USA > Ohio > Hamilton County > Cincinnati > The Cincinnati miscellany, or, Antiquities of the West, and pioneer history and general and local statistics. Volume II > Part 75
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Our City Business.
The sales of Dry Goods, Groceries, &c., this Spring, although not fairly opened as yet, sur- pass all previous example, and indicate that our city will soon supply the surrounding country to the west, north and northwest, as extensively as she now does in her own manufactures. Pearl street, and the business parts of Front, Second, and Main streets, are putting up and sending off by drays and wagons, goods of every description, to an extent which blocks up the side walks, while it impedes the passage even of the streets. I know of one firm whose March sales will reach to one hundred thousand dollars, while there are others very little behind this in extent. And the prospect is, that the April sales will equal those- of March. What kind of stocks we have on hand for the supply of country customers, may be in- fered from a single statistic. I saw in one large dry goods house twenty-two thousand pieces spring and summer prints. Every thing else was pro- portionately abundant.
The western and northern merchants arc now finding out that they can lay in their goods to better advantage here thian at the east, by buying as low in Cincinnati, carriage added, as at New
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York or Philadelphia, while they save time and expense in traveling, by the change. If they go east, it involves a loss of nearly a month, while here they can buy oftener, at a loss of a day or two, and just as much as they want from month to montlı. In this way they can avoid the accu- mulation of goods which injure by keeping or going out of fashion.
Growth of our Cities.
Population.
1840. 1846.
Cincinnati,
46,382
83,450
Columbus,
6,048
10,016
Cleveland,
6,071
10,135
Dayton,
6,067 10.192
It is remarkable what a neck and neck race the three last places have been running, both in 1840 and at present. Thirty-three hundred and fifty- four individuals-probably one half of the adult population of Cleveland-are not natives of the United States. We have obviously then less foreigners in proportion in Cincinnati, although I was not previously made aware of the fact.
Boot-Making --- Quick Work.
The Dover, Mass., Gazette, says :- Mr. Chas. Mulloy, a journeyman boot and shoe-maker, in the employ of Mr. D. M. Clark, South Berwick, made throughout (after they were cut) twenty- four pair of thick boots in one week; the work being done in a substantial manner, and to the entire satisfaction of his employer. This is con- sidered to be the work of four journeymen.
A correspondent at Clintonville, N. Y., calls our attention to the above, and says :- Mr. Mar- tin Clark, a journeyman boot and shoe-maker, in the employ of L. W. Paige, of this place, made throughout (after they were cut) twenty-five pair of thick boots in one week, in a good workman- like manner, to the entire satisfaction of his em- ployer, and he calls upon his friend, the " Down Easter," to go it again, while he pledges to do the work of five men in one week, if twenty-four pair is the work of four men.
Confident by what I have seen in other indus- trial departments, that our Cincinnati workinen are equal to any in the world, both for skill and activity, I handed the above statement to L. Cha- pin of the firm of L. Chapin & Co., who are large- ly engaged in the manufacture here of boots and shoes. He authorizes me to say, that he has a journeyman in his employ, Mr. Thomas Starkey, whose regular day's work, and of eight hours to the day only, is six pairs of boots of the descrip- tion here alluded to-equal to thirty-six pair per week, and that he has as many as three times, made twelve pairs of these boots at sittings of fifteen hours in each instance; and what is more, he will do it again, in the presence of any individual Messrs. Clark or Paige may commis- sion at this place to see it done.
As the eastern working hours are at least ten
to the day, Mr. Starkey's work is equal to forty- five pairs in a week of six days of ten hours each.
A pair of these boots are left at my office for a few days to satisfy those who take an interest in this subject, of the quality of the article. They are equal to the No. 1 coarse boots, which are warranted, being stamped L. Chapin & Co.
Messrs. Chapin & Co., authorize me further to say to Messrs. Clark, Paige, or any other indi- vidual east, that if they desire to see the perform- ance of Mr. Starkey and take a lesson in the sci- ence of boot-making, that if Mr. S. does not in their presence make a pair of boots in workman- like style in sixty minutes, which shall be war- ranted to wear six months at least, that their expenses to Cincinnati and home, will be re- imbursed by the proprietors of this establislı- ment.
A new Seal Device.
I have to acknowledge the receipt of public documents from our Representative in Congress, James J Faran. The envelope bears the im- pression on its seal of 54 deg. 40 sec., which is, of course, the flag under which Mr. F. ranges himself on the Oregon question.
Briek Manufacture.
The Albany papers state the manufacture of building bricks in that city for the past year, at fifteen millions. We have made at least six times that quantity, during the same period, at the brick yards in Cincinnati.
Tron Safes.
Although the public attention has been called to the Iron Safes of Mr. Charles Urban, in the columns of the Advertiser and in other quarters, ' there are individuals here who appear to be ig- norant that as good an article as Wilder's or Rich's Salamander Safes can be bought here at a price as low as at New York-ten cents per pound-while the expense of carriage is saved and a guarantee securcd on the spot, which if of- fered in New York is worth nothing to the pur- chaser when he ascertains at the distance of Cin- cinnati from that place, that his safe is defective in any respect.
As to the quality of the article it is not neces- sary to refer to the recommendations of those who have bought. For those who need a safe, by calling at the store of Messrs. Thompson & Campbell, on Second street, between Main and Sycamore, may see one of Urban's Salamander Safes, and by comparing it with other Safes of New York, Philadelphia or Pittsburgh manufac- ture, they can discover where the superiority of manufacture lies.
One of these Safes was submitted to the action
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of a fire for twenty-four hours, during which | with a hiccup-for he was far gone by this time nineteen and a half cords of hickory and sugar tree wood were burned beneath and around it. a
On opening it several hundred dollars in bank notes deposited within, were found to be uninju- red by this test, severe as it was.
When inay a Person be called Drunk ?
" Well, Doctor, pray give us a definition of what you consider being fou, that we may know in future, when a cannie Scot may, with proprie- ty, be termed drunk."
" Well gentlemen," said the Doctor, "that is rather a kittle question to answer, for you must know there is a great diversity of opinion on the subject. Some say that a man is sober as long as he can stand upon his legs. An Irish friend of mine, a fire-eating, hard drinking captain of dra- goons, once declared to me on his honour as a soldier and a gentleman, that he would never al- low any friend of his to be called drunk, till he saw him trying to light his pipe at the pump. And others there be, men of learning and re- spectability too, who are of opinion that a man has a right to consider himself sober as long as he can lie flat on his back without holding on by the ground. For my own part I am a man of mod- erate opinions, and would allow that a man was fou without being just so far gone as any of these. But with your leave, gentlemen, I'll tell you a story about the Laird of Bonniemoon, that will be a good illustration of what I call being fou.
" The Laird of Bonniemoon was gae fond of his bottle-in short just a poor drunken body, as I said afore. On one occasion he was asked to dine with Lord B- -, a neighbour of his, and his lordship being well acquainted with the Laird's dislike to small drinks, ordered a bottle of cherry brandy to be set before him after dinner, instead of port, which he always drank in preference to claret, when nothing better was to be got. The Laird thought this fine heartsome stuff, and on he went, filling his glass like the rest, and telling his cracks, and ever the more he drank, the more he praised his lordship's port. It was a fine, full bodied wine, and lay well on the stomach, not like that poisonous stuff, claret, that makes a body feel as if he had swallowed a nest of puddocks. Well, gentleman, the Laird had finished one bot- tle of cherry brandy, or as his Lordship called it, ' his particular port,' and had just tossed of a glass of the second bottle, which he declared to be even better than the first, when his old confidential servant, Watty, came stalking into the room, and making his best bow, announced that the Laird's horse was at the door. 'Get o' that, ye fause loon,' cried the Laird, pulling off his wig, and flinging it at Watty's head. 'Don't ye see, ye blethering brute, that I'm just beginning my second bottle?'
" But Maister," says Watty, scratching his head, "amaist twall o'clock." "Weel what though it be?" said the Laird, turning up his glass with drunken gravity, while the rest of the com- pany were like to split their sides with laughing at him and Watty. " It cannot be ony later my man, so just reach me my wig and let the naig bide a wee." Well gentlemen, it was a cold frosty night, and Watty soon tired of kicking his heels at the door; so in a little while, back he comes, and says he, Maister, Maister, it's amaist ane o'clock!
" Well, Watty," says the Laird,
-" it will never be ony earlier, Watty, my mnan, and that's a comfort, so ye may just rest yoursel' a wee while langer till I finish my bottle. A full belly makes a stiff back, you know, Watty." Watty was by this time dancing mad; so after waiting another half hour, back he comes, in an awful hurry, and says he, " Laird, Laird, as true as death the sun's rising." "Weel Watty," says the Laird, looking awful wise, and trying with both hands to fill his glass, " let him rise my man, let him rise, he has further to gang the day than aither you or me, Watty."
This answer fairly dumbfounded poor Watty, and he gave it up in despair. But at last the bot- tle was finished ; the Laird was lifted into the sad- dle, and off he rode in high glee, thinking all the time the moon was the sun, and that he had fine daylight for his journey. "Hech Watty, my man," said the Laird, patting his stomach; and speaking awful thick, " we were nane the worse for that second bottle this frosty morning."- " Faith," said Watty, blowing his fingers and looking as blue as a bilberry, " your honour may be nane the worse for it, but I'm nane the better ;. I wish I was." Well, on they rode fou cannily, the Laird gripping hard at the horse's mane, roll- ing about like a sack of meal; for the cold air was beginning to make the spirits tell on him. At last they came to a bit of a brook that crossed the road; and the Laird's horse being pretty well used to have his own way, stopped short to take a drink. This had the effect to make the poor Laird lose his balance, and away he went over the horse's ears, into the very middle of the brook. The Laird, honest man, had just sense enough to hear the splash, and to know that something was wrong, but he was that drunk, that he did not the least suspect that it was himself. " Watty'"' said he, sitting up in the middle of the stream, and stammering out the words with great difficulty, ' Watty, my man, Watty.' Faith you may say that, replied Watty, like to roll off his horse with laughing, for its just yourself, Laird! " Hout fie, Watty," cried the Laird, with a hiccup between every word, " it surely canna be ine, Watty, for I'm here !"
Now gentlemen, continued the Doctor, here is the case in which I would allow a man to be drunk, although he had neither lost his speech nor the use of his limbs.
A Razor Strop Trade.
" I calculate, sír, I couldn't drive a trade with you to-day," said a true specimen of a Yankee pedlar, as he stood at the door of a merchant of St. Louis.
" I calculate you calculate about right, foryou cannot," was the sneering reply.
" Well, I guess you needn't get huffy about it. Now here's a dozen genuine razor strops, worth two dollars and a half-you may have 'em for two dollars."
" I tell you I don't want any of your trash, so you had better be going."
" Wal, now, I declare! I'll bet you five dollars if you make me an offer for them ere strops we'll have a trade yet."
" Done," replied the merchant, placing the money in the hands of a bystander.
The Yankee deposited the like sum-when the merchant offered him a picayune for the strops.
" "They're your'n," as he quietly fobbed the stakes. "But," he added with great apparent
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honesty, " I calculate a joke's a joke, and if you don't want them strops, I'll trade back!"
The merchant's countenance brightened.
" You're not so bad a chap after all; here are your strops-give me the money.
" There it is," said the Yankee, as he received the strops and passed over the picayune. A trade's a tradc-and now you're wide awake in airncst; I guess the next time you trade with that are pic, you'll do better than to buy razor strops."
And away walked the pedlar with his strops and the wager, amid the shouts of the laughing crowd.
Second Municipality.
John Archangel, charged with stealing sonie silver spoons from Mrs. Dewees, was sent to the Criminal Court yesterday .- N. O. Tropic.
This was, as Milton says, " Not less than Arch- angel, ruined.
A Cincinnati Convention.
Arrangements are about taking place in Ken- tucky, to hold a convention of delegates in Cin- cinnati, from every point on the Ohio interested in removing the obstructions in that river and improving its navigation. The meeting of the convention is proposed for the 11th May ensuing It will, without doubt, embody a large attend- ance. As respects Cincinnati, I trust that her delegation will be select and able rather than large in numbers, and that mere talkers will not form any portion of their ranks.
Chronological Table.
April 1 .- Napoleon married to Maria Louisa, 1810.
2 .- Florida discovered, 1512. Nelson victory at Copenhagen. 1801. Mirabeau, died, 1791.
3 .- Crucifixion of Christ. Napier, died, 1617.
4 .- Oliver Goldsmith, died 1774.
5 .- Resurrection of Christ. Robert Raikes, the introducer of Sunday Schools, died, 1821.
6 .- Richard Cour de Lion, died, 1199. Laura, the beloved of Petrarch, died, 1388. La- lande, the astronomer, dicd, 1804.
An Austrian Yankee.
Before Prince Metternich attained the exalted station he now holds, he was particularly fond of practical jokes, and equally anxious to perpe- trate outre revenge for annoyances suffered, as he is at the present moment. A Jew banker, at Vi- enna, was so desirous to become possessor of an Arabian horse, a great favourite of the Prince's, that he constantly called on him to sell it-his highness as constantly refusing. At last, the Prince, being worn out with the banker's impor- nities, said to him, " I will not sell the horse; but I will part with it only on one condition." " Name it-name it," exclaimed the banker. " It is this," replied the Prince, " I will give you two sound whippings at times proposed by your- self, and a third on a day appointed by me: after
the last beating the horse shall be yours." The Jew asked for the first whipping then, which was administered with right good will; after which rubbing his sorc shoulders, he exclaimed, " Well, Prince, give me the second," which was done, and then, scarcely able to stand, he prayed the Prince to appoint a day for the third: " Certain- ly, sir," said his highness, chuckling; " this day seven years, when, you know, according to our agreement, the horse becomes your property ; good morning, sir," continued the Prince, and politely bowed the suffering banker out of the room .- Morris' Nat. Press.
Anecdote.
A worthy old sea captain of our acquaintance once took on board a large number of passengers at a port in the Emerald Isle, to bring to this country. On appoaching our coast, he as usual, sounded, but found no bottom.
" And did you strike ground, Captain," inqui- red one of the Irishmen.
"No," was the reply.
" And will you be so good as to tell us," re- joined Pat, " how near ye came to it."
Faith, Hope and Charity.
A student at a University, being called upon for a definition of these Christian virtues, made his reply as follows:
Quid est Fides? Quod non vides.
Quid Spes? Van res. Quid Charitas? Magna raritas. TRANSLATION.
What is Faith? What you cannot see. What Hope? A thing too vain to be. What Charity? A great rarity.
Erratum.
My compositor made me say in last weeks's " Advertiser," while stating the length of Front street, that there were not ten houses in the en- tire length of the street which were three feet apart. It should have been three hundred, the last word escaping by oversight. An error like this is a great annoyance, for the correction in many cases never follows the error through its various travels.
" Shepherd," said a sentimental young lady (who fancied herself a heroine in the golden groves of Arcadia,) to a rustic who was tending some sheep, " why have you not got your pipe with you?" " Bekase, ma'am, I ha'nt got no 'backer."
" Make way, here," said a member of a politi- cal deputation, " we are the representatives of the people," "Make way yourself," shouted a sturdy fellow from the throng, " we are the peo- ple themselves."
Said an old man, " When I was young, I was poor; when old I became rich. But in each con- dition I found disappointment. When the facul- ties of enjoyment were bright, I had not the means, when the means came, the faculties were gone.
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The Battle of the Sth January .-- No. 3. BY A HUNTER OF KENTUCKY.
I had not much opportunity to see what passed on the field after the battle, for we had scarcely time to give a hasty glance on what I have just attempted to describe, when orders came for our company and five others, to cross the river and reinforce our troops that had been beaten on the west bank. We were liastily mustered, and leav- ing one man from each mess to take care of the baggage, the rest of us moved off up the river at a sharp trot. We soon got up to the city, where we were to cross, running a good part of the way. As we passed along the levee to the upper fau- bourg, crowds of men, women, and children ran down to see us. They were singing, dancing, shouting, and cutting all manner of antics. The whole city seemed crazy with joy: Some rolled out barrels of bread and biscuit, and there were hundreds of baskets of cakes, cold meat and nick- nacks held out to us as we ran along. We had no time to stop and eat, and we were so full of excitement, that though we had been on foot and ! fasting nearly the whole time, for three days and nights, we got little or nothing of the abundance that was offered us. Some of us snatched a bis- cuit or two and thrust them into the bosoms of our hunting-shirts. Some nibbled a little as they went, but there wasn't many that felt either hungry or tired. When we came to the barge there were three marked boards prepared for us to run in on, and in a few minutes we were push- ing over.
As soon as we landed on the other side, cart- ridges were served out to those men who had not a full supply. Some of these were worth nothing. They contained raw cotton, cotton seed, and some of them a few small sliot; or a ball, with scarcely powder enough to drive it out of the gun. A good many men got supplies of these false cartridges. The cheat was not discovered until the next day, when it created considerable excitement, but I never heard who was to blame.
We took our position behind a little breastwork that had been thrown up. At dark the picket guard was detailed. When the Orderly came round, I took the place of one of our men, who was sick, though I had then half a dozen tours ahead. We were marched out about half way between our post and that of the British, wlio oc- cupied a small fort from which they had driven our troops in the morning. The sentinels were placed about thirty or forty feet apart, along a small diteh that had been cut through a sugar- field to the swamp. George Phillips was on my right hand and Robert Brown on my left. Next to Brown was Wm. Grubb. We four were with- in speaking distance of each other. We were posted on the bank thrown up from the ditch; but thinking this was rather a conspicuous position, I placed my blanket against the side of the bank and sitting down on it, rested my feet on the op- posite edge of the ditch, so that the water ran trickling under me. Two hours was our regular tour of duty, when we ought to have been re- 1 1
lieved, but it seems that Sergeant Houston, who was but a very young man and had been, like the rest of us, on constant fatigue duty for three days and nights, fell asleep by the watch fire and did not wake until we had been nearly four hours on our posts. This was rather severe, but we stood tout. Brown, my next neighbour on the left, soon laid down on the ground and went to sleep. Phillips and Grubb were constantly trying to
wake him. He was a son of one of their neigh- bours. They had promised his parents to take care of him, and were fearful that he would be discovered asleep on his post and punished or dis- graced. I told them to let him alone-the poor fellow was perfectly worn out with fatigue, and as there could be no danger unperceived by us, there would be no harm done and we could wake him before the relief came round. In fact, just before this conversation occurred, I was satisfied that the British had abandoned the fort and gone off.
During the evening they had set fire to a su- gar-house, and some other out buildings, just in the rear of the fort. By the light of this fire, from the place where I sat, I could very plainly see the fort and the British soldiers passing to and fro about it. Sometime towards eleven or twelve o'clock, I observed three men start out from the fort and come in a straight line towards the spot where I was stationed. The moon by this time had got pretty well up, and though the night was rather hazy, by the light of the moon and fire to- gether, I could see all their motions very dis- tinctly. They were, apparently, ignorant of our position, and seemed to be coming right on to us. For a few moments I was thinking of the chances of a rencounter. I examined my rifle to see that every thing was right, brought my tomahawk and knife round so that I could readily grasp them, and then waited to see what would come of this manœuvre. When they had advanced to within about a hundred yards, they suddenly halted. A moment after, they wheeled short round to the right and marched some three or four hundred yards towards the river; then, wheeling to the right again, they returned to the fort. Imme- diately after this I saw the British troops para- ding; and in a few minutes they disappeared in the darkness towards the river. I felt certain that they had evacuated the fort and gone down the river.
Sometime after this the relief came round. I then went to the guard fire, and sat down on a bunch of sugar cane till morning. About day- light I was on post again, and when the sun was about an hour high, old Looksharp brought me something like a pound of sugar and a loaf of bread. This was the first good meal I had had for four days, and I made a capital breakfast.
About eight o'clock, we were called off post, and the troops paraded to make an attack upon the fort. While the line was forming, I observed Major Harrison coming along the line on horse back, and not liking to address him directly, I spoke up pretty loudly to Grubb, "what the deuce are they making all this fuss for? There's no use in going to attack the Britishı. They're all gone.""" I know that," says Grubb. The Major rode along, but in a few minutes he came : back and asked who it was that said the British were all gone. " It was me, sir," said I. " How do you know?" said he. " I saw them go last night when I was on guard," said I. " Very good news if it is true!" said he. Wc then marched up to within a short distance of the fort and formed in line. Major Harrison and several other officers rode up close to the fort and soon return- ed. The Major rode up near where was I stand- ing, and said, " right, old man, the British are all gone!" It was found that the fort had been evacuated, as I had supposed, and we had nothing more to do but march back to New Orleans, which we did to the tune of Yankee Doodle. every one full of joy and gladness. We re-crossed the
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river and got down to our lines, near the battle [until the relief caine round. He told us the ground, about two o'clock that day.
When we got back to the camp, on the battle ground, the British were lying about two miles below. By this time the field was cleared of the dead. There were, scattered about, a few caps and fragments of clothing, generally shot to pieces; and stains of blood, with many other marks of the dreadful carnage that had been there. 'Packenham's horse was still lying in the same place, now the only occupant of the bed where his master and so many hundreds of oth- ers laid with him the day before.
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