Towards three o’clock, P. M. we reached Union Village, and as the Shakers do not allow any taverns nor public houses, we were received with great hospitality into one of their private dwellings; we had a clean and very nice apartment. Soon after our arrival, we were visited by a great number of the brothers, who looked at us in a very scrutinizing manner, and asked us a great many questions. The inquisitiveness of these people resembles very much that of the monks, to whom they bear a strong resemblance. I remarked among them two old persons named M‘Naman and Houston, on account of their sensible conversation; they had formerly been Presbyterian clergymen, and are now a sort of church-wardens to the congregation. This sect consists of six hundred members, and is of more recent origin than the one in the state of New York, containing mostly people of limited fortune. It had to contend in the commencement with great difficulties, and was not in so flourishing a condition as the one in New Lebanon. The produce of their labours is scarcely sufficient for their wants, they have therefore not been able as yet to establish stores, which are so productive to their fellow believers in New Lebanon. Their houses are good and clean, they are almost all of brick, and distant from each other. Each house has a stone staircase leading to two doors, separated only by a window. The right one is for the men, and the left for the females or sisters, and so the right side of the house is destined for the brothers and the left for the sisters. In the rear of the dwelling-houses, some of which contain sixty members, there is a separate building for the kitchen and dining-room, and for the workshops. The houses are surrounded with sods, over these boards are laid leading to the pumps, stables, wash-houses, &c.; along the side-walk and the road through the village, there are also boards for the pedestrian. At six o’clock in the evening, the members take supper in the adjacent refectories; I was permitted to look at them. Two long tables were covered on each side of the room, behind the tables were benches, in the midst of the room was a cupboard. At a signal given with a horn, the brothers entered the door to the right, and the sisters the one to the left, marching two and two to the table. The sisters in waiting, to the number of six, came at the same time from the kitchen and ranged themselvesin one file opposite the table of the sisters. After which they all fell on their knees making a silent prayer, then arose, took hold of the benches behind them, sat down and took their meal in the greatest silence. I was told this manner was observed at all their daily meals. They eat bread, butter and cakes, and drank tea. Each member found his cup filled before him—the serving sisters filling them when required. One of the sisters was standing at the cupboard to pour out the tea—the meal was very short, the whole society rose at once, the benches were put back, they fell again on their knees, rose again, and wheeling to the right, left the room with a quick step. I remarked among the females some very pretty faces, but they were all without exception of a pale and sickly hue. They were disfigured by their ugly costume, which consists of a white starched bonnet. The men likewise had bad complexions. During the whole evening I was visited by the brothers, by whom I was completely examined; among them were two Frenchmen of the name of Conchon, father and son, who told me they were very well satisfied. The son had perfectly adopted the humble manner of the monks, did not open his eyes, and in explaining the principles of their sect according to the bible, he maintained that they were the only Christian sect who followed the true spirit of the gospel. Respecting their political regulations, they are entirely founded on perfect community of goods, and renunciation of all private property; they live in a perfect equality. It will be found that Mr. Owen has borrowed the greater part of the laws of his new social system from the Shakers, with this difference, that the Shakers are united by the tie of religion, and the hope of a better life, which is entirely disbelieved by Owen.It is known that a part of the worship of the believers in mother Ann Lee, as the Shakers call themselves, consists in dancing. The bible gives us several examples of worship by dancing—king David danced before the ark. Mother Ann Lee, founder of this sect, taught that God should not only be worshipped with the tongue but with the whole body, and in consequence she introduced jumping and dancing in her divine service. This is practised publicly in church, accompanied by the singing of hymns composed for the purpose—strangers are admitted as spectators. Their church consists of a plain and spacious room, but not near so large as the church at New Lebanon. On the mornings and evenings during the week, there are private dancing prayers in the dwelling houses. The walls of the rooms of the brothers and sisters consists of large folding doors, which, when opened, form with the corridor one large room, in which they dance and jump. Our presence putting them under some restraint, there was no dancing in the evening, which was a great disappointmentto us. Delicacy prevented my inquiring after the dance. At nine o’clock in the evening every one retired. I was shown to a very good and clean room.The following day, 5th May, several brothers called upon me. Among them was a German, the only one belonging to this sect. His name was Christian Bockholder, a native of Neuwied on the Rhine. He is a small, weakly man, who was converted to this sect but six years ago, and who seemed much pleased, particularly with the good order, tranquillity, and peace, which reigns among them; but he observed that this life not suiting every one, it was necessary to try it carefully before becoming a member; he had lived six months among them before being received. Finally he remarked, that notwithstanding every one was free to leave the society when he thought proper, it would be very wrong to do so, as when once accustomed to it he would be utterly unfit for the world. At nine o’clock, when we left Union Village, they, to our surprise, refused to receive either pay or presents, and nothing now remained but to return verbal thanks for their hospitality, after which we parted. We rode twenty-six miles to Xenia, a small country town, where we arrived after five o’clock, P. M.We rode through a very fine and cultivated country, which originally consisted of woods. We saw at least every five hundred paces with an habitation or some fields. Those forests which still remain, are chiefly composed of oak, ash, sugar-maple, plane, shumac, and dogwood trees; the latter bears handsome white flowers. I did not find the vegetation so much advanced as in the states of Indiana and Kentucky. We suffered very much from the bad roads, a greater part of which were log causeways. I walked a great part of the way. We forded several little rivulets and creeks, among them the Little Miami; we found a tree laid across without a rail, intended as a bridge. At several of these we saw some flour and saw-mills, and passed several small and new settlements, with neat brick houses and large barns. The handsomest is Bellbrook. Xenia, where we found a good tavern, is situated very agreeably. The streets are large, and cross each other at right angles: most of the houses are of brick, and are situated at a certain distance from each other. The number of inhabitants is about eight hundred, who farm and carry on different trades. This little place has two printing-offices, a Latin school, and several stores. In the centre of the town is the court-house, built of brick. Xenia is the chief town of Green county. Next to it is a massive jail. In an excursion we made the following day, May 6th, I remarked one of the machines for preparing flax, of which I bought a copyright at the patent-office in Washington. It was worked by a single horse, and did the work of five men, besides which the flax does not require any rotting.After nine o’clock we departed, and rode eighteen miles to Springfield. We stopped on our way at a small village, Yellow Springs, to see the spring from which this place derives its name. The village occupies a woody elevation on the shore of the Little Miami, rushing through a deep rocky valley. The place is small, and was bought by a society of twelve gentlemen, under the direction of Mr. Lowndes, a friend of Mr. M‘Clure. These gentlemen intended to found a sect upon Owen’s system; there had been one established here previously, but dissolved on account of the majority of them being worthless creatures, who had brought neither capital, nor inclination to work. Mr. Lowndes, whose acquaintance I made, said that he expected new and better members. The locality is healthy and favourable for such an establishment. The spring originates in a limestone rock, the water has a little taste of iron, and deposits a great quantity of ochre, from which it takes its name. The spring is said to give one hundred and ten gallons of water per minute, which is received in a basin, surrounded with cedar trees. The yellow stream which comes from the basin, runs a short distance over a bed of limestone and is afterwards precipitated into the valley. These limestone rocks form very singular figures on the edge of this valley; the detached pieces resemble the Devil’s Wall of the Hartz.They had no baths fitted up, as yet there is only a shower-bath. The former will most probably be established, when it becomes a place of public resort. Mr. Lowndes told me that it was their intention to take more water in, and to have some walks established in the vicinity, to which the surrounding country is very favourable. Following Mr. Lowndes’ advice, we took a roundabout way of one mile and rode to a saw-mill called Patterson’s mill, to see the lesser falls of the Little Miami. I had no reason to repent it, as I was richly rewarded with one of the finest prospects I ever beheld. The Little Miami forces itself for the length of a mile with most singular windings through a rocky dale at least fifty feet deep, which in many places is but eighteen feet wide, it forms little cataracts, and suddenly disappears for a short distance. Large cedar trees shade this precipice, which makes it very gloomy, and contribute in a great measure to the peculiarity of this imposing scene of nature. The rocks are very steep, and are connected by a bridge, on which one looks from the dizzy precipice into a real abyss. Following a narrow path, I went down to the water and found myself almost in obscurity. I felt entirely separated from the world, and was scarcely able to preserve the consciousness of my own existence. I experienced a peculiar feeling on again perceiving the day-light. Following the course of the rushingwaters I reached Patterson’s saw-mill, where the men working for their daily bread, recalled me to human life. Near the saw-mill a dam forms an artificial waterfall, making a very handsome effect, being about twenty feet high. The saw-mill has a horizontal water-mill of the same description as those which I had previously seen in the United States. With a strong fall of water these wheels have more effect, and are cheaper than those used in other countries. The road from the mill to Springfield was bad, mostly by causeways, and I was again compelled to walk a greater part of the way. Springfield is the chief town of Clark county, and lies partly at the foot of a hill and partly upon it, at the confluence of two creeks, the shores are so marshy that I believe it would be possible to cut turf there. The town contains fifteen hundred inhabitants, nearly all the houses are built of brick, the streets are wide and right-angled, they are not paved; the principal street has a side-walk of brick. In the centre of this little town is a court-house built of brick, and having the form of an octagon; next to it stands a jail. The place is surrounded with orchards, meadows and well cultivated fenced fields. A chain of hills end in a point behind the town, not far from the confluence of both creeks. On this point are four insulated hills, which are said to be Indian mounds, three stand on the edge of one of the creeks, and at some distance is the fourth, which is quite detached from the others. The latter is the highest, its elevation is more than one hundred feet above the level of the valley; from this hill the eye commands a view over Springfield, the whole surrounding valley, the union of both valleys and the woody heights encircling the whole, there are clusters of blooming and high black thorn bushes growing in the meadows, which produce a good effect. This place seems to be opulent, it contains several good stores, and depends chiefly on the breeding of cattle and agriculture. We were very comfortably lodged at the inn at which we stopped.On the 7th of May, at nine o’clock, we left Springfield on a beautiful Sunday morning, and curiosity had assembled a crowd of people before our inn, to gaze at such wonders as we were. We went twenty-three miles on the road to Columbus, until we arrived at a single tavern, called Pike’s. The country was less cultivated than we had seen since leaving Cincinnati; we saw however, several fine orchards and fields; all the settlements are new, and the habitations mostly consist of log-houses; we met several carts filled with well-dressed country people and several of both sexes on horseback, they were all going to church at Springfield. The road was generally very bad, and over many log causeways, kept in bad order. Beyond the woods, we saw vast tracts of meadow ground, on which only a few trees couldbe seen, but there were very handsome black thorns in flower. On the meadows numerous cattle were grazing, we passed two with a great number of sheep, and hogs were always plenty; the breeding of cattle is carried on to a great extent; quantities of cheese and butter are made here for sale; the cattle are drove to the eastern states, or the meat is salted and sent to New Orleans. We observed a great many partridges of a large kind, which they call pheasantsII.26here; the forests abound with wild pigeons. We reached our lodging place, Pike’s tavern, about four o’clock in the afternoon. It is situated amidst meadowsII.27and consists of two log-houses erected close behind each other, they resemble those of the state of Georgia, differing only in being better suited for a colder climate, as the crevices are filled with clay. Our landlord only began his establishment five years ago; he came from Massachusetts. Towards evening we saw a fine drove of cattle belonging to him, and in which his fortune chiefly consisted. Next morning we left our abode where we had been better lodged than we had expected, and went twenty miles farther to Columbus. The road was worse than any I had ever met with, consisting generally of log causeways, which are badly assorted and have large holes between them. We were barbarously jolted about, and therefore I went more than half the way on foot; the soil principally consists of a black meadow ground, marshy, with little wood and less cultivated. It is said to be unwholesome during the summer; the houses are scattered and in a bad condition. At one mile from Columbus, is a small place called Franklinton, having several brick houses and a court-house. Its increase was at one time promising, but Columbus prevents its future advancement. Columbus is situated on the high left bank of the Sciota; we forded this river, which was perilous, as the water ran into our carriage; there was a wooden bridge formerly between Franklinton and Columbus, but it was broken down a year ago; trees are growing very fast in the woods in the vicinity, but the wood is without strength and becomes rotten as soon as it attains its growth, which makes it impossible to depend on the duration of wooden buildings. Columbus is the chief town of the state of Ohio, and contains about one thousand eight hundred inhabitants, and three churches; one Presbyterian, one Lutheran, and one Methodist. In the year 1812, there were nothing but forests, and in the same year the lots of the city with the wood weresold, upon which they immediately commenced building. It is astonishing how this place has since increased, and still continues to improve—the streets are wide, and cross each other at right angles. The principal street running parallel with the Sciota, is about one hundred feet wide, having side-walks, and a considerable number of brick houses—the adjoining streets are not yet much occupied. In building the principal streets, one of the Indian mounds has been opened, and nearly destroyed. A great number of human bones were found, remains of urns, and an owl carved in stone, but very clumsy; with the clay of which the mound was made, bricks were burned which served for the construction of the state-house; this building contains the offices of the state, and the United States court. These three buildings stand near each other at one end of the principal street, each of them having two stories—the state-house as well as the court, are situated at the sides of these long offices, which gives them the appearance of barracks; they have steeples and galleries, from which the course of the Sciota, receiving a mile above the town the Whetstone river, can be followed with the eye to a great distance over the fertile plain on the right shore of the Sciota, where Franklinton is situated, and is a very handsome sight. The Sciota originates in the state of Ohio, runs one hundred and eighty-two miles, and flows in the Ohio between Portsmouth and Alexandria, its mouth is one hundred and fifty yards wide; it is navigable one hundred and thirty miles and upwards. The Whetstone, which it receives above Columbus, is at certain times navigable for nine miles. About five miles above Columbus, on the left shore of the Sciota, is a quarry of white sandstone, which resembles marble until polished, after which it turns grey. Columbus contains three printing-offices, each of which issues a newspaper. There are also bookstores, one of them belongs to Mr. Kilbourn, author of the Ohio Gazetteer; this book having been of great use to me, during my journey through this state, I wished to see the author of so useful a work, an attention with which he appeared much pleased. Respecting the three newspapers, I found their number great for so small a place, but I heard that only one, which is in some measure the official paper of the state, was much read, and had many subscribers; the other two having but fifty, and could only maintain themselves by advertisements, &c. I met in Columbus with a Mr. Doherty, whose acquaintance I had made in Cincinnati, and who conducted me to see the town. There is nothing remarkable in the public buildings above mentioned; the state penitentiary interested me much more; it is well situated, appears to be well arranged, and contains one hundred and fifty-two convicts; the principal building is on a rising ground; in the rear are severalyards where the workshops of the prisoners are situated, they are clothed in a dress part grey and part white, and sleep two together, in airy but narrow cells, on straw mattresses; during the day they are employed in the workshops, or in the work of the house. They have a large refectory, where their meals, consisting of meat and vegetables are served up in wooden plates; each prisoner is obliged to work at the trade which he understands, and he who is acquainted with none is obliged to learn one, being permitted to choose which he prefers. All the clothing used in the house, as well as the cotton cloth, are made by the prisoners, who receive no payment; there is also a wheelwright shop in operation, as well as blacksmiths, coopers, cabinet-makers, comb-makers, saddlers, and gunsmiths, who make very good rifles: the articles manufactured by the coopers consist chiefly of buckets and barrels, made of white and red cedar wood; there is a store attached to the prison, where all these articles are exposed for sale. I understand that the prison maintains itself, and causes but a trifling expense to the state. The favourite solitary confinement in dark and subterraneous cells is used as a capital punishment. A couple of prisoners who had tried to escape and were retaken, wore an iron collar with a horn attached to it; the prison has been in use ten years, during which time, ten men only had escaped, nearly all of whom had been retaken: the prisoners are so well treated, that I was assured that several of them stole again, after having served their time out, in order to return to their prison. It is worthy of notice that during ten years, two white females only, were committed to this prison; the yards are surrounded by a large and high wall, where sentries keep watch day and night with loaded muskets. We left Columbus on the 9th of May, at eight o’clock in the morning, and rode to Circleville, a distance of twenty-six miles. The road passes along the left shore of the Sciota, through a woody and rather uncultivated country, two days of rain had softened the ground considerably; fortunately we met with very few log causeways; we forded two small rivers which flow into the Sciota, called Big-Belly creek, and Lower Walnut creek. We passed a small place, Bloomfield, consisting of small frame houses, and reached Circleville towards two o’clock, P. M. Circleville is built in one of the old Indian forts, whose origin, as well as that of the nation which erected it, is buried in utter darkness. The circular part immediately joins the square, and communicates with it by means of a single outlet. The square fort has eight outlets, and in the rear of each of them there is a little mound, which appears to have served as traverses for the defence of the entries; the round fort has two parallel ramparts separated by a ditch. The quadrangular fort has but a single one, wherethere are no traces of a trench; the diameter of the circular fort, taken between the exterior ramparts, is one hundred and ninety-six rods; both of them are twenty feet high, taken from the base of the ditch; the inner one is filled up, and the exterior is dug from the ground; the fortress consists of clay, the latter of sand and flintstone; the rampart of the square fort is ten feet higher, and of clay; the length of one side of the square is fifty-four rods; the town, containing six hundred inhabitants, is for the greatest part built inside of the round and square fort, of which it occupies the fourth part of the surface. In its centre is a round space, in the midst of which stands a court-house of brick in the shape of an octagon. Circleville is the chief town of Pickaway county. From this circular place four principal streets run towards the north, south, east, and west; in order to open them, the double round wall has unfortunately been partly demolished; the selfishness of the inhabitants goes so far that they take the clay of the inner wall and the square fort to burn bricks of it; this little town was founded in 1812, at the same time with Columbus, but has not increased much since; the houses are generally of wood. The prison alone is of solid construction, built of free-stone.On the outside of the circular fort, on the hill opposite the quadrangular fort, is another hill ninety feet high, that commands all the neighbouring parts, which appear to have been a burying-ground—a great number of human skeletons of all sizes having been found there; they were all in a horizontal position, the heads being turned towards the centre of the hill. With the skeletons were several stone axes, and oval, polished black stones, having a hole in their centre, probably to fix them on a string, to be worn as ornaments or talismans.In the centre of the circular fort, where the court-house now stands, there was formerly another hill, on the eastern side of which are the remains of a semicircular pavement, made of pebble-stones, the same which are found in the bed of the Sciota; the top of the hill is of thirty feet diameter, and has a flight of steps leading to it; two human skeletons were found there. At the natural level of the ground a great number of stone arrow-heads, which were so strong that they must have belonged to lances. A great quantity of wood ashes and hard burnt bricks induce the belief that the bodies were burnt; there was a looking-glass made of mica membranacea. More minute details of these antiquities, as well as all the others which have been found in this state, are described in Mr. Caleb Atwater’sArchaelogia Americana. I paid a visit to this gentleman, who resides here; he is a great antiquarian, and exists more in the antiquities of Ohio, than in the present world. I spent the evening with this interesting man, and was very agreeably entertained; he possesses a collection of objectswhich were found in different mounds; it contains fragments of urns, arrow-heads of a large size, battle-axes made of flintstone, and several human bones. Mr. Atwater likewise possesses a very handsome collection of minerals, among which I found some interesting petrifactions of wood and plants, in particular, the whortleberry plant. He offered to send to the university of Jena a collection of these petrifactions which are found near Zanesville, in this state, and for which he desired to obtain some German minerals. I must not omit to mention, that on the hill, outside of the circular fort, is a small wooden house nearly destroyed by storms, which commands a view of all the surrounding country. It had been a house of ill fame, but being visited one night by a violent storm, it was abandoned by its inhabitants, to the great edification of the whole town.The 10th of May we rode nineteen miles, from Circleville to Chillicothe, formerly the capital of Ohio, situated on the right shore of the Sciota. Our way led us through a handsome and very well cultivated country; we saw fine fields, good dwelling-houses, orchards, and gardens; also several mills, turned by the water of the Sciota, and several other little creeks; some of these mills are at the same time fulling, flour, and saw-mills.The forests are chiefly of sugar maple, plane, and different kinds of nut trees: the road was tolerably good, the weather fine and warm; there is a covered wooden bridge which crosses the Sciota not far from Chillicothe; this bridge runs at least five hundred paces on piers, over a meadow which is sometimes inundated by the Sciota. We were comfortably lodged at Watson’s hotel, in Chillicothe. This town, like Philadelphia, lies between two rivers—the Sciota may be considered as the Delaware, and Paint creek rivulet takes place of the Schuylkill: the streets are large, at right angles, and without pavement, but have side-walks:agreat part of the houses are built of brick; there are several fine stores. Over the whole prosperity and liveliness appears to reign. Chillicothe is the chief town of Ross county; it contains a court-house, built of freestone, which, at the time it was the seat of the state government, was used for the senate house; the representatives met in the building now used for the court offices: there is also in this city a jail, and a market-house of brick. I received visits from several of the most distinguished inhabitants, among them was a lawyer, Mr. Leonard, Dr. Vethake and Colonel King, son of the celebrated Rufus King, the American minister to London, and son-in-law of the former governor of this state, Mr. Worthington: the latter lived at a country-seat two miles from Chillicothe, where he enjoyed his rents and the revenue of his considerable property, in the midst of an amiable family and an agreeable old age, free from cares. His son-in-lawinvited us to his father’s house; we accepted his invitation and rode in Messrs. Leonard and Vethake’s company, towards evening, to the country-seat; our road led us through a beautiful and well cultivated valley, near a little Indian mound, and through a forest of beach, maple, chesnut and hickory trees; finally we rode through handsome fields, where here and there we saw groups of white thorn. The governor’s house is surrounded with Lombardy poplars; it is constructed in the style of an Italian villa, of free stone, with stone steps on the exterior, is two stories high, and has two wings, having a court in front of the centre building containing honeysuckles and roses: on one side of the house is a terrace with flowers and kitchen vegetables; this garden was arranged by German gardeners who keep it in very good order: behind the house are large clover fields, and to the right the farm buildings. Governor Worthington occupies himself with the raising of cattle, particularly sheep; he had a flock of one hundred and fifty merinos. I understood that they were numerous in the state of Ohio. Colonel King and his highly accomplished lady, came to meet us; the governor and his lady soon appeared: he has travelled a great deal, has been a long time in public offices, and was for several years a member of the United States’ senate; his eldest son was travelling in Europe, another son was in the military academy at West Point. He has ten children, on whom he expended a great deal for their education; the evening passed rapidly in instructive and interesting conversation, the hospitable governor insisted on our passing the night at his house; the house is very commodious, the furniture plain, but testifies the good taste and easy circumstances of the owner. I arose early next morning and took a walk in the governor’s garden, I ascended to a platform on the roof to take a view of the surrounding lands, but there is as yet nothing but woods covering the greater part of the country. Fires, which were burning in some places, were proofs, that new settlers were clearing the woods; from this platform the governor can overlook the greater part of his property, containing twenty-five thousand acres of land; by this means he has the greater part of his workmen under his control; the ground consists of low hills, and it is only towards the east in the direction of Zanesville, that more considerable elevations are perceived. I took breakfast with the worthy governor and his family, and found here, as at Governor Morrow’s, that the father of the family, observed the laudable custom of making a prayer before sitting down. After breakfast we took leave of this respectable family, whose acquaintance I consider as one of the most interesting I made in the United States, and returned to town. Chillicothe contains from two to three thousand inhabitants, who subsist chiefly by farming, raising of cattle and retail commerce; they had alsocommenced establishing woollen factories, and possessed a bank; it was formerly a branch of the United States Bank, but doing too little business, was suppressed by the mother bank in Philadelphia. We visited two churches, one Methodist and one Episcopalian, the former was rather large, both of them were very plain and contained nothing worthy of remark. We paid a visit to Mr. Hufnagel, a native of Würzburg, an elderly man who had experienced misfortune, and who is now established as a butcher and trader in cattle, and finds himself in easy circumstances; he appeared to be very much delighted at my visit, and received us very heartily in his well arranged house, situated in an orchard. Between two and three o’clock, the stage took us to Colonel King’s house, where we dined, in order to drive us eighteen miles to Tarleton; we took leave of him with grateful hearts; the road ran through a well cultivated country, which is very hilly and presents several picturesque situations; ten miles from Chillicothe on a hill, is a small village, Kingston, with farms of a good appearance, and several mills. Towards sunset we reached Tarleton, a handsome little spot of about twenty houses, and took our lodgings at a very good tavern, kept by a Pennsylvanian German. I had lost my pocket-book, probably by one of the hard jolts which our stage had received; it contained several papers of importance. It was found one mile from Chillicothe, and by its contents I was known to be the owner; a man set out in the night to bring it to me; at midnight this man arrived in Tarleton, had me called up, and safely returned me my pocket-book. I was so much delighted to recover it, that I expressed my thankfulness in every way I could. On the 12th of May, we left Tarleton at two o’clock in the morning, and rode to New Lancaster, which is sixteen miles; we arrived between seven and eight o’clock, and took our lodgings at Steinman’s hotel; the mail stage which went that day to Zanesville, had only two horses and took no passengers, I therefore resolved to stay until the following day, as it was said there would be a stage with four horses, and I found no cause to repent it. New Lancaster has its name from the city of Lancaster in Pennsylvania, and was founded by Pennsylvanian Germans, who were joined by many German emigrants, particularly Wurtembergers, and some Switzers, all of whom were pleased with the good climate, the fertile soil, which requires but little cultivation and manure, and above all, by the cheap living and profitable earnings. New Lancaster is the principal town of Fairfield county, and is handsomely situated on the side of a hill on the Hockhocking river, not far distant from its source; it contains nearly two thousand inhabitants, living by retail commerce, farming, and cattle raising. Since 1822, the culture of tobacco has also been introduced; this tobacco is calledyellow, and is esteemed; I understand that it sells very well in Holland. The streets of the town are wide and rectangular; the court-house is a brick building; there is also a market-house of brick, and above it a lodge for freemasons. Shortly after my arrival, I received the visits of several of the German and half German inhabitants, among the latter I remarked Judge Dietrich, a native of Philadelphia, an agreeable, plain and well-informed man; he offered to be my guide through the town, which I thankfully accepted. He introduced me to several of the merchants, whose well-furnished stores I visited. Such a store in America contains a great variety of articles: all kinds of dry-goods, porcelain, earthenware, glasses, stationary, implements of husbandry, iron wares, saddlery, and spirits; the latter are only by wholesale; also school-books, bibles, and psalm-books. I observed in almost all the cities in the state of Ohio, that German translations were affixed to all the signs over the stores, in large golden letters, which is not only a proof that a great many Germans inhabit the state, but also that they are good customers. We saw an English and German printing-office; the latter was under the direction of a German, Mr. Herrman, who publishes a German newspaper under the title ofDer Ohio Adler,II.28the English printing-office likewise publishes a paper; the type for the German paper is from the foundry in Philadelphia, and cannot be said to be elegant; it is true there is generally but little elegance to be observed in German type. I read in Mr. Herrman’s office about twelve different German papers, published in the United States; they were mostly written in a corrupted German; the only well written one, was edited in Philadelphia, by Mr. Ritter.Judge Dietrich conducted me to a cloth manufactory belonging to Mr. Risey, whose machinery is moved by the waters of the Hockhocking. It was of recent date, and furnished cloth of middling quality; the want of a sufficient quantity of water made it necessary to divide the manufactory into different parts, at different situations; one was occupied by the machines for carding wool, and some by looms; the wool was spun by country women. We visited the county jail, a brick building, the interior has partitions made of strong beams, separating obscure cells; a dark and miserable hole called the dungeon, was destined for solitary confinement; there was but a single prisoner, and for debt. Mr. Dietrich introduced me to a Mr. Sherman, judge of the supreme court, who is one of the most respectable inhabitants of the place. He invited me to tea, and I met with a very agreeable society; we all took a walk to Mount Pleasant, two miles from town, which on three sides presents steep cliffs; this mountain is onlyaccessible from one side, through a forest and hollow between rocks. From the top of the mountain the town seems to lay below your feet, and is surrounded with fenced fields; this point being one of the highest in this hilly country, the prospect would be very handsome if the eye could perceive any thing but woods. Next morning some Swabian farmers came to see me; I was sitting at my writing-table when they entered; they sat down without taking off their hats, and conversed very sensibly; I understood from them that they were very much pleased with the country, and that they felt conscious of being honest and useful men. At eight o’clock we went into the mail stage, an uncomfortable box, in which we rode thirty-six miles to Zanesville, on a rough road with many causeways leading through a hilly region, so that we had to stop at least forty times. It was very warm and dusty during the day; the land was less fertile than what we had previously seen in the state of Ohio, containing more clay and sand; we arrived in the district of the coal and salt mines, both of which articles are found in the vicinity of Zanesville. We passed between New Lancaster and Zanesville the insignificant places of Rush-hill, Somerset, Union town, and Jonathan’s creek; Rush-hill is in a pretty situation on Rush-creek, a strong rivulet which works several mills; it consists of about thirty houses, some of them of brick. Somerset, half way from New Lancaster to Zanesville, contains four hundred inhabitants, it is on an elevated situation and is the chief town of Perry county. Jonathan’s creek has given its name to the little village situated on both of its shores; the true name of this creek is Maxahala; it is very convenient for mills. We met with two herds of beautiful cattle, which had been brought from Chillicothe, and were driving to the eastern seaports for sale; towards six o’clock we arrived in a well-cultivated district, our road led us through orchards and neat houses; finally we arrived at Putnam, a little place situated on the right shore of the Muskingum, opposite Zanesville. We crossed the river by a covered wooden bridge, resting on five stone piers. The Muskingum is one of the most considerable rivers in the state of Ohio, it begins in the most northern part, runs in a southerly direction, waters several counties, and empties by a mouth twenty-five yards broad, into the Ohio at Marietta; it is navigable from Zanesville upwards; below, the mill-dams prevent the navigation. On account of the new canal which is to unite the Ohio with Lake Erie, on which they were working, though slowly, for want of funds, the navigation on this river will cease.In Zanesville we took good lodgings at Hughes’ hotel; there must be a great number of travellers, as in the principal street we could count seven other taverns. Zanesville contains three thousand inhabitants: its streets are large and straight, a greatnumber of brick houses, upwards of twenty stores, two printing-offices, and two glass-houses, where common window-glass and bottles are manufactured, which are well paid for in the vicinity; this town has been for some time the chief town of the state of Ohio, and is now the principal place of Muskingum county; the court-house is a large brick building, in front of it was erected a triumphal arch in honour of General La Fayette, but he did not pass here. We returned in the evening over the bridge to Putnam, to deliver letters to Mr. Ebenezer Buckingham. On this occasion I found that the length of this bridge was about two hundred and seventy-seven ordinary paces; it is divided in two parts, the wagons keeping the right side. Putnam consists of a single street, running along the river, behind which is a rocky elevation; the street afterwards forms an angle, leaving the river and looses itself in a picturesque valley between fields and orchards. This place has six hundred inhabitants, a great many brick houses, and presents a flourishing appearance. Mr. Buckingham is one of the most respectable inhabitants, and has a large store in which he keeps all articles that may be required here; he received us in his store, and gave us much information relative to Zanesville, Putnam and its vicinity; the ground is not so fertile here as in other parts of the state, but kind Providence has indemnified them in some measure with salt, and coal-mines; the salt springs were previously known to the Indians, but not used by them. When the country became inhabited by a white population, they bored to the depth of two hundred feet and found abundant salt springs, some of them were deeper; the openings being made larger, walled cisterns were fixed to collect the running water. The salt is boiled in large kettles, after which it is made to run over flat reservoirs, where it is cooled, and the salt separated; this is the same method which is followed in England, and which I had seen in the salt works of Northwich; having heard this description, and the springs being four miles distant, I gave up the idea of visiting them. A great many petrifactions and impressions of plants are found here, some of which I had seen at Mr. Atwater’s, in Circleville.On the next day, Mr. Buckingham came for me, to introduce me to his family, consisting of his wife and three daughters, very good children; the eldest was nine years old, his only son was a cadet in the military school at West Point. The house in which he resides at Putnam is at some distance from his store, is two stories high, built of brick with a stone porch; in front of the house is a space planted with trees and flowers separated from the street by an iron railing with large stone posts. In the rear of the house is a kitchen garden and orchard; the house is very convenient and furnished with taste and well-directed luxury. Allthis was interesting to me, because I heard from Mr. Buckingham that twenty-nine years since, he emigrated as a poor man from the state of New York to that wild country, and on the spot where his property now stands he had himself felled the trees, and built a log-house in which he lived several years; he owes his welfare to his integrity, his industry, and economy. In his business, he informed me money was a rare thing, which he seldom saw; the greatest number of persons who buy articles from his store, pay for them in corn, beef, lard, corn meal, vegetables, fruits, &c.Thisis, however, the case with most of the stores in the western states, and give the merchants considerable trouble to sell them. I accompanied Mr. Buckingham and family to the Presbyterian church in Zanesville, a large brick building, which was very full and very warm. I understood very little of the sermon; the singing was excellent, without organ or any musical accompaniment. In the centre of the church was a long table, as a greater part of the congregation were communicants. Mr. Buckingham and family partook of this religious rite. I took a walk through the town, and visited a second bridge crossing the Muskingum, situated above the first; this bridge is more ancient than the first, and likewise rests on five stone piers; it is covered and made of wood, but badly constructed and in a decayed condition. It does not run in a straight line, but forms an obtuse angle, in order to reach a point of land which is produced by the union of the Licking with the Muskingum, from this angle of the bridge, another begins, which goes towards the point of land; this is not roofed; this bridge leads to the Newark road, meanwhile the covered branch is directed to the New Lancaster road. Since the construction of the better bridge below, the older one is very little used. The prospect from it over the Muskingum and Licking is very handsome. Both of them have, not far from their junction, high dams forming waterfalls, and on all the four shores mills for flour, oil and sawing. The Licking begins at the junction of three little rivers in Licking county, and has some falls above, where it unites with the Muskingum, which have been used for mills. At two o’clock we returned to our mail stage; the weather being very hot, we rode but twelve miles, to an insulated house called Dugan’s tavern, where we arrived between five and six o’clock, and met with tolerably good quarters. The country is woody and very hilly, the road was so bad that we had to stop frequently, and for this reason I again went the greatest part of the road on foot, in spite of the heat and dust; the next day we travelled in the same manner to Fairview, forty-eight miles distant, along a very hilly country, bad road, rocks, causeways, and so many rapid declivities, that we had to stop thirty times. We passed through Salt creek, Cambridge,Washington, and Frankfort. Salt creek lies on a small river of the same name, over which there is a bridge. Cambridge is a flourishing place of about seventy houses, on a height situated on Will’s creek, which is crossed by a plain wooden bridge of one hundred and seventy-five yards, which passes over a low meadow; this town is the chief place in Gurnsey county, and contains a court-house and several stores. We arrived on a court day, and the tavern was filled with lawyers. Will’s creek runs through many windings, about one hundred and fifty miles, and flows into the Muskingum; it is in some seasons navigable to Cambridge, in boats of seventy-five feet length. Washington and Frankfort are small places, of which nothing can be said. On the road, especially near dwelling houses, were several large open buildings constructed with beams to dry the yellow tobacco. The country is mostly covered with woods. The ground consists of yellow and red clay, &c.Fairview, which we reached towards five o’clock in the evening, is a little place containing about twenty houses, most of them frame; it is situated on an elevation commanding an extensive prospect, whence it derives its name. We met here with part of the great national road which leads from Washington city to Wheeling, and is to be continued as far as St. Louis. It is a turnpike road, dug out six inches deep, and is covered six inches thick with small stones, having a ditch on each side; they were working slowly at it: Fairview is now at the end of the road.On the 16th of May we left Fairview, in a beautiful starlight and warm night, and continued our journey sixty miles to Washington in Pennsylvania. The country was hilly. The two last villages we passed in the state of Ohio, were Morristown and St. Clairsville. Both places are small, but well situated on elevations, and surrounded with fields and orchards. St. Clairsville is the chief town of Bellmont county; it contains a court-house, jail, market-house, and printing-office, which issues a newspaper; also several stores. The houses are merely of wood. The nearer we approached to the Ohio, the handsomer was the country. Finally, we came to a romantic dale, through which flows in a serpentine direction a rivulet called Indian Wheeling, which joins the Ohio opposite Wheeling. We frequentlyrodealong the new national turnpike road, on which they were working rapidly. This road carefully avoids the numerous hills, cuts through several of them, and has, where it is requisite, solid stone bridges. It was said that it would be finished in the autumn. When arrived at the Ohio, which runs between hilly shores, partly covered with woods, partly cultivated, twenty-nine miles from Fairview, we crossed over the river and arrived at a considerable woody island, and crossed the left arm in a horse-boat, which took us toWheeling, a town containing two thousand inhabitants, built on a terrace along a steep and high hill. Thus we left the state of Ohio, an important and daily increasing state, which, with the exception of the bad roads, had pleased me very much. We entered the state of Virginia, of which a part runs like a wedge between the states of Pennsylvania and Ohio. In Wheeling we took the stage on the great national road to Washington in Pennsylvania, which is twenty-nine miles distant. We soon ascended a high mountain, from the top of which we could discover on one side the beautiful valley of the Ohio, the woody mountains bordering the valley, and the town of Wheeling with its orchards and gardens on the other; a deep valley along which the Wheeling creek runs in a picturesque manner. The national road gradually descends this steep hill, forming the western border of the valley, continues in it and goes over a handsome stone bridge across Wheeling creek. A neighbouring family who profited considerably by the construction of the national road, have erected at the bridge a monument in honour of the secretary of state, (H. Clay,) who was the chief promoter of it in congress. This monument consists, as far as I could perceive in my hurry, of a statue of liberty, coarsely sculptured in sandstone, placed on a clumsy pedestal ornamented with inscriptions and bas relief. Monuments erected to living persons have always something suspicious; they generally exhibit that vile adulation to which the Dutch give a characteristic name.II.29I was greatly surprised to find such sentiments in this country, and to see them tolerated. The national road, which is finished seven years ago, requires considerable repairs, or at least to be kept in better order. Since it has been finished nothing has been done to it. The tracks are deep, and the road is very rough. The stage we rode in was of the description made in the north-eastern states, which are the best and most convenient I had met with since October last year. We changed horses twice in West Alexandria and Claysville. We passed several little places through a well cultivated country, over some stone bridges of sumptuousconstruction. Fifteen miles from Wheeling we left the state of Virginia, and entered the state of Pennsylvania partly known to me, and which I now intended to cross from its western to its eastern extremity. We arrived at Washington at ten o’clock at night, and left there at one o’clock on the morning of the 17th of May, the weather being cloudy. Abandoning the national road, we turned to the left towards Pittsburgh, twenty-five miles from Washington. To Cannonsburg, a distance of seven miles, the road was tolerably good,but after this it became bad, and I was compelled, in conformity to my old custom, to walk a great part of the way.To the cloudy night succeeded a fine warm morning, and a picturesque valley where handsome houses and mills cheered the spirits. The mountains are filled with coal and several openings penetrating into them, prove that this important fuel is not neglected. We finally came to the left shore of the Ohio, and before us was Pittsburgh covered by a black cloud of smoke. This city is situated at the confluence of the Alleghany and Monongahela; both these rivers after their union form the majestic Ohio. The water of the Monongahela is much more muddy than that of the Alleghany, and both rivers are distinguished separately at a great distance. The situation of Pittsburgh, as well as the Ohio valley, resemble in some measure the environs of Liege, on the Meuse, with the exception that the mountains of the Meuse are higher than these. We passed through a little village called Birmingham, where are salt-works, a glass-house, and iron-works, and arrived at the bridge which crosses the Monongahela. This bridge is marked on the map as projected, but has been finished for six or seven years. It is of wood resting on five stone piers, and consists of six arches of very solid construction, being covered and divided in two parts. A fine of fifteen dollars is exacted of those who ride on horseback or carriage faster than a walk; there are also foot-walks. Pittsburgh contains fifteen thousand inhabitants—it has not a pleasing appearance, containing a great number of wooden buildings, all of a smoky colour from the smoke continually ascending from the numerous manufactories. Pittsburgh reminds you of an English city, and therefore is called the American Birmingham. It was nine o’clock, A. M. when we arrived, and took lodgings at the Mansion-house, kept by Colonel Ramsay, a good hotel, and a very polite landlord.----CHAPTER XXIV.Pittsburgh.—Economy.—Mr. Rapp and his Society.I wasscarcely settled here before I received a visit from two German residents, Mr. Bonnhorst, a justice of the peace, and Mr. Volz, a merchant. These gentlemen accompanied me to indicate the most remarkable places and manufactures of the city.We visited a French glass-cutter, a very skilful man, whodoes a good business; passed by the court-house, which is built opposite the market-house in a half circle, and stopped at the glass factory of Mr. Bakewell, in which fine flint glass is blown and ground. This crystal is as clear, and nearly as good as the English. The processes used in such a manufactory are known; but I wondered at the celerity with which the different articles are made. Glass-cutting, as is well known, is a difficult work, and requires skilful artists, which are still rare in this country, and very dear. We visited a paper manufactory belonging to Mr. Baldwin, which is arranged in the usual manner: thence we went to an eminence which overlooks the city, called Grant’s Hill, after an English General Grant, who, during the seven years’ war, was slaughtered here along with his troops, by the Indians.The French, about the middle of the preceding century, had built a fort on the point of land, immediately at the confluence of the two rivers, called Duquesne. The English found this fortification annoying, and hence arose the occurrences which subsequently produced the seven years’ war. This place has the highest interest to every European soldier. General Grant wished to obtain possession of Fort Duquesne, and besieged it from the height which still bears his name. He however kept a miserable guard, was surprised, and paid with his own life, and that of his men, for his negligence. From this hill, one may behold, at a view, the three vallies of the Alleghany, Monongahela and Ohio.Rapp’s society, after leaving New Harmony, chose a new situation which they named Economy. This is eighteen miles from Pittsburgh. I intended to visit it on the following day, but on this evening, (May 17,) I was surprised by a visit from Mr. Frederick Rapp, adopted son of the founder of the Society, who gave me an invitation to pay their establishment a visit. We therefore went willingly at ten o’clock, next morning, accompanied by Messrs. Bonnhorst and Volz, to Economy, whither Mr. F. Rapp preceded us.We reached the Alleghany bridge, which is built of wood, roofed, and supported upon five stone piers. The foot-walks are separated from the wagon-road, and are open on one side, so that foot passengers are not incommoded by the dust from the inside of the bridge. On the opposite side is a little village called Alleghany town, laid out upon a great scale, but on account of the proximity of Pittsburgh, it will with difficulty attain any importance: in former years, the Indians, which then thickly hovered about therightbank of the Alleghany and Ohio, were a powerful obstacle to the increase of this place. On the heights stand elegant country houses. Farther off ran the road, which was bad enough,near to the right bank of the Ohio, through a wonderfully lovely landscape. The valley strongly reminds one of the Maas Valley between Namur and Lüttich; it is beautifully cultivated; the farms lie close together; the green hills, and groups of sugar maples and acacias have a most beautiful appearance. The latter were beginning to blossom, and filled the air with perfume.II.30In the Ohio we saw Neville’s island, which is about seven miles long and one broad, and is well cultivated. Over two little creeks we passed upon well kept, roofed bridges, and reached Economy at two, P. M. This place lies on a bluff fifty feet above the low water mark of the Ohio. Behind the village are some hills containing springs, whence the water is conveyed in pipes to Economy.In approaching Economy we passed two burning brick-kilns; then we came to a newly-built house, at which stood three men with horns, who began to blow on our arrival. At the inn, a fine large frame house, we were received by Mr. Rapp, the principal, at the head of the community. He is a gray-headed, and venerable old man; most of the members emigrated twenty-one years ago from Wurtemberg, along with him. After our first greeting, we were conducted into a simple but tastefully arranged apartment. We conversed together for a time, and then all set down to dinner. The table was furnished with German dishes, over which reigned a jocund heartiness.Having been prejudiced against Mr. Rapp and his society, by what I had read, and more recently heard at New Harmony, I was much rejoiced at having visited this place, to be better informed by personal observation. Never have I witnessed a more truly patriarchal constitution than here, and men’s actions speak best for their regulations, and for the concord prevailing among them.The elder Rapp is a large man of seventy years old, whose powers age seems not to have diminished; his hair is gray, but his blue eyes overshadowed by strong brows, are full of life and fire; his voice is strong, and his enunciation full, and he knows how to give a peculiar effect to his words by appropriate gesticulation. He speaks a Swabian dialect, intermixed with a little English, to which the ear of a German in the United States must become accustomed; generally, what he says is clearly and plainly delivered.Rapp’s system is nearly the same as Owen’s. Community of goods, and all members of the society to work together for thecommon interest, by which the welfare of each individual is secured. Rapp does not hold his society together by these hopes alone, but also by the tie of religion, which is entirely wanting in Owen’s community; and results declare that Rapp’s system is the better. No great results can be expected from Owen’s plan, and a sight of it is very little in its favour. What is most striking and wonderful of all, is that so plain a man as Rapp can so successfully bring and keep together a society of nearly seven hundred persons, who in a manner honour him as a prophet. Equally so for example in his power of government, which can suspend the intercourse of the sexes. He found that the society was becoming too numerous, wherefore the members agreed to live with their wives as sisters. All nearer intercourse is forbidden, as well as marriage; both are discouraged. However, some marriages constantly occur, and children are born every year, for whom there is provided a school and teacher. The members of the community manifest the very highest degree of veneration for the elder Rapp, whom they address and treat as a father.Mr. Frederick Rapp is a large good-looking personage, of forty years of age. He possesses profound mercantile knowledge, and is the temporal, as his father is the spiritual chief of the community. All business passes through his hands; he represents the society, which, notwithstanding the change in the name of their residence, is called theHarmonySociety, in all their dealings with the world. They found that the farming and cattle-raising, to which the society exclusively attended in both their former places of residence, were not sufficiently productive for their industry, they therefore have established factories, which in this country are very profitable, and have at present cotton and woollen manufactories, a brewery, distillery, and flour-mill. They generally drink, during their good German dinners, uncommonly good wine, which was made on the Wabash, and brought thence by them: they left the worst, as I have remarked, at New Harmony.After dinner we visited the village, which is very regularly arranged, with broad rectangular streets, two parallel to the Ohio, and four crossing them. On the 22d of May it will be but two years since the forest was first felled upon whichEconomyis built; the roots still remaining in the streets are evidences of the short time that has elapsed. It is astonishing what united and regulated human efforts has accomplished in so short a time!Many families still live in log-houses, but some streets consist almost entirely of neat, well-built frame houses, at proper distances from each other, each house has a garden attached to it. The four-story cotton and woollen factories are of brick; Mr. Rapp’s dwelling-house, not yet completed, and a newly-begun warehouse,are also to be of brick. The log-houses stand in the rear of the line which the new houses are to occupy in the street, so that when in time they wish to erect brick buildings, it may be done without incommoding the tenants of the log dwellings. Mr. Rapp’s residence speaks rather freely against the equality he preaches to his people, yet without exciting jealousy or becoming a stumbling block. It consists of a principal building two stories high, with two lower wings standing in the same line, and is adorned with beautiful Philadelphia paper. At the back of the house is a piazza and balcony. There is also a garden containing several acres with flowers and vegetables, as well as a vineyard, situated on a terrace-shaped half circle on the hill, ending in a bower. I especially admired the beautiful tulips of this garden, in the midst of which is a round basin with a noble spring. Mr. Rapp intends to build a temple here, in which he will place a statue of Harmony: the statue is now ready. It is the work of a carver in Philadelphia, and is a colossal wooden figure, like the figure-head of a ship. In the garden are several cottages, one of them is roofed with sods, and is used for a pastry house. On the top is a sort of seat, where hereafter musicians are to sit; within there is a temporary frame hall. Near the garden is the green-house; this house, as well as the garden, is under the inspection of a very pretty girl, Miss Hildegard, a relative of Mr. Rapp, and possessed of much botanical knowledge. The women of this community have all preserved their Swabian costume, even to their straw hats, and they look very becomingly.In the cotton and woollen factories, all the machinery is set in motion by a high-pressure engine of seventy horse-power, made in Pittsburgh. The machine pumps the water from a well fifty feet deep, sunk for the purpose. The community possesses some fine sheep, among which are many Merino and Saxon: they purchase wool, however, from the surrounding farmers, who have already begun to raise it to bring to Economy. As soon as the wool is washed, it is picked by the old women of the community, who work in the fourth story, whence it is reconveyed by a sort of tunnel into the lower story. The wool is then separated according to its quality into four classes, dyed together in the dye-house near the manufactory, returned to the mill, where it is combed, coarsely spun, and finally wrought into fine yarn by a machine similar to the spinning jenny. As soon as spun, it is placed in the loom and wrought into cloth, this is placed in a steam fulling-mill, so arranged that the steam from the engine is made to answer the purpose of soap and fuller’s earth, which is a great saving. The cloth is shorn by means of a cylinder, upon which a strong piece of steel turns. There is a model of this shearing-machinein the patent-office at Washington. The woollen goods most in demand in this country, are blue middling, grey mixed, (principally used for pantaloons,) and red and white flannel cloths. The red flannels are in great demand.The cotton factory is employed in spinning and weaving. The printing of cottons has not yet been attempted, as the stamps cannot be procured without great expense and difficulty, and the fashions of printed calico are very changeable. The coloured cottons wove here are blue and white, mixed; a stuff of this colour much in demand in Tennessee, is called cassinet, the chain of which is of cotton, and the filling of wool. The spinning machines are of the common kind, each of which have one hundred and fifty spools at work. The first machine, which does the coarse spinning, has been much improved, so as to save a great deal of manual labour. There are also some power-looms here, though not many, neither have they at present but one dressing machine. Many of the machines are made in Pittsburgh; most of them, however, at Economy. As this establishment has been so recently founded, it is natural enough that but few machines should be prepared or in operation. The factories and workshops are warmed during winter by means of pipes connected with the steam-engine. All the workmen, and especially the females, have very healthy complexions, and moved me deeply by the warm-hearted friendliness with which they saluted the elder Rapp. I was also much gratified to see vessels containing fresh, sweet-smelling flowers standing on all the machines. The neatness which universally reigns here, is in every respect worthy of praise.After visiting these interesting factories, we went to Mr. Rapp’s temporary dwelling, a good frame house, in order to take tea. I saw here his unmarried, rather faded daughter, and his blooming grandchild, Gertrude, the daughter of his only son, concerning whose death such strange reports are circulated. The table was decorated with beautiful silver plate, and Rapp appeared to be rejoiced, to indicate by its possession, his well-merited prosperity. He commenced his business, as he informed me, with very slender means; when he began at New Harmony, he had to contend with the bitterest want, and more than once, had not bread for his community. He sent Frederick Rapp to Pittsburgh, to procure store goods, and absolutely necessary provisions, upon credit. The latter found himself generally repulsed, and remained the whole night awake in Pittsburgh, lamenting the cruelty of mankind. The elder Rapp, who waited in vain for his return, went to his house, also lamenting his situation, but not in the least doubtful of Providence, who watched over him and his; nor was his confidence misplaced. The heart of one Pittsburgh merchantwas moved; he could not rest during the night for having so scornfully dismissed Mr. Rapp. He sought him early in the morning, took him to his store, and offered him whatever was necessary upon credit. In this manner was the society rescued. This worthy merchant some time after suffered in his business, and on this unfortunate occasion, the grateful Harmony society assisted him in a very generous manner.We spent the evening likewise with Mr. Rapp. He collected the musical members of the society, and entertained us with music. Miss Gertrude played upon the piano, and three of the girls sang; the other instruments were violins, a violoncello and two flutes. The music was really not so good as we had heard in the preceding autumn at Bethlehem; but gave us much entertainment. Mr. Bonnhorst also delighted us with his fine performance on the violin. The music was principally directed by a German physician, named Müller, who belongs to the community, and also has charge of the school.The next morning we went with both the Messrs. Rapp through the village. We visited the distillery, in which good whiskey is made, which is in much demand in the neighbouring places. None is made use of in the village itself, as the members of the society have mutually agreed to abstain from the use of distilled liquors. This distillery feeds many swine and horned cattle, which produce the society a handsome profit. The beer brewery from lack of barley, made beer of wheat; this brewery was not in operation. The flour-mill, not yet completed, is to be worked by a steam-engine, and is to be arranged like the Baltimore steam-mill. In a short time four sets of stones will be in operation, and an oil mill is also to be connected therewith. As careful managers, the directors of the society, in the upper part of the mill, which is five stories high, put away grain enough for a year, in order to be secured against scarcity, which is even in this happy country much to be dreaded. In the mill as well as in the factories, in each story there is a great iron cylinder, filled with water, which is thus at hand in case of fire. The society possesses a fire-engine of their own making, and have organized a fire company to work it.We examined the workshops of the black and locksmiths, which are under the same shed, and then the joiner’s and cooper’s; we especially observed the marks of actual and filial respect which is borne towards the elder Rapp by his young people. The warehouse was also shown to us, where the articles made here for sale or use are preserved; and I admired the excellence of all. The articles for the use of the society are kept by themselves, as the members have no private possessions, and every thing is in common, so must they in relation to all their personalwants be supplied from the common stock. The clothing and food they make use of, is of the best quality. Of the latter, flour, salt meat, and all long keeping articles are served out monthly; fresh meat on the contrary, and whatever spoils readily, is distributed whenever it is killed, according to the size of the family, &c. As every house has a garden, each family raises its own vegetables, and some poultry, and each family has also its own bakeoven. For such things as are not raised in Economy, there is a store provided, from which members with the knowledge of the directors, may purchase what is necessary, and the people of the vicinity may also do the same. The warehouse and store are for the present in wooden buildings, but in a short time the requisite brick buildings will be erected.Under Mr. Rapp’s new house we found a fine roomy cellar, in which he gave us a very good glass of old Rhenish wine, and also some good wine made on the Wabash, of which he had twenty-one casks. I tasted a very dark and powerful wine, made from wild grapes, which grew on an island in the Wabash. For the first three years it is said that this wine cannot be drank on account of its sourness; this has been in casks for eight years and is so much improved, that it now is similar to old Hungarian wine.As we passed along we saw a small deer park, in which the elder Rapp had amused himself in taming some bucks and does, which would eat out of his hand. We saw also here a noble young moose deer, which was as large as a stout ox. He is also very tame, but during theseasonis dangerous.Mr. Rapp finally conducted us into the factory again, and said that the girls had especially requested this visit, that I might hear them sing. When their work is done they collect in one of the factory rooms, to the number of sixty or seventy, to sing spiritual and other songs. They have a peculiar hymn-book, containing many hymns from the Wurtemberg psalm-book, and others written by the elder Rapp. The latter are truly in prose, but have been arranged to old tunes by the girls.II.31The elder Rapp is very fond of psalmody, and the girls must devote themselves considerably thereto, since Gertrude is a proficient and receives musical instruction. A chair was placed for the old patriarch, who sat amidst the girls and they commenced a hymn in a very delightful manner. It was naturally symphonious and exceedingly well arranged. The girls sang four pieces, at firstsacred, but afterwards by Mr. Rapp’s desire, of gay character. With real emotion did I witness this interesting scene.We had an excellent dinner in Mr. Rapp’s house, and the musical members of the society took this opportunity to play their best in front of it. The band consisted of twelve musicians, and performed very well, among them were two who played bugles. Both the Rapp’s, and especially the elder, advised me strongly to settle in their neighbourhood, and purchase at ten miles hence, the Beaver Falls on Beaver creek, for twenty-five thousand dollars. There I might establish iron works, said they, and make a great deal of money; they and their society would assist me in every possible manner!With peculiar feelings we took leave of the friendly and industrious Economy, at three o’clock. No payment was received at the tavern, and we set out through the same beautiful places by which we had come towards Pittsburgh. Mr. F. Rapp, who had business there, followed us, accompanied by Gertrude. During this ride I had another opportunity of admiring the beautiful rocks as we passed by, and particularly the caverns, probably made in them by water, which remind one of the little caves near Ems, on the Lahn.We stopped at Alleghany town to examine the new and unfinished penitentiary, which is arranged according to the system of solitary confinement. The whole is surrounded by a high hexagonal wall. The principal building, which is of sandstone, is three stories high. This is to contain the residence of the superintendent, the offices and infirmary. On two of the other angles of the hexagon are high round towers, from which the interior of the house can be overlooked, where the guards are to be stationed. Behind the principal building in the court-yard, stands a smaller building, containing, besides many cells for the convicts, the kitchen and wash-house. In a circle which is interrupted by the above mentioned buildings, stands a one-story building, containing convict cells, which has one row of entrances near the inner circular yard, and the other towards the space enclosed by the hexagonal walls. Each cell is eight feet long by six broad. It contains a bench, and receives its light through an opening secured by an external iron grate; within this is a wooden door, which the prisoner can, at his pleasure, open or shut. Before each cell is a very small open space. The cells are floored, and provided with iron rings to which the prisoners may be secured if necessary. These unfortunates have neither light nor room enough to work; I was informed that each prisoner was to be allowed to enjoy the fresh air for fifteen minutes daily. In this way, this new system can scarcely have any other result than that of destroying the health of the convicts.The prison contains one hundred and ninety-six cells, and it is said, that next autumn the first victims are to be sacrificed to a mistaken philanthropy.II.32The expense of maintaining these prisoners, who are not permitted to earn any thing, will necessarily be considerable.
Towards three o’clock, P. M. we reached Union Village, and as the Shakers do not allow any taverns nor public houses, we were received with great hospitality into one of their private dwellings; we had a clean and very nice apartment. Soon after our arrival, we were visited by a great number of the brothers, who looked at us in a very scrutinizing manner, and asked us a great many questions. The inquisitiveness of these people resembles very much that of the monks, to whom they bear a strong resemblance. I remarked among them two old persons named M‘Naman and Houston, on account of their sensible conversation; they had formerly been Presbyterian clergymen, and are now a sort of church-wardens to the congregation. This sect consists of six hundred members, and is of more recent origin than the one in the state of New York, containing mostly people of limited fortune. It had to contend in the commencement with great difficulties, and was not in so flourishing a condition as the one in New Lebanon. The produce of their labours is scarcely sufficient for their wants, they have therefore not been able as yet to establish stores, which are so productive to their fellow believers in New Lebanon. Their houses are good and clean, they are almost all of brick, and distant from each other. Each house has a stone staircase leading to two doors, separated only by a window. The right one is for the men, and the left for the females or sisters, and so the right side of the house is destined for the brothers and the left for the sisters. In the rear of the dwelling-houses, some of which contain sixty members, there is a separate building for the kitchen and dining-room, and for the workshops. The houses are surrounded with sods, over these boards are laid leading to the pumps, stables, wash-houses, &c.; along the side-walk and the road through the village, there are also boards for the pedestrian. At six o’clock in the evening, the members take supper in the adjacent refectories; I was permitted to look at them. Two long tables were covered on each side of the room, behind the tables were benches, in the midst of the room was a cupboard. At a signal given with a horn, the brothers entered the door to the right, and the sisters the one to the left, marching two and two to the table. The sisters in waiting, to the number of six, came at the same time from the kitchen and ranged themselvesin one file opposite the table of the sisters. After which they all fell on their knees making a silent prayer, then arose, took hold of the benches behind them, sat down and took their meal in the greatest silence. I was told this manner was observed at all their daily meals. They eat bread, butter and cakes, and drank tea. Each member found his cup filled before him—the serving sisters filling them when required. One of the sisters was standing at the cupboard to pour out the tea—the meal was very short, the whole society rose at once, the benches were put back, they fell again on their knees, rose again, and wheeling to the right, left the room with a quick step. I remarked among the females some very pretty faces, but they were all without exception of a pale and sickly hue. They were disfigured by their ugly costume, which consists of a white starched bonnet. The men likewise had bad complexions. During the whole evening I was visited by the brothers, by whom I was completely examined; among them were two Frenchmen of the name of Conchon, father and son, who told me they were very well satisfied. The son had perfectly adopted the humble manner of the monks, did not open his eyes, and in explaining the principles of their sect according to the bible, he maintained that they were the only Christian sect who followed the true spirit of the gospel. Respecting their political regulations, they are entirely founded on perfect community of goods, and renunciation of all private property; they live in a perfect equality. It will be found that Mr. Owen has borrowed the greater part of the laws of his new social system from the Shakers, with this difference, that the Shakers are united by the tie of religion, and the hope of a better life, which is entirely disbelieved by Owen.
It is known that a part of the worship of the believers in mother Ann Lee, as the Shakers call themselves, consists in dancing. The bible gives us several examples of worship by dancing—king David danced before the ark. Mother Ann Lee, founder of this sect, taught that God should not only be worshipped with the tongue but with the whole body, and in consequence she introduced jumping and dancing in her divine service. This is practised publicly in church, accompanied by the singing of hymns composed for the purpose—strangers are admitted as spectators. Their church consists of a plain and spacious room, but not near so large as the church at New Lebanon. On the mornings and evenings during the week, there are private dancing prayers in the dwelling houses. The walls of the rooms of the brothers and sisters consists of large folding doors, which, when opened, form with the corridor one large room, in which they dance and jump. Our presence putting them under some restraint, there was no dancing in the evening, which was a great disappointmentto us. Delicacy prevented my inquiring after the dance. At nine o’clock in the evening every one retired. I was shown to a very good and clean room.
The following day, 5th May, several brothers called upon me. Among them was a German, the only one belonging to this sect. His name was Christian Bockholder, a native of Neuwied on the Rhine. He is a small, weakly man, who was converted to this sect but six years ago, and who seemed much pleased, particularly with the good order, tranquillity, and peace, which reigns among them; but he observed that this life not suiting every one, it was necessary to try it carefully before becoming a member; he had lived six months among them before being received. Finally he remarked, that notwithstanding every one was free to leave the society when he thought proper, it would be very wrong to do so, as when once accustomed to it he would be utterly unfit for the world. At nine o’clock, when we left Union Village, they, to our surprise, refused to receive either pay or presents, and nothing now remained but to return verbal thanks for their hospitality, after which we parted. We rode twenty-six miles to Xenia, a small country town, where we arrived after five o’clock, P. M.
We rode through a very fine and cultivated country, which originally consisted of woods. We saw at least every five hundred paces with an habitation or some fields. Those forests which still remain, are chiefly composed of oak, ash, sugar-maple, plane, shumac, and dogwood trees; the latter bears handsome white flowers. I did not find the vegetation so much advanced as in the states of Indiana and Kentucky. We suffered very much from the bad roads, a greater part of which were log causeways. I walked a great part of the way. We forded several little rivulets and creeks, among them the Little Miami; we found a tree laid across without a rail, intended as a bridge. At several of these we saw some flour and saw-mills, and passed several small and new settlements, with neat brick houses and large barns. The handsomest is Bellbrook. Xenia, where we found a good tavern, is situated very agreeably. The streets are large, and cross each other at right angles: most of the houses are of brick, and are situated at a certain distance from each other. The number of inhabitants is about eight hundred, who farm and carry on different trades. This little place has two printing-offices, a Latin school, and several stores. In the centre of the town is the court-house, built of brick. Xenia is the chief town of Green county. Next to it is a massive jail. In an excursion we made the following day, May 6th, I remarked one of the machines for preparing flax, of which I bought a copyright at the patent-office in Washington. It was worked by a single horse, and did the work of five men, besides which the flax does not require any rotting.After nine o’clock we departed, and rode eighteen miles to Springfield. We stopped on our way at a small village, Yellow Springs, to see the spring from which this place derives its name. The village occupies a woody elevation on the shore of the Little Miami, rushing through a deep rocky valley. The place is small, and was bought by a society of twelve gentlemen, under the direction of Mr. Lowndes, a friend of Mr. M‘Clure. These gentlemen intended to found a sect upon Owen’s system; there had been one established here previously, but dissolved on account of the majority of them being worthless creatures, who had brought neither capital, nor inclination to work. Mr. Lowndes, whose acquaintance I made, said that he expected new and better members. The locality is healthy and favourable for such an establishment. The spring originates in a limestone rock, the water has a little taste of iron, and deposits a great quantity of ochre, from which it takes its name. The spring is said to give one hundred and ten gallons of water per minute, which is received in a basin, surrounded with cedar trees. The yellow stream which comes from the basin, runs a short distance over a bed of limestone and is afterwards precipitated into the valley. These limestone rocks form very singular figures on the edge of this valley; the detached pieces resemble the Devil’s Wall of the Hartz.
They had no baths fitted up, as yet there is only a shower-bath. The former will most probably be established, when it becomes a place of public resort. Mr. Lowndes told me that it was their intention to take more water in, and to have some walks established in the vicinity, to which the surrounding country is very favourable. Following Mr. Lowndes’ advice, we took a roundabout way of one mile and rode to a saw-mill called Patterson’s mill, to see the lesser falls of the Little Miami. I had no reason to repent it, as I was richly rewarded with one of the finest prospects I ever beheld. The Little Miami forces itself for the length of a mile with most singular windings through a rocky dale at least fifty feet deep, which in many places is but eighteen feet wide, it forms little cataracts, and suddenly disappears for a short distance. Large cedar trees shade this precipice, which makes it very gloomy, and contribute in a great measure to the peculiarity of this imposing scene of nature. The rocks are very steep, and are connected by a bridge, on which one looks from the dizzy precipice into a real abyss. Following a narrow path, I went down to the water and found myself almost in obscurity. I felt entirely separated from the world, and was scarcely able to preserve the consciousness of my own existence. I experienced a peculiar feeling on again perceiving the day-light. Following the course of the rushingwaters I reached Patterson’s saw-mill, where the men working for their daily bread, recalled me to human life. Near the saw-mill a dam forms an artificial waterfall, making a very handsome effect, being about twenty feet high. The saw-mill has a horizontal water-mill of the same description as those which I had previously seen in the United States. With a strong fall of water these wheels have more effect, and are cheaper than those used in other countries. The road from the mill to Springfield was bad, mostly by causeways, and I was again compelled to walk a greater part of the way. Springfield is the chief town of Clark county, and lies partly at the foot of a hill and partly upon it, at the confluence of two creeks, the shores are so marshy that I believe it would be possible to cut turf there. The town contains fifteen hundred inhabitants, nearly all the houses are built of brick, the streets are wide and right-angled, they are not paved; the principal street has a side-walk of brick. In the centre of this little town is a court-house built of brick, and having the form of an octagon; next to it stands a jail. The place is surrounded with orchards, meadows and well cultivated fenced fields. A chain of hills end in a point behind the town, not far from the confluence of both creeks. On this point are four insulated hills, which are said to be Indian mounds, three stand on the edge of one of the creeks, and at some distance is the fourth, which is quite detached from the others. The latter is the highest, its elevation is more than one hundred feet above the level of the valley; from this hill the eye commands a view over Springfield, the whole surrounding valley, the union of both valleys and the woody heights encircling the whole, there are clusters of blooming and high black thorn bushes growing in the meadows, which produce a good effect. This place seems to be opulent, it contains several good stores, and depends chiefly on the breeding of cattle and agriculture. We were very comfortably lodged at the inn at which we stopped.
On the 7th of May, at nine o’clock, we left Springfield on a beautiful Sunday morning, and curiosity had assembled a crowd of people before our inn, to gaze at such wonders as we were. We went twenty-three miles on the road to Columbus, until we arrived at a single tavern, called Pike’s. The country was less cultivated than we had seen since leaving Cincinnati; we saw however, several fine orchards and fields; all the settlements are new, and the habitations mostly consist of log-houses; we met several carts filled with well-dressed country people and several of both sexes on horseback, they were all going to church at Springfield. The road was generally very bad, and over many log causeways, kept in bad order. Beyond the woods, we saw vast tracts of meadow ground, on which only a few trees couldbe seen, but there were very handsome black thorns in flower. On the meadows numerous cattle were grazing, we passed two with a great number of sheep, and hogs were always plenty; the breeding of cattle is carried on to a great extent; quantities of cheese and butter are made here for sale; the cattle are drove to the eastern states, or the meat is salted and sent to New Orleans. We observed a great many partridges of a large kind, which they call pheasantsII.26here; the forests abound with wild pigeons. We reached our lodging place, Pike’s tavern, about four o’clock in the afternoon. It is situated amidst meadowsII.27and consists of two log-houses erected close behind each other, they resemble those of the state of Georgia, differing only in being better suited for a colder climate, as the crevices are filled with clay. Our landlord only began his establishment five years ago; he came from Massachusetts. Towards evening we saw a fine drove of cattle belonging to him, and in which his fortune chiefly consisted. Next morning we left our abode where we had been better lodged than we had expected, and went twenty miles farther to Columbus. The road was worse than any I had ever met with, consisting generally of log causeways, which are badly assorted and have large holes between them. We were barbarously jolted about, and therefore I went more than half the way on foot; the soil principally consists of a black meadow ground, marshy, with little wood and less cultivated. It is said to be unwholesome during the summer; the houses are scattered and in a bad condition. At one mile from Columbus, is a small place called Franklinton, having several brick houses and a court-house. Its increase was at one time promising, but Columbus prevents its future advancement. Columbus is situated on the high left bank of the Sciota; we forded this river, which was perilous, as the water ran into our carriage; there was a wooden bridge formerly between Franklinton and Columbus, but it was broken down a year ago; trees are growing very fast in the woods in the vicinity, but the wood is without strength and becomes rotten as soon as it attains its growth, which makes it impossible to depend on the duration of wooden buildings. Columbus is the chief town of the state of Ohio, and contains about one thousand eight hundred inhabitants, and three churches; one Presbyterian, one Lutheran, and one Methodist. In the year 1812, there were nothing but forests, and in the same year the lots of the city with the wood weresold, upon which they immediately commenced building. It is astonishing how this place has since increased, and still continues to improve—the streets are wide, and cross each other at right angles. The principal street running parallel with the Sciota, is about one hundred feet wide, having side-walks, and a considerable number of brick houses—the adjoining streets are not yet much occupied. In building the principal streets, one of the Indian mounds has been opened, and nearly destroyed. A great number of human bones were found, remains of urns, and an owl carved in stone, but very clumsy; with the clay of which the mound was made, bricks were burned which served for the construction of the state-house; this building contains the offices of the state, and the United States court. These three buildings stand near each other at one end of the principal street, each of them having two stories—the state-house as well as the court, are situated at the sides of these long offices, which gives them the appearance of barracks; they have steeples and galleries, from which the course of the Sciota, receiving a mile above the town the Whetstone river, can be followed with the eye to a great distance over the fertile plain on the right shore of the Sciota, where Franklinton is situated, and is a very handsome sight. The Sciota originates in the state of Ohio, runs one hundred and eighty-two miles, and flows in the Ohio between Portsmouth and Alexandria, its mouth is one hundred and fifty yards wide; it is navigable one hundred and thirty miles and upwards. The Whetstone, which it receives above Columbus, is at certain times navigable for nine miles. About five miles above Columbus, on the left shore of the Sciota, is a quarry of white sandstone, which resembles marble until polished, after which it turns grey. Columbus contains three printing-offices, each of which issues a newspaper. There are also bookstores, one of them belongs to Mr. Kilbourn, author of the Ohio Gazetteer; this book having been of great use to me, during my journey through this state, I wished to see the author of so useful a work, an attention with which he appeared much pleased. Respecting the three newspapers, I found their number great for so small a place, but I heard that only one, which is in some measure the official paper of the state, was much read, and had many subscribers; the other two having but fifty, and could only maintain themselves by advertisements, &c. I met in Columbus with a Mr. Doherty, whose acquaintance I had made in Cincinnati, and who conducted me to see the town. There is nothing remarkable in the public buildings above mentioned; the state penitentiary interested me much more; it is well situated, appears to be well arranged, and contains one hundred and fifty-two convicts; the principal building is on a rising ground; in the rear are severalyards where the workshops of the prisoners are situated, they are clothed in a dress part grey and part white, and sleep two together, in airy but narrow cells, on straw mattresses; during the day they are employed in the workshops, or in the work of the house. They have a large refectory, where their meals, consisting of meat and vegetables are served up in wooden plates; each prisoner is obliged to work at the trade which he understands, and he who is acquainted with none is obliged to learn one, being permitted to choose which he prefers. All the clothing used in the house, as well as the cotton cloth, are made by the prisoners, who receive no payment; there is also a wheelwright shop in operation, as well as blacksmiths, coopers, cabinet-makers, comb-makers, saddlers, and gunsmiths, who make very good rifles: the articles manufactured by the coopers consist chiefly of buckets and barrels, made of white and red cedar wood; there is a store attached to the prison, where all these articles are exposed for sale. I understand that the prison maintains itself, and causes but a trifling expense to the state. The favourite solitary confinement in dark and subterraneous cells is used as a capital punishment. A couple of prisoners who had tried to escape and were retaken, wore an iron collar with a horn attached to it; the prison has been in use ten years, during which time, ten men only had escaped, nearly all of whom had been retaken: the prisoners are so well treated, that I was assured that several of them stole again, after having served their time out, in order to return to their prison. It is worthy of notice that during ten years, two white females only, were committed to this prison; the yards are surrounded by a large and high wall, where sentries keep watch day and night with loaded muskets. We left Columbus on the 9th of May, at eight o’clock in the morning, and rode to Circleville, a distance of twenty-six miles. The road passes along the left shore of the Sciota, through a woody and rather uncultivated country, two days of rain had softened the ground considerably; fortunately we met with very few log causeways; we forded two small rivers which flow into the Sciota, called Big-Belly creek, and Lower Walnut creek. We passed a small place, Bloomfield, consisting of small frame houses, and reached Circleville towards two o’clock, P. M. Circleville is built in one of the old Indian forts, whose origin, as well as that of the nation which erected it, is buried in utter darkness. The circular part immediately joins the square, and communicates with it by means of a single outlet. The square fort has eight outlets, and in the rear of each of them there is a little mound, which appears to have served as traverses for the defence of the entries; the round fort has two parallel ramparts separated by a ditch. The quadrangular fort has but a single one, wherethere are no traces of a trench; the diameter of the circular fort, taken between the exterior ramparts, is one hundred and ninety-six rods; both of them are twenty feet high, taken from the base of the ditch; the inner one is filled up, and the exterior is dug from the ground; the fortress consists of clay, the latter of sand and flintstone; the rampart of the square fort is ten feet higher, and of clay; the length of one side of the square is fifty-four rods; the town, containing six hundred inhabitants, is for the greatest part built inside of the round and square fort, of which it occupies the fourth part of the surface. In its centre is a round space, in the midst of which stands a court-house of brick in the shape of an octagon. Circleville is the chief town of Pickaway county. From this circular place four principal streets run towards the north, south, east, and west; in order to open them, the double round wall has unfortunately been partly demolished; the selfishness of the inhabitants goes so far that they take the clay of the inner wall and the square fort to burn bricks of it; this little town was founded in 1812, at the same time with Columbus, but has not increased much since; the houses are generally of wood. The prison alone is of solid construction, built of free-stone.
On the outside of the circular fort, on the hill opposite the quadrangular fort, is another hill ninety feet high, that commands all the neighbouring parts, which appear to have been a burying-ground—a great number of human skeletons of all sizes having been found there; they were all in a horizontal position, the heads being turned towards the centre of the hill. With the skeletons were several stone axes, and oval, polished black stones, having a hole in their centre, probably to fix them on a string, to be worn as ornaments or talismans.
In the centre of the circular fort, where the court-house now stands, there was formerly another hill, on the eastern side of which are the remains of a semicircular pavement, made of pebble-stones, the same which are found in the bed of the Sciota; the top of the hill is of thirty feet diameter, and has a flight of steps leading to it; two human skeletons were found there. At the natural level of the ground a great number of stone arrow-heads, which were so strong that they must have belonged to lances. A great quantity of wood ashes and hard burnt bricks induce the belief that the bodies were burnt; there was a looking-glass made of mica membranacea. More minute details of these antiquities, as well as all the others which have been found in this state, are described in Mr. Caleb Atwater’sArchaelogia Americana. I paid a visit to this gentleman, who resides here; he is a great antiquarian, and exists more in the antiquities of Ohio, than in the present world. I spent the evening with this interesting man, and was very agreeably entertained; he possesses a collection of objectswhich were found in different mounds; it contains fragments of urns, arrow-heads of a large size, battle-axes made of flintstone, and several human bones. Mr. Atwater likewise possesses a very handsome collection of minerals, among which I found some interesting petrifactions of wood and plants, in particular, the whortleberry plant. He offered to send to the university of Jena a collection of these petrifactions which are found near Zanesville, in this state, and for which he desired to obtain some German minerals. I must not omit to mention, that on the hill, outside of the circular fort, is a small wooden house nearly destroyed by storms, which commands a view of all the surrounding country. It had been a house of ill fame, but being visited one night by a violent storm, it was abandoned by its inhabitants, to the great edification of the whole town.
The 10th of May we rode nineteen miles, from Circleville to Chillicothe, formerly the capital of Ohio, situated on the right shore of the Sciota. Our way led us through a handsome and very well cultivated country; we saw fine fields, good dwelling-houses, orchards, and gardens; also several mills, turned by the water of the Sciota, and several other little creeks; some of these mills are at the same time fulling, flour, and saw-mills.
The forests are chiefly of sugar maple, plane, and different kinds of nut trees: the road was tolerably good, the weather fine and warm; there is a covered wooden bridge which crosses the Sciota not far from Chillicothe; this bridge runs at least five hundred paces on piers, over a meadow which is sometimes inundated by the Sciota. We were comfortably lodged at Watson’s hotel, in Chillicothe. This town, like Philadelphia, lies between two rivers—the Sciota may be considered as the Delaware, and Paint creek rivulet takes place of the Schuylkill: the streets are large, at right angles, and without pavement, but have side-walks:agreat part of the houses are built of brick; there are several fine stores. Over the whole prosperity and liveliness appears to reign. Chillicothe is the chief town of Ross county; it contains a court-house, built of freestone, which, at the time it was the seat of the state government, was used for the senate house; the representatives met in the building now used for the court offices: there is also in this city a jail, and a market-house of brick. I received visits from several of the most distinguished inhabitants, among them was a lawyer, Mr. Leonard, Dr. Vethake and Colonel King, son of the celebrated Rufus King, the American minister to London, and son-in-law of the former governor of this state, Mr. Worthington: the latter lived at a country-seat two miles from Chillicothe, where he enjoyed his rents and the revenue of his considerable property, in the midst of an amiable family and an agreeable old age, free from cares. His son-in-lawinvited us to his father’s house; we accepted his invitation and rode in Messrs. Leonard and Vethake’s company, towards evening, to the country-seat; our road led us through a beautiful and well cultivated valley, near a little Indian mound, and through a forest of beach, maple, chesnut and hickory trees; finally we rode through handsome fields, where here and there we saw groups of white thorn. The governor’s house is surrounded with Lombardy poplars; it is constructed in the style of an Italian villa, of free stone, with stone steps on the exterior, is two stories high, and has two wings, having a court in front of the centre building containing honeysuckles and roses: on one side of the house is a terrace with flowers and kitchen vegetables; this garden was arranged by German gardeners who keep it in very good order: behind the house are large clover fields, and to the right the farm buildings. Governor Worthington occupies himself with the raising of cattle, particularly sheep; he had a flock of one hundred and fifty merinos. I understood that they were numerous in the state of Ohio. Colonel King and his highly accomplished lady, came to meet us; the governor and his lady soon appeared: he has travelled a great deal, has been a long time in public offices, and was for several years a member of the United States’ senate; his eldest son was travelling in Europe, another son was in the military academy at West Point. He has ten children, on whom he expended a great deal for their education; the evening passed rapidly in instructive and interesting conversation, the hospitable governor insisted on our passing the night at his house; the house is very commodious, the furniture plain, but testifies the good taste and easy circumstances of the owner. I arose early next morning and took a walk in the governor’s garden, I ascended to a platform on the roof to take a view of the surrounding lands, but there is as yet nothing but woods covering the greater part of the country. Fires, which were burning in some places, were proofs, that new settlers were clearing the woods; from this platform the governor can overlook the greater part of his property, containing twenty-five thousand acres of land; by this means he has the greater part of his workmen under his control; the ground consists of low hills, and it is only towards the east in the direction of Zanesville, that more considerable elevations are perceived. I took breakfast with the worthy governor and his family, and found here, as at Governor Morrow’s, that the father of the family, observed the laudable custom of making a prayer before sitting down. After breakfast we took leave of this respectable family, whose acquaintance I consider as one of the most interesting I made in the United States, and returned to town. Chillicothe contains from two to three thousand inhabitants, who subsist chiefly by farming, raising of cattle and retail commerce; they had alsocommenced establishing woollen factories, and possessed a bank; it was formerly a branch of the United States Bank, but doing too little business, was suppressed by the mother bank in Philadelphia. We visited two churches, one Methodist and one Episcopalian, the former was rather large, both of them were very plain and contained nothing worthy of remark. We paid a visit to Mr. Hufnagel, a native of Würzburg, an elderly man who had experienced misfortune, and who is now established as a butcher and trader in cattle, and finds himself in easy circumstances; he appeared to be very much delighted at my visit, and received us very heartily in his well arranged house, situated in an orchard. Between two and three o’clock, the stage took us to Colonel King’s house, where we dined, in order to drive us eighteen miles to Tarleton; we took leave of him with grateful hearts; the road ran through a well cultivated country, which is very hilly and presents several picturesque situations; ten miles from Chillicothe on a hill, is a small village, Kingston, with farms of a good appearance, and several mills. Towards sunset we reached Tarleton, a handsome little spot of about twenty houses, and took our lodgings at a very good tavern, kept by a Pennsylvanian German. I had lost my pocket-book, probably by one of the hard jolts which our stage had received; it contained several papers of importance. It was found one mile from Chillicothe, and by its contents I was known to be the owner; a man set out in the night to bring it to me; at midnight this man arrived in Tarleton, had me called up, and safely returned me my pocket-book. I was so much delighted to recover it, that I expressed my thankfulness in every way I could. On the 12th of May, we left Tarleton at two o’clock in the morning, and rode to New Lancaster, which is sixteen miles; we arrived between seven and eight o’clock, and took our lodgings at Steinman’s hotel; the mail stage which went that day to Zanesville, had only two horses and took no passengers, I therefore resolved to stay until the following day, as it was said there would be a stage with four horses, and I found no cause to repent it. New Lancaster has its name from the city of Lancaster in Pennsylvania, and was founded by Pennsylvanian Germans, who were joined by many German emigrants, particularly Wurtembergers, and some Switzers, all of whom were pleased with the good climate, the fertile soil, which requires but little cultivation and manure, and above all, by the cheap living and profitable earnings. New Lancaster is the principal town of Fairfield county, and is handsomely situated on the side of a hill on the Hockhocking river, not far distant from its source; it contains nearly two thousand inhabitants, living by retail commerce, farming, and cattle raising. Since 1822, the culture of tobacco has also been introduced; this tobacco is calledyellow, and is esteemed; I understand that it sells very well in Holland. The streets of the town are wide and rectangular; the court-house is a brick building; there is also a market-house of brick, and above it a lodge for freemasons. Shortly after my arrival, I received the visits of several of the German and half German inhabitants, among the latter I remarked Judge Dietrich, a native of Philadelphia, an agreeable, plain and well-informed man; he offered to be my guide through the town, which I thankfully accepted. He introduced me to several of the merchants, whose well-furnished stores I visited. Such a store in America contains a great variety of articles: all kinds of dry-goods, porcelain, earthenware, glasses, stationary, implements of husbandry, iron wares, saddlery, and spirits; the latter are only by wholesale; also school-books, bibles, and psalm-books. I observed in almost all the cities in the state of Ohio, that German translations were affixed to all the signs over the stores, in large golden letters, which is not only a proof that a great many Germans inhabit the state, but also that they are good customers. We saw an English and German printing-office; the latter was under the direction of a German, Mr. Herrman, who publishes a German newspaper under the title ofDer Ohio Adler,II.28the English printing-office likewise publishes a paper; the type for the German paper is from the foundry in Philadelphia, and cannot be said to be elegant; it is true there is generally but little elegance to be observed in German type. I read in Mr. Herrman’s office about twelve different German papers, published in the United States; they were mostly written in a corrupted German; the only well written one, was edited in Philadelphia, by Mr. Ritter.
Judge Dietrich conducted me to a cloth manufactory belonging to Mr. Risey, whose machinery is moved by the waters of the Hockhocking. It was of recent date, and furnished cloth of middling quality; the want of a sufficient quantity of water made it necessary to divide the manufactory into different parts, at different situations; one was occupied by the machines for carding wool, and some by looms; the wool was spun by country women. We visited the county jail, a brick building, the interior has partitions made of strong beams, separating obscure cells; a dark and miserable hole called the dungeon, was destined for solitary confinement; there was but a single prisoner, and for debt. Mr. Dietrich introduced me to a Mr. Sherman, judge of the supreme court, who is one of the most respectable inhabitants of the place. He invited me to tea, and I met with a very agreeable society; we all took a walk to Mount Pleasant, two miles from town, which on three sides presents steep cliffs; this mountain is onlyaccessible from one side, through a forest and hollow between rocks. From the top of the mountain the town seems to lay below your feet, and is surrounded with fenced fields; this point being one of the highest in this hilly country, the prospect would be very handsome if the eye could perceive any thing but woods. Next morning some Swabian farmers came to see me; I was sitting at my writing-table when they entered; they sat down without taking off their hats, and conversed very sensibly; I understood from them that they were very much pleased with the country, and that they felt conscious of being honest and useful men. At eight o’clock we went into the mail stage, an uncomfortable box, in which we rode thirty-six miles to Zanesville, on a rough road with many causeways leading through a hilly region, so that we had to stop at least forty times. It was very warm and dusty during the day; the land was less fertile than what we had previously seen in the state of Ohio, containing more clay and sand; we arrived in the district of the coal and salt mines, both of which articles are found in the vicinity of Zanesville. We passed between New Lancaster and Zanesville the insignificant places of Rush-hill, Somerset, Union town, and Jonathan’s creek; Rush-hill is in a pretty situation on Rush-creek, a strong rivulet which works several mills; it consists of about thirty houses, some of them of brick. Somerset, half way from New Lancaster to Zanesville, contains four hundred inhabitants, it is on an elevated situation and is the chief town of Perry county. Jonathan’s creek has given its name to the little village situated on both of its shores; the true name of this creek is Maxahala; it is very convenient for mills. We met with two herds of beautiful cattle, which had been brought from Chillicothe, and were driving to the eastern seaports for sale; towards six o’clock we arrived in a well-cultivated district, our road led us through orchards and neat houses; finally we arrived at Putnam, a little place situated on the right shore of the Muskingum, opposite Zanesville. We crossed the river by a covered wooden bridge, resting on five stone piers. The Muskingum is one of the most considerable rivers in the state of Ohio, it begins in the most northern part, runs in a southerly direction, waters several counties, and empties by a mouth twenty-five yards broad, into the Ohio at Marietta; it is navigable from Zanesville upwards; below, the mill-dams prevent the navigation. On account of the new canal which is to unite the Ohio with Lake Erie, on which they were working, though slowly, for want of funds, the navigation on this river will cease.
In Zanesville we took good lodgings at Hughes’ hotel; there must be a great number of travellers, as in the principal street we could count seven other taverns. Zanesville contains three thousand inhabitants: its streets are large and straight, a greatnumber of brick houses, upwards of twenty stores, two printing-offices, and two glass-houses, where common window-glass and bottles are manufactured, which are well paid for in the vicinity; this town has been for some time the chief town of the state of Ohio, and is now the principal place of Muskingum county; the court-house is a large brick building, in front of it was erected a triumphal arch in honour of General La Fayette, but he did not pass here. We returned in the evening over the bridge to Putnam, to deliver letters to Mr. Ebenezer Buckingham. On this occasion I found that the length of this bridge was about two hundred and seventy-seven ordinary paces; it is divided in two parts, the wagons keeping the right side. Putnam consists of a single street, running along the river, behind which is a rocky elevation; the street afterwards forms an angle, leaving the river and looses itself in a picturesque valley between fields and orchards. This place has six hundred inhabitants, a great many brick houses, and presents a flourishing appearance. Mr. Buckingham is one of the most respectable inhabitants, and has a large store in which he keeps all articles that may be required here; he received us in his store, and gave us much information relative to Zanesville, Putnam and its vicinity; the ground is not so fertile here as in other parts of the state, but kind Providence has indemnified them in some measure with salt, and coal-mines; the salt springs were previously known to the Indians, but not used by them. When the country became inhabited by a white population, they bored to the depth of two hundred feet and found abundant salt springs, some of them were deeper; the openings being made larger, walled cisterns were fixed to collect the running water. The salt is boiled in large kettles, after which it is made to run over flat reservoirs, where it is cooled, and the salt separated; this is the same method which is followed in England, and which I had seen in the salt works of Northwich; having heard this description, and the springs being four miles distant, I gave up the idea of visiting them. A great many petrifactions and impressions of plants are found here, some of which I had seen at Mr. Atwater’s, in Circleville.
On the next day, Mr. Buckingham came for me, to introduce me to his family, consisting of his wife and three daughters, very good children; the eldest was nine years old, his only son was a cadet in the military school at West Point. The house in which he resides at Putnam is at some distance from his store, is two stories high, built of brick with a stone porch; in front of the house is a space planted with trees and flowers separated from the street by an iron railing with large stone posts. In the rear of the house is a kitchen garden and orchard; the house is very convenient and furnished with taste and well-directed luxury. Allthis was interesting to me, because I heard from Mr. Buckingham that twenty-nine years since, he emigrated as a poor man from the state of New York to that wild country, and on the spot where his property now stands he had himself felled the trees, and built a log-house in which he lived several years; he owes his welfare to his integrity, his industry, and economy. In his business, he informed me money was a rare thing, which he seldom saw; the greatest number of persons who buy articles from his store, pay for them in corn, beef, lard, corn meal, vegetables, fruits, &c.Thisis, however, the case with most of the stores in the western states, and give the merchants considerable trouble to sell them. I accompanied Mr. Buckingham and family to the Presbyterian church in Zanesville, a large brick building, which was very full and very warm. I understood very little of the sermon; the singing was excellent, without organ or any musical accompaniment. In the centre of the church was a long table, as a greater part of the congregation were communicants. Mr. Buckingham and family partook of this religious rite. I took a walk through the town, and visited a second bridge crossing the Muskingum, situated above the first; this bridge is more ancient than the first, and likewise rests on five stone piers; it is covered and made of wood, but badly constructed and in a decayed condition. It does not run in a straight line, but forms an obtuse angle, in order to reach a point of land which is produced by the union of the Licking with the Muskingum, from this angle of the bridge, another begins, which goes towards the point of land; this is not roofed; this bridge leads to the Newark road, meanwhile the covered branch is directed to the New Lancaster road. Since the construction of the better bridge below, the older one is very little used. The prospect from it over the Muskingum and Licking is very handsome. Both of them have, not far from their junction, high dams forming waterfalls, and on all the four shores mills for flour, oil and sawing. The Licking begins at the junction of three little rivers in Licking county, and has some falls above, where it unites with the Muskingum, which have been used for mills. At two o’clock we returned to our mail stage; the weather being very hot, we rode but twelve miles, to an insulated house called Dugan’s tavern, where we arrived between five and six o’clock, and met with tolerably good quarters. The country is woody and very hilly, the road was so bad that we had to stop frequently, and for this reason I again went the greatest part of the road on foot, in spite of the heat and dust; the next day we travelled in the same manner to Fairview, forty-eight miles distant, along a very hilly country, bad road, rocks, causeways, and so many rapid declivities, that we had to stop thirty times. We passed through Salt creek, Cambridge,Washington, and Frankfort. Salt creek lies on a small river of the same name, over which there is a bridge. Cambridge is a flourishing place of about seventy houses, on a height situated on Will’s creek, which is crossed by a plain wooden bridge of one hundred and seventy-five yards, which passes over a low meadow; this town is the chief place in Gurnsey county, and contains a court-house and several stores. We arrived on a court day, and the tavern was filled with lawyers. Will’s creek runs through many windings, about one hundred and fifty miles, and flows into the Muskingum; it is in some seasons navigable to Cambridge, in boats of seventy-five feet length. Washington and Frankfort are small places, of which nothing can be said. On the road, especially near dwelling houses, were several large open buildings constructed with beams to dry the yellow tobacco. The country is mostly covered with woods. The ground consists of yellow and red clay, &c.
Fairview, which we reached towards five o’clock in the evening, is a little place containing about twenty houses, most of them frame; it is situated on an elevation commanding an extensive prospect, whence it derives its name. We met here with part of the great national road which leads from Washington city to Wheeling, and is to be continued as far as St. Louis. It is a turnpike road, dug out six inches deep, and is covered six inches thick with small stones, having a ditch on each side; they were working slowly at it: Fairview is now at the end of the road.
On the 16th of May we left Fairview, in a beautiful starlight and warm night, and continued our journey sixty miles to Washington in Pennsylvania. The country was hilly. The two last villages we passed in the state of Ohio, were Morristown and St. Clairsville. Both places are small, but well situated on elevations, and surrounded with fields and orchards. St. Clairsville is the chief town of Bellmont county; it contains a court-house, jail, market-house, and printing-office, which issues a newspaper; also several stores. The houses are merely of wood. The nearer we approached to the Ohio, the handsomer was the country. Finally, we came to a romantic dale, through which flows in a serpentine direction a rivulet called Indian Wheeling, which joins the Ohio opposite Wheeling. We frequentlyrodealong the new national turnpike road, on which they were working rapidly. This road carefully avoids the numerous hills, cuts through several of them, and has, where it is requisite, solid stone bridges. It was said that it would be finished in the autumn. When arrived at the Ohio, which runs between hilly shores, partly covered with woods, partly cultivated, twenty-nine miles from Fairview, we crossed over the river and arrived at a considerable woody island, and crossed the left arm in a horse-boat, which took us toWheeling, a town containing two thousand inhabitants, built on a terrace along a steep and high hill. Thus we left the state of Ohio, an important and daily increasing state, which, with the exception of the bad roads, had pleased me very much. We entered the state of Virginia, of which a part runs like a wedge between the states of Pennsylvania and Ohio. In Wheeling we took the stage on the great national road to Washington in Pennsylvania, which is twenty-nine miles distant. We soon ascended a high mountain, from the top of which we could discover on one side the beautiful valley of the Ohio, the woody mountains bordering the valley, and the town of Wheeling with its orchards and gardens on the other; a deep valley along which the Wheeling creek runs in a picturesque manner. The national road gradually descends this steep hill, forming the western border of the valley, continues in it and goes over a handsome stone bridge across Wheeling creek. A neighbouring family who profited considerably by the construction of the national road, have erected at the bridge a monument in honour of the secretary of state, (H. Clay,) who was the chief promoter of it in congress. This monument consists, as far as I could perceive in my hurry, of a statue of liberty, coarsely sculptured in sandstone, placed on a clumsy pedestal ornamented with inscriptions and bas relief. Monuments erected to living persons have always something suspicious; they generally exhibit that vile adulation to which the Dutch give a characteristic name.II.29I was greatly surprised to find such sentiments in this country, and to see them tolerated. The national road, which is finished seven years ago, requires considerable repairs, or at least to be kept in better order. Since it has been finished nothing has been done to it. The tracks are deep, and the road is very rough. The stage we rode in was of the description made in the north-eastern states, which are the best and most convenient I had met with since October last year. We changed horses twice in West Alexandria and Claysville. We passed several little places through a well cultivated country, over some stone bridges of sumptuousconstruction. Fifteen miles from Wheeling we left the state of Virginia, and entered the state of Pennsylvania partly known to me, and which I now intended to cross from its western to its eastern extremity. We arrived at Washington at ten o’clock at night, and left there at one o’clock on the morning of the 17th of May, the weather being cloudy. Abandoning the national road, we turned to the left towards Pittsburgh, twenty-five miles from Washington. To Cannonsburg, a distance of seven miles, the road was tolerably good,but after this it became bad, and I was compelled, in conformity to my old custom, to walk a great part of the way.
To the cloudy night succeeded a fine warm morning, and a picturesque valley where handsome houses and mills cheered the spirits. The mountains are filled with coal and several openings penetrating into them, prove that this important fuel is not neglected. We finally came to the left shore of the Ohio, and before us was Pittsburgh covered by a black cloud of smoke. This city is situated at the confluence of the Alleghany and Monongahela; both these rivers after their union form the majestic Ohio. The water of the Monongahela is much more muddy than that of the Alleghany, and both rivers are distinguished separately at a great distance. The situation of Pittsburgh, as well as the Ohio valley, resemble in some measure the environs of Liege, on the Meuse, with the exception that the mountains of the Meuse are higher than these. We passed through a little village called Birmingham, where are salt-works, a glass-house, and iron-works, and arrived at the bridge which crosses the Monongahela. This bridge is marked on the map as projected, but has been finished for six or seven years. It is of wood resting on five stone piers, and consists of six arches of very solid construction, being covered and divided in two parts. A fine of fifteen dollars is exacted of those who ride on horseback or carriage faster than a walk; there are also foot-walks. Pittsburgh contains fifteen thousand inhabitants—it has not a pleasing appearance, containing a great number of wooden buildings, all of a smoky colour from the smoke continually ascending from the numerous manufactories. Pittsburgh reminds you of an English city, and therefore is called the American Birmingham. It was nine o’clock, A. M. when we arrived, and took lodgings at the Mansion-house, kept by Colonel Ramsay, a good hotel, and a very polite landlord.
----
Pittsburgh.—Economy.—Mr. Rapp and his Society.
I wasscarcely settled here before I received a visit from two German residents, Mr. Bonnhorst, a justice of the peace, and Mr. Volz, a merchant. These gentlemen accompanied me to indicate the most remarkable places and manufactures of the city.
We visited a French glass-cutter, a very skilful man, whodoes a good business; passed by the court-house, which is built opposite the market-house in a half circle, and stopped at the glass factory of Mr. Bakewell, in which fine flint glass is blown and ground. This crystal is as clear, and nearly as good as the English. The processes used in such a manufactory are known; but I wondered at the celerity with which the different articles are made. Glass-cutting, as is well known, is a difficult work, and requires skilful artists, which are still rare in this country, and very dear. We visited a paper manufactory belonging to Mr. Baldwin, which is arranged in the usual manner: thence we went to an eminence which overlooks the city, called Grant’s Hill, after an English General Grant, who, during the seven years’ war, was slaughtered here along with his troops, by the Indians.
The French, about the middle of the preceding century, had built a fort on the point of land, immediately at the confluence of the two rivers, called Duquesne. The English found this fortification annoying, and hence arose the occurrences which subsequently produced the seven years’ war. This place has the highest interest to every European soldier. General Grant wished to obtain possession of Fort Duquesne, and besieged it from the height which still bears his name. He however kept a miserable guard, was surprised, and paid with his own life, and that of his men, for his negligence. From this hill, one may behold, at a view, the three vallies of the Alleghany, Monongahela and Ohio.
Rapp’s society, after leaving New Harmony, chose a new situation which they named Economy. This is eighteen miles from Pittsburgh. I intended to visit it on the following day, but on this evening, (May 17,) I was surprised by a visit from Mr. Frederick Rapp, adopted son of the founder of the Society, who gave me an invitation to pay their establishment a visit. We therefore went willingly at ten o’clock, next morning, accompanied by Messrs. Bonnhorst and Volz, to Economy, whither Mr. F. Rapp preceded us.
We reached the Alleghany bridge, which is built of wood, roofed, and supported upon five stone piers. The foot-walks are separated from the wagon-road, and are open on one side, so that foot passengers are not incommoded by the dust from the inside of the bridge. On the opposite side is a little village called Alleghany town, laid out upon a great scale, but on account of the proximity of Pittsburgh, it will with difficulty attain any importance: in former years, the Indians, which then thickly hovered about therightbank of the Alleghany and Ohio, were a powerful obstacle to the increase of this place. On the heights stand elegant country houses. Farther off ran the road, which was bad enough,near to the right bank of the Ohio, through a wonderfully lovely landscape. The valley strongly reminds one of the Maas Valley between Namur and Lüttich; it is beautifully cultivated; the farms lie close together; the green hills, and groups of sugar maples and acacias have a most beautiful appearance. The latter were beginning to blossom, and filled the air with perfume.II.30In the Ohio we saw Neville’s island, which is about seven miles long and one broad, and is well cultivated. Over two little creeks we passed upon well kept, roofed bridges, and reached Economy at two, P. M. This place lies on a bluff fifty feet above the low water mark of the Ohio. Behind the village are some hills containing springs, whence the water is conveyed in pipes to Economy.
In approaching Economy we passed two burning brick-kilns; then we came to a newly-built house, at which stood three men with horns, who began to blow on our arrival. At the inn, a fine large frame house, we were received by Mr. Rapp, the principal, at the head of the community. He is a gray-headed, and venerable old man; most of the members emigrated twenty-one years ago from Wurtemberg, along with him. After our first greeting, we were conducted into a simple but tastefully arranged apartment. We conversed together for a time, and then all set down to dinner. The table was furnished with German dishes, over which reigned a jocund heartiness.
Having been prejudiced against Mr. Rapp and his society, by what I had read, and more recently heard at New Harmony, I was much rejoiced at having visited this place, to be better informed by personal observation. Never have I witnessed a more truly patriarchal constitution than here, and men’s actions speak best for their regulations, and for the concord prevailing among them.
The elder Rapp is a large man of seventy years old, whose powers age seems not to have diminished; his hair is gray, but his blue eyes overshadowed by strong brows, are full of life and fire; his voice is strong, and his enunciation full, and he knows how to give a peculiar effect to his words by appropriate gesticulation. He speaks a Swabian dialect, intermixed with a little English, to which the ear of a German in the United States must become accustomed; generally, what he says is clearly and plainly delivered.
Rapp’s system is nearly the same as Owen’s. Community of goods, and all members of the society to work together for thecommon interest, by which the welfare of each individual is secured. Rapp does not hold his society together by these hopes alone, but also by the tie of religion, which is entirely wanting in Owen’s community; and results declare that Rapp’s system is the better. No great results can be expected from Owen’s plan, and a sight of it is very little in its favour. What is most striking and wonderful of all, is that so plain a man as Rapp can so successfully bring and keep together a society of nearly seven hundred persons, who in a manner honour him as a prophet. Equally so for example in his power of government, which can suspend the intercourse of the sexes. He found that the society was becoming too numerous, wherefore the members agreed to live with their wives as sisters. All nearer intercourse is forbidden, as well as marriage; both are discouraged. However, some marriages constantly occur, and children are born every year, for whom there is provided a school and teacher. The members of the community manifest the very highest degree of veneration for the elder Rapp, whom they address and treat as a father.
Mr. Frederick Rapp is a large good-looking personage, of forty years of age. He possesses profound mercantile knowledge, and is the temporal, as his father is the spiritual chief of the community. All business passes through his hands; he represents the society, which, notwithstanding the change in the name of their residence, is called theHarmonySociety, in all their dealings with the world. They found that the farming and cattle-raising, to which the society exclusively attended in both their former places of residence, were not sufficiently productive for their industry, they therefore have established factories, which in this country are very profitable, and have at present cotton and woollen manufactories, a brewery, distillery, and flour-mill. They generally drink, during their good German dinners, uncommonly good wine, which was made on the Wabash, and brought thence by them: they left the worst, as I have remarked, at New Harmony.
After dinner we visited the village, which is very regularly arranged, with broad rectangular streets, two parallel to the Ohio, and four crossing them. On the 22d of May it will be but two years since the forest was first felled upon whichEconomyis built; the roots still remaining in the streets are evidences of the short time that has elapsed. It is astonishing what united and regulated human efforts has accomplished in so short a time!
Many families still live in log-houses, but some streets consist almost entirely of neat, well-built frame houses, at proper distances from each other, each house has a garden attached to it. The four-story cotton and woollen factories are of brick; Mr. Rapp’s dwelling-house, not yet completed, and a newly-begun warehouse,are also to be of brick. The log-houses stand in the rear of the line which the new houses are to occupy in the street, so that when in time they wish to erect brick buildings, it may be done without incommoding the tenants of the log dwellings. Mr. Rapp’s residence speaks rather freely against the equality he preaches to his people, yet without exciting jealousy or becoming a stumbling block. It consists of a principal building two stories high, with two lower wings standing in the same line, and is adorned with beautiful Philadelphia paper. At the back of the house is a piazza and balcony. There is also a garden containing several acres with flowers and vegetables, as well as a vineyard, situated on a terrace-shaped half circle on the hill, ending in a bower. I especially admired the beautiful tulips of this garden, in the midst of which is a round basin with a noble spring. Mr. Rapp intends to build a temple here, in which he will place a statue of Harmony: the statue is now ready. It is the work of a carver in Philadelphia, and is a colossal wooden figure, like the figure-head of a ship. In the garden are several cottages, one of them is roofed with sods, and is used for a pastry house. On the top is a sort of seat, where hereafter musicians are to sit; within there is a temporary frame hall. Near the garden is the green-house; this house, as well as the garden, is under the inspection of a very pretty girl, Miss Hildegard, a relative of Mr. Rapp, and possessed of much botanical knowledge. The women of this community have all preserved their Swabian costume, even to their straw hats, and they look very becomingly.
In the cotton and woollen factories, all the machinery is set in motion by a high-pressure engine of seventy horse-power, made in Pittsburgh. The machine pumps the water from a well fifty feet deep, sunk for the purpose. The community possesses some fine sheep, among which are many Merino and Saxon: they purchase wool, however, from the surrounding farmers, who have already begun to raise it to bring to Economy. As soon as the wool is washed, it is picked by the old women of the community, who work in the fourth story, whence it is reconveyed by a sort of tunnel into the lower story. The wool is then separated according to its quality into four classes, dyed together in the dye-house near the manufactory, returned to the mill, where it is combed, coarsely spun, and finally wrought into fine yarn by a machine similar to the spinning jenny. As soon as spun, it is placed in the loom and wrought into cloth, this is placed in a steam fulling-mill, so arranged that the steam from the engine is made to answer the purpose of soap and fuller’s earth, which is a great saving. The cloth is shorn by means of a cylinder, upon which a strong piece of steel turns. There is a model of this shearing-machinein the patent-office at Washington. The woollen goods most in demand in this country, are blue middling, grey mixed, (principally used for pantaloons,) and red and white flannel cloths. The red flannels are in great demand.
The cotton factory is employed in spinning and weaving. The printing of cottons has not yet been attempted, as the stamps cannot be procured without great expense and difficulty, and the fashions of printed calico are very changeable. The coloured cottons wove here are blue and white, mixed; a stuff of this colour much in demand in Tennessee, is called cassinet, the chain of which is of cotton, and the filling of wool. The spinning machines are of the common kind, each of which have one hundred and fifty spools at work. The first machine, which does the coarse spinning, has been much improved, so as to save a great deal of manual labour. There are also some power-looms here, though not many, neither have they at present but one dressing machine. Many of the machines are made in Pittsburgh; most of them, however, at Economy. As this establishment has been so recently founded, it is natural enough that but few machines should be prepared or in operation. The factories and workshops are warmed during winter by means of pipes connected with the steam-engine. All the workmen, and especially the females, have very healthy complexions, and moved me deeply by the warm-hearted friendliness with which they saluted the elder Rapp. I was also much gratified to see vessels containing fresh, sweet-smelling flowers standing on all the machines. The neatness which universally reigns here, is in every respect worthy of praise.
After visiting these interesting factories, we went to Mr. Rapp’s temporary dwelling, a good frame house, in order to take tea. I saw here his unmarried, rather faded daughter, and his blooming grandchild, Gertrude, the daughter of his only son, concerning whose death such strange reports are circulated. The table was decorated with beautiful silver plate, and Rapp appeared to be rejoiced, to indicate by its possession, his well-merited prosperity. He commenced his business, as he informed me, with very slender means; when he began at New Harmony, he had to contend with the bitterest want, and more than once, had not bread for his community. He sent Frederick Rapp to Pittsburgh, to procure store goods, and absolutely necessary provisions, upon credit. The latter found himself generally repulsed, and remained the whole night awake in Pittsburgh, lamenting the cruelty of mankind. The elder Rapp, who waited in vain for his return, went to his house, also lamenting his situation, but not in the least doubtful of Providence, who watched over him and his; nor was his confidence misplaced. The heart of one Pittsburgh merchantwas moved; he could not rest during the night for having so scornfully dismissed Mr. Rapp. He sought him early in the morning, took him to his store, and offered him whatever was necessary upon credit. In this manner was the society rescued. This worthy merchant some time after suffered in his business, and on this unfortunate occasion, the grateful Harmony society assisted him in a very generous manner.
We spent the evening likewise with Mr. Rapp. He collected the musical members of the society, and entertained us with music. Miss Gertrude played upon the piano, and three of the girls sang; the other instruments were violins, a violoncello and two flutes. The music was really not so good as we had heard in the preceding autumn at Bethlehem; but gave us much entertainment. Mr. Bonnhorst also delighted us with his fine performance on the violin. The music was principally directed by a German physician, named Müller, who belongs to the community, and also has charge of the school.
The next morning we went with both the Messrs. Rapp through the village. We visited the distillery, in which good whiskey is made, which is in much demand in the neighbouring places. None is made use of in the village itself, as the members of the society have mutually agreed to abstain from the use of distilled liquors. This distillery feeds many swine and horned cattle, which produce the society a handsome profit. The beer brewery from lack of barley, made beer of wheat; this brewery was not in operation. The flour-mill, not yet completed, is to be worked by a steam-engine, and is to be arranged like the Baltimore steam-mill. In a short time four sets of stones will be in operation, and an oil mill is also to be connected therewith. As careful managers, the directors of the society, in the upper part of the mill, which is five stories high, put away grain enough for a year, in order to be secured against scarcity, which is even in this happy country much to be dreaded. In the mill as well as in the factories, in each story there is a great iron cylinder, filled with water, which is thus at hand in case of fire. The society possesses a fire-engine of their own making, and have organized a fire company to work it.
We examined the workshops of the black and locksmiths, which are under the same shed, and then the joiner’s and cooper’s; we especially observed the marks of actual and filial respect which is borne towards the elder Rapp by his young people. The warehouse was also shown to us, where the articles made here for sale or use are preserved; and I admired the excellence of all. The articles for the use of the society are kept by themselves, as the members have no private possessions, and every thing is in common, so must they in relation to all their personalwants be supplied from the common stock. The clothing and food they make use of, is of the best quality. Of the latter, flour, salt meat, and all long keeping articles are served out monthly; fresh meat on the contrary, and whatever spoils readily, is distributed whenever it is killed, according to the size of the family, &c. As every house has a garden, each family raises its own vegetables, and some poultry, and each family has also its own bakeoven. For such things as are not raised in Economy, there is a store provided, from which members with the knowledge of the directors, may purchase what is necessary, and the people of the vicinity may also do the same. The warehouse and store are for the present in wooden buildings, but in a short time the requisite brick buildings will be erected.
Under Mr. Rapp’s new house we found a fine roomy cellar, in which he gave us a very good glass of old Rhenish wine, and also some good wine made on the Wabash, of which he had twenty-one casks. I tasted a very dark and powerful wine, made from wild grapes, which grew on an island in the Wabash. For the first three years it is said that this wine cannot be drank on account of its sourness; this has been in casks for eight years and is so much improved, that it now is similar to old Hungarian wine.
As we passed along we saw a small deer park, in which the elder Rapp had amused himself in taming some bucks and does, which would eat out of his hand. We saw also here a noble young moose deer, which was as large as a stout ox. He is also very tame, but during theseasonis dangerous.
Mr. Rapp finally conducted us into the factory again, and said that the girls had especially requested this visit, that I might hear them sing. When their work is done they collect in one of the factory rooms, to the number of sixty or seventy, to sing spiritual and other songs. They have a peculiar hymn-book, containing many hymns from the Wurtemberg psalm-book, and others written by the elder Rapp. The latter are truly in prose, but have been arranged to old tunes by the girls.II.31The elder Rapp is very fond of psalmody, and the girls must devote themselves considerably thereto, since Gertrude is a proficient and receives musical instruction. A chair was placed for the old patriarch, who sat amidst the girls and they commenced a hymn in a very delightful manner. It was naturally symphonious and exceedingly well arranged. The girls sang four pieces, at firstsacred, but afterwards by Mr. Rapp’s desire, of gay character. With real emotion did I witness this interesting scene.
We had an excellent dinner in Mr. Rapp’s house, and the musical members of the society took this opportunity to play their best in front of it. The band consisted of twelve musicians, and performed very well, among them were two who played bugles. Both the Rapp’s, and especially the elder, advised me strongly to settle in their neighbourhood, and purchase at ten miles hence, the Beaver Falls on Beaver creek, for twenty-five thousand dollars. There I might establish iron works, said they, and make a great deal of money; they and their society would assist me in every possible manner!
With peculiar feelings we took leave of the friendly and industrious Economy, at three o’clock. No payment was received at the tavern, and we set out through the same beautiful places by which we had come towards Pittsburgh. Mr. F. Rapp, who had business there, followed us, accompanied by Gertrude. During this ride I had another opportunity of admiring the beautiful rocks as we passed by, and particularly the caverns, probably made in them by water, which remind one of the little caves near Ems, on the Lahn.
We stopped at Alleghany town to examine the new and unfinished penitentiary, which is arranged according to the system of solitary confinement. The whole is surrounded by a high hexagonal wall. The principal building, which is of sandstone, is three stories high. This is to contain the residence of the superintendent, the offices and infirmary. On two of the other angles of the hexagon are high round towers, from which the interior of the house can be overlooked, where the guards are to be stationed. Behind the principal building in the court-yard, stands a smaller building, containing, besides many cells for the convicts, the kitchen and wash-house. In a circle which is interrupted by the above mentioned buildings, stands a one-story building, containing convict cells, which has one row of entrances near the inner circular yard, and the other towards the space enclosed by the hexagonal walls. Each cell is eight feet long by six broad. It contains a bench, and receives its light through an opening secured by an external iron grate; within this is a wooden door, which the prisoner can, at his pleasure, open or shut. Before each cell is a very small open space. The cells are floored, and provided with iron rings to which the prisoners may be secured if necessary. These unfortunates have neither light nor room enough to work; IÂ was informed that each prisoner was to be allowed to enjoy the fresh air for fifteen minutes daily. In this way, this new system can scarcely have any other result than that of destroying the health of the convicts.The prison contains one hundred and ninety-six cells, and it is said, that next autumn the first victims are to be sacrificed to a mistaken philanthropy.II.32The expense of maintaining these prisoners, who are not permitted to earn any thing, will necessarily be considerable.