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 86

Author: Hazard, Samuel, 1784-1870
Publication date: 1828
Publisher: Philadelphia : Printed by W.F. Geddes ;
Number of Pages: 440

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 86

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Letter from a gentleman in America, to his friend in Europe.

DEAR SIR-The peculiar customs of every country appear to strangers awkward and absurd, but the inha- bitants consider them as very proper and even necessa- ry. Long habit imposes on the understanding, and re- conciles it to any thing that is not manifestly pernicious or immediately destructive.

The religion of a country is scarcely held in greater veneration than its established customs: and it is almost as difficult to produce an alteration in the one as in the other. Any interference of government for the reforma- tion of natural customs, however trivial and absurd they may be, never fails to produce the greatest discontent, and sometimes dangerous convulsions. Of this there are frequent instances in history. Bad habits are most safe- ly removed by the same means that established them, viz: by imperceptible gradations, and the constant ex- ample and influence of the higher class of the people,

We are apt to conclude that the fashions and manners of our own country are most rational and proper, be- cause the eye and the understanding have long since been reconciled to them, and we ridicule or condemn those of other nations on account of their novelty: yet the foreigner will defend his national habits with at least as much plausibility as we can our own. The truth is, that reason has little to do in the matter. Customs are for the most part arbitrary, and one nation has as good a right to fix its peculiarities as another. It is of no pur- pose to talk of convenience as a standard: every thing becomes convenient by practice and habit.

I have read somewhere of a nation (in Africa I think) which is governed by twelve counsellors. . When these counsellors are to meet on public business, twelve large earthen jars are set in two rows, and filled with water. The counsellors enter the apartment one after another, stark naked, and each leaps into a jar, where he sits up to the chin in water .- When the jars are all filled with counsellors, they proceed to deliberate on the great concerns of the nation. This, to be sure, forms a very grotesque scene; but the object is to transact the public business: they have been accustomed to do it in this way, and therefore it appears to them the most rational and convenient way. Indeed, if we consider it impartially, there seems to be no reason why a counsellor may not be as wise in an earthen jar as in an elbow chair; or why the good of the people may not be as maturely considered in the one as in the other.

The established manners of every country are the standards of propriety with the people who have adopt- ed them; and every nation assumes the right of consid- ering all deviations therefrom as barbarisms and absur- dities.

The Chinese have retained their laws and customs

1827 Oct. 5 By incidental expenses, including fuel account, janitor's wages, treas- urer's commission, increase of li- library, repairs, addition to appa- ratus, improvements in laboratory, &c.

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ANNUAL WHITE-WASHINGS.

1829.]

for ages immemorial: and although they have long had a commercial intercourse with European nations, and are well acquainted with their improvements in the arts, and their modes of civilization, yet they are so far from being convinced of any superiority in the European manners, that their government takes the most serious measures to prevent the customs of foreigners taking woot amongst them. It employs their utmost vigilance to enjoy the benefits of commerce, and at the same time guard against innovations that might affect the characteristic manners of the people.

Since the discovery of the Sandwich islands in the South sea, they have been visited by ships from several nations; yet the natives have shown no inclination to prefer the dress and manners of the visitors to their own. It is even probable that they pity the ignorance of the Europeans they have seen, as far removed from civiliza- tion; and value themselves on the propriety and advan- tage of their own customs.

There is nothing new in these observations, and I had no intention of making them when I sat down to write, but they obtruded themselves upon me. My intention was to give you some account of the people of these new states; but I am not sufficiently informed for the pur- pose, kaving, as yet, seen little more than the cities of New-York and Philadelphia. I have discovered but few national singularities amongst them. Their customs and manners are nearly the same with those of England; which they have long been used to copy. For, previous to the late revolution, the Americans were taught from their infancy to look up to the English as the patterns of perfection in all things. y

I have, however, observed one custom, which, for aught I know, is peculiar to this country. An account of it will serve to fill up the remainder of this sheet, and may afford you some amusement.

When a young couple are about to enter on the ma- trimonial state, a never failing article in the marriage treaty is, that the lady shall have and enjoy the free and unmolested exercise of the rights of WHITE-WASHING, with all its ceremonials, privileges, and appurtenances. You will wonder what this privilege of white-washing is. I will endeavor to give you an idea of the ceremony, as I have seen it performed.

- There is no season of the year in which the lady may not, if she pleases,claim her privilege; but the latter end of May is generally fixed upon for the purpose. The attentive husband may judge, by certain prognostics, when the storm is nigh at hand. If the lady grows un- commonly fretful, finds fault with the servants, is discon- tented with the children, and complains much of the nastiness of every thing about her: these are symptoms which ought not to be neglected, yet they sometimes go off without any further effect. But if, when the hus- band rises in the morning, he should observe in the yard, a wheel-barrow, with a quantity of lime in it, or should see certain buckets filled with a solution of lime in water, there is no time for hesitation. He immediate- ly locks up the apartment or closet where his papers, and private property are kept, & putting the key in his pocket, betakes himself to flight. A husband, however beloved, becomes a perfect nuisance during this season of female rage. His authority is superseded, his com- mission suspended, and the very seullion who cleans the the brasses in the kitchen becomes of more importance than him. He has nothing for it but to abdicate, for a time, and run from an evil which he can neither pre- vent nor mollify.

and confused mass for the fore-ground of the picture; gridirons and frying-pans, rusty shovels and broken tongs, joint stools, and the fractured remains of rush bottomed chairs. There a closet has disgorged its bow- els-vivetted plates and dishes, halves of china bowls, cracked tumblers, broken wine-glasses, phials of forgot- ten physic, papers of unknown powders, seeds and dry- ed herbs, tops of tea-pots, and stoppers of departed de- canters-from the rag hole in the garret, to the rat hole in the cellar, no place escapes unrummaged. It would seem as if the day of general doom was come, and the utensils of the house were dragged forth to judgment. In this . tempest, the words of king Lear unavoidably present, and might with little alteration be made strict- ly applicable.

-Let the great gods That keep this dreadful pudder over our heads

Find out their enemies now. Tremble thou wretch

That hast within thee undivulged crimes

Unwhipt of justice-

-Close pent up guilt,

Rive your concealing continents, and ask These dreadful summoners grace."

This ceremony completed, and the house thoroughly evacuated, the next operation is to smear the walls and ceilings with brushes, dipped in a solution of lime called WHITE-WASH; to pour buckets of water over every floor, and scratch all the partitions and wainscots with hard brushes, charged with soft soap and stone cutter's sand.

The windows by no means escape the general deluge. A servant scrambles out upon the pent-house, at the risk of her neck, and with a mug in her hand, and a bucket within reach, dashes innumerable gallons of wa- ter against the glass panes, to the great annoyance of passengers in the street.

I have been -told that an action at law, was once brought against one of these water nymphs, by a person who had a new suit of clothes spoiled by this operation: but after long argument it was determined that no dam- ages could be awarded; inasmuch as the defendant was in the exercise of a legal right, and not answerable for the consequences. And so the poor gentleman was doubly non-suited; for he lost both his suit of clothes and his suit at law.

These smearings and scratchings, these washings and dashings, being duly performed, the next ceremonial is to cleanse and replace the distracted furniture. You may have séen a house-raising, or a ship-launch-recol- lect, if you can, the hurry, bustle, confusion, and noise of such a scene, and you will have some idea of this cleansing match. The misfortune is, that the sole ob- ject is to make things clean. It matters not how many useful, ornamental, or valuable articles suffer mutilation or death under the operation. A mahogany chair and a carved frame undergo the same discipline: they are to be made clean at all events; but their preservation is not worthy of attention. For instance: a fine large en- graving is laid flat upon the floor; a number of smaller prints are piled upon it, until the super-incumbent - weight cracks the lower glass -- but this is of no impor- tance. A valuable picture is placed leaning against the sharp corner of a table; others are made to lean against that, till the pressure of the whole forces the corner of the table through the canvass of the first. The frame and glass of a fine print are to be cleansed; the spirit and oil used on this occasion are suffered to leak through and deface the engraving-no matter! If the glass is .clean and the frame shines it is sufficient-the rest is not worthy of consideration. An able arithmetician hath made a calculation, founded on long experience, and proved that the losses and destruction incident on two white-washings are equal to one removal and three re- movals equal to one fire.

The husband gone, the ceremony begins. The walls are stripped of their furniture-paintings, prints, and looking-glasses lie in huddled heaps about the floors; the curtains are torn from their testers, the beds crammed into windows, chairs and tables, bedsteads and cradles crowd the yard; and the garden fence bends beneath the weight of carpets, blankets, cloth cloaks, This cleansing frolic over, matters begin to resume their pristine appearance; the storm abates, and all old coats, under petticoats, and ragged breeches. Here may be seen the lumber of the kitchen, forming a dark | would be well again, but it is impossible that so great a

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CHARTER OF BRISTOL.

MAY

convulsion in so small a community should pass over without producing some consequences. For two or three weeks after the operation, the family are usually afflicted with sore eyes, sore throats, or severe colds, occasioned by exhalations from wet floors and damp walls.

I know a gentleman here who is fond of accounting for every thing in a philosophical way. He considers this, which I call a custom, as a real, periodical disease, peculiar to the climate. His train of reasoning is whim- sical and ingenious, but I am not at leisure to give you the detail. The result was that be found the distemper to be incurable; but after much study, he thought he had discovered a method to divert the evil he could not subdue. For this purpose, he caused a small building, about twelve feet square, to be erected in his garden, and furnished with some ordinary chairs and tables, and a few prints of the cheapest sort. His hope was, that when the white-washing frenzy seized the females of his family, they might repair to this apartment, and scrub, and scour, and smear to their hearts content; and so spend the violence of the disease in this outpost, whilst he enjoyed himself in quiet at head-quarters. But the experiment did not answer his expectation. It was im- possible it should, since a principal part of the gratifica- tion consists in the lady's having an uncontrolled right to torment her husband, at least once in every year; to turn him out of doors, and take the reins of government into her own hands.

There is a much better contrivance than this of the philosopher's: which is, to cover the walls of the house with paper. This is generally done. And though it does not abolish, it at least shortens the period of female dominion. This paper is decorated with various fancies, and made so ornamental that the women have admitted the fashion without perceiving the design.

There is also another alleviation of the husband's dis- tress. He generally has the sole use of a small room or closet for his books and papers, the key of which he is allowed to keep. This is considered as a privileged place, even ir. the white-washing season, and stands like the land of Goshen amidst the plagues of Egypt .- But then he must be extremely cautious, and ever upon his guard: for should he inadvertently go abroad, and leave the key in his door, the house maid, who is always on the watch for such an opportunity, immediately en- ters in triumph with buckets, brooms, and brushes- takes possession of the premises, and forthwith puts all his books and papers to rights, to his utter confusion, and sometimes serious detriment. I can give you an in- stance.

A gentleman was sued at law, by the executors of a mechanic, on a charge found against him in the decea- sed's books to the amount of £30. The defendant was strongly impressed with a belief that he had discharged the debt and taken a receipt; but as the transaction was of long standing, he knew not where to find the receipt. The suit went on in course, and the time approached when judgment should be obtained against him. He then sat down seriously to examine a large bundle of old papers, which he had untied and displayed on a:ta- ble for the purpose. In the midst of his search he was suddenly called away on business of importance. He forgot to lock the door of his room. The house maid who had been long looking for such an opportunity, im- mediately entered with the usual implements, and with great alacrity fell to cleaning the room and putting things to rights. One of the first objects that struck her eye was the confused situation of the papers on the ta- ble. These, without delay, she huddled together like so many dirty knives and forks; but in the action a small piece of paper fell unnoticed on the floor, which unfortunately happened to be the very receipt in ques- tion. As it had no very respectable appearance, it was soon after swept out with the common dirt of the room, and carried in a dust pan to the yard. The tradesman had neglected to enter the credit in his book. The de-

fendant could find nothing to obviate the charge, and so judgment went against him for debt and costs. A fortnight after the whole was settled and the money paid, one of the children found the receipt amongst the dirt in the yard.

There is also another custom, peculiar to the city of Philadelphia, and nearly allied with the former. I mean that of washing the pavements before the doors every Saturday evening. . I at first supposed this to be a regu- lation of the police; but, on further inquiry, I find it is a religious rite preparatory to the Sabbath; and it is, I believe, the only religious rite in which the numerous sectaries of this large city perfectly agree. The cere- mony begins about sunset and continues till ten or elev- en at night. It is very difficult for a stranger to walk the streets on those evenings. He runs a continual risk of having a bucket of dirty water dashed against his legs; but a Philadelphian born is so much accustomed to the danger that he avoids it with surprising dexterity. It is from this circumstance that a Philadelphian may be known any where by a certain skip in his gait. The streets of New York are paved with rough stones. These, indeed, are not washed, but the dirt is so thoroughly swept from between them that they stand up sharp and prominent, to the great annoyance of those who are not accustomed to so rough a path. But habit reconciles eve- ry thing. It is diverting enough to see a Philadelphian at New York. He walks the street with as much painful caution as if his toes were covered with corns, or his feet lamed by the gout; whilst a New Yorker, as little approving the plain masonry of Philadelphia, shuffles along the pavement like a parrot upon a mahogany table.

It must be acknowledged that the ablutions I have mentioned are attended with no small inconvenience; yet the women would not be induced by consideration to resign their privilege. 1

Notwithstanding this singularity, I can give you the strongest assurances that the women of America make the most faithful wives, and the most attentive mothers in the world. And I don't doubt but you will join me in opinion, that if a married man is made miserable only for one week in a whole year, he will have no great cause to complain of the matrimonial bond.

This letter has run on to a length I did not expect; I therefore hasten to assure you that I am as ever.

Your, &c. &c. &c.

. June, 1785.

THE CHARTER OF THE BOROUGH OF BRISTOL.

Preamble. GEORGE, by the grace of GOD, of Great-Britain, France and Ireland King, Defender of the faith, &c. To all to whom these presents shall come, Greeting. WHEREAS our loving Subjects, Anthony Burton, John Hall, William Wharton, Joseph Bond, and many other Inhabitants of the Town of Bristol, in the Province of Pennsylvania, in our Dominions in Am erica, by their humble Petition presented unto William Keith, Esq; with our Royal Approbation Governor of the said Province of Pennsylvania, on Behalf of themselves, and others the Inhabitants and Freeholders of the said Town of Bristol, have set forth, That divers persons, natural- born-subjects of our Kingdom of Great-Britain, who were formerly adventurers into the Province of Penn- sylvania, and owners of a certain Tract or Scite of Land formerly called Buckingham, in the county of Bucks, in the Province aforesaid, did, by the approbation of the Honorable WILLIAM PENN, Esq; late Proprietor and Governor in Chief of the same province of Penn- sylvania, appropriate several lots or Parcels of their Lands, lying or bounding on the River. Delaware, for the Accommodation of Tradesmen and others to build and settle upon; and that many People since have there- by been encouraged to erect Buildings, as well for the Conveniency of trade and cohabitation, and lay out pub-

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lic Streets for the public use and benefit; as also to erect a Church and Meeting-house for the public Wor- ship of God in the said Town; and that the Magistrates and Freemen of the said county of Bucks, by the Coun- tenance and approbation of the Governor, caused a Court-House and Prison to be erected there, and have for long time held their Courts of General Quarter ses- sions of the Peace and Common-pleas at the said town of Bristol; and because that good order and rule is so very necessary to the well-being of a People and Place, though their Request is not to be granted of Right, but of Grace, have humbly besought the said William Keith, Esq; with our Royal approbation Governor of said Pro- vince of Pennsylvania, for our Letters Patents, under the Great Seal of our said Province of Pennsylvania, to erect the said town into a Borough, and to incorporate the freeholders and inhabitants of the same with perpet- ual Succession by what name soever the said William Keith, Governor of our said Province, shall think fit :-- As also, to grant such Immunities and Privileges as may be thought necessary for the well-ordering and ruling thereof. And we being willing to promote Trade,' In- dustry, Rule and good order, amongst all our loving Subjects, by granting their reasonable Request n that behalf.

THEREFORE KNOW YE, That we, of our special Grace, certain Knowledge and meer Motion, have erect. ed, and do by these presents erect, the said town of Bristol into a borough, which shall be called, The Bo- rough of Bristol, for ever. The extent of which town and borough is and shall be comprized within the fol- lowing Boundaries, to wit, Beginning at the mouth of Mill creek where it empties itself into the River Del- aware; from thence, extending by the Channel of the same Creek, upwards by the several Courses thereof to a Bridge, called Otter's Bridge; then by Joseph Bond's land, North fifty two degrees, East Ninety-six Perches to a post; then North thirty-nine degree's, East fifty-five Perches to a Post; then by the West and the Mill-dam South-east fifty eight Perches; then from the end of the said Dam Fast eight degrees. South one hundred and forty Perches to a Post; then South-east one hundred and five Perches to a Post by the said River Delaware; thence down the same river West twenty-seven degrees, South one hundred and ninety-two Perches to the place of Beginning, including Phineas Pemberton's Survey of the said town, with additions, according to the Agree- ment of the said Inhabitants.

shall contain the same breadth, and shall extend from South-west end of Pond street; the course begins at the North east side of Mill street, and run South west ninety-four feet from the South west side of Mill street upon the South east side of the said Pond street, and one hundred and twenty-four feet on the North west thereof; and then South ten degrees East to the said creek. And the streets laid out opposite to the end of the said Mill-street, Market street, Mulberry and Wal- nut street, shall contain the same breadth with the said street respectively, and shall extend from Radcliff street aforesaid twenty-seven degrees, easterly into the said river Delaware, leaving a convenient distance for public landings, at least fifteen feet beyond low water mark .--- And that there shall be another street, containing in breadth thirty-three feet, called Water-street, which shall begin at Mill street aforesaid, on Delaware, sixty feet from Radcliff-street, and run East twenty-seven de- grees, North under the bank along the river side to the extent of the said town on Delaware aforesaid. And we further make and ordain, that all streets and Land- ing-places which now are, and hereafter shall be laid out, within the town aforesaid, shall bealways free, and kept open for all the liege people of us, our heirs and succes- sors, to pass and repass, without any Obstruction or im- pediment whatever.

And we do hereby name and constitute the said Jo- seph Bond and John Hall to be present Burgesses; and Thomas Clifford High constable of the Borough; who shall so continue until the eighth Day of September next ensuing the date of these Presents. On which day, as also on the same day in the same month yearly after- wards for ever, it shall and may be lawful to and for the freeholders and house-keepers of the said town and bo- rough publickly to meet in some convenient place with- in the same town, to be by them appointed for that pur- pose, and then and there to nominate, elect and choose by the Ballot, fit and able men of the inhabitants of the said town to be Burgesses and high constables, with all such officers, within the same, for serving and assisting the Burgesses in managing the affairs of the said Bo- rough, in keeping of the peace and good order therein from time to time as to the said electors, or the Major- ity of them, shall seem requisite and necessary: And the Burgess first chosen, or having the Majority of the votes in the said elections, shall be called Chief Burgess of the said town.

AND we do hereby grant and ordain, That the courses and distances of the streets already laid out in the said town and borough shall be and continue as fol- loweth, to wit; The Mill-street, containing sixty-one feet in breadth, which begins at an Asp tree now standing at the North east side of the said Mill-street, and North west side of Radcliff-street, shall extend from thence North-west thirteen Perches and a half to Cedar-street, then three Perches for the said Cedar-street, and twen- ty-one Perches to Wood street: Then three Perches for that street, and fifteen Perches to Pond-street: Then three Perches for that street, and the same course to the Mill-race. The said Radcliff containing sixty-six feet in breadth, which begins at the said Asp tree, shall extend from thence East twenty-seven degrees, North fourteen perches and a half to Market-street: Then three Perches for that street, and 27 perches to Mulberry-stree: then three peches for that street, and 23 perches to Walnut- street: 'Then three perches for that street, and the same course to the extent of the said town. The streets from the said Mill-street to the said creek, being three in number, the first of them shall contain three Perch- es in Breadth, and shall extend from the South-west end of Cedar-street West thirty eight degrees, South to the said creek, the course of beginning at the South-west of Mill-street. The second shall contain three perches in Breadth, and shall extend from the South-west end of Wood-street, beginning at the North east side of Mill- street and runing South west to the creek. The third / tion, according to the Form of the Statutes in that Voz. III. 40

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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 86

Author: Hazard, Samuel, 1784-1870 Publication date: 1828 Publisher: Philadelphia : Printed by W.F. Geddes ; Number of Pages: 440

Author: Hazard, Samuel, 1784-1870
Publication date: 1828
Publisher: Philadelphia : Printed by W.F. Geddes ;
Number of Pages: 440