcely made these arrangements when Tompkins called-
" He's sweeping his bow off, sir, and I reckon he's going to slap ' long Tom' into us."
I jumped on deck, and, as it was now dead calm, it was too evident this was his intention.
" Down flat upon deck, every soul of you,"
" It looks, sir, like a red shirt with the Doctor's head in it, and a couple of bones rigged across his chin."
Sure enough, it was a red flag, with a black death's head, and marrow-bones painted on it. I cannot say that I felt relieved at these symptoms; yet my mind was made up that we were lost, and it remained only for us to die game. There seem- ed nothing short of Providence to save us; if it re- mained calm. he would bore us through with his long gun; if it breezed up, he could outsail us.
" Mr. Tompkins, keep an eye to him, and let me know of any movement. Mr. Turner, bend on the weather studding sails, all ready to run out; perhaps we can out sail him off the wind when the breeze comes."
This order was scarcely obeyed, when Tomp- kins reported-" They are getting a tackriggin', sir, to hoist out their launch and board us, by Heavens!"
" I like that, Mr. Tompkins, for the rascally captain and half his crew will come in her, cer- tain of an easy prey ; but if my aimn don't fail me, few of that buat's crew will return, be they more or less. Mr. Turner, hoist those two guns up on the poop at once, for if we want them at all, it will be over the stern. Are you a good shot, Mr. Tompkins?"
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