USA > Pennsylvania > Crawford County > Pioneer sketches : scenes and incidents of former days > Part 13
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29
An incident occurred at the Crapo House, Oil City, which I well remember. Mr. Crapo, the proprietor, a South Carolinian, after dinner made himself conspicuous in landation of the South, and coneluded with the remark that General Lee would bag General Grant. An Eastern man, an oil operator, being present, told him that he would not. Crapo replied that he would bet 85,000 that Lec would bag Grant in less than three months. The oil operator reached his left hand down into his duster coat pocket, took out a large roll of greenbacks, and said: "Here, sir, is $5,000 that says Lee cannot bag Grant." He further added: " Perhaps you would like to cover big- ger stakes," and with his right hand he dove into another pocket and produced another roll of bills, saying: "Here is $5,000 more that says General Grant will capture General Lee. Now cover my pile or shut up." Crapo did not cover it. The oil producer then told Mr. Crapo that he had better go and keep tavern where his sympathies were-with the rebels.
The Connecticut man was union to the core. He had struck oil and it was running smoothly and plentifully, creating a good batch of greenbacks daily, and he carried too many guns for the South Carolinian. The oil business was at its zenith at this time. It was the closing year of the palmy days of oildom. Money flew in exchange of leases, real estate and oil drilling. The common laborer,
227
PIONEER SKETCHES.
the teamster, the rig builder, the carpenter, the cooper and the oil driller, all came in for their share of the high wages paid for labor throughout the oil regions.
There is no place on our continent where so much money was paid out, made and lost, during a period of ten years, as there was in Oil Creek and vicinity. There are no two spots on earth that arose so rapidly from country ham- lets to cities of 10, 000 souls, as Titusville and Oil City, march- ing at a lively gait in the busy humdrum of life, with comfortable quarters for its citizens, the tourist, the pros- pector, the oil smeller and the operator, with convenient modes of transit by rail and stage; with spacious stores and machine shops, affording the best goods in the market; schools and churches, a community of many intelligent and well-cultured people, who apparently enjoyed life.
CHAPTER XLVII.
LUMBER YARDS.
MEADVILLE AND OIL CREEK-LEASING OIL LANDS AND OPERATING- DRILLING.
OME MONTHS later I purchased some city lots on the Huidekoper plot, Willow Street, Meadville, and built two dwelling houses thereon the follow- ing summer. On a portion of these grounds I kept a retail lumber yard, and during the summer done some building by contraet for J. Hanna and others. By the treachery of one G. G. Porter, of Meadville, in a lumber transaction, I eventually lost a new farm of eighty acres in Spring, Pa., and if the said Porter's soul is still perambu- lating the rounds of earth, or has gone marching on, we hope he may fare, at least as well, as did Nebuchadnezzar- get a plenty of grass to eat-as many better men than he have lived and died in their realm, who did not pretend to deal squarely in the hardware business either.
The next year, in July, I went to Oil Creek. At Spartansburg and vicinity I bought a lot of pine lumber; selected all widths of 10, 12, 15 or 18 inches, had the same ripped and split at Scott & Aiken's mill, and made into siding, making 2,000 feet of siding from 1,000 feet of inch boards. I also purchased a lot of building material and oil well rig stuff and opened a lumber yard at Rouse- ville, some five miles above Oil City, where I had a good trade and was doing well until late in the fall, when I was taken with a severe attack of sciatic rheumatism, with
229
PIONEER SKETCHES.
which I was confined some four weeks, reducing me almost to a skeleton. It seemed to me that I endured pain enough to kill a dog, this being the first real pain I had ever had.
When I got able to attend to business again the building season, to a great extent was over, and I engaged in transferring coal across the Allegheny River from South to North Oil City for Messrs. Wagner & McConnell, with three to four teams. In February I was brought down with a lung trouble and did not get out of my house until the grass began to look green.
That spring I leased the Morrison Farm, on the south side of the Allegheny, opposite Reno, and James Braden; of Franklin, and myself caused to be drilled on that farm the first oil wells. They were not very productive and I got rid of my lease as best I could, and afterward leased ten acres on the Dale Farm, Franklin, where I and family removed into a house I had built on said lease. A well was put down on the Dale Farm which proved to be a dry hole. In the meantime I got a lease on the Judge Mc- Calmot Farm which I sold and realized something from the same. In the fall, with my, family, I removed to Titusville, the pleasantest place to live in the oil regions, which, even at that time, was a good business place. I opened a wood and coal yard on Hobart's lot, corner Spring and Main Streets. Had a good trade fall and winter; sold 1,200 cords of wood and 1,000 tons of anthracite and bituminous coal. Titusville, like some other oil towns, was a pleasant place in which to do business. At that day people did not stop to split hair nor banter long and dicker on a deal, and the people generally appeared to enjoy life. The time came, however, that there was a lull in business
230
PIONEER SKETCHES.
and a consequent drop in real estate. I recollect George Sherman's nice place, corner Spring and Washington Streets, costing over $9,000, which was afterwards pur- chased by Dr. Dunn at $1,800. The following June, when the wood and coal trade fell off considerably, I removed my family to Spring, and in July I started for the North- west to look after some interests near Silver Islet, on the north shore of Lake Superior.
CHAPTER XLVIII.
THE NORTH SHORE-LAKE SUPERIOR-THE MERCER PARTY-LAKE HURON-DANCING-SUMNER OVERBOARD-A RIDE OVER THE FALLS.
N THE evening of July 19, 1875, the writer took passage on board the steamer Pacific en route for the north shore of Lake Superior. We left Cleveland about 10 o'clock P. M. and had a pleasant ride that night across to Detroit, arriving there at 7 A. M. The weather was dry and very hot, therefore the night hours were the most comfortable for the tourist.
The Hon. Judges Stewart, Trunkey and McDermott, of Mercer, Pa., also took passage for the north shore, also a Mr. Sumner and companion, a merchant tailor, whose name I have forgotten, of Akron, Ohio. Edward Learned, of Pittsfield, Mass., part owner of the North Shore Silver Islet Mines, daughter and son-in-law, were also among the goodly number of passengers on board. Our boat lay at Detroit nearly all day, affording ample time to all to visit the city. The two Akron gentlemen and a Quaker friend, a school teacher at Philadelphia, and myself took the Fort Street street cars to see something of the city, Zach Chandler's fine residence, the Richardson Match Factory, the Smelting Works and other places of interest.
As the Philadelphian and the writer were conversing we noticed a sort of wild and sad expression on the face of Mr. Sumner, who was a fine-looking and well-dressed young
232
PIONEER SKETCHES.
man of about 24 years of age. We returned in time for dinner. About 4 o'clock the steamer left Detroit, and we were soon under sail up the beautiful Detroit River, which added much to the comfort and delight of the passengers.
We soon found the company of the legal trio from Mercer, Pa., very agreeable. Evidently they intended to enjoy their trip, as did Edward Learned, the Philadelphia schoolmaster, and the rest of the passengers generally. Still you would notice that strange sadness at times on the face of the gentlemanly Sumner.
We had an excellent band of music on board, and its enlivening strains put in trim the fantastic toe of old and young, and on went the dance that beautiful starry evening on Lake Huron. The Hon. William Stewart, of Mercer, aged 73, led the first dance gallantly with one of the best young lady dancers. For one of his age, he made a good appearance among the dancers. All who participated in the dance and the spectators enjoyed a pleasant time on this occasion. The dance was repeated every evening.
Mr. Sumner, apparently more cheerful than usual, par- ticipated in the singing excreises that night on the hurricane deck. Our party retired about midnight, and on retiring Mr. Sumner said to his Akron friend and traveling com. panion, "Should anything happen to me, I desire you to take care of my effects." His friend replied, "Most cer- tainly," and added, "There is nothing going to happen you, Sumner, for you are certainly looking better."
The next morning when the breakfast bell rang Mr. Sumner was not to be found. A diligent search was made. His gold watch, clothing, money and baggage were all in proper place in his stateroom. An English woman and her daughter, who were steerage passengers, said they noticed
233
PIONEER SKETCHES.
a tall man come down stairs, about 2 o'clock, in stocking feet, pants and shirt on, who looked wildly, and walked back to the stern of the boat. They did not see him return, and, feeling drowsy, thought no more of it.
We could only conchide that he went overboard to end his troubles. His companion said his sadness was caused by trouble with his newly married wife, and that he had started out with him to take this trip hoping to relieve his troubled mind, as Sumner thought much of his beautiful looking wife, and her condnet was erushing him.
This, a case of woman's infidelity to man;
To know without experience one never can. His life he threw overboard in Lake Huron, For blasted hopes and love unenduring.
The Akron man said he could not continue his journey, and as the boat pulled up to the wharf at Detour, on the Sioux River, he sadly took Mr. Sumner's effects and went ashore, to wait for the first returning boat. The pleasant trip which he had anticipated was turned into one of those sad pictures in the drama of life.
While our boat was passing through the locks at Sault Ste. Marie, our old boy (Mr. Stewart), Judges Trunkey and MeDermott thought they would like a little experience with the Indian in his bark canoe, and accordingly they took passage with "Lo" over the Sioux Falls, and they soon found they were bound to get their money's worth. They went like a shot through the Rapids and over the Falls, which delighted the Indians and apparently the Mercer party, for none seemed to enjoy it better than the Mercer 73-year-old "boy," Judge Stewart, who, with the rest of the party, was as wet as a drowned rat. They came on board and changed their clothing, and said if they hadn't seen the
OVER THE SIOUX FALLS.
- GODDARD -
---
--
---
235
PIONEER SKETCHES.
elephant they had seen the Indian, and rode over the Falls in his birch bark canoe.
In due time we reached Marquette, stopped there a couple of hours, and then steamed a little further up on the south shore to L'Anse, a new mining town. From there we were to round Kewenaw Point, then cross the lake, touching Pie Island. thence to Silver Islet and the north shore in Thunder Bay. Before rounding Kewenaw Point we run up Portage River to the celebrated copper mines of Hancock & Houghton; and when up that crooked Portage River some fourteen miles, with pond lilies to nearly every foot, night came on, dark and black, with a fog as thick as the blue Canadian flies of the north shore. The captain concluded to just stay right there until morn- ing, then we steamed slowly out of that pond-lily, ram's- horn stream and reached Thunder Bay all right, looked at Silver Islet (a very peculiar spot), got some nice samples of silver ore and amethyst, and sailed over to Prince Arthur's Landing (now Port Arthur), where we rusticated a weck. The white fish there, when caught, are as cool as if they had come out of an Ashtabula refrigerator.
On our return trip, on reaching the Sault Ste. Marie, the booming of cannon at the fort announced the presence of General Crook, the great Indian fighter and pacificator. That country is still quite a resort for the Indian. It cer- tainly has a sort of a wild and primeval look, and still abounds with plenty of fish and wild game, of which Lo is so fond.
Wild red raspberries were very abundant there. Why, there was a Yankee up on the Sioux River who had a factory there with a lettered sign long enough to reach across a forty-foot barn-" Raspberry Jam !! "
236
PIONEER SKETCHES.
From red raspberries he made and canned And sold it all over the land.
He bought his berries at two cents per quart from the Indians, which was much cheaper than he could raise them.
If one wants to get a cool sniff, a cool white fish-best in the world-or look upon a wild scenery, take a trip up around the north shore of Lake Superior in dog days.
The islands in Lake Superior are numerous, the scenery grand. The copper, silver and iron mines are very rich; all things considered, the Lake Superior region is one of the most wonderful spots on our habitable globe.
CHAPTER XLIX.
RETURN FROM PRINCE ARTHUR-LUMBERING-BUILDING-AMERICAN INSURANCE COMPANY OF CHICAGO-CIFAS. L. CURRIER'S LETTER- E. A. BUTTS, STATE AGENT-THE PRIZES-THE FIELD-THE BIBLE AND THE HUNTING SCENE-GENERAL INSURANCE AGENT-AU- THOR PIONEER SKETCHES, SCENES AND INCIDENTS OF FORMER DAYS.
N MY RETURN from Silver Islet, Ame- thyst Harbor and Prince Arthur I re- moved my family in October to Ashta- bula, Ohio, where I did not wait for something to turn up, but took, as it were, the bull by the horns and went to 0 work to turn up something and went with Ben Gates into his potato field to turn up his potatoes, and with the Fargos to husk their corn and gather their apples to secure a supply of the latter for my family for the winter.
My brother-in-law, Darius Salisbury, had a fine lot of beech and maple timber standing on the flats on his farmi on the creek, three miles east of Ashtabula, which he offered me to cut on shares to get a supply of wood for the coming year. I commenced this in November, and in course of a few weeks had a fine lot of wood nicely corded up on the bank of the creek. In the fore part of December there came a deep snow and good sleighing. We engaged a team to haul off the wood. Salisbury hauled his share on to higher ground. My man delayed too long. A rain came on, taking off the snow, breaking up the ice, and then came
238
PIONEER SKETCHES.
a flood, and the mad waters and ice rushed down the Ash- tabula River and swept into Lake Erie all my wood except two cords which I had piled between two trees; but there was laid up for me the happy consolation, which I had ex- perienced on many former occasions, "Never to cry for spilt milk." True, my loss didn't loom up largely in dollars but largely in hard knocks required in cutting the wood.
J. H. Bugbee, of Ashtabula, was engaged in the lum- ber and wood business, with whom I contracted to work in its various branches that winter and most of the time dur- ing the coming year. Having bought a village lot, some portion of the time was devoted to getting material to build a dwelling house, and on rainy days and evenings making shingles, axe helves and whiffletrees, as I had not become an expert in corner grocery chit chat or bar room legends.
In May of that year two barge loads of pine lumber entered Ashtabula harbor, consigned to the L. S. & M. S. Railroad Company. I was employed to hire ten men to select and ship the same over its southern branch, to be used for fencing purposes. I built my house and moved my family into it July 4th, where, up to this writing, we are still happily domiciled.
In April, 1876, I took the agency of the American Fire Insurance Company of Chicago, for Ashtabula, Lake and Geauga counties. I at once took the field. On the 1st of September following I received a letter from its live and worthy secretary, Charles S. Currier, with the flattering announcement that I was the banner agent in Ohio for August, having placed the most business for the company.
Some time later, E. A. Butts, of Cleveland, state. agent, issued a circular to his one hundred agents in the
239
PIONEER SKETCHES.
HOME OF M. P. SARGENT, ASHTABULA, OHIO.
State, offering premiums for the first, second, third, fourth and fifth largest business done during the three closing months of the year, October, November and December. I did not seem to wake up to this matter until the 9th day of October, a pleasant morning, when I stepped into the house and said to my wife, "I am going to try to win one of Butts' prizes," to which she replied, "You can't do it." I said to her, "I will take one of those prizes, or you'll sleep a widow." She laughed at my broad remarks and wished me success.
I hitched up my horse and started on the war path. I well knew the job before me meant hard work, and worked accordingly through sunshine and storm, to the hour that came the shocking alarm of the Ashtabula disaster. When the smoke of battle had cleared away, the genial, smiling
240
PIONEER SKETCHES.
face of Mr. E. A. Butts appeared on the scene ; a large gilt-edged full morocco Bible and a fine hunting scene were presented to me as my share of the souvenirs in the race, for which I thanked him, and thought his presents were very appropriate for an insurance man. The general state agent, however, requested me to read the Bible. I got two prizes out of the five, and my wife did not become a widow.
I continued the agency for this excellent company for eight years, with others, and it paid its losses honorably and promptly during that time, when it re-insured its risks in the Continental, of New York, for which I held the agency for three years, when I took up Accident and Life Insurance, in which I am now engaged as general agent.
I have seen something of this world of strife, During the past forty years of my life; Were I to live it over again,
Now see where I might have made amends.
But show me the one who never cast a stone, And I will show you a natural drone. For to err is human,
For both man and woman.
The sculptor can chisel quite to his notion, But none can make perpetual motion; And none doth live a perfect life, In this world of unholy strife.
During these years of scenes and incidents in life, if I have not clung to a good share of earthly goods, I have had some experience, which may inure to my benefit, and am happy in the enjoyment of good health and spirit to enjoy an existence, with the enjoinment that we are all, at most any time, subject to-the inevitable-to which I cheer- fully submit to take my chances with my fellow men, and
-
ASHTABULA DISASTER.
16
242
PIONEER SKETCHES.
proceed with "Pioneer Sketches, Scenes and Incidents of Former Days."
Never cared for such friends or their style,
Rather plod in hard sledding for awhile.
Pioneer Sketches having cost much money and time,
To aid it getting it out I asked an old friend of mine.
Making excuses another direction he took,
And couldn't aid his old friend on a worthy book.
He'd rather invest in the bonds of the government,
Or cater to the wants of the opulent,
Or he who is a cheesehead, a calf, or a steer,
Than a nickel to help along the noble Book Pioneer.
To such friends I simply will say,
Go to h-1, or the heavenly way,
And it makes no difference whether you take the book On your voluntary order that I took.
I never cared for such friends or their style,
Rather plod in hard sledding for awhile.
At last Pioneer Sketches are out, and soon will pay,
And the agent can sell a dozen per day.
It looks as if it was time to call a halt,
As millions in England aren't earning their salt.
For humanity's sake, don't let the black pall come down On Americans outside the British crown.
Yet already are here Mr. Duke and Mr. Lord; You are the ones our boodle will subserve.
Your calls will be granted with the greatest of honor
When safely he could have served his friends in a proportion- ate manner.
But no! In doing this he couldn't see so much glory As aiding Mr. Big Cheesehead, who lives in a four-story Concern-whose foundation begins to topple and fall, And presently comes a Godsend, and he loses all. Amen! A philosophic principle: "all things seck its level," Then, in the name of justice, we ask the good devil Why has not the product of a prolific brain
Equal claim to a dollar as the " swell-head" to the same !
CHAPTER L.
GEMS OF THOUGHT.
If a man has a right to be proud of anything, it is of a good action done as it ought to be, without any base inter- est lurking at the bottom of it.
The grave buries every error, covers every defect, ex- tinguishes every resentment. From its peaceful bosom spring none but fond regrets and tender recollections.
We were sent into the world to make it better and happier, and in proportion as we do so we make ourselves both.
When the hour of trouble comes to the mind or to the body, or when the hour of death comes, it comes to high and low ; then it is not what we have done for ourselves, but what we have done for others, that we think of most pleasantly .- Scott.
Success is rarely a matter of accident-always a matter of character. The reason why so many men fail is that so few are willing to pay the price of self-denial and hard work which success exacts.
Remember that there are two guests to be entertained -the body and the soul. What you give the body is soon lost ; what you give to the soul remains forever.
The reflections of a day well spent furnish us with joys more pleasing than ten thousand triumphs.
CHAPTER LI.
SPARKS OF HUMOR.
Mable -- "This is the season of amusements."
Ethel-"Yes; we had a hop and a small circus at our house last night."
Mable-"Indeed."
Ethel-"Yes; pa stepped on a tack when he was going to bed."
Uncle Hiram-"This is a queer world."
Grimm-"What makes you think so !"
Uncle Hiram-"Wal, a painter feller came down to my place last summer, and while he was loafin around painted a picture of my yaller dog. I heard afterward that he sold it for $200, so I brought up the dog, thinkin I could get at least a cool thousan for him, but, by gosh, I can't even give him away."
A boy in a Braintree Sunday School when asked from the catechism. "What is the chief end of man ?" said: "The chief end is the end with the head on."
"That Sallie Harkins is the greatest girl for getting bargains at second hand." "Isn't she ! I understand she is going to marry a widower."
Bilkins-"Bothered by a piano next door, eh ! Well I have a dog which always howls when my wife plays the piano-howls so she has to stop, and I'd let you have him if it wasn't for one thing."
Wilkins -- "Is he cross ?"
Bilkins -- "No; I can't spare him."
CHAPTER LII.
SPRINGBORO.
OLD CHUMS-SHADELAND-STOCKMEN.
PRINGBORO is situated on the eastern slope of the pleasant Conneaut Creek valley, Crawford County, Pa. It was settled in 1800, and in its immediate vicinity among its early settlers were Watkin Powell, Elisha and Thomas Bowman, Henry Cook, Harry Pond, Robert Foster, Mr. Green, Barney, Ebenezer, Eli and Oliver Hall, Stephen Kendall and Hawley Danchy. Having mentioned the pioneers elsewhere, a brief resume of the past with the present, will suffice.
Springboro is big enough, as far as it goes. It has more tree men, or nursery stock dealers, to the acre than any other boro in America. They have lately got a rail- road which runs along the old tow path through their town, by which the fast agent, in five minutes' walk from his domicile, can step onto the cars when he wants to go on the war path. They have lately been talking of starting a bank, as a matter of convenience, to accommodate their business transactions. They are generally a pretty lively set of fellows up there at Springboro-
And savor somewhat of aristocracy, Well mixed with Republicanism and Democracy; In looking over that enterprising town,
Among its many bloods, there may be found:
L. F. MeLaughin and Theo. Holenbeak Are two of whom I wish to speak; The treeman and hustler, JJohn C. Tucker, Dempsey, the horseman and game trotter.
Several others in town, by the name of Hall, Another tree and horseman, A. O. Paul; Will Pond, the farmer, and young Conover, And also Geo. King, the horse drover.
246
PIONEER SKETCHES.
Billy Booth and C. M. Sargent, another grade, So with Auk. Sheldon, the tree man, it might be said; Still, there are two other tree men, who are not so slim, Asa McCoy and Lew Quinby, though mighty short in limb. Elias Eighmy, Sheldons, Thornton and Sargent, are still in trade,
Where you can get good bargains as can be made,
In dry goods, groceries, boots and shoes,
And all such things you have to use.
But still there is Jeff. Bentley,
Who must come in eventually;
Also Marsh Quinby, an easy going feller,
Who thinks he is something of a tree seller.
While at Miles Grove the other day, As I was tripping down the way I espied a man talking to my ancestor, Uncle Alf,
I knew it was Rit Sturtevant by his hearty laugh.
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.