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-fc ■ «. I A ^ — 1 ■ «/two later, I remember that the celebration of the day was marred by a horrible accident, of a kind too far from rare in later clays. A party came up from Wellsburg on keel boat to celebrate the day, and haring a little cannon on the boat, they fired a salute on their departure, when the wadding struck a bright boy, the pet of a military company with which he came, literally tearing away his abdomen and leaving him to linger in torture till death, and gloom closed the festivities. Perhaps some surviving sister could tell you the storj better than I can, through tears as fresh as those she wept the day that o-ay party returned with their burdenof sorrow, now lost in the ocean of years.Here at f lie foot of Market street was the landing place for boats that touched at the town, that is to say an occasional keel boat, with some freight or passengers, a trading flat or emigrant boat; and a little later, the steamboats would touch at this point. I remember a very queer looking craft— such it would be now. most certainly— that lay a few hours here in 1818, perhaps, which was hailed as the steamboat Baldwin. As I see it now, it was as near like a big canal boat as maj be, except that the~ sides rose from the water to the main deck, which was surrounded. by a railing. The dectv was? clear of everything except a few seats, not even an awning, and the steering was done by a helm at the stern. The orowth of steamboats into their present shape has been one of great change since that time. Then the appearance of one steamboat a year was about the rule. Mind I have’nt got away from the foot of Market street, but I want to speak of another steamboat. By the way the ingenious family of boys who turned engineers, were the Devenny.Quaker at a disadvantage. The market master was a power in his way. and had his full lists of friends and enemies. If lie found the butter of light weight, there was a confiscation, and usually a lasting ‘‘•unpleasantness” between him and the dealer. The boys, who went to Market to buy or loiter round and hear the gossip stood .in awe of Friend (Harlan, I think his name was) no less than they did of Mr. Hazlet, the Constable, who though an amicable enough man, had the most frightfully scarred face I have ever seen. The old Quaker was market master for many years, but I forget how long. The last in that of- \fice that I remember, was Robert Me-*Cray, whom I found on one of my visits in later years, sweeping up after market. He stopped to tell me the story of the ten years previous | and wept*over the friends who had passed away irom his circle. He must have followed them long since. After markets the Auctioneer, Jos.f?) Bra-shear, used to hold forth for the sale of all sorts of things, and to the amusement of the crowd, for 4khe was a fellow of infinite jest.”Opposite were the jail and court house; the former a miserable hole where many a poor debtor had to spend weeks under our old system of imprisonment on executions for debt. With what awe we bo vs would look at the barred windows mid the unfortunates within! The site of this jail must now be occupied by the splendid court house that has taken the place of the old one. that defied the rules of arehi- jA Ilecture and time so long. Bet me now close this rambling letter. I write at random, and want to be at liberty to say what occurs as it occurs, for I-cannot well confine myself to method.W. C. H.
Newspaper Details
Steubenville Daily Herald and News
Steubenville, Ohio, US
Wed, Jul 14, 1875
Page 1
Full Page
Clipped by
Anonymous
USA 18 Jun 2021
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