USA > Pennsylvania > Bradford County > Athens > A history of old Tioga Point and early Athens, Pennsylvania > Part 73
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12 The "Proceedings of the Pennsylvania Canal Convention," now a very rare pamphlet, may be found in the Herrick Collection in Tioga Point Museum.
13 Among the Herrick papers was found a newspaper clipping, dated July, 1827, which indicates the sentiment of the common people. It is headed, "By request-Copy verbatim et literatim of a letter said to be found near Tioga Point-'Brother Jorthum. The Indianers are all come up to see bout the grate Karnall; think tha call it-some of um look plagey gen- teel, they're going to make a grate gutter all along the river bank, sos bots and evry thing can go in it, but Kusen Slocum duzent like the looks of them yung fellars, and got mad tother day about the Karnall & sed he'd *
* never go down the river in such a nasty gutter as that * would be-and he gess'd no Yankee boy wud as long as tha cud go on the river in haf the time in thare own way *
* * tha sa unkle Sam duzent vera well like all this purade bout the Indianears Karnal and such like-he says it will make bundations of taxes, but we dont care about that, father he pays all them. ** * * Now Jorthum I want to know what you think of all this hear .- Tabitha.'"
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NORTH BRANCH CANAL COMPANY
Randall surveyed the route in 1830. The work in Bradford County progressed very slowly and was suspended in 1838.
"Public sentiment underwent a change; the canals had entailed a heavy debt, they had been a football among politicians and yielded little or no revenue."
At this period it was said that Governor Wolf always made the North Branch Canal a favorite measure, when the vote of the North was wanted, but always had a coterie of friends ready to vote against any measure for its advancement. In September, 1841, in his campaign for re-election, Governor Porter visited Athens to inspect the public works. He made a speech very flattering to the people, and said of the canal that he had "its completion very much at heart." The town felt that it had a great boom in sight. Building lots were plotted out by several parties, who advertised in glowing terms the advantages of their particular loca- tion on the completion of the canal. But the project continued to lan- guish. Meetings to promote prompt legislation on the subject were held at Athens, Towanda and Tunkhannock at intervals soon after the Gov- ernor's visit ; all in vain. Rumors were afloat that the Legislature pro- posed to sell all the public works in the State to pay the State debt.
"Jan 1, 1842 A convention was held at Towanda of citizens from Bradford, Luzerne, Susquehanna and Columbia. Resolved, That the President appoint a committee of forty whose duty it shall be to collect all possible statistical infor- mation touching the North Branch Extension, and embrace same in a memorial to present to Legislature * *
* This can perhaps best be done by showing the resources of our Valley; whether of coal, iron, lumber or produce; and the probable markets for either; thereby conveying some idea of the vast amount of business which will be done to the great benefit of the State, when the canal shall have been finished, etc., etc.
GEORGE A. MIX, Chairman."
On the list of forty were Edward Herrick, Sr., Nathaniel Clapp, Lemuel S. Ellsworth and George H. Welles of Athens. We know of this only from papers of Judge Herrick.
"Improvement meetings" continued to be held in this county, where no benefit had yet been derived from the heavy taxation. The canal work was much injured by the severe flood of February, 1842. At this time Col. Foster was canal engineer, residing at Athens. In 1842 there were meetings to consider raising funds in the county to complete the work. Judge Herrick was one of the most active. The Legislature finally voted to incorporate the North Branch Canal Company, and put the work in their hands on certain conditions. The company failed to raise the necessary funds, and the Commonwealth again undertook the work about 1849 ; and after further suspensions, etc., it was practically completed in 1856, twenty years in building, twenty-two years after the inception. The annexed note is enlightening.14
To connect the North Branch Canal with the New York system, the Junction Canal from the State line to Elmira was projected in 1846, to be built by private enterprise ; chiefly John Arnot of Elmira, Chas. F. Welles of Athens, Geo. M. Hollenback of Wilkes-Barré, and Judge La- porte of Towanda. Legislative permission was obtained in 1846 and
14 Bradford Argus, Aug. 28, 1852: "No tidings have as yet been received from the long looked for allotments on the North Branch Canal. The lettings took place some six weeks since. We are not surprised at the conduct of the Canal Board in this matter, for they have and will stoop to almost anything for the purpose of swindling the state." (The lettings took place July 22d.)
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1853, at which later date ground was broken, and according to the Elmira Advertiser of March 21, 1854, "the meeting of the waters was effected the following Spring." Another enlightening note is appended in this connection.15 There was also a projected "Chenango Extension Canal," which, like the Junction Canal, was largely a project of Col. Welles, as enthusiastic a leader of the "Canal force" as his father had been thirty years before. Excavations were begun for this from east side of the Chemung pool and are visible to-day south of railroad embankment at east side of bridge. As the North Branch Canal approached completion, the construction was found very defective, due to political favoritism, careless engineers and lack of proper tools. The workmen were raw Irishmen, many having emigrated for the purpose. The canal was dug with pick and shovel, through loose soil and rocks near the river bank, all removed in wheelbarrows, to make the tow-path between canal and river. When the water was let in there was a heavy leakage, which created a strong current on the levels ; the "ditch" would not fill. The banks frequently gave way, and when the river was low the matter was worse. At last David Rahm, an experienced canal builder, was brought from Catawissa. Land containing clay beds was purchased below Milan ; a deeper ditch was dug next the tow-path and spread with clay. This was called "lining the canal" and was temporarily effective. The canal was designed for boats carrying 80 tons. There was a dam at Athens near the end of Harris Street, above which for two miles the canal was in the Chemung River, operated by slack water. Four locks were constructed, the intake at the dam, the outlet at head of Chemung narrows, the high lock, and at the junction near Tutelowtown the weigh lock, with a weigh master in attendance. This contained a cradle of heavy timber, in which the boat rested; the water was drawn off, and the boat lifted and weighed by an ingenious system of pulleys and weights.
In 1854 a canal boat yard was established over against the hill, west of town, by Joseph Burt and John Drake, house carpenters, who soon found there was more to boat building than they had thought. They engaged Jabez Stone, of Mansfield, who had long been at work for New York canals. Jabez was an expert, and the vicinity of the boat yard was long known as Stoneport. The first boat finished was the Colonel Clover, probably a passenger boat, called a "packet." In Octo- ber of the same year Captain Wheaton Loomis brought a packet boat through the Junction Canal, intending to run between Elmira and Wilkes-Barré ; but the canal was not in good enough shape. Therefore he ran the "St. Louis" from the end of Canal Street (now Elm) to Towanda ; the trip occupied four hours. This passenger packet proved attractive and hurt the business of the daily stage, and in the winter of 1856 Jabez Stone built a light packet boat, called the Gazelle, solely for passengers. Its first trip was to carry Towanda firemen to Athens for a parade, July 4, 1856. Meals were served on board; it was practically
15 Bradford Argus, Sept. 4, 1852: "The stock of the Junction Canal having all been taken, it is now a matter of some interest to know what will be the excuse of Gov. Bigler for witholding the money for the North Branch. Contractors and laborers are complaining that their pay for some months past is still witheld, and we have heard of instances where they have had to stand enormous shaves in order to get money which should have been theirs long since."
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COAL TRAFFIC WITH WEST BEGUN
an all-day trip, and great was the delight of the children if they could go to Towanda on the Gazelle ; to duck heads at the bridges, even to fall in the raging canal was joy indeed. This boat was run by Means Watts and Syke Smith. Indeed it was at the instigation of Smith and Powell, owners of the stage route, that the Gazelle was built. They controlled the packet ; the stage ran from Waverly to Stoneport, where both mail and passengers were transferred to the Gazelle. Loomis and his packet retired from business after some competition. Henceforth, until the abandonment of the canal, Stoneport was an active center of business. Freight rates were low, .90 from the mines to Athens per ton of coal. And not only coal, but all heavy freight was now brought to town, and country produce carried to the city markets by the canal. Jabez Stone, and after him his son P. J. Stone, built boats, and boats, and boats. Stoneport boasted a store-house, a canal grocery and a canal barn ; and with the loading and unloading, coming and going, was a veritable hive of industry. The great flood of 1865 practically destroyed it and ruined the fortunes of the boat builders. Though somewhat restored with the help of the Canal Company, the flood of 1870 was again destructive. With that misfortune, and the coming of the railroad, Stoneport passed away.
In November, 1856, two boats laden with coal started from Pittston for Weston, New York. They had only half cargoes, and were drawn by double teams, but it was with great difficulty they reached their desti- nation. However, the much longed for coal traffic had begun. July 14, 1858, five boatloads of coal left Pittston for Elmira, thence by Chemung Canal to Rochester, thence to Buffalo. There the coal was transferred to a steamboat, reaching Cleveland August 8th, the first cargo from Luzerne ; it retailed at $8.50 per ton. By the end of that year 38,000 tons had been shipped to New York State.
While there was considerable opposition to giving right-of-way for the canal, and some claims for various damages brought against the company ; unquestionably the opening of "the ditch" for traffic was of inestimable benefit to not only this community, but all the inhabitants of the Susquehanna Valley.
In 1858 the Legislature sold some of the State Canals.16 The Brad- ford Argus, June 10, 1858, has the following paragraph relating to a company which was organized for the purpose of purchasing the upper North Branch division :
"It is with much pleasure that we are able to announce that this improvement (North Branch Canal) has been purchased by citizens of our own and adjoining counties. The purchase has been consummated, and the company has complete pos- session of the work from Northumberland to the State Line. The price paid the Sunbury and Erie R. R. company is $1,500,000. The managers of the new North Branch Canal Company are G. M. Hollenback, John La Porte, G. F. Mason, H. M. Fuller, H. B. Wright, Col. Charles F. Welles Jr .; Col. Welles is President and Col. Hollenback is Treasurer of the company."
16 Act for Sale of Canals, approved April 21, 1858: "Provides for the sale of the Dela- ware division, lower and upper North Branch divisions, and Susquehanna division of the State Canals, to Sunbury & Erie R. R. Co. for $3,500,000, sd. company to issue bonds to the amt. of $7,000,000 @ 5 per cent .; also to keep canal open and in good repair, * * forbidding any excess of tolls over schedule of 1856."-
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This company soon sold the portion below Wilkes-Barré, reserving 104 miles. Headquarters were at Athens, and the "canal office," now the house of Dr. Joachim, was erected in the southwest corner of Col- onel Welles' house lot, and a private telegraph line was soon established from Athens to Waverly, the first in the region. The total tonnage for 1859 was 88,115 ; 1188 boats south, 1210 boats north ; a goodly showing. Colonel Welles, who was the father of this latest scheme, remarked this year that he wanted no better heritage for his children than his share in the North Branch Canal. It was the most promising business of the locality.
It was in connection with canal traffic that Elm Street was opened through the property of Thomas R. and Eustace Davies. It was then called Canal Street. The dam, of course, formed a pool in which boats could lie, and at the period of greatest activity of the canal this pool often was full of boats. While Syke Smith and some others had drawn the Barclay coal to this region for blacksmiths' use, and indeed even as far as Ithaca, always by wagon, Thomas R. Davies claimed that he brought the first boat load of Barclay coal to Athens for sale here. In fact, he may be said to have established the first coal yard at the foot of Canal Street. The dam was so high that a chute was built on the eastern end to accommodate the lumbermen who were still running the river. It was one of the delights of our childhood to go over to the chute to see the rafts pass through. With the establishment of the railroad, rafting was abandoned, and a new era of traffic and transportation en- sued, upon which in this volume we do not propose to trespass. We must, however, not neglect to mention the railroad project of 1841. In the Athens Scribe of August 6, 1841, we find an article headed "Tioga Point Rail-Road," a project which was evidently superseded by the Junction Canal. A charter was granted by Pennsylvania for this rail- road, which was to connect the canal ending at Athens with the Erie railroad, then in process of construction. The route was surveyed four and one-fifth miles long, and all requisite maps and plans made by Ira Spalding, Esq., engineer. The proposed cost was $30,000, and it was anticipated that it would be immediately built to connect the "Wyoming Coal Valley" with the interior of New York State. Indeed it was esti- mated that this would be the popular route to carry coal and iron to New York City. The article in the Scribe was copied from the New York Courier. We do not know what became of this project, as it is not mentioned in local history. We have also found among papers of Hon. Edward Herrick, in his handwriting, undated, a somewhat lengthy Ms. exploiting the great future of the "Athens and Ithaca railroad." The quotations in it indicate that it was written in 1841. We regret that we find no more data on this subject .. The final transfer of the canal to a private corporation, with the ultimate idea of using the tow-path for a railroad bed, has sometimes been called a "steal from the State," since the canal had been built for public use with public money.
NOTE-We have neglected to state that the Erie Railroad, as first projected, was never completed on account of various technicalities. The section from Binghamton to Hornellsville was almost entirely constructed on piles, a flimsy affair, called "Stuart's pegs." From 1841 to 1848 the project languished; no doubt this was the reason of the failure to build the proposed railroads from Tioga Point. The first surveys and roadbeds were finally abandoned, but the road was completed and opened in 1851.
OLD PEWTER IN TIOGA POINT MUSEUM
CHAPTER XXI
PIONEER LIFE
Homes of the Pioneers-Old-Time Sports-Hunting, Fishing-Social Entertainments-Early Industries-Distilleries-Sawmills-Grist Mills-Woolen Mills-Fires and Fire Companies
The children of the present day would be greatly astonished could they see into one of the homes of the pioneers. The house was made of logs, and such chinks as there were filled with mud. Lath and plas- ter were unknown, often oiled paper in place of glass for the win- dows, and a roof made of bark or hand-shaved shingles.
The floors were split logs, called "puncheons," doors were of heavy plank, stairways were unknown ; the most primitive fashion of reaching the sleeping loft was by pegs driven in alternate walls at the corner, where the children soon became expert in going up hand over hand. Much of the furniture was homemade ; for instance the one-legged bed- stead. This was built in a corner by nailing two strips on the different walls, and where they met fastening one leg or support. Like all old bedsteads, this was corded up and supplied with well-filled ticks of straw or feathers. The small homemade table was supplied with slab benches, chairs being a luxury. The large families could seldom all eat at once for lack of space, and the younger children often fared poorly, having to wait. Pewter dishes were the rule, few of which are to be seen to- day except in museums. The light of the fire, augmented by pine knots, was considered sufficient ; then came the "taller dip" candle, then lamps ; whale oil, fluid, camphene, kerosene, not forgetting the curious lard lamps.
In later days the high post bed, with its companion, the trundle bed, was more common ; the latter a low affair on casters, holding three to six of the small fry, was only in evidence at night, being trundled under the large one by day. Matches were unknown, and fire, if once lost,
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OLD TIOGA POINT AND EARLY ATHENS
had to be laboriously gained by the use of the flint and punk. Some- times even that would not start a blaze in the chips, and some one would have to go to the neighbors, a mile or more, to borrow fire, there being
Flint
Steel for Striking Fire
Punk
Before the days of matches
a special utensil for the purpose. The most primitive fireplace and chimney was the sort described by a pioneer of Troy, a neighboring town :
"Our fireplace was constructed as was common in those days with a chimney built of chestnut sticks split out of proper length & laid up cob house fashion & covered with a coat of clay. The fireplace was of a size to admit a large log 14 ft. long, by way of backing to a rousing fire not seen indoors in these degenerate times. This style of chimney was not the safest and was perhaps as expensive as stone would have been. On each side of the fireplace & within its limits was a large thornbush. One of these my older brother kept well adorned with venison; the other it was my duty and no great task to have pretty generally strung with mountain trout which in those days abounded in all the streams."
These early chimneys had sometimes a backing of stone, and a hearth laid with large flat stones that, perhaps, formed a large part of the floor. A hardwood stick was made fast across the chimney, called a "trammel pole," from which hung by a chain a trammel bar arranged to be raised or lowered for a kettle. Later the crane came in use, far easier for the housewife, who often had a family of ten or twelve to cook for, in front of the roaring fire of huge logs.1 With a long-handled shovel she drew coals on the hearth for her spider, bake kettle, broiler or bake oven of tin. The cooking implements of those days are curious, indeed ; a large collection is to be seen in Tioga Point Museum, as well as the old-fashioned copper friars, which, filled with glowing coals, gave a grateful warmth when thrust between the bed covers; and the small footstove generally carried to the meeting house to prevent frosted feet.
Old-Time Sports were the various kinds of hunting, shad fish- ing, the antics of general training day, the apple bees, quilting parties, spinning bees, etc.
A primitive form of hunting was called ring-hunting. Game, of course, was very plenty, and a small party would go out and set a ring
1 Mr. Giles Hoyt tells how the big fires were built in severe weather: "With oxen and sled a large load of wood was drawn to the back door. The front door was directly opposite. Then the oxen were driven and hitched to a chain long enough to reach through the house and fasten to the largest log, which was thus drawn into the room, another for top in same fashion. Two short chunks butted against the logs served as andirons on which was placed the forestick. In a few hours the heat was intense."
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OLD TIME SPORTS
of fire, leaving an opening where they would stand and shoot all the game that tried to escape. This method destroyed many trees, leaving the tops of the hills bare. Then there were the great hunts, well de- scribed in "Early Times," when a circle of men, several miles in extent, moved in regular order toward the center, driving before them the deer and other animals, and finally shooting them down; after this the ani- mals were dressed and divided. Generally these events were ended by a grand hunt supper, sometimes held in Elm Cottage (at present Spring's Corners). Then there was the still hunting near the deer licks; a gun loaded with buckshot was set in a tree or crotched stick, trained on the lick. . At night the hunter, hidden by a bush screen or in a tree, kept his finger on the trigger, and pulled it quickly when the deer was heard drinking. This often proved rare sport; indeed, "give a boy of those times a gun and a couple of bars of lead to run bullets, and he was a millionaire." There is many an interesting story told by the older boys of encounters with deer, bears and panthers. In time the deer learned that the sprouting grain was good to browse on and often were trouble- some. The last deer hunt was about 1852.
When the winters were severe the deer often came near the settle- ments and were fed with hay if it could be spared. On the other hand, in very early times, when the corn was all converted into whisky, it was often difficult to keep the cattle, and early in spring they were driven to the woods to browse on the starting buds.
Fishing was also an enjoyable sport; the small streams were all full of trout, and pickerel also were plenty, looking for spring water; in- deed, in the race across the Chemung the Snell boys often made pens of stakes, open at the lower end, and in a few hours they would be full of pickerel. There were also many bass in the rivers; but of course, the shad fishing was the most important. In fact, "shad fishing rights" were zealously guarded, bought; sold and leased, like real estate. There were a number of so-called "shad fisheries," besides the one near Mill- town, mentioned in "Early Times." There was one at New Sheshequin, owned by "the first Fishing Company," managed by John Spalding ; there was one at the Point; and one up the Chemung, controlled by Clement Paine. The season was evidently the entire month of May, be- ginning sometimes earlier. The shad generally came up the river as soon as it was clear of ice. They were always caught in nets ; the early settlers using the brush nets of the Indians, and later those made of linen twine. They were caught by tens, hundreds, and even thousands, and were sometimes sold as low as $3.00 per hundred. Next to venison they were the staple food, not only when fresh, but dried and salted for future use. Shad fishing time was a great joy to the boys, and one of busy pleasure and some fun to the men. New comers to this sport at the Point always had to undergo a so-called "initiation." On Queen Esther's Flats, opposite the Turn of Rocks, was a pond of fair size but very shal- low, called "Lake Champlain." This the proposed victim was al- ways told he must swim across to reach the fishery on the Point ; a feat to be performed at night when deception was more easy, though shad fishing was often done at night. If unable to swim, like one poor fellow
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OLD TIOGA POINT AND EARLY ATHENS
from the back country, a rope was tied around him and he was dragged through Lake Champlain willy-nilly. There was no danger of cold from the wetting, as the first move for a fishing excursion was always the pur- chase of a gallon of whisky. In this instance the victim escaped and ran for home, announcing on the way that he had been "abused by Fos- ter Wright and Foster Wrong, Abe Snell and the devil from h-1."
The race, already mentioned, was often full of fish, and Mrs. Abner Murray related that she frequently went down and caught shad in her hands in front of her home. Clement Paine exacted a daily account, in the season, of the number of shad caught on his right, varying from sixteen to three hundred and fifty. Shad fishing ceased about 1825, when dams were built in the river. In connection with the hunting, the coming of the flocks of wild pigeons was as important as in earlier days with the Indians. These flocks were so large that when they lighted tree branches often broke with their weight. The pigeons were caught en masse by means of large nets fastened to the ground and to spring poles.
The chief sport of the militia was the custom of trying to surprise their appointed leader in bed. The men would often rise before day- break and assemble at the house of the captain ; for it was their privilege, if they caught him napping, to batter in his door and demand a treat of doughnuts and cider, and much merriment was the result. Lack of space prevents a more detailed recital of these sports and pastimes. Many gay dances were the order of the hour. Fiddlers were always plenty ; Colton, Smith, Ross, Burns, Watkins, Forsythe, Gorham and others.
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