USA > Pennsylvania > The Register of Pennsylvania : devoted to the preservation of facts and documents and every other kind of useful information respecting the state of Pennsylvania, Vol. III > Part 76
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The people in those times were hearty in the cause of civil liberty, and ready to repel what they considered encroachments on their rights as citizens, by such means as were consistent with their peaceable principles. They generally attended the elections, which were then held in Philadelphia, for this part of the county. Most of the Byberry people belonged to the assembly party in op- position to the proprietors. At the time of the mob on the election ground, in 1742, some persons from this neighbourhood were driven off, with many others. As they passed along the street, a cooper who had plenty
of hoop poles, chopped them into convenient lengths for clubs, with which they armed themselves, and turn- ing upon the mob, beat and bruised them without much mercy. Several of them were knocked down, and some supposed to be killed. One person from Byberry, re- linquished his quaker principles on the occasion, and played liis cudgel with the utmost dexterity upon the enemy.
The attempt of the mob to disturb the election, and deter the citizens from appearing at the poll, was con- sidered such a flagrant outrage, that the party to whose interest the mob was attached, was unable, for many years afterwards, to raise itself so as to elect its own men to the assembly. At one election, an old man from By- berry was unable, owing to the crowd that was pressing to the poll, to throw in his vote-he came home, and went on purpose next day.
The township elections were uniformly held at the Friends' school-house, except once, about the year 1760, when an attempt was made by the officers who had the charge of advertising it, to hold it at a sort of tavern, called "The three tuns," at the cross roads a mile above. The people were opposed to the contem- plated change, not only because it was deviating from their usual custom, and relinquishing a central situation; but principally from a belief that the said tavern was a disadvantage to the neighborhood, and an apprehension that holding the township election there, might intro- duce some into habits of intemperance. Accordingly, nobody attended, except two or three individuals, and the attempt was never repeated while the tavern was continued.
From about 1720, we find divers of the most opulent persons in and near Byberry, and some of them distin- guished members of the meeting, were concerned in the purchase of negroes brought to Philadelphia from the coast of Africa. The number of slaves appears to have increased till about 1758, when Friends issued a formi- dable protest against slavery From that time the num- ber rapidly decreased. It does not appear that more than two or three members of Byberry meet- ing persisted in holding slaves, so far as to suffer dis- ownment. The negroes were generally liberated. Care was taken to provide for those set. free, to assist them in procuring a livelihood, and to educate their children. By an assessment made in 1781, we find there were but three slaves in Byberry. At present not only has slavery entirely vanished; but the whole race of those formerly held as slaves in this neighbourhood have vanished also.
During the revolutionary war, the inhabitants of By- berry were often harrassed by unprincipled collectors and lawless parties. Being generally Friends, and re- strained by their religious principles from active agen- cy in carrying on the sanguinary contest, they suffered the loss of much valuable property: their horses were taken, sometimes even from the plough; their cattle and hogs were driven off; their corn, wheat, and provender. carried away for the use of the army, and sometimes their persons seized and conducted to head quarters .- The 6th of March, 1778, a company called "Lacey's men," set fire to some stacks of wheat near the river; burnt a barn at White Sheet Bay, and two others in the lower end of Byberry. They pretended to do it "by the orders of his excellency," to prevent the grain falling in- to the hands of the enemy. The company appeared disposed to extend their destructive measures further, but they were prevailed on to desist, by a spirited re- monstrance made by James Thornton, who threat- ened to represent their misconduct to General Wash- ington.
Notwithstarding the great losses sustained by many in the time of the war, we are told that only one instance of failure occurred amongst those that suffered. But several persons who acted in the capacity of military collectors, and took advantage of the times in distres-
*Benjamin Lay would not shake hands with a person who kept slaves.
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sing their neighbours unnecessarily, became extremely poor afterwards.
The captivity of Benjamin Gilbert and his family by the Indians on the frontiers in 1780, produced much ex- citement in Byberry. He was born here in 1711-and this was the principal place of his residence till 1775, when he settled on Mahoning creek in Northampton county, within a few miles of Mauch Chunk. In Byber- ry several of his children were comfortably settled, and in this place he had many connexions and friends. - These were no strangers to the doleful details of Indian. cruelty; and the consideration that their near relatives and intimate friends were in all probability doomed to the utmost extremity of human suffering, involved a gloomy and pensive melancholy. After the return of the family in 1782, an account of their many suffering's and difficulties was verbally given by them, which being reduced to writing by William Walton, was published by Jos. Cruikshank in 1784.
Benjamin Gilbert was an author. He published a treatise against war, in answer to Gilbert Tennent, in 1748. He published two other volumes in 1769 and 1770, containing about two hundred and fifty pages,duo- decimo. The first, entitled "A discourse showing that there can be no salvation to that soul who doth not know a being made perfect in this life-Also a discourse on universal redemption, wherein it is proved, (by scrip- ture and reason, ) that it is impossible." The second is-"A further discourse upon perfection and universal redemption. Also a discourse upon what is called ori- ginal sin, showing where original sin is; and a discourse upon election and reprobation, showing wherein they each stand."
We have no account of any person in Byberry holding a commission as justice of the peace till Alexander Ed- wards: he was a man of good understanding, and acted well in his officjal capacity. He was an elder of the Baptist society of Pennepac, and died in 1777. His son, Doctor Enoch Edwards, was designated by his father for a minister, and was accordingly placed under the tuition of Dr. Jones of Pennepac; but having little rel- ish for the profession, he quit the study of divinity, and applied himself to medicine under the instruction of Dr. Rush. After finishing his studies he set up as a practi- tioner of physic in Byberry. In 1776 he was chosen a member of the famous provincial conference of commit- tees held at Carpenter's hall, whose resolutions paved the way for the introduction of a republican form of gov- ernment in Pennsylvania. He was afterwards aid to Gen. Stirling: he was accidentally taken by a party of British near Bustleton in 1777, and conducted to Phila- delphia, but was soon after released on parole. After the war he was several years in the commission of the peace; in which capacity the acuteness of his judgment and the correctness of his decisions gained universal respect, and his endeavours to preserve order amongst the lower class of people made him a terror to evil do- crs. He was a member of the convention which formed the constitution of the State of Pennsylvania, and after- wards presiding judge of the court of Quarter sessions and Common pleas for the county of Philadelphia. - In 1792 he sold his farm in Byberry and removed to Frank- ford. He died there in 1802, aged 52 years. Dr. 'Ed- wards wrote some valuable observations relating to ag- riculture, which were published in the American Mu- seum. One of his charges to the grand jury was pub- lished in the same work. Both these productions show that he treated his subjects with the dexterity of a skil- ful master.
Giles Knight, son of Joseph Knight before mention- ed, was several years a member of the provincial assem- bly. He was an able politician of the old school; much respected for the depth and soundness of his judgment; and for the dignified character which he sustained. He died in 1799, at the age of about eighty years.
In 1788 the Hessian fly was first noticed in the wheat at Byberry. The crop being much injured; many far- I
mers afterwards sowed rye; and rye bread, which was little used here before that time, became customary on the tables of some that were considered wealthy. It was not long before a discovery was made that manure was one of the most effectual remedies against the fly: much pains were taken to increase the quantity cf it, and it was found advantageous to sow wheat later in the season than had been customary.
Previous to this time, the chief dependance for hay was on "bottom meadows," the borders of which in some instances were rendered very productive by irrl- gation. About 1781, plaster of Paris was used on Indi- an corn and found advantageous. It was also tried on the meadows; but had little effect, except on the upland part of them. Red clover was next introduced into the fields, and the plaster was found to have an astonishing effect by increasing the quantity at least double, and in some instances four-fold. The practice of mowing the uplands became customary-and the old meadows, ex- cepting those that were watered, were pretty much abandoned, or used only for pasture.
The benefits derived from the increase of manure, the use of plaister, the introduction of red clover, timothy, and herd grass, together with various improved meth- ods of farming, and the increasing demand for surplus produce, had a stimulating effect. The quality of the soil improved, wealth seemed accumulating, new hou- ses and barns were erected, and the country assumed the appearance of rapid prosperity.
The cultivation of potatoes as an article of profit, had . been little attended to previous to 1790. By manuring the ground well, and paying proper attention to the crop, 200 bushels and often more were produced to the acre. Brcom corn began to be cultivated near the same time, the manufacturing of which as a business was first attempted by Benjamin Atkinson, whose suc- cess was so encouraging, that many other persons af- terwards adopted the same business, and for a number of years past it is computed that fifty or sixty thousand brooms have been turned into the market from Byberry annually.
Until about the year 1791, it had for a number of years been the custom for a part of a tribe of Indians from Edgepeleck in New Jersey, to the number of 12 or 15, to visit Byberry every spring, where they were allowed by Thomas Walinsley to occupy one of his or- chards. On their arrival they immediately employed themselves in erecting new wigwams. or repairing the old ones, and settled themselves comfortably for the summer. Their habits, although they nearly all spoke broken English, were far from those of civilized life; and they retained much of the indolence for which they are noticed, when settled on the borders of the white population in times of peace. They nevertheless occu- pied a part of their time in making wooden trays, barn shovels, bowls, ladles, &c. of white poplar, and in fab- ricating baskets of different descriptions and sizes. The smaller ones were made with great skill and neatness, and the splits of maple or black ash, of which they were constructed, were dyed with brilliant and lasting colors -purple, reil, yellow, &c. were the prevailing colours. These dyes were entirely prepared from the vegetable kingdom. Their natural taste for hunting had not been much diminished by their intercourse with the whites, and much of the time of the men was passed in roaming through the woods, fields, and about the hedges, with their guns, or bows and arrows, in search of game; the latter instrument they used with great dexterity. They were also fond of angling; but not contented with the usual sports of the field and brook, they furthermore made a most destructive and unsportsman-like attack upon the unoffending land-tortoises of the neighbour- hood, which, after capture, were, without mercy, uni- formly condemned to be burnt alive: their mode of cooking them being to cover them with hot coals and ember's; and when sufficiently roasted, they were eaten with a small portion of salt, and were equally delicious
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to their unsophisticated taste, and as highly valued as a luxury by them as the terrapin is by the more refined epicure of civilized life. It is not many years since the remains of the shells of these tortoises disappeared in the orchard.
This little colony, although without recognised laws or regulations, were not without an implied leader. The eldest appeared to be the patriarch, and old Indian Ca- leb, as he was familiarly called, stood at the head of the little community, and exercised his influence over it with apparent mildness, but at the same time with much of that dignity, so uniformly observed in the aboriginal sons of our forests.
This company consisted of men, women, and children, and were for several seasons remarkable for their gene- ral sobriety and inoffensive demeanor. But the last sum- mer they quartered here, several of them were intem- perate, and when intoxicated were quarrelsome with one another. They frequently cut timber without li- cence from the owner, under a plea which prevailed amongst them, that when the country was sold to Wil- liam Penn, the Indians reserved the privilege of cutting basket stuff where they chose.
The township records relating to paupers, commence in 1753. From that time to 1810, about twenty indi- viduals appear to have been supported chiefly at the public experse, viz:
A man and his wife in advanced life, nearly 15 years. Two old men for a short time.
One idiot from a child to the age of 26.
Seven aged widows -- one thirteen, and another twen- five years-the others a short time.
Five unmarried women, most of them unfortunate characters-one of them has been on the township from 1784, another from 1797.
The annual average of poor tax has been as follows: From 1761 to 1779 - $123 00
1782 to 1799 142 25
1803 to 1809 164 96
Some of the children of the first settlers at Byberry, as we have already observed, had little opportunity of learning to read, write, or cypher. But it is probable that endeavors were used, as early as circumstances ad- mitted, to support a school. A log building was erect- ed for the purpose, near the meeting-house, and a school was generally kept in it till about 1772, when it was pul- led down. The school was continued in one end of the meeting-house till 1789. At this time a stone building was erected for its accommodation.
Since the year 1750, this school has been regularly continued, except one summer when. re-building the school-house. Its regularity and permanency may be principally attributed to the circumstance of its having been under the eare of directors appointed by Byberry preparative meeting, who devoted certain stated periods to its superintendance.
"Until the year 1794, an English education only, had been given to the scholars of Byberry school: the lower branches of mathematics, English grammar, and geo- graphy had been taught by few of the previous masters. But in 1794 John Comly took charge of the school, when the Latin and Greek languages, and the higher branch- es of the mathematics were taught by him. This gen- tleman has since been advantageously known as the au- thor of a concise and excellent treatise on English gram- mar, which has in very many seminaries supplanted the more voluminous work of Murray, and has passed to the fifteenth edition."-Walmsley.
About the year 1792, some young men in the neigh- bourhood formed an association for mutual benefit in the acquisition of useful knowledge. In their investigations and inquiries, the want of a more extensive supply of books than they possessed individually appears to have been felt. After the association closed, divers individu- als, whose thirst for an increase of information was live- ly, exerted their influence-to establish a public library, in which they succeeded, near the close of 1794. The
principal promoters of this institution were Ezra Town- send, John Comly, Benjamin Walmsley, Asa Walmsley, James Walton, and Thomas Townsend. Especial care was taken by a conspicuous article of their constitution to guard against the introduction of works having an ir- religious or immoral character: all atheistical and deisti- cal books, all novels, plays and romances were forever excluded; and every other that had a manifest tenden- ey to corrupt the morals of mankind, or that might be prejudicial to the Christian religion. The company at first consisted of twenty-two members; each paid four dollars, and the library was opened with sixty-three vol- umns, exclusive of books loaned by divers of the mem- bers. It now contains about seven hundred volumns, and the company consists of thirty-five members.
In 1797 a school-house was built in the upper part of Byberry, near Smithfield-another about the year 1800, on a lot of ground given for that purpose by Edward Duffield and Silas Walton, on the Mooreland line. In 1811 a school was established near the meeting house, for girls, and taught by a mistress. In 1816 a school- house was erected by Friends near James Walton's .- Most of these schools are regularly kept up, and reputa- bly conducted.
CANAL DOCUMENTS.
Report on the survey of various routes for a portage across the Allegheny Mountain by N. S. Roberts, Engineer. To the Board of Canal Commissioners of Pennsylvania.
GENTLEMEN,
The exploration and location of the route of arail road across the Allegheny mountain, to connect the eanal on the Juniata, with the western division of said canal on the Conemaugh, has among other duties, been assigned to my superintendance, the present season. Upon the progress made therein, I beg leave to present the fol- lowing report.
That on the 14th of June, the party for that service left Pittsburg and proceeded by way of Johnstown, to Bob's creek Gap, which had been previously examined and reported to be the most favourable plan, for the in- tended rail road to pass the Allegheny mountain. As my instructions were very general, and no preference to any route, nor plan of termination of the rail road, having been given, it became necessary after arriving at the summit or gap, above mentioned, and fully exam- ining the same, to take such a topographieal view of the mountain, and the principal ranges of hills leading there- from, in the required direction as would be most likely to admit a continual descending graduation, to extend from said summit, eastwards towards the Juniata, and westward down the valley of the Conemaugh. For this purpose several ridges were examined from the mountain east, down each side of the valley of Poplar- run (which has its source within tiro miles of said sum- mit,) viewing the different elevations and slopes, and the exposures of the hills, the ravines and depressions to be met, in each route from the summit to the Juniata.
From these views three ranges of hills seemed to pre- sent routes, which might be pursued with success, viz: the ridge on the north side of Poplar run, the ridge on the north side of the south branch of the same run, and also the ridge on the south side of the same.
As writers on the subject of locating rail roads have recommended a southern exposure for obvious reasons, other advantages being equal, for the same reasons I have preferred the two first mentioned routes; both of which have been graded, and upon examination, the ridge first mentioned, has decidedly the preference; as the second route will not admit a grade of less than two degrees. The distance between Bob's creek summit- beneh, and the Juniata basin, as laid down in the report of Messrs White and Olmstead,is 13 miles 72 chains, and the decent 1591.39 feet. Calculations were made and grades run, for an extension of the line by rounding points and ravines; the line run being the hypothenuse
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of a triangle whose whole length would be equal to the length of the road, and the whole descent, equal to the perpendicular of such triangle, taking proportionate parts of each, at each station. The perpendicular de- scent being determined as above, it is evident that the hypothenuse or the line of the road will be extended in proportion to the deelivity of the graduation permitted to be run. During these operations a lower place in the mountain situated at the head of Sugar run, which is about two miles north of the turnpike road on the sum- mit of the Allegheny mountain, was explored by the Hon. John Blair, and strenuously recommended by him, as deserving a particular examination. Another company was formed for the purpose, and the fact as- certained, that the Sugar run summit is 214 feet lower than that of Bob's creek; and the same was reported by letter to the acting canal commissioner who recommend- ed that the practicability of a route for the rail road by the Sugar run summit should be ascertained; to which due attention has been paid. Having two summits to examine from, it became necessary on the 25th of July, to organize two locating parties. Mr. Theophilus Wil- liams, my principal assistant engineer, was to pursue the locations and levels on the Bob's creek routes, and Mr. Levi Williams as surveyor.
The party on the Sugar run gap location was compos- ed of Mr. James Callan as surveyor, and Mr. George R. Eichbaum as sub assistant engineer, and the levels thus taken by each locating party have been compared from time to time, at the end of long lines, and found to be very correct.
While these examinations were in progress, another route was recommended. A petition was handed me accompanied by several respectable gentlemen, request- ing that a route might be explored from Bob's creek summit by the south side of the Blue Knob mountain, to connect with a basin near the mouth of M'Kee's gap .- This was also approved by the acting canal commission- er, and the location and survey has been made, and the route found practicable.
But as a more detailed account of all the graded lines which have been run, and of the number of hands em- ployed from time to time, during the operations, has been communicated from time to time, by letters to Gen. Lacock, the acting canal commissioner on this division, it may not be necessary here to recapitulate them.
As the different routes from the two summits ap- proached the Juniata, it became necessary to examine such situations as appeared most favourable for a suita- ble termination of the rail road. And after spending some time in viewing different scites for a basin on the Juniata; I came to the following conclusion, that the site as recommended by Messrs. White and Olmstead, being situated about three fourths of a mile from the turnpike road, and having no particular public advant- ages; and is about the same distance above the junction of the Blair's gap, or Beaver dam branch, and Bedford branch of the Juniata; and as both these branches are to be brought as feeders through the basin into the canal, two dams, two guard gates, two waste wiers, and two feeders of considerable length will be required for that purpose.
ferent directions, will afford extensive commercial ac- commodations to a very considerable distance in the sur- rounding country; all which, together with the beauty of the situation would tend to increase the prosperity of the flourishing town. To bring the water into the head of this proposed basin, to supply the canal, but one short feeder one guard gate,& one dam,(5 ft high)& one waste weir to be situated just below the junction of the two branches, which will discharge the floods into the nat- ural channel of the river, will be necessary. This loca- tion would save one mile of canal, on which will be ne- cessary at least one lock, one aqueduct to convey the canal across the Beaver dam branch, and half a mile of considerable embankment to reach the site of the upper basin. The rail road for the same distance can be made for less money. All the routes from the Sugar run gap, and from Bob's creek gap by way of Newry, terminate very conveniently at the Frankstown basin.
If the route for a rail road by the south side of the Blue Knob should be preferred, the site of the proposed basin as located opposite the mouth of Makce's Gap, presents as many advantages in point of natural beauty and a central position, as almost any other situation which has come within the limits of the contemplated improvement; being situated in the vicinity of a number of extensive iron works and other manufactories, and in the midst of a rich agricultural district, well accommo- dated with good roads conveying to the point where the basin and rail road are proposed to unite.
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