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A R V E R N T A S



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REM IN ISCENCES
By O. J. H.
@Ibe imperiai Prešš,
CLEVELAND, O.,
1902.

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C O N T E N T S.
Buffalo to Cleveland e
British War Ships—I813
Shooting of James Bird
The Seminole War
The First Steamboat
How Sound Traveled
The Great Meteoric Display .
Steamboating on the Lakes
Log Cabins in 1840
The Second Adventists
Early Revival Confessions
How the “Indians” Came Down
The First Cider Press .
In the Mexican War .
On the Eureka—1849 .
Told Fifty Years Ago .
The First Whiskey Still .
A Father's Advice .
A Historic Church
Hiring a Boy
Four Young Men e e
Gen. Harrison in Cleveland .
Welcome to Van Buren .
An Eccentric Doctor .
PAGE.
I2
I5
I7
I9
2O
22
24
27
30
33
35
40
4I
45
50
53
55
57.
59
62
4. CONTENTS.
Early Newspaper Competition
Gen. Cass in Cleveland
Kossuth's Reception -
Postoffices and Postmasters .
The Two Boarders º
Jenny Lind, the Songstress .
The Old and the New .
Gen. Scott in Cleveland .
Gen. David L. Wood
Old Artillery Stories .
The Hero of San Jacinto .
Legislative Amenities .
Col. Hayward's Story .
Why Gov. Wood Failed
The First Police Court—1853
Eccentric Irad Kelley .
When Pigeons were Plenty .
A Bad Mistake .
When Money was Scarce
H. B. Payne's Sarcasm
Garfield on State Flags
Deacon Benjamin Rouse .
Three Schoolmates
Returning a Fugitive Slave .
Some Court Incidents .
Lincoln in Cleveland—1861
Taxing the Liquor Traffic
Judge Tilden’s Mistake
Judge Jones When a Boy .
Sunday Newspapers
An Untimely Joke
Morgan and the Masons .
PAGE.
65
7o
73
78
. 80
83
85
QO
93
95
. 97
. IOC)
. IO3
. IO7
. I IO
... III
. II.4
. II.7
. I2O
. I23
. I27
. I30
. I33
. I35
. I38
. I40
. I42
. I44
. I46
'A CONTENTS. 5
PAGE.
Henry in the War . . I49
Capt. “Tom’ Coe . I5I
Army Incidents . . I54
On the West Side . . . . . I56
At the Old Franklin House . . I 59
Running for Congress . I62
A Historical Hall . . I66
The Lost Cows • * g. . I69
Gen. Crowell and the Heisleys . . I73
How the “Federal Plan” Came . I77
A Worthy Pioneer . ISO
The Devil's Doings . I83
Personal and Political . I85
Shooting a Geyser . I89
Why Harry Left the Law . IQI
About a Rich Man . IQ5
That “Poker Legislature” . Ig8
An Ungrateful President . 20I
On a Narrow Margin . . 203
Ancestral Lines . 206
A Joke on Tom . . 209
Effect of Hallucination . 2II
Incidents in Columbus . 2I3
The Forest City Lyceum . 216
The Centennial Council . 220
A Trip to Moscow . 223
The Wheel of Time . 226
Too Much Talking . 227
“The Great Moon Hoax” . 229
A Little Military History . . 232
Why the Affliction . 236
Swapping Stories . 239
Chronological . 244
TO GEN. JAMES BARNETT,
Soldier in peace and war, philanthropic worker,
free giver, and one of Cleveland's most respect-
ed citizens, whom the writer has known for more
than half a century, this little volume is respect-
fully dedicated.
THE AUTHOR,
REM IN IS CEN CES.
Bl-JFFALO TO CLEVELAND.
An account of my trip, when I came to Cleve-
land sixty years ago, may interest some of my
friends, if no one else, and a description of how
the city then looked, from the deck of a steamboat
off its lake front, possibly those who came here
at a much later date will read with some interest.
In 1842, in Hamburgh, a town adjoining Buffalo,
N. Y., where I was living, I heard a great deal
said about the West. Several people in the
neighborhood, about that time, had gone to Ohio,
then considered a long ways off. The more I
heard about the western country the more
anxious I became to go there, but I had no money
with which to pay my passage up the lake.
Capt. Harry Whittaker was then sailing the
steamer Great Western. I had often heard him
1 O REMINISCENCES
spoken of as a good man, which led me to be-
lieve that, possibly, he would give me a chance to
“work my passage” on his boat to Cleveland.
When I asked him if he would do this, he looked
at me sharply, and wanted to know what I could
do. My answer was, “Anything you say.” He
then enquired my name, and when I gave it to
him, he said quickly, “Why, you must be a son of
Alfred Hodge, whom I well knew. Your father
deserved a better fate than to die so young.”
I was then told, when sailing day came to
come on board. When that day arrived, full of
hope, with my few effects, I was on the steamer
early, but the captain said nothing about any
work. When we arrived at Dunkirk, I saw all
the deck hands immediately commence loading
the steamer with wood,
I went on shore and began to help them, but
Soon the captain called out from the upper deck,
“Boy, boy, get out of the way there, or you’ll get
killed.” Not long after, I was told to go below
and get my supper. I informed the captain that
I had brought a lunch with me, which would
serve me through to Cleveland. “Go and get a
REMINISCENCES, I I
warm meal and throw your lunch to the fishes,”
said he. I got a “warm meal,” but the fishes did
not get my lunch. The next morning, Tuesday,
June 12, we came in sight of Cleveland. I stood
on the upper deck of the steamer and from there
first saw the city, which so long has been my
home. Along the lake front was a high, uneven
embankment. The earth, in many places, had
broken away in great pieces and slid toward the
lake, in some cases into it, giving the whole front
an uneven, ragged look. Up and beyond was a
forest, with here and there a white house, or
other building, seemingly peeping from behind
the trees. The city, in that day, from the lake,
had a very picturesque appearance, and no won-
der, considering its forest of trees, was called the
“Forest City.” Seven years before, it had emerged
from a village. It now had a population of be-
tween six and seven thousand; was bounded on
the east by Erie street and on the west by the
Cuyahoga river.
I soon found employment in a printing office,
as a roller boy, at one dollar a week and my
board. Thus, I commenced life in Cleveland.
I 2 REM.INISCENCES.
BRITISH WAR SHIPS–1813.
Said a gentleman discussing the question as to
where the proposed new public buildings should
be located :
“Were they built along the lake front, what a
fine mark they would be for British war vessels in
time of war with Great Britain " This has
brought to mind some facts picked here and
there from old records, about how Cleveland was
once visited by two British war ships.
June 13, 1813, the Queen Charlotte, having
three masts, and the Lady Prevost, with two
masts, about noon, appeared off the mouth of the
Cuyahoga river a few miles away. Soon after
there came up a severe thunder storm which
lasted several hours. The next morning there
was a dense fog and the lake from its banks
could hardly be seen.
When the fog had cleared away, the vessels
had disappeared. The stock of provisions at
Malden, Canada, headquarters of the British
forces, a British deserter reported, had become
short and these vessels were sent with a view to
obtaining a supply in Cleveland. Maj. Thomas
REMINISCENCES. I 3
S. Jessup, of the IQ Regt. of Infantry, with a
small force, was stationed here at the time and
made his appearance on the brow of the hill
fronting the lake. Whether the vessels left be-
cause of the storm, the fog, or the troops, is
unknown.
On the Ioth of September following, the two
vessels composed a part of the British forces
under Capt. Robert H. Barclay, in the memorable
naval battle, when Capt. Oliver H. Perry gained
his great victory. In this engagement the Lady
Prevost carried thirteen guns. Under the galling
fire of the Niagara, after Capt. Perry took per-
sonal command of her, the crew of the Prevost
ran below, leaving the wounded commander
above on deck. A broadside from the Niagara
silenced her battery, and she surrendered. After
the war, in I815, she was sold to a Canadian mer-
chant and did service on the lakes many years.
The Queen Charlotte, the other vessel that ap-
peared off Cleveland, went into action with seven-
teen guns. She was a full rigged ship of two
hundred and sixty tons burden, the second largest
of the British vessels. She was one of the two
I4. REM.INISCENCES].
ships whose fire so soon made a complete wreck
of the Lawrence, the flagship of Capt. Perry,
compelling the commander to forsake her and
go to the Niagara. During the engagement the
rigging of the Queen C harlotte got tangled with
one of the other of the enemy’s ships, and both,
after a raking fire from the Niagara, surrendered.
A white handkerchief placed on the taffrail of
the Charlotte announced the surrender of the
British. After the battle the Charlotte was towed
into Put-in-Bay. Her masts which were dam-
aged in the action, Soon after, in a gale were en-
tirely destroyed. They were replaced by jury-
masts and in the month of May following, Stephen
Champion, one of Perry's spirited officers, the
man who from the Scorpion fired the first shot in
the engagement, took the vessel to Erie, Pa.
Later she was taken to Misery Bay and there
sunk for preservation. Some years later she was
raised, fitted out and sailed on the lakes as a
merchantman. Most of the men on these two
vessels, which a few months before had menaced
Cleveland, were either killed or wounded in the
great battle.
REM.INISCENCES. I 5
SHOOTING OF JAMES BIRD.
In my boyhood there was much talk about
the shooting of James Bird, who fought under
Perry, in the great naval engagement on Lake
Erie. Bird was with Perry on the Niagara, and
having been wounded, was told to go below, but
instead of doing so remained at his post. After
the battle he obtained a furlough and went on a
visit to his friends, near Gowanda, N. Y. Here,
a man named Waterman, in order to secure his
services, assured him the war was over, and his
return unnecessary.
Waterman, after Bird had worked for him
some months, lured him to Erie, a government
post, with the plea that there was money due him
which could be had at that place. Here Bird was
arrested, tried for desertion and ordered shot,
while Waterman pocketed his reward. Com-
modore Perry, at the time, was at Buffalo, but,
as told, hearing of the sentence of Bird, imme-
diately started for Erie, where he arrived only
in time to hear, from a distance, the discharge of
musketry, which sent Bird to his death. Erie, it
was said, on the morning of the execution was
I6 REMINISCENCES.
clouded in unusual darkness. The shooting of
Bird, for many years, occasioned much unfavor-
able comment.
A man by the name of Sabin wrote up the
affair in verse, which children learned, and by
them was often recited in school. Some of the
lines remembered are here given:
Ah! behold and see with Perry,
In the selfsame ship he fights;
See his messmates fall around him,
Nothing can his soul affright.
But behold a ball has struck him,
See the crimson current flow—
“Leave the deck,” exclaimed brave Perry,
“No,” cried Bird, “I will not go.”
So he fought, though faint and bleeding,
Till our stars and stripes arose,
Victory had crowned our efforts,
All triumphant o'er our foes.
But there came most dismal tidings
From Lake Erie's distant shore;
Better if poor Bird had perished
*Mid the battle's awful roar.
REMINISCENCES. I 7
3 y
“Dearest parents,” said his letter,
“This will bring sad news to you ;
Do not mourn your first beloved,
Though this brings his last adieu.”
Sad and gloomy was the morning
Bird was ordered out to die;
Where's the heart, not dead to pity,
But for him will heave a sigh P
Farewell, Bird, farewell forever,
Friends and home you’ll see no more;
Now your mangled corpse lies buried
On Lake Erie's distant shore.
THE SEM.INOLE WAR.
The dispatches from the Philippine Islands
and from South Africa, one week telling us that
the wars in those countries have ended and the
next week relating how some important native
leader, who a short time before had “delivered
himself up,” was again in the field, or had already
ambuscaded his opponents, remind us of the
Seminole war in Florida, which lasted from I835
to I843. -
I 8 REMINISCENCES.
That war was brought to an “end” every little
while, certainly before every important election,
yet it lasted seven years. Some “poetry,” taken
from an old scrap-book, descriptive of how the
war “ended” and still went on, may not be unin-
teresting:
Ever since the Creation,
By the best calculation,
The Florida war has been raging;
And 'tis our expectation
That the last conflagration
Will find us the same contest waging.
And yet ’tis not an endless war,
As facts will plainly show,
Having been “ended” forty times
In twenty months or so.
“The war is ended,” comes the news;
We’ve caught them in our gin;
The war is ended past a doubt—
‘Big Bear' has just come in "
But hush ! Next day the tune we change,
And sing a counter strain;
“The war is not ended,” for, behold !
“Big Bear” is out again.
REMINISCENCES. I9
THE FIRST STEAMBOAT.
Many years ago Mr. Velorus Hodge, of Buffalo,
my uncle, then an old man, visited me in Cleve-
land. He related how just fifty years previous he
had made the passage from Buffalo to Cleveland
on the Walk-in-the-Water, the first steamboat on
the great lakes. He gave many interesting facts
in regard to the building of the steamer and her
first trip up the lake. These facts are here con-
densed into as little space as possible.
The steamer was built at Black Rock, near the
head of Squaw Island, a few miles down the
Niagara river from Buffalo Creek, the mouth of
which then had little the appearance of a harbor,
there being a sand-bar across it which in dry
summer weather could be crossed on foot. August
23, 1818, the Walk-in-the-Water was towed up
the Niagara river by means of fourteen yoke of
Oxen, her steam power not being sufficient to
stem the rapid current. She immediately started
On a trip up the lake, arriving off Dunkirk at 6.30
P. M., and the following morning reached Erie
Pa., where she took on a supply of wood. August
25, she arrived at Cleveland, but did not enter the
2 O REM.INISCENCES.
river, as there was then no harbor. On her ar-
rival, she was greeted with several discharges of
artillery, fired from what was then known as the
“Point,” a high bank, where the old light-house
now stands. Several hundred people gathered at
the public wharf, and at a private wharf owned by
Capt. J. S. Roby, where they gave several rounds
of cheers. She remained at anchor off the mouth
of the river until six o'clock, when she started for
Detroit. Her trip from Buffalo to Cleveland
occupied forty-eight hours. She had a carrying
capacity of about three hundred tons and could
accommodate about sixty cabin, besides a number
of Steerage passengers.
The Walk-in-the-Water went to pieces in a
storm, November 6, 1821, near Buffalo. Thus
came and went the first steamboat on these
Western waters.
HOW SOUND TRAVELED.
Mr. John Doane came to Cleveland in I8OI,
and settled in East Cleveland, where he died in
I898, aged past ninety-nine years. The greater
REMINISCENCES. 2 I
part of his old farm is now owned by Mr. John
D. Rockefeller, and composes the main portion
of his East Cleveland estate—his “Forest Hill”
home. Mr. Doane retained his mental faculties
to the last and read his newspaper without glasses
almost to the day of his death, second eyesight
having come to him several years before. I often
visited him at his home and listened with pleasure
to his recital of events in and about Cleveland in
early days. During one of these visits, in speak-
ing of incidents connected with the war of 1812-
I4, he said: “The noise of the guns in the great
battle at Put-in-Bay, between Capt. Perry and
Commander Barclay, I plainly heard at my resi-
dence, and when the firing ceased I felt assured
in my mind that Perry had won.”
In this connection, to show how sound will
travel on the water, I give an extract from a
manuscript book given me in 1888 by Mr. Ve-
lorus Hodge, of Buffalo, N. Y., then eighty-eight
years old. Says Mr. Hodge: “One day in 1813,
with several other boys, I was picking blackber-
ries in Buffalo on the hill where High street is
now laid out. Suddenly, in a ravine, where the
22 REMINISCENCES.
berries were very thick, we distinctly heard the
firing of cannon. It was the day of Perry's vic-
tory on Lake Erie and the scene of the fight was
two hundred miles away. When I went home
with my berries I told my father how we had
heard the firing of many great guns and the
sound was from up the lake. He said he thought
that the British had landed on the lake shore, not
far off, probably at or near Cattaraugus. But in
a few days news came of the great victory and
we afterwards found out that the battle took
place at the very hour we heard the firing. I
was too young to notice whether or not the lake
at the time was still, but I am quite sure there was
little or no wind on the hill where we were pick-
ing berries.”
THE GREAT METEORIC DISPLAY.
History tells us of many meteoric displays
which have taken place at intervals during the
past two thousand years and more, some of which
created in the minds of the people then living
great fear of immediate personal danger, or were
REMINISCENCES. 23
believed to foretell some evil which was to befall
them in the near future; but there is no record of
any display of this kind so great in magnitude as
that seen November 12-13, in the year 1833.
At that time I was not quite five years of age,
but well remember being called up, about four
o'clock in the morning, to see the wonderful
phenomena. The whole heavens seemed to be
filled with shooting stars, millions darting
through the horizon in every direction. They
produced phosphorescent lines along their course,
while at intervals large fire balls shot forth leav-
ing luminous trains that would remain for some
minutes. The display, probably the grandest
ever seen in the heavens by mortal man, was kept
up until the light of the morning sun put an end
to the view. Some thought the destruction of the
world had commenced, or was near at hand, and
many, it is said, were brought to their knees in
prayer, imploring Divine protection.
No wonder such a display, even a hundredth
part in magnitude, created consternation among
people in early ages.
24 REM.INISCENCES.
STEAMBOATING ON THE LAKES.
As elsewhere stated, the first steamboat on the
lakes was built in 1818. The second, the Su-
perior, was launched in Buffalo Creek, August 16,
1823. A number of enterprising citizens of Buf-
falo, in consideration that the steamer should be
built at Buffalo, agreed that a sand-bar at the
mouth of Buffalo Creek should be removed in
time for the boat to sail when ready. The work
was finished just in time. The Superior sailed on
the lakes many years, after which, in 1845, an-
other steamer, bearing the same name, was built,
which was wrecked in October, 1856. On the first
Superior, Capt. Blake in command, I once rode
from Buffalo to Cleveland.
Fourteen years after the building of this
steamer there were five hundred and eighty-eight
steamboats on the lakes. The carrying trade was
very profitable. It was said that the Madison,
built at Erie, Pa., by Charles M. Reed of that
city, the most notable shipbuilder on the lakes in
his day, earned her entire cost in one season. The
want of care in building this class of boats, lack
of knowledge in managing them, and the haste to
REMINISCENCES. 25
make money, had their natural results. Many
terrible disasters followed.
In 1831, the William Peacock burst her boiler,
scalding to death seventeen persons, besides in-
juring many others. Soon after, the Washington
was wrecked.
June 16, 1838, another steamer, of the same
name, burned near Buffalo, resulting in the loss
of many lives. *
August 9, 1841, the Erie was burned, and over
three hundred passengers were either burned to
death or drowned.
June 17, 1850, the G. P. Griffith was burned,
when there was another great sacrifice of life.
In 1854, the E. K. Collins was burned, the
Garden City wrecked on Lake Huron, and the
Peninsula on Lake Superior.
In 1855, the Baltimore was wrecked on Lake
Michigan.
In 1860, the Gagelle was wrecked on Lake
Superior, the Arctic, in June, wrecked at Huron
Island, and in September, the Lady Elgin burned
on Lake Michigan with great loss of life.
In 1862, the North Star burned at Cleveland.
26 REM.INISCENCES.
In 1863, the Queen of the Lake burned at
Marquette; the Sunbeam, August 28, wrecked off
Eagle Harbor on Lake Superior, and the Pewabic
sunk on Lake Huron.
in 1866, the Traveller burned at Eagle Harbor,
and the Cleveland, in November, went to pieces
at White Fish Point, on Lake Superior.
In 1868, June 21, just after midnight, the
R. N. Rice collided with the bark Courtland, thirty
miles west of Cleveland, and sank in five minutes,
with great loss of life. *
The Atlantic foundered in a gale of wind on
Lake Erie, carrying down nearly all her passen-
gers, the Caspian went to pieces in a storm
at Cleveland, the Northermer sunk on Lake
Huron, the Meteor burned at Detroit, the Lac la
Belle was lost on Lake Michigan, the Ironsides
burned off Milwaukee, the Sea Bird burned on
Lake Michigan, the R. G. Coburn went down on
Lake Huron, and the City of Toledo burned at
Detroit.
These, I think, were all “side wheel” steamers.
Propellers built with more care and perhaps
manned by more experienced navigators, have
REMINISCENCES. 27
now taken their place, so that at the present time
there are but few side wheel steamers on the
lakes, and these making only short trips.
LOG CABINS IN 1840.
In 1840, when Gen. William Henry Harrison
became a candidate for President, the Democrats
charged that he lived in a log house and kept
nothing better to drink than hard cider. This
charge the Whigs took up and used with good
effect to secure the votes of pioneers, many of
whom lived in log houses.
Log cabins sprang up all over the country, in
which large meetings were often held. The
Whigs of Cuyahoga County were alive to the oc-
casion, and early built two cabins, one on each
side of the river. The one on the west side was
dedicated March 18th. It stood on the corner of
Detroit and Pearl streets. The evening of the
dedication the Whigs on the east side, headed by
the Cleveland Greys, marched across the river to
See the cabin and hear the speeches. The cabin
28 REM.INISCENCES.
was built entirely of logs, and had an oak shake
roof. In it on the walls hung strips of dried
pumpkin and strings of dried peppers; a rifle
rested on hooks, while a pouch and powder horn
hung near by. There were antlers on a wooden
peg and the skins of several wild animals
fastened to the walls. A split broom stood in one
corner and in another was a barrel of cider.
After several speeches by local orators, a glee
club sang a campaign Song, one verse of which
W2S .
“Old Tip's the boy to swing the flail,
Hurrah, hurrah, hurrah
And make the Locos all turn pale,
Hurrah, hurrah, hurrah l’’
The “bee” for raising the log cabin on the east
side, which was erected on a lot about where the
Leader building now stands, took place March
20th. The day was rainy, but a barrel of hard
cider near by kept up the spirits of the men. The
towns around contributed the logs. Newburgh
brought a tree, very straight, one hundred and
five feet long. A pole fastened to it had at its
REMINISCENCES. 29
top a flag on which was inscribed “Liberty.” On
one of the logs brought was this inscription:
“With Tip and Tyler -
We’ll bust Van’s biler.”
On another was a keg marked “Hard Cider.”
Opposite the door at the further end was a stump
upon which speakers were expected to stand when
addressing the people. A small black bear was
fastened with a chain to a crossbeam. A rough
drawing on the wall represented an eagle holding
a frog. Van Buren was supposed to be the frog.
The inevitable barrel of hard cider stood in
one corner, while the walls were decorated as
much like the cabins of pioneers as possible.
The dedication took place April 3rd, and there
was more enthusiasm shown than ever before
seen at a political meeting in Cleveland. The fol-
lowing is part of a Song sung at the close: .
“Come Buckeye farmers, one and all,
Hurrah, hurrah, hurrah
Come Hoosiers and Corncrackers tall,
Hurrah, hurrah, hurrah !
Come Wolverines and Suckers, too,
And fight for him who fought for you,
Hurrah, hurrah, hurrah l’”
3O REM.INISCENCES.
THE SECOND ADVENTISTS.
In 1833, the year of the great meteoric display,
Rev. William Miller, of Pittsfield, Mass., began a
special study of the Scriptures, with a view to as-
certaining how much longer the world would last,
and in 1838 promulgated his belief that in Octo-
ber, I843, Christ would make his second appear-
ance and all things terrestrial be destroyed. Mr.
Miller came to Cleveland, where I heard him
preach to a small congregation, evidently, at the
close of the meeting, largely in sympathy with
his views.
The Rev. Charles Fitch, a good speaker and a
man of great energy, became an enthusiastic con-
vert, and in a church situated where the old Court
House now stands, nightly preached the new doc-
trine. He also published a paper called “The
Second Advent of Christ,” in which he gave a
chronological chart of the world and pictures of
beasts explanatory of the prophecies upon which
he based his conclusions. I now have before me
a bound copy of his paper, which I have had for
many years. From it I copy the following: “We
expect the Lord every day. Whether He will
REMINISCENCES. 3 I
permit us to commence another volume of twelve
numbers we know not. Or if He permits us to
commence, it is far more doubtful whether His
coming will be delayed long enough to complete
the volume.”
This, of course, was very discouraging to sub-
scribers, as no promise was given that their
money would be refunded should the paper come
to an untimely end, which Mr. Fitch plainly told
his readers he expected at any moment.
After a time the “Adventists,” as they were
called, built on the west side of Wood street, be-
tween St. Clair and Rockwell streets, a church
particularly suited to their belief. The church
was round, without side windows, but with a
large opening at the top, evidently constructed
with a view to a quick and uninterrupted ascen-
sion when Gabriel’s horn should be blown. “Ad-
ventism” rapidly spread so that there was scarcely
a hamlet where there was not some one or
more persons who believed that the world was
soon to be turned “topsy turvy.”
'Not a few sold their property, often for half 16s
value, or gave it away outright. Many made
32 REM.INISCENCES.
themselves ascension robes, and some of the more
deluded were seen wearing them in the streets,
fearing in their absence from home the Lord
might appear and they not have on their celestial
gowns.
I remember a story being told how a man, on
one of the days set for the final dissolution of the
earth, clothed himself in his ascension garment
and got on top of a hay stack, no doubt thinking
he would thus get the start of other mortals and
arrive at St. Peter's gate before the rush. After
a time it was said the man fell asleep, when some
boys set fire to the hay. Aroused by the flames
darting up around him, as the story went, the
man arose and was heard to cry out in agony,
“O, Lord, thou hast surely come according to
thy promise, but here I am in h-ll, just as my
wife has long predicted.”
The belief in the near destruction of the world
to a great extent passed away, but not until
thousands of these “Adventists” had found
homes in asylums.
REMINISCENCES. 33
EARLY REVIVAL CONFESSIONS.
During the winter of 1839-40 there was much
religious excitement in Cleveland. It was long
after called the “time of the great revival.” The
clergymen holding the meetings urged the new
converts to make a clean breast of their sins—to
confess all their wicked acts. A man engaged in
the mercantile trade was one of those to make a
“clean breast of it.” He admitted that in the
purchase of some cheese, by short weight, he had
cheated a brother man to the extent of $50, but
said he would make restitution. Years after, as
he passed along the streets, I heard youngsters
call out, “There goes old cheese.”
At another of these meetings, after an earnest
exhortation from the Rev. Mr. Avery, a well-
known painter came forward and freely admitted
that in the painting of a fence for “Deacon” Whit-
taker, instead of furnishing the best materials, as
he had agreed to, he had used whiting instead of
lead. The so-called “Deacon,” not a deacon in
any church, hearing of this confession and resti-
tution not being forthcoming, brought suit for
34 REMINISCENCES.
damages, which resulted in a satisfactory settle-
ment. - *
Some time previous to these meetings Gen.
Winfield Scott was in Cleveland and in a speech
related how at the battle of Lundy's Lane he saw
two young men quarreling over a drum, when a
cannon shot from the enemy took the head off
from one, after which the other took the drum
and went on beating it. At this point a man in
the crowd named Hanks, called out, “Yes, Gen-
eral, and I was the young man.” Hanks, of
course, immediately became a hero. The news-
papers sounded his praise. At one of these revi-
val meetings Hanks evidently became “conscience
stricken.” He confessed that he had lied to Gen.
Scott. Soon after he called on Mr. J. A. Harris,
of the Cleveland Herald, and asked to have his
denial published. Said Mr. Harris, with con-
siderable warmth, “You made a fool of the public
when you lied to Gen. Scott, and now you are
making a d-d fool of yourself You should be
thankful to have your name never mentioned
again.”
Many other strange and interesting confessions
REM.INISCENCES. 35
were told as having been made at these meetings,
some probably true, and others quite likely more
or less exaggerated.
*
HOW THE “INDIANS” CAME DOWN.
My brother, Alfred A. Hodge, who died in
Mentor, O., a few years ago, just before his death
related to me the following somewhat interesting
story of an event which took place in Buffalo,
when he was a boy, working at the printer's trade
in that city.
Said Mr. Hodge:
“The log cabin being built on the Public
Square in Cleveland brings to my mind an event
in connection with a similar structure put up in
the city of Buffalo in 1840, when I was a boy. I
was working at my trade in the old ‘Buffalonian’
printing office, whose editor, a little later, was
sent to jail three months for libel, and the build-
ing Subsequently burned to the ground. At the
time of the burning I was sleeping in the third
story and barely escaped.
“Politics in 1840 ran high; the Whigs built a
36 REMINISCENCES.
log cabin on Eagle street, between the old Eagle
Theatre and Main street, on the top of which was
a staff surmounted by a Harrison and Tyler flag.
On the roof of the building was a birch canoe,
fastened in its place at the ridge by stay-ropes.
In the canoe were several wooden images repre-
senting Indians. One night, when a large meet-
ing was being held in the cabin, three boys might
have been seen climbing up as many corners of
the cabin. One of these boys pulled down the
flag, jumped to the ground with it and ran away
as fast as he could. The two others cut the stay-
ropes of the canoe and they too jumped and ran,
each in an opposite direction. The canoe, ‘In-
dians’ and all came down with a crash. The
audience rushed out of the cabin, much amazed
at the noise. The boys soon returned and mixed
with the crowd. They heard many remarks not
very complimentary to themselves. Said one
man, ‘Whoever did this ought to be hung.’ Fi-
nally the audience again entered the cabin and the
‘great outrage was severely condemned in
several speeches and a reward of $50 was offered
for the arrest of the guilty party.
REMINISCENCES. 37
“The boys heard the speeches and began to
realize that it would not be pleasant for them if
found out; so they all took an oath by holding up
their hands and saying, ‘They hoped to die’ if
they told a word on each other, and so the secret
has been kept for many years.
“The real criminal in this work,” said Mr.
Hodge, “was a Mr. Dean, who at the time was
one of the proprietors of the Eagle Street Theatre
and father of Julia Dean, who afterward became
a somewhat noted actress. One evening he
called David Patterson, Bradford Barnes and
another boy about my own age,” said Mr. Hodge,
“into his private office and agreed to give them
$5 if they would pull down and carry away the
flag over the cabin and capsize the canoe. Dean
was a blatant Locofoco and had a great hatred
for the Whigs. The $5 was paid to the boys by
Enos Palmer, another Democrat. The flag that
was pulled down,” said Mr. Hodge, “I afterward
saw hanging in a Saloon. -
“Now,” continued Mr. Hodge, “since growing
to years of reflection, I have always felt ashamed
for knowing so much about this transaction, but
38 REM.INISCENCES.
if St. Peter bars the boys out because of the part
they took, what indeed should become of the men
who instigated the work?”
THE FIRST CIDER PRESS.
Mr. Samuel Dodge, ancestor of the chief Dodge
family in Cleveland, came to the Western Re-
serve late in the year 1797. He was a prominent
man among the early settlers here, and died
greatly respected. During the latter years of his
life he lived in a small house built specially for
him on his own land, midway between the resi-
dence of his two sons, Gen. H. H. and Mr. Geo.
C. Dodge, on Euclid avenue, just west of Dodge
street. Here I often saw him. He was a large,
fine looking man, with florid complexion and an • *
active mind. He was a carpenter by trade, and
at an early date built a barn for a man, taking in
payment a thirty-acre lot fronting on Euclid
avenue, extending north, and through which
Dodge street now runs. The land was valued at
$IOO and was taken because the man had no other
means of paying.
REMINISCENCES. 39
On this land Mr. Dodge set out an apple
orchard and when he began to have plenty of
apples, wanted to turn a portion of them into
cider, but there was no cider mill in the vicinity.
He had a natural mechanical turn of mind and
his genius now became useful. He had two long
logs dug out, after the manner in which water
troughs were made in early days. These he
placed on a gentle slope of ground, parallel to
each other, and the right distance apart, so that
the wheels of his big ox cart might be made to
run one in each trough. The troughs were then
filled with apples, and the cart drawn forward
and back, the wheels grinding the apples into
pulp. The pulp was then pressed by the use of a
long pole, one end of which was placed in a niche
cut in a tree, the middle passing over the pulp
cheese, while the other end was held down by
the weight of a large kettle filled with stones.
When more pressure was wanted more stones
were put in the kettle. Thus Mr. Dodge made
cider to drink and to sell.
4O REM.INISCENCES.
IN THE MEXICAN WAR.
In our war with Mexico, 1846-8, it was my
fortune to be a soldier in the volunteer military
service. The regiment to which I belonged at one
time was stationed on the Rio Grande near the city
of Matamoras. The major of our regiment—
Maj. McCarty—usually got on a spree about once
a month, and when not restrained by the other
officers made things quite lively. It became a
common saying in camp when the tipsy officer was
on one of his periodical sprees, “The major is on
another tear.”
The major had for an orderly a man named
John, who was very exemplary in his habits. One
day, however, with a number of other soldiers,
he went to Matamoras, and as a result of bad
company “got on” a heavy load. Returning to
camp, he meandered in a zigzag manner to his
tent, singing loudly on the way. The major came
to the door of his tent and observing John's hilari-
ous condition, ordered him taken to the guard
house. Said the officer of the guard : “Why
John, what's the matter? This is something new
for you.” “Oh,” said John, with a hiccough,
REMINISCENCES. 4. I
“It’s that d-d major on 'nother t-tear; some day
he'll d-die d-drunk. H-hooray!”
*E=-mºmºmº
ON THE EUREKA—1849.
In 1849, when the California gold fever was
running high, a small vessel—the Eureka—was
fitted out in Cleveland and started out on her way
for the new Eldorado. She sailed down the St.
Lawrence, around Cape Horn, and finally reached
California. On her were some of Cleveland’s
brightest young men. Among them were two
with whom I had attended school and knew well.
One of them landed safely in California, engaged
in mining with eminent success, and finally
drifted into politics. He became lieutenant-govern-
or of California, helped to make California a
free state, and afterwards went to Nevada. There
he was elected to the U. S. Senate, which position
he has held for many years. This man will
readily be recognized as the Hon. John P. Jones.
The other passenger on the Eureka, whom I
knew, was a young man of buoyant spirits, who
in the natural course of events would be expected
42 REM.INISCENCES.
to make his mark in the world. He was the son
of a Presbyterian deacon, and his early training,
it may be presumed, was good. He sailed away
from Cleveland, no doubt full of hope, but he
carried with him a secret which he well knew, if
made public, would be his undoing.
St. Paul’s Church Society was organized
October 26, 1846. July 27, 1848, the corner-
stone was laid for its first church building. The
structure, on the southwest corner of Euclid and
Sheriff streets, was finished in 1849, and August
3d of the same year was burned. That the fire was
the work of an incendiary became apparent, but
“who,” the people asked, “would burn a church P’’
The Eureka, on board of which was the guilty
one, had now got fairly on her way, and no doubt
was thought to be beyond immediate reach, so
the secret, of whom others had some knowledge,
leaked out. Fortunately, the vessel was un-
expectedly detained in passing through the Wel-
land canal, which gave an opportunity for reach-
ing her before she got to sea. Here, Newton W.
Holt, the other young man on the Eureka to
whom I have alluded, was arrested. He was
REMINISCENCES. 43
brought back to Cleveland and placed before the
bar of justice.
At the trial, which soon took place, it came out
that a prize had been offered to the fire company
(then volunteer companies with hand engines),
which, during a certain period of time, should be
first at the largest number of fires, and that Mr.
Holt, who belonged to one of these companies,
had been a leader with some other young men in
setting fire to some old shanties of little conse-
quence and then getting his company first to the
fire; and, thus encouraged by success, he had be-
come reckless and fired the church.
Mr. Holt was convicted and sent to the peni-
tentiary before the Eureka arrived at her destina-
tion. While in prison he studied law, and after
being pardoned, as he was, completed his law
studies. He formed a law partnership with Mr.
Charles Phinney, son of Prof. Phinney, of Ober-
lin. Some years after he was stricken with paral-
ysis and became a physical wreck. “Newt.”
was of a good family and with different sur-
roundings in his youth might have been a success
in life. He died December 22, 1901, aged 71.
44 REMINISCENCES.
TOLD FIFTY YEARS AGO.
For many years Mr. Samuel Dodge, of whom
mention is elsewhere made, kept bees. The story
was told of how one night he had some of his
honey stolen. The next day, it was said, he had
his old horse hitched up and with a lad who was
living with him started out to find the thief. Sus-
pecting several different men he drove from Ong
place to another, stopping at each long enough to
have the young man go and feel of the door latch
and report whether he noticed anything strange.
At the third house, as the story went, the boy re-
turned saying that the door latch appeared to be
all right, but seemed to be sticky. Mr. Dodge, as
told, thereupon immediately exclaimed: “Ha,
ha, the thief, the thief l’ and soon had the house
searched, finding his honey as he expected.
Mr. Dodge had a better education than most
of the men of his day. He had a neighbor who
had taught School and thought he was possessed
of quite as much learning as Mr. Dodge. The
two often disputed over the proper construction
of some sentence one or the other had used
This man and Mr. Dodge held a partnership in-
REMINISCENCES. 45
terest in a sawmill. One day the man in giving
directions how things should be done at the mill,
in his absence, wrote: “This log wants to be
3 y
sawed into 2 x 4 inches.” Mr. Dodge arriving at
the mill soon after saw the directions on the log
and, as it was said, immediately wrote under-
neath: “The log is inanimate; it has no wants.
Use proper language, you d-d fool.”
THE FIRST WHISKEY STILL.
When I first came to Cleveland, and for some
years thereafter, many interesting stories were
being told about the early distilling of whiskey
at this point, and how the Indians when stimu-
lated with “Fire Water” sometimes made things
lively. Some of these traditional events have
gone into history, while others in great part have
been forgotten.
It appears that in the summer of 1797, David
and Gilman Bryant, father and son, had a grind-
Stone quarry at Vermillion, thirty-seven miles
west of the mouth of the Cuyahoga river. In
passing up and down the lake, as they frequently
46 REM.INISCENCES.
had occasion to do in the shipping of grind-
stones to markets in the east, they sometimes
stopped in Cleveland, and evidently here saw an
opening where in the manufacture of whiskey
there was a surer road to wealth than in the busi-
ness in which they were then engaged. The
making of intoxicating liquors in those days was
not, as now, looked upon as a crime, and liquor
was drank openly, without fear of censure from
any one. In the fall of 18OO, the Bryants brought
to Cleveland a still, which they put up at the foot
of Superior lane, and commenced the manufacture
of whiskey. The farmers, evidently, were much
pleased with the new enterprise, as their grain
made into whiskey could be much easier handled
and for the latter there was sure to be a ready
sale. There was a law against selling liquor to
the Indians, but that did not count for much.
At one time, as told, a dispute arose between
two tribes, the Senecas and Chippewas, which it
was feared might make trouble for the white
settlers, so the latter interested themselves in pre-
Serving the peace. They got the aggrieved party
to agree to settle the matter, provided they were
REMINISCENCES. 47
furnished with a gallon of whiskey, to be made
for them by the Bryants, and delivered the fol-
lowing morning. The whiskey, however, was
not made on time, and now two gallons, instead
of one, were required to settle the dispute, which
was delivered the next day.
The story of how Omic, the Indian, extorted
from the sheriff two glasses of whiskey when on
the gallows to be hung for murder, has often been
told. It was said by the whites that after the Bry-
ants put up their still the Indians crossed the river
from the west side, where they mostly lived at
the time, twice as often as they did before.
At one time the Indians bought a quantity of
whiskey for a big “pow wow,” and getting Sober
after the carousal quicker than usual, bitterly
complained that the whiskey sold them had been
watered ; as it appears, it really had been.
At another time, a girl riding a horse in the
woods, was met by a drunken Indian, who de-
manded of her whiskey, and then money. She
escaped from him, but he followed her home. The
girl's mother pushed the fellow over, when jump-
48 REM.INISCENCES.
ing up he snatched from an oven a loaf of warm
bread and ran into the woods.
When peace was declared with Great Britain,
in 1814, it was told the “early settlers,” or a por-
tion of them at least, took a day off celebrating,
and “at night many found a stump convenient to
rest against, or the corner of a fence a good sleep-
ing place.” The “whites,” so far as known, made
no complaint that any Indian that day was
drunk
A FATHER'S ADVICE.
Some years since there was a man in Cleve-
land, still a resident here, whom I well knew
and with whom I still have an intimate
acquaintance, who had an only son, then
about twelve years of age. The father
was very anxious to have his son grow up a good
business man, as he expected to leave him quite
an estate. The son was bright and showed char-
acteristics calculated to inspire the parent's fond-
est hope. When he traded jack-knives he usually
got a better knife than the one he parted with.
REM.INISCENCES. 49
However, one day he bought of a man a lot of
pigeons, and paid for them, as his father thought,
much more than they were worth. When expos-
tulated with for showing such poor judgment, his
excuse was that the man would take no less.
“Yes,” said the father, “but when you purchase
a thing buy at your price and not at the seller's.
Make up your mind what the thing is worth and
pay no more.”
The father at this time had a coop of choice
fowls, among them a game rooster, which the
boy much coveted. One day soon after being so
minutely instructed how to do business, he placed
by the side of his father's plate at the breakfast
table a quarter of a dollar, and when the parent
inquired the reason for its being there, he was told
by his son that it was to pay for the game cock
in the yard. “But,” said the father, “you don't
expect me to sell you a five-dollar rooster for a
quarter P” “Certainly,” replied the youth, “you
told me when I purchased a thing it should be at
my own price, and that’s my price for the bird.”
The boy got the “bird” for the quarter, and with
it another lesson in business problems,
5o REMINISCENCES.
A HISTORIC CHURCH,
On the northeast corner of Erie street and
Central avenue, formerly Ohio street, stands an
old church building, a reminder of Longfellow's
lines:
“In the market place of Bruges
Stands the belfry old and brown;
Thrice consumed and thrice rebuilded,
Still it watches o'er the town.”
True, the old church building referred to has
not been “thrice consumed,” but it has belonged
to three different church organizations, has been
thrice remodeled, and it is now more than three-
score years since it was built. It was erected by
the First Congregational Society in Cleveland,
which came into existence in 1834, with a mem-
bership of thirty-eight.
It was built on land where now stands the
court house, fronting the Public Square. The ex-
pense in building it brought the society badly in
debt. With a view fo raising money to help the
Society out of its financial troubles, in 1842-3 it
was rented, for a portion of the time, to the Sec-
ond Adventists, at whose head, in Cleveland, was
REMINISCENCES. 5 I
Rev. Charles Fitch, a good speaker, and a man
of unbounded energy. He held meetings in the
church nightly, and drew large audiences. His
clarion voice rang out loudly, calling upon the
people to believe that Christ was about to appear,
and that the end of the world was at hand. People
in the congregation often became excited, and
sometimes several would arise at once, crying out
with great earnestness to be saved. In the light
of reason, many of the scenes seemed ludicrous.
One evening, when I was present, Mr. Fitch,
with a passionate display of feeling, called upon
the people to come forward for special prayer.
There was a gallery around the church, except at
the north end, where two stairways led down,
one on each side of the pulpit. Finally, after
much exhortation on the part of Mr. Fitch, a lub-
berly fellow, I well knew, “Tom’ Cotterell, start-
ed down one of the stairways, and when near the
bottom stumbled. Mr. Fitch quickly called out,
“Never mind, brother, it is better to stumble into
heaven than to walk straight into hell.”
Several members of the Congregational Society
became much displeased at what was going on in
52 REMINISCENCES.
their place of worship, withdrew from the or-
ganization, and joined other churches. Finally,
the church building had to be sold, and was
bought by the Second Baptists. It was moved to
the corner of Erie and Ohio streets. The interior
was changed and the whole structure renovated.
Here, the Rev. J. Hyatt Smith, an able and
fluent speaker, preached some four years—1851-5
Pursuing the practice so much now in vogue with
some of our clergymen, he often took for dis-
cussion “live topics.” The church usually was
well filled, and sometimes there was not even
standing room for all who came. Upon one oc-
casion, I remember, when the church was full,
after Mr. Smith had finished his remarks, he
asked another clergyman, who was present with
him in the pulpit, to address the audience. No
sooner had the man finished than Mr. Smith arose
and said had he known the brother's views upon
the subject on which he had spoken, he should not
have invited him to speak, as they differed entirely
from what he had been teaching. The clergyman
arose to explain, but Mr. Smith hastily gave out a
hymn. While the choir sang the two clergymen
REMINISCENCES. 53
stood in the pulpit, each holding one side of a
hymn book, one pale, evidently with anger, and
the other livid with excitement. Mr. Smith was
well liked, though he had a quick temper and was
exceedingly sensitive. He had a “call” to Buf-
falo, then went to Brooklyn, N. Y., where he was
elected to Congress, and where some years later
he died.
The Baptists finally sold the church to a Ger-
man church society, since which it has be-
come a business property. It is now a place of
mart. The lower portion has been made into
stores and the upper part into tenement rooms.
Shoes are now mended, meat sold, and beer vend-
ed, and poor people eke out an existence in small
rooms in this old structure, the walls of which
once rang with eloquence and where the end of
the world was proclaimed to be at hand.
HIRING A BOY,
Mr. Moses C. Younglove was a well known
citizen of Cleveland for many years. He became
a resident of the city certainly as early as I84I.
54 REMINISCENCES.
—K.
In 1846 he organized the Cleveland Gas Light &
Coke Co., which first furnished gas in 1849. He
was connected with the company until his death,
being its president for many years. -
The writer well remembers a man asking him
what he should do with some money he had on
hand. Said Mr. Younglove, “Put it into gas
stock; it will be the best investment you ever
5 y
made.” He had a book store and printing office
on Superior street, about where the Leader build-
ing now stands. Mr. Younglove was a man of
ability, and was quite public spirited, but had
Something of a lordly air and bearing, not at all
times agreeable.
Years ago, the story was told how he adver-
tised for an office boy; that a rough looking
youngster came to him for the place, whom Mr.
Younglove rather liked, as he thought he saw in
him a sturdy character, and a boy of intelligence.
Before hiring him, however, as the story went,
Mr. Younglove deemed it best to acquaint him
with what would be expected, in the discharge of
his duties. Said he to him, in conclusion, “When-
ever I clap my hands this way (clapping his
REM.INISCENCES. 55
hands) it will mean for you to come to me at
once.” The boy, it is said, hesitated a moment,
and then looking Mr. Younglove square in the
face, replied, “Yes, mister, and when I shake my
head this way (giving motion to his head) it'll
mean I won’t come.” It is unnecessary to say
that the boy was “turned down”; however, he
grew up to manhood, and became prominent in
business circles. - -
FOUR YOUNG MEN.
In the year 1854, there were four young men
in Cleveland of about the same age, who often
met in a Social way. One was an accountant, one
chief clerk in a large clothing house, another
clerk of one of the courts, and the fourth city
editor of the Plain Dealer. The first Of these
men in time became chief editor of a large news-
paper in Buffalo; the second United States Con-
sul at Lyons, France; the third is now a resident
of Cleveland, and the fourth, what became of him
will be told later. The two first mentioned died
Some years since.
56 REM.INISCENCES.
These four men, for a time, almost daily met
in a small room, late in the afternoon, for a game
of cards, playing as was called “for the drinks.”
There was a place underneath the room from
which the “drinks” were ordered. Three of the
players were sure to call for lemonade, or root
beer, while the fourth was as certain to order
brandy; which, in time, was sure to show its
effects. Finally it was suggested that no alco-
holic liquors should be called for. This broke
up the party; there were no more meetings.
Thirty years later, the young man who had
hastily left the company of his companions be-
cause of the remark about alcoholic drinks,
visited Cleveland. He was then, as he is now,
an Episcopal bishop.
When in Cleveland he was called upon by one
of these old associates, and in the course of con-
versation asked if he remembered the incident
here related.
“Yes,” said he, “I remember it quite well, and
while at the time I was much put out at the sug-
gestion made, possibly it materially changed my
course in life; it certainly set me to thinking.”
REMINISCENCES. 57
GEN. HARRISON IN CLEVELAND.
The Whigs, December 4, 1839, nominated
William Henry Harrison for President, to
be voted for nearly a year thereafter. There
was far greater political excitement in this
contest for the presidency than ever before had
been witnessed in this country. Great meetings
were held by both parties, which was an innova-
tion upon former methods of conducting presi-
dential campaigns.
One of these meetings was held at Fort Meigs,
Wood Co., near the scene of the great military
achievements of Gen. Harrison in 1811-13. Mili-
tary companies from as far as Buffalo were
present. The Cleveland Greys, with its gun
squad, took a prominent part in the great parade.
Gen. Harrison was present and delivered the
speech of the occasion. He returned to his home,
at North Bend, by way of Cleveland, reaching
the city by steamer Sandusky, Saturday, June 13,
7 A. M.
The Greys gun squad, under Sergeant D. L.
Wood, from a high point, at the corner of Water
and Summit streets, fired a salute, while the
58 REM.INISCENCES.
Greys escorted the General to his hotel. A great
deal had been said by the Democrats about the
General’s being an old man. They had repre-
sented him as decrepit in body and mind. He
was then in his sixty-eighth year, the oldest man
ever a nominee for the presidency, but he stepped
from the boat quickly, walked erect, and gave
the appearance of a man much younger. When
asked to get into a carriage and ride to the hotel,
he said he preferred to walk, and did walk there,
half a mile away, most of the distance up hill.
It was thought he wished to show to his
opponents that he was not the physical wreck
they had represented. At eleven o'clock there
were not less than three thousand people in front
of the American House to hear him speak. He
spoke from the balcony nearly an hour, with
much spirit, on the political questions of the day.
Among the things he said was : “It is contrary to
my taste to even seemingly take part in a political
contest in which I am personally interested.”
This campaign was the beginning of speech-
making by presidential candidates, now so
general.
REMINISCENCES. 59
He was followed by Gen. Clarkson, of Ken-
tucky, who was with the General at the battle of
the Thames, October 5, 1813, when the British,
with their Indian allies, were so badly defeated,
and Tecumseh killed. When lauding the
General for his military services, some Democrat
called out, “Why did Gen. Harrison leave the
service before peace was declared?” Col. Clark-
son replied with spirit, “Because there were no
more battles to be fought.”
“In a single battle,” said the Colonel, “he
completely destroyed the enemy in the great
Northwest, and to have remained longer in the
service would have been only for pay.” This
reply brought forth great applause. The General,
the following morning at eight o'clock, break-
fasted with friends on the West Side, and at
nine o'clock took a packet boat on the canal for
Akron.
WELCOME TO VAN BUREN.
July 12, 1842, Martin Van Buren, who the year
previous had been succeeded as President of the
6o REMINISCENCES.
United States by Gen. Harrison, arrived in
Cleveland by a steamer from the west. He was
received in a non-partisan spirit. A battalion,
composed in part by the Cleveland Greys, es-
corted him from the boat to the American House.
In order to show him to the people, the com-
mittee having him in charge took him to the
hotel by rather a roundabout way. The pro-
cession moved from the dock up Superior street
to Water, down Water to St. Clair, along St.
Clair to Ontario, then back to Superior and on
to the American House, where, from the balcony,
Hon. Samuel Starkweather welcomed the ex-
President to Cleveland.
Said Mr. Starkweather: “We rejoice that you
have at length made the visit so long promised
yourself to the people of the West. While, sir,
you have been surveying the wealth and resources
of this mighty West, you must have looked with
pride upon the commerce of these inland waters,
as resulting mainly from the great enterprise of
your native state—the Erie Canal—of which you
were an early and leading advocate. When the
people of New York were afraid to embark upon
REMINISCENCES. 6 I
the undertaking and your Legislature faltered, it
is not to be forgotten that you placed yourself on
the side of the immortal De Witt Clinton, and by
force of your arguments and your eloquence in
the winter of 1817, carried through the Senate of
your state a measure which began and led to the
completion of the Erie Canal. The influence of
your exertions then, you see in the commerce
which now covers these great lakes. Villages
have sprung up on these shores, rapidly growing
into cities as has our own city, which now tenders
you its hospitality. Indeed, we welcome you
most heartily.”
Mr. Van Buren responded in a low tone of
voice, and in an unassuming manner. Said he:
“You have correctly described, sir, the feelings
with which I have looked upon the commerce of
these lakes. Nothing can be more true than the
opinion you have expressed in regard to the in-
fluence which the Erie Canal has had upon the
West. You have done me justice, sir, in the part
which you have allotted to me in the passage of
the law by which that great work was author-
ized.” Mr. Van Buren then thanked the citizens
62 REMINISCENCES.
for the cordiality extended to him, when an hour
was spent shaking hands with the distinguished
visitor. The writer well remembers the pleasant
smile the ex-President gave him as he shook his
hand, remarking, “I am glad the boys come to
see me, as well as the men.”
In the evening a reception was given to the
ladies and they called upon Mr. Van Buren in
great numbers. They appeared to be very much
fascinated with him, and the remark was fre-
quently heard, “What a pleasant man he is.”
After the reception, at eleven o’clock, he was
escorted back to the steamer, the Fairport, and
soon left for Buffalo.
AN ECCENTRIC DOCTOR.
In 1849, I first came to well know Dr. Horace
A. Ackley, then a well-known character in Cleve-
land. The doctor was somewhat eccentric and
attracted a good deal of notice. He was a large,
well-proportioned man, full six feet in height,
angular in appearance and careless in dress. He
was ugly as a tiger toward a foe, but gentle as a
REM.INISCENCES. 63
lamb with a friend. He was at the head of the
medical profession in Cleveland, and considered
the foremost surgeon in this section of the coun-
try. Be it said to his credit that when cholera
became epidemic in Sandusky, he was one of the
first to respond to the call for physicians. There,
to the afflicted he freely gave his time and often
his means. -
In 1854, Dr. Proctor Thayer, and another
young Cleveland doctor, were arrested one night
while in the act of digging in Erie Street Ceme-
tery for a “subject.” When the case came before
the Police Court, Dr. Ackley appeared and as-
sumed all the responsibility. Said he, “Fine me
if you like, but not the boys, for they did only
what I told them to do. The body they were
after was that of a pauper from the Poor House,
who had no friends. The man served no good
purpose in life and his body was justly forfeited
to medical science—for the benefit of the living.”
The young men, however, were each fined $25,
but the clerk of the court was directed to issue
no execution, and the record now shows that the
fines were never paid.
64 REMINISCENCES.
The story was often told of how Dr. Ackley
Once upon an occasion was called to set the limb
of a man which had been dislocated, and after
a few moments’ work, having set, the joint, told
the man the charge for his services was $IO,
which the fellow objected to paying, saying the
charge was exorbitant. The doctor thereupon,
it is said, replied, “Well, I will put things right
back as they were, and charge you nothing,” but
as he started to carry out his threat, the man
cried out, “Oh, don’t, doctor; I'd rather give a
hundred dollars than have you do that.”
One day the doctor, accompanied by a student
and his dog, went out into the country hunting,
when meeting a farmer on whose land the men
were trespassing, they were ordered off. Said
the man, “If you don’t go I’ll shoot your dog.”
Said the doctor, “You shoot my dog and I’ll
shoot you !”
The man shot, and so did the doctor, who now
hurried home. A few hours later, when he had
cast aside his hunting suit and put on quite dif-
ferent clothing, a man, apparently suffering from
great pain, called at his door saying he had been
REM.INISCENCES. 65
directed there to get some shot taken out of his
back and legs. The doctor and his student, it
was said, spent several hours extracting shot, for
which the farmer was charged $25, he not for a
moment suspecting that they had been put in his
body by the doctor, who during his treatment
had expressed for the man great sympathy and
a hope that the fellow who had been guilty of the
dastardly act of shooting him might be speedily
found.
EARLY NEWSPAPER COMPETITION.
Way back in the fifties, perhaps reaching into
the forties, when Mr. J. W. Gray was editor of
the Plain Dealer, and Mr. J. A. Harris editor of
the Herald, there was great strife each year be-
tween the two papers to be first in printing the
President's message. During a Whig adminis-
tration, the editor of the Herald, who was a
Whig in politics, got permission from the post-
office department to open a mail bag in transit,
some distance from Cleveland, and take from the
pouch a copy of the message, which on a fleet
66 REM.INISCENCES.
horse was quickly conveyed to the Herald office,
and thus the Herald was enabled to appear with
the message in its columns even before the Plain
Dealer had received its copy. This led to an
angry discussion between the two papers. The
Plain Dealer charged the editors of the Herald
with rifling the mail; with filing off the lock on
the mail pouch with a “rat-tail file.” Soon a
libel suit was brought by the Herald against the
Plain Dealer. In one of the issues of the Plain
Dealer Mr. Gray claimed he could prove all he
had said, except perhaps, a “three-cornered file”
had been used instead of a “rat-tail file,” as he
had charged ; but if anyone could send him a
rat, with a tail which was three-cornered instead
of round, his defense would be complete. During
the controversy the word “liar” frequently passed
between the two papers and the readers of each
concluded that both were telling the truth.
While this was going on one day the Plain
Dealer had a local item saying that Mr. Richard
Hilliard, a prominent merchant in the city, that
morning had started for New York. Soon after
the appearance of the paper, Mr. Gray met Mr.
REMINISCENCES. 67
Hilliard on the street, when the following con-
versation is said to have taken place:
Mr. Gray: “Why “Dick,’ in my paper today
I have said that you had gone to New York, as
you told me you were going; for God’s sake
don’t let Harris see you here; if you do, I’m
undone; he will prove me a liar,” to which Mr.
Hilliard is said to have responded ; “Gray, I did
expect to get away this morning for New York,
but could not. As for you and Harris, from what
I read in your papers, I believe you are both liars,
but to save you in this instance I will go home
where I will stay out of sight until I can get
away in the morning.”
Mr. Hilliard “got away” in the morning and
with him he took, as Mr. Gray used to tell, a
bottle of good old port, furnished at the expense
of the Plain Dealer editor.
GEN. CASS IN CLEVELAND.
Gen. Lewis Cass was nominated for President
at the Democratic National Convention, at Balti-
more, May 25, 1848. Soon after, he resigned his
68 REMINISCENCES.
seat in the United States Senate and left for his
home in Detroit, Mich. June 15, 2 P. M., he
arrived in Cleveland from Buffalo on the steamer
Hendrick Hudson. The first appearance of the
boat was made known by the firing of a single
gun on the bank of the lake, by the Cleveland
Light Artillery, and as the steamer came near the
harbor a general salute was given.
The General was escorted to the New England
Hotel, on the corner of lower Superior and Mer-
win streets, over which the viaduct now stands.
He rode to the hotel in an omnibus, preferring
the omnibus to a carriage. Mayor Kelsey rode
with him. Gov. Reuben Wood introduced him
to a large concourse of people who had assem-
bled, saying in substance that the General would
give his views upon the subjects of slavery, har-
bor improvements and other questions of the day.
Now, if there were any questions upon which
Gen. Cass did not wish to speak, slavery and
harbor improvements were two of them. The
North had a growing feeling against slavery,
while the South was committed against harbor
improvements, certainly those of an internal char-
REMINISCENCES. 69
acter. Leading men of both parties were “strad-
dling” on these questions. Gen. Cass immediately
realized the position in which he had been placed
by the injudicious remarks of Gov. Wood. Be-
fore the cheering with which he was greeted as
he arose had subsided, he commenced his speech,
saying: “The noise and confusion which pre-
vails in this vast assembly will, I apprehend,
prevent my being distinctly heard by those
present. Some allusion has been made to prin-
ciples and measures which agitate the public
mind. I can but refer you to my votes as re-
corded, and sentiments as heretofore expressed
upon these questions. My acts for forty years
are before the people and if these are not suffi-
cient to satisfy the public, all I could now advance
would be mere delusion.”
The remark of the General about “noise and
confusion” preventing his being heard was taken
up by Whig papers and speakers, and used with
great effect. They claimed that the “noise and
confusion,” of which he spoke, was only an ex-
cuse for keeping silent upon questions he dared
not discuss. During the balance of the cam-
7o REMINISCENCES.
paign many a Whig speaker raised a loud laugh
by commencing his speech: “I fear the noise and
confusion is so great I cannot be heard.”
It has been claimed that Gen. Cass' speech
upon this occasion was the chief cause of his
defeat. Gov. Wood was greatly blamed and
sometimes called “an old fool” for putting Mr.
Cass in the position he did.
KOSSUTH'S RECEPTION.
Fifty years ago (Jan. 31, 1852) Louis Kossuth,
the great Hungarian patriot, visited Cleveland.
In 1837, Kossuth, then thirty-five years of age,
was tried for treason and sent to prison for four
years. In 1848, he became the head of a revolu-
tion against Austria. The Hungarians were sig-
nally victorious and the Emperor of Austria was
about to be driven from his throne, when Russia
with great armies came to his aid. The Hun-
garians were finally defeated and Kossuth took
refuge in Turkey. From here he was conveyed
by a United States war vessel to Gibraltar. He
landed in New York December 5, 1851. No man
REMINISCENCES. 7 I
since Lafayette, in 1824, was ever given such an
ovation in this country. At Pittsburgh he was met
by a Cleveland committee, consisting of John C.
Vaughan, J. W. Gray, M. C. Younglove, Wm
Slade, Jr., and Dudley Baldwin.
The party arrived in Cleveland Saturday, 6:30
P. M., and were escorted to the Weddell House
by several military companies and other Organi-
zations. On Monday, II A. M., he addressed the
people from the balcony of the American House,
and at 3 P. M. spoke in Melodeon Hall. The hall
was crowded to its utmost capacity full an hour
before the time set for the orator's appearance.
To the rear of the stage was a large banner,
brought by men who had come from Lake
County, upon which was represented the Ameri-
can eagle and the English lion tearing out the
vitals of the Russian bear, while the Austrian
hyena stood snapping in the distance. Hon. Sam.
Starkweather introduced Kossuth in an eloquent
speech and when the latter arose there was pro-
longed applause. Kossuth, standing about five
feet eight inches high, finely proportioned,
dressed in black cassimere pants, rich black velvet
72 REMINISCENCES.
frock coat buttoned high, with a gold gilt sash to
which was hung an elegant sword, was the pic-
ture of a valiant knight.
He spoke in English with a foreign accent. It
was said that he could speak six languages. He
spoke at considerable length, giving thrilling
points in the history of the fight his country had
made for liberty. He was greatly applauded at
the end of many well-rounded sentences. He
closed with these words: “I stand upon the
shores of that lake where Commodore Perry
built his fleet and led it to victory. You know the
motto on his union jack, on board the Lawrence,
Captain Lawrence's heroic words, ‘Don’t give up
the ship.” People of America, don’t give up the
ship of national independence surrounded by the
Barclays of despotism and the Perrys of liberated
nations.” Here the applause became deafening
and lasted several minutes.
Rev. Dr. Aiken, of the Old Stone Church,
spoke for the clergy. The meeting showed
greater enthusiasm than ever before had been
seen in Cleveland. Not one of the committee-
men or the men who took a prominent part in it
are now living.
REMINISCENCES. 73
POSTOFFICE AND POSTMASTER.
In 1805, October 22, Elisha Norton was ap-
pointed postmaster at Cleveland, then a small
hamlet, with a white population of twenty. He
was the first to serve in that capacity. Resigning,
he moved to Portage county and was succeeded in
May, 1806, by John Walworth, who the month
before had arrived at the settlement. Mr. Wal-
worth held the office until his death, in 1812. The
office was first kept by him at his residence on
the north side of Superior street, near . Water
street, and afterwards in a small frame structure
built for him about 1809, where the American
House now stands. Mr. Walworth, upon his
death, was succeeded as postmaster by his son,
Ashbel W. Walworth, who continued the office
in the same little building. The next to hold the
office was Daniel Kelley, commissioned in 1816,
who resigned the same year, and was succeeded
by Irad Kelley, who held the office fourteen years.
He moved the office to his own building, a brick
structure, the first in Cleveland, on the south side
of Superior street, where Bank street has lately
been extended. Daniel Worley became post-
74 REM.INISCENCES.
master in 1830, and moved the office to the north
side of Superior street, between Bond and Seneca
streets. From here it was removed to Levi John-
son’s building west from the Weddell.
In 1840, when Gen. Harrison became Presi-
dent, the office was given to Aaron Barker, but
the following year he was removed and Benjamin
Andrews appointed. The latter was willing to
follow the fortunes of John Tyler, the Whig
apostate, who succeeded Mr. Harrison, which Mr.
Barker would not do. Those of that day now
living cannot have forgotten the lampooning
given Mr. Andrews almost daily by Gray of the
Plain Dealer. Mr. T. M. Spencer succeeded to
the office in 1845. Then, in 1849, came Daniel
M. Haskell, who moved the Office into the “Her–
ald Building,” a new structure, still standing on
the east side of Bank street, just north from
Superior street, which when built had Mr. O.
Cutter's auction store on one side and Benjamin
Harrington's livery stable on the other. This
location drew from Editor Gray a very caustic
article in his paper. Mr. Haskell, in 1853, was
succeeded by J. W. Gray, who moved the office
REMINISCENCES. 75
to a building in which he was interested, on the
west side of Water street, second building south
from St. Clair street. The people at this time
became much interested in securing for Cleveland
a government building where the postoffice might
be permanently kept.
In 1855, the authorities at Washington ap-
pointed a committee, Mr. Gray being made one of
the members, to select a locality. A majority of
the committee reported in favor of building on
the so-called Case property, where the postoffice
lately stood. Mr. Gray, however, favored build-
ing, first, where the old “Atwater” then stood,
second, where the office then was, and third, on
the Case land. December I came a dispatch
from Washington that Mr. Guthrie, Secre-
tary of the Treasury, had decided to locate the
building on land between the Public Square and
Seneca street, extending from the northern
boundary of the lots fronting on Superior to the
narrow street at the side of the Court House now
fronting Seneca street. This created quite a
commotion. Said Mr. Gray in the Plain Dealer:
“The Case lot we thought was bad enough. The
76 REM.INISCENCES.
chief objection to that was, that it was dragging
the commercial business half a mile away from
its center, too far away from the river, and too
far away from the West Side; but the location
reported as selected is far worse for many rea-
sons.” Mr. Guthrie was either overruled, or the
report in regard to him a canard.
The building on the Case property was com-
menced late in 1856, and finished early in 1859.
In 1857, Mr. Benjamin Harrington succeeded
Mr. Gray, and since then the postmasters have
succeeded each other as follows: Edwin Cowles,
Geo. A. Benedict, John W. Allen, N. B. Sherwin,
Thomas Jones, Jr., W. W. Armstrong, A. T.
Anderson, John C. Hutchins and C. C. Dewstoe.
THE TWO BOARDERS.
In the fall of I855, two newly married couple
were boarding in a small house still standing on
the south side of Hamilton street, near the cor-
ner of Wood street. This part of the city then was
a favorite residence section. One of these young
men, whom I will call “Matt,” one evening gave
REM.INISCENCES. 77
a wine supper at an expense of about $30, which
in those days was a good deal of money for a
man depending on an ordinary salary. The
other young man, whom I will call “John,” was
one of the guests. Of course all had a good time
and “Matt” was complimented for furnishing so
fine an entertainment. A few days later, when
at the dinner table, “Matt” wanted to know of
“John” why he did not give a supper. The re-
sponse was, “Because I can’t afford it,” to which
“Matt” replied, “I guess it is because you are
too stingy.” John answered back, “Well, call
me stingy if you like, but I would rather save
my money and have some when I am old; yours
then will be all gone.”
Time passed on. One of these men, and I
need not say which, was a frequent attendant at
the theater; he went to all the balls, drove a fast
horse, gave expensive suppers and was called a
jolly good fellow. The other lived well, but was
prudent, economical, husbanded his resources,
put his spare money in a savings bank where it
would earn something, and finally accumulated
a sufficiency for life. A few years since he visited
78 REMINISCENCES.
the city infirmary, and there saw his old boarding
house acquaintance, a sickly, decrepit old man,
being fed at the public expense, for which the
“stingy” man was being taxed. The question of
wine suppers was not discussed.
JENNY LIND, THE SONGSTRESS.
Who, old or young, has not read or heard
about Jenny Lind, who sang in Cleveland half a
century ago? Mr. P. T. Barnum, the great show-
man, brought her to this country under an en-
gagement to give one hundred and fifty concerts.
She landed in New York in September, 1850.
The sale of seats to her first concert was made at
auction. A New York hatter paid $600 for first
choice. It proved a great hit for the enterprising
merchant. His hats became all the rage and his
outlay for a concert ticket made him rich. Miss
Lind’s share in the profits of her first concert
netted her $10,000, all of which she gave to the
poor of New York. She went from the East to
Albany, and from there to Buffalo, where I heard
her sing in the largest church in the city. October
REM.INISCENCES. 79
20, 1851, she arrived in Cleveland from Buffalo
on the Mayflower, and put up at the Weddell
House, where she remained over Sunday, and
then went south.
November 6 she returned and the next evening
sang at Kelley's Hall, which had been fitted up
so as to give seats to I, I25 persons. The first
two rows next to the stage were sold at $3 each;
the next fourteen rows at $4, and then nine rows
at $3 each. Seats in the gallery brought $3, while
the balance of the seats in the hall were held at
$2. Many of these seats were sold by speculators
at double their original price.
At the concert, Miss Lind wore a costly white
Satin gown, with roses on her breast and in her
hair. She was not handsome, but had a pretty
way which took well with the audience. She
first sang that inspired aria of the immortal
Haydn, “Our Mighty Pens.” Then came her
“Gypsy Song”; afterwards the “Bird Song” and
“Jo Anderson, My Jo.” She closed with the
famous “Echo Song.” *
She gave ninety-five concerts under the man-
agement of Mr. Barnum, when she took advan-
8o REMINISCENCES.
tage of a clause in her contract and severed her
connection with him. No woman in this country,
before or since, ever received such flattering at-
tention as did this songstress.
The following lines are remembered as having
appeared in one of the newspapers of that day:
“A meteor shot across the sky
While Jenny stood star-gazing;
And none could tell the reason why
Of such a wondrous blazing.
“”Tis very plain—fair Jenny's fame
Had mounted to the sky—
And the starry choir shot forth their fire
Her notes ran up so high.”
smºsºm-º-mm-
THE OLD AND THE NEW.
St. Paul’s Church Society has made a good
deal of history. Nothing daunted by the burning
of its church in 1849, elsewhere spoken of, in
1851, it erected a fine brick house of worship on
the site of the wood church which had been
burned, corner of Euclid avenue and Sheriff
street. In 1874, when the land in that locality
REMINISCENCES. 8 I
§
had risen greatly in price and that section of the
city was fast becoming a business center, it was
deemed best to look for new quarters and so the
old church property was sold for $1 I5,OOO and a
new church built on the corner of Euclid and
Case avenues, a fine stone structure with a belfry
containing a good sized bell. When the bell was
put up, for some days thereafter it was kept ring-
ing a good share of the time, somewhat annoying
Mr. J. H. Wade, whose residence was on an
opposite corner. Finally Mr. Wade agreed to
contribute to the church $100 a year, condition-
ally that its bell should not be rung. Said the
then church pastor: “In early times when there
were scarcely any clocks, it was necessary to ring
a bell or beat a drum to tell the people when to
assemble, but now there are clocks and watches
in every house, and church bells are no longer
essential ; people without a bell to call them go
to the theater at the right time and why may
they not go to church?” This settled all dis-
putes and the bell, except on One or two special
occasions, has not been rung for many years.
When Mr. Don Cameron and Miss Lizzie
82 REM.INISCENCES.
Sherman were married in the church, some years
ago, a special dispensation was given for the
ringing of the bell, and the janitor being paid $5
for pulling the rope, the bell that day appears
to have been under double pay—Mr. Wade pay-
ing by the year for its silence and Mr. Cameron
during a day of the same time for its noise.
The old church on the corner of Euclid avenue
and Sheriff street was sold with a stipulation that
it should be taken down, fear being expressed
that the “House of God” might be put to some
bad use. The bricks were used to build a block
on the corner of Erie and Ohio streets, in which
below, Soon after completion, were two saloons,
while above was a hall where Cyprians danced
in revelry, and have continued to for many years.
People in passing the building, knowing it had
been built out of St. Paul’s Church, and to what
purpose it had now come, may have thought that
they saw in the color of the bricks a deeper crim-
son hue than when they were in the old structure,
but if they did, probably it was only imagination
REMINISCENCES. 83
GEN. SCOTT IN CLEVELAND.
In 1852, Gen. Winfield Scott, commanding
general of the United States Army, was the Whig
candidate for President. Just before his nomi-
nation Congress had made it his duty to select
a place for the building of a military asylum.
This gave him an excuse, if one was wanted, to
make a trip through the country. September
2O, when the political excitement of the campaign
was at its height, he appeared in Cleveland. He
was escorted to the American House by the Light
Artillery companies of Cleveland and Ohio City,
the Hibernians, the Yagers, City Guards and the
“Churubusco Boys.”
Immediately after arriving at the hotel he
appeared upon the balcony. He had a command-
ing appearance, being about six and a half feet
in height, well-proportioned. He began his
speech with an apology for having ridden from
the depot, sheltered in a carriage from the rain,
while his friends had tramped in the mud. Soon
an Irishman was heard to call out, “Hurra fer
Gineral Scott,” when the General, looking in the
direction from which the voice came, responded,
84 REM.INISCENCES.
“I hear that rich Irish brogue. I love to hear it.
It makes me remember the noble deeds of the
Irishmen, many of whom I have often led to
5
battle and to victory.” This brought forth many
cheers, while a few Democrats called out
5 y
“Blarney.” In another speech while on this tour,
under similar circumstances, he spoke of his love
for the “sweet German accent.” The two were
coupled together and repeated in derision by his
opponents through the balance of the campaign.
During the afternoon of the General’s stay in
Cleveland most of his time was taken up receiv-
ing callers. The writer was presented to him
as one who had been in the Mexican war, when,
with a hearty shake of the hand, he remarked,
“You boys did good fighting and have a warm
place in my heart.” The General was exceed-
ingly affable to , all and tried to make friends,
but his efforts to please were so marked that they
brought ridicule rather than votes. The follow-
ing day, amid the cheers of his friends and the
booming of cannon, he took a train for Columbus.
Among the political songs of that year the
following verse from one of them is remembered:
REMINISCENCES. 85
“Our gallant Scott has made his mark
On many a bloody plain,
And patriot hearts beat high to greet
The Chief of Lundy’s Lane;
And Chippewa, in classic ground,
Our British neighbor, knows
And if you hear of later deeds
Go ask in Mexico l’’
“Hurrah hurrah 1 hurrah |
For Scott and Graham true;
They are the boys to lead the fight,
17,
The boys to win it, too
GEN. DAVID L. WOOD.
In September, 1839, there came to Cleveland
from Buffalo a young printer—Mr. David L.
Wood—who was imbued with a good supply of
military spirit. He had belonged to “Fay's Bat-
” of Buffalo, and served with it at the
time of the so-called “Patriot War.” Soon after
arriving in Cleveland he joined the Cleveland
Greys and organized their gun squad, which be-
came the nucleus, in 1855, of the first Cleveland
Light Artillery company. He served as com-
tery,
86 REM.INISCENCES.
mander of the gun squad and captain of the
artillery company sixteen years.
When the Civil War broke out he was quarter-
master-general of the state, having been ap-
pointed to the position by Gov. Chase, and con-
tinued in service by Gov. Dennison. The office
now became one of great responsibility. Military
supplies of every kind had to be purchased and
men were rushing to Columbus to sell all kinds
of war materials. On one occasion a large quan-
tity of powder was offered to the state. Said
Gen. Wood to the agent, “Is your powder gov-
ernment test?” The reply was, “Well, I hardly
think it is, but in a time like this the state should
not be too particular.” “Sir,” said the General,
“the state wants no back action powder; it wants
ammunition to kill the enemy, not our own men.”
At another time an attempt was made to sell
the state a lot of old cannon balls, and when Gen.
Wood learned their size he quickly said to the
man, “You know very well that the balls you
offer will fit none of our guns, and I assure you
the state will not go into the manufacture of guns
to suit the size of a few balls.”
REMINISCENCES. 87
One day a party wanted to sell some “fine steel
3.
sabers.” Gen. Wood grasped the handle of one,
placing the point on the floor and with his foot
bent it nearly double. It did not spring back as
steel would have done. The subject was dis-
missed with the remark, “Indeed, that would be
a d-d fine weapon with which to arm men
going into battle.” As Gen. B. R. Cowan, of
Cincinnati, once said of Gen. Wood, “He had a
large surplus of fortiter in re, but he had a de-
plorable deficit of the suaviter in modo.
A few months after the war commenced he
resigned his office as quartermaster-general and
went to the front. In the fierce battle of “Stone
River” he was badly wounded. A year or more
after, having been in the service some three years,
he was retired on account of disability. Return-
ing to Cleveland he was elected a Justice of the
Peace, having before the war served two years
as City Marshal.
While serving as a justice, he gave a decision in
conflict with a ruling of the Supreme Court.
which was cited. The case was appealed, and in
the lower courts he was held to be wrong, but the
88 REMINISCENCES.
Supreme Court said he was right and the former
holding of the high tribunal, an error.
During his absence in the war a bill was in-
troduced in the Legislature to pay him a balance
due from the state for services. The bill passed
the Senate, but was killed in the House by a
member with whom, when he was quartermaster-
general, dispute had arisen Over a contract. In
1875, fourteen years after Gen. Wood resigned
as quartermaster-general, he received a check
from the Auditor of State for $1,837, balance
found to be due him for services, unpaid this long
number of years. The general died in 1881.
OLD ARTILLERY STORIES.
The old Greys’ “gun squad,” which Capt.
D. L. Wood organized in 1839, and which in 1845
he formed into an artillery company, the first in
Cleveland, which continued in existence so many
years and which at the beginning of the Civil
War, with five other artillery companies, Gen Bar-
nett led to the front, is full of interest, and some
REMINISCENCES. 89
of the incidents connected with it are remembered
because of their amusing character.
September Io, I847, the company was at Woos-
ter, O., where there was a military encampment
In a procession the Cleveland Light Artillery had
the post of honor, being followed next behind
by a company of cavalry under Capt. Jones.
These two companies, while crossing a meadow
getting some distance in advance of the rest of
the column, Capt. Wood ordered a halt. Capt.
Jones from the rear was soon heard to call out,
“Capt. Wood, for God’s sake move on 1’’ This
was followed by a bewailing cry, “We are over
a bumble-bees' nest.” It was readily seen that
the bees were getting in their work, as the cavalry
horses were rearing and pitching in every direc-
tion to the great discomfiture of their riders, and
the whole company was in commotion. Capt.
Wood, rising in his stirrups, shouted back, “A
nice lot of soldiers, to be put to flight by a few
bees I’’ However, his sides shaking with laughter,
he ordered his company to “move on.”
February 22, 1855, Capt. Wood, or Major
as he had now become, had under his command
90 REM.INISCENCES.
four brass field pieces. As the company was
passing down Superior street, so the story went,
one of the artillerymen was asked where the com-
pany was going, to which reply was given, “We
are going to cross the Cuyahoga river in boats,
in imitation of Washington crossing the Dela-
ware.” “But,” said the enquirer, “the ice in the
river is a foot thick.” “Never you mind,” said
the hero of many unfought battles, “that is all
being looked after; we now have ten men on
the river breaking up the ice.” The man now
wanted to know if it was proposed to take the
guns across in boats, and the reply quickly
came, “Washington took his over the Delaware
in boats and you can bet that we will take ours
over the Cuyahoga the same way.” With this
assurance the man, it was said, hurried off toward
the river.
THE HERO OF SAN JACINTO.
Henry Clay, one of this country’s great states-
men, twice a candidate for President, died in
Washington, June 29, 1852. His remains on
REMINISCENCES. 9I
their way to Lexington, Ky., reached Cleveland
from Buffalo on the steamer Buckeye State.
Wednesday, July 7. The steamer's flags were all
bordered in black. As she approached the har-
bor the Light Artillery company, under Capt.
D. L. Wood, fired minute guns. A part of the
escort consisted of six United States Senators,
Gen. Sam Houston, of Texas, being one of the
number. July 15, Gen. Houston again visited
Cleveland on his way back to Washington. This
was the year of the presidential contest between
Gen. Winfield Scott and Gen. Franklin Pierce.
Mr. J. W. Gray and other Democrats urged Gen.
Houston to make a political speech, but he would
only promise to do so at a later date.
He came again in September, at which time he
wore a broad-rimmed slouch hat, and a vest made
from the skin of a Texas wildcat, with the hair
on the outside. Said he, “Wildcats in Texas are
about as big as panthers. The one from which
this vest was made followed me some ways in
the woods and kept getting nearer, when I came
to the conclusion that the company of a dead cat
was better than a live one.”
92 REM.INISCENCES.
September 6 he was advertised to speak in
Kelley's Hall at “early candle light,” but the hall
being too small to accommodate the people, the
meeting was adjourned to the Public Square.
Here, from the balcony of the Forest City House,
Mayor Brownell introduced him to a large assem-
bly. Said he, “The Whigs claim great credit for
Gen. Scott because he led our army to victory in
Mexico, yet he had under him IOO,OOO men, 787
of whom were either killed or wounded in the
battle of Molino del Rey, the exact number of
men I had with me at San Jacinto, when with a
loss of thirteen men I put the whole Mexican
army to flight, captured its commander, Gen.
Santa Anna, the head of the Mexican govern-
ment, and forced a recognition of the indepen-
dence of Texas.” -
Gen. Houston was an eccentric character. At
one time he was governor of Tennessee. Soon
after being elected he married a lady of distinc-
tion, and three months later separated from her,
resigned his office, and went among the Cherokee
Indians, where he lived three years. He then
drifted into Texas, made it a republic, became its
REMINISCENCES. 93
president, was afterwards one of its senators,
and then its governor, resigning the latter office
at the beginning of the Civil War, rather than
take an oath to support the Southern Confed-
eracy. While in Cleveland he was an object of
great interest.
LEGISLATIVE AMENITIES.
During the Civil War I had occasion, for a
time, to make Litchfield County, Conn., my home.
The war drew me into politics—not a very hard
thing to do—and in 1864 I became a state sen-
ator. Among the members was a young lawyer,
who was disposed to take up a good deal of the
Senate's time in talking. He was a fluent speaker,
but his reasoning far from profound. One day
when advocating the passage of a bill providing
more men for the war he was asked why he did
not himself enlist—show a little patriotic spirit.
A few days later the bill came up for final pas-
Sage. The young Senator went into a long pane-
gyric and talked with much animation about
liberty, and great struggles for country. He
94 REM.INISCENCES.
glorified the men at Thermopylae for their valor
against the Persians; the Greeks for their fight
against the Turks, and the English for their strug-
gle for “Magna Charta.” After wading through
ancient, medieval and modern history in the old
world, he crossed the water to his own country
and finally drifted to the subject under considera-
tion. In conclusion he averted to the charge
made that he was lacking in patriotic blood.
Said he, “One of my great ancestors was killed in
a colonial war against the Indians; my great
grandfather fought with Washington at Trenton,
and my grandfather was wounded on ship-board
in the second war with England.” Soon as he had
closed, a senator from one of the rural districts
a “peace Democrat,” arose and complimented the
gentleman who had just spoken on the fine show-
ing he had made of his ancestors. “But,” said he,
“the member's connection with the patriots he
has mentioned reminds me of what the Irishman
said of his potatoes—the best part is under
ground !’”
Another somewhat interesting event in legis-
lative life in that state comes to my mind. In the
REMINISCENCES. 95
next General Assembly there was a senator, very
aggressive in his manner, who one day got into a
wordy altercation with a brother member and get-
ting the worst in flings which the two were throw-
ing at each other, finally in a loud tone of voice
shouted out: “I want the gentleman to under-
stand that I am his peer in this body.” Said the
senator thus addressed : “My answer to the mem-
ber is found in the lines of a poet:”
A serpent saw an eagle gain
On soaring wings a mountain's height,
And envied him, and crawled with pain
To where he saw the bird alight.
So fickle fortune often while
Befriends the cunning and the base,
And oft the grovelling reptile
Climbs unto the eagle's lofty place.”
COL. HAYWARD'S STORY.
In 1847, there was a big “Harbor and River”
convention held in Chicago, the object of which
was the securing from Congress of larger appro-
priations for improving the harbors and rivers
along the lakes.
96 REMINISCENCES.
. Representatives were sent from all the large
lake cities, and there was much public enthusiasm
over the subject. Quite a number of military
companies were present, the Cleveland Light Ar-
tillery company being one of the number. The
return trip of this company was made interesting
by a boat race, the particulars of which were
given me by Col. W. H. Hayward.
Said the Colonel: “About 2 p. m. the steamer
Empire, Capt. Randall, left Chicago for Cleve-
land, while at a later hour the Sultana, Capt. Ap-
pleby, upon which our company was returning,
started on her way. The Sultana reached the
little harbor at Manitou island just as the Empire
was leaving. It was found that Capt. Randall
had played a sharp trick on his rival, Capt. Apple-
by, by carrying away all the wood on the dock,
twice as much as he needed and usually
would have taken. Capt. Appleby was
much perplexed for he could not run without
wood to fire his furnaces and make steam.
Soon, however, it was discovered that
there was a pile of wood, a full supply for the
boat, but a short distance away. All the passen-
REMINISCENCES. 97
gers on the steamer, soldiers and citizens, J. W.
Gray, editor of the Plain. Dealer, I remember as
one of the latter, immediately set to work carry-
ing wood, and in just thirty-one minutes we had
on the steamer thirty cords. Away we went after
the Empire. A member of our company cut out
of some red and black cloth representations of
four aces, which he sewed on a sheet, and when
we passed Capt. Randall's vessel the sheet was
unfurled from a mast. Wood was thrown
towards the Empire, to show that the Sultana had
wood to spare.” “I tell you,” said the Colonel, as
he laughed over his remembrance of the event,
“we had a jolly time.”
WHY GOV. WOOD FAILED.
Hon. Reuben Wood, of this county (Cuyahoga),
who was governor of Ohio from 1850 to
late in 1853, when he resigned to accept a more
lucrative office, was a tall, well-proportioned man,
slow in movement, and of little magnetism, but
was considered a man of ability, and an honest
98 REM.INISCENCES.
jurist. Up to 1852, he had been very successful
in politics. That year the National Democratic
convention had great difficulty in selecting a can-
didate for president. When it became apparent
that none of the avowed candidates could be
nominated a “dark horse” was looked for, and
Gov. Wood seemed to be a favorite. Several dele-
gations had given him their votes, and to secure
his nomination he only seemed to need the solid
support of his own state. This undoubtedly
would have given him thenomination. Hon. H.V.
Wilson, Editor J. W. Gray, of the Plain Dealer,
and Gen. H. H. Dodge, delegates in the conven-
tion from Cleveland, however, all held out against
him. They were earnestly entreated to favor a
man from their own county, but nothing could
sway them from their set views.
The “dark horse,” Franklin Pierce, a man little
known and less thought of for president, became
the nominee on the forty-ninth ballot, and was
elected, carrying every State in the Union, except
}
two in the north and two in the south.
One day while employed on the Plain Dealer
as “Local Reporter,” I asked Mr. Gray why it
REMINISCENCES. 99
was that the Cuyahoga delegates would not Sup-
port Gov. Wood. Said he: “Because he is a
Hunker, and had he been made president, he
would have been entirely, under the influence of
the ‘Hunkers.’” The name “Hunker” was then
used to designate one of the Democratic factions
in New York and was being applied to a lot of
Democratic politicians in Cleveland, who had be-
come very troublesome to the better element.
With these men Gov. Wood often counseled and
they seemed to have over him an unnatural in-
fluence. I knew these “Hunkers,” Often called
“Old Hunkers,” well. They were a bad lot, and
how Gov. Wood got into their toils was a mystery
to the better class of politicians. In thinking of
them I am reminded of a bird spoken of in the his-
tory of ancient Greece, the Hireau, a bird of prey.
It had no particular place of abode, no known
place for nesting, but flew over the country, strik-
ing with its talons bird, or beast, large or small
and sucking its blood. Thus it was with these
“Old Hunkers;” they had no more conception of
political principles than a duck has of philosophy,
but sought for prey only. After succeeding to
IOO REM.INISCENCES.
control one or two conventions they passed from
view.
Strange to relate, Gov. Wood took in as a law
partner one of these men, “Little Bill Abbey,” as
he was called, a hair brained, dissolute fellow,
who a few years since died in the infirmary. Gov.
Wood in his latter days, like poor dog Tray, cer-
tainly fell into bad company and he thereby lost
the presidency.
THE FIRST POLICE COURT-1853.
The State Legislature, I852-3, gave to Cleve-
land an entire new municipal code. All the old
offices were legislated out of existence and new
ones for the entire government of the city created.
Both parties—Whigs and Democrats—nominated
tickets to be voted at the election in April. A
number of prominent men, not satisfied with
either ticket as a whole, put forward a “Union
Ticket,” composed of men selected from the two
tickets. The men who brought out the “Union
Ticket” called themselves, in a letter they issued
to the public, “Friends of order and sobriety.”
REMINISCENCES. I O I
On this ticket was A. C. Brownell, for mayor;
James Fitch, for city solicitor; O. J. Hodge, for
police clerk; J. B. Bartlett, for city auditor, and
Michael Gallagher, for city marshal, all Demo-
crats and all of whom were elected. Of the Whigs
on the “Union Ticket,” Wm. Hart, for city treas-
urer, and one or two others running for minor
positions, were the ones successful. John Barr,
for police judge, and Bushnell White, for city
prosecutor; candidates on the Whig ticket only
were among the successful candidates, only suc-
ceeding, however, by small majorities, that of Mr.
White being seventy-six, the least of any candi-
date. Thus the first police court became officered
by a Whig judge, a Whig prosecutor and a
Democratic clerk.
The court was organized May 17th (1853), and
held its first session in a second story room on
the north side of Superior street, a few doors east
from Seneca street. Within a year, however, it
was moved to a new court house, a small brick
building with court room above and cells for
prisoners below, on Johnson street, near Water
Street.
I O2 REMINISCENCES.
From the first there was little harmony among
the officers. An incident pending the election
had created an estrangement between the judge
and clerk which did not heal, while the judge and
prosecutor often had animated disputes. Judge
Barr, though not a man of enlarged views, was
honest and died greatly respected by a large
circle of friends. Prosecutor White was an able
lawyer and a fine speaker, but—well—had he been
a woman and lived in Rome in the day of Julius
Caesar, he could not, according to Shakespeare,
have been Caesar's wife.
The term of office of the clerk was three years,
while that of the judge and prosecutor was for
only two.
When the terms of the two latter expired they
were succeeded, the first by Seth A. Abbey and
the second by Albert T. Slade. After their election
there was no further discord among the court
Officers. Judge Abbey was a large, genial, florid-
faced man, whom everybody liked. He served as
police judge, four terms. Mr. Slade, the prose-
cutor, was a young man of brilliant attainments,
and his death, Some years later, caused great sor-
REM.INISCENCES. IO3
row to a large circle of friends. Capt. D. L.
Wood, the newly elected city marshal, also an
officer of the court, was “rough hewn,” but very
energetic in the discharge of his official duties.
One day he saw Mr. J. W. Gray, editor and
proprietor of the Plain Dealer, deposit in the
street some office sweepings, which the janitor had
failed to care for, and promptly placed him under
arrest. The editor expostulated, but to no pur-
pose. Said the officer, “Gray, you’re a big man
up in your editorial room, where you have been
squibbing me, but down here emptying dirt in the
street, you only size up with other people.” Gray
was fined $3 and costs, which greatly delighted
the Cleveland Herald.
ECCENTRIC IRAD KIELLEY.
Mr. Irad Kelley for very many years was a
prominent character in Cleveland. He inherited a
small property, which he managed well, added to,
and in time became a man of considerable means.
In 1814, he and his brother erected the first
ro4 REMINISCENCES.
brick building in Cleveland, which then boasted
of having twenty-four residence and business
buildings. Before 1830, Mr. Kelley was village
postmaster for many years. He was a man of
about medium size, perhaps a little below the
average, had rather a sharp face, and in his latter
days his head was nearly bald. His movements
were quick, and as he hurried about the street was
sure to attract attention. Everybody knew
“Irad.” His eccentricities were quite observable.
Several times, of his own volition, he was an
independent candidate for congress. I remem-
ber, once at least, he carried one or more of the
wards, and perhaps also some one or more of the
townships. After the election Mr. Gray, of the
Plain Dealer, in a mirthful article insisted that
Mr. Kelley was the real representative of the parts
of the district he had carried, and in all matters
pertaining to them should be consulted rather
than the congressman-elect. In fact, that it was
the duty of Mr. Kelley to go to Washington when
congress met, and remain there during the ses-
sion. Mr. Kelley, when any matter came before
the public for consideration, was always sure to
REMINISCENCES. Ió5
be on the “off side.” At one time he “hung” a
jury for two days, and succeeded in preventing
an agreement. When asked why the jury did not
agree he replied, as the story went, “I agreed at
once, but the other eleven hung out; they were
the most stubborn lot of fellows I ever met.” It
was said that the foreman of the jury in giving
an order for meals, called for ham and eggs for
eleven men and a bale of hay for one mule.
In 1854, a fence was put around the Public
Square which very much displeased Mr. Kelley.
In passing through the inclosure in a direction
where there was no opening he was sure to
jump the fence. Just before the spring election,
I855, he got out a large poster calling a meeting
at the old Court House, which stood on the
southwest section of the Public Square, to
nominate a municipal ticket, to be composed of
men opposed to the fence, to which he so much
objected. The court room was filled with
people to witness the fun which was expected.
Mr. Kelley was called to act as chairman.
A committee, of which I was chairman, was
appointed to make up a ticket. While the com-
Ioé REM.INISCENCES.
mittee was out much amusement was created by
the offering of various resolutions. Mr. Buch-
anan had just been nominated for president, and
knowing that there were many more Democrats
out of office than there were in, thought to make
a point by proclaiming in favor of rotation in
Office. This was caught up by some one at the
Kelley meeting, who proposed this: “Resolved,
that we believe in rotation in office; rotation
from a poorer office to a better one, as ex-
emplified in the whole political career of James
Buchanan.” This hit brought great applause,
. Soon after which the committee on nominations
made its appearance. The proposed ticket was
read off commencing at the bottom with con-
stable, for which some of Cleveland’s most prom-
inent men were named. So on up, persons were
selected for office beneath their consideration or
for which they were well known to be unfit. Fin-
ally the time for naming a man for mayor came,
when with due gravity the chairman said the
committee after much reflection and great labor,
had come to the unanimous conclusion that the
exigencies of the times, and the important prob-
REM.INISCENCES. Io 7
lem to be met, called for the nomination of the
Hon. Irad Kelley.
Mr. Kelley who for some time had been sitting
apparently uneasy in his chair, for about the first
time in his life, realized that he was being made
the butt of ridicule, and he left the meeting much
as though he had been shot from a gun.
WHEN PIGEONS WERE PLENTY.
For some unknown years previous to 1842, and
for at least fifteen years thereafter, Lake and Ash-
tabula counties, and probably other sections of
country adjoining on the east, were a great breed-
ing place for wild pigeons. In the early summer,
when the young birds began to fly, they migrated
westward and flew over Cleveland in great num-
bers; often many thousands in a single day. As
might be expected of young birds, their flight was
low, in fact so near the earth that many were
killed with clubs and long poles. Every old shot
gun, at this season of the year, was sure to be
in service. There was a law then, as there is now,
IoS REMINISCENCES.
against the discharge of firearms within the city
limits, but it was little regarded. -
I remember how in 1854, Mr. Caleb Hunt,
a photographer, doing business in the upper story
of a building just west of the Forest City House,
was arrested for shooting pigeons from the roof
of the building where his business was carried on.
A policeman, by forcing a door, reached the roof,
where he found Mr. Hunt, gun in hand, with a
number of dead pigeons in a pile near by. Mr.
Hunt admitted to the Officer that he had been
shooting, but when brought before the police
Said the judge,
5 y
judge, pleaded “not guilty.
“Did you not admit to the policeman that you
were guilty P” To this Mr. Hunt replied, “Yes,
your honor, but I can bring a dozen men here
who will swear that they would not believe me
under oath.” “Well,” said the judge, “take your
choice, prove yourself a liar, or pay a fine.” He
paid a fine.
In 1842, a youth, fourteen years of age, with
whom I was intimately acquainted, and have well
known ever since, with a gun he had borrowed
from Capt. D. L. Wood, stood in an oak grove on
REMINISCENCES. Io9
the southwest corner of Erie street and Euclid
avenue, firing away at pigeons. On the opposite
corner, where the Hickox building now stands,
there was a grove of beech and chestnut trees, and
here Mr. Richard Hilliard and another prominent
citizen were bagging birds as fast as they could.
Mr. James Lawrence, the city marshal, came
along where the boy was, and in a very per-
emptory manner ordered him to stop firing. Said
the young man, “Why don’t you stop the men
over there?” The marshal replied, “That's my
business, give me any of your sass and I will
take you to the lockup.” He passed on down
street, in no way molesting the men on the other
COT1161.
Eleven years later, in 1853, the young man was
a delegate in a political convention. Mr. Law–
rence, and Michael Gallagher, prominently long
known in Cleveland, were candidates before the
convention for city marshal. The young man
whom Mr. Lawrence had threatened to take to
the “lockup” naturally voted for Mr. Gallagher,
who was nominated by one majority. Byron, in
Mazeppa, well says:
I IO REMINISCENCES.
“For time at last sets all things even,
And if we do but watch the hour,
There never yet was human power,
Which could evade if unforgiven,
The patient search and vigil long,
3.
Of him, who treasures up a wrong.’
A BAD MISTAKE.
Back in 1856, when colored men had few rights
which white men seemed bound to respect, and to
be an Abolitionist was little less than a crime,
the negro was usually denied lodgings at the best
hotels. Some time in this year Mr. Frederick
Douglass, the negro orator, came to Cleveland to
deliver a lecture, and while here was given ac-
commodations at the Forest City House. The
event gave the hotel considerable notoriety, of
such a character as might have been expected in
those days.
Soon after Mr. Douglass' visit, when nearing
Cleveland on a Lake Shore train, I was accosted
by a dark complexioned man, who asked me if I
could direct him to a good hotel in the city. I
REMINISCENCES. - I I I
answered him, saying I thought the Forest City
House would be a good place for him to go—that
Mr. Douglass had lately been received there, and
I had no doubt well treated. This was said as I
was passing to the front of the car. On my re-
turn the man called out to me in an angry voice:
“Say, Mr., what has Fred Douglass got to do with
my stopping at the Forest City House? Do you
think I am a d-d nigger?”
I afterwards found that the man was a south-
ern planter, and I did not wonder at his swearing
a little because of my mistake in supposing him,
as I did, to be a mulatto.
WHEN MONEY WAS SCAR CE.
For about ten years after the financial panic of
I837, there was a great scarcity of money, not
only in Cleveland, but throughout the country.
Trading was mostly done by exchange of com-
modities. Land was often paid for with work,
or something of value other than money. The
laborer was generally paid with an order on some
store. The merchant often paid for his advertis-
J I 2 - REM.INISCENCES.
ing with goods; orders being drawn on him for
the same. A storekeeper, knowing goods were to
be paid for on an order, was sure to add not less
than twenty per cent to the cash value. This was
occasioned because the merchant usually was
obliged to wait some time before realizing on his
orders, and for the further reason that often he
had to give the maker a certain percentage.
Persons known as largely trading on orders, to
avoid the merchants’ excessive charges, sometimes
would send an unknown person to make pur-
chases for them, the order not being presented
until the price of the goods had been given. This
often would greatly provoke the seller. Many an
interesting story was told of how some sharp
housewife outwitted a merchant, getting goods
on an order at cash price.
The block of brick houses now seen on the east
side of Bond street, at the corner of St. Clair
street, was built by a merchant doing business on
Water street, and long was known as the “Calico
Block,” because the work on it was largely paid
for in orders given on the builder's store.
In Weathersfield, Conn., a church, still stand-
REM / N/SCENCES. II 3
ing, was erected, which it is even now often told,
was built with onions, because the people who
had little money made their contributions almost
entirely in onions. Onions then, as now, were
a staple product in that town. In those days
it was about all a man could do to get money
enough together to pay his taxes. In this con-
nection, I am reminded of an incident which
came under my observation early in the forties,
which will illustrate the manner of dealing in
those days. At that time, and for many years
thereafter, there was a prominent firm in the
city known as “Whitelaw & Marshall, saddle and
harness makers.” Mr. Geo. F. Marshall, now of
Rockport, aged nearly ninety, was the junior
member. The firm in its dealing with a farmer,
agreed to take of him a load of wood. An order
for the Wood was given by the firm to the Cleve-
land Herald in payment on a bill for advertising.
At this time M. C. Younglove & Co. owned a
power press, the first in the city, and was doing
the press work of both the Herald and Plain
Dealer. The Herald turned the wood order over
to the Younglove Company to apply on account.
II.4. REMINISCENCES.
The latter now gave the order another turn, and
it went to Capt. D. L. Wood, for work as fore-
man in the Younglove printing office. The farmer
delivered the wood at the residence of the Captain
on Wood street, where I, a boy then living, had
the pleasure of sawing it into stove wood
*smºms
H. B. PAYNE'S SARCASM.
In October, 1847, Hon. H. B. Payne, then in
the prime of life, was elected to the State Senate.
He was the first Democratic Senator from Cuy-
ahoga county. His election was brought about by
a division among the Whigs, a portion of them
going over to what was then called the Free Soil
party. The election throughout the state was
hotly contested and the returns showed that
neither the Democrats nor the Whigs had a ma-
jority in the State Senate. Three or four “Free
Soilers” held the balance of power.
When the senators-elect convened at Colum-
bus in January, in the contest for a presiding offi-
cer the Whigs cast their votes for a Mr. Randall
and the Democrats for Mr. Swift. After several
REMINISCENCES. II 5
days' balloting it became evident that neither of
these gentlemen could be elected. Then there
commenced a strong effort by both these leading
parties to secure the votes of enough of the Free
Soil members to give them success. The “Free
Soilers,” however, stood solid together. In one of
the senatorial districts there was a contest. A Mr.
Johnson, Democrat, held the election certificate,
while the Whigs contended that a Mr. Broadwell
had been fairly elected. The question as to
which of these men should be recognized was the
important point in the choice of a presiding
Officer.
Finally the Democrats agreed with the “Free
Soilers” that one of their number, Hon. H. G.
Blake, should be elected president of the body,
provided he would recognize Mr. Johnson, the
Democratic contestant, until the question as to
who was entitled to the seat should be settled by
the Senate. Mr. Blake agreed to the arrangement
and was duly elected. He recognized Mr. John-
son as a Senator-elect, according to his agreement,
but a few days after Mr. Broadwell rose in the
Senate and was also recognized. This brought
II 6 REMINISCENCES.
Mr. Payne to his feet. He called attention to the
fact that the constitution of the state provided
for thirty-six senators, but the presiding officer
had recognized thirty-seven. Mr. Payne, continu-
ing, spoke with great vehemence, declaring the
course of the presiding officer an outrage and de-
serving of the severest censure. He closed amid
great excitement. As he was taking his seat, he
was heard to remark in an undertone: “Such a
president is not fit to carry entrails to a bear.”
Soon afterward a recess was taken, when Mr.
Blake and Mr. Payne chanced to meet. It is said
that at this meeting the following spicy conversa-
tion took place:
Mr. Blake: “Mr. Payne, I understand that
after your speech today you made a very uncom-
plimentary remark in regard to me, and I think
you ought to apologize.”
Mr. Payne: “Sir, what am I charged with
saying?”
Mr. Blake: “Your words were, as I am told,
‘Such a presiding officer is not fit to carry en-
trails to a bear.’”
Mr. Payne: “Sir, I believe I did use some
REM.INISCENCES. II 7
such language, but upon second thought I am
satisfied I was mistaken ; I apologize; you are fit
to carry entrails to a bear, and I think you had
much better be engaged in that occupation than
presiding over the Senate. Good day, sir.”
The two senators knew each other no more,
The following day Mr. Blake resigned his posi-
tion as presiding officer.
GARFIELD ON STATE FLAGS.
Late in the year 1860, Ohio, under the supervis-
ion of Gen. D. L. Wood, of Cleveland, then
quartermaster general of the state, built at Co-
lumbus a state arsenal. When it was finished
Generals Wood and Carrington, the latter being
adjutant general of the state, had made what
they were pleased to designate, a “state flag,” the
body of which was white, and the center a repre-
sentation of the state coat-of-arms. This the two
generals pointed to with pride as it floated over
the new arsenal.
On the 17th of January following, the Typo-
graphical Union of Columbus gave a banquet in
II 8 REMINISCENCES.
honor of the one hundred and fifty-fifth birthday
anniversary of Benjamin Franklin. At the ban-
quet one of the sentiments offered was this:
“The ladies, our stars before marriage, our
stripes afterwards.”
Capt. Reamy, a southerner by birth, was called
upon to respond, which he did, much surprising
the audience by going into a tirade on state's
rights. He lauded the Palmetto flag of South
Carolina and closed as follows: “You may talk
of your power and your strength; you may call
back Ohio’s sons from the wide world, and send
them forth to desolate the fair and sunny fields of
the South, but you can never subjugate her.
When you demand of me to join this band I will
not respond to your call.”
While Capt. Reamy was speaking, Hon. James
A. Garfield, then a member of the State Senate,
sat apparently uneasy in his chair. Soon he was
called to respond to the following:
“A union of hearts, a union of hands,
A union of States, none can sever;
A union of lakes, a union of lands,
And the flag of our Union forever.”
REMINISCENCES. II 9
Said he “Ohio, thank God, has and knows
but one flag—the stars and stripes—that emblem
of unity of states, which now waves over her cap-
itol, her halls of justice, her asylums and her edu-
cational institutions. The sons of Ohio will come
forth from the wide world, to defend and uphold
that flag, and should a day of conflict arise, be it
with foreign or domestic foes, she will not ask
assistance from those who believe in other flags
and harbor in their hearts treason to the
republic.”
This was received with tremendous applause.
Most of the speeches of the evening had been
written out beforehand, and the next morning
appeared in the Columbus papers. The remarks
of Mr. Garfield, however, not having been fur-
nished the reporter, did not appear. Those of
Capt. Reamy were left out because, as the Ohio
State Journal said: “They were not furnished
and were an insult to a great majority of the
audience.” -
Generals Wood and Carrington, after Mr. Gar-
field had said “Thank God, Ohio has but one
flag,” were seen smiling at each other. Their
I 2 O REMINISCENCES.
“state flag” was never again hoisted, but the next
day in its place was seen that flag which a mil-
lion of men soon rushed forth to defend, Generals
Wood and Carrington being among the number.
DEACON BENJAMIN ROUSE.
One of Cleveland’s well known citizens in early
days was Mr. Benjamin Rouse, in later years bet-
ter known as “Deacon Rouse.” He came to
Cleveland in 1830, and stayed his first night at
Merwin's Tavern, on the southeast corner of
Superior and South Water streets. A few years
later he purchased the land where now stands the
Rouse block, on the northwest corner of Supe-
rior street and the Public Square. Here he
erected a 'small building which was painted white,
and never had any other color. In the upper part
of the building Mr. Rouse and his family lived,
while the lower part was used for a store, and for
a time at least, occupied by Mr. N. C. Hill, who
there kept a stock of groceries.
About this time the Cleveland Greys had a
banner printed, representing the company at
REMINISCENCES. I 2 I
ease on the Square, near Mr. Hill's store. The
store, with Mr. Hill's name over it, appeared on
the banner. Mr. Hill, among others, was asked
to make a contribution for the benefit of the com-
pany, which his refusing to do gave offense to
the Greys, and thereupon Mr. Hill's name was
obliterated upon the banner, and Superior street
put in its place.
About 1844, Mr. Rouse purchased of Mr.
T. H. Nichols, a house and lot on the west side of
Wood street, into which he moved and lived the
balance of his life. Dr. John Wheeler, one of the
earliest homoeopathic physicians in Cleveland, a
man of great ability, father of Dr. A. W. Wheeler,
now of this city, had his office for several years
in rooms Mr. Rouse had vacated, when he moved
to his new home.
In 1844, the present Rouse block was built. An
iron staircase on the side fronting the Square was
put up with the building, which the city authori-
ties deemed an infringement on the street and it
was taken down. Thereafter the stairway in the
end of the building was built. The width of the
building was so narrow that the stairs had to
I 2.2 REM.INISCENCES.
be made very steep. The fact that they are steep
has long been realized by the tenants, but prob-
ably they have never known why they were so
built.
Mr. Rouse at an early date was employed by the
American Sabbath School Union to establish Sun-
day Schools on the Western Reserve. I remember
how at a religious meeting, I once heard him
relate some of his experiences while engaged
in this work. Said he, “I was driving along
over a muddy road, my horse on a walk, when
something seemed to say to me, ‘You are a
fool to be spending your time this way.' I pon-
dered a little, but soon realized that Satan was
after me. I said in my mind, ‘Satan, get behind
me!’ and he did, for I went on with my work.”
“I have tried,” said the good deacon, “to keep
him behind me ever since.”
In 1855, he became the first president of the
New England Society. Early in 1858, Mr. Rouse
began building a vault in the Erie Street ceme-
tery. The work did not progress to his satisfac-
tion, and One day he was heard to say, “I shall be
dead before the vault is done,” and it is quite
REMINISCENCES. I 23
probable he really thought so, as his health was
very poor. His anxiety about the vault caused
him to visit the cemetery every laboring day.
Oftentimes he would help at the work. When
the vault was finished, Mr. Rouse’s health had
greatly improved. The long walks he took each
day, with his work and worry, gave him a new
lease of life, and he lived thirteen years longer
not dying until July 7, 1871.
THREE SCHOOLMATES.
In the fall of 1849, at Geauga Seminary (Ches-
ter, Geauga County, O.), I first met Mr. James
A. Garfield, who was then eighteen years of age.
My remembrance of him, as he appeared at that
time, is that of a young man of sturdy character.
His clothes evidently were cut without regard to
any particular style; he wore a soft felt hat, and
his boots were of coarse and heavy make. He
was exemplary in his deportment, his classmates
liked him, and so did the teachers.
Attending the school, at the same time, was
Miss Lucretia Rudolph, who afterwards became
I 24 REM.INISCENCES.
his wife. She was a girl of more than ordinary
beauty, certainly the handsomest girl in the
school. Her form was graceful, her eyes dark
and pleasing, her expression thoughtful, and she
was always well up in her studies. -
There was also, in attendance at the school at
that time, a young man, Albert S. Hall, who with
propriety may be mentioned in this connection.
In size, he was a little below the average of men;
had rather a sharp face and his eyes were black.
He was a bright scholar and the best speaker in
our debating club. At the commencement exer-
cises, July 2, 1850, held in a grove near the Sem-
inary building, both Mr. Garfield and Mr. Hall
were speakers, and it might be considered a ques-
tion as to which of the two was entitled to the
greater honor.
Mr. Garfield had for his subject, “The Era of
Universal Peace,” and the sentiments he uttered
were loudly applauded. Mr. Hall, who followed,
had for his theme, “The True Way to Elevate the
Masses.” He spoke with great fluency, with
much animation and at considerable length. He,
too, was well applauded. This was the last of
REMINISCENCES. 125
these students at this school. The “Hiram
Institute” came into existence that year, and Mr.
Garfield and Miss Rudolph in the fall became
scholars at that institution, while Mr. Hall en-
tered a law office.
While at the Seminary Mr. Hall was some-
what attentive to Miss Rudolph, but not in any
marked degree. Mr. Garfield, certainly from ap-
pearances, was quite indifferent in that direction.
Some time after leaving the school, Mr. Hall and
Miss Rudolph became engaged, but early in 1852
the engagement was broken. Mr. Hall gave me
as a reason for it, that the father of the young
lady, who was an ardent leader in the “Disciple
Church,” insisted that if he married his daughter,
he must become a Disciple preacher, and this, said
Mr. Hall, “I will not do.”
In the language of Scott:
“I cannot say how the truth may be,
I tell the tale as 'twas told to me.”
Just after this event I received a letter from
Mr. Garfield, dated “Hiram, O., April 1, 1852,”
which is now before me, in which he says, “I
I 26 REM.INISCENCES.
occasionally see Lucretia Rudolph and Marinda
Raymond, but they do not attend school this
term. A. S. Hall I suppose has lost his Lucretia
after all, at least so report says.”
Mr. Henry Talcott, of Jefferson, O., a personal
friend of Mr. Hall, July 4, 1883, in a letter to me
speaking of the matter, wrote: “Letters were
returned. I saw many of them. Mr. Hall after-
wards married a Miss Lydia St. John, but was
never a happy man in marriage.”
June 3, 1861, Mr. Hall was commissioned a
captain in the 24th Ohio Infantry. From captain
he was gradually promoted until August II, I862,
when he was made colonel of the IO5th Volunteer
Infantry. He fought bravely in many battles.
March 20, 1863, when commanding four regi-
ments at Vaught's Hill, near Murfreesboro,
Tenn., he received a shot in the forehead, from
the effects of which he died, July Ioth following,
aged 33. A tear to his memory.
REMINISCENCES. I 27
RETURNING A FUGITIVE SLAVE.
Early in 1861 there was great excitement in
Cleveland over the arrest of a fugitive slave,
named Lucy, who October 3, of the previous year,
had escaped from her master, Mr. Wm. S. Gos-
horn, of Wheeling, Va. Lucy was a comely,
dark-skinned, healthy looking woman, twenty-
seven years old, who without the knowledge of
her master had married a free colored man. The
man at the time of Lucy’s arrest was in Canada,
to which point, no doubt, the wife was working
her way. t
January 16, Mr. Goshorn arrived in the city,
and put up at the Weddell House. Having
learned the whereabouts of his “chattel,” Satur-
day at an early hour in the morning, accompanied
by three Deputy United States Marshals, with a
warrant issued by Bushnell White, a U. S. Com-
missioner, he drove to the residence of Mr. L. A.
Benton, then residing at I51 Prospect street,
where Lucy was doing housework. The party
went to the kitchen door, which they found bolted.
The object of their visit, parting the curtains to a
window, looked out and saw her “master,” which
I 28 REMINISCENCES.
caused her to give a shriek. She then hastened to
the sleeping room of Mr. and Mrs. Benton, who
had not arisen. The Officers broke in the door,
and quickly followed. When they attempted to
take the woman into custody she clung to the foot
of a bedstead with all her strength. She was
Soon, however, placed in a carriage and hurried
away. -
The news of her arrest created great excite-
ment, especially among the colored people. Mr.
Wm. Ambush, a colored barber, secured from
Judge Tilden, of the Probate Court, a writ of
habeas corpus in her behalf. Judge Spalding, and
other lawyers, volunteered to defend her, hoping
that, through some technicality, she might be set
free. The court, after hearing the case, how-
ever, held that it could not interfere. The follow-
ing Wednesday the case came up for hearing, be-
fore Commissioner White, when Mr. Goshorn ex-
hibited a bill of sale, showing that in 1852 he had
purchased Lucy for $600. Mr. White thereupon
decided that according to the law of the land the
woman belonged to Mr. Goshorn, and must be
returned to him in Virginia, from whence she had
escaped.
REM.INISCENCES. I 29
The following morning, Thursday, January 24,
I861, two carriages, containing five stalwart
Deputy U. S. Marshals, appeared at the Rockwell
street entrance to the government building, and
took from the room where she had been kept,
this poor woman. She made her appearance at
the door, with a handkerchief at her face, which
on being removed showed a countenance depicted
with despair. It was evident she had been weep-
ing. To avoid a big crowd, which it was known
would gather at the Union depot, the carriages
were hastily driven to the Euclid station.
At one time the people gathered in great num-
bers around the Court House, and an attempt at
rescue was threatened. Several colored men
were hit with clubs, and a number were arrested.
A woman, Emeline Sous, threw pepper in an
officer's eyes. She was arrested and taken before
the Police Court. The judge fined her one cent.
Lucy was the last slave ever returned under the
Fugitive Slave Law.
I3 O REM.INISCENCES.
SOME COURT INCIDENTS.
Among the mentally strong men of Cleveland,
dating back to the middle of the last century, was
Edward Hessenmueller, better known for many
years as “Square” Hessenmueller. He was a
large man; a truly sturdy German character.
Though litigation enhanced the emoluments of
his office, he discouraged it, nearly always tell-
ing litigants that it was much better for them to
settle their disputes without going to law. Often
he would relate a story of how in the city of
Brunswick, Germany, on each side of a great
stone arch, were two statues of men, one naked
and the other having on only a shirt, under one of
which was the legend, “I had a lawsuit and lost,”
and under the other, “I had a lawsuit and won.”
Another notable character in Cleveland, for
many years, was Daniel R. Tilden, a large,
strong-built man, of bright intellect. He was well
fitted for a much higher position than he ever at-
tained. He would have made a creditable govern-
or of the state, or a U. S. Senator, and men of
less capacity have been President. In 1854, he
was elected Judge of the Probate Court, and con-
REMINISCENCES. I3 I
tinued to hold the office for thirty-three years.
Four times, just after having been elected for
another time, he sent letters to the press, saying
that he should not again be a candidate, but as
often he was re-nominated and elected.
He and Judge Rufus P. Ranney were great
friends and often joked each other. The writer,
Some years ago, was serving on a jury in a case
before Judge Tilden, where Judge Ranney was
one of the litigant’s attorneys. The latter,
in his address to the jury, quoted a decision of the
Supreme Court. Judge Tilden, when he charged
the jury said, “The decision of the Supreme
Court, which has been quoted to you, was one
made by Judge Ranney himself, and I think was
erroneous, as does the learned counsel, as he has
often told me; you will give it such weight as you
think it deserves.”
In 1855, the lawyers of Cleveland gave a ban-
quet to Judge Van Rensselaer Humphrey, presid-
ing judge at that time. The judge was a very large
man, and had a particularly imposing appearance.
When it came his turn to speak he called attention
to the fact that the old constitution provided for
I 32 REMINISCENCES.
two side judges, to act with the one presiding, but
the constitution of I85I had done away with this
side help. Said he, “The old regime was a re-
minder of a Demarara team, two mules and a
jackass. The new constitution, through the wis-
dom of its makers, appears to have done away
with the mules, in this trio of judges, and left the
jackass alone to do the work.”
In 1854, when Judge John Barr was dispensing
justice from the bench of the Police Court, one
day he had occasion to linger with some attorneys
after the business of the court had been disposed
of, and finally left, forgetting to have the marshal
go through the formality of adjourning the
court. Next morning the clerk read off the pro-
ceedings of the preceding day, closing with,
“Whereupon the court took its hat and left.”
“Tut, tut,” said the judge, “What's that?” “The
fact,” said the clerk. The judge was soon con-
vinced that the clerk was right, but said he, “It
will hardly do to have the record read that way,”
nor did it.
REMINISCENCES. I33
LINCOLN IN CLEVELAND–1861.
I first saw Abraham Lincoln in 1858, at the
time of his great debates in Illinois with Senator
Stephen A. Douglas. February I5, 1861, 4 o'clock
p. m., he arrived in Cleveland from Pittsburgh
by the C. & P. R. R., on his way to Washington
to assume his duties as President. When the train
was sighted cannon began to boom. A great con-
course of people had assembled at the Euclid
avenue station, and down Euclid avenue to the
Weddell House.
Mr. Lincoln was placed in an open carriage
drawn by four white horses. The Cleveland
Grays, four artillery companies, the Cleveland
Light Dragoons, Phoenix Engine Company No.
4, and a large number of carriages, formed the
procession. The weather was raw and the streets
covered with mud and snow. The hotel was
reached about five o’clock, where twenty-four
rooms had been reserved for Mr. Lincoln and his
party. Soon after arriving at the Weddell, the
President-elect appeared on the balcony. Hon. I.
U. Masters, President of the City Council, on be-
half of the city, and Hon. Sherlock J. Andrews,
I 34 REM.INISCENCES.
on behalf of the Citizens’ Committee, delivered
addresses of welcome.
Mr. Lincoln in his reply said that there was no
reason why any portion of the Union should get
excited, and intimated that nothing would be done
by his administration calculated to interfere with
the lawful rights of the Southern people. He
called upon all the people to stand by the Union,
saying, “If all don’t join now to save the good old
ship of the Union this voyage, nobody will have a
chance to pilot her on another voyage.” After his
speech several bouquets and floral wreaths were
presented him.
In the evening there was a general reception.
Gen. John Crowell, nearly as tall as Mr. Lincoln,
and Col. George Mygatt, presented the people.
The Grays acted as a bodyguard and kept order
in the hotel. Mr. Lincoln left on the morning
train for Buffalo, the Grays forming an escort to
the Union depot. The line of march was down
Superior street, Union lane and River street.
Messrs. George S. Benedict and H. S. Whittle-
Sey headed a party of young men, about forty in
number, on horseback, who, placing young Robert
REMINISCENCES. I 35
T. Lincoln on a fine horse, escorted him in the
procession to the Weddell House. In the morn-
ing he rode to the depot in a carriage with Mr.
Wm. Edwards and Mr. Neil Dennison, the latter
of Columbus.
Thus the great and beloved Abraham Lincoln
came to, and went from Cleveland.
TAXING THE LIQUOR TRAFFIC.
The so-called “Scott Bill,” which the Ohio
Legislature enacted into a law, in 1883, when
pending in the House attracted much attention.
There was a large lobby, both for and against
the measure. To tax the liquor traffic was a new
departure, and at least one-half of the members
of the House, to say nothing of the Senate, were
lying awake nights trying to devise some
Scheme by which they might avoid going on
record, either for, or against the measure.
No doubt Lorenzo Dów’s definition of Cal-
vinism often came to their minds:
I36 REMINISCENCES.
“You can and you can't,
You will and you won’t ;
You’ll be dam'd if you do,
You'll be dam'd if you don't.”
The bill came up for passage in different
shapes, but each time lacked a few votes. When
it seemed that there was little likelihood of its be-
coming a law, I wrote out an amendment, which
provided that the council of any city might au-
thorize the sale of intoxicating liquors on Sun-
day, but in default of such authorization the
sale should be prohibited. The temperance people
objected to this, insisting that the provision in
the bill, closing saloons on Sunday, should re-
main as it was, but finally the Hon. Geo. W.
Love, of Columbiana County, representing the
radical temperance element, suggested a further
amendment providing for local option, and said
he would support the bill with both the amend-
ments, if I would do the same. They were
agreed to by the House, and thus the support of
Several members, heretofore opposed to the
measure, was secured.
The bill being put on its passage, at the end
REM.INISCENCES. I37
of the first roll call, lacked five votes of passing.
Considerable pressure brought three more mem-
bers to its support. I had agreed to vote for
the bill whenever my vote would make a ma-
jority, so now it was only necessary to secure one
more vote. The pressure at this time to secure
that one vote was something like the pressure
of a thousand pounds to the square inch. The
clerk of the House knew his business, and kept
at work figuring at the returns. Finally there
came from the Democratic side of the House a
startling call, loud enough to have awakened the
“Seven Sleepers of Ephesus.” It was the sono-
rous voice of the Hon. Gilbert H. Barger, of
Coshocton County. Said he, “Why in h-1 don’t
you announce the vote?” A moment later, the
Rev. Henry R. Smith, member from Noble
County, evidently quickened to action, and per-
haps to reason, by the event of a minute before,
held up his hand as a sign that he wished to
change his vote. His name was called and
he answered “Aye.” My vote was now given
and there was no occasion for any further delay.
In fact, delay was dangerous, for some one might
138 REMIN ISCENCES.
change his vote the other way. As Speaker of
the House, I immediately announced the bill
passed.
Small flags—the stars and stripes—were soon
seen waving from the desks of many members.
Dr. Scott, author of the bill, was radiant with
smiles.
My vote was the only one given in favor of the
measure by a Cuyahoga County member.
JUDGE TILDEN'S MISTAKE.
Some twenty or more years ago, four sisters
whom I had long known, met in Cleveland. One
resided in Kansas, one in Geauga County, and
the other two in Cleveland. The mind of one
of the latter had become somewhat deranged, and
it was thought best by the other sisters to have
her sent to an asylum. As I was personally ac-
quainted with Judge Tilden, then the Probate
Judge, I was asked to accompany the party be-
fore him.
When we arrived in the Court House, the
judge was trying a case, which was then being
REM.INISCENCES. I39
argued before a jury. The judge, excusing him-
self, accompanied me into another room, where I
informed him of what was wanted. I told him
that the one I wished him to examine sat beside
the woman wearing a light-colored shawl. He
went into the room where the women were, and
saying nothing to the One I desired him to, com-
menced a conversation with the sister having the
“white shawl.” Soon he came out saying, “It
is plain she is crazy; I will at once have the nec-
essary papers made out and have her taken to
the asylum.” When I informed him that he had
misunderstood me, and had examined the wrong
woman, he went back and this time got into con-
versation with the one I wanted he should. When
he returned he turned his mistake off with a
laugh, saying, “I guess you are right, the last
one seems to be more insane than the other.”
She was sent to the asylum where she has been
ever since, while the mistaken sister, the mother
of a large family of children and now a great
grandmother, often laughs at how near she came
to being shut up as a lunatic.
I4O REM.INISCENCES.
JUDGE JONES WHEN A BOY.
Mr. Thomas Jones, Sr., father of Ex-Judge
James M. Jones, came to the Reserve in 1831.
He lived for many years, and until his death, in
a good sized frame house, on the west side of
Erie street, about midway between Superior
street and Euclid avenue.
The house stood in an open space, well sur-
rounded with oak and chestnut trees, the whole
being enclosed by a substantial fence. Here grew
up a large family of boys, all endowed with
marked ability and a large supply of energy. One
of them, James M., now known as the “Judge,” in
his boyhood never wanted to be “second” in any-
thing. In those days poultry was seen in almost
every man's yard, and boys took great de-
light in being the possessor of a good fighting
cock. Young Jones owned one of rare qualities
in that line, which by many of the boys was re-
garded as the “champion.”
Cock fighting in the Jones yard became very
frequent, but finally the head of the family or-
dered it stopped. Some boys living near the canal
Soon after came along with a rooster which
REM.INISCENCES. I4. I
they wanted to match against the “champion.”
James told the boys of his father's edict, but this
they insisted was only an excuse, and the charge,
“You’re afraid,” was freely made. Finally young
Jones could stand the taunt no longer and said to
them, “You can fight my rooster if you want to.
but I will have nothing to do with the affair,”
and with this went into the barn where through
a crack in the boards he could see whatever took
place.
Had the father appeared upon the scene, of
course the strange boys would have seized their
fowl and scampered away, while James, no doubt,
in time, would have come out of the barn filled
with wonder at what was going on 1 The father,
however, did not appear and the roosters had it
out. Soon there was a dead fowl on the ground
and James saw it was not his.
The “canal boys” picked up their dead cock,
and as they were getting over the fence with it,
James emerged from the barn just in time to
call out in their hearing, “Who’s afraid!”
I42 REM.INISCENCES.
SUNDAY NEWSPAPERS.
The first Sunday newspaper published in Ohio
was the Columbus Post and the next the Cleveland
Voice. The latter came into existence October
I5, 1871, thirty years ago. Cleveland clergymen
called its publication a desecration of the Sab-
bath and many merchants would not advertise in
it, fearing to offend church-going people. The
Voice during many years, however, was a suc-
cess. At one time ten thousand Voices were
printed and sold each Sunday, and the paper
paid more than forty per cent. On the capital in-
vested.
The daily papers finally saw that in a Sunday
paper there was a chance for profit and as soon
as they entered the field with their greater facili-
ties for getting out a good paper, the exclusively
Sunday paper had to retire. The Voice lasted
twenty-seven years, when dwindling as near into
nothing as possible, it went to sleep. Now, there
is no more preaching against Sunday papers, and
yet more -men stay at home on the Sabbath to
read their papers than go to church. The Sunday
REMINISCENCES I43
edition of a newspaper has become an important
factor of the week, and will not down
Col. R. C. Parsons, many years since, told me
how one Sunday morning, at the Old Stone
Church, in the summer time when the windows
were all open, the Rev. Dr. Haydn was telling
his congregation what Christians most needed,
and after enumerating several things, said that
there was one thing more, essential to Salvation.
In order to give emphasis to his conclusions, in
a high tone of voice, said Mr. Parsons, he called
out, “And what is that?” Just then while Mr.
Haydn was hesitating a moment, evidently that
his congregation might get the full force of his
question, came a shrill voice from a boy on the
walk at the side of the church—“The Sunday
Voice.”
This seemed so much like an answer to the
preacher's questions, that it could but create a
visible ripple of mirth through the congregation,
but the reverend gentleman soon dispelled all
doubts, by answering his own question, saying
that the essential thing needed was, “A spirit of
forgiveness.”
I 44 REM.INISCENCES.
AN UNTIMELY JOKE.
For many years in Cleveland, when a jury was
wanted in the Probate Court, the sheriff, or one
of his deputies was sent forth with a writ to
summon any twelve men he might meet thought
by him qualified to serve. In those days we
had what were called “jury setters,” men who
hung around the courts to get on juries, simply
for the per diem. One day, when the writer had
on his hands several matters which needed im-
mediate attention, and in his office were several
persons waiting for him, he had occasion to visit
the court house. Passing hurriedly through the
hall he saw Mr. George Ridgeway, a deputy
sheriff, talking with a man well known as one of
the “setters” above referred to.
Thinking to perpetrate a joke, the question was
asked, “Can't you get me on a jury, George?”
“Yes,” quickly replied the deputy, “go right up
to the Probate Court room.” This, at first, was
not taken seriously, but soon it was found to be
no joke, and no amount of persuasion was of any
avail in releasing the deputy's clinch. Reaching
the court room, Judge Tilden, who was on the
REM.INISCENCES. I45
bench, was implored to “excuse,” but to no pur.
pose. The panel was nearly full, and the law-
yers were ready to go on with the case, which it
was said it would not take long to try. As a last
resort, it was now thought to get away by know-
ing too much about the case, when the lawyers
came to examine as to qualifications, but not one
of the seven lawyers in the case propounded a
single question.
It was a suit between the city and thirteen land
owners, for damages in lowering a street. The
Suit dragged slowly, as every one of the lawyers
felt he must have a say on every point that came
up, or his client might think he was not earning
his money. Then came seven speeches and the
charge of the judge. The jury, of which the writer
was foreman, quickly brought in its verdict, but
the whole time consumed in the case was seven
days. The moral of this is, never try to joke an
officer of the law. Keep as far away from him as
possible. -
I46 REMINISCENCES.
MORGAN AND THE MASONS.
In early days I heard a great deal of talk about
the killing of William Morgan by the Masons.
Morgan, in 1826, professed to expose Masonry,
and for so doing, there is little doubt, was put
out of the way. He became a member of the
order, with the ostensible object in view of ex-
posing its secrets, and suffered the penalty of his
violated oath. He lived in the western part of the
state of New York, and was taken, as claimed, to
Niagara river, where he was killed and thrown
into the surging waters.
The event created great excitement throughout
the country, and especially in New York. Out
of it arose a great political party determined to
Suppress Masonry by law, and it swept that state
as a tornado. Those who opposed the movement
contended that there was no evidence that Mor-
gan was dead. Just before the election, a dead
body was found on the shore of Lake Ontario,
and a coroner's jury, by means of political jug-
glery, was induced to declare the body found to
be that of Morgan. The verdict was soon shown
to be a fraud, but it was sought to keep this fact
REMINISCENCES. I47
a secret until after the election. Said Thurlow
Weed, one of the leaders of the Anti-Masonic
party: “He is a good enough Morgan until after
election.” This became a by-saying for many
years.
It was long claimed that there appeared hover-
ing around the place where Morgan was supposed
to have met his death, an uncorporeal being, so
like him that no one could doubt the identity.
This induced some one to write the following
lines, which I have had in my possession for more
than sixty years:
“There walks o'er steep Niagara's wave,
A ghost whose form hath found a grave
Deep in those 'whelming tides;
Its feathered footsteps scarcely seem
To bend the surface of the Stream,
O'er which the phantom glides.
“Around it there is cast a shroud,
That seems more like a folding cloud,
Than aught that mortals wear;
Its downcast eye, its faded cheek,
Its pale and trembling lips bespeak
A spirit of despair.
I48
REM.INISCENCES.
“It moans a hoarse and hollow wail,
That mingles with the gusty gale,
And with the rumbling flood.
It points towards the crimson shore,
And shrieks as if it felt once more
The knife that drank its blood.
“Its wail is echoed wild and wide,
From rock and steep and bounding tide,
Around that haunted coast;
And fearful mothers, trembling, tell
Their little ones how Morgan fell,
And of this wandering ghost.
“Along that fatal shore is heard
No more the song of merry bird,
Or sound of hunter's horn;
The faithful watch dog seems afraid
Of every sound that stirs the shade,
And bays till peep of morn.
“No more can sun, or lunar beam,
Erect a rainbow o'er that stream,
From which the fish have fled;
But there's a little cloud appears,
And sheds its unregarded tears,
Like one that weeps the dead.”
REMINISCENCES. I 49
HENRY IN THE WAR.
Everybody knows, or Ought to know, Hon.
Henry M. Chapman, of East Cleveland. He is
a farmer, lawyer, “old settler” and statesman,
having served two terms as a state legislator.
Besides this, before the Civil War, he played sol-
dier in the old artillery company. About the time
the war came on, Henry took unto himself a
wife. He was a young man and never before
realized what it was to be married. He wanted
to go to the war, but the wife said “No.” To go,
or not to go, was a question which greatly per-
plexed Henry's mind. He argued that he had
been playing Soldier for several years and that
now there was an opportunity to put what he had
learned about military affairs to some use, and
this he ought to do; besides this, he owed some-
thing to his country. The wife, on her part, in-
sisted that as one of his brothers, and two of hers
had enlisted, the family “quota” was full.
Thus, civil war came on, right at home, in the
Chapman household. One evening there was a
meeting in the village near by, called to secure
Volunteers for the army. Henry went to it, and
I 5o REM.INISCENCES.
so did his wife, who took a seat at his side. The
speakers stirred up a good deal of war feeling.
Henry became animated with the idea that he
must enlist, and he thought it would be a good
thing to have his name first on the roll, so he
arose and called out, “Put my name down." His
wife pulled vigorously at his coat tail. Said
she, “Henry, give some one a cow, who will go in
your place.” Henry, it is said, was overcome by
his wife's pitiable look, and turning his face to
the audience, added to what he had said, “for a
cow to be given to the first man who will enlist.”
Soon a young man arose and said, “I’ll take
the cow.” Then another declared he, too,
would enlist, if a cow were given him. Then a
third man made the same offer. After Henry
had agreed to give each of these three men a
cow, it is said he turned to his wife, and asked
if he should give away any more, to which the
wife replied, “Yes, give away every cow on the
farm, if that will keep you home.”
Thus, while Mr. Chapman did not himself
go to the war, several of his cows did—serve an
important end in putting down the rebellion.
REMINISCENCES. I5 I
Just how much, of course, will never be known,
but certain it is, that Henry did service in the war,
and there is no good reason why he should not
take rank as a “veteran” and have a pension.
CAPT. “TOM” COE.
During the winter of 1871-2, the project of
building a railroad direct from Cleveland to Can-
ton was taking form. A meeting for the purpose
of formulating a plan of action was called at
Canton early in February, 1872, to which the
Cleveland city council was invited to send repre-
sentatives. Messrs. N. P. Payne, L. M. Coe, O. J.
Hodge and others, whose names are forgotten,
were appointed a committee to attend the meet-
ing. Col. W. F. Hinman, representing the Cleve-
land Herald, accompanied the party.
Arriving at Canton, before going to the meet-
ing, dinner was had at one of the hotels, upon
which occasion there was much hilarity, con-
siderable of which came from the development
of a big appetite on the part of Capt. Coe. Mr.
I 52 REMINISCENCES.
Hinman, who became poet for the occasion, in
his report to the Herald, thus described Mr. Coe's
address to a waiter who brought him a plate
heavily loaded with beef:
“Waiter, thou hast done fairly; but, rash youth,
Although the quantity's enough forsooth,
For the first plate—sirrah, I told thee rare /
'Tis dry as basswood chips. Have thou a care
Next plate thou bring'st, or an untimely grave
Surely awaits thee. Stop, come hither, slave,
This piece is tough—tougher than Erie stock
Cut from the neck of some old jaded ox,
Where yoke for years did gall. Indeed, tough
With all the sustenance raked out; yes, rough.
Well, young man, I’ll eat this; 'twill only whet
My appetite for more. But, you can bet
Unless next time you sing a different tune
Your life will not be worth a picayune.”
Mr. Coe having disposed of his beef, directed
his waiter to call the proprietor of the hotel. The
waiter fearing some complaint was to be made
against him, hesitated and commenced to ex-
plain, but was cut short by an imperative demand
that the proprietor be immediately called. Soon
REMINISCENCES. I 53
a young man was leaning over Mr. Coe's shoul-
der. Said Mr. Coe, “Are you the proprietor P’’
“No,” said the man, “but I am the clerk.” “Well,
sir,” responded the autocrat of the dinner table,
“I did not send for you; I want the proprietor,”
who soon put in an appearance. Said Mr. Coe to
him, “I would like, sir, to know if there is not a
lake or river near here.” “Well,” responded the
hotel keeper, “there is a lake about three miles
east.” “It is not nearer than that P’’ said Mr. Coe.
“Perhaps I should have said two miles,” was the
answer. “I thought,” said the man of many
plates of beef, “that you must have plenty of
water near by, or you would not have so much
of it in your milk l’’
Handing the waiter a half dollar, the captain
now arose, his sides shaking with laughter, and
started for the meeting, remarking, “This is a
good place to come; we must build the road, so
we can get here often.”
I 54 REMINISCENCES.
ARMY INCIDENTS.
The regiment to which I belonged, serving in
the war with Mexico, in the winter of 1847-8, was
stationed on the Rio Grande. Three Captains,
Wilkins, Prestley and Corlett, all at about the
same time applied for furloughs. Captain Wil-
kins obtained his, while the others were refused.
Captain Wilkins was a very small man, the small-
est officer in the regiment, and much of the time
in poor health, while the other two captains were
robust men. The latter, learning that their ap-
plications for furloughs had been unfavorably
reported upon, while that of Captain Wilkins had
met with favor, Smarting under disappointment,
charged Captain Wilkins with being a coward.
His reply was, “I will meet either, or both of you,
with pistols at ten paces. You can find out, if you
like, whether or not I am a coward.”
The challenge was accepted by both, and a
meeting took place early the following morning.
At the first fire Captain Corlett was killed. Cap-
tain Prestley was now called to come forward, but
he insisted that in view of the death of his friend,
REMINISCENCES. I 55
the affair should be put off until the next
morning.
Early the following morning, at the appointed
time, Captain Wilkins was on the ground ready
for the encounter, while Captain Prestley lingered
behind some bushes near by. Suddenly an officer
appeared and arrested both captains. It was
afterwards ascertained that Captain Prestley had
been instrumental in conveying information of
the proposed duel to the commanding officer, and
thus had brought about the arrests.
Soon after this event, Captain Prestley got into
an altercation with one of Wilkins’ men and
finally struck him. The man shot Prestley dead.
Being tried for the offense, he was acquitted.
y
Captain Wilkins, “the little sick man,” as he
was often called, now took advantage of his fur-
lough and returned to the states, while the two
captains who had called him “coward” lay mould-
ering in Mexico. Captain Wilkins was much
liked by his men, while Captain Prestley was a
tyrant, and died little regretted.
About this time seven men belonging to the
I 56 REM.INISCENCES.
regiment deserted in a body. They were traced,
arrested, tried and sentenced to be shot. One of
the men, Anthony Oberly, a drummer, was re-
prieved the day before he was to have been exe-
cuted. The others, seated on their coffins, were
taken in wagons to the place where they were to
be shot. Three of the men soon paid the penalty
of their crime—double crime, it may be said, as
this was their second offense. The other three
men were now placed in position, blindfolded,
and the word “ready” given, when an officer .
came forward with a reprieve. Ultimately they
were pardoned.
ON THE WEST SIDE.
Among the prominent men of Cleveland, a
third of a century ago, none will be better re-
membered than Mr. Daniel P. Rhodes, who came
to the city in 1835, and died forty years later. He
was bluff, generous hearted, jovial, honest and
unassuming. He had a large Supply of energy,
and any man with whom he had occasion to
REMINISCENCES. & I 57
\
deal caught in any trickery, he was sure to
denounce with vigor. He hated the hypocrite and
the demagogue. As a citizen he was public
spirited, and well liked.
When a young man, he was imbued with a de-
sire to see the western country, and made a trip
to Cleveland. Returning to his native state,
Vermont, every inducement possible was held
out to keep him at the old home, but he had
sniffed the breezes of the west and nothing would
stay his ambition to try his fortune in the bustle
of western life. He became a resident on the
west side of the river, then called “City of Ohio,”
and Soon after engaged in the coal trade, in part-
nership with Mr. David Tod, who, in 1862, be-
came governor of the state. About 1845, they
opened the Brier Hill coal mines. The coal from
these mines, for many years, was considered the
best in the market.
At a political meeting in the old Court House
on the Public Square, in 1852, Mr. Tod was one
of the speakers. The Whigs were charging that
the Democrats, in their national convention that
year, had been silent on a certain question. I well
I 58 REMINISCENCES.
remember the great applause which greeted Mr.
Tod when he replied to this charge. Said he,
“Yes, the convention left out of its platform
several important things. Why was not a plank
put in saying to the people that Brier Hill coal is
the best in the country P*
Mr. Rhodes, though of a jolly nature, devoted
little time to pleasure. Occasionally, however, he
and his friends would spend an evening in a so-
cial game of cards, which sometimes would drift
into “draw,” as then called ; now, I am told, bet-
ter known as “poker.” At one of these entertain-
ments, it is said, Mr. Rhodes one night lingered
until the sun began to show its light in the east
and that when he returned home, his wife told
him how greatly she had been worried. Said
she, “Why, Dan, I have not slept a wink all
night;” to which he responded, “Neither have I.
12,
Sophia; let's go to bed Observing that her
husband’s shirt bosom was somewhat the worse
for tobacco juice, she now kindly asked what he
had been doing. “Playing draw,” was the
prompt response. “Well,” said the wife,
REMINISCENCES. I 59
“couldn't you turn your head long enough to
spit?” to which Mr. Rhodes, it was told, quickly
replied, “No, not with that crowd l’”
AT THE OLD FRANKLIN HOUSE.
In 1838, the old Franklin House, situated on
the north side of Superior street, about two-thirds
of the way from Bank to Water street, was
opened to the public. Mr. Philo Scovel was then,
and for many years thereafter, the proprietor. The
hotel soon became popular with the traveling pub-
lic, and was a center where business men gathered.
It became headquarters for stage lines, one of
which, established in 182O, extended between
Cleveland and Columbus. Every morning a
crowd of people would gather in front of the
hotel, to see the large coaches filled with passen-
gers, each drawn by four or perhaps six horses,
start hurriedly away on its journey. Then there
were no railroads.
In the fall of 1854, three young men with their
wives were guests at the hotel. I often met them
I 6o REMINISCENCES.
at the dining table. They had all just been mar-
ried, two of the couples on the same day. The
wives before marriage had been known as the
“Lemmon girls,” two being sisters and the third
their cousin. They were all quite good looking
and full of animation.
One of the men was the late Mr. Geo. W.
Howe. In boyhood he and I lived in the same
neighborhood. I never knew a better boy or a
better man. He was honest, discreet, modest in
his deportment, a true gentleman at all times, and
a man who always had a kind word for others. If
all men were of his type there would be little need
for courts of justice.
One of the other men was Mr. John Underner,
for many years better known as “Prof. Under-
ner,” who has trained and sent out into the world
some of its most famous singers.
The third gentleman of the trio was Mr.
Walter Morrison, long a leading citizen of
Columbus, O., in which city he died some years
Since. He was a man of genial ways, always
ready with a good story.
The following is one he told to a number of
REM.INISCENCES. I6 I
}
f
gentlemen one evening at the Neil House. Said
he, “Some years since, a farmer living down on
the Ohio river, in the southern part of Indiana,
started out on one of his farm horses for an af-
ternoon hunt. Soon he ran across a hunter riding
a spirited horse, evidently one of considerable
value, who had come over the river from Ken-
tucky. As they rode along together the farmer
complimented the Kentuckian on his possessing SO
fine an animal; ‘But,” said he, “my horse has some
good points; he is a setter.’ ‘A setter, did you
say? well, what kind of a beast is that?' quickly
enquired the man from over the river. “Why, a
setter,’ said the farmer, ‘is a horse that sets for
game, the same as a hunting dog.” Not long
after the ‘setter’ suddenly stopped and came
down on his haunches. ‘Hold,” said his owner,
‘there is game ahead, and just then a rabbit was
seen in the distance. The Kentuckian now be-
came much interested in the farmer's horse and
expressed his desire to own such an animal. Said
the man of tillage, ‘While I think my horse is
worth the most, as I have several of the same
breed, I wouldn't mind making an even trade
I62 REM.INISCENCES.
with you.’ The proposition was accepted; the
men changed from one horse to the other, and
on they went. Soon they came to a stream of
water which in crossing, to keep his feet out of the
water, the Kentuckian drew them up against the
horse's flanks, when, as taught, the horse prompt-
ly went down on his haunches. The rider, filled
with amazement, hastily called out to know the
cause of such strange action, 'Oh,' said the
Hoosier, there must be fish in this stream; that
kind of a horse sets for fish the same as for
5 × 5
game.
RUNNING FOR CONGRESS.
In 1866, I was a temporary resident of Con-
necticut. Mr. P. T. Barnum, the great showman,
at the time was a candidate for Congress in
the district where I resided. Knowing that
he had great business interests to look after,
one day I ventured to ask him why he wanted to
go to Congress. His answer was, “Because when
I die I don’t want the newspapers commenting on
me as the dead showman. I wish to be spoken of
REM.INISCENCES. I63
as the late Hon. P. T. Barnum.” That he de-
sired the prefix of Honorable, and to be known as
a man who had been in Congress, I believe was
about all the political ambition he had ; and, per-
haps that is about as much as the ordinary con-
gressman expects. Few, certainly, obtain much
111OTe.
The average congressman, at most, secures the
passage of no more than one or two bills, and
these of a local character. He makes a few
friends, by securing for them small offices, but
makes many times more men his enemies by not
obtaining for them fat places. About the time
he becomes fitted to be useful as a member, he
fails in a renomination, or is defeated at an elec-
tion. He is then apt to retire into a state of po-
litical innocuous desuetude, embittered with the
belief that republics are ungrateful.
I never was in Congress, though I once tried
to break into that body, therefore I know not how
much pleasure there may be in being pointed out
as the member from Podunk, or some other dis-
trict, but in my attempt to realize on a forlorn
hope, I got some valuable experience, which
I64 REMINISCENCES.
might be of use to some one who has congression-
al aspirations, but has never been a candidate.
Briefly told, I started out with money enough in
bank to have bought and stocked a good farm,
but the day after election I had scarcely enough
left to buy a sandwich.
First, the Republican committee came down on
me for $2,500, which was promptly paid. Then
came six impecunious newspaper men, each with
an assurance that his paper had a large circula-
tion, and great influence with the people. These
papers were somewhat expensive, but have them
I must, or my opponent would.
Next came a lot of men claiming to represent
various secret Societies and labor organizations,
who, for a valuable consideration, could throw
thousands of votes in my favor. Of course they
had to be cared for. Now came men from six
small churches, three of whom were clergymen
asking donations. By one, I was urgently solic-
ited to give as much as possible, as my political
Opponent had agreed to give twice as much as I
did Another parson did not visit me, but wrote,
REMINISCENCES. I65
saying he was doing all he could for the Repub-
lican ticket, but that some of his congregation re-
quired “something more substantial than argu-
ment; that if $25 or $30 was sent him, he could
y
make good use of it.” Two girls left my wife's
employ, because they were so often called to
answer the door bell. One day a well dressed
man, at the Republican headquarters, asked me
for a cigar, and when I told him the only one I
had I was then smoking, he said, “Well, give me
that.” I tendered it to him, not for a moment
supposing he would take it, but he did; yes, he
put it in his mouth and walked away smoking.
These are some, but far from all, of the mer-
cenary and ludicrous events of my campaign, not
unlike, as I have reason to believe, what is usual-
ly experienced by a candidate for Congress. Col.
Parsons once told me that the first time he ran
for Congress it cost him $14,OOO, and the second
time, when defeated, $10,000. Said he, further,
“If anything could have made me doubt that man
had a soul, it was my experience in those cam-
paigns.”
My experience led me to question whether, if, as
I 66 REMINISCENCES.
º
has been said, man was created only “a little
below the angels,” the angels with which the
S 5 ->
comparison was made were not a bad lot!
A HISTORICAL HALL.
The present temporary location of Cleveland's
postoffice, in the Wilshire block, brings to mind
much of interest in connection with that locality.
About sixty years ago there was a frame building
on a part of the land now occupied by the
Wilshire, in which there was a dry goods store.
A girl was employed as a clerk in the store which
at that time was such an innovation as to attract
attention. I well remember the place being
pointed out as one where there was a girl clerk,
and seeing people peeking through the window
remarking, “There she is.” This was probably
the first woman in Cleveland employed at such
work.
Here, where the Wilshire now stands, Mr.
J. W. Watson, a large, fleshy man, full of enter-
prise, put up a two-story building, in the lower
part of which he kept a grocery store, the largest
REMINISCENCES. I67
in the city, which then had a population of about
seven thousand. Over the store was a hall,
having a gallery on three sides. This was called
“Watson's Hall,” and continued to be known as
such until 1845, when Mr. Watson sold his
property to Mr. Silas Brainard. The name was
then changed to “Melodeon Hall.” In the build-
ing below, for many years, Mr. Silas Brainard,
father of Mr. H. M. Brainard, the piano dealer,
now doing business on Euclid avenue, long kept
the finest line of musical instruments anywhere to
be found in the west. About 1860, the name of
the auditorium was changed to “Brainard's Hall,”
and later was called “Brainard’s Music Hall.”
Finally it became the “Globe Theater,” a cheap
place of amusement.
During the early days, the hall being of good
size, and centrally located, was much in use. Here
lectures were delivered by many of the ablest and
most prominent men in the country. Louis
Kossuth, the Hungarian patriot, here spoke to the
largest and most enthusiastic audience ever, up
to that time, assembled in any auditorium in
Cleveland.
I68 REMINISCENCES.
Upon one occasion an itinerant showman gave
several exhibitions in the hall. He offered a prize
for the best conundrum that might be presented,
the question of merit to be left with the audience.
This one was received with the most applause and
declared the winner: “Why should the men of
Ohio be considered good mechanics?” Answer:
“Because they have made a governor out of
wood.” Reuben Wood was then governor.
At another time a man advertised to deliver in
the hall a lecture on soap. The peculiar wording
of the newspaper notices led people to believe that
a degree of fun might be expected, and as it was
to be a “free” entertainment they turned out
generally. At the inner door stood a man who
told every person who came that the lecture as
advertised was free, but admittance to the hall
could only be obtained by buying a cake of SOap,
the price of which was ten cents. This excited
additional curiosity, and the hall was soon full,
each and every person in it holding in his hand
or having in his pocket a cake of soap.
The lecturer came before the audience with a
comical Smile on his face, and began by saying
REMINISCENCES. I69
that he was a philanthropist. Continuing, said
he, “I not only give you a free lecture, but a cake
of soap for ten cents, well worth twenty, thereby
paying you each as good as ten cents for coming
to hear me.”
He then gave his lecture, speaking rapidly for
about thirty minutes, telling in a witty way of the
many virtues of his soap, and what wonderful
things it had done. Among the stories he told
about the efficacy of his soap, was one about a
man who fell overboard from a ship, seventeen
miles from land, but having a cake of his soap in
a pocket, was safely “washed” ashore.
The “soap sell” was talked about for several
days, but no one seemed willing to admit having
attended the “lecture”—duped by the “soap man.”
THE LOST COWS.
About thirty-five years ago, I think in 1866,
Hon. Wm. Collins, a prominent lawyer in
Cleveland, and Mr. M. C. Younglove, lived next
door neighbors on Euclid avenue. They each
I 7o REMINISCENCES.
owned a cow, which was kept in a pasture to the
rear. One morning the fence was down and the
cows gone. Mr. Younglove at the time was in
Europe, his place having been left in other hands.
and Mr. Collins was absent from the city. It
seemed necessary to advertise the loss of the cows
at once, and a notice, “strayed or stolen,” was
fixed up, to which, with the consent of Mrs.
Collins, her husband's name was attached.
When Mr. Collins returned, being a man of
fine literary attainments, he was greatly shocked
to find his name attached to an advertisement
badly worded and coupled with so common a
thing as a cow. The straying of the cows, Mr.
Collins' scolding, and the return of the cows of
their own accord, after some months’ absence, fur-
nished a subject for a serio-comic poem by a son
of Mr. Younglove, Mr. A. C. Younglove, a bright
young man, who died in Europe Some years ago.
The whole poem is well worth reading, but
space will only permit a few extracts. Mr. Col-
lins is called “Wm. Z.” Of the cows' departure
Mr. Younglove says:
REMINISCENCES. 17 I
“On a bright summer day,
How, no one could say,
Whether sweet grass induced them to stray
Or some kidnapping vagabond coaxed them away,
Our cow and that owned by Wm. Z.,
Suddenly left to go off on a spree;
Or to use an expression on us saddled,
They made themselves scarce or much better skedad-
dled.
The day passed away without any news
Of the quadrupedal fugitives away on their cruise;
And this state of affairs caused many a mutter,
As during their absence we’d no milk nor butter.”
Mr. Collins' outburst occasioned by the use
which had been made of his name is thus de-
scribed :
“Like an oncoming gale waxing wrother and wrother,
He stormed in great rage and demanded the author;
Who it was that had dared to bring to such shame,
And to put to such use his most honorable name.
In great indignation,
Without salutation,
He saluted our ears with the following oration,--
‘I understand it is you, sir,
Who’ve dared to misuse, sir,
My name, which you knew, sir,
You’d no right to abuse sir,
172 REMINISCENCES.
By daring to put it, in a manner most fraudulent,
To a mean, poorly worded and base advertisement,
The style of which is verbose, illiterate and gross,
And for me, let me tell you, it's too much of a dose.’”
The writer then gives the advertisement which
he claims Mr. Collins himself caused to be pub-
lished :
“Whereas and whereby, in the month of July,
Some one unknown with animus furandi,
By malice prepense or a fortiori,
Has taken away, or induced to stray,
Two kine or bovae, as the ancients would say,
Which for the sake of the unlearned I’ll speak of as
COWS,
Being one of those vulgarisms that custom allows.
For this flagrante delicto
By some incognito,
I publish it here and let all men know,
That I William Z.,
Formerly M. C.,
Lawyer in Cleveland, pro tempore,
Now living in otium cum dignitate,
Here offer in terms most plain and explicit,
A reward to cover the cows videlicet.”
Mr. Younglove then tells how Mr. Collins’ cow,
while being milked in a farmer's barnyard,
REMINISCENCES. I 73
many miles away, hearing this advertisement
read, readily recognized her owner's language,
and started for home, the Younglove cow follow-
ing:
“O'er fences and ditches,
Up hills and down pitches,
Through fields they went dashing,
Leaping and crashing,
Till exhausted and sore
They could run no more.”
GEN. CROWELL AND THE HEISLEYS.
A prominent character in Cleveland for many
years was Gen. John Crowell. His height was
some inches more than six feet, which caused him
to be a subject of observation. He was a man
of ability, but possessed a degree of Ostentation,
which often made him the butt of ridicule. He
was born and worked on a farm until he arrived
of age, when he took up his residence in Warren,
Trumbull county. Here, in time he was ad-
mitted to the bar, after which he appears to have
divided his time between politics and practicing
I 74 REM.INISCENCES.
his profession. While residing in Warren he
served two terms in Congress, and became a gen-
eral in the old militia.
The story is told of how at one time when a
candidate for an office in a church society, he
invited his townsman, Judge R. P. Ranney and
some others to dine with him, roast pig being
served, and that after partaking of his hospitality
these men went to the church and voted against
him.
This appears to have caused great indignation
on his part, and rising to his full height, he is
said to have exclaimed, “Why, think of it; these
men voted against me, with my pig in their
bellies 1’’
In 1852, the general moved to Cleveland, where
a few years later he became the head of a law
school, which each year sent forth a number of
young men presumed to be fitted for admission to
the bar. In those days admission was obtained
through a committee of lawyers, annually ap-
pointed by the District Court. Gen. Crowell,
alive to the interests of his school, each year On
the courts assembling, was sure to be on hand
REMINISCENCES. I 75
to suggest men whom he desired should consti-
tute the examining committee. No one for years
appeared desirous to interfere with what he
seemed to consider his prerogative. Finally, how-
ever, there came a time when the general was
tardy at court, and a young lawyer, Mr. John W.
Heisley, thinking to have a little fun, and perhaps
serve a public interest, suggested names for the
committee and they were duly appointed. Gen.
Crowell, arriving a few minutes later, learning
what had been done, became very indignant.
“What,” said he, “‘Jack’ Heisley, that little
emanation from Pennsylvania assuming to guide
this court!” With this shot the general, head
highly posed and eyes flashing, strode forth from
the court room much to the amusement of the
younger members of the bar. At the opening of
court the next year the general was not tardy.
Mr. Heisley became one of the foremost mem-
bers of the bar, and was greatly respected. He
was genial, quick-witted, and always ready with
a good story. He had a brother, William, better
known as “Bill,” not infrequently called “Sir
William,” also a lawyer. William, too, was a
176 REM.INISCENCES.
man of considerable wit, and at one time had a
good standing in his profession, but getting into
politics became much as politicians usually do,
fit for little else. Some years before his death
he had a sunstroke, which it was thought
affected his mind. He became greatly embittered
against his brother John. One day he was ac-
costed on the street by a woman whom, in a suit
where he was an attorney, he had worsted at
law, when the following pithy conversation took
place: -
The Woman: “Mr. Heisley, do you know
what I think of you?”
Mr. Heisley: “Madam, I have no advices on
that subject.”
The Woman: “Well, I will tell you; I think
you are the meanest man in the city.” z
Mr. Heisley: “Do you know my brother John P”
The Woman: “No, and I don’t want to know
him.”
Mr. Heisley: “I thought you didn’t know
John, or you never would have said I was the
|”
meanest man in the city
REM.INISCENCES. 177
HOW THE “FEDERAL PLAN” CAME.
The late Col. John M. Wilcox about a year
before his death, while talking with me about
municipal matters, gave me something of the in-
cipient stages which led to the enactment of our
“Federal Plan” law. He said to me, in substance,
that one evening at his home he was discussing
with some gentlemen how best to govern a city,
when a young daughter of his who had been at-
tentively listening to the conversation ventured
to ask, “Why don’t you manage things as they
do at Washington?” In other words, she wanted
to know why not govern the city after the plan
of the general government. “Some days later,”
said the colonel, “in conversation with Mr. Paine
of the Press and Judge Blandin, I brought for-
ward the idea advanced by my daughter, which
they seemed to think had merit. Soon the Press
was booming the “Federal Plan.”
The three gentlemen above mentioned, not
long after, interested themselves in getting up a
meeting to further the project, to which they had
now all become committed. The meeting was
in the Board of Trade rooms in the Atwater
178 REM.INISCENCES.
block, and largely attended. Judges Blandin and
W. E. Sherwood were appointed a committee to
draw up a Federal Plan bill. This was submitted
to the Legislature, and passed the Senate, but in
the House objections were raised to many of its
provisions, and not one of the Cuyahoga county
members would give it his support. The bill in
its details certainly was very crude, and in many
respects had little resemblance to the one finally
passed.
The late John W. Heisley, Esq., pointed out to
me several provisions, which he claimed would
not stand the test of the courts, one of which I
remember was a section which provided that no
office holder should vote at, or take part in any
primary caucus. The bill drawn by the two
judges, which had been defeated in the Legisla-
ture, was made the basis of a new bill, which in
the next General Assembly, 1890, I introduced on
the first day of the session. The Democrats, who
controlled the Legislature, at the instigation of
their party leaders in Cleveland, so amended the
bill, that if made into a law, about every Republi-
can in the city holding an office would be turned
REMINISCENCES. I 79
out, and the entire municipal government placed
at the mercy of Democrats. The bill, so amended,
still had my name at its head as the author, which
could but bring to mind the lines, *.
“And is this the banquet to which I am invited?”
Republican office holders naturally became
much alarmed. To secure the defeat of the
measure Democratic votes must be had. A sum
of money was soon raised, and two wily Demo-
crats were sent to Columbus to do missionary
work. When the bill came up on its passage,
a certain ruling was necessary to give it a stand-
ing on the calendar, but to decide the point as
required the speaker knew would be an outrage
on parliamentary law, so to escape the Odium, he
called to the chair a man named Geyer, who
readily did the dirty work. Five Democrats, how-
ever, held out, and by their aid the measure was
defeated.
The Legislature adjourned soon after until the
following winter. Just before it again assem-
bled, I was invited to meet with a few Democrats,
at the Hollenden. When ushered into a room,
where I was to meet them, to my surprise I found
I8o REM.INISCENCES.
twenty or more present. Messrs. Johnson, Hol-
den, Lawrence, Hyman and other leading lights
of Democracy, sat around in the room. My first
thought was to back out, but finally concluded to
assume the pressure. I was asked to again intro-
duce the Federal Plan bill, free from party bias.
All agreed to play fair, and all did. Messrs.
Johnson, R. T. Paine and other Democrats did
a heap of good work in getting Democratic
members into line. Some members thought my
strong advocacy of the bill justified suspicion that
the measure was in the interests of the Republican
party, but finally it went through each House, by
a unanimous vote.
Just before final action in the House, in closing
the debate, I said, “Under this bill, with a good
man for mayor, Cleveland will be better governed
than ever before, but with a bad one, will be gov-
erned the worst.” Has the “good man” yet been
mayor?
A WORTHY PIONEER.
In 1809, when Cleveland contained but fifty
white inhabitants, Mr. Levi Johnson rode into
REMINISCENCES. I8 I
the village, in a two-horse sleigh, and here there-
after resided until 1871, when he died, aged
eighty-five. In his day he did as much, and per-
haps more, than any other man to develop the
business growth of the village, and make the city
one of great business importance. Mr. Johnson
was a well proportioned man, six feet two inches
tall, and when passing along the Street, standing
erect, as he always did, was sure to be observed.
He was unassuming in his manners, generally
reticent and while always much interested in pub-
lic affairs, took little interest in politics. He was
a business man in the truest sense of the word.
For a number of years after arriving in Cleve-
land, he worked at his trade, that of a carpenter,
usually putting in at this work all of the day be-
tween sunrise and sunset, and not infrequently
afterwards cutting down trees by moonlight. He
put up a frame structure, where the American
House now stands, in which the postoffice had its
first settled quarters. Mr. Johnson became well
known as a contractor and builder. In 1812-13,
he built for the county, on the Public Square, a
two-story log court house and jail. When a gal-
I82 REMINISCENCES.
lows was needed to hang “Omic” the Indian, Mr.
Johnson was the man to design and put it up.
Early he directed his attention to shipbuilding.
He built a schooner in the woods, on the Euclid
road east of the Public Square, which he had
hauled to the river by a number of ox teams
In 1824, he was builder and part owner of the
“Enterprise,” the first steamboat built in Cleve-
land, and the third one on the lakes. After this,
he built a stone light-house, where the one now
stands on Water street, near the gas works. He
also built a number of other light-houses, at
ports along the lake. In 1837, he built for the
government, nine hundred feet of stone pier on
the east side of the mouth of the river.
Having disposed of his vessel interests he
again became a Cleveland builder, but now he
built for himself, on his own land. He erected
the Johnson House, the Marine block and the
Johnson block. He also built himself a fine home
on Water street. At his death he was one of the
richest men in Cleveland—a millionaire. Every
dollar of his wealth was the result of industry
REMINISCENECES. 183
enterprise and good judgment; not a cent came
by “chance,” or inheritance.
Such a life example is well worthy of record.
Mr. Johnson left two sons and a number of grand-
children, among the latter, Mr. Geo. J. Johnson,
now vice president of the City Trust Co. He was
a man of few words, and the nearest he ever
came to perpetrating a joke was when one day
meeting some friends he said to them, “I have
just been blessed with two granddaughters, both
y
born the same day.” Supposing that the two sons
had each become the father of a daughter, on the
same day, the incident was thought very strange,
but the old gentleman soon explained. Said he,
“Both babes have the same mother—they are
twins.”
THE DEVIL’S DOINGS.
About 1870, a man living on the Detroit road,
a little beyond the city limits, with whom I had
a slight acquaintance, came into my office saying
he wished to transfer some real estate to his wife,
and expressed a desire that I have the papers
I84 REMINISCENCES.
ready to sign at ten o’clock the next morning.
Punctually at the time set he made his appear-
ance, and a few moments later his wife and
daughter, the latter a girl about sixteen years of
age, also came. The papers were soon signed
and given to the wife, when the man, kissing
both wife and daughter, hurried away. I noticed
in signing his name his muscles twitched and he
seemed to be laboring under excitement.
Soon as he had gone the wife arose, tears
bursting from her eyes, and went to the window,
where she stood some minutes, evidently in deep
thought. The daughter sat motionless in a re-
flectful mood. Finally I ventured to ask the
woman if her husband was going away far. After
some hesitancy she finally told me that her hus-
band, with whom she had lived happily many
years, had become infatuated with another wom-
an; that he had now gone from her forever.
She said her husband and this woman had been
living together in Cleveland several months, but
were now going to Pittsburg. “On Sunday last,”
said she, “he took dinner with me and the chil-
dren, at our home, when it was arranged that he
REMINISCENCES. 185
should deed to me certain property, and if he
asked for a divorce, I should not oppose it; how-
ever, he assured me he did not expect to marry
again.”
I tried to comfort the woman by an assurance
that her husband, sooner or later, would return
repentant. About two years later the man again
visited my office, and almost his first words were,
“I am again living with my wife.” He seemed
exceedingly glad to feel it was so. Said he,
“Some people claim that there is no such thing
as a devil, but I know there is, and when he gets
hold of a fellow it’s mighty hard to shake
him Off.”
PERSONAL AND POLITICAL.
Soon after Gen. Benjamin F. Harrison was
inaugurated president, I became a candidate for
governor of Alaska. I was anxious to write up
the natives and also to visit the Pribyloff islands,
where so many seal gather at a certain season
of the year, and knew of no more feasible way
of getting there than to become governor of
I86 REM.INISCENCES.
the Alaskan territory. Then, as governor, I
could visit the islands on a government vessel. I
only wanted the office one year. Men, of course,
generally seek office for the public good, but I
need not say I sought this one purely on personal
grounds. *
Every one I asked to sign my recommendations
did so readily, sometimes with unexpected
promptness. A man who some years before had
been scored in a newspaper I then controlled, said
as he signed, “This, as I understand it, is for you
to go to Alaska, not for you to come back!” The
mayor and three ex-mayors of the city, all the
common pleas judges, editors of the leading news-
papers, and about every prominent man in the
city signed my papers, or wrote letters of recom-
mendation, and they each and all said that they
did it with pleasure. Besides this I was recom-
mended by all the Republican state senators, all
the judges of the supreme court of the state, the
governor and several ex-governors, all the Re-
publican members of Congress from Ohio, both of
our United States senators, the senators from
Connecticut, Senator Quay, of Pennsylvania, and
REMINISCENCES. 187
the four senators from California and Nevada.
Senator Sherman, after looking over my papers
said to me, “Your recommendations ought to be
enough to send you to the court of St. James.”
Senator Sherman and Representative McKin-
ley, of the House, called upon Mr. Harrison in
my behalf. The latter some time afterwards told
me something of what was said at the interview
Said Mr. McKinley, “The President expressed a
great desire to appoint someone who would
affiliate with the Christian missionaries in Alaska.
Said he, ‘All of the governors sent out there
have quarreled with the missionaries.’ Then he
asked if you were a religious man, and after re-
plying, I related to him how Karl Schurz, when
Secretary of the Interior, had asked me a similar
question about a man I was extremely anxious to
have him appoint to an office; how I had plainly
told Mr. Schurz I believed he was not, but that he
was a most excellent man, to which Mr. Schurz
replied, ‘Then I will appoint him.’” Continuing,
said Mr. McKinley, “Both Mr. Sherman and I
left the President fully believing he would give
you the place.”
I 88 REM.INISCENCES.
The Secretary of War, however, appears to
have had a candidate in the person of a semi-
preacher and near neighbor. He got the place.
Shortly after, Senator Sherman wrote me the
following letter:
U. S. SENATE, WASHINGTON, D. C.
April 18, 1889.
MY DEAR SIR:—The appointment of Mr.
Knapp was a great and very painful surprise to
me. I supposed your appointment was under-
stood and certainly should have been made. I
deeply regret, too, the defeat of Mr. Parsons. I
do not know what is the matter with Mr. Har-
rison. I thought we were the best of friends, and
that any reasonable request made by me would
have friendly consideration. I shall go away
from the country very much discouraged. (Re-
ferring to his proposed trip to Europe.)
Very truly yours,
JOHN SHERMAN.
REM.INISCENCES. I89
SHOOTING A GEYSER.
In June, I888, in company with my wife, I
visited the Yellowstone Park. There I met Mr.
Colgate Hoyt, formerly of Cleveland, but then
of New York City. At the time of my meeting
him in the Park, he was a director of the Northern
Pacific Railroad, and was accompanied by a
number of prominent men, who were taking in
the scenery of the Yellowstone. We traveled to-
gether in coaches from Monmouth, the northern
extremity of the park, to what is called the Upper
Geyser Basin, one hundred miles south from
Monmouth. Here we saw the grand spectacle
presented by the geyser known as “Old Faithful,’
which spouts regularly every fifty-eight minutes,
and many other geysers of lesser note.
During the afternoon of the day we were at
this point, we visited a geyser, called the “Bee-
hive,” so called because of the cone around it
being of a beehive shape. It is said to spout
once in ten days and as we were told shot higher
than any other geyser in that vicinity, something
more than one hundred feet. It has become well
known that the geysers “go off” at regular pe-
I 9o REM.INISCENCES.
riods of time, but that by putting soap or alkali in
them they are soon put in motion. The U. S.
government, however, has stationed soldiers in
the park, a part of whose duty it is to prevent any
interference with them. As our party stood on
a bank some rods away from the “Beehive,” re-
gret was expressed that we could not see it
“spout.” Finally said a gentleman, “I will furnish
the soap, if any one else will put it in.” Another
of the party hastily took up the banter.
Soap was readily obtained from the hotel, and
the man who had agreed to put it in was called
upon to perform his part of the contract. He
would have backed out, but for the word he had
given. This he would not go back on, and so in
went the soap. Soon a beautiful stream of water
shot into the air, which continued for several
minutes. Two soldiers were seen in the distance,
one on the top of a guard-house and the other
walking with a girl. The latter seemed more
devoted to his companion than to his duty, and
instead of coming in our direction walked away
in another. Not so, however, with the man on
the roof. He showed some signs of wanting to
REMINISCENCES. I 9 I
earn his pay. At the hotel that evening the
question was frequently asked, “Have they found
who soaped the Beehive?”
The following day, when at Norris, a military
officer, wearing a bland smile, said to me, “I
would like to have seen the Beehive go off yes-
5
terday.” His mission could not but be under-
stood. The authorities, it is quite probable, will
never know who the parties were that stirred up
the Beehive on this occasion, but if you should
meet Mr. Hoyt, ask him if he has ever been in
the Yellowstone, and if he knows what effect soap
has on a geyser
WHY HARRY LEFT THE LAW.
In 1857, Mr. Isaac C. Vail, father of Mr. Harry
L. Vail, late county clerk, was elected judge of
the police court of Cleveland. In 1861 he was
re-elected, but in September, the following year,
gave up the office and went to the war as Captain
of Company A in the IO3d regiment, Ohio volun-
teers. He was a man of rather delicate constitu-
tion and the hardships of the war were more than
I 92 REMINISCENCES.
he could stand. He died August Io, 1863, in a
hospital in southern Kentucky. The judge was a
lawyer by profession, a man of bright intellect,
and had a host of friends.
At the time of his death Harry was a small
boy. When he grew up to manhood he studied
law and was admitted to the bar, but an event,
which will be spoken of later, caused him to for-
sake law and turn his attention to other pursuits.
He gave some attention to poetry, and wrote sev-
eral highly creditable poems. The following lines
/ e
are given as specimens of his muse:
“He who boasts, ‘I am a self-made man,’
You may believe is quite conceited ;
Early quit his work, went on a strike,
Leaving his work but half completed.”
“The man content to whisper down a well,
About the store of goods he has to sell,
Time will show, has reaped far fewer dollars,
Than the man who climbs a tree, and hollers.”
“The bloody sparrow went up the water spout,
The bleeding rain came down—washed the sparrow out;
The blooming sun dried up the bleeding rain,
The bloody sparrow went up the spout again.”
REM.INISCENCES. I 93
These and other poetical efforts led to Mr.
Vail's employment as city editor on the old Cleve-
land Voice. While serving on the Voice he wrote
a mirthful article about a “Matrimonial Bureau,”
which he claimed had been established in Cleve-
land. This brought numerous letters to the office
enquiring the address of the “Bureau,” while
many came in person seeking information on this
point. All callers of this class were turned over
to Mr. Vail, who soon became somewhat annoyed
by these frequent visits, many of which were made
by women advanced in years, and often by per-
sons not of comely appearance. One day a large,
very plain looking woman came in from Oberlin,
who was very anxious to know where the “Bu-
reau” might be found. Mr. Vail was alone in
charge of the office, and he readily thought he
saw an opportunity to get even with the editor-in-
chief, whom he thought in turning over to him
such callers had imposed upon his good nature.
He took the woman into his confidence, and as-
sured her that there was but one way to obtain the
information she desired. Said he, “You go up to
27O Prospect street and enquire for the editor of
I 94 REMINISCENCES.
the Voice. They may tell you he is not in, but
don’t believe them. Sit right down and wait
until he puts in an appearance.”
The woman did as directed, and remained about
three hours, when the editor, who had been
looked up, came home in haste, in answer to a
call from his wife, who had sent word to him that
there was a woman at the house waiting to see
him, who acted strangely.
The editor of the Voice thought he saw in this
little by-play evidence that Mr. Vail had a mind
suited to politics, and advised him to go into the
political field. This he did, and as is well known,
finally graduated from one of the best offices in
the county.
Mr. Vail, as before stated, started out in life as
a lawyer, but why he left the law business may
not be generally known. The facts regarding the
event which led to the change, I am told, are
these: He opened a fine office, put out his
“shingle” and quietly awaited the coming of
clients. Soon after, a man came in wanting to
know if a person who had loaned him money and
charged above legal rates could not be compelled
REMINISCENCES. I 95
to refund the excess, or made to apply it on the
principal. Mr. Vail, it is said, spent some time
in looking up the law on the subject, and finally
told the man he was satisfied he had good cause
for action. With this assurance, it is said, the
man hastily arose, saying to Mr. Vail as he left,
“I will go right off and hire a lawyer l’’
Mr. Vail should not have been so much dis-
couraged at this inference, but found consolation
in the story related of Mr. Lincoln; how in pre-
senting a bill for legal services he was told, “You
charge as much as a first-class lawyer l’’
ABOUT A RICH MAN.
Mr. John D. Rockefeller, by his great wealth,
has become known the world over. He is now,
without doubt, the richest man on this hemi-
sphere, and perhaps in the world. Certainly, so far
as known, no man through business enterprises
ever acquired such wealth. Therefore, anything
in regard to him is looked upon with interest.
For this reason I give a few brief facts about
him, which have come to my knowledge.
I96 REM.INISCENCES.
I first came to know Mr. Rockefeller when he
was quite a young man, or perhaps I might say
a boy, as he was then but fifteen years of age.
September 21, 1854, Mr. Wm. Rockefeller, his
father, rented of me a house I owned on the
west side of Perry street, near Prospect street.
The lease given him was for one year, and the
rental $200 per annum, payable quarterly. Never
was rent paid more promptly, and never did I
have, in all respects, a better tenant. On the day
the lease expired, the keys were brought to me
by Mr. Rockefeller's son, now John D. Rocke-
feller the great multi-millionaire. I had become
Somewhat acquainted with the young man at his
father's house, where, to me, he seemed a quiet,
unassuming youth. He showed none of that
hilarity often seen in boys of his age. Usually he
sat quietly in his chair, listening to what was be:
ing Said.
In 1858, three years after he had delivered to
me the keys of my house, I was surprised to see
his name coupled with that of Mr. Morris B
Clark in a business enterprise. Twelve years
later, in 1870, he organized the Standard Oil
REM.INISCENCES. I97
Company, the greatest and most successful com-
mercial enterprise the world has ever known.
When he married, he purchased a small place on
the east side of Cheshire street, where he resided
until 1868. That year he purchased of Francis
C. Keith, for $40,000, one hundred and sixteen
feet of land on Euclid avenue just west from
Case avenue, to which he removed. March 17,
1879, he purchased of Levi Burgert, for $60,000,
the house and land between his residence and
Case avenue, giving him a frontage on Euclid
avenue of two hundred and thirty-one feet, with a
depth extending to Prospect street.
The whole property he transferred to his wife,
in whose name it now stands. The house on
the land purchased of Mr. Burgert, a large brick,
was moved to the southeast corner of Case
avenue and Prospect street, and is now a part of
the large structure where Miss Mittleberger for
many years has conducted a successful school. It
was said that the “Burgert house” was moved
without so much damage to the building as the
cracking of the plaster on a single wall. The
Rockefellers have not resided in their Euclid
198 REM.INISCENCES.
avenue home for many years, nor has the place
been rented. Effort at one time was made to
have Mrs. Rockefeller turn it into a general head-
quarters for women engaged in benevolent work,
but though having no special use for the property,
Mrs. Rockefeller felt loath to part with it. Here,
she says, her children were born, and here cluster
many of her most pleasant memories.
THAT “PORCER LEGISLATURE.”
The 65th General Assembly of Ohio, organized
January 1, 1882, the Democrats soon dubbed with
the prefix of “Poker,” calling it “The Poker
Legislature,” no doubt hoping to give it as oppro-
brious a name as the Republicans had the 63rd
General Assembly, which they called “The O’Con-
ner Legislature,” because John O'Conner, one of
the Democratic majority members, who sought to
be a leader in the body, had been an inmate of
a penitentiary in one of the western states, where
he was known as “Three Fingered Jack.”
The Democrats found their opportunity in the
letter of a Mr. Meeker, a correspondent of the
REM.INISCENCES. I99
Toledo Bee. Mr. Meeker gave an account,
which his fertile brain conceived, of a game of
cards played by four members of the House, all
men of high standing, two of whom were clergy-
men. They were represented as having a social
game of euchre, using an old deck of cards,
which one of them had brought with him from
home, when Mr. Fred Blankner, the third as-
sistant sergeant-at-arms, noticing the soiled condi-
tion of the cards, supplied them with a new deck,
remarking, “They are well shuffled, go ahead
with the deal.” When the cards had been dealt,
it was claimed the players with one accord said
that if they were playing the national game, they
would like to bet on their hands, and, all agreeing,
betting commenced, the first player putting up
his jack-knife, the next his knife and match safe.
This was followed, as told, by further raising,
until the four men had placed in the center of the
table all they had about them, except their clothes,
when there came a show of hands, each player
feeling certain he would win, for had he not a
royal flush | When it was found that each hand
was of the same value, and no one could win, ac-
2 oo REMINISCENCES.
cording to the story as told by the correspondent,
the several players all made haste to say that had
they won, they would not have taken the “pot;”
but, added the reporter, “had there been a win-
ning hand, I greatly fear that the holder of it
would have carried away the stakes.”
The Cincinnati Enquirer copied the story, head-
ing it in big letters, “The Poker Legislature,”
and then it went the rounds of the Democratic
papers. Thus came a title which so happily served
a party end. As a matter of fact there was
less poker playing among the members of that
General Assembly than is usual with members in
a legislative body. I may be pardoned for say-
ing that the Speaker of the House, against whom
many of the darts of the Democratic press were
aimed, during his two years of service as pre-
siding officer, never played a game of cards of
any kind with any of the members of either the
House or Senate. This fact I ought to, and do
know.
REM.INISCENCES. 2 O I
AN UN GRATEFUL PRESIDENT.
In 1889, soon after Gen. Benjamin Harrison
had been inaugurated president, I became a can-
didate for governor of Alaska. I thought I had
a good claim on Mr. Harrison for office, because
of services I had rendered an ancestor of his
many years before, and for the further reason
because I felt that I was the right man for the
place. True, I did not count much on the latter
reason, but on the first I built largely.
When I state the facts in the case I think no
one will question that I had a right to expect the
office I was after. Those who remember the po-
litical campaign of 1840, when Gen. William
Henry Harrison, grandfather of President Ben-
jamin Harrison, was a candidate for president,
cannot have forgotten how log cabins, hard cider
and coon skins figured in the contest. In every
Whig procession a log cabin, real or represented,
a barrel of cider and a good supply of coon skins
were sure to be seen. To make the affair par-
ticularly attractive, whenever possible to obtain
a live coon, he was secured and accorded a con-
spicuous place. I was living at this time with an
2O2 REM.INISCENCES.
old uncle, a Democrat, near where a Harrison
meeting was to be held, and the Whigs were busy
arranging for a big time. They heard that I was
the possessor of a coon, and came after it. It
was one, when small, I had caught in a corn field
He had now grown quite large and was much of
a pet. I was finally prevailed upon to loan him to
be carried in the procession.
He was placed on the top of a big pole, and
showed off fine, but when the parade broke up,
and the wagons were hurrying away, he was
thrown from his perch and killed. Like the re-
port on a railroad accident, “nobody was to
blame.” The coon, however, had performed his
mission, but just how much he influenced the
election of course was never definitely known.
That he did have some effect on the campaign,
as was expected, it is fair to presume. Coons
in those days were more plentiful than now, and
of course less valuable, but there was not a boy
in the neighborhood who would not, even then,
have given me twenty-five cents for mine. Figure
that amount at compound interest for forty-nine
years, the lapse of time from the killing of my
REMINISCENCES. 2O3
coon to the election of the second Harrison as
president, and it amounts to a good round sum.
Certainly quite as much in value as the governor-
ship of a territory like Alaska, way up in the
Arctic regions. Mr. Harrison, however, was un-
grateful. He did not give me the place.
My advice to boys is, never loan anything to
politicians, not even a coon, and never assume
that a president will pay a debt of his grand-
father.
ON A NARROW MARGIN.
March 22, 1849, the Ohio Legislature enacted
a law giving the Cleveland Society for Savings
a charter for thirty years. Seventeen men were
named in the act as incorporators, all of whom
are now dead. The bank, or society as it was
called, opened for business in August, in a small
room, on Bank street, to the rear of where the
Merchants’ bank is now located. Here my first
deposit of money in a bank was made. Said Mr.
Mather, then and for many years in charge of
the Society, “Young man, I am glad you are
2O4. REM.INISCENCES.
saving your money and putting it where it will
accumulate.” In 1857 the institution was moved
across the street to the southwest corner of
Frankfort street, and from there in 1867, to the
Society’s own building, which it had built on the
Public Square, on ground now occupied by the
Chamber of Commerce. In 1890, the fine struc-
ture it now owns was completed.
In 1877, when the Society’s charter had but
two more years to run, Mr. Samuel Williamson,
then president of the bank, drew a bill to extend
the life of the institution. It provided that the
bank might continue to do business under its old
charter. The bill was intrusted to my hands.
The judiciary committee of the House, by a
unanimous vote, reported the bill back to the
House as being in conflict with the organic law
of the state, inasmuch as the constitution of 1851
distinctly provided that no special banking privi-
leges should be granted. Mr. Williamson, when
told of this action on his bill, replied in substance
that if the bank, with its $14,OOO,OOO of deposits
and with its loans to towns, cities and counties
all over the state, had got to stop doing business,
REM.INISCENCES. 2 O 5
it would create a financial panic. In the conversa-
tion which followed, he said he did not believe
the question of constitutionality would ever be
raised, but if it was, the bank would take its
chances.
By request, Hon. W. C. McFarland, Judge S.
O. Griswold, and Gen. H. H. Dodge, were sent to
Columbus to lobby for the measure. They
brought with them an argument in favor of the
bill, written by Geo. W. Willey, Esq., then an
eminent lawyer in the city. Mr. Willey's name,
however, was not attached, which fact created
some suspicion, and the document had little effect.
When the bill came up on its passage, in a speech
before the House, a list of the counties whose
bonds were held by the bank was read which had
much influence with representatives from these
counties. Of the members of the judiciary com-
mittee, Gen. Grosvenor alone voted for the
measure. He gave his vote as a personal favor,
remarking at the time, “This is putting me, as a
lawyer, in a nice position.”
Some time after the enactment, in a suit against
the bank, the constitutionality of the act was
2O6 REMINISCENCES.
brought in question. The supreme court, on that
point, held in favor of the bank, by one majority.
On that narrow margin, the Society for Savings,
with its $40,000,000 or more of deposits, and its
$2,000,000 more of surplus, now hangs. How-
ever, let no one for a moment suppose that money
in that bank is not as safe, if not safer, than it
would be in their own pocket.
*==ms
ANCESTRAL LINES.
It is evident that some people spend much
more time searching out their ancestral lines, with
a view to showing the good stock they came from,
than in proving the character of their stock by
good work of their own. -
One of the poets has said:
“Tell me not from what stock you grew,
But prove me your stock by what you do.”
Our forefathers in the Revolutionary war
made no boast of the stock from which they grew
but proved their stock by what they did. The
same was true of those who defended the Union
in the late Civil war. Voltaire wrote, “He who
REM.INISCENCES. - 2 o'7
has served his country well has no need of an-
cestors.” An old Scotch proverb says, “It’s nae
the bonnet but the he that’s in it.” When they
sought to flatter Napoleon, with the claim that
he had descended from an ancient line of nobles,
said he: “My title of nobility dates from the
battle of Montenotte,” which was the first battle
he fought where he had supreme command.
Not many years ago, a Cleveland lady, still a
resident of the city, in a somewhat boastful way,
was heard to remark, “I find I am a Mayflower
descendant in the ninth generation.” She was
kindly asked if finding this out made her feel
any better. “Indeed it does,” said she, “I now
know why I am so good; every moment I feel
the Mayflower blood rushing through my veins.”
Commencing with her father and mother, and
doubling the number for each generation, gives
her in the ninth, five hundred and twelve ances-
tors, SO as one is to this number, represents what
there is of her, of real “Mayflower.” Possibly,
the “rush of blood” through her veins which she
thought to have come from her Mayflower an-
cestors was a contention between the portions
208 REM.INISCENCES.
she had inherited from her different ancestors,
each striving for preference because of some
supposed superiority of birth.
A man in Cleveland, in studying out his “fam-
ily tree,” having traced one of his ancestral lines
back to the mother country, continued the search
in English history and genealogical works until
he made the line complete to Alfred the Great,
who was born in 901. Having found, as he be-
lieved, that he was of royal descent, he thought
he had a right to feel a little superior to the
“common herd,” and plainly told his wife he be-
lieved he had married “below his station.” The
wife, a D. A. R., wearing a badge on which
were strung ten gold bars, each representing an
ancestor who served in the Revolutionary war
and withal a Mayflower descendant, became cu-
rious to know just how much kingly blood there
might be in her husband, and so set to figuring it
out. She found that in the thousand years which
had elapsed since King Alfred's birth, there had
been a little more than thirty generations, which
represented more than one million of ancestors.
Looking into a medical work she ascertained that
REMINISCENCES. 2O9
an ordinary sized man had in his whole system,
eighteen pounds of blood, or about one hundred
and fifty thousand drops; that this number
divided by the number of ancestors gave her
husband, of the great king's blood, a seven thous-
andth part of one drop. It is said the husband
now makes no claim that he married “below his
station.”
A JOKE ON TOM.
Cleveland probably never had a shrewder poli-
tician than the Hon. Tom L. Johnson, our present
genial and most active mayor. When Tom wants
a thing, especially if he wants it bad, he does not
send, but goes after it himself. In 1892, when
a candidate for congress, he made up his mind
to win, and if there were any stones in his way
to success, which needed turning over, they had
to be turned without regard to labor or expense.
One day, during the canvass, reports came to
him that a certain ward needed special attention.
The boys in the ward felt that they were being
neglected; that they were not getting their full
2 I O . REM.INISCENCES.
share of the “boodle,” reported as being dis-
tributed, so they got down to business after the
usual ward-heeler's way. Message after message
was sent to Tom, telling him that in this particular
ward things were looking bad, indeed very bad.
Along in the afternoon Tom met Major Arm-
strong and expressed to him fears that his inter-
ests in the section from which such bad reports
Were coming were not being properly looked after.
Said Mr. Armstrong, a knowing politician him-
self, “Why do you not pick out some good man in
that ward and let him manage it?” “That’s what
I will do,” said Tom, “but who can I get?”
“Why,” said the major, “There's Jim Snooks; he
lives in that ward and virtually carries the ward
in his pocket.” “Just the man I want,” replied
Mr. Johnson, “but I don’t know him.” “Well,”
Said Mr. Armstrong, “I know him well, and will
introduce him to you.” “No,” said Tom, “you
just point him out and I will manage the rest.”
Soon the major saw a bright looking fellow
near by, and hastily called out to Mr. Johnson,
“There goes Jim, now.” Tom soon caught up
with the man and slapping him on the back said
REMINISCENCES. 2 II
to him, “How are you, Jim ; I have been looking
for you for more than a week. Now you must
go right to work for me up in your ward. Here
is some money with which to treat the boys, and
you come to my office and I will fix things with
you all right. There are going to be several fat
places to fill and I have you down for one of
them.”
Tom had talked so fast that the man found no
opportunity to get in a word, even edgeways, but
now there came a moment's pause when the gen-
tleman informed Mr. Johnson that he was not
Jim Snooks, by any means, and withal was a
stranger in the city. Looking back at Mr. Arm-
strong, who had followed at a respectful distance,
Tom saw a smile on the major's face, which led
to the belief that a mistake had been made, if
nothing more.
EFFECT OF HALLUCINATION.
Not long since a young married man was
brought to Cleveland from New York City,
charged with having in this city killed his infant
2 I 2 REM.INISCENCES.
daughter. The crime was so unnatural that no
other plausible reason could be given for the act
except that the man was insane; and, after a hear-
ing in court, he was so adjudged. The man's
surname was the same as that of a man I had
known some fifty years ago, and the fact of his
having an unbalanced mind brought to my re-
membrance an incident of that day. In the sum-
mer of I854, one Sunday morning about ten
o'clock, when people were passing on their way
to church, I saw a rather small sized man with
a thin face, evidently troubled in mind, cutting
down a tree in front of his residence on the east
side of Water street, just south of Johnson street.
I reminded him in a pleasant way that it was the
Sabbath. His reply was : “I care no more for
the Sabbath than I do for any other day.” His
remark and the work he was engaged at greatly
Surprised me, as not many months previous I had
Seen him taking an active part in religious meet-
ings. He had been an earnest believer in second
Adventism and often at Advent meetings had
earnestly proclaimed that according to scriptural
prophecy Christ would soon again appear and the
world be destroyed.
REM.INISCENCES. 2 I 3
The time set by the Adventists of that day for
the coming of the Messiah had now passed, and
the earth had in no wise changed its form or
course. Advent teachings had not been realized.
Bible prophecy, this man therefore concluded, was
not to be depended upon, and the Sunday when Isaw
him cutting down the tree, he was a thorough dis-
believer in the Scriptures. He became insane and
finally was taken to the Newburg asylum, where
he died. His name was John Stewart and he was
grandfather of the man I have mentioned, who by
reason of insanity killed his child. Was this Ad-
ventist hallucination which sent the elder Stewart
to an asylum responsible for the crime of the
grandson f
INCIDENTS IN COLUMBUS.
In 1882, Ashland county was represented in
the Ohio House of Representatives by Hon.
Byron Stilwell, a bright young lawyer, a bache-
lor, and a man who greatly enjoyed playing jokes
on his friends. Just previous to entering upon
his duties as a legislator, he had procured for a
2I4 REMINISCENCES.
young woman a divorce, but had failed to ask for
her, as she desired, a restitution of her maiden
name—Shank. Instead of again applying to the
court, Mr. Stilwell sought to accomplish the end
wished for by an act of the legislature. In due
time the bill came up in the House on its passage.
The widow, dressed in gay colors, wearing a
sweet smile on her face, had been given a seat at
the side of Mr. Stilwell. When he had explained
his bill and the vote was about to be taken, the
Hon. Chas. N. Vallandingham, of Montgomery
county, arose, and with much gravity proceeded
to say: “I see no serious objection to this
measure except in the name to be given; certainly,
‘Shank’ is not a pretty name, especially for a
woman, and that the lady may have a better one,
I move to amend the bill by striking out Shank
and inserting Stilwell. Why this did not suggest
itself to the author, the honorable member from
Ashland, I am at a loss to understand.” The
speaker quickly put the question, and, amid great
laughter, the amendment was unanimously
agreed to.
Mr. Stilwell, with the widow at his side, her
REMINISCENCES. 2 I 5
face having assumed a deep crimson color, sat
motionless, all eyes being directed towards him
and the fair lady. He readily recognized that the
joke, this time, was on him. Soon a motion was
made to reconsider, but this was voted down with
the same unanimity, which really fastened the
amendment in the bill, but the Speaker, no one
objecting, kindly declared the motion carried, and
the bill finally became a law, giving the widow
her maiden name.
Some years ago Cleveland had a mayor who
was not as abstemious, at all times, as a good tem-
pérance man ought to be. While in office he
visited Columbus to look after an important
measure then pending in the House. Upon his
arrival a member of the House from Cuyahoga
county, whose convivial habits, at the time, were
not dissimilar from those of the mayor, took the
gentleman in charge and the two went out to see
the sights. The legislator had a bill set for pas-
sage that afternoon, the very bill which had
brought the mayor to the capital city, but when it
was reached on the calendar, much to the surprise
of every one, the author was found to be absent.
2I 6 REMINISCENCES.
The following morning the statesman was
anxiously inquiring about his bill. He explained
his absence, saying he was out with the mayor,
who being frequently treated by his friends, had
become badly “fuddled.” “Yes,” said he, “I took
him to his room that he might not be seen and re-
proach brought upon Cleveland.” Not long after
the mayor put in an appearance, and when ques-
tioned about his absence, gave as a reason that
his friend, with whom he went out to take a
drink, got as “full as a tick,” and it was import-
ant that he should take care of him to save the
credit of the legislature | The fact is, a third
party had to care for both.
THE FOREST CITY LYCEUM.
About fifty years ago there came into existence
in Cleveland, a debating club, known as the Forest
City Lyceum, which met each week in a hall in
the second story of the building now on the
northwest corner of Ontario and Champlain
streets. There were in all about twenty members,
of whom there now reside in the city, possibly
REMINISCENCES. 217
half a dozen. Messrs. J. M. Jones, W. S. Ker-
ruish, Thos. J. McGarry, J. S. Grannis and O. J.
Hodge, are of this number. I have the names of
the officers only for the year 1855. That year,
November 21st, an election was held with the
following result: B. F. Peixotto, president; O.
J. Hodge, vice president; Thomas Kean, secre-
tary; J. M. Jones, treasurer; J. S. Grannis, libra-
rian; Isaac C. Vail, chairman of lecture committee.
Of these, who are now dead, Mr. Peixotto be-
came consul at Lyons, France, Mr. Kean, editor-
in-chief of the Buffalo Courier, and Mr. Vail a
judge, which position he left, and went to the
war, where he died. Other members of the
Lyceum whose names are remembered were:
W. E. McLaren, now an Episcopal bishop resid-
ing in Chicago; Charles Phinney, a son of Prof.
Phinney, of Oberlin College, who became a law-
yer; J. T. Philpot, who became a justice of the
peace, and afterwards served in the Civil war,
when he died; B. J. Loomis, who became chief
clerk of the Ohio Senate, and who long was a
newspaper man. T. A. Stowe, who for many
years was foreman of the Plain Dealer printing
2 I 8 REM.INISCENCES.
department; a man named Gillespie, who went
west; Wm. Heisley, who became city solicitor.
November 27th, 1855, the following somewhat,
at this time, pertinent question was the subject
of discussion. “Resolved—That the exten-
sion of the U. S. government over the island of
Cuba and the province of Canada would be bene-
ficial to the American continent.” Messrs. Peixotto
and Hodge spoke in the affirmative; Messrs.
Jones and Peterson in the negative. The Lyceum
each year provided for one or more lectures,
which were delivered in some hall, at a stipulated
price of admission.
In 1855, Mr. John Mitchell, a so-called “Irish
Patriot,” who had just escaped to this country
from a prison in Australia, where he had been
sent by the British government for the crime of
treason, was invited by the Lyceum to lecture be.
fore it, but soon the news came that Mr. Mitchell
in an address delivered in one of the southern
States, had approved of slavery, justifying it by
the Bible. At the next meeting of the Lyceum,
though the invitation had been sent and accepted.
after an animated discussion, the action of the
REMINISCENCES. 2 I 9
former meeting, by a close vote, was rescinded.
At the end of a week, when the members again
met, a motion was made to reconsider the re-
scinding vote. This led to a long and exciting
discussion, in which Mr. Jones, now Ex-Judge
Jones, took the leading part.
It finally became apparent that the “rescinders”
were in the minority by a few votes. By mo-
tions and speeches they delayed action. In the
meantime Mr. Jones sent a messenger after two
men whom he felt certain would vote with him,
with instructions that when they came they should
remain in the ante-room until called. About
twelve o’clock when the vote on the main ques-
tion was ready to be taken, no further opposition
being offered, the “anti-rescinders” were in high
glee, but just as the secretary began to call the
roll Mr. Jones threw open the ante-room door
and in came the two members who had been sent
for. Their votes saved the day. The vote to re-
consider was lost by one majority. Mr. Mitchell,
who sought freedom for himself, but advocated
slavery for others, did not come to Cleveland.
22 O REMINISCENCES.
THE CENTENNIAL COUNCIL.
The Centennial Council, 1876, about which
much has been said and written, was composed
of the following members:
Ist ward, N. S. Cobleigh and T. M. Warner.
2nd ward, C. H. DeForest and Geo. W. Gard-
Ther. -
3rd ward, Philander Johnson and John H.
Farley. -
4th ward, O. J. Hodge and Thomas H. White.
5th ward, Peter Goldrich and Joseph Carey.
6th ward, W. P. Horton and John T. Water-
SO11. . . .
7th ward, Arthur Devine and Ed. Angel.
8th ward, William Kelley and D. J. Lawler.
9th ward, F. J. Weed and W. A. Morris.
Ioth ward, W. M. Bayne and W. E. Sher-
wood. -
IIth ward, John Sommer and Martin Hipp.
I2th ward, E. C. Gaeckeley and Thomas Holm-
den. -
13th ward, J. M. McKinstry and J. M. Curtiss.
I4th ward, Fred Svoboda and F. H. Barr.
I5th ward, A. A. Axtell and J. M. Grimshaw.
REMINISCENCES. 22 I
16th ward, William Sabin and H. C. Ford.
17th ward, Charles D. Everett and A. H. Stone.
18th ward, E. D. Sawyer and Geo. G. Hickox,
The council was organized by the election of
O. J. Hodge, president; W. M. Bayne, vice-presi-
dent; John L. McIntosh, clerk, and John Vanek,
deputy clerk. Robert S. Pierce was chief re-
porter of the council proceedings.
For many years the members of the old body
annually met for a social good time. The last
meeting that comes to recollection was held at a
hotel on the road to Rocky River. Nearly every
one of those present was called upon for a speech.
One of those who responded at some length was
the late Judge W. E. Sherwood. He mirthfully
alluded to the fact that being the youngest mem.
ber, it might reasonably be expected that he
would outlive all the rest. Said he, “How sad it
will be for me to call a meeting of this old coun-
cil, and be the only one to respond.” The toast-
master reminded the speaker that bright children
were usually the first ones to be taken away; in
other words, “Whom the gods love die young.”
The judge died within a year, admired for his
2 22 REMINISCENCES.
Sterling qualities, and loved for his genial ways
Another who spoke, who was soon to pass away,
was Mr. James W. Grimshaw, a veteran of the
Civil war. He was followed by Dr. W. P.
Horton, who referring to Mr. Grimshaw, said
“When Fort Sumter fell there was great excite-
ment in Cleveland, as there was all over the
country. On the Public Square, where a great
crowd had gathered, a man was imprudentenough
to call out, ‘Hurrah for the South !’ Said Mr.
Grimshaw, who was standing near, ‘I say, Hur-
rah for the Union l’ ‘This,” said Mr. Horton,
‘finally led to a rough and tumble fight between
the two men, the rebel sympathizer getting much
the worst of it, and thus the Civil war began in
Cleveland.” Lieut. Grimshaw died greatly re-
spected by all who knew him. Of the members
of this old council seventeen are now believed to
be living, while nineteen are dead. Mr. W.
M. Bayne has the distinction of having served
in the Centennial Council, twenty-six years ago,
and now, IQO2, again being a member. It is,
more than probable that there will be a reunion
of the members of the old body again this year.
REMINISCENCES. 223
A TRIP TO MOSCOW.
In 1892, accompanied by Mrs. Hodge, I crossed
the Atlantic for the third time, landing at Gi-
bralter. From there the passage was made to
Tangier, Africa. Returning, we visited Granada,
where we saw the Alhambra, the world-renowned
old Moorish palace, now mostly in ruins, from
which, in 1492, Boabdil, the Moor, was driven by
the Spaniards. Passing at leisure through
Spain, France and Germany, we crossed over to
Copenhagen, arriving there at the time of the
“Golden Wedding Jubilee” of the King and
Queen of Denmark.
Here, in company with U. S. Minister Clark
C. Carr and wife, we witnessed in the Royal
Opera House, a great operatic performance, got-
ten up in honor of the occasion. In boxes, plain
to view, sat the Czar and Czarina of Russia, the
King and Queen of Denmark, the Crown Prince
and his wife, and many other royal personages.
We also saw while in the city the King and Queen
of Greece and the Prince of Wales, now King of
England, his wife and children.
From Denmark we went to the North Cape
224 REM.INISCENCES.
the land of the “Midnight Sun.” Here we stood
upon the great promontory extending up from the
sea one thousand feet, covered with snow, and
looked out upon the Arctic Ocean, where so many
explorers have lost their lives, in vain efforts to
reach the North Pole. During four of the days
we were in this northern latitude, the sun shone
brightly most of the time, and was above the
horizon during the whole twenty-four hours of
each day. There was no such thing as night.
From Norway we passed into Sweden, then
into Finland, and crossing the Baltic sea, reached
St. Petersburg, where we saw the Great Winter
Palace, the little log house, built by Peter the
Great, and many things of great interest. From
here, by rail four hundred miles on a straight
line, we journeyed to Moscow, a city where may
be seen the most magnificent church domes and
spires anywhere in the world. Our great curi-
osity, however, was to see the Kremlin. We
passed into it through the archway where the
great Napoleon had ridden eighty years before.
Were Napoleon to have entered it when we were
there, he would have seen on a raised stone work
REMINISCENCES. 225
one hundred or more cannon, each having on it
the letter “N,” the same as it had when captured
from the French, on their retreat from Moscow.
We ascended the great Ivan tower, 325 feet
high, from which Napoleon viewed Moscow
burning, which, he afterwards described as “the
most grand, the most sublime, the most terrific
sight the world ever beheld.” We visited the
room in the Kremlin where Napoleon had slept
five nights. The only furniture in it was a few
chairs and a table. Foot-treads upon the bare
floor gave a sound calculated to awaken emotion,
if not inspiration. Mrs. Hodge becoming imbued
with the spirit, in the presence of a number who
were traveling with us, recited Robert Southey's
poem, of seventeen stanzas, entitled, “The March
to Moscow,” the first verse of which runs :
“The Emperor Nap he would set off
On a summer excursion to Moscow ;
The fields were green and the sky was blue;
Marbleu ! Parbleu !
What a pleasant excursion to Moscow !”
226 REMINISCENCES.
THE WHEEL OF TIME.
In the winter of 1837-8 there was an orphan
boy in the city of Buffalo, N. Y., about nine years
of age, with whom I was well acquainted. He
had an uncle, the brother of his deceased father,
who resided in the same city. He was a rich man,
living in a large brick house surrounded by every
comfort. His children were the best dressed of
any in the neighborhood and had few, if any,
wishes that were not gratified. The mother boast-
ed, “We have seven gold watches in the family.”
During the winter, one cold day, the orphan
boy asked his rich uncle for twenty-five cents
with which to purchase a pair of woolen mittens.
The boy thought surely he would not be refused
so small an amount, as he had never before asked
for, or received a gift at his hands. The uncle,
however, replied: “I have use for all the money
I have.” The boy grew to young manhood and
one day saw his rich uncle carried to his grave
in a costly coffin. At his death he had four
grown up Sons and among them was divided a
goodly estate.
Finally a third generation came upon the stage
REMINISCENCES. 227
of life, many of whom were blessed with a com-
fortable inheritance. Poor management and un-
necessary expenditures, however, finally reduced
them to want. There is now a fourth generation
and the descendants of the rich man are many
but their riches have departed. .
“The “orphan boy' is still living, the resident
of a city many miles from Buffalo. He is enjoy-
ing life’s comforts and it may safely be said of
him that to-day he is worth more than all of these
descendants of his deceased rich uncle.
TOO MUCH TALKING.
In the last congress, 1899-OI, the chairman of
the Committee on Rivers and Harbors in the
House presented a bill which he had formulated
after much thought and great labor, carrying ap-
propriations for harbor improvements, amounting
to many millions of dollars. He secured its pas-
sage in the House, and had no doubt that it would
be agreed to by the Senate. In the Senate, at that
time there was pending a ship subsidy bill, in
which a certain Senator had expressed great in-
228 REMINISCENCES,
terest. This senator was a townsman of the con-
gressman, but this did not deter the latter from
giving out a newspaper interview, in which he
attacked the subsidy measure in such strong lan-
guage as to attract the attention of the whole
country.
When the congressman’s own pet bill came up
for passage in the Senate, on the last day of the
Session, a western member got the floor and talked
it to death. Just why he did it, no one seemed to
know, but as he talked and talked, it is said that
the special friend of the subsidy measure sat in
his Senatorial chair smiling, as though something
pleased him. The defeat of the measure, possibly
on account of the congressman's attack on the
subsidy bill, brings to mind the story about a
parrot, who sitting on his cage, in a yard, saw two
dogs near by, and in imitation of boys when they
want to See a dog fight, began saying “Sic 'em”;
the dogs, however, instead of turning on each
other, both went for the parrot, tearing out most
of his feathers. The parrot being asked the cause
of his disfigurement, is said to have replied, “Poll
talk too much.”
REMINISCENCES. 229
MARCO-B'URTONIS.
At midnight in his office chair,
Burtonis sat, dreaming of the hour,
When Marco, slumb' ring in his lair,
Should behold his mighty power.
The night passed on, the sun arose,
His dream of triumph ended not,
Sweetly lingering in repose,
Duties of morrow, quite forgot.
Only thought to make knock under,
Marco, the man of mighty thunder;
Lo, awakes | The dream a wonder ;-
Great “harbor bill”—gone asunder
“THE GREAT MOON HOAX.”
Some sixty-five years ago there commenced,
and for a time was kept up, much talk about the
character of the moon's surface, and the prob-
ability of its being inhabited. This was par.
ticularly induced by a lengthy article which, in
I835, appeared in the Edinborough Journal of
Science, and soon after was copied into the New
York Sun.
23O REM.INISCENCES.
The Journal of Science, then an authority on
scientific subjects, claimed that Sir William
Herschel, the great astronomer, by use of a pow-
erful lens at his observatory in the southern hem-
isphere, had brought not only the moon's surface
plainly to view, but obtained a sight of living
creatures thereon. It was set forth that the moon
had on it, three oceans of vast dimensions, in one
of which was a marine volcano, with a mighty
crater, then apparently nearly burned out, while
in one of the other oceans was a mountain of
great height, from the top of which fire was being
emitted with wonderful brilliancy. Innumerable
lakes, promontories, islands and thousands of ter-
restrial figures for which we have no name, were
also seen. Many of the hills observed had the
appearance of snow white marble, which it was
thought possibly might be semi-transparent crys-
tal. The valleys were of paradisiacal beauty and
fertility. In one of them was seen a great work
of art, far surpassing anything on this globe. It
was an equi-triangular temple, built of polished
Sapphire, or of some resplendent blue stone, with
myriad points of golden light twinkling in the
Sll 11.
REMINISCENCES. 23 I
In what the writer called, “The Vale of the
Triads,” near the wonderful temple, were seen
assemblies of beings with wings. They were of
large stature, and at the time beheld by the as-
tronomer were eating some kind of fruit, which
in shape and color much resembled our yellow
gourd. Another party, not far off, were gathered
around a quantity of red fruit, something the
shape of a cucumber, from which the juice was
being sucked. Often a good sample was selected
from the pile and thrown to some one in the rear,
showing the greatest good feeling. While some
were eating, others were bathing, flying or sitting
on the summit of a precipice in the distance.
On another part of the moon, there was seen a
somewhat different race of beings, though they,
too, had wings. Their bodies, except the face,
were covered with a short copper-colored hair
and their foreheads were quite broad, which gave
them an intelligent look. They were gathered in
groups and many were gesticulating, which led
to the supposition that an important election was
pending. A great many animals were seen, but
none of them much resembled those on our planet.
232 REMINISCENCES.
The most attractive one seen had something the
appearance of an English stag. Its color was pure
white, while its big six-pronged antlers were jet
black. It had eight legs, only four of which were
used at the same time, the others being kept close-
ly folded against the body.
The foregoing is a very small part of what Mr.
Herschel was credited with having seen, but is
enough to show the character of the article which
for years kept the people talking about the moon
and which afterwards came to be called, “The
Great Moon Hoax.”
A LITTLE MILITARY HISTORY.
August 28, 1837, a number of Cleveland's
young men met at the Cleveland Hotel, which oc-
cupied the site of the present Forest City House
and decided to form a military company to be
called the City Guards, but which finally took the
name, “Cleveland Greys.” Among those who met
upon the occasion was our well-known citizen
Col. W. H. Hayward, probably the only one of
the number now living. The man who called the
REMINISCENCES. 233
meeting was Mr. Timothy Ingraham, who became
captain of the company. He had lately come to
the city from one of the New England states
where he had acquired some knowledge of mili-
tary affairs.
His residence is remembered to have been on
the south side of Lake street, just east of Wood
street, where he often met his military associates.
On account of the sickness of Mr. Ingraham
little, or nothing, was done during the winter of
1837-8 towards the perfecting of the proposed or-
ganization, and not until September 6, 1838, did
the company make a public appearance. It gave a
ball and supper each year, five in all, the last be-
ing given in 1842. In 1844, as an infantry com-
pany, it went out of existence. Its guns, caps
and coats were sold to a company in Painesville.
Its camp equipage and tents were turned over
to its gun Squad, which had been a part of the
organization since 1839, and which now, No-
vember 17, 1844, became fully organized as an
artillery company, and the Greys’ successor.
It was called the “Cleveland Light Artillery,”
and was composed, with one exception, of mem-
234 REM.INISCENCES.
bers of the Greys. Its balls were given each year
on the 22nd of February. It continued in ex-
istence, as a single organization, until 1858, when
under a new military law it expanded into four
companies, under the command of Major D. L.
Wood, who had been a member of the Greys,
commander of its gun Squad, and sixteen years
captain of the original artillery company.
When the Civil war broke out, these companies,
with one from Brooklyn and one from Geneva,
were led to the front by Gen. James Barnett, who
had been schooled in the Greys, the gun squad,
and long in the artillery. Later a full regiment
of artillery, numbering more than three thousand
men, were called into service by the State, the
command of which was given to Gen. Barnett,
and three of his old comrades in the Greys, who
had followed its fortunes in the artillery, were
made his chief subordinates.
After the war Generals Wood and Barnett, Col
Hayward, Maj. Seymour Race, all of the old
Greys, and others who had served in this pioneer
company and in the artillery, formed what is now
known as the “Old Artillery Association,” which
REM.INISCENCES. 235
for more than thirty years annually has met on
the 22nd of February in social reunion.
In 1854, ten years after the Greys had disbanded
its infantry organization, and its squad had be-
come an artillery company, there came into ex-
istence a new infantry company which took the
name of the old company, spelling it, however,
Grays, instead of Greys. The following year it
gave a ball or festival. The cards of invitation,
one of which I have, read, “Cleveland Grays'
First Annual Festival, January 23, 1855.” The
Old company gave all its festivals on the 23d of
December. The new company called its entertain-
ment held January 23, 1855, its “first festival,”
because it really was. There was no claim put
forth that the organization was a continuance, a
revival, or even a reorganization of the old one
which bore the same name. Yet, the claim is now
made that the company of Cleveland Grays of the
present day, is a continuation of the original
company of that name.
What appears even more ridiculous, is the as-
sumption that the 22nd of February is the an-
niversary of its birth or first festival, and that
236 REMINISCENCES.
February 22, 1902, was its sixty-fifth. The fact
is, the new company of I854–5 did not have its
beginning on the 22nd of February, and did not
hold its first festival on that day, while the old
organization neither had its beginning ot, that
day, nor its completion, never had a ball or festi-
val on that day, and sixty-five years ago February
22, 1902, had no existence, and, its creation, so
far as known, had never been thought of.
Furthermore, sixty-five years ago February 22,
I902, there was not a military company in Cleve-
land, nor one for more than a year thereafter.
The Grays evidently need a historian; one who
will not allow the members to be misled by fool-
ish assumptions. The company has a history
worthy of the highest praise and has no need to
be fed on false claims.
WHY THE AFFLICTION.
The county of Geauga was created in 1805, and
Cuyahoga in 1810. The two, until 1849, consti-
tuted one senatorial district, with the right to one
Senator, and that senator during this time was
REMINISCENCES. 237
always a Whig. In that year, I849, Cuyahoga
became a district of itself, and Mr. H. B. Payne
became the senator, giving him the distinction of
being the first Democratic senator ever elected
from Cuyahoga county. In 1852, he was suc-
ceeded by Mr. Harvey Rice, also a Democrat.
The success of both these men was due to a split
in the Whig party on the slavery question.
Thirty-two years later, in 1884, Mr. A. J. Wil-
liams, another Democrat, was elected, owing to
an advanced position taken by the Republican
party on the temperance question. He was the
last Democrat elected from Cuyahoga county in
the nineteenth century. Thus, during a period of
ninety years, the Democrats of Cuyahoga county
had but three state senators. And why these
three, is accounted for.
In the beginning of the new century, even in its
first year, however, we find that more Democrats
have been elected to the Senate from Cuyahoga
county than during the whole period of its pre-
vious existence, and besides this, more Demo-
crats have been sent to the House than the whole
number ever before chosen. Why this is thus
238 REM.INISCENCES.
no one for a certainty seems to know. It is an
anomaly accounted for on no principle of justice,
addition, division, or propriety. Some have
thought it a mild—not so very mild, either—dis-
pensation of Divine displeasure because of the
wickedness of the people. If this is the cause
of the affliction, perhaps there should be no com-
plaint, as the men chosen, personally, are as good
a lot as could have been selected out of a crowd
when all are politically bad.
Cleveland, certainly, is a “wide open city,” and
its crimes are many. While the front doors to
the saloons are all tightly closed on Sunday, the
back doors have been enlarged to twice their
former size and now are never shut.
Sodom and Gomorrah, which were destroyed
on account of their wickedness, could never have
been any worse than Cleveland. The people of
those cities were admonished, but it did no good.
Lot's wife would not obey even her husband, and
for her perverseness, we are told, was turned into
salt. Cleveland, as will be seen, has been ad-
monished. Will the people heed the warning, or
will they wait to see their fair ones turned into
REMINISCENCES. 239
pillars of salt, and the city share the fate of
Sodom and Gomorrah P
Then we have the lesson of the Egyptians; how
the Pharaoh held the Israelites in bondage. At
first Egypt was mildly admonished of her wick-
edness, but persisting in her evil ways there was
visited upon her one affliction after another; fam-
ine, flies and frogs, lice and locusts. If the peo-
ple of Cleveland do not reform may it not be ex-
pected that more Democrats, and baser ones, will
be put into office and then come flies and frogs,
lice and locusts 2
SWAPPING STORIES.
(From the Plain Dealer.)
Col. O. J. Hodge, who has been an extensive
traveler, recently, got into an animated conversa-
tion with a number of gentlemen who have seen
considerable of the world. These gentlemen told
some very improbable stories of events in their
travels, and after listening quite a while, Col.
Hodge said:
“Let me relate to you an experience I had in
24O REM.INISCENCES.
the Yellowstone park. I arrived late one evening
at a hotel in the park, near some of the great
geysers, and being pretty tired soon went to my
room. In the morning my first thought was to
See a geyser. I hastily dressed and quietly left
the hotel. About a third of a mile away I saw
spurting in the air two great streams of water.
In the park are a large number of geysers, no two
of which are alike. Some throw water not more
than thirty feet high, while others send it up a
hundred or more feet. With some, when the
water subsides, the hole of the geyser becomes
dry, while with others the water only settles down
to the level of the earth. In one of the latter
kind a Chinaman was washing some clothes, when
suddenly, to his great surprise, he saw his clothes
carried high into the air.
“This led to the discovery that soap put in a
geyser will soon set it in motion. Without such
incentive the geysers are very regular in their
visitations. 'Old Faithful,’ ‘goes off,' to use an
expression common in the park, every fifty-eight
minutes, while some have their spurts only once a
day or perhaps once in several days. The ‘Bee-
REMINISCENCES. 24. I
hive,’ so-called because of its beehive shaped
cone, sends up its flood of water only once in
ten days. The geysers I saw in action the morn-
ing I went out from the hotel became entirely in-
active before I reached their base, and the holes
were now apparently dry. One of the holes was
about two feet wide at the top and seemed to be
about the same size as far down as could be seen.
The alkali water had formed a smooth incrusta-
tion on the sides of about the solidity of very
hard clay. Around the cones were points or pro-
jections having the appearance of crystals. With
a stone in my hand I made an effort to break one
of these off, hoping to get it for a relic. In
striking it I lost my balance and went feet fore-
most down into the hole, some nine or ten feet.
It seemed at the time much further. A sharp
turn in the course of the geyser hole prevented
my making further ingress into the bowels of the
earth. I called loudly for help, but to no purpose.
The thought finally came to me that I might
with my knife cut holes in the incrustation which
surrounded me and by the aid of them climb out.
By this means I succeeded beyond my expecta-
242 REM.INISCENCES.
tions until I broke the blade of my knife square
off at the handle. I had a bunch of keys in my
pocket, one of the keys being quite a large one.
In getting the bunch out of my pocket I drew out
something else, which dropped below. I thought
it was my pocketbook. With the big key some
further progress was made, but soon there was a
gurgling below and a moment later came a mighty
rush of water, which shot me up into the air
fully fifty feet. There I was at the apex of the
fountain. I realized that the force of the flow
would sustain me at the top of the stream if I
could only keep my balance, but if I did not I
would go tumbling down to certain death. At
first the water was very hot, but soon became
cooler. I kept my position for about ten minutes,
when the water began to slowly recede. I spread
my limbs out so as not to be drawn back into the
hole and succeeded in landing square across it.
I had but little strength left, but with what I had
succeeded in throwing myself to one side and
soon was on my way back to the hotel. Then I
remembered that the morning before, hastily leav-
ing the place where I had stayed all night, I
REMINISCENCES. 243
wrapped my traveling soap in a piece of paper and
put it in my pocket. It was this soap that was
pulled out with my keys and it was this soap that
went down in the geyser, set the waters in motion
and, who will doubt, saved my life. Gentlemen,
my advice is, always carry with you a cake of
soap.” - :
I679.
1786.
I790.
I796.
I799.
I800.
1801.
1802.
1805.
I8O8.
1810.
181 I.
1812.
I812.
1814.
I816.
1817.
CHRONOLOGICAL.
First sailing vessel on Lake Erie—the Griffin.
An Englishman, at mouth of Cuyahoga, had
trading station. -
British turned over to United States site where
Cleveland stands.
First house built in Cleveland—log.
Grist mill put up at “Newburgh”; first in this
section.
Cleveland became a town.
First ball given in Cleveland.
First town meeting in Cleveland.
Cleveland made a port of entry.
First vessel built in Cleveland—the Zephyr.
First court opened in Cleveland.
First cemetery in Cleveland—where Prospect
street enters Ontario street.
First man hanged in Cleveland—Omic, an Indian.
Log Court House built on Public Square,
Cleveland incorporated as a village.
First bank in Cleveland—the “Commercial.”
Cleveland owned its first school house.
CHRO/WOLOGICA L. 245
I818.
1819.
1820.
1822.
I826.
1829.
1830.
I831.
I835.
1837.
1837.
1840.
1841.
1842.
1846.
1848.
1849.
I85I.
I851.
July 31, first newspaper in Cleveland — the
“Gagette.”
October 19, Cleveland Herald made its first ap-
pearance.
First theatrical entertainment in Cleveland.
First bridge in Cleveland over Cuyahoga river.
Land purchased for Erie Street Cemetery.
First fire engine in Cleveland—worked by hand.
First light house built at Cleveland.
Prospect street laid out from Ontario to Erie
street; extended, in 1835, to Perry.
Cleveland incorporated as a city.
June 7, American House first opened.
Government bought land where Marine Hospital
was built seven years later.
Tippecanoe Clubs organized on both sides of
river.
First appearance of Plain Dealer; J. W. Gray,
editor.
Superior street paved with plank.
Weddell House opened to public.
Board of Trade established—now Chamber of
Commerce.
First gas furnished in Cleveland.
Feb. 22, opening of railroad to Cincinnati cele-
brated.
Land purchased for Woodland Cemetery.
246
CAE/A&O/WO/COG/CA L.
I852.
1852.
1853.
1853.
1853.
1854.
I855.
1855.
I857.
I857.
I86O.
I862.
1862.
1865.
1867.
1867.
1867.
1869.
1869.
1871.
1871.
1872.
1872.
1873.
I873.
Homeopathic College in block southeast corner
Ontario and Prospect streets destroyed by mob.
Academy of Music, on Bank street, built.
Cleveland given a new charter; first Police Court.
Cleveland Library established; in 1867 first tax
levied for its support.
Waterworks started ; Commissioners appointed.
Ohio City annexed to Cleveland.
City Infirmary completed.
New England Society organized.
Old Stone Church burned ; again in 1858.
Land bought for Central Market.
East Cleveland Street Railroad Co. organized.
J. W. Gray, founder of Plain Dealer, died.
Volunteer fire companies disbanded.
Charity Hospital opened.
Western Reserve Historical Society founded.
South Side annexed to Cleveland.
Bethel Mission incorporated.
First waterworks tunnel begun; completed 1874.
Lake View Cemetery laid out.
Work House established.
Old Settlers’ Association organized.
“Epizootic” epidemic in Cleveland; horse cars had
to stop running.
Union Club organized.
April 4, Humane Society elected first officers.
Newburgh annexed to Cleveland.
CHROMO LOGICA L. 247
1873.
1873.
I874.
1874.
1876.
1878.
1878.
I88O.
I882.
1883.
1884.
1885.
1887.
I888.
1889.
1890.
I893.
I894.
I895.
I899.
East Cleveland annexed to Cleveland.
Cleveland Bar Association organized.
Lake View Park land appropriated.
Cleveland Opera House first opened.
First electric light in Cleveland.
Nov. 2, Penny Press issued first number.
Superior street viaduct dedicated.
Adelbert College finished.
Wade Park accepted by city.
Great flood in Cuyahoga river.
Park Theatre burned—now “Lyceum.”
Cleveland Theatre, on St. Clair street, built.
Columbia, now Star Theatre, opened.
South Side viaduct dedicated.
August 29, Cleveland World first issued.
May 30, Garfield monument dedicated.
Title to Gordon Park given to Cleveland.
West Cleveland and Brooklyn Village annexed.
Street railway car plunged into Cuyahoga river;
seventeen passengers perished; one saved.
Empire Theatre on Huron street built.
1899. Great Street Railroad strike.
THE HODGE GENEALOGY.
Price, $5.o.o.
The following are some of the complimentary no-
tices of the work:
From the American Monthly, organ of the Daughters of the
American Revolution, Washington, D. C.
THE Hodge GENEALOGY, upon which Col. O. J. Hodge, of Cleve-
land, Ohio, has been at work for many years, has made its ap-
pearance. It is a large volume of nearly five hundred pages,
printed with clear faced type, on heavy paper, with pedigree
charts and illustrations, and as a whole is highly creditable to
both author and publisher. Several Hodge families are traced
from their first settlement in this country to the present time.
A number of families with whom they have become allied by mar-
riage have been traced back to England. Among these allied
families the following names appear: Denslow, Welles, Allis,
Foote, Churchill, Treat, Hurlbut, White, Dewey, Caulkins, New-
comb and English. The ancestral lines of these families evidently
are given with much care. Besides the genealogical compilations,
there are given many historical facts and much other matter of
an interesting character. Mr. Charles K. Bolton, librarian of the
Boston Atheneum, a well known genealogist, says of the book:
“It is evident the work has been done with great care and the
best of judgment. If all genealogies were arranged and prepared
in this thorough way, it would be cause for rejoicing. The index
also is fine.”
From the N. E. & Gen. Hist. Register, Boston, Mass.
“The Hodge Genealogy, published by Rockwell & Churchill,
Boston, is an excellent book, prepared by a man who has traveled
widely and read much. Col. Hodge knows the worth of original
records and uses them, but he appreciates the value of broad
sympathies, a knowledge of history and romance in writing a
genealogy. The book, therefore, is readable as well as instructive.
The arrangement of the material and printing are exceptionally
good and an unusually fine index makes the volume useful for
reference.” º
THE UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN
DATE DUE
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AUG 16 2002
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