McHenry Public Library District Digital Archives

McHenry Plaindealer (McHenry, IL), 16 Feb 1911, p. 6

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-L i ̂ 11|1S V !-~ t> ' , j ," 't ' ' t "" \r r1 :t0 Presidents First Tour O. 13," a long-lost diary in Washington's own hand, haa at last come to light This unique Journal, which runs from October 1, 1789, to March 10, 17t0, Is occupied with the first • 4 _ __ « J. V-- pull 11CK1 WUi UJflkUC U/ gre^ president. In a coach drawn by two horses Washington, ac­ companied by three friends and at­ tended by six servants, went through Connecticut, Massachusetts, Maine mil parts of New Hampshire. He thus sets the example of "swinging around tho circle," a practice now common In the United States. "Exercised in my carriage In the forenoon," begins the diary. Then fol­ lows a list of the company "that dined with us today." Here is a peep at his home life: "Am giving sitting to John Ramage, who drawing a miniature of rne for Mrs. Washington." Ramage had a great vogue in the revolutionary era. He was fashion's petted and pampered artist Bom Id Ireland, he early drlft- iSi . ' HP SiiaiK: -- - ,.»> sr s fc> / a vr/7/vo* • rfe iiiJffrtlMTON -MP HI J ffll/0ff(7T HORjf ed Into the British army, saw service in Canada. Coming to New York city, he painted the belle? and beaux, was lionized in select circles. Ram- age's scarlet coat must have caught Washington's eye. The artist wore a white silk waistcoat black satin breeches, knee buckles, white silk stockings, silver shoe buckles, cocked hat, well- powdered curls and on the street carried a gold- headed cane. As a fop of the'clay, when he talked he offered a gold snuff box; you took a pinch and vowed Ramage was a deuced good fellow. Sunday, 4th--Went to St Paul's in the fore­ noon. Monday, 5th--Exercised on horseback be­ tween the hours of eight and eleven, and be­ tween five and six in the afternoon on foot. "Had a conversation with Colonel Hamilton on the propriety of my making a tour through the eastern states during the recess of congress, to acquire knowledge of the face of the country, the growth of agriculture thereof." "And the temper and disposition of the people," adds Washington in his diary, "toward the new government who thought it a very desir­ able plan," /he goes on. stringing out his sen­ tence, "and ho advised it, accordingly." "Upon consulting Mr. Jay on my intended tour into the eastern states, he highly approved it, but observed that a similar visit would be ex­ pected by those of the southern," writes the dis­ tinguished diarist. It may be added that Washington later made this trip "to the southern." He started In 1791, went 1,900 miles, was gone three months, and *used the same span of horses throughout the Journey. Thursday, 15th--Commenced my Journey about nine o'clock for Boston, and a tour through the eastern states. The chief Justice, Mr. Jay, and the secretaries of the treasury and war depart­ ments, accompanied me some distance out of the city. About ten It began to rain and continued to do BO until about eleven, when we arrived at the house of Mr. Hoyatt, who keeps a tavern at Kingsbridge, where we, that is, Major JackBon, Mr. Lear and myself, with six servants, which composed my retinue, dined. ' After dinner, through frequent light showers, we proceeded to the tavern of a Mrs. Haviland at Rye--who keeps a very neat and decent inn. These words show Washington's formal style admirably. He continues: "The road, for the greater part of the way, was very rough and stoney, but the land strong and well covered with grass and a luxuriant crop of Indian corn intermixed With pumpkins which were yet ungathered in the fields. We met four droves of beef cattle for the New York market, about 30 in a drove, some of which were very fine, also a large flock of sheep for the same place. We scarcely passed a farmhouse that did not abound ("abd" Washington writes It) in geese. Their cattle seemed to be of a good qual­ ity, their hogs large but rather long-legged. No dwelling house is seen without a stone or brick chimney and rarely any without a shingled roof-- generally the sides are of shingles alBO. "The distance of thlB day's travel was 81 miles," writes Wash­ ington in Diary No. 13. He speaks of the stoney country, 'Im­ mensely stoney," he calls it "We find," he adds, tiieir crops of wheat and rye have been abundant --though of the first they had sown rather sparingly on account of the destruction which had of late years been made In that grain by what is called the Hessian fly." F r i d a y , 1 6 t h -- Washington tells that the next day "noon halt" was made at Norwalk, to feed the horsey. "Part Is very- rough road," he goes on. "The superb land­ scape, however, which is to be seen from the meeting house of the latter, is a rich rega­ lia. We found all tne farmers busily en­ gaged in gathering, grinding and express­ ing the Juice of their apples, the crop of which, they said, Is rather above medioc­ rity. The average crop of wheat, they add, is about 15 bush­ els to the acre from their fallow land, often 20, and from that to 25. The destructive evidences of the British cruelty are yet visible both in Norwlk and Fairfleid, as there are chimneys of many burnt houses standing in them yet. The principal export from Norwalk is horses and cattle, salted beef and pork, lumber and Indian corn to the West Indies, and in a small degree, flour and wheat." Saturday, 17th--At sunrise we left Fairfield and breakfasted at Stratford, which is ten miles beyond. . "There are two decent-looking churches In this place," says the diarist. . . . "There is a busy manufactory df duck and have lately turned out 400 bolts." He speaks of "stoney ground" and continues with remarks on wayside churches. Once In a while Washington records the beau­ ties of nature. Here Is one of his longest notes: "But one of the prettiest things of this kind Is at 8tamford, occasioned by damming the water for their mills: It is nearly 100 yards in width, and the water now being of the proper height, and the rays of the sun striking on it as -we passed, had a pretty effect upon the foaming wa­ ter as It fell." Here Is the entry on New Haven: "The city of New-haven," which Washington writes with a hyphen and a small "h," "occupies a good deal of ground, but is thinly though regularly laid out and built. The number of souls in it is said to be about 4,000. There is an Episcopal church and three Congregational meeting houses, and a col­ lege, in which there are at this time about 120 students, under the auspices of Doctor Ptyles. The harbour of the place is not good for large vessels--abt. 16 foot belong to>it. The linen in­ dustry does not appear to be of so much Impor­ tance as I had been led to believe. Ih a word, I could hear but little of It" . . . The following day, Sunday, the president went to the Episcopal church and in the afternoon to the Congregational meeting houses. He tells of a dinner at Brown's tavern with lieutenant gov­ ernor, mayor and speaker. "Drank tea at the mayor's (Mr. Sherman). On further inquiry I find that there has been abt.--(the diarist leaves a blank)--yards of coarse llnnen manufactured at this place since it was established and that a glass factory Is on foot here for the manufacture of bottles. "The officers ofl the Continental Army called," Washington adds. "This state could, this year, with ease pay an additional 100,000 £ tax, over what was paid last year." Monday, 19th--The noted traveler records that his coach was "under way at 6 a. m. and breakfast was taken 13 miles up the road, at 8:30." En route he sees extensive haystacks In the marsh lands, sandy roads, rail fences now taking the place of stone. "At Wallingford we see the white mulberry growing, raised from the seed to feed the silkworm. We also saw samples of lusterlng, exceeding good, which had been manu­ factured from the cocoon raised In this town and silk thread, very fine. This, except for the wear­ ing, is the work of private families, without In­ terference from other businesses, and Is likely to turn out a beneficial amusement." Tuesday, 20th--The president vis­ ited the woolen mills at Weathersfleid. He explains: "(It) seems to be going on, with spirit Their broadcloths are not of the first quality, as yet, but they are good, as are their coatings, c-aesimeres, serges and everlastings. Of the first, that Is, broadcloth, I or­ dered a suit, to be sent to me a^New York--and of the latter, a whole piece, to make breeches for my servants. All parts of this business are performed at the manufactory, except the spin­ ning--this is done by the country people, who are paid by the cut. "Hartford is more compactly built than Middle- town and contains more souls, the computed num­ ber of which amount to about double. The number of houses in Mlddletown are said to be 50 or 60. These, reckoning eight to the house, would make 2,000 at least The depth of water, which vessels can make to the last place, is about ten feet, and Is as much as there Is over 8aybrook bar. "At Mlddletown there Is one Episcopal church and two Congregational churches. In Hartford there Is none of tho first and two of the latter. Dined and drank tea at Colonel Wadsworth's, and about 7 o'clock received from and answered adr dress of the town of Hartford. "There Is a great equality In the people of this state. Few or no opulent men and no poor, and great similitude in their buildings--the general fashion of which is a chimney always of brick or stone and a door In the middle, with a staircase running up by the side of the latter, two flush sto­ ries, with a very good show of sash and glass win­ dows--the site generally is from 30 to B0 feet In length and from 20 to 30 in width--exclusive of a back shed, which seems to be added as the family increases. The farms, by the contiguity of the houses, are small, not averaging more than 100 acres. They are worked chiefly by oxen, which have no other feed than hay, with a horse and, sometimes /two before them, both In plow and cart. In their light lands, and In their sleighs they work horses, but find them much more expensive than oxen. Springfield is on the east side of Con­ necticut river; before you come to which a large branch, - called Agawam, is crossed by a bridge. It stands under the hill on the Interval land, and has only one meeting house, 28 miles from Hart­ ford. "Set out at 7 and for the first eight miles, ride over an almost uninhabitable plain, much mixed with sand." Saturday, 24th--Dressed by 7 and set out by 8--- at 10 arrived at Cambridge, according to appoint* ment. But most of the militia, living a little out of town, were not in line till after 11. Washing­ ton's modest description of the civic honors fol­ lows: "We passed through the citizens classed In their different professions and under their own banners till we came to the state house from which across the street an arch was thrown, In front of which was tills description: "To the Man Who Unites All Hearts," and on the other, 'To Columbia's Favorite Son," and on the other side thereof, next the state house, in a panel decorated with a trophy composed of the arms of the United States of the commonwealth of Mas­ sachusetts and our French allies, crowned with a wreath of laurel, was this inscription: "Boston Re­ lieved, March 17th, 1776." This arch was hand­ somely decorated and over the center of it a can­ opy was erected 20 feet high with the American eagle perched on the top. After passing through the arch and entering the state house at the south end. and ascending to the upper floor and return­ ing to a balcony at the north end, three cheers were given by a vast concourse of people who by this time had assembled at the arch--then fol­ lowed by an ode composed in honor of the presi­ dent and well sung by a band of selected singers-- after this three cheers--followed by the different professions and mechanics, in the order they were drawn up, with their colors, through a lane of the people, which had thronged about the arch, under whioh they passed. The procession being over I was conducted to my lodgings at a Widow Ingersoll's (which is a very decent and good house) by the lieutenant governor, council, accompanied by the vice president, where they took leave of me." Next day, being Punday, Washington went to the Episcopal church in the morning and listened to Dr. Parker, and in the afternoon he visited the Congregational church. The diarist also Indulges that * dignity with which the name of Washington Is ever surrounded. The day before he expected the governor to wel­ come him at the public reception; had engaged to take dinner with him, but as Governor Hancock did not appear at the arch Washington did not care to dine with him. On Sunday the disconcerted magistrate came to Washington's lodgingB and pleaded Indisposi­ tion as up excuse for absence at the arch. Wash­ ington adds, "But as it was expected that he, the governor, expected to receive a visit from the president"--and Washington in fine sarcasm under­ scores the word "receive"--"he was resolved, at all hazards, to pay his compliments today," adds the president The perplexed governor next sent a committee to Washington. "I informed them, in explicit terms," records the president, "that I would not see the governor unless it was at my own lodgings." Governor Hancock's conduct was severely cen­ sured by public opinion. It was generally held that inordinate dignity, as chief Magistrate of Massa­ chusetts, and not bodily illness, was the secret cause of his failure to call on the president The rebuke of official pride administered by Washing­ ton, who refused to see Governor Hancock except at the president's lodgings, decided the question of superior dignity. Physique of Modern Woman •H-- Figures of the English, at Well as Those of the American, Grow­ ing Worse. The question of the Influence of ath­ letics upon physique which Fas raised fcy Dr. Sargent of Harvard and Mr. Alexander, the American artist con­ tinues to Interest people In England, writes the London correspondent of the New York Times. Marcus Stone, tbi artist, think*, too, that the figure of the average English woman has de­ teriorated in recent years, but he con­ siders that this Is not due, as In the United States, to violent exercise. "Few English women Indulge In athletics sufficiently to change their development," he says. "Those who do are in such minority as to be neg­ ligible. "Undoubtedly tho figures of English women have grown worse, and it la extremely difficult for an artist now to find an ideal model. In my profes­ sion we are students of anatomy al­ most as much as doctors are, and we know how figures are corrupted. I hold that the corset is the reason for the feminine Ague being worse than It was. "You scarcely ever see a normal length of neck nowadays In a woman because the shoulders are of necessi­ ty held so high. The lmpresson of Squareness In the shoulders given by the modern girls due to the unnatural holding in at the waist by the corset Young women are growing flat chest ed, and that also I ascribe to the cor set "I paint pictures in which the fl|) ures are of women of the last cent tury at Its beginning, when the wom­ en wore the hlgh-walsted gown and no corset I have many girls and young women to sit to me and 1 fled that they cannot pose In these gowns prop­ erly. They have always been cramp ed with a corset and have >ost ths natural way to bend." SIGNALS WELL KNOWN WHItTLBt PLAIN AS A, l> C TO THE TRAINMEN. On* Especially That Will Bring Them From Their Beds Miles Away- Most Important and Dread­ ed of Them All. \ When a train Is approaching a grade crossing tho locomotive warns pedestrians and teams of its com­ ing by two long and two short ex­ plosions from Its steam dome. This warning Is not al­ ways heard b." those In the vicin­ ity of the crossing. The wind may ity of the crossing. The wind may be blowing In an opposite direction to that from whence the alarm proceeds or the prospective victim may be so deeply absorbed with his own thoughts that the warning goes un­ heeded, and his life pays the forfeit. At unguarded crossings the driver of a team will bear tho alarm, but, believing he has time to cross, whip up his horse, only to find that he has made a fatal calculation. The blame for accidents of this kind Is always levelled at the railroad, and there usually follows a demand for the elim­ ination of the death trap. When a train is approaching a sta­ tion or a Junction with another road both may be operated by the same company, one long whistle is blown, the duration being about four seconds. This Is supposed to give sufficient warning to employees to look after th^ir safety ana also to the thought­ less passenger or trespasser to give the oncoming locomotive a wide berth. Eight short blasts from the locomo­ tive, with only half a second between, Is a warning to the crew that there is danger ahead. It may be that a red fuzee is seen burning up the track or that some one has signaled to the en­ gineer to come to a stop. He may have seen the tail lights of a stalled freight or a bowlder lying across the rails, the result of a landslide. The signal that makes every rail­ road man within hearing distance sit up and take notice is one long blast followed by three short ones. This Is the fire alaVm, and every loyal rail­ roader who hears It will make haste to reach the scene of trouble and lend his aid in the work of saving life and property. It Is frequently the case that the engineer of trains will dis­ cover an incipient blaze along the tracks or in a freight yard and he im­ mediately gives the whistle alarm. There is a number of other steam signals, but as they are of interest only to the men employed by the rail­ roads reference to them is omitted. There is a whistle signal, howeve^ that Is given from the -tower locate^ in the center of a station yard, which brings everything to a dead standstill within this area of a complicated trackage. Something has gone wrong with the pneumatic mechanism that works the signals and the switches, or the wheels of a coach or a loco­ motive have slipped from the Iron, which necessitates the calling of a halt until an investigation can be •nade. This whistle is sounded about once a month, and when it is heard there Is a general feeling of apprehension among all the employees that some-- dlrdful has happened. Bh ea Sticks to Blazing Engine. With the woodwork of the cab ablaze and a shower of sparks stream­ ing behind, Engineer Goodwin drove a Boston and Maine locomotive with six crowded passenger cars attached into the Faulkner station, say a a Maiden (Mass.) dispatch. The passengers had no inkling of trouble until they heard the fire engines. Firemen ex­ tinguished the blaze and the train proceeded. The engineer said that a broken pipe had allowed water to fall Into the firebox, causing a small explosion, which threw hot coals back into the cab. Although burned about the face and hands, the engineer stuck to his post. Trespassing Causes Many Deaths. Trespassing on the Pennsylvania railroad system's property has caused the deaths of 7,996 persons, approxi­ mately two a day, since January 1, 1900. In the same time 7,838 persons have been injured. Gross Earnings of Railroads. The gross earnings of the railroads of this country for 1908 of $2,448,835,- 000 Were nearly double those of 1898. DESIGNED FOR SHUNT WORK Locomotive With an Eight-Ton 8hunt= Ing Crane Is Bejng Built by a British Firm. A locomotive designed for shunting work and provided with an eight-ton lifting and sluing crane crane is be­ ing built by a British firm. The crane WHAT TO 00 IN iilWREClC :• i Veteran Railroad Traveler Gives Some Advloe That Is w'eH Worth Keep* Ing In Mind. When the tumult began a passenger* stood up and shouted at the top of hi® voice: "What In h--'s the matterT" re­ peating the unanswered querry sev­ eral times. I knew what was the matter, but had no leisure to explain, and Just dropped upon the floor and grasped the fre^rte of my seat and held on, taking the Jolts as rigidly as pos­ sible. Hat racks, hand baggage, seat cushions, splintered head lining and miscellaneous articles began to fly about, and I found the seat frame af­ forded comfortable protection from the missiles that damaged some ex­ posed limbs. The tumult could not have lasted half a minute, but It seemed a long time till the end came by the car turning over with a terrific Jolt. At that instant the man who had shouted so vociferously: "What's the matter?" was shot through the window like a huge torpedo. Most of the people who had been on the upper side came down in heaps when the car turned over. I was on the lower side, and set­ tled scftly upon the head lining when the car came to rest, says a writer in Railway and Locomotive Engineering. I had been in a similar accident once before, and knew not only what to do, but kept my attention upon what the other passengers were doing. Most of them stood up or sat with­ out holding fast to the seats, so that they were thrown about by the plung­ ing and Jolting of tho car. Then a mass of human beings seemed to drop from the higher to the lower level when the car went over. Many of them were badly bruised through be­ ing pitched about, pains that might have been avoided had they dropped upon the floor and clung to the seat frames. It Is difficult instructing persons how to do in case of the derailment of a train they are riding in, but sound ad­ vice is to drop upon the floor, prefer­ ably in the aisle, or cling to the seat frames. The impulse to stand up and howl should be restrained. Need of Common Courtesy. In a monthly bulletin, directed to Its employees, the Union Pacific railroad calls their attention to the fact that "courtesy and good will are of inesti­ mable value in our dally life; in com­ mercial life they are as important as brains and energy." The bulletin goes on to expound this thought for the benefit of the employees of the great corporation and to Impress on them the need of its application. The les­ son might well be heeded by others. One of the regrettable features of our busy life is the growing disregard of the little things that make up much of our daily existence. We fail In common courtesy, where it would be Just as easy to show a little consid­ eration for others. It is not necessary to adopt a ceremonial formula for con­ duct in business; Just a little Nought- fulness in the matter of dealing with others, a show of self-restraint when the impulse Is to push forward and grab, and a slight sign of considera­ tion at all times for the folks we meet along the way is all that is needed. It is as easy jto be courteous as it Is to be impolite; no more time is re­ quired to give a considerate reply than to brusquely shut off the inquirer. It will pay anybody to observe the sug­ gestion of the Union Pacific to its em­ ployees. Stopped Train to Recover Poodle. Mrs. Richard Buckles of Taylorville, 111., caused a passenger train on the Bluff line to be stopped between Al­ ton and St. Louis while she got off to search for a pet French poodle dog which she had intrusted to the bag­ gage man and which escaped through the open car door. Mrs. Buckles was going to McClus- ky, 111., to visit and had put the do§ in the baggage car. While the bag gage man had the door open the dog leaped out and the baggage man went back to notify Mrs. Buckles of the loss. Mrs. Buckles Insisted that the con­ ductor stop the train while she got off. She found the poodle, only slightly injured. She then drove to Alton, where she waited for another train.--St Louis Globe-Democrat Immune to Bacilli. The director of water examination to the London metropolitan water board states, in his sixth report, that during his tests he drank half a pint of Thames water, containing 218,000,- 000 typhoid bacilli, without any evil effect. Comforting Him. "I say, a man of the same name as mine has Just been run in for freud by credit. Beastly awkward, you know." "Don't alarm yourself, my dear fellow. Every one knows you can't get money on credit at all." of a single-purchase gearing from a vertical shaft, passing up through the center of the crane table. Power for this shaft is provided by a two-cylin­ der hoisting engine, carried astride the boiler immediately in front of the crane. The two-cylinder vertical slu­ ing engine is placed between the cab front and the crane table. The feature of the outfit is tl\e sue- 7. Eight-Ton Crane or Shunting Loc^notlve BANDITS III AUI05 T MASKED ROBBERS IN TOURING* CARS HAVE RAIDED SO IN 90 DAYS. EPIDEMIC THROUGHOUT WEST Well-Organised Gang of Motor Pirates Terrorizing Country Bankers, and Farmers With Fat Pocketbooka Fear the Marauders. Topeka, Kan.--Always up to date and sometimes spectacular, Kansas has a new claim to fame. The banks of the Sunflower state are being rob­ bed by a well organized band of motor pirates. Country bankers are frankly terror-stricken and the city bankers are growing uneasy. Farmers with fat rolls are tossing uneasily in their beds. So far the record shows that within the last three months over 30 banks have been robbed within the confines of the state of Kansas. Over $100,000 has been taken and rtever a bandit has as yet decorated the interior of a Jail cell. Not a man has been arrested, and the clues are very vague an»I hard to follow. Kansas sheriffs, town mar­ shals, detectives and chiefs of police are at their wits' end and the robbers continue to dart in and out of the state, raiding the richest and most available banks apparently at their own pleasure. The authorities have banded together with the Anti-Horse- Thief associations that are still found over the state, and are vowing ven­ geance, but so far nothing has come of all their efforts. A meeting of sheriffs and policemen was held in Wichita in an effort to devise ways and means for capturing the bold marauders. But the black mo­ tor cars filled with masked banditti still race along the prairie highways. State Bank Commissioner Dolley of Kansas has taken matters into his own hands to a certain extent, and has called upon the governors of Oklahoma and Nebraska to keep their bandits at homo. It is the contention of tin Sail- is carried on a table erected over the boiler, immediately In front of the firebox, and Is arranged to swing clear of all mountings. A winding barrel, supported between the sides of the crane jib, Is driven by means cessful provision of sufficient stability to raise a ^elght of eight tons at a radius of only 16 ft., while preserving the essential characteristics, such as the closing coupled wheels, of a shunt­ ing engine --Popular Mechanics. Making a Qet-Away. sas authorities that these midnight marauders dart across the state line into Nebraska from both Oklahoma and Nebraska, rob a bank or two be­ tween dark and daylight, and dash back across the boundary, where the maddened Kansans dare not follow them. Oklahoma and Nebraska resent the Imputation and the citizens of these commonwealths are calling upon Kansas to remove the beam from her own eye before trying to locate tho motes in those of her neighbors. The bandits have undoubtedly come back into their old haunts. They are riding the same prairies in motor cars that they once galloped over upon their cayuses. They seem to find the change altogether profitable and com­ fortable as well. It is safer to make a get-away in a big powerful racing car than it is to trust to horseflesh and animal stamina. It is easier to carry away the "swag" In a car than it is to put It in a gunny sack and tie it to a saddle horn. i Kansas has known tank robbers in the old days. The Kansas town Is poor and indeed uninteresting that has nd story to tell of the "day the stage was held u^ a couple of miles out of town," or of that other day when the "Dalton gang rode into town and held up the bank in broad day­ light" They are able many time® to show you the exact spot ./here the cashier was killed or where some bold bandit was left wallowing on the prairie when his companions were forced to gallop out of town The bandits who have come back are possibly not so spectacular as those of a decade ago, but they get what they go after. Motor cars as a means of marauding are new even to Kansas. But three-score raided banks and a few thousand depositors can testify that they are effective beyond the dreams of those more dramatic holdup men who dashed into town on lean and rangy cow ponies. The states of Towa, Oklahoma, Ne­ braska and Texas, as well as Kansas have suffered from a regular epidemic of bank robberies during the past few months, and as many as a dozen dif­ ferent towns in Oklahoma have had their banks burglarized. 'COON DOG BRINGS IN $675 Jndlanan's "Yaller Cur" Knows How to Nip the Valuable Furry Animate. Morocco. Ind.--L. N. Barker of the northern part of this county, owns a coon dog, commonly known as "yaller cur," which in the last four winters has caught furred animals to the value of $674.85. The dog bears the marks of numeis OUB encounters with raccoons. Ita face and body are seamed with scam and only the stubs of Its ears remale^

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