USA > Pennsylvania > Philadelphia County > Philadelphia > Annals of Philadelphia, and Pennsylvania in the olden time; being a collection of the memoirs, anecdotes, and incidents of the earliest settlements of the inland part of Pennsylvania, Vol. III > Part 15
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Potters' Fields or Public Burying-grounds .- There have been several enclosures for free burials in this city, commonly called "Potters' Fields." The first was the South-east Square-now called Washington Square. The second was the North-west Square-now called Logan Square. After that, the ground on Lombard street from Tenth to Eleventh, south side, was appro-
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priated for a city burying-ground. After that, a lot west of Ridge road, north of Coates street-about where Twentieth and Parrish now runs through. The latest is that on the Lamb Tavern road. Fifty years ago the North-west Square was generally used for this purpose.
The old graveyard on the west side of the Schuylkill above Market street, which was demolished by the Pennsylvania Rail- road Company, was assigned for use as a burying-ground to the Centre Square Friends' Meeting-House, about 1682. The latter not being maintained very long, the ground came to be con- sidered a public one-a sort of potters' field-and was used with- out obstruction for many years. Afterward it was, with the ap- proval and consent of the Society of Friends, assigned to the Guardians of the Poor as a free burying-place for the indigent poor. It was sold some years ago by virtue of an act of Assem- bly, about the constitutionality of which there may be considerable doubt.
Previous to the Revolution the dead were, for the most part, carried to the grave on a bier, according to the ancient custom. This, together with unpaved streets, rendered it a matter of no small difficulty to go with a funeral farther than Fifth or Sixth street, especially during inclement weather ; consequently, we find most of the religious societies establishing their burying- grounds within those limits, without due consideration for the natural increase of the population. One belonged to the Second Presbyterian Church, and extended from Arch to Cherry street above Fifth, on the north side, from which the dead have all been removed.
Truffles at " Laurel Hill."-The mansion-house in East Fair- mount Park, with the peculiar octagonal extension, situate on the Schuylkill River a short distance below the Edgeley Concourse, belonged during the latter part of the last century to the Rawle family of Philadelphia, and was called "Laurel Hill" many years before the cemetery of the same name was laid out a mile or so above it. The house and grounds covered about thirty-one acres, und was left by the will of Francis Rawle in 1761 to his widow, who subsequently married Samuel Shoemaker, a prominent mer- chant of Philadelphia, who filled many offices in the city gov- ernment, as well as sitting in the Provincial Assembly. Mr. Shoemaker was a pronounced loyalist, and in consequence of his distinguished zeal on the side of the Crown he became one of the many objects of enmity to the members of the Revolutionary city government, in consequence of which he was attainted of treason and his estates confiscated. His own property, as well as his life interest in his wife's, was accordingly sold at public sale. His life estate in Laurel Hill was sold on the 20th February, 1782, to one James Parr, who a few days afterward leased the property to the Chevalier de la Luzerne, the French minister, for the term
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of five years. The latter went into occupation, and resided there during the balance of his stay in this country.
The chevalier of course had his French cook, and the French cook had his truffle-dog, which, in the pursuit of his vocation in life, discovered truffles in the grounds around the house, much to the astonishment and delight of his master. This is one of the few instances-and it is believed the first-of the finding of the article in its natural state in this country.
Houses on Water street, p. 225 .- Girard was one of the last to leave there-by death, on Water street above Market. His dwell- ing has been pulled down and stores erected by the city, which in- herited his property.
Blacksmith-shops, p. 228 .- Godfrey Gebler's shop was on Dock street, on the present site of the Merchant's Exchange.
AUCTION SALES.
In continuation of the account of the rivalry between the as- piring auctioneers of the time of 1783 and after (as given in Vol. I. 228), we give the following petition, against himself, of Robert Bell, which deserves reprinting for his liberal sentiments :
"To the Honorable the Representatives of the Freemen of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, in General Assembly met :
" The Memorial and Petition of Robert Bell, of the city of Philadelphia, Printer, Book-Seller, and Book-Auctionier,
" Respectfully sheweth,
" That your Petitioner being informed the Honorable House of Assembly have resolved to appoint an Auctionier of Books for the city of Philadelphia, your Petitioner having resided in, and continually employed a very considerable number of valu- able Manufacturers, Paper-Makers, Printers, and Bookbinders in the Propagation of useful Literature, in said city, for the Space of Fifteen Years, may probably point him out as eligible for the department of Book-Auctionier, for the city of Phila- delphia.
" That during the War, your Manufacturing Petitioner carried over-Land, at a very great Expence, several Tons of Books Man- ufactured in Pennsylvania, and sold them by Auction in the State of Massachusetts, to enable him to pay his Taxes to the State of Pennsylvania.
"Your Petitioner during the whole of the War, having paid all the Taxes, to a very great amount; and particularly, in the beginning of the year 1782 he paid above Thirty-Six Pounds, for that year only, will according to Probability give him some Pretensions to expect that Appointment.
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"Liberal Governments, are so clearly convinced, that Monop- olies, Embargoes, and Restrictions, cripple and destroy their own Manufactures, that they not only carefully guard against them; but to encourage diligence in Manufacturing, have frequently given large Premiums to industrious Manufacturers, towards the promotion and extension of the Trade of their Country.
"That your Petitioner still carries on a very considerable Manufacture of Books, and very frequently exports, transports, and circulates the Manufactures of Pennsylvania, throughout the most distant parts of the 13 United States, to the increase of Literature, and the emolument of the Manufacturers of Pennsylvania.
" Your Petitioner is persuaded that the most certain method to advance the interest of learning, which he is well informed, the Legislators of Pennsylvania are much in earnest to promote, is to leave the sale of Books by Auction, clear from every species of trammeling, free, entirely free, unrestrained, and unconfined as the circumambient Air, then Literature will flourish and abound, to the illumination of every benevolent Mind, who wishes for the attainment, and improvement of the rational Powers of Sentimentalism.
" Therefore, your Petitioner once more lifts up his Petition, to this most Honorable House, to beseech that no Man, nor number of Men, may be appointed, but in particular he most fervently prays, that Robert Bell, may not be appointed to the Office of Book-Auctioneer, notwithstanding his apparent pretensions to a preference.
" Because he is firmly determined, never to encourage so illegal, unreasonable, and injurious an encroachment, upon the general Liberty of every individual Citizen, and Manufacturer, of the State of Pennsylvania, whose Birth-right it is, to sell their Manufactures, either by Auction, or otherwise, without lett or hindrance, when and where they please, agreeable to the original and inherent rights of Free-Men, confirmed by the Constitution of the State of Pennsylvania, and by a resolve of the Honorable the American Congress,
"'That Men still have a right, to Life, Liberty, and Property.'
" Your Petitioner humbly hopes, that your Honors will take the Premises into Consideration, and that your Honorable House, will be pleased to determine this great affair, consistent with the enjoyment of Universal Liberty, which always ought to be pre- served, and secured to every individual of the Community.
" And your Petitioner as in Duty bound, will ever Pray.
" ROBERT BELL.
" Philadelphia, February 28th, 1784."
It is believed that Robert Bell, an Englishman or a Scotch
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man, who came to Philadelphia about 1772 or 1773, was the first person who kept a circulating library in this city. He had his place of business in Third street, below Walnut. He was also one of the first to establish book-auctions here, in which ef- fort he met very serious opposition from the booksellers. He published several works prior to the Revolutionary War, but during that struggle he seems to have left the city. He died in Richmond, Virginia, September 16th, 1784. William Prichard succeeded Bell in the circulating library business. This trade was never very prosperous in Philadelphia, in consequence of the establishment of the Philadelphia Library, the Union Li- brary, the Loganian, the Mercantile, and others.
Of the same name was Bell, the second-hand bookseller in Market street above Eleventh, whose sons, Thomas F. and Frederick, were both auctioneers. The former is pleasantly remembered by many of our readers who attend Thomas & Sons' sales. He was the best book-auctioneer ever in this city ; he knew the value of books, and gained the esteem of his cus- tomers by his fairness and freedom from any of the usual " tricks of the trade."
The following pleasant sketch of early auctions is from the pen of "Lang Syne:"
"Auctions .- Looking over, the other day, the list of names of the twelve auctioneers now in commission in the city, and of the duties annexed, amounting to nearly one hundred and twenty thousand dollars, paid by them annually into the treasury of the state, the mind involuntarily glanced back to the time when neither Connelly, Footman, Fox, nor Yorke had been seen, as yet, wielding the auction-hammer; when the whole auction business of the city of Philadelphia, now so populous, was transacted by Colonel John Patton in a one-story brick house, No. 78 South Front street, assisted by his two clerks, Charles Patton and J. B .; also by Mr. Mitchell, ' crier,' salesman, and bell-ringer. It was a 'day of small things ' comparatively, but of great importance at the time, and probably a few reminiscences relative to auctions in the olden time may not be unacceptable. Colonel John Patton, in his personal appearance from the stage, was a very fine, military-looking man, with red and powdered hair, and of middle age. He had the credit among the pur- chasers of being thought very dignified in his manner, yet very affable and civil in business or in superintending the stage dur- ing the sales. Charles Patton was a young Irish gentleman of fair complexion, with fine white teeth-all civility, gayety, and good-humor. J. B. was a fine, portly young English gentleman with dark red hair ; he was spoken of as being very adroit and active in business, showing a hearty civility to every one, without flummery, but with a penetrating, interrogating eye. As was then the fashion for gentlemen, the colonel and his two aides wore
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clubbed hair,' deeply powdered every morning by the barber -that is to say, the hair had been first cultivated until it had become of extreme length, then separated into three parts, then powdered, twisted, and twined together into a kind of three- strand small cable, then doubled up and fastened by a riband. When looking to the right, the knot and club of hair rolled gradually toward the left shoulder, and vice versa when looking to the left, leaving the cape and all between the shoulders one complete mass of powdered grease. Possibly it may be ascribed to first impressions when it is asserted that these powdered 'clubs' of hair conferred a certain dignified appearance upon the owners not observable in the French Revolutionary 'Brutus crop.' Good handwriters being scarce, J. B. was celebrated for his writing rapidly in an elegant flowing hand. Though now they be as 'plenty as blackberries,' there was (as remembered) but one ornamental writer spoken of in the city-namely, William Kinnear. 'Twas he who executed those holiday no- tices, framed no one knows where, but preserved carefully for antiquity's sake, and regularly suspended for a week before each holiday on the pillar within the Old Congress Bank.
"Mr. Mitchell, the ' crier ' or salesman, was celebrated for his unparalleled despatch in sales, the brilliant finale of his 'once, twice, going-gone,' and the neat tap of his hammer. At that time catalogue sales of goods from England were unknown, being about the time of the arrival here of the 'Old Alliance,' after her first American voyage to Canton, amid the firing of cannon and huzzas from the citizens lining the wharves. There being but one 'City Auction,' and the hour of sale known to every one, the purchasers used to assemble early, as at a funeral, near the door. The 'crier' then came out with bell in hand, which he rung for a minute or so; then giving what he called one ' hard ring,' he proclaimed in his loudest tone of voice, 'We are just going to begin.' They did not hire a bell-man to keep the im- mediate neighborhood in irremediable distress by his intermi- nable jingling, deafening din for an half hour together, without considering for a moment whether or no there might be in the vicinity some sick prostrated being with imploring eye and hand beseeching some one, in faint accents, to go and 'stop that dread- ful bell.' The 'Northern Liberties Vendue,' by Christian Febi- ger, was held at No. 204 North Second street, above Vine; the vendue in Southwark by John Mease, at the south-east corner of Front and South streets. ' Trifling sales were sometimes made at Billy Cooper's in Jersey, and at the sign of the Fish over Schuylkill, beyond the High street 'floating bridge.' At the vendues in the Liberties sometimes one Breneise acted as 'crier,' and sometimes Charles Smith. Breneise was remarkable for his cogniac redness of face, his patient and smiling looks, his bell- metal tone of voice, and his untiring lungs during a long sale.
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Charles Smith was a tall, muscular, square-built man, with a fashionable profusion of dark red hair, which he wore 'clubbed,' but without powder. A 'cowlick' in front caused the hair to stand erect from above his narrow forehead. He had a blemish in one eye, a nose rounded at the point, a square, broad face, a German accent with a lisp, an extended mouth, with a smirk upon it at all times, as though in possession at the moment of some merry thought. He occasionally exhibited a most quizzical grin, more especially after having, during the time of sale and from the stage, discharged one of his keenest shafts of satire at some broad mark among the crowd below. At such times his mouth extended, rounding upward from ear to ear, not unlike a very new moon or 'Wilkes' by Hogarth. The most remote corner of the auction-room was no security from his biting and sarcastic wit, and none could hinder or avoid his missives. He used to be pointedly severe upon those loungers who haunt the auction-room to kill time, but who never buy, not sparing even the best purchasers themselves at times, producing anger in some and laughter in others at this incorrigible (stage) Grimaldi.
" About this period the dry-goods business consisted in regular spring and fall importations of such English goods as had been ordered out by the regular importing merchants, and sold by them to the retailers of the city and to the country 'storekeep- ers,' who came in to buy. Ohio, Kentucky and Tennessee mer- chants were as yet unknown in the business. They were spoken of as places or settlements away off in the 'backwoods,' beyond the Alleghany Mountains! A trader from thence would be more gazed after and talked to than one now arriving from Santa Fé in New Mexico or the mouth of Columbia River. Now and then the spectacle of a travelling wagon was to be seen passing through the city, guided by some restless spirit from the neigh- borhood of Cape Cod ; his wife and children, pots, kettles, and pans stowed away under cover ; his faithful dog in company, occasionally vexed and nosed by the city curs while walking, with drooping head and ears, between the head wheels; the man singing (in dismal merriment) some chorus of a song about the merry banks of the Ohi-o, where, at that period of time,
'The Indian's tread Stole noiseless and cold as statued lead ; With eyes of flame and painted head, 'Midst shout and yell their blood to shed.'
" The importing merchants and others who wished to close sales or get rid of some of their 'old shopkeepers' used to send their goods to auction privately or under cover of the night. (What would Mrs. Grundy say ?) The present auction system-be it right or be it wrong-the auction stores, strewed thick as the autumnal leaves with multitudinous bales of English merchan- VOL. III .- K 13
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dise, and the sales superintended by agents sent out for the very purpose, operating in its course to the detriment and final over- throw of the American importing merchant, were as yet unknown The only English mercantile agents known as such in this city could be named at once, as Ralph Mather, Arthur Collins, J-A-, and John Muckleth waite.
" From the floating recollections (of a boy) and the concurring testimony of others who had knowledge in the business of those times, every satellite to the dry-goods system must have moved in their proper orbits. Every rivulet, stream, and river had its proper boundary and flow toward the great ocean of regular commerce. The frequent elevated eyebrow and uplifted hand in astonishment at another and another tremendous crash in the city was at that time a rare occurrence,-as rare as a Fast Day proclamation by the then governor, Mifflin.
"Such being the state of things, it is presumable these agents, instead of haunting the auctions as now-a-days, had little more to do than exhibit patterns and receive orders, watch like hover- ing hawks over the interest of their different houses, give an oc- casional fee to 'Lawyer Lewis' (that great gun of the law), or purchase for remittance the first water-bills on London.
" Books being scarce, there existed but one book-auction in the city, and that a miserable one. 'Twas held by one Delap, in what had been a dancing-school room in Church alley. As an auction it used to be lighted by some tallow candles, sufficiently so as to render the surrounding darkness visible. It was no un- common thing to hear, during a pending bid, and just as the ' crier' was going to tap with his hammer, the rattle and descent upon the stage and floor of handfuls of bird-shot which had been thrown against the ceiling by some of the 'young repro- bates' in the background. One night, by one of them shak- ing a gauze bag filled with Scotch snuff ('twas said) against the wall, the whole company was seized with a violent fit of sneez- ing, which put an end to the evening's sale, notwithstanding the entreaties for them to stay by old Delap, and the maledictions of his clerk Partridge against the young scoundrels, as he called them, while seeking hastily around for his cowskin.
"LANG SYNE."
MEETING AGAINST AUCTION SALES.
Meeting against Auction Sales .- On June 27th, 1828, a very numerous and respectable meeting of merchants was held at Clements' Hotel, and adjourned, to hear the report of the com- mittee, to the 7th of July at the District Court room. The com- mittee reported : "That the system of sales by auction is a great and increasing evil, and highly injurious to the interests of every class ;" and a committee was appointed to prepare a memorial to Congress. This memorial stated the objections : A few persons
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with wealth or influence could purchase the privilege ; the system was a monopoly ; the secrecy by which the vender is concealed, and the rapidity with which he can realize, encourage fraud and stealing by fraudulent debtors, thieves, heedless and guilty clerks, smugglers, and others; foreign speculators and manufacturers, selling through the auctions, undermine and ruin the importing trade; incessant fluctuations thus created are injurious to com- merce, public morals, and individuals ; the prices of merchandise are increased, etc.
In January 1829, the Committee of Ways and Means of Con- gress, in answer to the petition of "several merchants of great respectability and intelligence, delegates from New York, Phil- adelphia, Baltimore, and Alexandria," said: " Whatever may be the frauds and impositions, the committee are of the opinion that the application of the remedy belongs exclusively to the State Legislatures." . . " If, however, sales at auction are the means by which frauds are committed upon the revenue," or foreigners could enter goods at lower rates than American merchants, " there can scarcely be a question either as to the power or the duty of Congress to interpose its authority. This remedy, however, should have an appropriate and exclusive reference to the evil it is de- signed to correct." A tax upon sales would not effect either of the above, and a bill is reported "to preserve the revenue laws from violation." It provided : " In all sales by auction of foreign goods the invoice shall be produced, and a schedule of the goods, with all the marks and particulars of importation, shall be pub- lished."
We append a list of the principal firms of auctioneers in exist- ence from 1828 to 1850, many of them before the first date, and some after the last date. Those first given were in business in 1828-though the firms were not just then as here printed :
Benjamin Tevis.
Mahlon Gillingham, afterward Gillingham, Mitchell & Co. (produced J. B. Myers, after- ward Myers, Claghorn & Co.). John F. Lewis.
Joshua Lippencott, afterward Lippencott, Richards & Co. John Jennings, afterward Jen- nings, Thomas, Gill & Co. (1836).
John B. Grant.
Peter Graham, afterward Gra- ham & Mandeville.
Samuel Wagner. Michael Nisbit.
Richard F. Allen & Co. Samuel C. Ford, afterward Gill, Ford & Co. Moses Thomas & Sons (1836).
Henry F. Bowen, afterward Bowen & Richards. George W. Richards, afterward
Richards & Bispham (1836). Tristram B. Freeman & Son (1836). Jacob Hanson. George Riter.
Isaac Billings.
William Anderson.
Charles J. Wolbert. John D. Goodwin.
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John Ashmead.
James B. Oliver.
George P. Bonnin.
George Thomas.
S. D. Sager & Co. Patrick McKenna.
Archibald Murphy.
James Clark.
Stephen Poulterer.
H. C. Corbit & Co.
Henry Erwin.
T. Birch, Jr., & Co. (1836).
Wm. Baker (now C. C. Mackey). H. Johnson.
George W. Lord & Son.
Doolittle & West.
David Lynch.
James Burk.
J. Thomas.
Alfred M. Herkness.
George W. Smith.
H. Cowperth wait & Lord (1836). William Folwell, Jr. (1836).
Joseph Gatchel, Jr. Joseph Aitken.
Besides commissions, rating from $4000 to $100,000, each auc- tioneer was obliged to pay, quarterly, duties upon all dutiable goods sold ; these amounted in the years 1830 to 1833 as follows :
1830 .- $124,937.31 1832 .- $93,552.40 1831 .- 139,361.22 1833 .- 78,063.60
thus showing a rapid decline in the business, that for 1833 being $60,000 less than for 1831. Indeed, with the exception of lead- ing firms, many of the names in the above list figure but for one or two years only.
1847, A. M. Herkness started at the present site, " The Ba- zaar," which had formerly been occupied as an exhibition build- ing for a diorama of Jerusalem.
OLD HOUSES.
The row of good houses on the south side of Arch street, p. 235. -These were opposite to my grandfather's house, No. 145 Arch street. They were George Bringhurst's ; his dwelling was next to the burying-ground, a red frame dwelling, two stories, with gable to the street, a grass-plot in front, with a paled fence. There were no other houses between it and the large house at the corner of Fourth street in 1792. This row was built in 1796. The western house has been converted into a four-story store. On the north side of Arch street my grandfather built a large house in 1792. It was a spacious family mansion in the best style of the day, and had a large sideyard. It stood until 1856, when it and the house west of it (formerly John Cook's) were both torn down to make room for fine stores.
Changes in streets, p. 237 .- Locust street was widened to 50 feet from Eighth street to Washington Square (or street, as it was then called), on the petition of Evans Rogers and Nathan Bunker,
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in 1831. The latter wanted then to build a house "somewhat varying from the usual style of building dwellings," yet "its neatness of appearance and the comfort of its arrangements will aid the general improvement of that fanciful part of our city." It was to take the place of frame buildings then there. Bunker could not have built his peculiar house.
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