USA > Pennsylvania > Luzerne County > Wilkes-Barre > Wilkes-Barre (the "Diamond city") Luzerne County, Pennsylvania; its history, its natural resources, its industries, 1769-1906 > Part 5
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The subscriber one of the Justices of the lince in and for the County farine da certify that fosse Free personally les affreased before one and was deeby sfrmit
vyhoof the Constitution of the United States and ifthe State of Pennsylvania, and leperform. The dates of Burgess of the Branch of Hoches- - Terre with fidelity - Given writer my hand and feel this
9
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: 3 fare one, one of the dustices for the bounty of assieme, personally appeared, bundled bolt
Jamont Brioman and Chartes CHiner-soho we're daddy swere , to supportsthe Constitution of the Vnitro Holes and State of Pennsylvania and to perform the duties of Counsellors for the Brough of thether Barre with gedeliter - Green water my hand and real time To, isto-
Before me one ofthe dustces per the a lovesaid personally came Chosewell uno deely sworn die bestare hist de wereld support the Constitution of the limited Holes - that of the State of Versenytvarias and that the world to the best ofthis . bilities perform the waters of a Gonneeller for the Borough of Fiches Barre with gobelets --
ing the Knights
Photo-reproduction of the oaths of office of the first Burgess and members of the first Town Council, as recorded by the Town Clerk in the original minute-book of the borough.
Chili . Einer That'd members of the throne
reward Brother was appois the Chairman of the
word Helles . C'Partes Himmer being
Committee
. Jene Mat Singh Conner and
is pro the mening fear
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Photo-reproduction of the minutes of the first meeting of the Town Council.
at Tioga Point, and then at a point on the Easton and Wilkes-Barre Turnpike near Stoddartsville. He died in Wilkes-Barre September 21, 1832.
Nathan Palmer was born at Plainfield, Windham County, Connecticut, in 1769. Having been admitted in 1791 or 1792 to practise law before the Supreme Court of Connecticut, he removed in 1793 to Pennsylvania, and the next year located in Wilkes- Barré, where he was soon ad- mitted to the Bar of Luzerne County. In 1795 and 1797 he was Clerk to the Commis- sioners of Luzerne County, and in January, 1800, he was ap- pointed by Governor MeKean Clerk of the Orphans' Court and of the Court of Quarter Sessions, Prothonotary, Register of Wills and Recorder of Deeds of Luzerne County for the term of three years, to succeed Lord Butler. In 1806. and for sev- eral years about that time, he was engaged in mercantile busi- ness in Wilkes-Barre, and from 1808 to 1810 he represented Luzerne County in the Senate of Pennsylvania. In Decem- ber, 1812, he was appointed Treasurer of the county. About 1819 he removed from Wilkes. Barre to Mount Holly, New FROM OSCAR J. HARVEY'S FORTHCOMING " HISTORY OF WILKES-BARRE. " COPYRIGHTED. Jersey, where, until about the ARNOLD COLT. time of his death (which oc- curred July 28, 1842), he edited the Mount Holly Mirror.
Capt. Samuel Bowman was born in Lexington, Massachusetts, December 2, 1753. During the Revolutionary War he served in the Massachusetts Line. first as Ensign and then as Lieutenant. He was an original member of the Society of the Cincinnati. He immigrated to Wyoming Valley in 1786, and settled just. north of the Wilkes-Barre town-plot on a tract of land including what, for many years now, has been known as "Bowman's Hill." In January. 1799, he was commissioned by President Adams a Captain in the provisional army then being raised by the United States in view of an expected war with France. Captain Bowman and his company (which had been enlisted at
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Wilkes-Barre) were in service in New Jersey from July, 1799, till September, 1800. Captain Bowman died at his home on "Bowman's Hill" June 25, 1818.
Charles Miner-the youngest member of the Town Council-was born at Norwich, New London County, Con- necticut, February 1, 1780, the son of Seth and Anna (Charlton) Miner. In the Summer of 1800 he located in Wilkes-Barré, where his elder brother Asher was already established. In January, 1801, the latter began the publication at Wilkes-Barre of The Luzerne County Federalist, a weekly newspaper of four small pages. In May, 1802, Charles Miner became the partner of his brother in editing and publish- ing the Federalist. This partnership continued until May, 1804, when it was dissolved, and Charles Miner continued as the sole editor and proprietor of the paper until May, 1809. In 1811 Mr. Miner and Steuben Butler began the publication of The Gleaner, and Lu- zerne Advertiser. In 1808, 1809 and 1813 Mr. Miner was one of the Repre- FROM OSCAR J. HARVEY'S FORTHCOMING " HISTORY OF WILKES-BARRE." COPYRIGHTED. CHARLES MINER. sentatives from Luzerne County in the Pennsylvania Legislature. In July, 1817, Mr. Miner took up his residence in West Chester, Chester County, Pennsylvania, where he had purchased The Chester and Delaware Federalist. Under this name he edited and published the paper until January, 1818, when he changed the name to The Village Record. In 1824 and again in 1826 Mr. Miner was elected to represent the dis- trict composed of the counties of Chester, Delaware and Lancaster in the Na- tional House of Representatives. In 1832 Mr. Miner disposed of his interest in the Record and removed from West Chester to Wyoming Valley, establishing himself on a farm in the township of Wilkes-Barre, later Plains, within the limits of the present borough of Miner's Mills. For a number of years there- after he devoted a great deal of time to gathering material for and writing a "History of Wyoming," which was published in 1845. He died at his home in Plains Township October 26, 1865, in the eighty-sixth year of his age-the last survivor, by many years, of the original Town Council of Wilkes-Barre.
Lord Butler was born December 11, 1761, at Lyme, New London County, Connecticut, the eldest child of Zebulon Butler (see page 27) and his first wife Anne Lord. With the other members of his father's family he came to Wilkes- Barre in 1772. In October, 1778, he was appointed by his father-then in command of "Wyoming Post" -- Quartermaster at the post. 'The duties of this appointment he performed until the following January, when he was ap- pointed Acting Deputy Quartermaster in the Continental establish-
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ment, and Quartermaster at Wyoming Post. He was then only a few weeks past seventeen years of age. In October, 1779, he was pro- moted Acting Deputy Quar- termaster General, and this office he held until February, 1783, when the Continental garrison was withdrawn from . Wilkes-Barre. As previously noted Lord Butler served as the first Sheriff of Luzerne County. August 17, 1791, he was appointed and commis- sioned Prothonotary, Clerk of the Orphans' Court and of the Court of Quarter Ses- sions, Register of Wills and Recorder of Deeds in and for Luzerne County, as the suc- cessor of Colonel Pickering. and these various offices he held until January, 1800, when Nathan Palmer (pre- viously mentioned) was ap- pointed to succeed him. In April, 1799, Lord Butler was commissioned a Brigadier FRUM OSCAR J. HARVEY'S FORTHCOMING " MIST.RY OF WILKES .BAPRE .. COPYRIGHTED. General of the Pennsylvania BRIG. GEN. LORD BUTLER. President of the first Town Council of Wilkes-Barre. militia. He was Treasurer of Luzerne County in 1801, '02 and '03. Ile was the first Postmaster at Wilkes-Barre, being appointed in 1794 and holding the office till 1802, when he resigned to take his seat (for one term) in the Pennsylvania Legislature as one of the two Representatives from Luzerne County.
General Butler acted as temporary Chairman ( see page 53) at the first meeting of the Town Council of Wilkes-Barre, and at the second meeting, held on May 12th, he was elected President of the Council for the ensuing year. Ile was re-elected to the office in May, 1807, and served until May, 1508. He continued to be a member of the Council until May, 1809, when, having been elected Burgess, he entered upon the duties of that office. By successive elec- tions he held the office of Burgess until May, 1814. From 1815 till 1818 he was one of the Commissioners of Luzerne County. He died at his residence (pictured on page 41) in Wilkes-Barre March 3, 1824.
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SOUTH FRANKLIN STREET.
SOUTH RIVER STREET.
Borough of Mildes Barre May 12, 1886_ Gonmise Mit Pressantsti adismoments
appointed President of the board for The Bar enjustin
Requiere So Unanimously
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Photo-reproduction of part of the original minutes of the meeting of Town Council held May 12, 1806.
Capt. Peleg Tracy, the first "Town Clerk" of the borough of Wilkes- Barre, and ex officio Secretary of the Town Council, was born in 1775 at Norwich, New London County, Connecticut, whence he removed to Wilkes-
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Photo-reproduction of the oath of office of Town Clerk Tracy, as recorded in the borough minute-book.
Barré about 1803 or '04. In February, 1806, he was appointed Clerk to the; Commissioners of Luzerne County. He served as Clerk of the borough from: May, 1806, until some time in 1809, when he was succeeded by Sidney Tracy. In August, 1806, he was one of the organizers of "The Wilkes-Barre Library Company," and was its first Secretary, Treasurer and Librarian. He was Secretary of the Board of Trustees of the Wilkes-Barre Academy in 1808, '09 and '10. In 1818 he was Secretary of the Easton and Wilkes-Barre Turn- pike Company. Captain Tracy died at his residence, at the north-east corner of Union and Franklin Streets, Wilkes-Barre, March 12, 1825.
In announcing in his paper (the Federalist) of May 9, 1806, the result of the first borough election, Charles Miner stated: "The person elected High Constable is absent, and it is not known whether he will accept the office."
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.
As previously mentioned, George Griffin had been elected High Constable, but upon his return home from a temporary absence he promptly and indig- nantly refused to accept the office. Whereupon, due notice having been given, a special election for High Constable was held June 28, 1806, and Peter
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Photo-reproduction of the return made by the Judges of the election of High Constable Yarington, as recorded by the Town Clerk.
Yarington, a blacksmith, and a brother-in-law of Arnold Colt, previously mentioned, was chosen. The election of Mr. Griffin to the office of High Constable was intended by his fellow-citizens as a practical-joke. He was a graduate of Yale College in the class of 1797, and in 1806 was a busy and successful lawyer, having been admitted to the Bar of Luzerne County in 1800. He had been married in 1801 to a daughter of Col. Zebulon Butler. In the latter part of 1806 Mr. Griffin removed with his family to the city of New York, and it has been stated that the immediate cause of his leaving Wilkes-Barre was the perpetration of the abovementioned joke. In the course of a few years Mr. Griffin became one of the most eminent and successful lawyers at the New York Bar. In 1830 the degree of LL. D. was con- ferred upon him by Columbia College. He died in New York May 6, 1860- "the Nestor of the Bar; eloquent, learned and painstaking", as he was described by David Dudley Field, himself a great lawyer.
The original rules and regulations adopted by the Town Council for its government provided that its regular meetings should be held at the Court House on the first Saturday of each month, at nine o'clock in the morning; and that a member should be fined two dollars for an absence from a regular meet- ing, and one dollar for an absence from a special meeting. At the second meeting of the Council (held May 12th) Mr. Miner moved the adoption of the following: "Resolved, That it will be an accommodation to the public to have two ferries established, orre of which shall be from the Center Street
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FROM ESCAR I HARVEY'S FORTHCOMING "HISTORY OF WILKES-BARRE.". COPYRIGHTED.
THE MARKET STREET BRIDGE FROM THE RIVER COMMON, IN 1850.
FROW OSCAR J HARVEY'S FORTHCOMING "" MISTLAY OF WILKES. BARRE ." COPYRIGHTED.
. TOLL-HOUSE AT THE WILKES-BARRE END OF THE MARKET STREET BRIDGE. From a photograph taken about 1885.
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[the present Market Street ] of the borough." Action on this resolution was "postponed", but the following, introduced by Mr. Welles, was adopted : "Voted, That the ferry to be kept by the corporation over the Susquehanna, within the limits of the borough, shall be kept opposite Northampton Street."
It may be noted in this connection that it was not until the Spring of 1817 that the work of erecting a bridge across the Susquehanna at Wilkes-Barre was begun. The public ferry being located at the foot of Northampton Street, the stockholders of the bridge company arranged to erect their structure at the foot of Center (now Market) Street. After many delays, caused by unavoid- able and expensive disasters, the Market Street Bridge was finally completed and opened to public travel early in December, 1825-the occasion being cele- brated by the firing of cannon, and the serving of an elaborate dinner to a large company of citizens of Wilkes-Barre and vicinity.
At the third meeting of the Town Council (held May 14, 1806) a design for a seal for the borough was submitted by Mr. Miner, and the same was adopted. (See an engraving of the seal on a subsequent page.) At this same meeting Mr. Miner submitted the following resolution, which was adopted : "Re- solved, That a committee be appointed to endeavor to obtain from the town- ship a release or conveyance to the corporation of the publie lands within the limits of the borough; and to stipulate on behalf of the corporation that the borough will expend the avails of it to the security of the bank from the inroads of the river, and making such other improvements as may be found necessary."
When the borough of Wilkes-Barre was incorporated its population was between 350 and 400. Owing to its isolated situation (Sunbury and Easton were the nearest sizable towns-the for- mer being distant sixty miles and the latter sixty-five miles), and the dif- ficulty of access to it both by the river and by the rough mountain roads, the borough did not grow rapidly, with re- spect to either its buildings or its inhab- itants. In 1810 the population of the borough and township combined was only 1,225; and in 1817 there were only ninety-two dwelling houses, besides shops, etc., in the borough, with a popu- lation of 550. Ilowever, with the as- sumption of new municipal rights and dignities a certain change came over the town, and some of the slow-going citizens braced up, got busy, and began to make things look pleasant. For instance. early in 1807 Joseph Slocum, a brother of Frances Slocum, previously men- tioned, and a son-in-law of Burgess FROM OSCAR J HARVEY'S FORTHCOMING " HISTORY OF WILKES-BARRE." COPYRIGHTED. Jesse Fell, began the erection on the
RESIDENCE OF JOSEPH SLOCUM. From a photograph taken in 1858.
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VITAT
FIRST NATIONAL BANK
south side of Public Square of a brick residence three and a-half stories high, which was not only the first building of such a height, but was the first brick building, to be erected in north-eastern Penn- sylvania. This building was occu- pied as a residence ( first by Joseph Slocum and afterwards by his son- in-law, Lord Nelson Butler) for sixty odd years; and then, having been remodeled, it was devoted to business purposes until its demol- ishment in April. 1906, to make way for the erection of a new building for the First National Bank. In its last years the first floor of the Slocum building was occupied by a book-and stationery- shop -- at one time owned by S. L .. Brown, and then by J. C. Madden.
The first twenty-nine miles (reckoning from Wilkes-Barre) of the Easton and Wilkes-Barre Turnpike were completed in 1806. THE FIRST NATIONAL BANK BUILDING. Now being erected. and soon thereafter the whole dis- tance from Wilkes-Barre to the Wind Gap, forty-six miles, was finished.
In March, 1807, the Wilkes-Barre Academy was incorporated, and received from the State an appropriation of $2,000. Burgess Fell, six of the seven members of the Town Council (viz. : Messrs. Butler. Welles, Hollenback, Bowman, Colt and Miner) and Town Clerk Tracy were among the seven- teen incorporators who composed the first Board of Trustees of the Acad- emy. The Trustees obtained from the Commissioners of Luzerne County permission to use for school purposes the old log Court House which had stood on the site of Fort Wilkes- Barré (see page 32), and which had been removed about 1801 to the north- ern half of Public Square to make FROM OSCAR J. HARVEY'SFORTUMINGRY OF WILKES-PADRE COPYRIGHTED. room for what was then styled the THE OLD ACADEMY. new Court House. The Trustees clapboarded the old building. erected a cupola on its roof-in which a fifty-pound bell was hung-and opened the school in
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the Summer of 1807. In 1808 Garrick Mallory, a graduate of Yale College, became the Prin. cipal of the Academy, and under his management the in- stitution advanced to consid erable eminence. Soon many students came to the Academy from other localities, and about the year 1810 the little borough of Wilkes-Barre could boast of . possessing more learning and lit erary culture within its limit- than any other village or bor. ough of Pennsylvania.
From 1810 to 1812 one of the assistant teachers in the Academy was Andrew Bean-
FROM OSCAR J. HARVEY'S FORTHCOMING " HISTORY OF WILKES- BARRE."
JACOB CIST.
Postmaster of Wilkes-Barre from October. I'm till December, 1825; a leading merchant of the borough for seventeen years; Treasurer of Luzerne County in I>16; Treasurer of the Wilkes-Barre Bridge Company, 1916- 1%, and one of the first Wilkes-Barreans to engage in the miniug and marketing of anthracite coal.
ANDREW BEAUMONT.
mont of Wilkes-Barre, who in later years was one of the best known and most inth ential citizens in north-eastern Pennsy! vania. He was born in 1791 at Lebanon. Connecticut, and died at Wilkes-Barre September 30, 1858. From 1516 to 151 !! he was Prothonotary and Clerk of the Courts of Luzerne County. In 1822. 1823 and 1850 he was one of the Repre sentatives from Luzerne County in the Pennsylvania Legislature. From 1820 till 1832 he was Postmaster of Wilkes Barré. In 1832 and again in 1834 he was elected a Representative to Congress from the district which included Luzerne County.
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In 1808, at Wilkes-Barre, occurred that incident which, probably more than any other in the life of our town, tended to bring not only the town but Wyoming Valley to the attention of the general public, and produced results which led to the development of the great natural resources of the valley; whereby, in the years that have since passed, countless millions of money and a vast amount of comfort and happiness have been enjoyed by untold numbers of people.
Wilkes-Barre is the birth-place of the anthracite coal-mining industry! It was here the discovery was made that there existed on this continent such a mineral as anthracite (or "stone-coal" as it was early called). Here anthracite was first used for fires in naileries and blacksmiths' shops; and was thus used for upwards of twenty years be- fore the existence of anthracite in any part of Pennsylvania save Wyoming Valley was
FROM OSCAP & MARIEY'S FORTHCOMING ". STUDY OF WILKES-BARRE ". COPYRIGHTED.
BRIG. GEN. ISAAC BOWMAN.
Member of the Town Council, 1810.'11; Coroner of Luzerne County, 1810-'13; Sheriff of the County, 1519-'22; Recorder of Deeds and Register of Wills of the County, 1830-'36 and 1839-'42; Brigadier General, Pennsylvania Militia, 1821-'28.
known. As early as 1766, again in 1776, and then from time to time during the ensuing thirty-two years, boat loads of anthracite were conveyed from here down the Susquehanna to be used in forges and smithies. Here anthracite first came into use as a fuel for domestic pur- poses. In February, 180S, Judge Jesse Fell discovered, as the re- sult of an experiment carried out at his inn (see page 49). that "the common stone-coal of the valley" could be burned in a grate in an ordinary fire-place. without a forced draft: in con- sequence of which it was useful for domestic purposes. Three or four years before Judge Fell made his experiment, anthra- cite had been burned in "a close stove, and also in a fire-place that could be opened and closed at pleasure", by certain experi- menters in the city of Philadel- phia. The results of these Phil- adelphia experiments were evi- dently considered of insufficient importance to be made known to the general public; and so, not
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only the people in Wyoming, but the world at large, remained in ignorance as to the full and true value of "stonc-coal" until they were enlightened by the published results of Jesse Fell's experiment.
The following paragraphs will show to the reader of to-day how, in the year 1810, the four-year-old borough of Wilkes-Barre is supposed to have appeared
FROM OSTAR J. HARVEY'S FORTHCOMING " HISTORY OF WILKES . BAPRE." COPYRIGHTED.
DAVID SCOTT.
Admitted to the Bar of Luzerne County January 3. 1509; President Judge of the Courts of Luzerne County 1818-'38; Burgess of Wilkes-Barre, May, 1821, to May, 1827.
to the eyes of a local scribe of sarcastic proclivities. These paragraphs are from an alleged communication (purporting to have been written by a stranger sojourning in Wilkes-Barre) which was printed in The Luzerne Federalist in the year mentioned.
"Came down into the town; found it regularly laid out-a handsome place-though too many small houses for beauty. Streets terribly muddy-almost impossible to get along I wonder the inhabitants don't have a side-walk, at least, so that foot-people may not have their
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FROM OSCAR J. HARVEY'S FORTHCOMING " HISTORY OF WILKES-BARRE." COPYRIGHTED. THE OLD SINTON STORE-HOUSE.
It stood for many years at the south - west corner of Frank- lin and Market Streets, and was demolished in 1560, in order that the Wyoming [National] Bank building might be erected.
FROM OSCAR J. HARVEY'S FORTHCOMING " HISTORY OF WILKES-BARRE." COPYRIGHTED.
WEST MARKET STREET FROM THE CORNER OF RIVER. From a Photograph taken in 1858.
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WYOMING NATIONAL BANK.
FROM OSCAR J. HARVEY'S FORTHCOMING "HISTORY OF WILKES-BARRE." COPYRIGHTED.
PHOENIX HOTEL, IN 1850.
For many years it was the principal hostelry in the town. It strod on River Street, south of Market and was torn down early in 1865.
FROM OSCAR J. HARVEY'S FORTHECH VO "HISTORY OF WILKES BARRE. " COPYRIGHTED.
WYOMING VALLEY HOTEL. (From a photograph taken in 1868.)
This building was erected in 1565-'66 on the site of the old " Phoenix."
legs pulled out by the roots. *
*
* Walked up to the corner of the place [Public Square]. Saw a meeting-house-good sign, though seldom seen in this county; a court-house; an academy-I guess-with one end fenced in; a jail, probably, judging by the high yard fence. [See page 62.] Four public buildings-religion, justice, knowledge and iniquity. Curious compound ! *
* * Two men rode up from the river; one horse kicked up and threw the rider head and heels in the mud. The people all flocked around just as they do to see dogs fight. Made inquiry and found the man was a Methodist minister. * * *
"After breakfast walked around town. At eleven o'clock went by the Academy-steeple as big as an eel-basket. Saw a number of great, tall boys leaning against the side of the house, gaping and stretching as if for victory. Heard a man talk very loud within-
" ' With what a braying noise he muttered,
And thought, no doubt, hell trembled as he uttered.'
" Returned to my lodgings. Evening pleasant; many people came in, and as they poured down the whisky they drowned out the politics. If they should drink less, talk less and read more wouldn't they understand the subject better? Went up street. Going by the court-house heard a stamping like that in a livery stable in fly time. Made inquiry and found there was a dancing-school kept there."
In a similar strain to the foregoing another scribe-probably it was the same one-some five years later (shortly after the close of the war with Great Britain), wrote as follows concerning Wilkes-Barré:
"The noise of the drum and shrill-sounding fife has ceased in our village. The girls and the boys are getting married, deterred no longer by fears of a militia draft or the terrors of a con- scription. The old women are anxiously awaiting fresh supplies of their former beverage-bohea- and the young ones are as anxiously awaiting the arrival of Mr. Hollenback's waggon, which is to bring up the new calicoes and bonnets. The grog- bruisers are keeping it up at the taverns. Our market-what shall we say of our market, or how describe its improved appearance ! Our market, which during the war was honored only with the presence of dead dogs and cats, fancifully and attractively arranged on the hooks by the mis- chievous, Latin-chopping urchins of the vicinity, now affords many good things for the hungry stomach. We noticed on the last market-day, with no small emotions of pleasure and secret pride, the appearance on one of the stalls of a very fine, fat, whole hen, being the first within our recollection which has been brought to our market unquartered. The novelty of the spectacle, as might be naturally expected, drew a considerable concourse of people. It affords us much satisfac- tion to be able to add that the worthy proprietor met with a ready sale of the hen to a company of gentlemen who afterwards raffled for her; but we have not been able to learn who became the fortunate possessor. * * *
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