Box 1, Folder 5: Diaries 1827-1828

218 The Filson Club History Quarterly [Vol. 45

July 23d. Finished the above survey before noon. I drew a map [p. 92] from it in the afternoon. I spent what leisure time I get now days reading in Silliman's Journal last No which contains some very interesting articles.

Thursday July 24th. We done some work on the canal this morning and then I commenced drawing A map of the proposed change in the line of canal at upper end. In the afternoon I went down to the river near the Mill and among other shells I found the Unio Foliatus of Dr. Hildreth, which proves what he [p. 93] supposed to be dubious viz that it is a distinct species and not a mere "lusus natura"¹⁰²

Friday July 25th. In the forenoon I was employed in Mr. Henry's office copying his reports estimates &c. which I went to Louisville to render to the board of Directors in the afternoon.

July 26th. 1828. In the forenoon it rained, & I worked a little on my plan of the Locks & Bridge. In the afternoon I commenced measuring the stone for the Locks on the canal. [p. 94]

Sunday July 27th. In the forenoon I wrote a letter to Mr. S. P. Hildreth mentioning that I have found his Unio Foliatus at the Ohio Falls, and another to Darius.¹⁰³ In the afternoon I took a long walk with Mr. Henry & Taylor into the country.

July 28. In the forenoon I done some work on the canal with Mr. Henry and in the afternoon I was measuring stone.

July 29. I measured stone until noon and in the afternoon I worked on the canal with Mr. Henry Pratt of the [p. 95] time, the rest I spent in reading the New York Canal Laws &c

An occurrence characteristic of the common people of Kentucky took place almost before my eyes this afternoon. It appears that a dispute arose at the card table between Thos. Ferguson & [blank in MSS.] in a grog shop a little below Datiste's on the opposite side of the street. This dispute arose to blows. Ferguson chased [blank in MSS.] out of the house and down the street some distance when he overtook him and commenced beating him notwithstanding his repeated cries of "enough" "enough" he drew a knife [p. 96] upon him which Ferguson told him to put up, at the same time drawing a pistil and holding it at his head this he done and Ferguson continued to beat him as before. [blank in MSS.] then drew his knife the second time & stabbed into the hart and he died within about ten minutes. [blank in MSS.] made his escape, it is said over the river.¹⁰⁴

Wed July 30th. 1828. I done a little work on the canal this morning, and then continued the measuring stone.

This Job as shall be seen by this Journal commenced on Saturday

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last. I suppose some person [p. 97] told Henry that there was stone enough on the ground to build the locks & Bridge and on the day above mentioned he asked me how long it would take me to measure all the stone. It is to show his knowledge of practical Engineering that I state that he supposed I could do it in one day. I told him that I could not think of doing it alone but that three persons could do it in as many weeks. He then said that I might do it in two days. I have now been at it two & a half Days, and the stone are scarcely half measured yet. [p. 98] What renders this job very disagreeable to me is that Mr. Henry is inclined to think that I do not work all the time.

Thursday July 31, 1828. I spent the time this day in measuring stone.

August 1st. 1828. In the forenoon I copies Mr. Henrys report &c. In the afternoon I went to Louisville and delivered to the printer a table of my meteorological observations.¹⁰⁵ I bought while I was there a map at [of] Tennessee.

Aug 2. I spent most of the time today [p. 99] in measuring stone. It was a very hot day but about 8 o'clock in the evening there came on a violent storm of wind which terminated in rain.

Aug 3. The rain continued through the night and at intervals during the day. I completed the plan of the locks which I commenced a great while ago & wrote a letter to Darius.¹⁰⁶

August 4th. This is the first day of the election in Kentucky. In this place it was held immediately opposite [p. 100] my boarding house.

I went up the canal in the morning, in the afternoon I went on the Rock Island but found nothing very interesting.

Tuesday August 5th. I wrote a letter to Phoebe Allen today and went to Louisville in the afternoon to put it into the post office. This is the second day of the election. The Jackson Candidates "keep ahead" or have a majority.

August 6th. This is the last day of the Election. Jackson candidates [p. 101] have a majority both here and at Louisville.¹⁰⁷ Mr. Henry spends his time electioneering, and I was Reading the New York Canal laws &c, from which I have made some extracts into my book of memorandums &c. Poor Paper & Poor Pen.

Mr. Smyth has been to Ohio for the purpose of hiring stone cutters for this canal. While he was there he found the Canal Commissioners of Indiana and made an agreement with them for the office of principal Eng[i]neer. He is to be at Fort [p. 102] Wayne by the first of September next, he will leave here within about a week.

Thursday August 7th 1828. I worked on the canal some this forenoon. In the afternoon I spent my time in reading Tredgold on Rail Roads.¹⁰⁸

220 The Filson Club History Quarterly [Vol. 45]

In the evening I took a sketch of the Cincinnati street bridges from Mr. Smyth’s plan, which he has just drawn from notes and dimensions taken during his late visit to the Miami Canal.

Aug 8th. I worked in the office nearly all the time in the forenoon; at [p. 103] noon I received a letter from Darius,¹⁰⁹ and in the afternoon I went to Louisville to Deliver the Engineers Reports &c. A man by the name of [blank in MSS.] Davidson arrived here from Philadelphia. He is to be president of the board of directors in the place of N. Berthoud Esq. Resigned.¹¹⁰ Canvass White will be out within a few days. I copied some notes from Tredgolds Railroads into my Book which I keep for the purpose of receiving notes of all kinds relating to internal improvement. [p. 104]

Saturday Aug. 9th. 1828. I done some work on the canal in the forenoon in the afternoon I commenced a plan of a gate for the workmen.

Aug 10. I stayed at home all day reading principally in the New York canal laws &c.

Aug 11. I had some work to do on the canal in the forenoon and the fore part of the afternoon. I made a bargain with Mr. Sayre for a box of paints which he has of American manufacture. I give him my small box and several plans. [p. 105] On Saturday, Not having had an operation on my bowels for some time I called on the Doctor for some medicine: he gave me one drop of the oil of the fruity of the Croton Tiglian, [note at bottom: Silliman’s Journal Vol. 14 p. 369] which soon opperated as an emetic and some time after it had the desired effect.

Tuesday Aug 12th. What time was not spent on the canal was spent in drawing plans for Mr. Sayre.

Aug 13th. There was but little work to do on the canal in the forenoon and none in the afternoon. [p. 106] I was drawing plans of an aqueduct, bridge &c For Mr. Sayre.

Thursday Aug 14th. I worked on the canal all the forenoon. Canvass White Esq. arrived from Pennsylvania. In the afternoon I went to Louisville to deliver a paper from Mr. Henry and as I returned I stopped at the bridge to see the first corner stone of that beautiful structure laid by Mr. Sayre.

Friday 15th. I done some work in the morning and then assisted in making out the weekly report of the engineers. [p. 107] In the afternoon I carried it up to the board of directors, saw Mr. C. White while I was there.

Sat Aug 16th. I have done but little work on the canal today the time being principally spent in reading and drawing plans for Mr. Sayre as

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well as for myself. I was offered seven dollars for a cow which was left to be sold by me.

Sunday Aug 17th. Not much occurred. I stayed home all the time. [p. 108]

Monday Aug 18th. I received a letter from Darius¹¹¹ and one for him from Phoebe Allen of Lockport N. Y. Not much occurred I spent part of the time in the forenoon, at drawing and in the afternoon writing an answer to Phoebe.

Aug 19th. Henry Clay arrived at Louisville this evening on his electioneering tour to the West.¹¹² I worked on the canal most of the time in the forenoon and in the afternoon I went to Louisville and bought some drawing paper and two small blank books. I put a letter [p. 109] to Phoebe Allen into the post office while I was there. Mr. Henry had been before a meeting of the board of directors today.

August 20th 1828. In the forenoon Mr. Henry went to Louisville and I was employed on the canal. At noon Mr. Henry Clay passed through our village and Mr. White spent the afternoon with us. He tried some experiments for blasting under water but owing to the caterages [cartridges] being too small they did not succeed as was expected. He wants me to collect for him four specimens of each species of shells which are to be found here. [p. 110]

Thursday Aug 21 1828. Mr. Henry went up to Louisville last evening with Mr. C White and did not return until this evening, when he brought me a present from Mr. White of Constocks History of the Greek Revolution accompanied by a map of Greece.¹¹³

I was at work on the canal the principal part of the time.

Friday 22. After setting some stakes on the canal in the morning we made out the reports & estimates which took us until noon. Afternoon I went to Louisville to deliver them to the board of [p. 111] directors. Mr. White left this place for Pennsylvania at 9 o'clock AM. After I returned I done some work on the canal.

Saturday Aug 23, 1828. Not much occurred. I spent part of the time on the canal and part in my room Reading the Greek Revolution.

Sunday 24. I wrote a letter to Father today, and on the same paper one to Darius. In the afternoon I went over the river, with Victor Audubon & his Brother fishing.¹¹⁴

Monday Aug 25th. I worked on the canal in the forenoon and in the Afternoon I commenced Drawing a plan of Dibbles Crain,¹¹⁵ for Sayre.

Tuesday Aug 26th 1828. In the forenoon I went to Portland with a team in order to show a teamster where he could find some iron cast

222 The Filson Club History Quarterly [Vol. 45

ings belonging to the canal. After dinner I was directed to go to New Albany. After doing by business there I went to Dr Clapp['s] office: but he was not at home.¹¹⁶ Dr. C has boarded about 300 feet deep in search of coal. I then went into [p. 113] a druggist’s shop, and enquired for Dr. C. and questioned the man some about the boaring. He says that he has passed through the bituminous Shale thro' the limestone and into Granite.

He gave no description of this granite but I suppose it must be Eaton's Ferriferous Rock. I followed the edge of the river up to Clarksville and found no shells. It is one continued bank of slate containing disseminated through it small masses of suphuret of Iron, and occasionally interposed between its layers is a thin stratum of sandstone containing fine gra[i]ns of pyrites. I went up to clerks point to collect the shells [p. 114] which I found there June 30, 1828 and found several species. The animals of these shells are black while the shells are brown or horn color.

Wednesday Aug 27. Mr. Henry went to Knob creek to examine some property which was to be transferred to Carney Sayre & co. but the transfer was prevented by the hands who had taken possession of it as seculity [security] for the dept. due them. I worked most of the time on the canal.

Thurs Aug 28. I worked on the canal in the forenoon; in the afternoon [p. 115] I was reading in my book on the Greek Revolution.

Friday Aug 29. After copying the reports in the morning I had nothing to do until noon. In the afternoon I went to Louisville to deliver them and got twenty dollars of Mr. Goodwin and paid it to Mr. Detiste for my board. It is to be returned to Mr. Goodwin when I draw money on my wages in October. There was a letter in the post office for Father, which I [p. 116] remailed for Chillicothe.

Saturday. Aug 30th. In the forenoon I was at work in the office adding up the measurement of stone lately taken by Carney Sayre & co. In the afternoon I worked on the canal at the locks where they are making some heavy blasts.

Sunday. Not much occurred. I stayed home most of the time.

September 1st 1828. In the forenoon there was some rain, but in the afternoon I went to Louisville to carry Mr. Henry's Boots and buy [p. 117] him some tobacco, as well as to give to the printer my meteorological table for August. While I was there I went to see some books which are to be sold at Auction on Thursday evening next. When on my way down I went on Clark's Island¹¹⁷ opposite Louisville and found 2 or 3 shells.