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money, but that he must sign a writing "that he lied about the old woman," and that then he would give up the judgment. But he told him that if he should refuse to do this that he would collect the judgment. I think William would not sign the papers, and that the old captain collected the judgment. This love for his wife and his odd sailor ways and expressions interested me in him, though he continued his intemperate habits. But at length I met him, and perceiving a great change for the better-with all marks of intemperance gone— I exclaimed: "What has produced this great improvement?" He replied that he had become a temperance man-that "the old woman had loved him out of the ditch."

Shortly after this the news reached us here of the announcement of the Washingtonian temperance movement among the drunkards at Baltimore, as well as of the wonderful success of Father Matthew in Ireland. Hoping to aid the cause here, we called on the old captain to give us his experience. He responded, and astonished us all. He had drained the cup to its bitter dregs, and like the modern Murphy, he electrified the community, and induced thousands to follow his example. Aristarchus Champion, a wealthy and benevolent gent from Rochester, happening here at this period, offered the old captain $500 if he would devote himself to the work for three months. The offer was accepted, but instead of three months he labored in this cause for two years, and

he told me that he obtained fifty thousand names to the pledge of total abstinence. Among these was Judge Smith, of Medina, who had become a drunkard and had fallen so low that his wife had obtained a divorce from him. His reformation was, however, so thorough that they were remarried, and some years since I read the notice of the Judge's death in Wisconsin at an extreme age and with a flattering obituary.

Captain Turner was remarkable for his great good sense. This was specially seen in one of our county temperance conventions. It was in the very white heat of the Washingtonian movement. A. W. Kellogg had denounced the clergy for not taking greater interest in the movement. Dr. Aiken, the then pastor of the First Presbyterian Church of this city, in reply to him said the Washingtonians reminded him of what he had frequently seen in the city of New York in his boyhood. It was the launching of vessels. It was in this fashion: After the vessel had been built by long and persistent labor, a crowd of gentlemen and ladies would come aboard and a single block would be knocked away, and the vessel, with her load, would glide into the water, while the gentlemen and ladies would shout and swing their hats and handkerchiefs, and act just as if they had both built and launched the vessel.

Now, said the Doctor, we built this good temperance ship by careful and strenuous labors, and now you Washingtonians claim all the credit, &c.

Old Captain Turner sprung to his feet and said: "Father Aiken seems to feel a good deal wamble-cropped at what Brother Kellogg has said, and I am not surprised at it. For it is true that the blackcoats did build this good ship and floated us Washingtonians off as he has said." And then turning to Dr. Aiken, he continued: "Now, Doctor, the ship is built, all things are ready, why not come aboard and 'horah?” There is one of the old settlers, whose remains now sleep in one of our city cemeteries, whose name and deeds are worthy of remembrance by this society, and we certainly should be grateful for his example, even if it is not proper to be proud of having had in our ranks so great a reformer.

FROM ANOTHER OLD SETTLER.

Mr. John W. Allen said: We are telling stories to-night,

and I

may as well tell one to show how different things are

from what they were once. In the old village corporation there was a president, recorder, and three trustees. The legislation was in the hands of the trustees and president. I happened in the year 1828 to be one of them. Dr. Long was another. We thought it expedient to buy a fire engine, and we negotiated with Mr. Seelye for the purpose of purchasing a small engine. It was before the days of steam fire engines. We were about to make a contract with him for the engine, and were to pay him $400, $50 down and $350 in a note of the corporation. There was a set of men here who were

hostile to the measure.

They got up a meeting and talked pretty strongly, intimating that we had joined hands with Seelye to swindle the people here, and that we undoubtedly participated in the plunder. But we bought the engine and paid the $50 like honest men, and gave the note of the corporation for the balance. An election intervened the next spring, and we were all turned out, and a new set of men put in who repudiated the note. The note came here for collecinto, judgment was rendered, and those men had to walk up to the captain's office and settle the bill.

Nothing affects me more forcibly than the contrast between that little machine and the array of sometimes a dozen of our great steam fire engines, of immense power and beautiful too in their appearance, and that never tire while the coal and water last.

That was in the early days when the population was small and the means and views were small, ten or fifteen years before the application of steam for such purposes was dreamed of.

But the advance in this particular matter of protection against fire only corresponds with that of population and wealth, and the application of inventive genius in a hundred ways to the wants and convenience of mankind, which has marked the progress of the last half century.

Our successors of that day may look back upon us of this

day as a simple minded people, doing the best we knew how with the little knowledge and means we had, but as not amounting to any particular sum according to their theme standard.

MR. PRESIDENT:

REMARKS OF H. M. ADDISON.

At this late hour I desire to state only a few facts in a few words, by way of making a close connection between the past and the present.

On my right sits Mr. Wm. H. Warren, the oldest man now living, who was born in Warrensville, in the first log house in that township; and Mr. Elias Cozad, a member of our association, helped to build that house.

My father taught the first school in the first log school house in that township. The first singing school was taught in that school house, and I hold in my hand one of the books used in that school. Simple facts like these call vividly to mind early scenes in my career of life, and the wonderful progress in the condition of our county in a comparatively short period of time; and I hope the early settlers of the various townships will come to our next convention, prepared to give many of the kind, either orally or in writing. are "Foot-prints in the sands of time," that are very desirable to preserve, and the sooner they are collected and reduced to writing, the more we will have of them, and the more accurate

They

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