History of Bradford County, Pennsylvania, with biographical selections, Part 18

Author: Bradsby, H. C. (Henry C.)
Publication date: 1891
Publisher: Chicago, S. B. Nelson
Number of Pages: 1340

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The paper of August 22, 1815, has a notice signed by Joseph Kingsbury, W. M., and Thomas Huston, secretary of the Athens Lodge of Masons, informing the world that the lodge had expelled Dr. David Sherwood Rice "for crimes of the darkest hue," and requesting printers friendly to Masons, throughout the United States, to insert the notice. Polly Grant, executrix, gives notice of the estate of Gyp Grant, of Wysox. Charles F. Welles, prothonotary, gives notice to witnesses and jurymen of their discharge from attendance upon the next court " on account of an error in the venires." S. T. Barstow has a new advertisement, stating that he has received a very general assortment of goods at his " store, Fenceler Castle," Wysox; among other things, " nails of different sizes ; " all is offered for sale for cash, grain or lumber. As an instance of how things were done at that time, appears a notice addressed : "To the officers of the army and

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navy of the United States; the executives of the different States and all citizens," and signed by "A citizen of Hanover county, Va.," in which he states he is collecting the materials to write a history of the War of 1812 with the causes that led to it; he solicits everyone hav- ing documents, orders or papers throwing light on the subject to for- ward them, not by mail, as that would incur too much expense, but by Senators and Congressmen traveling to Washington City. He expected to complete the first volume by 1816, and concludes with a request to all Republican papers to copy, and he will give in return a copy of the book.

September 12, 1815, both the political parties held conventions and nominated candidates. The Republican ( Democratic) convention met at Towanda; Gurdon Hewitt, chairman, and Henry Welles, secretary, and made the following ticket : For senator, Henry Welles; assembly- man, Samuel M'Kean; sheriff, Julius Tozer; commissioners, John Hollenbeck and Samuel Satterlee; coroner, Reuben Wilber ; auditor, Gurdon Hewitt. Following this was a card from Eliphalet Mason to the public, in which he stated that he had been strongly solicited to be a candidate for sheriff. He says: "As it was not my fortune to be placed on the ticket, my friends will show their best respects to me by supporting the ticket nominated."

The Federal-Republicans made the following nominations : Senator, John Franklin; assemblyman, Joseph Kingsbury ; coroner, Ebenezer B. Gregory ; sheriff, John Spalding, 2nd .; commissioners, Salmon Bosworth, Nathaniel Allen ; auditor, Theron Darling.

The next day it seems there was a meeting, at the house of Andrew Haslett, Towanda, "of a number of respectable inhabitants of the townships of Canton, Burlington, Ulster, Wysox and Towanda, for the purpose of nominating the several persons to fill the different offices." The meeting put in nomination : For representative, Samuel M'Kean ; for representative for Bradford and Tioga counties, William Allen ; sheriff, John Mints; commissioners, Charles Brown and Jonathan Stevens; coroner, Reuben Hall; auditor, John Hancock. Of this meeting Charles Brown was chairman, and Thomas H. White, secre- tary. There is nothing to indicate the complexion of the politics of this meeting. They, it seems, were content to simply say they were "respectable citizens," and endorsed M'Kean, and took other men for the remainder of the ticket. They might possibly be called " Inde- pendents "-or " Kickers," but they are not.

Died, at Canton, at the house of her son-in-law, Jesse Morse, Widow Susannah Stone, "a few years since from Sturbridge, Conn.," aged 86. Uriel Woodruff, Towanda, gives notice that a yoke of oxen had " broke into his enclosure; " Ezra Long, Burlington, offers for sale "the stand formerly occupied by Jeremiah Decker, on Sugar creek, near Rich's Mills, as a store-four acres of land. dwelling house and barn;" Ed- ward Herrick, inspector, enrolled militia, Fifteenth Regiment, Second Brigade, Ninth Division, P. M., called a meeting of the members of that command, at the house of William Myers, Wysox, for the pur- pose of electing a major; Col. Samuel M'Kean gives notice to the Twenty-first Regiment to meet at the house of Capt. James Gray,

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Tioga, for three days drill and discipline; Harry Spalding gives " the last notice but one" to delinquents; Moses B. Canfield gives notice that his wife Deborah had left his bed and board; William Allen, Wysox, wants two journeyman boot and shoe makers.

The paper of October 2d following, however, is for the first time full of political life. It opens with a long "address to the Democratic Republicans of Bradford county." Which proceeds to counsel standing together, and every member to vote the whole ticket from top to bot- tom. This is followed by a "communication," which the editor says was received "too late for last week's paper." This communication proceeds to explain all about the third convention "of respectable citizens" mentioned above. It opens by warning the electors of Brad- ford county against " a certain third or Merino Ticket, made up by a few disappointed persons of both parties," and proceeds to score the whole outfit. The writer grows fierce as he proceeds, and winds up with the following outburst: "It is shameful, it is infamous !" Thomas Overton, of Ulster, gives notice that he has placed all notes and accounts in the hands of Thomas H. White for collection. The editor indulges in an article. It must have been something extra- ordinary to cause him to break the record. He prints, modestly, in a corner of his paper a parable, and tells how once upon a time "a gang of knaves, swindlers and horse-jockeys assembled at their rendezvous, the residence of one of the crew. *

* A violent dispute arose as to who had the most honesty. After much wrangling one of them became a candidate for the title of honest man," etc., etc. The writer says the application can be made to "a similar gang of the present day," and "the gang must not think themselves the whole world." The Gazette now is getting to be quite lively.

William Keeler, of Wysox, has a new advertisement of his store "a few doors below Fenceler Castle, and on the south of Pond Lane, and west side of Squabble-Hill street, where I have just received, by the fast sailing boat, Rose-in-Bloom, Capt. Griffin, in a short passage of seven days from Wilkes-Barre, a big assortment," etc. These things fill the first page of the paper, and it must have disconcerted the weekly patrons when they looked for the regular "foreign news," always from two to three months old, and found fresh home affairs so extensively discussed. The average newspaper reader always prefers to read his own paper-one in which he knows just where to look for things. Looking further, it is apparent the editor is getting rather reckless. For instance : " The Gazette in future will be issued on Mon- day evening." Then the following: "The news from the westward is such that it appears an Indian war is inevitable." We can now, after seventy five years have come and gone, and all these men of affairs at that time are now in the " silent city," hardly realize what a senation this issue of the paper caused the whole county. The sober- est sires, no doubt, read their paper, went to bed and dreamed dreams of Indian wars, bolting tickets and an advance one day forward in the week of the next paper. Think, even now, of that dreadful Merino Ticket, that a writer had said of the whole proceeding that it was " a shame, it was infamous." The war was all over, and now came

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stirring times to old Bradford county. The two regular tickets are published each week in the paper, and there is not a word of comment as to either. This certainly will enable the editor to say, after the election is over, " nothing unpleasant was said by either of the other." It was the " bolter, " or what we now sometimes call the " third party feller," the "kicker," etc., that called forth the wrath and indignation of the editor. It is a fine specimen of the old-time political ethics. In the next paper appears an editorial in which it is stated that Mr. M'Meens has declined being considered a candidate for Senator, and determined to throw his support to Gen. Welles, " as a measure most conducive to the success of the Republican cause." This left the contest between Welles and Mr. Stewart, and of the latter the paper proceeds to say he is "one whom every sense of propriety would prompt the exclusion, being a man of neither political party, and equally to be shunned by both." Burr Ridgway publishes another " list of letters" in the Towanda postoffice, although the paper is still dated Monmouth. This list is curious because it designates the places in the county where the parties reside, and where there were not postoffices, as fol- lows : Burlington, Canton, Columbia, Orwell, Pike, Smithfield, Sugar Creek and Ulster. A notice is given to the enrolled militia by Lemuel Streator, major. John E. Kent, it seems, was then in business in Towanda, and he gives notice to delinquent debtors.

The paper of October 16, 1815, publishes the election returns for Bradford county. A footnote says, "have not received correct returns for Representative from Tioga county, but believe Samuel Mckean to have a majority of about 115. Those elected in the county are sheriff, John Spalding, 2d, majority 22; coroner, Reuben Wilber, majority 113; commissioners, Solomon Bosworth, three years, and Nathaniel Allen, two years; auditor, Ethan Baldwin, majority 33. Then this explanatory paragraph is given : "It appears by the above that, had it not been for the reduction which they suffered by the ' Merino Ticket,' the Democratic Republicans would have carried every candidate by considerable majority." The highest total vote polled was a representative, 891 in the county, Gregory leading Mckean three votes, but as Tioga county was in the district that elected Mckean. The vote on senator by townships was as follows : Ulster, and Athens township -- Welles, 112, Stewart, 79; Cliffsburg-Welles, 104, Stewart, 11; Burlington-Welles, 46, Stewart, 20; Canton- Welles, 36, Stewart, 31 ; Towanda-Welles, 69, Stewart, 39 ; Wysox- Welles, 27. Stewart, 69; Orwell-Welles, 60, Stewart, 7; Pike- Welles, 38, Stewart, 10; Wyalusing-Welles, 80. Total, Welles, 572, Stewart, 266. This vote would indicate a population of about 4,400. It may be proper to explain at this point that, when the returns from Tioga county were in, Welles' majority in that county was 588. The total vote of Tioga county was : Welles, 2,231 ; Stewart, 1,643.

Aaron Chubbuck, of Orwell, indulges in a somewhat facetious notice of his new goods, wagons, etc .: "Just received from old Connecticut, by the fast running carriage (wagon), and for sale at my house in Orwell, about seven miles north of Squabble Hill street, a handsome assortment of cotton goods, etc."

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The Gazette of October 30, 1815, has the first, second and third pages filled almost exclusively with news of the surrender of Napoleon and his banishment to St. Helena. The editor deems this so important that he indulges in another editorial calling attention to it. It is plainly evident that American sympathy all runs to Napoleon. This was the great plebian, and the allies were the born emperors and inheritors of the divine right to rule and oppress. Then, too, that most thoroughly hated England was one of the chief forces of the allied nations. The question had in some way shaped itself that the universal coalition of the crown heads of Europe were against Napoleon, in order to main- tain the legitimacy of princes. This issue of the Gazette, if reprinted, in the hands of a skillful teacher would bring to the pupils many valu- able hints concerning one of the greatest events of European history. Legitimacy in all the royal families despised Napoleon ; he was a bold and rash intruder who came of the common herd, and they combined to crush him. Napoleon was a Democrat-king, but was no more a Republican or Democrat than were those of the oldest strain or the most regal houses. He not only had himself crowned emperor, but conferred crowns and dynasties on his family and friends. To marry one of his sisters was the easy road to a crown. He was a soldier- usurper, and would inflict upon the world his iron despotism, even to the sacrifice of his Josephine. His boundless ambition was checked by no shadow of a scruple-worse, because of his genius, than the enfee- bled legitimates in the royal nurseries. His military genius flamed across the sky in blinding splendor; he had destroyed more men on the battle-field than had any man in all history, and was the teacher of his race in the arts of modern warfare, and was the dangerous enemy of his people, because a man to him was nothing but a soldier, and he was the friend of royalty-a moral outlaw, supreme in the genius of war. If he was of any permanent good to his fellow-man, it was not intentional on his part. He ruthlessly struck down royalty, and trampled upon the nation's idols. With equal contempt he spat upon the world's ignorant and deep-seated superstitions, but was careful in all cases, when he toppled either, to replace it with perhaps a far worse one. If consistent in anything, it was only one thing-his boundless and overwhelming ambition ; to this there was nothing that he was not eager to sacrifice.

The Americans of that time saw only the Corsican contending single- handed in a death-struggle against the combined crowned heads of the Old World, and their deepest sympathies went out to the man who had risen from their own ranks. Soon a hundred years will have come and gone since his day and time. The partakers of the tremendous events of which he was the central figure have all joined the great majority and are with the silent multitude. We may now soon pause and properly estimate the advantages or the disadvantages to the race of the life and career of this man. The philosophy of his life, the permanent good or evil it left in the effects that have come, intentional or incidental, are all questions for the true historian to hunt out and give to the world. Extravagant eulogy or unreasoning condemnation

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have now had their day so far as the history of Napoleon is concerned. The philosophy of history should now give us its true lesson.

When Napoleon was sent to St. Helena there was but one thing that was most painfully apparent. The immediate outcome of this ambitious, turbulent man's career was that sunny, beautiful France was in the very dust, and the people were menaced with annihilation or the most degraded slavery and suffering. The French have been designated the " volcanic people." They have called down upon their own heads unparalleled calamities ; single-handed, in war or in peace, for many centuries they had no equal; in literature, science, law, war, finance, polite culture and luxurious wealth, France was for centuries the central figure in the world's greatest eras. She has been overrun and despoiled by foreign enemies more than has any other people. Her invaders have despoiled her territory and levied tribute without limit, and when Napoleon became a prisoner the allies proclaimed that "Europe can never be safe while one particle of freedom is left in France; while anything but misery and slavery are left in that populous and extensive country." This sentiment should have shocked all mankind ; it was not only barbarous, but was brutal in the extreme. Infernal as it was, it came of a healthy fear that the French people would again rally and endanger the crowns of the other nations. The people of other nations had little to fear from France, it was simply the crowned heads. This was the shocking conditions of Europe less than a century ago, within the memory of many now living. To the good people of Bradford county, it is evident from the files of the Gazette Napoleon was France. Americans were not then so close to the idea that the people are everything, the rulers nothing, as we are now ; they had far more faith in the idea that "there is a divinity that doth hedge about a King" than are now entertained; in that day more than now there was a blind worship of rulers, and government paternalism was but little questioned. Our fathers were too fresh from the thrall of the King's yoke to realize as fully as we can that a ruler is human and full of frailty ; that none are either all-wise or perfect, and that many are so far from being wise that they are vile and utterly bad through and through. The progress of this idea, that the people are always wiser and better than the ruler or rulers, has made the slowest progress in the world; yet, when we compare centuries, then it can be seen that it is progressive. Teach your children,. that they may teach their children, to speed the day when this idea of freedom will be a practical reality to all men, the humblest equally with the highest.

November 6, 1815, Joseph D. Woodworth, of Athens, announces that he has opened an " axe factory " at the shop of John Redington, "where people wishing can be furnished with axes equal, if not superior, to any of the Hyde stamp, as the subscriber got his informa- tion from Mr. Hyde."

In the next week's issue the paper opens with a four-column extract from Corbett's Register, concerning the actions, doings and sayings of the Hartford Convention. The article attacks the Federal- ists, that is, some of the leaders, with much intensity of feeling. He

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refers to a paper then published called " The Times," and explains that a quotation is taken from that paper, published immediately after the adjournment of the Hartford Convention, and among other things is the following: "What !" said the Times newspaper, "is THAT ALL! We expected a division of the Union to be declared at once, or at least the impeachment of Madison and his associates." The Gazette contents itself with the extract, and does not indulge in a word of editorial, either about politics or anything else. But, after all, the issue is an instructive lesson for our young men who are on the threshhold of their political lives.

The next week's issue, following, is also suggestive of some of the ideas of that time on political economy. The paper opens on the first page with a long extract from the New York National Advocate, under the caption of "Specie." It proceeds to tell how a million dollars had just been sent from New York, and it is darkly hinted that it is to go to Canada. The writer says it was shipped by * * and * [he puts the names thus, he says, because, not having complete personal knowledge, he declines the risk of becoming responsible for the publication of names], and then he proceeds to say that it is surmised that this money is to be used "for the purpose of building fortifications on Lake Champlain, and building men-of-war on Lake Ontario. * * The sum wanted for Canada, for which sterling bills on London have been sold, is perhaps but a part; three or four millions more may yet remain to be purchased. Guard well your hard dollars-watch the enemy, and beware of the foul fiend !"

This was a serious matter, evidently, at that time. Our fathers then, like all the world, supposed it a most vital matter of government to watch the going and coming of " your hard dollars." But little more than a century ago, a nation thought it quite the proper thing to declare war against its neighbor in order to bring back the gold of the country; the government thought it was responsible for keeping " the hard dollars " in its own country. All wealth was the miser's idea of " the hard dollars." They could not understand that money is not wealth ; that it is but a measure of wealth, that there is no more wealth in the coin itself than in the yard sticks or the surveyor's chains. The yard stick neither adds to nor takes from the value of the cloth ; no more does the surveyor's chain add to the acres of land it measures off. This instance of alarm of our fathers is a double lesson to ns: first, it is plain that they were mistaken as to the purview of government ; second, that the going and coming of money among peoples is simply like that of water flowing down hill, or the wind blowing always toward the point of least obstruction, or the vacuum. Then follows another extract quite as interesting: " We have been put in possession of a copy of the petition of the cotton manufacturers of Providence to Congress, for the prohibition, by law, of the importation of all cotton goods (nankeens excepted), the product of places beyond the Cape of Good Hope, and for additional duties on other coarse cottons. They state that in a circle of thirty miles from Providence, there are no less than one hundred and forty manufactories, containing 130,000 spindles ; that they consume 29,000 bales of cotton annually,

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which produce 27,840,000 yards of cloth. * * The persons em- ployed are compted at 26,000." The intelligent student of American political history can perhaps trace the footsteps of that petition of the good people of Providence, in 1815, to the celebrated Mckinley tariff bill of 1890-seventy-five years intervening -and yet the little leaven leavened the whole lump, and after all this time it is a problem as to whether the question is approaching final settlement or receding from it.

The issue of November 27, 1815, gives an account of a dreadful accident at Towanda, which occurred on Saturday at the ferry. Mrs. Minthorne, wife of Walter S. Minthorne, and two of her children, aged one and two years, were drowned while crossing in the ferry boat. The boat sprung a leak and quickly sunk. Mr. Minthorne and three passen- gers, it is said, escaped-one carried ashore by a horse and cart, another on a horse, and another by having a paddle that enabled him to reach the shore. The woman and one of the children were soon recovered, but the other child was not found till the next morning. This paper also announces the marriage of William Means, Jr., with Miss Eunice Hewitt, by Burr Ridgway. It also gives the "state of parties in the Pennsylvania Legislature, as follows : Senate-Republicans, 20; Feder- alists, 11; Representatives-Republicans, 74; Federalists, 23 (one seat in dispute)."

The week following, it gives an account of a fatal accident, causing the death of Benjamin Martin, of Wysox. He had fallen from his horse, and after lingering 21 hours, died. He left a widow and four small children. William Means, treasurer, gives notice to delin- quent collectors. Walter Wheeler publishes the " Third and Last Call" to all those who are in debt for blacksmithing. He says, "all work and no pay makes the purse light and empties the meal barrel." The rhythm is lost, but the truth is strictly preserved.

December 25 (Christmas), 1815, the paper opens with the message of Gov. Simon Snyder to the Legislature-filling seven columns. This is followed by part first ("continued next week") of the Presi- dent's message. Both announce an " honorable peace with England." [Peace was concluded in February preceding.] The Governor gives a brief resume of affairs in France, from the triumphant return of Napoleon from Elba, and then the invasion, and the overthrow of this remarkable man by the allied powers, and pictures the horror and sufferings of France, and gives expression to the profoundest sympa- thies for the people of that country. He attributes much of its calami- ties to the division among her people, and from this draws a lesson for Americans. "Shall those awful dispensations of Providence pass before us without our being deeply impressed with the baleful. conse- quences of being a divided people? We must unite upon national grounds-we must cherish a national spirit and become a united peo- ple, or the day may come when we, like the people of France, in sack- cloth and ashes, may weep over the ruins of our unhappy and dismem- bered country. *

* Let us be wise, and profit by the experi- ence of ages." This was very timely and good doctrine from the wise and good Governor of the State. It was pregnant with the

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broadest statesmanship, and the Gazette did well in publishing it, laying it before the Bradford county readers in significant contrast with the Times newspaper's discordant utterings about the Hartford Convention. The same paper has a proclamation signed by John B. Gibson, President Judge, addressed to the public, reciting that Joseph Tyler, of Athens township, had made complaint to the court that he had been disturbed in the lawful enjoyment of his estate, etc .; and commanding all trespassers to desist under pain of severe punish- ment from the court. In the next column is a remarkable editorial in large job type, and is under the head :

"Property-two thousand six hundred and twenty-nine bales of cotton, says the Savannah] Republican, arrived by water yesterday from Augusta, the value of which, allowing 262 cents a pound (current price to-day) and 270 pounds to the bale, amounts to $188,104.95." Then, in brackets, " [Imported into England this cotton would contrib- ute to the English revenue 8s. per 100 lbs., or 2501. 12s .- While the nation that produced it would not profit one cent.]"

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History of Bradford County, Pennsylvania, with biographical selections, Part 18

Author: Bradsby, H. C. (Henry C.) Publication date: 1891 Publisher: Chicago, S. B. Nelson Number of Pages: 1340

Author: Bradsby, H. C. (Henry C.)
Publication date: 1891
Publisher: Chicago, S. B. Nelson
Number of Pages: 1340