year, and by "self-cultivating" his mind, his recent death is considered a nation's loss. History is full of shining examples of saving fragments. Sir Humphry Davy, William Herschel, Laplace, Nathaniel Bowditch, Ferguson, Daniel Rittenhouse, and-finally time would fail to enumerate all who have been blessed by obedience to the heavenly mandate, to "save the fragments." Just here I will give an anecdote of "Billy Gray " just referred to, that I got from my grandfather, a New Hamphshire man : Early one morning Mr. Gray was on one of the wharfs in Boston, waiting for one of his vessels that was coming up the harbor. A young lawyer, who was looking for some one to carry home his basket from the market, said to him: "Old man, would you like to earn a shilling this morning?" "O, yes," said Mr. Gray. "Well," said the lawyer, "you just carry this basket home for me and I will give you one," and led the way, followed by Mr. Gray carrying the basket, which he set on the doorstep on arriving at the residence of the lawyer, who gave him the promised shilling. As Mr. Gray took it, he thanked him and said, "If at any other time you wish for some one to carry your basket, just inquire for Billy Gray, and if I am at leisure I shall be glad to serve you." The lawyer always carried home his own market basket after that. A volume of instructive and amusing anecdotes could be given if our old citizens, yet living, would give them either orally or in writing. I will here give a few that will serve as specimens of the amusing kind. Rev. Levi Tucker, generally known as "Dr. Tucker," minister of the old First Baptist Church on the southeast corner of Seneca and Champlain streets, was on the wood market for the purpose of contracting for his coming winter supply of wood, and came to Thomas Harland of Warrensville, who was noted for bringing firstrate wood, and generally got the highest market price. "Mr. Harland," said the old minister, "how much do you ask a cord for good wood?" "Two dollars and a half," said Mr. Harland. "I wish to engage my winter supply of wood," said the minister, "and if I take several cords, how much less will you let me have it for ?" "Dr. Tucker," said the wood dealer, "if I should bring you good wood for less than that price, the less you would want the better it would suit me." That ended the conference for that time, but I think that Mr. Harland furnished the desired winter supply of wood. About the same time another Warrensville man, Crynus Larue, who hauled a great deal of hay to Cleveland, and like his neighbor Harland, always tried to bring a good quality and to get the best price. One day he had a load of very superior quality and asked a little more than any one else on the market, where all hay was uncommonly high priced, and consequently many citizens were nearly or entirely out and must purchase, if it was dear. The result was much sharp bantering between sellers and buyers. This was especially the case betweer. Mr. Larue and several of those who wanted the best hay even at a high price. Among them was the venerable Erastus Smith, who, with some manifest vexation at what he seemed to think the extravagant demands of the hay dealers in general, and Mr. Larue in particular, said to him: "What do you country people do with your conscience?" With a preliminary expression not suggestive of early piety, the hay dealer replied: "I always leave my conscience at home when I come to Cleveland to deal with men who never had one." The first historical event in our county which I remember well enough to give any very definite account of, was the organization of the Shaker society in Warrensville, in December of 1821, consisting mainly of the families of Elisha, Elijah, Return and Ralph Russell; and as the young Russells were quite numerous, it constituted quite a colony, which was soon reinforced by other families with more junior members than the parents could comfortably provide for. For many years the society flourished vigorously, being a model of industry, economy and good order at home, and of charity and kindness to unfortunate neighbors. But as the hardships of pioneer life became less, their recruits came in more slowly. A staple article in their creed was opposition to matrimony, and the ancient injunction to Noah to "multiply and replenish the earth.” But it was about as difficult a task to convert the young people of the society to that part of their creed as it would be to teach young turkeys to swim or young ducks to keep out of the water; and finally the society has gradually declined in numbers to a few aged members, whose sun of life is nearly set. As my mother was a member of it for nearly fifty years, I had a good chance to become intimately acquainted with its members generally, and she and some others of them tried for many years to convert me to the Shaker faith; and among them was a venerable girl (vulgarly called an old maid), whose zealous belief in it, I sometimes thought, resulted, partially at least, from a disbelief in the sentiment : There swims no goose so gray, but soon or late, At one time when arguing the case with her awhile, I said I could not find any Scriptural authority for the anti-matrimonial article of their creed. She quoted St. Paul's saying that "they that marry do well, but they that do not, do better." "Well, sister," I replied, "St. Paul candidly admitted that he said that on his own responsibility, and not by authority, and perhaps the latter part of his saying may be accounted for from the fact that he was an old bachelor, and possibly had been jilted by some heartless coquette." With a look partly comic and partly serious, she said: "I think there is not much chance of making a Shaker of you," and that was her last effort of the kind. A notable day in Warrensville was July 4, 1822. Nearly all the population-the Shakers excepted-turned out to celebrate the Nation's birthday. There were about fifty persons, young and old. Our band of instrumental music consisted entirely of a flute played on by William Dunshee. The marshal of the day was Moses Warren, who has now living in this city and vicinity one son, nine grandchildren, about twenty-five great-grandchildren, and-well, I will not figure on the later generation. The orator of the day was Sylvester Carver. After some marching in procession to the music of "Hail Columbia," "Yankee Doodle," etc., played on the aforesaid flute, and an oration at the log schoolhouse, a bountiful dinner was partaken of under a bower of green brush, laid on long poles supported by heavy forked ones set in the ground, the tables and seats being rough boards. Patriotic toasts were then read and responded to, sometimes by brief speeches or loud cheers, sometimes by both. As a substitute for artillery, there were several muskets, and about eighteen inches of a heavy rifle barrel securely spiked to the top of a large stump. The vocal music of the day was decidedly good, and several patriotic pieces were sung, among which were "Ode on Science," "Star Spangled Banner," and "Perry's Victory:" "Ye tars of Columbia, give ear to my story, Who fought with brave Perry where cannons did roar : Nearly every one joined in the singing except the orator of the day, who, like my old friend Judge Tilden, had as much music in his composition as anybody, but it always came out in prose plainly spoken, instead of poetry and the chromatic scale. Hon. A. J. Williams moved an adjournment until 2 o'clock, and the audience, which was unusually large, repaired to a lower room where an excellent lunch was served. The ladies were particularly attentive, and many reminiscences of pioneer life were related during the repast. AFTERNOON SESSION. When the members of the association arose from the dining tables, they repaired, at the request of J. H. Ryder, the artist, to the front steps of Music Hall, and stood in a group to be photographed, which was successfully done, making a beautiful picture, true to life, and one which will be highly appreciated by those of the group, who may wish to 66 see themselves as others see them." The president called the association to order at 2 o'clock, and introduced Captain George E. Paine of Painesville, who gave the following interesting reminiscences of pioneer life in Lake county: TWENTY MINUTES' TALK, BY CAPTAIN GEORGE E PAINE. Mr. President, Ladies and Gentlemen: When I received the invitation of your president to speak to you again this year, relative to pioneer life on the Western Reserve, I thought at first I would make another rambling, hop-skip-and-jump talk, referring to old pioneer documents and letters in my possession, similar to my talk here last year : Or, perhaps, tell you of the enterprise of our people in early railroad projects in the years 1835-36 and '37 ; notably the Fairport and Wellsville railroad, from the lake to the Ghio river, for which project a subscription of over two hundred and five thousand dollars, which is now in my possession, was made at Painesville in two days in March, 1836— Or, may be, talk about some of the incidents of local interest, relating to Joe Smith and his elders, who began business in Kirtland, in our county, in 1833, and built their first Mormon temple there in 1836, where they laid out a rectangular city, two miles square, containing 4,500 uniform half-acre lots, and contemplated walling ft in and connecting it by a ship canal with Lake Erie at the mouth of the Chagrin river. It happened, however, that we made an effort at Painesville during the centennial year, 1876, to organize a Historical Society for our county, and published notices asking for communications from the early settlers. And, as I could not hope to say anything so appropriate for this occasion, or of equal interest, I decided to read. to you two of the communications received at that time. They were written in 1877, ten years ago, by Colonel Hendrick E. Paine, then living at Monmouth, Ill. He came to Painesville in 1803, when he was fourteen years old. He lived in Geauga and Lake counties more than fifty years, and was eighty-eight years of age when these He died in Monmouth in 1881, at the age of letters were written. ninety-two. |