The Memoir of Robert (Hubert) Beck
Hammondsport NY
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This record was written by Robert Beck of his remarkable first-hand experiences of 19th
and early 20th century life. It is written in good detail and with a humble tone that reads as very
honest.
Mr. Beck was the brother of my great-grandmother Seraphina Beck, who married John
Klem, son of Bernard Klem. This history came to me from my father decades ago as a single
typed narrative on 11x14 inch paper. In order to make this easier to transfer to others, and
easier to maintain, I have scanned the document into a digital format with the help of Brandon
Fess at the Local History and Genealogy Division at the Central Library of Rochester & Monroe
County. Due to a sea of OCR errors from the decades-old type and copy debris, it is likely that a
few transcription errors remain. Minimal editing was applied, such as the insertion of the
actual spelling of Goldscheuer in order to make the document more accurate for future
research. Family names such as his mother’s, were left as written even if I have found
alternates that may be more common, as they were all used at the time.
I also took the opportunity to break the story down into chapters. They were then broken
down into two sections, which have distinct differences in tone; the memoir, a running
narrative of a fascinating spread of 19th century experiences recalled at the end of the century;
and the journal, in which the entries were made more frequently, pertaining to details of his
family and the communities in which he lived.
-Gerard (Jerry) Ernst, 20 March 2022
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Contents
Section One, Memoir ...................................................................................................................... 3
Marlen and Goldscheuer ................................................................................................................. 3
Emigration to America .................................................................................................................... 9
Rochester....................................................................................................................................... 11
Going West ................................................................................................................................... 16
On the Mississippi......................................................................................................................... 27
Sailor ............................................................................................................................................. 30
Buffalo Hunt ................................................................................................................................. 46
Civil War....................................................................................................................................... 48
Return to New York ...................................................................................................................... 57
Section Two, Journal .................................................................................................................... 61
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Section One
Marlen and Goldscheuer
My name is Robert Beck. I am writing this history of my life in the 60th year of my age at
my home at Hammondsport, Steuben Co. N.Y.
I was born in my grandfather’s house in Marlen, Province of Baden, Germany.
My birthday is May 19th, 1838. Marlen is a suburb of Khel Grand Duchy of Germany. My
grandfather Beck was school-master at Marlen and lived in the residence connected with the
schoolhouse. When my father and mother were first married, they lived in grandfathers house
for some years but when I was about two years old my father built a house at Goldshires,
(Goldscheuer) which is an adjoining village to Marlen. My father’s name was Antone Beck and
was born in Marlen in 1802. He was also born in the schoolhouse residence.
My mother’s name was Cecelia Gebbert; she was born in Marlen also. Her people were of
the better class of the commonalty or what are called well-to-do peasants. I have no
recollections of my grandparents except my father’s step-mother, as my father’s mother died
when he was a small- boy, and his father died I think about 1842 at the age of 95 years, and his
stepmother died in 1851, also at a very old age. I remember my step-grandmother as a very
tall, slim lady who very fond of eating apples and thought she was very kind to me when I used
to call on her as a little boy. I would almost always find her eating apples. As she had no teeth
she would peel the apple, then scrape it, and she would give me the skins and cores to eat,
which I thought were the best thing I ever ate. After I had eaten all the skins and cores in sight,
she would tell me to go out doors to play or go home. I think I loved my step-grandmother
more than my father did. My mother had a stepfather, as her own father died when she was a
young lady and her mother died after her marriage to my father, I think about 1844, so I have
no recollections of my grandparents on my mother’s side.
My grandfather Beck was a university graduate and was made principal of the school at
Marlen when a young man and held that position until his death. He was born in the Grand
Duchy of Baden and so were my grandparents on my mother’s side. I never heard my father
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speak of any of his ancestors as being from any other part of Germany, so I am a Badenese by
birth and nationality.
My father had one brother whose name was Joseph Beck. He was a university graduate
and held a chair or professorship at the University of Mannheim, Baden, which position he held
all his lifetime, and he died in the harness. My father also had one sister whose name I do not
remember. She was the oldest of my grandfather’s family and after Napoleon was driven out
of Russia in 1813, the remnant of his army was driven back to France. Marlen was occupied by
Russian troops and my grandfather’s house was used as headquarters by the Russian troop
officers. When they evacuated the town, the sister was kidnapped by the officers and taken to
Russia, and was never heard from again.
My father had eleven half-brothers but I know little of any of them, as I was too young
when we left to remember much about them. My father was bound out to learn the trade of
nail smith which was a good trade when he was a young man, as all nails and tacks were then
made by hand. He also taught music which he loved, and gave lessons in music and always had
a small orchestra. He was a capital good story teller and all-around entertainer, which made
him quite popular with his associates. He was of medium height, straight-built, and just a little
stout, of a ruddy complexion, a decided blond, and on the whole a fine type of German. His
education was a little above the common; he was a great reader and well posted in German
history. He was quite industrious, always busy at something but lacked financial ability. He was
strictly honest and had no bad habits but he loved a mug of beer and a good pinch of snuff.
My mother was a short lady of dark complexion, black hair and large black eyes, of a mild
and pleasant disposition, very industrious. She looked well after her household and the welfare
of her children. She did not possess all those modern fine accomplishments because she was
born and trained in a different age and the customs of her native town did not require any of
the fine arts. She was decidedly a stay-at-home lady as she rarely went calling or visiting,
especially in America. On the whole she was a very good mother and did all that a mother
could do under the circumstances. As she was the mother of nine children and not rich in
worldly goods, it was a constant struggle against poverty. She did not like America and had a
constant longing for her fatherland which made her life in America very unpleasant. I have
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heard her say many times that if she could walk back to Germany she would do so and stay
there, but she would not cross the ocean again for the whole world.
As I have stated before I was born in Marlen, May 19th 1838 and baptized in the Catholic
Church in that town, where the great event is recorded and can be seen at any time. My
baptismal name is Hubert Beck and how I came to be called by the name of Robert Beck I will
explain hereafter. I remember the old church very well as it was the only church I attended
while we lived in Germany. It was a very old stone church, quite large, not very handsome
outside but the inside was gaudy with pictures and a little army of saints mounted on pedestals.
Some of them looked very old and sleepy. They were all made of wood and gaudily painted.
Some of them had broken arms and some had broken noses and, on the whole, they had a
rather shabby appearance, and as a boy I really felt sorry for them as they looked hungry and
gaunt. I can only say that I had more pity than reverence for them. The entire church lot was a
graveyard and had been used as such for several centuries. Even the inside of the church under
the floor was full of graves.
When I was about two years old, we moved into our house at Goldscheuer which is an
adjoining village to Marlen. The town is built on an ancient bank of the Rhine but the
government built an embankment farther out from the ancient bank and the space in between
is used for fish breeding. The country all around Goldscheuer as far as the eye can see is almost
a dead level on both sides of the Rhine and under a high state of cultivation. The principal
products besides the ordinary vegetables are sugar beets and hemp, also fruits of every
description, especially prunes, and what are called in this country English walnuts, which were
raised for the oil for table use.
The village is built principally on one street which runs parallel with the river and is called
Land Street or Government Street. It is a very fine macadamized street and kept in fine order
by the government. The private houses are all built alike and stand with the gable facing the
street. Our house was about in the center of the town. It also stood with the gable facing the
street, with a little flower garden between the street and the house, and a live hedge fence
next to the street. The principal entrance was on the side into the large living room facing the
street. The house was built of heavy timber with stone basement, and was filled in between
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the timbers with unburned brick plastered and whitewashed on the outside, and the living
room on the inside was also plastered and the large sitting room was frescoed in a cheap way.
The roof was covered with red tiles. The chimney was built as required by law, that is,
large and straight so that the chimney sweeper would have ample room to crawl up and down
in cleaning it, as the law compelled every householder to have the chimney swept out at stated
times. Our furniture consisted of bedsteads, some chairs, a large dining table, and a bookcase
and secretary which my father inherited from his father, a tall clock that stood on the floor, and
a few cheap pictures. All the furniture was of oak and made to last forever. The kitchen was
very large and furnished with a Dutch oven and a range. Dishes were of a substantial kind, the
plates were of pewter, and the knives, forks, and spoons were of good honest steel and iron,
there was nothing in the kitchen or dining room that would tempt a burglar to steal. All of our
bedding and clothing were of linen, homemade and plenty of it, as it is not the custom to wash
soiled clothes every week, but only twice a year, so the people are obligated to have a large
stock on hand.
As for eatables we had plenty but of a very plain kind. Our food consisted of rye bread,
vegetables, milk and meat not more often than about twice a week, butter and eggs only on
great or stated occasions, and cake on holidays. Pie was an unknown quantity. In a general way
our domestic was about like all our neighbors, no better, no worse. There was no aristocracy in
our town, it mostly being a commercial or manufacturing town. Most of the inhabitants were
mechanics, small tradesmen, and peasants.
I grew up like all other little children. Of course, I ran the gauntlet all the children’s
diseases such as measles and whooping cough and survived them all, and at a proper age I
donned my first pants and new wooden shoes which was the common footwear for all little
boys. At the age of six I was sent to school. The school house was the next building to our
house so I had not far to go. My instructor was a man, as lady teachers were not the fashion of
the country at that age. I cannot say that I was a remarkably bright boy in school. About the
main I can remember is that I received my regular share of whippings, of which my father
approved most heartily for at that age it was considered the right thing not to spare the rod and
as my father wished me to be brought up in good shape, of course he worked in the principle
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that the more I was flogged the better citizen I would become. I was also instructed in the
catechism. In that branch my instructor was a priest. I did not take kindly to that branch of
study and the old priest was very cross and haughty. I well remember when I was called on to
recite my lesson, I could scarcely answer the first question. The old priest called me to the
front, made me get down on my hands and knees, when he gently raised my little coat tail and
with a good stout, good everlasting, thrashed that ever-tender part of my anatomy. He
worked on the principle that I was too thick-headed to beat the principles of Catholic religion
into my head, so he would hammer it in somewhere else. The flogging so embittered me
against the priest and all other Roman Catholic priests that I have never gotten over it, for early
impressions are lasting, especially that one I received at the hands of the priest.
When I was about eight years old, I remember a gathering of men at my father’s house
and they were earnestly engaged in conversation, the subject being America. I remember my
father was describing its beauties, inexhaustible resources, and a land of freedom flowing with
milk and honey. A land of freedom, a land where people can live without being trodden down
by aristocracy and robbed by the tax gatherer, priest ridden and where it is possible for every
honest and industrious man to acquire a home of his own. A land that produces everything
that adds to the happiness of the human race. All that talk about that wonderful land called
America made a wonderful impression on my young brain and I listened to catch every word
uttered on that subject. I remember my father getting books that treated on the subject of
America, and America was his general subject of conversation. Our house seemed to be the
headquarters for a party of men would talk of nothing but America.
The first intimation I got that my people intended to migrate to America was one day
when my father and mother were engaged in a very earnest conversation on the subject. My
father insisted that she would give her consent which she declined to do, but finally agreed to
remain neutral, she would neither say yes or no. So that settled the question and the next step
was to get ready which takes a long time. There were sixteen families in our town who agreed
to go together and my father seemed to be the leader and organizer and their principal
spokesman and finally he was made the agent for the whole party. Well, I was as enthusiastic
on the subject as any of the older men for the very thought of coming to a land flowing with
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milk and honey and everything else that can make a boy happy fairly gave me the swelled head,
so much so that I felt above speaking to the common boys about town.
I remember the tailor coming to our hose who made up some clothes for father and us
boys suitable to wear on the journey to America. By way of footwear my father bought me a
pair of shoes with wooden soles and leather uppers, which were so much handsomer than
anything by way of shoes I had ever had, it made me feel very proud. I remember one day
there came a travelling showman to town. He had a box, gaudily painted, which contained
some cheap pictures of American scenes and for two pennies or two eggs he would let the boys
look through a little round glass and see the pictures for a few minutes. Of course, I was all
worked up and my desire was very great to see those pictures, but I had neither pennies nor
eggs. Nothing short of seeing those pictures would satisfy me, but the showman would not let
me peek in the round hole unless I paid him two pennies or two eggs. I had on my wooden
soled shoes which were very admired by the other boys. Well, a happy though entered my
mind, at least I thought it was a good one. I stumped one of the boys for a trade, that is, I
would trade him my shoes for two eggs or two pennies. He took me up on my offer, ran home
and got two eggs. I took off my shoes, he handed me the eggs, I paid for seeing the pictures
and was happy, for I saw all that the other boys had seen and I went barefooted. That was my
first deal or business transaction. On arriving home my mother asked where my shoes were. I
told her the truth. She called my father and stated the case to him. He asked me the boy’s
name to whom I sold the shoes and I told him his name. He then told me to take off my jacket,
proceeded to give me a good thrashing, and sent me to bed without my supper. The feeling I
had that night was dreadful. I do not know which was worst, the pains of the flogging, the
pains of hunger, or the thought of my having lost my new shoes, and how I wish I had never
seen that box show. But by way of a little compensation for all my sufferings I learned the next
day that the boy I made my trade with also received a good flogging, for he had taken the eggs
without his mother’s consent and my mother got the shoes back again by paying for the two
eggs. This transaction taught me a lesson and took the conceit out of me and reduced my
swelled head quite a good bit.
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Emigration to America
Sometime in August, 1817, all preparations being perfected, we were all ready to make
the start for that promised land, to bid farewell to the fatherland and all friends and relatives, in
short, to everything that is near and dear, never to be seen again.
The journey to America commenced about midnight. We were all loaded on wagons and
taken to Offenburg, where we were put on board a railroad train, then to Mannheim, and the
next day we took a steamer down the Rhine to Rotterdam, where we were delayed a few days
waiting for the steamer to take us to London.
My father being agent for the whole party, he contracted with an emigrant hotel keeper
to feed all of us for a stipulated price. This Rotterdam Dutchman of a hotel keeper rather got
the best of us for he fed us on soup three times a day made of hot water flavored with celery
tops, a very small piece of rye and a little bit of salt. He indeed did not intend we should get fat
at his expense. I never was so tickled in my life as I was when my father announced that the
steamer was ready to take us to London and that we would eat our supper on board the boat,
for I was nearly starved to death as that Dutch soup was a good stomach washer but a totalfailure as a life sustainer.
We left Rotterdam in the evening and about the time I got nicely started eating my supper
we got out into the channel which was dreadfully rough and of course I was taken seasick and
of course it turned me wrong side out and what little eatables there were in me I had to throw
up. I felt bad all over. I wanted to die or go ashore or go anywhere except to America. I cared
nothing for that land flowing with milk and honey or anything else. I was ready to sell my
interest in that promised land if I could only be put ashore or be relieved of my misery. But
somehow, I cannot tell how, I lived through that dreadful night and landed in London the next
morning on an empty stomach.
After a few days' stop in London we were marched on board the ship, Erna Watch, bound
for New York. She was a good ship and after a passage of 48 days we were landed in America in
fairly good condition. The only incident of note which occurred on the passage across the
ocean was the birth of my young brother, William. He was born at sea about midway between
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London and New York. I shall never forget one pleasant evening the ship’s officer announced
that we would see land some time that night. I stood on deck to catch the first glimpse of that
promised land. It was a beautiful evening and I stayed up until after midnight when my father
made me go to bed but told me he would call me when land was in sight.
Being tired I slept well. But an unusual noise woke me up. It was the splashing of the
anchor and the rattling of the cable chain through the hawse pipe. Instinct taught me that we
were in the harbor. I scrambled on deck as soon as I could and behold it was broad daylight
and land on the right and on the left and Brooklyn and New York in the distance ahead.
My joy was unbounded for it was a beautiful morning and my eyes were for the first time
beholding that promised land. I nearly cried for joy for it was the grandest sight I ever beheld in
my life. My young heart was full to overflowing. Sometime in the forenoon a steamboat came
along side, some officers came on board, the passenger list was gone through with, the health
of the people was looked into, the anchor was hoisted, a tugboat made fast to the ship and we
were towed to New York and there landed.
We were marched through the streets of the city of the mouth of the Hudson River and
put on board a large steamboat bound for Albany.
I remember one incident in going through the city. My father stopped at a fruit store and
looked over some fruit and asked the price of different articles. One thing among the fruit was
a pile of muskmelons. They were of the small variety and quite yellow. He asked the price and
bought I think six of them. He did not know what they were, as nothing like muskmelons grew
in Germany. He knew they must be something good as they looked and smelled nice, and I
presume he thought they grew on trees like apples and oranges. He promised us children that
we could all have a taste of them when we got on the steamer.
He also bought some bread and cheese for our supper. After he bought that fruit, I took
no interest in the scenery, for my mind was on that delicious fruit and my little stomach was
yearning for some of it. When we got fairly settled on the lower deck of the steamboat it was
about supper time. We all sat down on deck around the lunch basket. My father rolled out the
fruit basket very carefully and I remember he and my mother discussed the question of
whether it was to be eaten raw or cooked, if cooked whether it was to be baked, boiled or
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fried. However, he proceeded to peel one and cut it open to see whether it contained a pit or a
seed, but the juice and seeds began to ooze out. He handed a piece of it to my mother. She
tasted of it and we all tasted of if but none of us could eat it and the whole mess was thrown
overboard. We were all very much disappointed in American fruit. The next morning, we were
landed in Albany and after a few days' delay we were hustled on board a canal boat bound for
Rochester N.Y. which was the objective point from the start.
The old boat was a rotten old craft not fit for cattle but we were all huddled in together
like cattle and after being dragged through the Erie Canal for about two weeks we finally landed
at Rochester. That promised heaven, that promised land flowing with milk and honey, but
where was the milk and honey, roast turkeys, and all those good things that tickle the stomach
of a hungry boy? Well, all that came later on. Our long journey was ended and we were landed
in a strange and ever-so-new land.
Rochester
On landing at Rochester, we boarded at a cheap boarding house for a few weeks. Then
we moved into a little house that was built for us on North Clinton Street on what is known as
the Curyer place. It was a small house of two rooms. We moved in late in the fall in 1847.
All the worldly goods my people possessed when that little house was ready to occupy
was $30, with which my father bought a few pieces of secondhand furniture, a secondhand
stove and a few cheap dishes. Winter set in very early that year and the little house was very
cold as it was not plastered, so besides being short for something to eat we nearly froze. My
poor mother was homesick as there were seven little children to feed and not much in sight to
feed them on. The prospect looked rather gloomy.
Father's trade was no good in this country and his musical ability was very poorly
appreciated, and never having been trained to anything else he had a hard road before him.
My oldest brother, Leonard, who was the oldest of the family, was only 13 years old, and I was
in my ninth year but we all tried to help a little to keep the wolf from the door by doing little
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odd jobs. My oldest sister, about 11 years old, got a situation as a servant in a family at 50
cents a week. I shall never forget the first winter in America. As coal stoves were not in use at
that time nearly everybody burned wood, and wood sawing was the principal occupation in the
winter for men who could get nothing better to do. So, my father sawed and split wood for a
living. I had to go with him and carry it into the woodhouse and pile it up nicely. I remember
one very cold day he took a contract to saw, split and carry into the woodhouse a pile of wood.
The contract price I think was 35 cents.
He made the bargain with the lady of the house but I remember that was the price my
father stated and she agreed to it. Of course, it was worth more money than 35 cents but my
father was not posted on values of that class of work and as there was no other work in sight, I
presume he acted on the principle that a half a loaf was better than none at all. Well, it took us
the whole afternoon to do the Job and it was so cold, and being very poorly clothed for severe
cold weather I thought I would freeze. I remember the lady of the house beckoned me to come
in. She spoke to me but as I knew nothing of the English language at that time, I could only
understand her by her motions. She took me into a very fine room, gave me a chair by the
stove and motioned for me to warm myself, which invitation I accepted as I was nearly frozen.
That was the first time I ever saw the inside of a well-to-do American family house and it rather
opened my eyes, for there for the first time I saw a carpet on the floor and such beautiful
furniture and fine pictures on the walls and everything about the room was so beautiful and the
very air in the room was sweet and fragrant. I never felt so happy in my life. But my greatest
joy was yet to come. The lady brought me a plate with something to eat on it: a piece of cake,
a piece of pie, and a piece of cheese. Well, I ate the cake first which was the best thing I had
ever eaten. But when I tasted the pie, well, I cannot describe my Joy. Milk and honey were
nowhere compared with it. I began to realize that I was in a land actually flowing with
something far better than the best thing I ever dreamed of and while I was eating it, oh, how I
thought of my poor homesick mother and how I did wish she also had some of that pie. Well,
we finished that Job late in the evening and the man of the house paid my father the 35 cents.
Besides he gave him a large piece of beef, I should say about 15 or 20 pounds. I shall never
forget how tickled we both were.
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They were American people and it made a lasting impression on me and it was the first
kind act ever bestowed on me by anyone outside my parents. Well, somehow we lived through
that memorable winter but I know we were not very fat in the spring. I think in the fall of 1848
I was sent to school. It was the old No. 6 school not very far from our house. It was a public
school and all instruction was in English, which I liked very much as I was very anxious to learn
the English language.
Now at this stage is where my name became changed and it happened in this way. The
boys began to call me Bob and some of them called me Robert which they told me stood in
English for Hubert, so after that if any one asked me my name, I told them it was Bob or Robert,
and so was called after that Robert and have answered to that name ever since.
My stay in that English school was very short, I think only about two weeks or three when
my father changed his mind and sent me to a German parochial school. I do not know why,
because we were too poor to stand that expense, for the public school was free and I certainly
preferred the English school as I wished to learn the English language and become an American.
But I presume that old German instinct was too strong in him as he believed the son should be
trained in the teachings of his forefathers. But I must say that I had no relish for the German
and wished to be trained in the American way and language. Well, as time went on matters
began to look a little brighter to us and it was not so much of a struggle against poverty. About
1850 my father bought two acres of land Just a little below the Curyer place and on the west
side of Clinton Street. He bought it for three hundred dollars. He also bought the little house
where we lived and had it moved on his place, where it was enlarged and finished in fairly good
shape so I can say my parents never lived in but one house while in America, as they owned it
the rest of their lives. As we children grew up, we were all put to work. My oldest brother
Leonard was apprenticed out to learn the cabinet maker's trade and my sister worked as a
house servant and I did all kinds of odd Jobs. One winter I worked in a drug store on Exchange
Street and in the summer, I sold fruit and flowers which I carried in a basket.
My schooling which was Just a few months at a time, ended in 1851 so far as my German
education was concerned. That year I was confirmed and my education was considered
complete. In the summer of 1851 at what used to be called the upper landing Just below
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Rochester on the Genesee River there was considerable lake shipping and I helped to unload
vessels that were loaded with pine lumber, tan bark and other light cargoes, for which I was
well paid. I helped to unload a vessel loaded with pine lumber. I worked 9 1/2 hours for which
I received one dollar and fifteen cents which was quite a sum of money for a boy to earn in one
day.
When the captain paid me, he asked me if I had a father and mother. I told him I did. He
also asked me how I would like to live with him as he wanted a boy to live at his home which
was at Texas, Oswego Co. N. Y. I rather liked the looks of the man and I told him I thought I
would like it first rate. He then told me to ask my father and if he was willing that I should have
him come on board the schooner the next morning and he would talk it over with him. Well, I
went home a happy boy that night. When I arrived home, I gave my father the money I had
earned that day and told him what the captain had said to me.
He told me he would go and see the man in the morning and see what could be done. In
the morning we both went down to the landing and found the captain on board and without
hesitation or further preliminaries they proceeded to the business for which they met. I was
called to witness the bargain, which was that I should live with Mr. Turk, for that was the
captain's name. I was to work at anything he set me at, and work faithfully and obey all orders.
And he was to send me to school in the winter, board and clothe me, and in a general way treat
me as his own boy. I was also to be whipped whenever in his judgement I needed it, and at the
end of two years I was to be sent home. This was just a verbal contract but Mr. Turk carried out
every word of it, but the whippings I never got. I was then in my thirteenth year of age and
very small and never had been away from home overnight so I hardly realized what it all meant.
I did not even know where Texas, Oswego Co. was or where I was going to be taken to, but took
my chances as I liked the looks of the man and felt sure that he would not harm me. We were
to start that morning. We went back home and reported to my mother and the other children
what had been done. My mother packed up what old clothes I had in an old carpet bag. The
best thing I had was a new pair of boots that I earned by picking cherries. That morning I bade
good-by to my father, mother, brother and little sisters, left home which was never to be my
home again for I never returned to it as a home, only as a visitor.
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I went on board the schooner that evening a proud and happy boy, for the future began
to look brighter to me and how the air castles did loom up in my young mind. And as we
floated down the river to Lake Ontario I strutted up and down the deck of the ship, for the little
two—masted schooner looked like a great ship to me.
I was eager to get out in the deep and broad lake and be rocked by the great waves and
show the captain my good sea qualities. The next morning, we got under way and struck out
for Oswego under close reef main sail, for it was blowing a good stiff breeze and the lake was
up quite rough. We had not been out on the rolling billows very long when I began to feel
squeamish but I tried to conceal it from the captain who asked me if I felt sick. But the more I
tried to conceal it the sicker I got and began to throw up everything inside of me down to my
boots which I surely thought would come up also. I was seasick in good earnest. Not only
seasick but all my beautiful air castles vanished and I wanted to die or to be set ashore again.
Dear Reader, were you ever seasick? If so, a further description of my feelings is not
necessary. However, I survived it all and after a passage of one day we landed at Oswego N. Y.
The following day we started for Port Ontario where the good ship was made fast and Mr. Turk
and I walked to Texas, Oswego Co. N.Y. which was to be my home for two and a half years. Mr.
Turk's home was a small farm of 5 acres of land. His family consisted of his wife and three
daughters and one son. Two of the daughters and the daughter-in-law were at home, as the
son was also a sailor on the lakes. And the older daughter was married. Mrs. Turk was a very
fine lady. She was like a mother to me and I never can forget her kindness to me. And Mr. Turk
was more than a father, for he did everything to make me a good boy and I will never forget his
good precepts.
My duties the first summer were to plough, sow, and reap the harvest, cut wood, milk
cows, and make myself useful in a general way. And in the winter, I went to the district school.
The second summer I went with Mr. Turk on the lake as cook and an all-round man on
shipboard which I enjoyed very much, as the trip was short and allowed me to visit home once
during the 2 1/2 years stay. My work was steady but not hard as he was not a hard master, and
I liked going to school in the two winters 1 was with them which was about all the English
education I ever received. But Mr. and Mrs. Turk taught me a great many good and useful
15
lessons which I have never forgotten and I have the best recollections of that period as being
the happiest of my boyhood days, thanks to the good people of that community and Mr. and
Mrs. Turk. When my time of service was up with Mr. Turk, he gave me a new suit of clothes
and paid my passage home. I must say I left Mr. Turk with regrets, but my father wanted me to
learn a trade.
After a short visit at home, my father secured a place for me as an apprentice to the
carpenter and joiner's trade with a man at Rochester by the name of J. B. Souls, who lived on
Wells Street. I was bound out for three years and was to have 25 cents a week for the first
year, 2 dollars the second, and 3 dollars the third year, and he was to board me. I was to
furnish 25 dollars’ worth of tools during the three years and I had to clothe myself. So you will
see that I had no spending money as my father gave me none. I was with Mr. Souls until the
spring of 1855 when he gave up the carpenter business. As he was not worth anything I could
not hold him to the contract so I had to shift for myself. How commenced my period of what is
sometimes called sowing wild oats. But for the lack of a living as it was still a struggle, my oat
sowing period was of a tamer nature as it taxed all my skill how to feed and clothe myself in a
pleasant way as I was yet unskilled in the art of money making.
Going West
When my master informed me that he intended to give up the carpenter business and
that I would have to hunt up another place to work, my first thought was to go west and west
going was very popular at that time. It did not take me long to make up my mind and west I did
go. I sold my little kit of tools, bought a new pair of shoes and a new cap and one new shirt,
stowed my old clothes in an old carpet bag, and bought a ticket for Chicago as that was about
as far as my cash would carry me on the cars. But my mind was set on not stopping east of the
Mississippi River and nothing short of that would satisfy me. On arriving at Chicago, I had about
50 cents left. I bought a cheap breakfast which cost I think 20 cents and so reduced my cash to
30 cents, a small sum to pay my expenses to the west, a journey of 200 miles, but it had to be
16
done and so I started after I had refreshed myself on that 20-cent breakfast. Well at the
railroad station I learned that I could buy a ticket to a station about 8 miles out on the Chicago
& R.I. Railroad which was in the direction I wanted to go, so I handed over my last cash and
went on board the train. But just before the train arrived at the station where my ticket said I
should get off, I fell asleep, and when the conductor came around to collect tickets he had to
wake me up and informed me that we were past the station where I was to get off and the only
thing I could do was to stay on the train to the next station and wait for the next train to take
me back. I thanked him for his kindness. When we got to the next station I had not the nerve
to stay on any longer and of course got off, but did not go back as the conductor advised me to.
Now this was about 4 o’clock p.m. I learned that the next little town was about 6 miles farther
so concluded to walk there. And now I became a full-fledged tramp and one of the first of that
order in America, but since then the order of tramps has grown to a great army.
I arrived in the little town in the evening, went to a hotel, and called for supper, lodging
and breakfast. I never enjoyed supper better in my life as I was very hungry. After supper I
asked to be shown to my room and to bed as I was tired and needed-sleep as I had not slept
well for several nights.
In the morning I awoke and the landlord called me to breakfast. I felt quite refreshed
after my good night's sleep and I informed the landlord that I was ready for breakfast and felt
like eating but was sorry to inform him that I had no money to pay him for his kindness but if he
had any little odd jobs he wished to have-done I would gladly do it in payment for the favor.
I told him that I was going to Davenport, Iowa. He told me to have some breakfast and
after breakfast his neighbor was going with a horse and wagon to the next town and I could
ride with him, which invitation I accepted cheerfully.
On arriving at the next town there was a freight train about to pull out so I tried my luck at
stealing a ride but it was a failure as I sat on the bumper next to the tender with my carpet bag
in front of me. A spark from the engine set fire to my pants and burned a hole in them as big as
my hand and as I had all I could do to hold on, I nearly burned up. At the next station I
dismounted and conducted to walk the rest of the way. That was my first and last experience
as a tramp on a railroad car.
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The second night I landed up in a small town. There was no hotel there but a cheap
boarding house filled with a lot of railroad hands. The landlady gave me some supper and a
place to sleep on the floor as I told her before-hand that I had no money. Of course, I did not
get the best in the house but she served me well as she offered to mend my pants for me as it
looked bad where the fire had burned a great hole in them. But I told her if she would give me a
piece of cloth and thread, I would mend them myself which I did.
In the morning I bade good-bye to the dear old Irish lady and went my way rejoicing. As
the weather was fine and I was in good walking trim I made good headway that day but
tramped all day without any dinner, and that evening I stopped at a hotel and ordered my
supper, lodging, and breakfast. I never had such an appetite as I did that night, for it looked as
if I was hollow clear through and as the supper was good, I ate until I nearly burst. In the
morning after breakfast I informed the landlord that I was dead broke and had no money, and
that I was on my way to Iowa. He gave me one of those withering looks and began to swear,
and proceeded to inform me that he would fix me. I began to tremble with fright for I began to
think I would have to serve a term in the state prison. I told him I was willing to work for him
until he was satisfied and more than compensated for my supper, lodging, and breakfast. But it
was no use as I was dead sure he would punish me. He took me under the shed where there
stood a grindstone and told me to turn the crank. I expected he would bring on some tools to
be ground but not a tool did he or anyone bring to be ground. But I had to keep turning Just
the same. I did not mind turning the grindstone but those sitters that usually hang around
country hotels would come and look at me, then snicker and go off, and others would come
and do the same thing. That was the worst punishment I ever received. After keeping me
turning about 1/2 hour, he came around and told me to get and I got.
The morning was a little foggy but not cold. I still walked on the railroad track as that part
of the country was not very densely populated. About 10 A.M. I struck a fortune. I found two
dead prairie chickens lying on the track. They evidently had not been killed long as they were
still warm and there were no wounds to be found on them and they were in good flesh, and
how they came there or what killed them was a mystery to me unless they had flown against
18
the telegraph wire or a moving train of cars. However, it struck me that I could turn them to
good use as they were perfectly fresh and in good order and clean.
I struck a little town about noon where I offered my chickens for sale and I was not long in
finding a customer at a grocery store kept by a German. I showed him my chicks. He looked
them over and then called his wife. She came from the back part of the store. She also looked
at them very carefully and felt of their ribs and pronounced them 0. K. The next step was to
agree on a price, but I told them as it was the last pair I had I would not be hard on them and
they could have the pair for 40 cents. The old lady held up her hands in horror and declared
that the price was too much and 30 cents was plenty. Well, I told them they could have that
pair for that but I would never sell them any more for that price. So, they gave me the 30 cents
which was a great deal of money to me and made me feel quite rich. I bought 10 cents worth
of crackers and cheese and tramped my way rejoicing and with a light heart and step. Well,
nothing of any particular interest occurred the following two or three days except my feet
began to get sore but I was bound not to stop east of the Mississippi. After a tramp of about 10
days on a bright sunny afternoon I came in sight of that grand and noble Father of all Rivers.
Oh, how happy I was to know my journey was about over and how good the high bluffs on the
west side of the Mississippi began to look to me. Well, I tramped through the city of Rock
Island to the ferry. As there is, or was not at that time, a bridge across the river to Davenport,
there was no other way only to cross the ferry. But now my game was blocked for it cost 10
cents fare on the ferry and I had no 10 cents for the ride. Now this was a puzzle; how to get
across. I sat down on the bank of the river and watched the ferry making her trips from shore to
shore. I soon discovered that the charge for a two horse or two-four team and wagon including
a whole family that ride in the wagon was 50 cents. Now it occurred to me if I could scrape up
an acquaintance with some emigrant family, as there were plenty of them travelling west in
wagons, I would crawl in the wagon with them and the Ferry boat captain would not know the
difference. I did not wait long when there came a covered wagon drawn by oxen. As the ferry
boat had Just left for the other side, they had some time to wait. Now this family consisted of
the father, mother, and eight or nine children. Some of them were good-sized boys who were
on foot and when the wagon stopped, they crawled under the wagon to rest and get out of the
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sun. Now this was my opportunity. I also crawled under the wagon with the boys and struck
up a chat with them. I soon found they were inclined to be sociable and romp with me. But
just as we had gotten a little acquainted the father of the family gave the order for all to get in
the wagon. The boys scampered from under and began to get inside and I followed suit and
also scampered in. The old man drove the oxen and wagon onto the ferry. He paid the 50
cents. I was inside and mixed in with the kids. On landing on the other side, the old Hoosier,
for he was from Indiana, drove ashore. I dismounted on the western side, bid my new
acquaintances good-bye, taking my bundles, thanked my good luck and was happy for I was
across the Mississippi.
About April 20th, 1855, I find myself in Davenport, Iowa, after my first and rather
unpleasant experience of taking off and tramping, which taught me never to undertake a
journey without a well-filled purse.
Being now on the west side of the Mississippi my next step was to find work. I left my
carpet bag at a private boarding house and told the landlady I would be there to supper. I was
exceedingly fortunate in Job hunting as the first man I struck for work gave me a Job. He was a
boss carpenter for Mr. Edds. I was to be furnished tools and $1.25 per day for 10 hours work
which was the highest wages I had ever received up to that time for I was, yes, only a boy in my
19th year. I was more than happy for that dollar and twenty-five cents a day sounded like a
great fortune and it was all to be my own to handle. I never felt so rich and happy in my life
and I was full of hope and daring expectations. I could see endless wealth looming before me.
In fact I never have before nor since felt so rich.
I was to commence the next morning. I returned to the boarding house and agreed with
the landlady on the price of board a week, which was 3 dollars and very dear at that, for it was
the worst boarding house I was ever in and I did not stay very long, but paid a little more and
went to a clean little hotel. Well, everything worked smoothly. I received my pay every
Saturday evening and after paying my board bill I would have a little money left which I saved
up. But sometime about the last of June I began to have an itching to go farther west into the
middle of the state of Iowa, as there was a strong immigration to that part and a great demand
20
for carpenters and I concluded to go. I bid goodbye to Davenport and bought a ticket to Iowa
City by rail as that was as far west as one could go at that time by railroad.
At Iowa City I went by stage to Indiantown, Tama Co. which was to become a great city. I
soon struck a Job at my trade at good wages and worked all summer for one man. About the
end of December, a man by the name of Clark wanted me to stay with him through the winter.
He lived about 4 miles out of town in a log house and as there was no work at carpenter work
to do in town, I accepted the offer and did odd Jobs for him for my board and washing. Mr. and
Mrs. Clark were very nice people and I passed the winter very pleasantly. While there I made
for myself a very nice tool chest as I had gotten together a nice set of tools. I also made a
wardrobe and built a nice pantry and other odd things for Mrs. Clark in payment for my board.
In the spring I returned to Indiantown and worked all summer for a man by the name of
Shrimplin. I saved some money and that fall I bought a town lot, the first real estate I ever
owned. I paid cash for it and got a clear deed which made me feel quite rich. That was in 1856.
That fall and winter I traded a watch for some old saw logs and some I bought for cash, and had
them sawed into lumber intending to build a house the following winter to rent or sell. That
winter and spring I helped build the Butler Hotel, the first hotel built in that town. It was quite
an imposing building for that town and after it was completed, I boarded there.
Game being quite plentiful in that part of the country and as some of the young men were
quite successful in hunting deer, prairie chickens, wild ducks, and wild turkeys, I got quite a
hankering to try my luck at hunting, also. I traded lumber for a gun. It was an old smooth bore
rifle, very old and rusty, but it would shoot. I cleaned it up and commenced to practice with it
by shooting at a mark. I soon discovered the old thing was not much good as I could hardly hit
a mark as big as a bam door. I took the old thing back to the man who sold it to me and told
him that he had cheated me as I could not hit a mark. He assured me the gun was all right and
that I was not used to a gun, but if I would practice more with it and get used to shooting, I
would find it a first-class gun.
Well, I kept on practicing until I could hit a mark about the size of a cow. One day I started
out to try my hand shooting prairie chickens. It was late in the fall and the ground was frozen
but no snow was on the ground. I had not gone very far out in the country when I came to a
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wheat stubble field where there was a large flock of prairie chickens feeding. There must have
been several hundred of them. It was the grandest sight I ever beheld. I sneaked along the
outside of the fence to get a close shot at them. They were not very shy and I crawled up to
close range so I could look the chickens right in the-eyes. My heart went pitter-patter for I
intended to mow down not less than a hundred. I really felt sorry for the poor chicks for they
looked so pretty as they were quietly feeding. But I wanted to show my young companions that
I was no greenhorn at hunting so I took good aim by resting the barrel of my gun across a fence
rail, but when I pulled, or tried, the hammer back, lo and behold, the hammer was gone off my
gun as I had lost it somehow. Well, dear reader, my air castle took a tumble, for there were all
the chickens quietly feeding and they acted as if they were laughing at me. But I made up my
mind to have a crack at them, so I picked up a clod of frozen ground as there are no stones in
that prairie country, sighted my gun at the chickens, hit the cap with the clod, the gun went off,
and so did the chickens. After the smoke cleared away and I recovered from the shock, for the
old gun nearly knocked me over, I scampered over the fence to gather up the game but all I
could see were a few feathers and one chicken foot, and so ended my first experience at
hunting. But it was not the last and I had better luck later on.
In the winter of 1857, I was then in my 20th year, the young men of the town organized a
dancing school and a young doctor by the name of Cranshaw was to be the instructor. They
coaxed me to join them as they told me I was old enough to make my debut in society. Being
very bashful I hesitated a long time, but after a deal of coaxing I went as an onlooker but dared
not speak to the young ladies for I was so bashful.
Well, all the young men joined and brought the girls along except one young lady by the
name of Curtice. She was a very nice young lady but extremely bashful like myself. Doctor
Cranshaw arranged matters that I must bring Miss Curtice to the dancing school and that we
both must learn to dance and learn how to appreciate society. I bought a standup shirt collar, a
new neck tie, and a bottle of hair oil, and spruced up in the finest style. I think I also bought a
pair of cotton gloves. The hardest of all was to screw up my courage to call on the young lady
and invite her to accompany me to the dancing school but it had to be done.
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One evening I put on a bold front and sallied out to meet my lady but I will never forget
how scared I was. The doctor instructed me what to say and how to approach her and he
assured me that it was all arranged with the lady and the old folks. After a short walk I
approached her house and with fear and trembling rapped at the door. The door was opened
and there stood my lady. I made a very polite bow, she invited me in, gave me a seat, and
waited for further developments. I started to say something but the words choked me and I
forgot my lesson. But she came to my rescue by saying it was a fine evening and some other
things, which helped to restore my confidence and after a while I managed to mumble out a
few words and in a disjointed manner managed to ask her if she would accompany me to the
dancing school and she said, "Yes, Sir, with pleasure". That broke the ice, but it had nearly
broken my back, but the worst was yet to come. She was all fixed very fine and I was very
proud of my partner. It seemed she had expected me that evening. Well, we walked to the ball
room and I never felt so happy in my life for I began to feel like a man. I led her to the dressing
room, then chatted with the other young men. But when I was called on to lead my lady to the
floor for a dance, oh heavens, all my courage failed me. My teeth began to chatter and how I
did wish it was all over, and when the music started up and I tried to move, it seemed as if my
feet were as large as a trunk. I stepped on my partner’s toes and floundered around in a very
awkward way but I lived through it. This was also Miss Curtice’s first experience at dancing but
by the close of the winter we were both fine dancers and enjoyed it very much. We were
frequently invited to dancing parties and she was always my partner. On the whole I enjoyed
myself first rate while at Butlerville, or Indiantown as it was commonly called, for there were
some very fine young people in that little town. Of course, there was the usual village clown
and the wag who always planned the scenes for mischief, and the poor fellow who would be
the victim of his pranks. The leader to get up the parties was a young man by the name of
Warren. He was a splendid young man and very popular. Then there was a man by the name
of Wilcox. He was the wit of the town and planned all the mischief. Then there was the poor
fool that could easily be caught in the trap.
I remember late in the fall of 1856 one frosty night we were to go snipe catching. Of
course, the scene was planned by Wilcox and was like this. We were to go on Bear Creek some
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cold night and we were all to provide ourselves with long poles, go up the creek and drive the
snipes down into a bag held by the poor simpleton. One dark cold night we all started for Bear
Creek which was about six miles out of town. The bag holder was instructed to hold the bag
which had a barrel hoop stretched in the mouth of it. He was to stand in the middle of the
creek, hold the bag with the mouth up stream, and the rest of us were to go up the stream and
with our long poles drive the snipes into the bag. We got the young fellow stationed in the
middle of the creek. The water was about up to his ribs and quite cold. He was told not to
move or make any noise as that would frighten the snipes. The rest of the party went up the
creek a short way, then took a round-about way and came home, and left the poor fellow
standing and waiting for the snipes to fly into his bag but they never came. Along towards
morning he took the hint and came home nearly frozen stiff.
One of our crowd was always boasting of his courage and that nothing could frighten him.
Our wag, Mr. Wilcox, concluded to put his nerve to a test. Now there were no apples in Iowa at
that time, but the farmers all raised watermelons and it was quite a custom for young fellows
to make raids on watermelon patches. One night we were to make a raid on a field about 4
miles out of town. Two were to go early in the evening with shotguns loaded but not with shot
and hide themselves at certain places. The owner was also let in on the secret and he was to
take his place near a fence that our hero would have to climb, and set his bull dog on him just
as he got over the fence, and the fellows with the guns were to fire as he ran through the corn
field. We all started one evening for the watermelon patch. Our hero, as he was a powerful
fellow, agreed to carry the bag of melons home. He was told before starting that the owner
had an ugly dog and we assured him that he was big, but he was not afraid of the biggest dog
he ever saw. To get to the melon patch we had to go past the house then through a corn field.
We got to the field without any mishaps, filled the bag full of nice melons and started for home.
We had Just got into the corn field when bang went a gun. I fell wounded and screaming, the
other two kept running and before they got to the fence, bang went another gun and the other
fellow dropped, also wounded, but our hero kept on and hung onto the bag until he got to the
fence and just as he was getting over, the bull dog took him by the seat of his pants and, oh,
how did the poor fellow did holler, and I think the dog would have eaten him up if the owner
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had not pulled him off. As soon as the dog let go of him, he took to his heels and never stopped
until he reached town, but the watermelons he left behind. We saw him the next day and
accused him of being a coward and running away from his wounded companions. Our wounds
were painful but not dangerous. He congratulated himself of having escaped the gunshot
wound but he received a very severe dog bite and his pants nearly torn off him. We heard no
more of his wonderful powers and whenever he would brag of his wonderful courage, we
would remind him of the watermelon expedition.
In 1857 our little town was struck with the Kansas fever as Kansas Territory was then open
for settlement and the beauties of Kansas was the topic of village talk. Its riches were unlimited
and the grand future and possibilities for young men were unbounded. For two hundred
dollars any one could secure 160 acres of the finest land and cattle.
I became all absorbed in the subject and listened to all the wonderful tales with intense
interest and in short got struck with the Kansas fever. In the summer of 1857 several young
men organized themselves into a company to go to Kansas. I was the youngest of the party.
Our objective point was a place called Coffagee in the South Eastern part of Kansas on the
Nevsko River. A place represented as the paradise of America, a land abounding in game and
everything else that is good and desirable for man. I sold my town lot and all the timber and
lumber, and after I had squared up all round I had nearly three hundred dollars in gold. I felt
quite rich and intended to land in Kansas with at least two hundred dollars to pay for 160 acres
of land. We bought a pair of oxen, a wagon, a tent and provisions, and a breaking plough, all of
which we owned in common as each of the seven members had to pay his share. When all
things were ready, we bade goodbye to our friends at Butlerville and started on our journey
overland through Missouri and so on into Kansas. I will here mention that about this time the
Kansas excitement ran high all through the northern states and everything was done to induce
northern men to migrate to Kansas whether it was fair or unfair, as the object of the Abolition
party was to rush men from the north into the territory to prevent it from becoming a slave
state. The whole scheme was run by Abolition politicians against the southern interest and it
finally led to a small war which was the prelude to the great rebellion of 1861.
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We landed in Kansas about September 1st but three of our party left us in the northern
part of Missouri; we bought out their interest in the outfit. We crossed the western border of
Missouri a little west of Kansas City, which was a small village at that time. We took a
southwesterly course through Kansas territory to a town called Osawatomie, which was at that
time the home of John Brown who was a terror to all Southerners and was the leader at the
Harpers Ferry insurrection and was hung in i860. We went into camp a few miles out of
Osawatomie for the night as We traveled a good deal like the gypsies. That evening there came
a man into our camp on horseback. He soon learned that we were a party of young
adventurers and that two of us were carpenters, one an engineer, and the other a common
laborer. He told us that we were Just the men he was looking for. That he and his brother-inlaw had Just arrived in the country from Pennsylvania, that they brought with them machinery
for a saw mill and a grist mill but there was no one to build the mill for them, and if we would
go with him and build the mill, they would pay us good wages. Their place was about 20 miles
from Osawatomie on North Potawatomie Creek, there were some six or eight families there
and they needed the mill. We soon struck up a bargain with him and agreed to go there and
build the mill for him. The whole business was done up in fifteen minutes and he went his way
happy. The next morning, we started up Potawatomie Creek and the next day we found the
little settlement. We put up our tent on the bank of the creek and commenced to build a mill
out of the trees that were standing all around us, and in a couple of months we put life into the
thing, so we had the honor of erecting the first saw and grist mill in Anderson Co. Kansas. At
that time, 1857, there was no county organization as there were not yet men enough to fill the
offices. We liked that part of Kansas and two of us picked out a quarter section of land as we
had first choice. I selected a very fine piece and made the required improvements on it, but it
soon leaked out that I was not yet twenty-one years old and so could not hold it! My plan was
to keep title until the following May when I would be 21 years old, but a man took it away from
me so I lost my improvements. After I had been there about 6 or 7 weeks, I was taken sick with
fever and ague but soon broke it up with quinine. There was a young man in our party by the
name of William Malcolm who had a great itching to go to New Orleans to stay through the
winter and return to Kansas in the spring. I also fell in love with the idea as I had some real
26
money and a strong desire to see and learn something of that part of the world and as my
education was limited and as I was yet young, concluded that a little experience in traveling
would do me no harm. But how little did I dream of the schooling I would receive in the three
years following, that I would circumnavigate the globe, visit the continent, and that I would
experience the most interesting period of my life.
On the Mississippi
I proceeded to make the necessary arrangements for a six months’ absence from my
beloved Kansas. I left my interest in the oxen and wagon and other loose property, also my
carpenter tools, in charge of one of our party by the name of William Johnson. He was to take
care of my interest until I returned in the spring. About the time I had everything ready and
what few clothes I had packed in a carpet bag and the time set for starting, my friend backed
out of going and so left me in the lurch. But my head was set on going to New Orleans and all
arrangements made and nothing would stop me. I bade goodbye to my friends and promised
them to be back in the spring, which I did in good faith. I took passage to Kansas City with a
teamster who was going there after a load of goods. There were no railroads west of the
Missouri River at that time and the only way to travel was by wagon, horseback, or on foot.
There was not even a stage line through that part of the country at that time, 1857. After a
journey of 150 miles over a very poor road we landed in Kansas City where the next day I took a
steamer down the Missouri River to Jefferson City Mo. There I took a train for St. Louis Mo. on
the Missouri Pacific Railroad which was the farthest westward railroad at that time. On arriving
at St. Louis, I went to the Planters’ Hotel, one of the best hotels in the city at that time. While
in St. Louis I bought a fine outfit of clothes as my clothes looked rather seedy and of a cheap
kind. I also bought a trunk as I wished to go to New Orleans in good style and did not wish to
be taken for a western greenhorn. After a few days’ stay at St. Louis and at a great expense at
the hotel as it was a high-priced house, I took passage for New Orleans on board the fine packet
steamer Pennsylvania as a first-class passenger for which I paid 24 dollars. You see I had more
27
money than brains, as I could have gotten to New Orleans for half that price, but I wanted to go
in fine style, and I did, and I also wanted to show off my fine new clothes. After a delightful trip
of five days, we landed in New Orleans. I was delighted with the city and the fine climate for it
was in the fall of the year. Also, the tropical plants and fruits and the great quantity of cotton
that was being shipped and the great fleet of sailing ships and also steamers from all parts of
the world made a great impression on me. I went to a hotel and the next day I went job
hunting as a carpenter and joiner but when the bosses asked me for a recommendation and
references, I could only inform them that I was a stranger in the city, that I had just come from
Kansas. They would look at me with some suspicion end others would tell me they had just
bought a slave carpenter. I began to realize some of the disadvantages of slavery. I also found
it not so easy to find a situation in a strange city among strangers. After trying for about two
weeks, I began to get discouraged and my stock of cash began to run low, then I began to
realize that I had been altogether too extravagant in my expenses and the future did not look
very bright. As there was nothing in sight by way of employment matters began to look
gloomy. I was in a strange city without friends and about out of money, still I felt that I would
turn up something. One afternoon as I was strolling along the levee, or riverfront, I saw the
steamer Pennsylvania on which I came down the river.
While on the passage to New Orleans I had made a slight acquaintance with the steward
of the boat. I went on board and the steward happened to be in the pantry. I struck up a
conversation with him. I told him what poor luck I was having in getting a Job at my trade and
that my cash was nearly run out and that I was somewhat puzzled how I was going to winter
through as I had no acquaintances in the city. He asked me how I would like a berth on the
steamer as second pantry man as he was in need of one. I told him I would accept anything
that would bring in a living, that I was not ashamed to work, that if he could help me to a
situation, I would feel very thankful to him. He told me to come on board that evening, that my
pay would be 25 dollars a month and board. I thanked him, went to the hotel, paid my bill, got
a dray cart to move my trunk on board, and felt I was in luck until something better turned up.
When on board I reported to the steward ready for duty. He first took me to the clerk's office
where I gave in my name and was placed on the pay roll. Then he introduced me to the first
28
pantry man who proceeded to instruct me as to my duties of which I knew nothing, but soon
learned as the work was not hard nor complex. The boat was a regular packet steamer running
between St. Louis and New Orleans. The next day we started up the river for St. Louis with a
full complement of passengers. The trip was about six days long and I enjoyed it ever so much
and also liked the work and the future began to look brighter as the fall is the most delightful
season on the Mississippi and the steamer was one of the finest made boats on the lower river.
The scenery along the lower Mississippi was at that time indescribably beautiful as it was in the
midst of the cotton picking and sugar cane cutting time and all nature seemed to be singing and
the cabin passengers were in the happiest mood. As my work was light and I had plenty of
opportunity for observing the scenery and mingling to some extent with the passengers, I certainly did enjoy my so-short experience on the Mississippi the best of everything in all my life.
But on our second trip from New Orleans, we met with a mishap which knocked my fine air
castles in the head and put an end to my short career as a river boat man on the Mississippi.
The boat pulled out of New Orleans on our second trip about 4 P. M. and everything looked
favorable for a pleasant trip to St. Louis. The steamer Vicksburg, which was also a fine mail
steamer, had pulled out about an hour ahead of us and there was a strife between the two
boats for the mail and passengers along the river. We caught up with the Vicksburg about fifty
miles up the river and the two boats began a race for the next landing and as we were passing
through a narrow channel in the river the Vicksburg smashed into our port side, knocked down
our port wheel and wheel house and stove, (and opened) a great hole in the boat's side which
disabled our further progress. The Vicksburg came along side and took off the passengers, mail
and cargo, which took all night to transfer, and the next day we limped back to New Orleans on
one wheel and the boat was pulled up on the dry dock for repairs and so ended my steam boat
job. I drew my pay and began to look for another situation on some other boat but met with no
success.
29
Sailor
As I was wandering along the river front the thought struck me that I would like to make a
voyage to sea as there were so many ships in port going to all parts of the globe and as I had
not yet seen much of this world and I was yet young and my education somewhat limited and a
little experience at sea on one of these great ships as a sailor would be quite a schooling. Of
course, I had heard and read that a sailor's life on shipboard was very rough, but as I was
somewhat used to a rough life and had stood everything but killing, I thought I could stand a
little of a sailor's life if they did not kill me. I knew nothing of the duties of a sailor and did not
know that a man had to learn the trade and that there were different grades to sailors such as
apprentices, ordinary sea men and able sea men. I supposed all that was necessary was to go
to the captain and ask for a job the same as one would ask or apply for a job at any common
labor. I soon learned to distinguish the difference between American ships and English, Spanish,
French or other nationalities by the flags. I went on board an American ship, a very large one
called the Lancaster of Philadelphia. She was being loaded with cotton.
She was a very large and handsome full rigged ship of three thousand tons and when I
stepped on her decks I thought if I could only get a position on this noble ship, how proud I
would feel pacing up and down her decks. But how to get a situation and who to go to or
where to go I certainly did not know, as there was no one in sight that looked like a Captain or
anyone else that looked as if he had any authority for, I saw no one but working men all busy at
work. At the bow end sat two sailors mending an old sail. One of them was an old tar all
sunburned with horny-looking hands. A great big burly-looking fellow who looked as if he could
eat a half dozen fellows like myself for breakfast came on deck. His bare arms were very large
and tattooed and he looked as if he could lift six tons. On the whole he looked like a monster of
the deck and a man who had weathered many a hard storm but still he had a kindly look in his
face, at least what little could he seen of it as his heavy grizzly beard covered nearly the whole
face. However, I ventured to speak to him and to my surprise he did not bite me but spoke very
kindly to me from which I took courage and began to ask him questions such as where the ship
was bound for, when they expected to go to sea and so on, all of which he answered very
30
readily and after a little conversation with him he did not look so savage to me and I began to
confide in him and ventured still further by telling him that I would like to hire out to the
captain of this ship. I asked him what he thought of the prospect of my getting a job. Of
course, he knew I was no sailor and knew nothing of sailors' phrases and that I was a greenhorn
right from the country without my telling him so. He asked me if I was in earnest about
wanting to go to sea. I told him I was. Then he asked me why I wanted to be a sailor and
proceeded to tell me what it meant to be a seafaring man which rather opened my eyes and I
began to think that it was not so easy to get a job on ship-board as I had thought. Just at this
time the old tar pointed out a man that had just come on hoard as the captain of the ship and
told me to go to him and ask him for a berth. I hardly knew what a berth meant but surmised
that it meant a job on shipboard. However, I put on a bold front and walked toward the
gentlemen.
He was a fine-looking man past middle age, very neatly dressed and of very fine
commanding appearance. I approached him with confidence and asked him for a berth on his
ship. He asked me if I was a sailor and I told him that I was not but would like to be one. He
told me I would have to ship as an apprentice and as I knew nothing about a ship to come on
board as soon as possible and learn all I could before we went to sea. He whirled around and
went off and left me to guess the rest. Well, I was tickled all over. My joy was unbounded. I
was so tickled over my good luck I went forward and told my new friend, the old tar. I call him
my friend because he was my friend from start to finish. I told him I had shipped as an
apprentice and that the captain wanted me to come on hoard as soon as possible. I asked him
what my duties would be and what part of the ship I would live in. He answered all my
questions very civilly and gave me all the points he could and told me to do just as the captain
had ordered me and when I got my trunk on board the mate of the ship would take me in hand
and instruct me as to my duties. I scampered off and engaged a truck to take my trunk on
board for I wanted to become a full-fledged sailor as soon as possible. On coming on board
with the trunk, the old tar told me to put it in the forecastle which is between decks and just as
I got down with my trunk, I saw a heavy-built man coming down the forecastle stairs.
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I had not seen this man before and in a very gruff and stern voice he demanded of me to
open that trunk. I told him that it was my trunk and there was nothing in it but what belonged
to me and that I would not open it for him or anyone else.
He told me to open it as he wished to see its contents. I told him I would not, that he
need not try to bulldoze me, that I was not as green as he thought I was, that I had hired out to
the captain and that I considered myself a part of the ship's crew, and to clear out and let me
alone, that I knew what I was about. He looked at me very sternly and said, "I am the first mate
of this ship and I want you to open that trunk without delay." He looked me clear through. I
began to tremble, my teeth began to chatter, and my knees knocked together. I fumbled in my
pockets for the key and unlocked the trunk. I lifted up the tray to show him that I had nothing
offensive or defensive. After looking in he told me to close it and then proceeded to give me a
lecture, and the first lesson he taught me was to say, ''Yes Sir" and "No Sir" when speaking to an
officer of a ship, and never to speak to an officer except on business and then use as few words
as possible, and to obey all orders given by an officer quickly, to keep myself clean and obey all
orders promptly, then I would always get along without any trouble. He talked to me so nice
and kindly that he gained my confidence at once; he took me in his watch and no young man
ever fell into better hands then I did while I was on board the good ship Lancaster. He told me
to take my trunk to the carpenters' state room as that would be my place.
That evening the captain sent for me to come to the cabin. I walked into the cabin and
found myself in the presence of the captain. He told me to take my hat off and gave me a
lecture on good manners, and made me promise to remember all instructions he should in the
future give me. He then pointed to a large paper that was spread out on the table, asked me if I
could write my name, if so to put my name on a certain spot indicated by his finger. I
commenced to read the long document and told him that I was taught never to put my name to
a document without first reading it. After reading enough of it to know what it was, I signed it.
Then he asked me if I had any suitable clothes to wear at sea. I told him I had good
clothes but none suitable for sea wear. He wrote me out an order of twenty-four dollars' worth
of an outfit and told me where the store was to get the goods and that one of the ship keepers
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would go with me and tell me what I needed. By the ship keepers he meant one of the old
sailors that I first met.
The next evening, I took the old grizzly sailor with me and together we picked out my
outfit. When it came to the question of woolen shirts, I insisted on having bright red color as I
thought it looked more sailor-like but the old sailor thought blue more suitable and said it
would not show the dirt so easy, but nothing short of red-would do me. So, when we returned
to the ship I donned my bright red shirt, strutted about the deck as proud as a peacock, and
considered myself a full-fledged sailor boy.
This was about the last part of November 1857 and I am writing this January 1st, 1899. All
this comes to my mind as vividly as if it were but yesterday. In about a week our good ship was
loaded, all hatches battened down, deck cleared and swept, ship's stores put on board, water
tanks filled with fresh water, and all other preparations completed. The crew came on board
which consisted of 24 hard-looking powerful tough men of all nations and creeds, then a
powerful tug boat made fast, the lines were cut off, and we went floating down the Mississippi
120 miles. That evening the mates chose watches and I was chosen by the first mate and the
other apprentice boy was in the second mate's watch. The other young fellow had been with
the ship over a year; his name was Thomas Burden of Philadelphia, a very fine young man.
When we got to the mouth of the river the ship got stuck in the mud on the bar and could not
be dragged over with the help of four of the most powerful tug boats, so we laid there for 21
days or until high tide at the change of the moon.
One evening Just after sunset our good ship was found floating out to sea without any
help. The wind being favorable, all sails were spread and by morning there was no land in sight
and we were steering eastward bound for Liverpool, England, and after an uneventful passage
we sighted the coast of Wales about February l6th, 1858, and were in the dock at Liverpool
February 20th, and all American ships displayed their cargo and colors on February 22nd in
honor of Washington's birthday. My duties as an apprentice were very light. I was never asked
to go aloft at sea but I did go one night when the order was given for all hands to lay aloft. Of
course, I considered myself one of the hands, but I was called down and the mate informed me
not to go aloft unless he ordered me. I was well used by officers and crew and the sailors used
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to tell me that I was very fortunate in getting in such good hands, that if I followed the sea long
enough, I would learn that the officers were not all so kind, which I learned before I did get
through with my seafaring experience. But the sailors as a class at that time were a hard lot of
bums and needed stern men to handle them, and some of them nothing short of knocking
down would subdue and keep them in the traces, for on ship board discipline is necessary and
an officer that is not a good disciplinarian cannot control his men, and kind words will not do
for rough burly pugilists and bar room bums. I was shipmates with several that it did good to
knock down once in a while.
While in Liverpool I formed the acquaintance of some young men and had quite a good
time as we had every evening to ourselves. We attended the theatres and other places of
amusement and as prices were cheap a little money went a good way. Liverpool is the greatest
seaport in the world and it being a very old English city, there are a great many places of
interest. I passed the time very pleasantly until about the middle of March when all at once I
was taken quite sick. I reported to the first mate that I was not feeling well and he excused me
from duty and gave me some medicine as he was also the ship’s doctor. He told me I would be
all right in a few days. He thought I had indigestion. But instead of getting better I kept getting
worse so in the end the captain ordered me to go to the Marine Hospital and find out what was
the matter with me. I walked to the hospital which was not very far away but I was very weak
and it seemed as if I would never get there. On arriving at the hospital, I gave my order or
whatever it was, for it was done all in a large envelope, to a porter at the door. He showed me
into a waiting room and in a few minutes a fine-looking gentlemen came to me and simply
informed me that I had the smallpox. Well, I simply collapsed for it was as much as a surprise to
me that I had the smallpox as if he had told me that I would die the next hour. It certainly gave
me a great shock for I had not thought of such a thing, for I could not think how or where I had
caught such a thing as smallpox. He told me to wait a moment, went out of the room and in a
few moments returned with two young students. The three stood over me and the old doctor
explained to the young men just how I had felt from the start, and how I was feeling then, and
how it would develop without asking me a single question and every word was true. He
finished with that part of the lecture and he then ordered me to roll up my sleeve and he
34
pointed out a light rash. He explained how that would form pustules and so on. After he was
through with his lecture he dismissed the students, and I felt as if I was ready to die and did not
care to live with my face all disfigured as I was at that time quite good-looking. The doctor gave
me a large envelope and directed me to return to the ship and give it to the captain, which I
did. The captain told me to pack some clean underclothes and pack all my other things in my
trunk and he quick about it as he had to go out and I had to go to the Brownlow Hill Hospital. I
hurried up my packing and just as I got the last thing done the captain came to the door and
informed me that the carriage was waiting for me. I hustled out, got in the carriage and that
was the last I ever saw of my good Captain and good ship. I was hustled over the rough
pavements for a long distance and I thought I would die for I ached all over.
Finally, we fetched up at the entrance of a great institution which looked more like a
prison then a hospital but it was not as bad as it looked on the outside. I was conducted into an
office where I had to give up my bundle and the contents of my pockets. I was asked my full
name, my father and mothers' name, their full address, and a whole lot of questions, all of
which was written down in a large book. I was then conducted up two flights of stairs to my
ward where I was received by two lady nurses, shown to a rocking chair by the fire place, and in
a very short time they proceeded to take off my clothes. I remonstrated against such conduct
as I was not used to being undressed by ladies. But it did not do me any good for my strength
was not equal to theirs, and in less than no time they had me stripped from head to foot and
had me dressed in a white linen nightdress, then led me to bed as a mother would a little child.
I thought it very immodest but soon got used to such things and before long I was very glad to
have them lift me and handle me like a child for I had become helpless.
Well, I was very sick and for some days I gave up hopes of ever getting out of that room
alive and I dreaded dying in a strange land among entire strangers. I was simply a mass of rash
but somehow by good nursing and the best of treatment I pulled through and still lived. While I
was in the hospital, I received two letters from my captain informing me where my trunk was,
and what money was due me I would find at the American consul’s office and to report there
and the consul would advise me further. Of course, I knew my ship would leave port before I
35
could recover which troubled me very much. I was in the hospital 26 days but left because I
was nearly starved to death.
When I began to recover my appetite that was something awful for I could eat everything
in sight which was not much. The last few days I was there they put me on what they called full
diet which consisted of a very small piece of boiled beef, a small bit of potato, and one slice of
bread that was so thin I could see through it and by holding it up before me; with my breath I
could make it sail around the room like a feather. This light diet was all for my best but I did not
know it at that time, for when I recovered my appetite, I was like a man dying with starvation
and to have fed me too much would have killed me.
I stood it as long as I could and asked for a permit to leave which was granted me but I
was told that I was leaving too soon, but I bade goodbye to my good nurses and sailed out. I
went to the consul’s office, presented the letter I had from the captain and placed myself in
their charge. I was told that I was allowed a certain amount a week for my necessary expenses
and that I could board anywhere in the city where they would board me for a certain price, and
if I knew of any place I wished to go they would give me an order, if not, they would
recommend me to a boarding house on Red Cross Street which was a private boarding house
and a good place. I followed their directions and the American consul sent a young clerk to
show me the place. They also handed over what little money was due me from the ship. I had
my trunk moved to the boarding house and so made myself perfectly at home for about three
weeks when I applied for passage to Nev York as I considered myself strong enough to stand a
sea passage across the Atlantic. The consul gave me a passage ticket but told me I ought to stay
a little longer. But I wanted to get back to dear America again. I felt well, only weak and thin in
flesh. I went on board with the rest of the passengers and the ship pulled out into the river and
made ready for sea. But when the head officers came on board to inspect the health of the
passenger list and when it came my turn, I was politely informed that I must go ashore and get
a certificate from the hospital before I could be allowed to go on ship board. Well, I packed up
my trunk and informed the consul of my ill luck. He told me to do just as I was instructed. I
went to the hospital and asked for a certificate that I was a fit subject to make a sea passage
but was informed that they could not give me such a document yet, and ordered me to come to
36
the hospital at least every other day and take warm baths, and at the proper time I would be
granted a certificate which would be accepted by the health officers. I went back to my
boarding house and reported at the hospital for my baths as per directed. They kept me
coming for four weeks. Finally, I got my certificate, told the consul and applied for a passage to
Boston on board the good ship S. E. Smith. I went on board and passed examinations and
steered for dear America. The captain appointed me passenger steward and I picked up quite a
snug little sum of change on the passage so when I landed in Boston, I was not dead broke.
After a pleasant passage of 35 days we landed in Boston on July 3, 1585. I went to a sailors'
boarding house and began to look for a job at my trade but found it up-hill work as times were
very dull in that city at that time. I whiled away time as best I could and waited for something
to turn up but did not care to go to sea again as I considered my sailor experience about
complete. But about the last of August my money was gone and something had to be done by
way of earning my living. There was a ship called the Elen Faster going to Melbourne, Australia
and she was shipping a full crew. I went to the shipping office and applied for a berth as
ordinary seaman but was informed that no ordinary seamen were wanted to go to the mate of
the ship and tell him what experience I had had at sea and if he said I would pass he would ship
me as an able seaman. I did as he directed. I told the mate how much I had been at sea and in
what capacity, and he told me I was all right to ship as an able seaman and be would take care
of me. I did so and on the 27th of August I went on board, drew one month's pay in advance as
my boarding house proprietor for me, from which he took what I owed him and the balance he
gave me which was not much. Now my plan in going to Melbourne was if I liked it there, I
would stay in Australia, if not I would return with the ship. The day I went on board the tug
made fast to our side and we were towed down the harbor and out to sea.
That evening the crew was divided by the mates into watches and I was chosen the
second man by the first mate. I was considered by the crew as a first-class man as we as a crew
were strangers to each other. I felt quite proud of the high honor conferred on me by the mate
and the rest of the crew showed me the greatest respect.
But the next day my troubles commenced, for the mate, asked me to do a piece of work
which I knew nothing about, although it was simple enough to do for a sailor who understood
37
his business. Well, the other sailors soon discovered that I was a humbug and could not do the
work of an ordinary seaman, let alone an able-bodied seaman and first class one at that. But
my troubles had only begun. The second day out it came my trick at the wheel, and of course I
had to go. I walked aft, took my wheel with full confidence to do my best. But I soon lost
control of the poor old ship and she was running wild and I had her a-dancing and waltzing
around in great shape and I was whirling the wheel around at a great rate trying to keep her on
some sort of course. It soon attracted the attention of the captain and mate and all the crew.
The captain came running aft and sang out, "Another man to the wheel, quick". The mate came
running and began to kick and strike at me and if I had not gotten out of his reach, he certainly
would have broken every bone in my body. Another man took my place at the wheel and I
went forward in disgrace. Happily, the wind was light or I would have dismasted the ship. I did
not realize what danger I exposed the ship and crew to. Well, my name was Dennis and I
expected to be flung over board any day, for I had the ill will of every man on board and was set
on by every man on board and I was anything but happy. I began to realize that I knew but very
little about a sailor's life and that I had much to learn.
I tried to explain to my shipmates how I came to ship as an able seaman but it did not help
matters. I made my mind to do my best and learn as fast as I could and gain the respect of the
officers and crew by doing my work well. When it came my next trick at the wheel there was
another man sent with me to instruct me in ship steering. I soon learned how not only to
handle the ship but became the best helmsman in the whole crew so when the weather was
very stormy and they needed expert steering I was called on to take the wheel. And being a
good climber, I had to go to the top gallows and royal yards to furl sails and out to the yard
arms in reefing. I gradually worked into the good graces of the officers and was given many
favors and the crew began to respect me and began to treat me as one of them and matters
began to look brighter. On the whole we made a fairly good passage to Melbourne as the
weather was good it being a southern voyage. There was one incident in that passage which
caused some excitement. The ship caught fire one forenoon but by good management on the
part of the officers and hard and quick work of the crew it was soon extinguished. Another bit
of excitement by way of variety was the beastly flogging of our steward. He was tied to the
38
rigging, stripped of all his clothes except his drawers, and whipped on his bare back until the
blood, ran down to the deck. It was a sickening sight. After the mate had whipped him until he
was tired out, the captain took the whip and applied a few extra strokes by way of finishing
touches. After the whipping his back was washed off with salt water, handcuffs put on him,
and he was chained in a small room and kept there until we landed at Melbourne. All this was
for having struck at the second mate. The whole crew was called aft to watch the flogging, I
presume to warn us against a similar act. I began to learn quite rapidly the meaning of the
stories the old sailors used to tell me on the first ship I was on, that a ship’s officers were not all
angels.
Another piece of inhuman cruelty was practiced on a man that had stowed himself on
shipboard at Boston. He did not make his appearance until the third day out. When he came
out of his hiding place he was nearly starved to death. He was reported to the captain and as he
had no money to pay for his passage and could not be set ashore, he was put to work which he
refused to do, as his brother was a passenger on board and he claimed he owed him some
money. He insisted his brother must pay his passage but he would not, so he was compelled to
work and it looked as if they would kill the poor fellow. One day he was hoisted aloft, tied fast
to the main sail or top mast, and kept there all day in the hot sun without anything to eat or
drink. The poor fellow was kicked and knocked about every day and had to do all kinds of dirty
work. After a passage of 126 days, one Sunday morning we sighted the south coast of Australia
and that evening sailed into Melbourne harbor which is a beautiful bay. The city of Melbourne
is about 80 miles north of the entrance.
We dropped anchor about 1/2 mile from the city as there were not many docks for large
ships at Melbourne at that time. This was about the forepart of January, 1859, and the
beginning of the Australian summer. The climate was delightful and the scenery was fine
around Melbourne harbor. But I could not make up my mind to stay there and began to have a
great longing to get back to dear America again. So far, I have never seen anything I like better
than America.
In March, 1859 we took on board stone ballast and began to make preparations for sea
but where we were bound for, none of us sailors could find out as the officers would not tell us,
39
and as the ship had cleared for an eighteen months' cruise we were kept guessing. Sometimes
we thought we were going to some Chinese port, then others thought it was some port in the
East Indies. But after we got out to sea and we were steering directly east across the South
Pacific then we thought we were bound for some South American port. But after a while
everything on ship board was made snug for heavy weather which taught us that we were
about to double Cape Horn as the weather on sea in that quarter is usually ever so rough. After
doubling Cape Horn, we steered north. Then we were almost sure we were bound for some
United States port. It may sound strange that we should know what part of the globe we were
on at different times and not an inch of land in sight and no one to tell us where we were going.
But remember we had maps in the forecastle and of course we always knew the ship's course
and about the speed we were making each day. We also knew the months and dates and we
could see the position of the sun and we also knew by the animal life of the sea about what
part of the ocean we were in, as all animals and birds differ in different oceans, also in different
parts of the same ocean. One soon learns to know by instinct what part of the globe he is on.
I could relate many incidents of interest but space and time is too short. One morning
about halfway between New Zealand and Cape Horn there came an immense whale to the
ship's side, so close that I could have almost jumped on his back. He looked almost as large as a
ship bottom-side up. He really looked frightful as he came up several times and so close, I had a
splendid view of his immense size and the mode of breathing. A few days after that we saw a
school of whales, just how many there were we could not tell, but there a good many and some
of them not far off. They were capering around and apparently at play as though would chase
each other and with their immense tails would throw up great columns of water and some of
them would throw nearly their whole bodies out of the water. I had seen whales before but not
so many as we did in the South Pacific.
Well, after a pleasant voyage of 76 days we put into the harbor of Bridgetown, Barbados,
West India, where we were at anchor for 9 days waiting our orders. While there I was one of
the captain's gig crew, so had an easy time of it as I had not much to do. On this passage from
Melbourne we were all put to work at painting the ship throughout, while I was set to painting
the after-cabin. Some of the woodwork needed some touching up but I had no small striping
40
brushes to do it with. So one morning I told the captain if he would get me some suitable
brushes I would touch up the stripes and now I did one of the meanest things of my life and
something for which I should have been killed or at least put in irons and kept on bread and
water for two months, or slung over board and let the sharks eat me up.
As I said before I asked the captain for some small brushes but instead of that he gave me
a five-dollar gold piece and told me to buy any brushes I needed, and at the same time he gave
two of my chums shore leave for the day. Well, the three of us went to town to take in the
sights, but none of us had a cent of money except the five dollars the captain gave me to buy
the brushes with. But my dear chums got very dry and I was also dry. Well, the first saloon we
came to, we took a drink and I plunked the five dollars down, for I thought I had plenty of
money to buy all the brushes I would need. But before long we got dry again, dropped into
another saloon and had another drink. About that time we began to feel quite frisky but had to
have another drink to liven us up a little more. Well, there was a very fine sugar plantation just
out of the town, on the outskirts of the city so we strolled out to look it over. The proprietor
received us very pleasantly and showed us through the sugar mill, then invited us to his house
where we were received with great honors and treated us to all the rum we could drink.
Somehow I began to feel quite wealthy and very familiar with the proprietor of the estate and I
asked him what he would take for the whole plantation. He told me the price, which was
several hundred thousand dollars. I pulled some change out of my pocket to convince him that
I was a man of immense wealth, but I wanted him to throw in a few hundred negroes but he
assured me that they were not his slaves and he could not sell them, which broke the bargain.
Well, we thanked the gentleman for his kindness and walked back to town and of course
dropped into some more saloons and of course I was a very wealthy man and treated
everybody in sight, rich and poor, black and white, for I began to think I owned the whole
island. Of course, I forgot all about such small trifles as buying brushes. Well, it was getting late
in the evening and we had had a high old time, so we started back to the wharf but I had great
trouble in getting there for things began to get out of joint and it looked as if the earth was
wobbling around all sorts of ways and my legs were all joints.
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My comrades tried to hold me upright but I thought they did not understand their
business. The street was all right for length, but entirely too narrow. But we had the right of
way and everybody got out of the way for us. However, after a great effort my chums got me
to the wharf and laid me down. I fell asleep and my troubles were over, for that was the last I
remember of the funny end of my spree. The next day I woke up and found myself in my bunk
as I was on shipboard, but oh, how sick and I thought every bone in my body was smashed. I
could scarcely roll over and, well, I began to think of what I had done, and felt in my pockets to
see how much money I bad but not a cent could I find and I had no recollection of buying any
brushes. I felt bad in body and mind for I had disgraced myself in the eyes of the captain and all
hands, and of course would be killed or flogged, which I deserved for I had betrayed the
confidence the captain had reposed in me. I was in torment, soul and body. I soon noticed by
the motion of the ship that we were out at sea and I could hear officers giving commands and
hear the men at work storing away the cable chains I crawled out of my bunk, got out on deck,
picked up a chain hook and commenced to tug away at the cable chain, but the first effort I
made I fell down. The mate grabbed me by the knap of the neck, gave me a few shakes and
told me to go to my bunk, that I was too drunk to be on deck, which was true for I was drunk
clear through. I stayed in my bunk another day, then reported for duty. But how I dreaded to
face the captain for I expected he would sling me over board but I mustered up courage to face
the worst. To my astonishment when I did meet him, he never said a word but treated me with
the same kindness as before and the incident of my drunken spree was never mentioned and I
was disappointed in not being punished. But that brush business stuck in my crop for I wanted
to do a nice job on that cabin work. My mechanical skill came to my rescue. I took an old wornout brush apart and made some small ones which worked well and did a fairly good job at
striping, but I surely expected the captain would order some stripes put on my back instead of
my striping the cabin. That was the last drunken spree of my life. I asked my companions what I
did with the five dollars and they told me that I blew it all in for drinks, that I treated everybody,
and that lots of the drinks I never paid for as I would not have a cent to pay for it, and that I
ought to consider myself lucky that I did not get pulled in.
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We were out at sea again and steering northwest but did not know for what port, but
mistrusted that we were bound for New Orleans or Mobile or Galveston. However, after a
stormy passage of 16 days we fetched up at the mouth of the Mississippi. We came to anchor
Just inside of the bar and laid there several days, which kept us guessing whether we would be
towed up the river to New Orleans or whether we would go to some other port. But after a few
days we were taken in tow and up the river we went. Then I knew my seafaring life was only a
question of a few days more for I was tired of my sailor experience, although I never regretted
going to sea as a sailor for it taught me many good lessons and some more things which I never
would have seen and many things I learned which I turned to practical use in after years.
July 4, 1899
Home on my summer vacation and in my 62nd year of age, I will resume my history and
will commence where I left off. My good old ship was towed to New Orleans, made fast to the
dock and the crew discharged, and Jack once more was as good as his master. I and two others
of the crew went to the sailors' home to board which was a very good place for weary and
tired-out seafaring men. In the course of a few days when we were paid off, we each received
about 80 dollars in gold. We did not know whether that was the correct amount due us or not,
as a poor sailor must take what is offered him as he has no choice of looking over his account
and his own statement amounts to nothing, so he takes what is shoved out to him and says
nothing or questions the correction of the account.
Back to Kansas
I, (with) William Wallace of Boston and Hue Jewett, also of Boston, my shipmates and
right good fellows, conducted to go up the river to St. Louis and go to work at our trade. So
after a few more days rest we bought some clothes and white shirts, took off our sailor clothes
and once more looked like civilized men. But the tar still stuck to us and we were dreadfully
tanned up and felt rather green, for after a man has lived in a ship’s forecastle for a long time
he loses his civilization and has to commence over again.
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We took deck passage on a river steamer which cost 3 dollars a ticket but we had to board
ourselves which did not cost much and after a pleasant passage of five days we landed in St.
Louis, Mo. We automatically proceeded to hunt up a boarding house and as our means were
limited of course we were not so particular as to quality, just so we got enough to eat and a
place to Sleep. After a short hunt we struck a place which was not very good but we made it do
until we found something better. The next move was to hunt a Job. My two companions were
both lucky as they both struck work the very next day. But I was not so fortunate for it took me
about a week before I struck both luck and a Job which was at Belleville Illinois, 14 miles from
St. Louis, but it was not as good as I wished, for it was coarse and heavy framing for coal mines
but the pay was good and I intended to stick to it until I found something better. Sometime in
November I began to feel bad and could not work more than half the time but I was not sick
enough to go to bed and did not get better so I consulted a doctor who told me I had the
malaria fever.
He prescribed for me but I kept getting worse and had to give up work as I had no
strength. The doctor advised me to get out of that part of the world as the climate did not
agree with me. So I conducted to go back to Kansas as I had money enough to take me there
and I had some personal property there and also some friends. I packed up my trunks, called
on my shipmates at St. Louis, bade them goodbye and started for Kansas by boat up the
Missouri River to Kansas City, then by stage to Osawatomie. Then I walked to Garnett,
Anderson Co., Kansas. But the Journey was a hard Job, for I was very weak, and when I arrived
at Garnett I was not fit to work and my money was nearly gone but I found some good friends.
Winter was coming on and how to get through was a puzzle to me unless I regained my
health so I could earn something. I tried to work but it was uphill business as my strength was
not equal to my will and worse, there was only hard work to do.
I worked there the rest of the week and sweat, which rotted my shirts so I did not even
have a whole shirt to my back. I boarded with a family by the name of Campbell and Mrs.
Campbell discovered my poor condition. She made me two shirts and told me I could pay her
when I got able. But I began to think I would never be able to pay her for her kindness as I kept
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getting weaker and finally developed into fever and ague. I was too sick to live and not sick
enough to die.
There was a man by the name of Henry Neal who seemed to understand my condition
and also knew that I was about dead broke. He invited me to come to his house and board
through the winter and he thought by spring I would be on my toes again and able to work. I
accepted his kind offer, went to his house which was a log house and not very large, but still we
were not crowded as his two children were Just small and slept in a trundle bed which occupied
no floor space except nights. This log house contained but one room. There were two beds.
One was occupied by Mr. and Mrs. Neal and the other by myself. The cooking was done at a
fireplace as they had no stove. In place of chairs, we used empty soap boxes and the table was
homemade. The bedstead was built in the angle of the log wall with one post at the outside
corner. The floor was made of straight-grained logs split into two parts with the ends flattened
to rest in the first log above the ground. The fireplace and chimney was made of sticks well
plastered with clay. The door, made of packing box boards, swung on wooden hinges and was
furnished with a wooden latch and latch string. When we went to bed at night we pulled in the
latch string and the catch was closed, and in the morning we shoved the leather latch string
through a little gimlet hole and the house was open for guests and callers. Our food,
considering the place, consisted of cornbread, buckwheat cakes, lots of fresh beef, and coffee
made of roasted wheat, no sugar or milk, and wild rabbits cooked in all styles, no potatoes or
vegetables of any kind nor fruit of any kind. We all lived in one room but had plenty to eat and
kept warm. About the middle of December, I began to improve in health and my appetite was
first class, so in January I was able to do some work and do some hunting when I had nothing
else to do, and by spring I was as fat as a pig and must say it was one of the pleasantest winters
I ever spent.
In the spring work commenced in earnest and I had plenty to do and good wages. But
about September the Kansas grasshoppers made us a call and ate up everything that was green,
and at the same time there was a dreadful drought. The creeks and wells dried up and matters
began to look very gloomy to the young settlement. There was one well in the little town that
furnished a small quantity of water but that was reserved for the sick. For about two months
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water for common use had to be hauled 16 miles and all cattle were driven to where water
could be had. Food and water were so scarce that it was a hard struggle for many to get
through the season and those who could left the country. I will never forget the summer of
1860 in Kansas. Work at my trade began to get slack towards the fall and I Joined a party to go
on a buffalo hunt. There were three in my party, one by the name of S. J. Crawford and the
other by the name of Mathew Alvey of Louisville, Kentucky, a wealthy bachelor who came to
Kansas for his health, but the poor fellow did not live many years as he died in 1862. He was a
fine type of Southern gentleman.
Buffalo Hunt
S. J. Crawford was a lawyer by profession and a prominent politician of the state. He was
later elected governor and served two terms. He was from Springfield, Illinois and had studied
law in A. Lincoln's office. He was a fine fellow and a good friend of mine. I almost loved the
man for he had noble qualities. He had a good deal of western dash and sprightliness about
him. My first buffalo hunt was a great experience. Our outfit consisted of a wagon drawn by a
pair of gray mules, a few cooking utensils, flour, sugar, coffee, bacon, potatoes, tea, salt, plenty
of ammunition, and some corn for the mules. We started out with enough of all these things as
we supposed to last six weeks, for that was about the time we expected to be gone. We struck
due west about two hundred miles when we struck the buffalo country and pitched our tent, or
rather our wagon for we had no tent but lived in the wagon like Gypsies. Our first halt was on
the Cimarron River where buffalo, antelope, wolves, jack rabbits, and wild ducks and turkeys
were plentiful, also some deer. Now remember, we were nearly two hundred miles from any
white inhabitants. It was a perfect home for all kinds of wild game as the animals were not yet
used to the crack of the white man's rifle. I shall never forget my first experience at hunting the
buffalo. There were five old buffalo bulls slowly making their way towards the river near where
our camp was, and I was keeping camp that day. I knew by their movements that they were
coming to the water to drink. That was my opportunity to kill the first buffalo as none had yet
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been killed by our party and we had been guessing as to how the first one would be killed and
who would kill it. Well, I took my rifle out of the wagon determined to slaughter at least one of
them and surprise my companions. I skulked along the low banks of the river to about the spot
where I expected they would come down to drink and by stooping down I could keep out of
sight. I laid low and waited for the beasts to come a little closer so I could get a first class shot
at one. I did not wait long when I heard a great rumbling as if there were more than a hundred
of them coming towards me. I raised up to look over the bank and behold- they were right on
top of me and nearly sprang on to me. They looked like great railroad locomotives under full
headway and I was on the track and could not get away. Their eyes looked like locomotive head
lights. I thought my days were numbered for I confess I was badly frightened. Yes, I was
paralyzed for I could not shoot. I was ready to make any kind of terms with them if they would
only spare my life and, oh, how glad I was when they were out of shooting distance. Well, I
went smack back to camp very much disappointed, and concluded I was not the hero I thought I
was. But I learned better later on how to approach a buffalo and be on the safe side. A wild
buffalo is a very innocent looking beast at a distance but a very ugly animal when wounded,
which we learned by experience but after we learned their tricks it was no trouble to kill one.
One man alone has no business to attack an old bull, for they will fight for dear life. We had
many adventures with wounded bulls, since we did all our hunting on foot. As there are no
trees in all that part of the country, we were in danger of being run down by a wounded beast
as there were no trees to climb for safety, so when we did shoot we had to shoot to kill, so we
always went in pairs and both shot at the same buffalo.
We also shot other game but our main hunting was for buffalo, of which we killed a good
many. I shot one large gray wolf. I wounded him badly but did not capture him as he could still
run faster than I could. We fell in with a party of Indians who were there to kill buffalo for their
winter meat. It was very interesting to see them kill the beasts as they would kill twenty to our
one and they did all their shooting with bows and arrows mounted on their little fleet Indian
ponies.
When they once got along side of the buffalo it did not take long to bring him down and
as soon as he was down the Indian would dismount from his pony, pull out the arrow, mount
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and go for another. Of course, the pony understood his business as well as the Indian, as he
was trained to it. We had no trouble with the redskins whatever. They did us a good turn for
we were out of bacon and had no fat of any kind so we swapped coffee with them for buffalo
tallow as our stomachs yearned for some kind of grease.
Now, it may seem strange to you that we should have no tallow when we were killing
buffalo. But remember we only killed old bulls that had no fat on them. It is only the buffalo
cows that have any fat on them, and cows we could not shoot as they are very shy and we
could not get near them. But the Indians on their fleet ponies and who understood the
business better than we did, killed nothing but cows as they are the best meat and their skins
make good robes. We stayed in that Indian country a little longer than we expected and the
weather began to get wet and quite cold, especially nights, for remember we had no wood. We
used dried buffalo dung to bum and cook by but it did not make a very hot fire to warm us up
on a cold night. We learned that the best place to sleep was outdoors, not in the wagon, as one
is less liable to catch cold. When we got ready to go to bed we would spread out a raw green
buffalo skin on the ground, take off our boots and use them for a pillow, spread a blanket over
us, look up at the stars and forget all our troubles. Some nights the wolves would keep up such
a howling that it would disturb our rest. But before we got home, we had some awfully cold
nights. I remember one night a small sized blizzard struck us and I thought we would freeze to
death before morning. It snowed all night and the wind blew a perfect gale and (so we had) no
fire. And what made matters worse was we had nothing to eat but raw buffalo bull meat and
some com meal. We could not start a fire that morning so we had our choice, eat the meat raw
or go without breakfast. We chose the latter. About December 1st we landed in our dear
town, Garnett, and glad to get back and sit down to a table and eat off a clean plate and live like
civilized men once more.
Civil War
On our return to the settlement, we heard that Abe Lincoln had been elected president of
the United States and we also heard the rumor of war, that the south was getting ready to
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secede and there was no end of trouble ahead, that both north and south was getting ready for
a deadly conflict and the young men were forming military companies. It all sounded like a
dream to us as we had not seen a newspaper in two months and knew nothing that was going
on in the outside world. As into the winter we went and have nothing to do, and as I was a
little forehanded I concluded to go to school through the winter term. Sometime in January,
1861, we organized a home guard military company and each evening we would drill and
Saturday afternoon. I joined the company. About February 1st I got a position in a store with
C.P. Alvey, who kept a general store and also the post office. It was the largest store in town.
He paid me 55 dollars a month and board. I was considered a fairly good salesman for a new
beginner. The war rumors kept growing louder and as they neared the borders of Missouri all
we kept hearing was that they were also getting ready for a deadly conflict on the Confederate
side and matters began to get quite hot. Missouri was strong for secession and Kansas was
strong for Union. Both sides were getting ready for war and of course nothing short of war
could settle the question and it was only a question of time when the bloody strife would begin.
It began very quickly and it was a dreadful war as both sides were determined and both sides
were believing they were right and fitting for a just cause. I was young and knew but little
about politics but I thought the matter over and concluded the right side was the side of the
Union and became a strong believer that the Union must and should hold together and still
believe so and hope that there will never be a separation, but I also hope that one section will
not oppress or in any way attempt to encroach on the rights of a weaker section of the Union.
So, I took a firm stand on the side of the Union.
S. J. Crawford was captain of our company and he also was a member of the legislature.
In the afternoon of Saturday, May 14th 1861, while we were drilling, our captain came riding
into town on horseback just from Topeka, the capital, where the legislature was in session. We
formed in line and received him with proper honors, and while sitting on his horse he read to us
the commission from the governor to come home and raise a company for the U. S. Army. He
asked all that would volunteer for the army to step one pace to the front. Every man stepped
to the front except three. One of them was too old. The other was a young man who went
home that evening and told his father he did not care to enlist in the war as he had so much to
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do at home. The old man told him if he was afraid to go, he must stay and work the farm, and
he would go himself, and he did go and joined us that very night. The old fellow was a good
solider but he was too old and he died of hardship and hard marching. The next morning at 10
A. M. we all bade goodbye to our friends and started for the war, but some never returned. It
was a lovely summer's morning in May; I shall never forget it. We went without script or purse
as we expected to be mustered in the U. S. service at once. We had two citizens' wagons to
carry some provisions but we had no tents or other camp equipment, but the weather was fine
so we slept out on the grass. After a march of 120 miles we landed in Lawrence, Kansas, and
were quartered in some empty stores waiting to be mustered in, and after a long and impatient
wait of a month we were marched to Kansas City, a distance of 130 miles where we were
regularly mustered in the U. S. service to serve three years unless sooner discharged. Soon
some of the men kicked about being mustered in for so long a time, as they had not expected
to stay more than three months. But we had the promise of the governor of the state and the
commissioned officers that we would be mustered out in three months, or sooner if the war
was brought to an end sooner. So, on these conditions we were mustered in and put on Uncle
Sam's clothes and were presented with a musket and cartridge box and some ammunition and
were drilled a few times by a regular U. S. officer just to show us how a soldier feels in the
hands of a regular officer. Well, some of the boys felt it all right for they were knocked about
like beasts, but it intensified the fighting prosperity. Well, after we got into Uncle Sam's
clothes, we were ready to fight somebody. In fact, we were quite a formidable looking lot. We
were called the 2nd Kansas regiment, but were better known as the Kansas Jay Hawkers. Still,
we were not as bad as we were represented, for we never took anything out of our reach, but
the boys could fight like tigers, in fact, we were just praying for a brush with the rebels but the
conceit was knocked out of us after a while for we found the Rebs could fight also, which
learned to our sorrow, and I really believe the rebels had to knock brains into our officers'
heads, for they did much better after we had been soundly thrashed a few times. Our men
were very good fighters but our officers did not understand their business.
After a few days' halt at Kansas City, we were put under march in good earnest and it
meant business. We soon learned it was altogether no picnic but real war as we were in the
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enemy's country. The rebels were on the alert and so were we, and what made matters worse
for us we had to pick our living as we went along and the heat was dreadful and some of the
time we suffered for drinking water. Marching in ranks is not like walking singly, when one can
go as he pleases, stop when he pleases, but in the army, you must keep up dead or alive, and
no hanging back especially when in the enemy’s country. We were connected with some
regular U. S. troops and under the command of a regular U. S. officer who was very severe in
discipline. Of course, we were yet raw recruits and the way we were put through was a caution
and a surprise to us greenhorns. We were run in the guardhouse for every little irregularity.
We were a lot of wild west fellows that had to be tamed down. We wanted to clean out the
rebels and end the war and not fool away all summer.
We could not understand why we should be kept marching and drilling all the time, and
began to get quite angry at our officers because they would not let us go at the Rebs and clean
them out. We marched to Springfield, southwestern Missouri. There we were kept in camp a
few days and came under General Nathanial Livens' command. We were in camp a few days
when we were put under march again in a due south direction. Of course, we privates did not
know where we were going and did not care if it was only into the battlefield as we were just
spoiling for a fight. After a few day's marching through a mountainous country and past the
southwest slope of the Ozarks and into Arkansas, we struck a fairly good country. But what
pleased us most was when we were told that we were about to trap a whole lot of rebels. Yes,
we had them almost completely surrounded and if we could only hold out a little longer we
would have them all bagged. You see, we were nearly broken down with hard marching. But
the promise of a possible battle and a sure victory and to be all covered with glory revived our
spirits, but not our stomachs which were empty. We pressed on and a little before sundown
we heard the booming of cannons and a few musket shots, my, how our ears pricked up and
how we did chafe, for we wanted to be in the front and in the very thickest of the battle. The
fence was let down and my regiment was rushed through a corn field and across a little river,
through some more fields and into a town, through one or two streets where we were to meet
the other part of our command. I did not see a rebel dead or alive and the only blood-letting I
saw was when we began to slaughter pigs and chickens for our supper. There was not a soul to
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be seen in the whole town except our troops. The cannon firing I had heard was when they
threw a few shots at the courthouse and the musket, shooting was only to frighten the citizens.
I could not hear of a single person being hurt. The town is called Fordyce and is the county seat.
It was a Confederate recruiting station and there were some recruits in it but they scampered
out when they heard us coming. Now this is called and put down in history as the battle of
Fordyce. But oh, what a disappointment war is, if that is war, and if that is a battle, what a
farce. What cowards the rebels are for they will not fight.
We had a good supper that night and had the freedom of the town as there was not a soul
in it but us, so we helped ourselves to whatever we wanted except whiskey which had to be
destroyed. We slept in fine houses that night and dreamed of the glories of the great victory.
Our stomachs were full and not a rebel in sight, so why should we worry.
Just before the break of day long roll was beat and the bugle sounded, and the cry of “Fall
in, fall in". We were very much surprised to be called out at that hour of the night for it seemed
as if we had just got to sleep. But when we got out in the street we understood the meaning of
it all. The town is nearly surrounded by high hills and we could see signal lights all along the top
of the were told that we would have to be hustled out as soon as possible or we would all be
taken prisoners for the rebels had us nearly surrounded. We marched out and were kept
marching until night without a mouthful to eat and the rebels close after us. Our rear guard
had several brushes with the rebels and four of our men were wounded. The next day we got
back to Springfield and were received with high honors. So ended the first battle that I took
part in.
About a week before this battle my eyes began to get sore and very much inflamed. I
reported to our regimental surgeon for treatment and he first commenced by swabbing them
out with sugar of lead. The hospital steward would hold my head between his legs and the old
doctor would go at me with a swab on a stick. The operation was very painful and instead of
getting better my eyes kept getting worse so he changed the treatment by blistering the back of
my neck and down the back. Well, it was no fun marching in the blazing hot sun with a big
blister on my back but it had to be done. The large blister hurt and did not help as my eyes kept
getting worse under this treatment and the old doctor did not seem to care whether I had eyes
52
at all or not. I firmly believe he injured my eyes by his rough treatment as my eyes were very
good until I fell into his hands. If I had received proper treatment at that time my eyes might be
good yet. I have no faith in volunteer army doctors as they have politician’s jobs and care
nothing about the health of a private soldier but they are sure to draw their pay. We did not
rest long at Springfield after our first march. Now remember, there were no railroads in that
part of the country so all our traveling was done on foot. Our next tramp was southwest of
Springfield to a place called Long Spring where we encountered the rebels and fought quite a
battle but not a general engagement, as we fell back to Springfield again. Now Springfield was
the objective point and the key to Missouri and both sides were struggling for its possession.
On our return to Springfield our troops began to throw up earth works and rifle pits and it
looked as if we were on the defensive. When we were mustered in the service all we got by the
way of clothing was a blouse, one shirt, a cap, and one pair of drawers. No shoes, pants or
socks, so we had no clothes to change and when they gave out we had to go without unless we
could pick up some citizens' clothes along the way, which we did whenever we got a chance. So
by the latter part of the summer, we were a ragged looking lot of fellows, but the weather was
hot so it made no essential difference whether we were dressed or not. We still had our
regular dress parade but oh, what a splendid looking lot: some without shoes, some without
coats, and those that had on coats only wore them because they had no shirts, some had on
army caps, some had old straw hats and some no hats at all. And still we did not kick because
we knew clothes were not to be had. Some of the time we had more then we could eat, then
at other times we had nothing, but we made up our minds that a soldier's life was not a picnic
and so made the best of it and were contented and hoped for better things later on. I began to
get quite impatient to see a real battle. I wanted to see a regular slaughter such as I had read
about. I wanted to see the two armies face each other and fight it out to a finish. I had been a
sailor and a buffalo hunter and now if I could only see a real hard battle my education would be
complete. Of course, I did not want to be killed or have my hide punctured with holes from
bullets but was perfectly willing to sec some other fellow shot to pieces, especially the Rebs.
I had not long to wait to have my desires gratified. On the afternoon of August 9th an
order was given that every man who could carry a musket must have 40 rounds of ammunition
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and a haversack and cooked rations. The roll was called at 6 P. M. to see that every man was
on hand and ready to march and strict orders were given that not a man should leave camp.
We knew it meant business, but as to what it was, we privates were in the dark. About 9 P.M.
we moved out of camp and toward south and word was passed along the line that no one must
speak aloud or make any noise. Instinct taught us that there would be some hot stuff should we
ever reach the rebels. We marched ever so slowly all night and not a man was allowed to leave
the ranks. At break of day, we heard some musket firing ahead and about sunrise we heard the
booming of cannons which was answered by heavy firing from another direction. The battle
was commenced in good earnest but why were we not rushed to the front to help the boys!
We were not long held in suspense, but put on double-quick time through a brush patch, then
through a corn field and down a slight depression towards the fighting line which was on an
elevation Just ahead. My regiment, the 2nd Kansas, was halted in the depression and then I
saw the first dead soldier killed in battle. All the wounded from the fighting line were carried to
the rear along the front of our line. I could see that the rebels were loaded for us and could
shoot. The firing was awful in front, both artillery and musketry. We were not kept waiting
long in that hollow which was not a very safe place as there were plenty of stray shells and
solids shots coming our way. General Lyan came riding to the front of cur line and asked our
colonel if his regiment would stand fire. How the boys did shout, "Yes!" General tried us.
The order was given forward and we marched up to the fitting line and just as we were
getting into position the rebels made a charge on us which threw us into confusion but we soon
recovered. In this first charge General Lyan received a mortal wound shot through the heart
and died instantly. Our colonel, R. B. Mitchell was also wounded at the same time and had to
be taken off the field. We stood our ground but, oh, it was hot work as the rebels had the
advantage of us. We were on an open fire, flat piece of ground and the land sloped down in
front and was somewhat covered with brush. The rebels would come out of the brush and fire
into us, then fall back. They made several attempts to drive us back but each charge failed,
until they flanked us. Then we had to give way or be captured. We fell back in good order. Our
ammunition was gone and we were nearly dead for water.
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The sun was dreadfully hot, not a breath of air was stirring, the stench of blood and
powder smoke and dead horses was awful, as well as the groans of the poor wounded and
dying. The thought of having lost the battle, all put together it was a day I shall never forget
and have no hankering to see another. War is savage and barbarous practice.
We struggled back to Springfield but there was no rejoicing as the town was full of
wounded and those who returned with a whole hide were too tired and hungry to rejoice, so
we turned to and cooked our supper and after supper talked over the events of the day and
some lay down for a sleep and rest but trouble broke out anew. At midnight we had to skip out
of town and right lively, for the rebels were after us. We left town apparently without much
order, just so we were out in a hurry. We marched all that day on a very poor road. The wagon
train was ahead but many of the wagons had to be burned as they would get stuck in the mud
and we had no time to pull them out, so we would set fire to them to keep them from falling
into the rebels' hands. It was a long and hard march of 140 miles to what was then called Fort
Rally. There we halted a few days for rest. Fort Rally was at that time at the western end of a
railroad that ran to St. Louis Mo. Sometime in September we were put on board railroad cars
and run to St. Louis where we were put into camp. All troops that took part in the battle of
Springfield were rewarded by General Fremont and his staff. He and his staff were dressed in
the most gorgeous uniform and his headquarters was the finest residence in the city. We were
marched by his grand palace. He sat there in front of his magnificent palace surrounded by his
handsomely-uniformed staff officers, and the general did condescend to bow to our regimental
officers, but we poor ragged and barefooted privates had to cheer him as we passed him in
review. The day was dreadfully hot and the streets quite dusty and the march was quite long,
but the thing had to be done to please that mighty General Fremont. The poor privates were
starved and had to go ragged and suffer, while the high officials could get fat and wallow in
wealth and luxury. But such is human nature. The common herd are willing to suffer so they
can have heroes to worship. But that review looked one-sided to me. If a little of the wealth
and extravagance that were lavished on the General had been spread out on us ragged
privates, we certainly would have looked better. Sometime in October we were marched on
board a steam boat and were taken to Hannibal Mo. From there we went by rail to Shelbina
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Mo. where we were put in empty houses for a few days. Then marched to a town called Paris
where we expected to have a fight but the rebels heard us coming so they skedaddled and left
us in possession of the town and of course we helped ourselves to what we could use.
We had a good square meal which we needed badly, and also found some shoes in the
stores which came in quite handy as our feet were beginning to get a little sore. I got a pair
quite nice looking. In the morning bright and early we were hustled out of town and back to
Shelbina. We had to go right lively as the rebels were at our rear pushing us along. In the
morning I put on my new shoes in a hurry and flattered myself how easily I could march. But
along in the afternoon, oh how my feet did ache and how the new shoes did hurt, but I had to
keep going. When we got to Shelbina the first thing I did was to take my shoes off and lo, I
discovered' the cause of all my trouble. I had put the left shoe on the right foot and the right
one on the left foot. I had no socks and my feet were blistered and so sore that I could not wear
the shoes for a week and when I tried to wear them the second time, I found them two sizes
too small for me so I gave them to my chum and I went barefooted.
The next morning after our return to Shelbina we found the town completely surrounded
by the rebels and they were firing artillery into the town. We threw up breast works and did all
we could to defend ourselves. It looked as if we would all be taken prisoners. They kept us
cooped up in that little town for three days and if they had known our weakness they could
have captured every one of us. There were a locomotive and some cattle cars in the town so
one afternoon we were ordered to scamper into the cars in a hurry. The calvary went alongside
of the train and so we slid out of town. The rebels had evidently left a gap unprotected. We lost
one man killed and some wounded. From Shelbina we went to Hudson but the country was
overrun with rebels who were determined to capture us before we could get out of the state.
From Hudson we went to St. Joseph, Mo. There we stayed a few days but the rebels made it too
hot for us so we were hustled on to Fort Leavenworth, Kansas. The companies were allowed to
go to their respective homes for a short visit. My company went to Garnett where we were
received with great honors and treated as great heroes and defenders of the Union. After a
few days' visiting and being lionized and made a great ado over, we were marched back to Fort
Leavenworth to be mustered out, but (there was) no money to pay us off. We received our
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discharge papers but not a cent of pay, but we were told to re-enlist and we could go into
winter quarters and get plenty to eat and a place to sleep. I took my discharge but was not fit
to re-enlist on account of my eyes, so I went to a boarding house and waited for my pay. After
some three weeks delay, I received my pay and so ended my military experience. If my eyes
had been well, I would have re-enlisted as I was not tired of army life and was a strong believer
in the Union and was willing to do my part to put down the rebellion. My army life was short
but hot and lively, as we were in Rebel country all the time and they gave us no rest but kept us
on the move all the time. We were so away from the base of supplies most of the time, we
lived by foraging.
Return to New York
After I received my pay from the government I purchased some clothes, cleaned myself
up, and started for Burlington Iowa, where my oldest sister, Helen was living. I had not seen
her in about nine years. But on arriving there I learned that she and her husband, William Kreig
had moved to Colorado some two months previous. I was very disappointed as I had Intended
to stay in Burlington that winter, and in the spring if my eyes were well to re-enlist. I had a little
money left, so concluded to go to Rochester and visit my parents as I had not seen them in
seven years. I bought a ticket to Chicago and there I got a berth on a steamboat to Buffalo as
steward's helper and porter. On arriving at Buffalo, the steward asked me to stay on board a
few days and help him pack up the cabin and stateroom fixtures as it was the last trip the boat
would make that season. I helped him about five days for which I was well paid. Then I took a
train to Rochester to see my father and mother whom I had not seen in so many years, but my
dear old mother had not forgotten me and I was received like the prodigal son except there was
no fatted calf to kill or general merrymaking.
There was no one at home except my father and mother, as all my brothers and sisters
were living away from home. Winter was coming fast and I was out of a Job and nearly out of
money, so after a few short days of visiting at home I went to Corning, N.Y. where my oldest
brother was living. My object in going there was a double one, to visit him, and to hunt up a
place of work and earn some money to take me back to Garnett Kansas. My brother Leonard
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glad to see me for we had not seen each other in seven years. I landed in Corning with 60
cents, all the money I had in the world, and when I told my brother my financial condition his
under jaw dropped considerably for he thought I had come to sponge my living on him through
the winter. When I tried to convince him not to be alarmed, that I would have a job in a few
days and would be in shape to pay my way, he would not believe me. He was in no shape to
support me through the winter for nothing, as he had quite a family on his hands and was
trying to build a house for himself. He was working for W.F. Townley at that time. He
introduced me to Mr. Townley the same afternoon I landed in town and I applied to him for a
job, but he informed me that he had no job for me just then but if any extra work came in, he
would give me a trial. It was a furniture factory and planing mill at that time. My brother was
foreman in the big cabinet department at that time. I was not a cabinetmaker but was quite
sure I could make myself useful in the shop and concluded that here was my opportunity. That
Saturday evening one of the workmen asked for a week's vacation and Townley told me to
come on Monday morning and take his place and try it. I was happy, for I felt that my chance
had come. I took hold with a will, determined to do my work well and please Mr. Townley so
he would keep me longer than one week. Work began to come in a little faster and when the
first week was up, he told me I could stay longer and asked me to come to his house to board,
which I accepted. Now my plan was to stay and work until the spring and then go back to
Kansas. So, in the spring I told Mr. Townley to get another man in my place, that I intended to
quit and go west. But he insisted in my staying with him and offered to raise my wages. After
due consideration I consented to stay longer, as I liked him and also Mrs. Townley who was like
a sister to me. She did my washing and mending, and Mr. and Mrs. Townley did everything to
make life pleasant for me. Now this was the great turning point of my life.
In the summer of 1862, I formed the acquaintance of Eleanor J. Townley a sister of W.F.
Townley, my employer. It was not a case of love at first sight, but as I became more acquainted
with the Townley family I liked them better every time I called on them, which was by
invitation. Miss Eleanor was a tailoress and quite industrious, and I was in her brother's
employ. We grew quite fond of each other and our visits grew more frequent. She would
sometimes invite me to dinner at her home, which I enjoyed very much. She was not the
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handsomest girl in the world but one of the best, strictly honest, very industrious, always goodnatured, and a good Christian girl, not a society girl but of good plain common sense. She loved
her father and mother and her brother and sisters. Our friendship gradually grew into love and
our visits became more frequent. In the winter of 1863, I popped the question and was
accepted. How we began to form plans for the future. I worked harder and saved all my
money, for it was beginning at the bottom rung of the ladder, for we were both poor and if we
ever got anything we would only get it by hard work and strict economy. One thing I promised
her was that she should never live in a rented house, which rather astonished her for she knew
I had no money to buy a house with. I assured her that I had something as good as money
which was a good will to work, and with proper management we could soon buy first a house
and then furniture, and she agreed to do her part. I am happy to say we made that promise
good in short order. We set May 20th, 1863 as our wedding day and we both worked with a
good will to get some clothes and other little things ready for the great event and on the 20th
of May we were made man and wife. Our wedding was just a family affair, nothing expensive
or swell as we could not afford it. I had saved up about one hundred dollars to commence
housekeeping with. We went to Ithaca, N. Y. on our wedding trip as that was my wife's old
home. While at Ithaca I accidentally formed the acquaintance of George Whiting, who kept a
furniture store and cabinet shop. He was an old man and a very nice gentleman. In the course
of our conversation he learned that I was a newly married man with no fixed location. He told
me he was in the need of a man and he thought I would fill the bill. He said he was getting old
and wished to get out of business in the course of a few years, and that there would be a
chance for a young man. Well, I took the bait, and how. I told him I would consider the matter
for a week and let him know by letter. I learned that Mr. Whiting was a very good man and a
man of his word. After a short visit in Ithaca, we returned to Corning and after thinking the
chance with Mr. Whiting over carefully, I wrote him that I would accept his offer and that we
both would come. We both worked with a will to get a few things together for housekeeping.
I worked evenings at Townley’s shop and made a dining table, a lounge, and a wash stand,
and my good wife made up a few bed quilts. Mr. Townley gave us a bureau and my wife's
mother gave us a few things. Altogether we had about a wagon load.
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In June, 1863 we started for Ithaca and to paddle our own canoe. We did not have
enough things to commence housekeeping with, so we boarded with my wife's sister, Mrs. L.H.
Young. I worked every day and watched for chances of picking up second-hand articles and we
were not long in getting quite a respectable outfit together. Now I wanted to buy a house on
contract and had one picked out, but Mr. Whiting advised me to rent for a few months, as he
had something in view for me, so we rented part of a house. We moved in and commenced
life by ourselves and were happy. I worked for Mr. Whiting by the day until January 1st 1864.
Then he sold me all the material in the shop and I rented the two upper stories of his brick
block with the privilege of space on the first floor to show any furniture of my own make. All
things worked well as I had plenty to do and I worked hard, so by the first of the next January I
was out of debt and had a little money in the bank. The winter of 1865 I bought a building for
800 dollars on contract. It was a two-story brick on Main Street. It was an old building but with
a little repairing it made us a good home, and the lower part I used as a shop and wareroom.
We moved in March and had just gotten nicely settled in our new quarters when something
turned up. In the summer of1864 my oldest sister Helen Krieg who lived in Denver, Colorado,
made us a visit. She pictured the advantages of that western country for moneymaking in
glowing colors and wished me to go there, as I was yet young and being ambitious to make
money the chances were much better there then east. I told her I was doing fairly well where I
was and the future looked bright. But in April, 1865 I received a letter from my brother-in-law
in Denver begging me to pull up stakes and come to Denver. He made me an offer that took
the breath from me. I showed the letter to my wife and she thought favorably of the scheme,
which was for me to go into partnership with him, or I could work for him at 10 dollars a day. I
concluded if he could afford to pay me that amount in wages I could certainly do well to go
there and start a business for myself. After a few days' considering the matter, I concluded to
sell what I had. I sold the building to E. B. Cornell and after everything was turned into cash, I
had between 7 and 8 hundred dollars. We boarded a short time with Mrs. L.H. Young, my
wife's sister, until on May 14th 1865 our first daughter was born, Alice Lillian Beck. Now my
plan was for me to go to Denver and prepare a home before my wife should come, and in the
meantime, she was to go to Corning and board with her mother. I left 350 dollars with her to
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defray her expenses until I was ready to have her come. On May 24th 1865, I bade my wife and
baby good-bye and started for the land of gold to make my fortune, full of hope and great
expectations. I arrived in Denver in good shape and my sister was glad to see me. But how
disappointed I was right at the start, for everything was new as it was then simply a wild mining
country and so different, for it was not like the civilized country that I had been used to, that
my first impression was not pleasant. After looking the ground over for a few days I concluded
to start a cabinet shop in a small way. I rented room of my brother-in-law, pulled off my coat,
and went to work with a will. I soon had all I could do at good prices but I was homesick and
could not make up my mind to settle down in this wild country although I could make money. I
tried hard to get used to the wild country but it was no go. I stuck it out until the last of
October when I wrote my wife that I was coming home, that Denver was no place for us, that
we had better have a little less money in a civilized country. I sold what I had and started for
Corning N. Y. where my wife and baby were, and was perfectly satisfied to stay east. I landed in
Corning at midnight and was never so glad in my life as I was to see my wife and little baby. My
western trip taught me a good lesson, as it broke me of the western fever and made me more
content to steer toward settling down.
Section Two
July 2nd, 1900
Home for my summer vacation and in good health and pleasantly located in my room
which is the front bedroom over the parlor in my own house. My youngest daughter, Emma
Rose’s room is next to my room so we are quite pleasantly situated. We are now boarding with
my married daughter, Lillian Fawcett who was my first baby 35 years ago. And my daughter
Emma, who is also boarding with us, is my baby in her 20th year. How time does fly. For to
look back 37 years when I married my wife it seems but a short span. How many changes have
taken place in that short space of time? Our fathers and mothers and most of our brothers and
sisters are laid to rest in their graves and my turn will come sooner or later. As stated before, I
arrived in Corning from Denver about the last of November 1865, and commence work the next
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day for my brother-in-law who had then a sash, blind, and door factory and was a manufacturer
of general builders’ supplies. The winter of 1866 I bought a house and lot on 3rd Street Corning
and paid cash for it. But as it was rented until April 1st, we continued to board with my wife’s
mother until spring when we commenced housekeeping again in our own house. We lived in
that house until August, 1868, when I sold that house and bought a lot on the corner of 2nd and
Chemung St. and built me a new house on a more modem scale but a little too nice for the size
of my purse. But I was young and was determined to complete it and have a nice home to live
in, which we did in course of time.
I continued to work in the factory every day. But in 1867 I was promoted to foreman of
the factory and my pay was raised and matters began to look brighter. But still I had an eye for
something better. In 1868 another firm started a sash, blind and door factory and they offered
me 3.50 per day and my brother-in-law offered me $3.75 per day. I concluded if my services
were so valuable to other parties, I had better strike out for myself, which I did. I struck out as
a carpenter and became also a builder. The first contract was a small one but as I became
better known we soon had all we could do, as times were good and there was plenty of building
going on at that time. I had a partner the first 3 years by the name of John Bucher and the firm
was known as Beck and Bucher. Mr. Bucher was a hard worker and an honest man, but had no
business ability, so in 1872 I had no more use of him so we parted and I continued alone until
1876 as a builder. I was quite successful. In 1871 I finished my house completely and furnished
it in fine shape. My business kept increasing and spreading to other towns which kept me away
from home most of the time, which was very unpleasant for both myself and my wife. As our
family was increasing, I began to long for some business that would keep me at home. Four of
our children were born in the house at 2nd and Chemung St. Bertha L. was born November 23,
1868, Hubert D. born May 5, 1872, Charles A. born March24. 1874, and Helen F. born February
181876. So, in 1876 we had 5 little children. The summer of 1876 was a very dull summer for
business, and as I had some ready money, I had a very strong desire to get into a furniture
business. I began to hunt up something. And by mere chance I found a furniture store for sale,
at Hammondsport, N. Y. After looking the ground over carefully I concluded to purchase the
store and contents, commenced business as a furniture dealer and undertaker September 1st,
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1876, and moved my family there the following November. Hammondsport at that time was a
small village of about 600 inhabitants and had a very shabby appearance, but it looked pleasant
to me. The store I bought was at the foot of Sheather Street, facing the lake. The old building
stands there yet in 1900 and opposite on the northeast corner stands the Wadsworth Hotel.
When we first came to Hammondsport in 1878, the foot of Sheather Street was the hub
of the business part of the town. The steam boat dock and railroad station were Just across the
street from my store. The post office and telegraph and express office were in J. W. Davis'
store, a few doors above me. The Wadsworth Hotel was at that time a saw mill and grape
packing box factory owned by the Fairchild brothers. The principal merchants were J. W. Davis'
General Store on Sheather Street, Allen Brownell Hardware, the first store Just above me, D.
Rose and Hastings & Nickels' General Store on Water Street at the head of the lake. H. D. Rose'
Grocery Store was on Pultney St. at the north corner of Pultney Park. J. R. Brown was next to H.
D. Rose' Grocery and J. S. Thorp's drug store next to J. R. Brown. H. J. Moore Drug Store was on
the southeast corner of Pultney Park.
The principal hotels were the Steuben House kept by A. Demath and the Smoker House
next to the Davis store on Sheather Street. The influential men of the town were J.W. Davis,
G.W. Nickels, D. Rose, H.D. Rose, L.I. Rose, L. Hastings, John Randle, Allen Wood, J.R. Borwn,
Syria Jerow, Charles Brownell, W.L. Moore, Smith Fairchild, Stanley Fairchild, J.N. Crane and B.
Bennett. The above men were all in business in 1876, and were the leading men of the town.
At that time the town was small and looked very shabby. In the fall of 1876, the village trusties
asked the citizens to vote the sum of 400 dollars for village expenses. I was asked to help vote it
down as it was considered a great piece of extravagance. I think the amount was 100 dollars
for street cleaning, and 50 dollars for police. My first school tax on two pieces of property wets
$1.80, one dollar and eighty cents. There was also another item of 100 dollars for the Creek
Wall and 150 for lighting for streets. There were a few plank walks, very much out of repair, so
most of the people walked in the middle of the road in dry weather. In 1877 I put down in front
of my house, the second stone sidewalk ever built in Hammondsport. John Randle built the first
one but in the same year. There was just one new house built between 1876 and 1880.
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But after 1880 the little town began to pick up and improved very fast. C.C. Halsey came
here the same year I did and bought the old Waters grocery store and continued the grocery
business until 1896. The Hammondsport Herald was a small country paper edited by Mrs. Ed
Fairchild. The press that it was printed on was a small hand press. There was no railroad depot
building at that time, simply a platform, as the railroad then was a very small affair, a 3 ft gauge,
and traffic was very light. In the winter the train was made up of engine and one combination
car, that is, one car to carry mail, express freight, lumber, baggage, passengers, or anything else
in the same car. The first real cartman in Hammondsport commenced business in 1875, but
then there was so little to do by way of carting that he gave it up. In 1876 Jacob Van Aulkin
bought an old horse and a 2nd hand cart and did the town carting. But it was a hard struggle
for a living. J.W. Davis had the principal dry goods and grocery store, but failed in 1877 and was
succeeded by G.P. Hastings who did quite a large business. J.S. Thorp and H.J. Moore had small
drug stores. J.S. Thorp failed in business and H.J. Moore just about made a living. Frank
Hastings had a small but neat little dry goods store but failed in 1880, and J.E. Brown had a
small shoe store but also failed in 1880. Hastings and Nickols, H.D. Rose, and D. Rose were the
only three good substantial merchants from which they developed the town. The Steuben
House was the only hotel in town at that time. U. Smoker had a small German saloon but called
it a hotel, located near the foot of Sheather Street. Jacob Pry kept a bakery and saloon facing
Pultney Park and Alec Morris kept a harness shop on Sheather Street. An old man by the name
of Beaton did the tailoring for the town and Ossen Holenback was the village blacksmith. This
was about all the business in Hammondsport in 1876.
There were two steam boats on the lake that made on trip a day, and Allen Wood was
quite a rich man as he was the owner of the B.&H. Railroad at that time. M. Hall was train
conductor and Sidney Reynolds was engineer. Both Hall and Reynolds were Allen Wood's sonsin-law. 0.H. and M.J. Babcock were the doctors for the whole town, and Ben Bennett was the
village lawyer. Peter O'Leary was the town police. There was the remnant of a little old fire
company that had been founded some years ago but had died for want of business. There was
one little hand fire engine and a few feet of hose on a little reel attached to the little engine.
Every house in town needed shingling and painting. All the old fences were tumbling down.
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J.S. Foster and John Quick were the only carpenters in town but there was not enough work to
keep them busy. Hammondsport had been a dead town for some years and was going to
decay, up to 1877 or 1878 when it received new life. The first time I saw the little village it was
a dead and rotting little place. But I was charmed by its beautiful surroundings and fine
location and felt sure it was only a question of time when it would be a handsome village, and I
was sure I would live to see my hopes desired. But about 1861 it was discovered that
grapevines thrived well along the border of Lake Keuka and the farmers saw it as a new industry
and very profitable.
In 1861 there were two wine cellars built, the Pleasant Valley and the Urbana. But it was
uphill work to sell the wine as wine drinkers did not think it possible to make good wine to drink
in this country, especially champagne. But time and perseverance convinced the public that
Hammondsport champagne was all right, and it is now, in 1900, well established and
extensively used instead of imported.
In 1876 vineyards began to be very profitable as grapes were high prices and in ready
demand, and Hammondsport began to prosper. People began to repair and paint up their old
houses. New buildings were talked of. But the village had been in that state before. The old
people were so far behind the times that they did not know how to make improvements. In
1875 the Bath and Hammondsport Railroad was put in operation, which put new life into the
town and brought people in from outside which, gave it new life. The public school up to 1882
was a common district school with 2 teachers in the summer and 3 in the winter. In 1880 the
town was struck by a wave of prosperity and everybody had the building and improving fever.
The Fairchild brothers turned their saw mill into a hotel. New steamboats were built and the
village in the summer was turned into a summer resort. In 1884 the main business section was
at the foot of Sheather Street. But one night in May of that year a fire broke out at the rear of
J.P. Hastings' store and cleaned out the whole row of buildings except for my furniture store
which was located at the comer of Sheather and Water Streets. It was quite a fire for a small
town and it completely changed the business location, as the stores all moved up town around
the square where they should be. The fire was in the long run a benefit to the town. At this
writing, 1900, the village has grown since 1876 from a population of 600 to1600. There are
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some fine business blocks. Some beautiful residences, a fine system of water works, a fine
school building of 10 rooms, 4 fine churches, the best fire department for a town of its size in
the state, two fine public parks, electric lights and fine streets. In short, Hammondsport is an
up-to-date town in every respect. The people of the town look well-fed, well-clothed, and wellbehaved. Fond of amusements and intelligent, as to that they are on a par with any community
in this country; the men are temperate, industrious and honest. Although wine making is the
principal industry, they are sober and temperate.
Jan. 2nd, 1901
Home for a vacation. Had a very pleasant Christmas and a happy New Year. My health is
good and my whole family are at home and all in excellent health. Spent New Year at my
daughter Helen's house, which is 3 miles out of town, and had a very pleasant time. Last
evening took my youngest daughter, Emma, to a New Year's dance. Did not dance myself but
enjoyed the evening very much seeing others dance and listening to the sweet music. Weather
is clear and cold with a light snow on the ground.
July 7th, 1901
Home again for my summer vacation. Am in good health and past the 63rd milestone of
my age. I have not mentioned that my business is and has been the past eight years, a traveling
salesman for the Columbia Wine Co. After the death of my wife in March, 1892, I became very
restless as I was out of business and had no steady occupation, and not wishing to engage in a
business, I conceived to engage in becoming a traveling salesman. I tried to get a situation with
some furniture manufacturer as a salesman as I understood that line better than anything else,
but did not find anything in that line, so took the next best that affords itself which was selling
wine. John Frey of the German Wine Cellars was the first man of them to offer me a situation.
Of course, I had to commence at the bottom rung as I knew nothing about wine or how to sell
it. My pay was small but I was determined to learn and work up a line of cast iron that would
be worth money to my employers and myself. I made three long trips for the German Wine Co.
but the route they gave me was too long and not very pleasant. So I engaged myself to the
Columbia Wine Co., who gave me better pay and a very pleasant route which is in eastern
Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware, Connecticut, and New York City, and a few towns in the
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western part of Pennsylvania. I make 4 trips a year which takes about 9 weeks for each trip and
the balance of the year, 16 weeks, I have for vacation. My pay goes on the year round which is
good.
I will now begin my history from l884 which was the year of the great fire of which I have
already spoken. As I said before after that fire the stores all moved town around Pultney
Square. In 1886 I built my new store building on the north side of square where it stands now,
and continued the furniture and undertaking business. In 1887 I was elected President of the
Village. I was also a member of the Board of Education on which I served 11 years. The last
three years I was President of the Board. I was elected a member of the Board of Health, of
which I was President. Was also elected inspector of election for the town which I served. In
1883 I received the nomination on the Democratic ticket for supervisor but was beaten by Adsit
Baily, the Republican candidate. In 1888 I received the nomination for Justice of the peace but
declined to run. I never asked for any public office. Was also vestryman of St. James church.
Was also registrar of vital statistics for the town of Urbana for a number of years. but the only
office I every took any delight in was member of the board of education, as I felt a great and
deep interest in school matters and labored hard to bring our school to a high state of
excellency in which I am happy to say I succeeded to a great extent. On March 31, 1881, my
youngest and last child was born, Emma Rose Beck, and on the same date my father was
buried. He died in South Livonia but was buried in Rochester by the side of my mother. My
mother died December 2, 1879 in Rochester in the same house that my father's family moved
into when we first landed in America in 1847. In the winter of 1891 I bought what is known as
the Evans Vineyard for $2200.00 cash which was considered a cheap property at that time. On
April 1st, 1891, I sold out my furniture and undertaking stock to my son-in-law, Fred C. Fawcett.
He wanted to engage in business and I wanted to get out of the store. He was young and active
and more up to the times, and I was getting old and needed outdoor exercise. plan was to work
on my vineyard and in the winter I could pick up odd Jobs and work when I felt like it. My two
boys were large enough to help me during the long summer vacation, and with the little offices
I had which gave me employment part of the time I thought that would be all the employment I
wanted. My plans were all very good but it was a complete change from my former life. I tried
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to work on the vineyard the first year but it was no go, as it was not nor never had been my
kind of work. I never had worked in ground before. The vineyard work was a disappointment
to me, and my boys had no relish for it either. I found myself with an elephant on my hands for
I soon discovered that as a vineyardist I was a total failure and my fine plans were no good. I
tried to play a retired gentlemen but that was also a failure as I soon got tired of doing nothing.
In March, 1892, my greatest misfortune befell me. About the middle of March my
brother-in-law, W.E. Clark of Corning, who was a particular friend of mine, died. I was laid up
with a broken leg at that time and could not go to the funeral. But my wife went. The weather
was very cold and she contracted a heavy cold at the grave. She came home the next day after
the funeral feeling badly but thought it was simply a bad cold and would soon pass off. About
the 24th of March she went to bed. The doctor was called but it was too late, for that dreadful
disease pneumonia did its work and she died the morning of March 28th, 1892. She was a good
Christian woman, a good mother and as good a wife as ever lived, always good natured. She
never spoke ill of anybody, was strictly honest, always looked after the interests of her children,
and loved them dearly. As good a wife and mother as any man was ever blessed with, she was
a model Christian, and if ever a wife and mother deserved Heaven she certainly does, and I
firmly believe is happy in Heaven with her blessed Lord and the Angels. She is a great loss to
me but I firmly believe she is at rest and we remember all her good precepts and good acts and
hope to meet her in a better world. I was left with five children at home. My 2nd daughter,
Bertha, was then 23 years old, a good loving daughter. She was very affectionate and did all She
could to make our home cheerful and pleasant.
The household went on but we all missed the dear mother who had always been the
guiding star in all things about the household, daughters Bertha and Helen were now my
mainstay and hope and the light of the household, and I can say they did well. They were
young, affectionate sisters and each did her part well. Bertha, being older, was the leader of the
house until she married April 12th, 1898. Then Helen was installed as mistress of the house but
in one short year she was married, which left me without a housekeeper as my youngest
daughter, Emma, was too young to keep house alone. But my daughters had matters all fixed
for me and that was for me to rent my house to my oldest daughter, Lilian, and for Emma and I
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to board with them, which was the best I could do and the only thing I could do as I am and
have been a traveling salesman and away from home 9 months in a year. In the winter of 1895
my son, Charles Anthony, who was at that time a clerk in D. Rose and Sons' dry goods store,
wrote me a very nice, letter stating that he would like to go to college and study to be a doctor
if I would furnish him the money. The letter pleased me very much and I replied without delay.
If he was in earnest and would apply himself I was more than willing to furnish the means to
pay his way. He promised also that he would apply himself, and he did. He went to the
University of Maryland at Baltimore, took a four years' course and after graduating received the
appointment of resident physician at the University hospital. He is now at this writing located at
Wilmington, Delaware, as a practicing physician.
By oldest son, Hubert, learned the Jeweler's trade and opened a Jeweler's repair shop at
Hammondsport, but he was not a success because he could not confine himself to his
workbench and also lacked business experience. He sold out his stock and tools and went into
a machine shop to learn the machinist's trade which is more to his liking. He is a good
machinist and a good-hearted young man but will never be a success as a business man. He is
now working regularly and getting fair wages. After the death of my wife, I was very restless,
and I was out of business and had a family on my hands to support and my income was rather
limited. That summer I made a trip to Colorado to spend a few weeks in the Rocky Mountains,
which I think did me some good. On my return I began to look for business. I did not want a
business at Hammondsport, for the furniture business or carpenter work were the only things I
had any experience in. I conceived the idea that I would like to be a traveling salesman. I
corresponded with different furniture manufacturers to sell for them. But nothing developed at
that time that was fitted to my satisfaction. John Frey of the German Wine Cellar offered me a
situation as a traveling salesman to sell wine, of which I knew simply nothing. As I am not a
wine drinker myself I was not a wine judge. But as I was getting desperate and restless for
something to do, I accepted the offer and started on my maiden trip about the first of February,
1892. It was a long trip as he sent me through part of New York State, New Jersey, part of
Pennsylvania, Maryland, City of Washington, D. C., Virginia,
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West Virginia, and part of Ohio. I returned in May thoroughly disgusted with the business
and myself, for I discovered that selling goods in a store is one thing and selling goods on the
road is quite another trade. As a traveling salesman I was at the bottom rung of the ladder and
to get to the top rung was a hard job for it is top-rung fellows that get the fruit. I learned that it
takes years of hard work to become a successful salesman. The outlook was dark but Mr. Frey
insisted on my trying another trip. I started out on my 2nd trip and had a little better success
but my commission was very small for the hard work and suffering I had to endure. The third
trip I was paid a small salary which encouraged me somewhat.
In the fall of 1893, the Columbia Wine Co. made me a satisfactory offer to travel for them
which I accepted. And at this writing, 1901, I am still with the same company but have had my
salary raised four different times. I have a fine route and a fine line of cast iron and fine
acquaintances and must say that I enjoy being a traveling salesman as my pay is good. Selling
wine is not as easy as one would think who never tried it. Competition is sharp, and there are
so many different locations where wine is produced and some wine in so poor that the public is
suspicious of anything called wine. But I must say that Hammondsport cellars all produce good
wines. In fact, I believe it to be the best produced in America, and Lake Keuka is becoming
noted for fine grapes and wine. I think it is only a question of time when all the grapes growing
on all the banks of the Lake will be made into wine.
Sunday, August 25th, 1901
MY summer vacation is about ended as I start out in the morning for a two months' trip.
My vacation was a mixture of work, play and sight-seeing. During the absence of my employer,
Mr. J.S. Haffs, who went to California, I superintended the building of an addition to the
Columbia Wine Cellars. After his return I and my daughter, Emma, went to Buffalo and to the
Pan-American Exposition. We enjoyed our trip and sightseeing very much as the building and
grounds of the Exposition were very fine. All things on display were of the finest the two
Americas could produce. We also did some visiting with my daughter, Helen Vroom, who lives
two miles out of town, and enjoyed it very much as Mr. Vroom and his family are very fine
people and have a faculty of making life pleasant and happy.
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Christmas, 1901
Home for my winter vacation. A nice coat of snow on the ground. Good sleighing but not
cold. My health is very good and I am having a very pleasant Christmas. I am invited to dinner
with my daughter, Bertha Bauder. Received several nice little presents from my children and
grandchildren. My family are all in good health and all are at Hammondsport except my son,
Charles A. Beck who is now located in Wilmington, Delaware as a practicing physician and is
doing fairly well as a new beginner as the practice was started last July 1901.
Sunday morning, January 5th, 1902, is a beautiful morning. About 8 inches of snow on the
ground and fine sleighing.
Aug. 6th, 1902
Home for my summer vacation which I am enjoying immensely as I am in good health.
Returned home June 22nd and on the 12th of July I and my daughter Emma, Bertha and Arthur
Bauder, her husband, went on a 10 days' outing and sight-seeing trip. We went to Philadelphia
where we spent 2 days. From there we went to Washington and then to Wilmington and were
the guests of my son. Dr. Charles A. Beck. From Wilmington we went by boat to Cape May
where we spent the day breathing sea air and enjoyed ourselves immensely. But poor Emma
became very sea sick on the passage.
Aug. 23rd, 1902
My summer vacation is about wound up as I start Monday morning on my first fall trip.
This has been one of the finest summer vacations I ever spent although the weather has been
immensely cold. This season up to now has been noted for heavy rains and hailstorms and
floods. In this part of the country, it was very bad for families on farms and vineyards. We are
about to make a change in our household arrangements, as my daughter Lillian and her family
are about to move into their own house.
July 12th, 1903
Returned from my trip June 20th and am enjoying a summer vacation. There is
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quite a change in my household arrangement withing the past year. My oldest daughter,
Lillian, has moved into a house of her own on William Street, and my next daughter, Helen, and
family have moved from the farm to my house, and Emma and I are now boarding with them
the same as we did with Lillian. We have made some improvements in the old home. We now
have electric lights throughout the house, and hot and cold water, and tiled bathrooms, house
newly papered and painted throughout, and parlor and halls newly carpeted. Today is
Communion Sunday and Confirmation. Bishop Walker is here and confirmed a class of 16. My
grand-daughter, Bertha, Lillian's daughter, was confirmed today, July 12, 1903.
June 20th, 1904
Just returned from a 2 1/2 months' trip tired out and very glad to get home to my dear old
Hammondsport, which is to me today the dearest place on earth. I am looking forward with
great expectation to two months rest and quiet which I need badly. I am now in my 67th year
but in good (health) and am able to earn $1500 a year for 9 months’ work including expenses.
July 18th, 1905
Returned home June 23rd for my summer vacation. I am now in my 68th year and
enjoying good health, thanks to my Maker for what I have, which is a good home and good
health. Today it is too hot to write so will put this book on the shelf until a cooler day. July 23:
Today is a cool day and very pleasant. But I am in a bad frame of mind for writing. My
daughter, Emma, has been sick for a month or over and today she is in bed. I hope it is not a
relapse.
My daughter Emma is now much better and we are now planning a short summer trip.
When I say we, I mean myself and Emma, and Arthur and Bertha Bauder. We decided on a trip
to Niagara Falls, Buffalo and Toronto, Canada by way of Lewiston and Toronto by steamer and
from Toronto to Rochester. We made the trip in fine shape and enjoyed it very much as the
weather was extra fine and the lake was still as a mill pond. In Toronto we were well
entertained at the Queens Hotel and engaged a carriage to take us to all the places of interest.
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All the people were very genteel and polite, and seemed to delight in making our visit pleasant.
We will always have a delightful remembrance of Toronto and Niagara Falls.
December 19th, 1905
Home for my winter vacation. Rounded up the year in middling good shape. Business the
past year was good, and my health is very good for a man nearly 69 years old. My dear old
friend John Dimon was buried yesterday, December 20th. I will miss him very much as we had
been on very friendly and social terms for 28 years. This fall and December is not for me, it is
extremely dry weather. December has been very cold to date with very little snow. My family
are all well except Bertha who has a bad cold. My neighbor. Dr. 0.H. Babcock was very sick,
nearly unto death, but is now getting better.
June 17th, 1907
This is a delightful June day, warm and clear, in fact, the warmest day this year for this has
been the coldest spring in many years. Owing to my changed domestic condition I have
neglected to write in this book for nearly two years but will now begin where I left off July l8th,
1905, and will try to describe the greatest event of my whole life. It may be a feeble effort.
While on our pleasure trip which I described in my last writing, my daughter, Emma,
informed me that it would perhaps be our last trip together as she expected to marry Walter
Jones to whom she had been engaged for some time. The day was not set but the event would
take place within a year. The remark certainly set me to thinking, for in the event of her
marriage I would be left alone and my home would he broken up. I thought of it for days but
could not see my way clear for nothing but loneliness stared me in the face and I became
gloomy, for the thought of my dear home being broken up or my being left alone was dreadful
and just what to do I did not know, for I already had a foretaste of what an empty house means,
for on my return home on June 23rd, 1905, the house was empty. Emma was sick at Mr.
Bander's house and Mrs. Gleason was also away although only for a little while, and no one was
in the house except me and Mr. Gleason, but he only nights. It was indeed a lonely house for
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there was no one to talk or visit with, no one to extend a glad hand, nothing but utter
loneliness.
On June 26th, 1905, I think it was, or about the third day after my homecoming I thought I
heard a lady in the house which I took to be Mrs. Gleason returned from her visit. I went to the
kitchen door to get my lawn mower but the door was locked.
I rapped and a lady opened the door for me but it was not Mrs. Gleason, but a stranger. I
said good morning and told her I wished to get the lawn mower as I wanted to mow the lawn
for it needed mowing badly. Now that was the beginning of a romance which I will relate from
stage to stage.
After I finished mowing my lawn, I sat down on the veranda to smoke and rest, and later
in the day the strange lady whom I met at the back door also took a seat at the farther end of
the veranda and did some sewing. We exchanged a few remarks about the weather and some
commonplace remarks. She being a stranger to me, I took the liberty of asking her her name.
She told me her name was Mrs. Gleason a sister-in-law to Mr. Gleason, and that she had come
to keep house for Mr. Gleason for a few days. How, that was my informal introduction to a lady
who was to become my dear wife and lifelong companion, but that thought was the remotest
from my mind at that time for I did not know that I was capable of loving and winning the hand
of a lady. My daughter was still sick at Mr. Bauder's house, and time hung heavy and I was
lonely. But as I became more acquainted with Mrs. Gleason, we began to visit with each other
for I soon discovered that she was a bright and intelligent lady. Our visits by degrees grew
more extended and we both seemed to enjoy visiting together and relating to each other our
life history. We also talked over the general topics of the day and in that was we passed the
time. But somehow, I began to grow quite fond of her company and preferred to visit with her
than with the men downtown. About the first of August a strange feeling came over me about
Mrs. Gleason. I could not make up my mind whether it was love or just plain fondness for when
I took my chair in my comer of the veranda and she was not as her usual place I felt uneasy and
longed to have a social visit with her.
In fact we gradually grew very fond of each other but we were both too modest to reveal
the fact to each other. But when we were alone on the veranda, which was not every evening
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for Mrs. Gleason received a good many callers and visitors and sometimes I wished they would
cut their visits short so we could have a visit together for I began to long for an opportunity to
tell the secret of my heart. I confess that I was extremely bashful and all our talking or visiting
as we called it, was done on the veranda and at a distance of 35 feet apart. We did no courting
as understood by younger folks for that was saved for later on. But we were very much
attached to each other. About the middle of August Mrs. Gleason was called away to her farm
on business and I must confess that I missed her company very much and my attachment was
stronger than ever. In the course of a few days, she returned and I never was more delighted
to see anyone than I was to see her coming. That evening I resolved to propose to her if the
opportunity came. Well, we happened to be on the veranda alone and I plucked up courage for
my mind was made up to know my destiny before I started my fall trip which would be in the
course of ten days. Without any great ado I simply asked her to become my wife. We talked
the matter over, and we were both perfectly calm and perfectly rational for we both knew what
it meant to get married for we both were of mature age and not silly. Mrs. Gleason made no
promise but asked for time to consider the matter. I told her she could take all the time she
wanted but asked her to give me an answer before I started out on my trip which she promised
to do.
A few days later Mrs. Gleason called me into her room and informed me that she had
decided to accept me as her future husband and I was a happy old boy and the future looked
brighter to me for I loved the dear lady. We shook hands and we were both as happy as any
young couple, for it was natural love. I informed my daughter, Emma, what we had been up to
and found her all broken up, although she had an inkling of what had transpired. But she soon
became reconciled to the fact. I also informed Bertha and she also looked surprised, but that
afternoon Bertha came over to my house where there was once more some reconciliation and
handshaking and in the presence of Bertha, I kissed my future wife for the first time.
We were now engaged for sure and from this time on we were true lovers. We
commenced to plan for our wedding. We both entered into the planning with all the
enthusiasm and interest that any young couple ever did. But first we informed all our children
of the great event. They all approved of our course and all agreed that it was a wise course for
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us to take, which pleased us very much as we both needed a home in our old age and were of
sound mind and body and able to take care of ourselves. From now on we began to plan for
the future in real earnest. The first thing was our wedding and it seemed like living our lives
over again, for we entered into the matter with the same interest that any young couple ever
did. Just a few days after our engagement I started -out on a fall trip so we did our planning by
correspondence. We decided to be married at the St. James Church by the Rev. Mr. Burge on
December 26th, 1905. We also decided to invite no one except our children and a few close
relatives and Mr. D. Bauder, who was my best man. We also decided to go to New York City for
a short honeymoon. We talked over all the little things connected with a wedding outfit such
as clothing and all the other little knickknacks, but above all it was to be a wedding without any
fuss or frills.
December 26th, 1905, came at last. I was a beautiful morning, the sun shone bright, and
for a December day it was delightfully warm. The two carriages that I had engaged brought the
friends to the church, and all were around and ready for the ceremony at 9 A.M. sharp. Mrs.
Gleason, the bride, led by Mr. William Knapp, her son-in-law, and then followed by the other
members, marched to the altar of the church and were received by the minister, myself, and
Mr. Bauder, my best man. The minister performed the marriage ceremony and the great deed
was done. I took my new wife by the arm and a prouder man never lived then I was. We
marched to the rear of the church where they had the usual handshaking and the usual kissing,
congratulating, and good wishes. We put on our wraps, got in the carriage accompanied by Mr.
and Mrs. William Knapp and drove to Bath where we took the train for New York City. We were
now fairly launched out on the deep -unknown sea of matrimony. We took our seat in a
comfortable car of the Delaware, Lackawanna, & Western Railroad and were wafted along
towards the great metropolis of America, had our dinner on board the train and at 7:15 P.M.
landed at Breslin Hotel, where I had a room engaged beforehand. The trip to New York City
was a delightful one for the day was like an April day.
Nov. 13th, 1911
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Dear Reader: It is now nearly six years since I wrote the last line in this book. So now I will
give an account of myself and family.
As stated in my last writing we were handsomely located at the Breslin Hotel, New York
City, to stay a while and as this was her first visit to New York I concluded to show my dear wife
the beauties of the metropolis as I was quite well acquainted in the city, and I am sure she
enjoyed it very much. The weather during our stay in the city was perfect, sunshiny and warm,
which added very much to our pleasure. After a stay of eight days, we returned home, and our
entire honeymoon trip was a round of pleasure that we will never grow to forget. Arrived
home in fine order and my dear wife was regularly installed in our apartment. We are not
keeping house in the full sense of the word, but we have rooms in our own house and take our
meals at Mrs. Mott's boarding house which is just a few steps from our house. We try to live in
comfort and have as little work as possible. My wife takes care of the rooms and keeps what
things she can in perfect order and I take care of the lawn, and that is about all the work we
care to do. The last of January, 1906, I started on my regular trip for the Columbia Wine Co. I
was to be gone two months but it seemed like a long two months for I began to long for a home
life, and my business as a wine agent became distasteful to me, and I felt my life had been for
sixteen years like a wandering Jew. The pay was good and the firm in whose employ I was,
treated me well. But I began to think of changing my course of life and gradually stop traveling
and settle down and live a quiet life the rest of my days, as I now had a good wife and pleasant
home. In June, 1906, my youngest daughter, Emma, married Walter Jones of Elkland, Pa., and
of course they started out on their life's journey in Elkland. She was the last of my children to
leave the parental roof and house where she was born and which was her constant home for
nearly twenty-five years. After Emma had moved the house hold goods I gave her out of her
rooms, I and my wife proceeded to refurnish. We had the rooms repapered and painted, and
when the carpets and furniture and other useful articles were placed and arranged in the
rooms, we thought we were very cozy and grand. My dear wife brought all of her carpets,
curtains, bedding, pictures and such furniture as we thought we would need from her farm
house. In fact, we were so cozy and pleasantly situated that I hated to leave home worse than
ever. In the summer of 1907, I informed mv employer that I only wished to travel four months
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in a year, to which he consented, so I made one trip of two months in the spring and two
months in the fall. But in 1908 I informed my people and customers as I made the rounds that
it was my last call as I intended to quit the business for good. On my return home I informed
my employer that I wished to retire from work as a traveling salesman. Mr. Hubbs said he
could not hold me against my wish when I didn't want to stay, so we settled up for the year and
I considered myself old enough, to stop work as I been a busy man from the age of 10 years
until I was 71 years of age. I drew down the curtain of my business life and it is down to stay. I
have never regretted that step for I have a limited income that keeps my dear wife and me
fairly comfortable.
In 1909 we began to plan a change in our house. So far, we had been living upstairs. We
had the parlor on the first floor but we had no cooking conveniences, so we wanted to live on
the ground floor.
We gave notice to our tenants that we wished to make a change in the house and they
would have to look up other quarters. We proceeded to make plans for the necessary
improvements and after the tenant vacated went to work with a will. We enlarged the south
room for our bedroom, turned the long bedroom into a bathroom and clothes press, changed
the windows and made them larger. We changed the sitting room by taking out a partition
which made the room larger, put a window in the bathroom, turned the dining room into a
large bedroom with a clothes room attached, and built a veranda at the outside kitchen door.
We made large portiere openings between parlor, hall, sitting room, and the south bedroom.
We painted and papered all of the lower floor of the house, also all of the outside of the house,
also the whole kitchen a cheerful color. After all the work was done and everything cleaned up,
we proceeded to furnish all the rooms and when all the rooms was freshly furnished our home
looked good enough for a king. We felt quite proud of our dear home. My dear wife being a
fine housekeeper, took delight in keeping every part of the house in the finest of order.
Mrs. Virginia Hastings rented part of the upper rooms and moved in at the same time we
moved downstairs, which was April 1st, 1910. She is here yet, a fine tenant. We enjoy our dear
home. We have about everything for general housekeeping, but we still have our dinner and
supper at Mrs. Mott's boarding house, but we get our own breakfast at home. Our laundry is all
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done out of the house. My dear wife has a woman come about every six weeks and do a
thorough cleaning and twice a year a regular house cleaning. Every morning I assist in doing the
morning work. In short, we are trying to live as easy a life as we know how, for we know that
our stay on earth is of but a few years at the longest. We are both trying to live a good
Christian life. We are at peace with all our neighbors. And we both pray the Lord to teach us
how to live and to help us to follow the teachings of our blessed Savior, and ask the Holy Spirit
to guide and keep us from sin and to banish all evil thoughts from our minds.
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Postscript:
Robert is listed in an 1890 Census of Union Veterans and Widows of the Civil War as being
in Urbana Township, and as having a disability: “disease of the eyes.”
Robert’s second marriage record identifies Mrs. Beck, nee Mrs. Gleason, as Elizabeth. 1.
The 1910 US census shows Robert in Urbana NY, which includes the Village of
Hammondsport, and his wife is listed as Amy E. Beck, apparently the same woman, as he would
likely have mentioned a change in his 1911 entry. The 1920 US Census lists her name as Ama,
and under occupation Robert has “Patriotic Instructor” in the field of “Schools.”
Robert Beck Passed on the 28th of August 1922 in Hammondsport at the age of 84. 2.
The level of detail is fascinating, and yet there are statements that would beg further
explanation if it were possible, such as why Rochester was the planned final destination, and
how was it arranged that the family had a house built for them. It seems there was a wider
German community than the sixteen families who traveled together who were in
communication. In my own background I am a descendent of a number of families who
emigrated from that same region of the Rhine valley, from both sides of the river, and who later
intermarried here. – JE, 20 April 2022
PPS: In searching for a picture of Robert I discovered that my project had already been
done, with more follow-up of the family members. The prior work was also broken down into
chapters, and some editing was done to bring the typewritten version I used closer to the
original hand written manuscript. This version can be found at:
https://www.crookedlakereview.com/authors/beck.html -JE 21 April, 2022
1. NY, Yates Co, Swann Vital Records collection 1723-2009
2. "New York, State Death Index, 1880-1956", database, FamilySearch
(https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QG2D-CHJ6 : 2 March 2022), Robert
Beck, 1922.
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