Early Western Travels, 1748-1846, Volume XII Part 20

For a brief note on Fearon, see Flint's _Letters_, volume ix of our series, note 119.--ED.

[7] I have since seen beggars.--WELBY.

[8] An account of Joseph Bonaparte's career in America will be found in volume xi of our series, note 36.--ED.

[9] It was burned down, it is supposed by incendiaries, the following winter, and many valuable pictures and much furniture and papers lost.--WELBY.

[10] Franklin did not present a library to Philadelphia, but he is properly regarded as the founder of the Philadelphia Library, which he called "the _mother_ of all the North American subscription libraries."

Conceiving the idea of establis.h.i.+ng such an inst.i.tution, he drew up a plan (1731), and solicited subscriptions among his friends. By March following, twenty-five persons had paid their subscription of forty s.h.i.+llings each, and an order was sent to England for books. Franklin continued to take an active interest in the enterprise, aiding in selecting books, and from time to time donating volumes. The Philadelphia Library now occupies two large buildings, and contains over 190,000 volumes.--ED.

[11] In his will Franklin left 2,000 (still due him for his salary as president of Pennsylvania) for the improvement of the Schuylkill River.

Learning that that work of improvement was likely to be delayed, he made a codicil revoking the bequest to the Schuylkill improvement, and devoting it to a scheme of continuous benevolence--1,000 each were given to Boston and to Philadelphia; under the direction of a certain board of selectmen, small sums (not exceeding 60), were to be loaned to young married artificers at five per cent interest. He estimated that in a hundred years the princ.i.p.al would be vastly increased, and the greater part was then to be devoted to public works. However, many borrowers were unable to repay, and their security proving worthless, the sum at the end of the first century was far below Franklin's expectation.--ED.

[12] The cent is about the value of one half-penny; one hundred is four s.h.i.+llings and sixpence sterling.--WELBY.

[13] The traveller's route westward was by way of the Lancaster Turnpike and the Pennsylvania Road, through Bedford and Greensburg to Pittsburg.

For this route, see Harris's _Journal_, volume iii of our series, note 3.--ED.

[14] Cove Mountain forms the western boundary of Franklin County. The road crosses it about fifteen miles west of Chambersburg. Scrub Ridge lies parallel to Cove Mountain, a few miles to the west.--ED.

[15] For b.l.o.o.d.y Run, see c.u.ming's _Tour_, in our volume iv, note 18. It is now Everett, Bedford County. The battle was not with the natives, but between a band of enraged frontiersmen and a party of Indian traders who were illegally supplying the savages with firearms.--ED.

[16] For the early history of Greensburg and Pittsburg, see volume iii of our series: F. A. Michaux's _Travels_, note 16; A. Michaux's _Travels_, note 11.--ED.

[17] A brief account of the founding of Was.h.i.+ngton and Canonsburg (Jefferson) College may be found in Harris's _Journal_, volume iii of our series, note 31.--ED.

[18] In 1816 and the years immediately following occurred what is locally known as the "college war." Reverend Matthew Brown, pastor of the first Presbyterian church at Was.h.i.+ngton, who had been president of Was.h.i.+ngton College since its incorporation (1806), was asked to resign, and Reverend Andrew Wylie was called from the presidency of Canonsburg College to succeed him. Much bitter feeling was aroused, to the great injury of both inst.i.tutions.--ED.

[19] For the early history of the National Road, see Harris's _Journal_, note 45; and for its extension beyond Wheeling, see Woods's _English Prairie_, in volume x of our series, note 76.--ED.

[20] I have often been called upon to pay a dollar for pa.s.sing over a bridge.--_Welby._

[21] The Lancasterian Academy was founded at Wheeling by the bequest of Noah Linsly, formerly a tutor at Williams College. It received its charter in 1814, and is said to have been the first chartered school in a slave state granting free education to the poor. The name was derived from the Lancasterian system of education, founded by Joseph Lancaster.

See our volume xi. The inst.i.tution is now called Linsly Inst.i.tute.--ED.

[22] Mr. Fearon says the state of Ohio is one continued level, he must mean that part of it about Cincinnati; the chief part of the state is exceedingly hilly.--WELBY.

_Comment by Ed._ Ohio is hilly only in the southeastern portion, the part traversed by Welby. He travelled along the State Road, which followed the old Zane's Trace through St. Clairsville, Zanesville, and Chillicothe to Maysville, Kentucky.

[23] The Dunkards, or German Baptists, began to come to America about 1719, joining with the Mennonites in Germantown, Pennsylvania. In general, their belief was like that of the Quakers, save that they observed the ordinances of baptism and the Lord's Supper. A sect separated from the main body, and established a monastery at Ephrata, Lancaster County. A considerable number emigrated into western Pennsylvania and the Shenandoah Valley.--ED.

[24] For the early history of Chillicothe, see F. A. Michaux's _Travels_, volume iii of our series, note 35.--ED.

[25] For a sketch of the founding of West Union, see Hulme's _Journal_, volume x of our series, note 39. Concerning Bainbridge, consult Faux's _Journal, ante_, note 109.--ED.

[26] This was probably the common poison ivy (_Rhus toxicodendron_).--ED.

[27] From another party which pa.s.sed, I learned that the well-known Colonel Boon is still alive in the Missourie country; though the journals lately gave a circ.u.mstantial account of his death.--WELBY.

_Comment by Ed._ Boone died September 26, 1820.

[28] This was the last important Indian cession in Ohio. September 29, 1817, the Wyandot, Seneca, Delaware, Shawnee, Potawatomi, Ottawa, and Chippewa ceded a large tract bounded on the east by the previous treaty line--namely, a line drawn south from a point a few miles east of the head of Sandusky Bay, and on the south by the old Greenville treaty line (see Evans's _Tour_, in our volume viii, note 51), and the St. Mary's River.--ED.

[29] For the early history of Blue Licks, see c.u.ming's _Tour_, in our volume iv, note 117.--ED.

[30] For a brief account of Lexington, see A. Michaux's _Travels_, volume iii of our series, note 28.--ED.

[31] An account of the early history of Transylvania University has been given in our volume iv, note 126.--ED.

[32] There are two good family taverns however, one the Indian Queen; of the other I forget the sign.--WELBY.

[33] For a brief note on Frankfort, see F. A. Michaux's _Travels_, volume iii of our series, note 39.

This was probably Colonel Richard Taylor, father of General Zachary Taylor. He was born in Virginia in 1744, and served throughout the Revolutionary War. Removing to the Falls of the Ohio (1781), he was a member of the conventions which formed the first and second const.i.tutions of Kentucky, and was often a member of its legislature. He died in 1826.--ED.

[34] For information concerning the early history of Louisville, consult Croghan's _Journals_, volume i of our series, note 106.--ED.

[35] For the information of future travellers, Allen's quiet part of the hotel is down the street turning the corner of his house.--WELBY.

[36] A brief account of New Albany may be found in Hulme's _Journal_, volume x of our series, note 15.--ED.

[37] Paoli, about forty miles northwest of New Albany, is the seat of Orange County; it was laid out in 1816 by a territorial commission, and the first frame building erected in that year. Hindostan has pa.s.sed out of existence; see Faux's _Journal_, volume xi of our series, note 68.

Was.h.i.+ngton proved to be the most advantageously located. See _ibid._, note 69.--ED.

[38] Vincennes is not as old as Philadelphia, having been founded in 1727. Consult Croghan's _Journals_, volume i of our series, note 113.--_Ed._

[39] Upon resigning his commission in the army (1814), General Harrison settled upon a farm at North Bend, Ohio.--ED.

[39*] Mr. Birkbeck's letters from the Illinois.--WELBY.

[40] Hulme's _Journal_ has been reprinted in volume x of our series.--ED.

[41] The reader may suppose that corn might be grown at the English Prairie as cheap as at Harmony; _why_ it cannot will clearly appear in the account of this Colony.--WELBY.

[42] For the location of Bonpas Creek, see Flower's _Letters_, in our volume x, note 2; Shawneetown, Croghan's _Journals_, in our volume i, note 108.--ED.

[43] A relation of Mr. Flower's shot a bear during my stay.--WELBY.

[44] A brief account of the early settlement of Princeton may be found in Hulme's _Journal_, volume x of our series, note 17.--ED.

[45] On returning to Philadelphia, and stating how I had disposed of the baggage I was greeted with grins and smiles; one said he would not give fifty dollars for my chance, another offered ten, and in short I found that no _smart fellow_ thought of trusting another in America; and that he who should think himself safe under the pledge of honour or honesty was considered a fiat and deserving to be taken in! At Vincennes I had yet to learn this at the expense of at least a thousand dollars.--WELBY.

[46] This depreciation will appear nothing when compared with the following. Towards the close of the struggle for independence a Mr.

S***** travelled westward in order to collect some out-standing debts; after receiving which in notes and on his road home, he actually paid within sixteen miles of Philadelphia, three hundred dollars for a breakfast, and even this bargain he would not have been able to make, he found on his return, to that city!--The government have never been able to enter into any arrangements to redeem these notes.--WELBY.

[47] I added to the diet, strong gruel of Indian corn meal, or wheat flour, which enabled them to travel.--WELBY.

[48] A short sketch of Major Spriggs will be found in Faux's _Journal_, _ante_, note 113.--ED.