valley. The tree was a white elm, standing on a beautiful spot on the north bank of the river, being four or five feet in diameter, and fifty feet to the first limb. It was crowned with an immense top that covered with its shade a number of square rods of beautiful green sward. The spot where it stood being at a point very near and overlooking the "Grand Rapids" (the grandest of the entire succession of rapids from Fort Meigs), and within sound of its never ceasing murmur, it was selected long ago by the Indians as a favorite council ground, and consequently this tree became known in the early days by the traders and settlers as the Council Elm." It was destroyed by a severe storm in July, 1879. While the canal basin and dam were being constructed at Grand Rapids, young Jackson, at that time a very young man, was the Assistant Engineer of the Public Works of Ohio, in charge of this part of the public work. He was somewhat acquainted with the tradition and more recent history and was a great admirer of the noble old tree, and loved to sit under its cooling shade and enjoy the cool breeze during his leisure hours. On one occasion one of the workmen kindled a fire on the roots of the old tree; the young engineer, highly incensed, first put out the fire, and then calling up the man who had built it, gave him to understand that any future aggressions upon the old elm would cause the perpetrator such chastisement as he would not readily forget. This Jackson was well able and ready to give, for he had without doubt some of the "Old Hero's" blood in his veins, as I have often heard him express himself in strong language, using By the Eternal" with the variations, and woe be to him who fell under his displeasure, for cause. The once large and populous village of Kinjo-a-no, or Ap-a-to-wa-jo-win, was situated at the foot of the Grand Rapids, nearly a mile below the old elm, and as the tree was isolated from the noise and turmoil of an Indian village, it was frequently selected as the council-ground for many important gatherings of the eiefs and head men of the Ottawas and Pottawatomies. The great council which impressed me most was the last council of any importance ever held under its spreading branches. Bad White Men.-It was some time after the lands had been ceded to the general government, the Indians still retaining possession of the lands. After the treaties had been made the valley renegade white hunters and trappers, whiskey-sellers, and bee-hunters (for the hollow trees were filled with wild honey) destroyed the Indians' traps, often stole their horses, and run them far out of the reach of their owners. I was then a mere boy, but all my sympathies were with the much abused Indians, and I was rather in hopes that some dark night these intruders and renegades would be wiped But the better and wiser counsels of out. Wa-se-on, Ottokee, Pe-ton-i-quet, Nac-i-chewa. and other noted chiefs prevailed, and the Indians bore their wrongs with a grace and patience unparalleled among civilized people. Uncle Peter Menard, my father, and Col. George Knaggs, being great friends of the Indians, were importuned to intercede for them with the government agent, that these abuses might be stopped and redress made for losses already inflicted. The Indian Council.-Col. Jackson, the kind-hearted agent, was ready to co-operate with his friends in giving the redress asked for. promised that the matter should be laid before the authorities at Washington, and called a council to be held under the big elm. Some days previous to the day set for the council the Indians began to arrive; by the morning of the council-day the chiefs and head men were nearly all present in the village, and at ten o'clock the assembled braves were ready for the grand smoke and talk with the white chief, O-ke-maw-wa-bush-ke. It was a warm day, and all enjoyed the shade of the old tree. Seated upon a log sat the dignified Col. Jackson, and on his left Uncle Peter Menard and my father. The Indians composing the council sat on the ground in a semicircle in front of the white men, and the younger warriors and hunters not admitted to the charmed circle sat in groups under the shade of the old elm, silent but interested spectators. Although a boy, I had been chosen by Col. Jackson to act as interpreter. Speech of Ottokee.—At a signal from the agent that the council was convened the head chief, Ottokee, lit the pipe of kinnekanick; it was passed from mouth to mouth, the white men participating in the ceremony, and it was not until several pipesful of the fragrant weed had been exhausted that the council was ready to proceed with the "big talk." Col. Jackson then said that "his ears were open, and he would listen to the words of the chiefs.' After a few minutes of perfect silence Ottokee rose to his feet-a noble specimen of a native orator and, with the dignity of a prince, his arms folded across his breast, he commenced the delivery of the great speech of the occasion. He portrayed in glowing colors the situation of his people, the faith they had kept with their white brothers and with their great father, the President of the United States; that they believed his words when he said he would protect them in their rights while remaining in their old homes from the intrusions of white men until he should be ready to move them to their new homes west of the great river (Mississippi), but he was so far away that he could not see or hear his red children when they called to him in their distress. They had called many times to have him drive away the bad white men, but he did not hear them. The Great Father is good, but the white men fill his ears, and he cannot hear the red men call. My white brother sitting before me is the half-brother of the Great Chief at the Big House, and he has heard us and now listens to what we say. The bad white men have killed our deer, trapped our otter and mink, have stolen our horses and abused our women, have camped on our land and call it their own, and when we tell them to go they hold up their rifles and say they will shoot. What must we do? We have waited many, many moons, very long, for our Great Father to drive these bad men from our land, but he has not done it, and if we drive them he will be angry with us. He has women, he has children; will he let bad men abuse them? No! he will not! Our Great Father is a great chief; he was at the great river when our British brothers from across the big water tried to take the country away from him, but he would not let them land. Our Father is a great chief; he is brave; will he protect his red children? I have spoken," he concluded; "my brother will speak.' Col. Jackson answered this speech by saying that his heart was good and his cars were open, and he would let the President hear all the words of the great chief, Ottokee. "Let the other chiefs speak," he said. "I will listen." Speech of Nack-i-che-wah.-One after another the chiefs rose in their places and spoke much in the same spirit as Ottokee, some more vehement than others, some with moderation; all, with one exception, counselling peace. Nack-i-che-wah, the most active of the chiefs, and the greatest orator of his tribe, or his nation, or in fact of the neighboring tribes, was more bold and outspoken. He said they had listened to the sweet words of the Great Father and believed them, but they were like the singing bird: sweet while you listened, but it flew away; it did not come back, and you heard its voice no more, and did not answer when you called it to come back. Our Great Father had sent his chief to tell us his words of honey; our ears were open, we heard what he said, and we believed them, but our Father has for gotten his words, and his red children are sorrowful. Shall we, too, forget that we signed the paper, ton-ga-nun-me-gwan, and draw the tomahawk and drive these dogs of pale-faces from our hunting-grounds? We have called to the Great Father many times and he does not hear us. Are his ears closed to the complaints of his red children? I have done. So earnest the manner of speaking and so deep the interest that all felt on this momentous occasion, no one had taken notice of time, and it was late in the afternoon when the last speaker took his seat amid the monotonous guttural sounds of acquiescence in the arguments presented by the chiefs in their defence of the rights of their usually quiet people. Col. Jackson, the agent, then arose to his feet and in a very dignified manner spoke to the Indians. He said the President, the Great Father, had a big heart and he loved his red children, that his ears were open and he heard the complaints of his people, but the pale faces were as many as leaves upon the trees, and he must listen to all, and he could not answer all at the same time. He had many, many more red children to listen to, who must be heard, his ears were open and all should be heard in their time. My white brother," he said, referring to my father, who was acting secretary for the council, has taken the words of the Great Chiefs and put them on the paper; they will be sent to the Great Father and he will read them; his heart is good and he will answer his red children. He will pay them for the losses of their horses and their traps and the killing of their game. I will call the chiefs together when his word comes back and tell them what he says. Have my brothers anything more to say?' A murmuring sound of satisfaction, “Waho," went through the council, and Ottokee answered that his people were satisfied with their brother's words and that they were done. Col. Jackson took his seat, the tomahawk pipe of kinnekanick was again lighted and passed around, and after all, both white men and Indians, had participated the council broke up and the Indians repaired to the adjoining village where they partook of a bountiful feast of beef, pork, and corn prepared for them by the order of the agent, a custom always adopted by the government, when holding treaties or councils with the Indians. The council broke up with perfect understanding and good feeling among all the Indians present, with a perfect reliance that government would remunerate them for the losses they had sustained and drive the intruders from their lands, and for once the government kept its word with the Indians. FAYETTE, near the border line of Ohio and Michigan, is surrounded by a fine farming section. It is on the W. St. L. & P. and L. S. & M. S. Railroads. Newspaper Record, Independent, Lewis & Griffin, publishers. Churches: 1 Methodist Episcopal, 1 Disciple, and 1 Christian Union. Bank of Fayette, C. L. Allen, cashier. Industries: 2 saw, 1 planing, and 1 grist mill, 1 creamery, and 2 novelty manufacturing establishments. Population in 1880, 579. Is the seat of the Fayette Normal Music and Business College, a growing institu tion. DELTA, on L. S. & M. S., 35 miles west of Toledo, surrounded by a fine agricultural country. Newspapers: Atlas, Independent, E. L. Waltz, editor; Aralanche, Republican, J. H. Fluhart, editor. Churches: 1 Presbyterian, 1 Meth odist Episcopal, 1 United Brethren, 1 Free Methodist. Bank of Delta, William E. Ramsey, cashier. Industries: Delta Oval Wood Dish Company, 1 grist, 2 saw, and 1 planing mill, brick and tile works, 3 wagon and carriage shops, large pearlash factory, 1 cheese, 1 washing machine, and I broom factory. Population in 1880, 859. ARCHBOLD is 8 miles west of Wauseon, on the L. S. & M. S. Railroad. It has newspaper: Herald, Non-partisan, W. O. Taylor, editor. Churches: 1 Catholic, 1 German Reformed, 1 German Lutheran, and 1 Methodist Episcopal. Population in 1880, 635. School census 1886, 260. GALLIA. GALLIA COUNTY was formed from Washington, April 30, 1803. The word Gallia is the ancient name of France, from whence it was originally settled. The surface is generally broken, excepting in the eastern part, and on the Ohio river and Kiger creek, where it is more level and the soil fertile. Much of the county is well adapted to wheat, and a great part covered with a sandy loam. Area, 346 square miles. In 1885 the acres cultivated were 69,775; in pasture, 86,973; woodland, 48,880; lying waste, 6,298; produced in wheat, bushels, 44,552; oats, 84,035; corn, 654,383; tobacco, pounds, 153,325; butter, pounds, 461,471. School census 1886-pupils, 5,359; teachers, 260. It has 41 miles of railroad. The population of the county was, in 1820, 7,098; in 1830, 9,733; in 1840, 13,445; in 1860, 20,453; in 1870, 22,743; in 1880, 25,178, of whom 22,763 were Ohio-born; 2,470 Virginia; 505 Pennsylvania; 323 German Empire; 398 England and Wales; 92 Ireland; 27 France. This The first settlement in Gallia county was at Gallipolis. It was settled in 1791, by a French colony sent out under the auspices of the "Scioto Company." was an association formed in Paris, the project of Col. William Duer, of New York, Secretary of the United States Board of Treasury, a large operator and a man of speculative turn. He was of English birth and had been a member of the Continental Congress. While Dr. Manasseh Cutler was negotiating for the passage of the ordinance of the Ohio Company's Purchase Mr. Duer went to him and proposed to connect with it an outside land speculation and colonization scheme. The passage of the ordinance seemed hopeless without Duer's influence and as he offered generous conditions Cutler acceded. With his influence its success was certain. The matter, however, was to be kept a profound secret. The generous conditions on the part of Duer to the Ohio Company for permitting the contract to be made under cover of its petition was a loan of $143,000 in securities, to enable it to complete the first payment to the Board of Treasury, many shareholders of the Ohio Company having failed to respond promptly to the call. In October, 1787, Dr. Cutler and Sargent closed two contracts with the Board of Treasury. One with Manasseh Cutler and Winthrop Sargent, as agents for the directors of the Ohio Company of Associates, so called," was an absolute purchase of 1,500,000 acres, lying between the Ohio river, the 7th and 17th ranges of townships, and extending north from the river till a line due west from the 7th to the 17th range should, with the reservations stated in the contract, include the whole amount. The other with Manasseh Cutler and Winthrop Sargent,. for themselves and associates, was an option to pur 66 chase all the lands lying between the Ohio and Scioto rivers and the 17th Range, extending north to the line of the 10th Township, and also all the land east of this tract, west of the 7th Range, south of the 10th Township, and north of the Ohio Company's purchase. The whole tract of land included in the last contract was estimated to be from 3,000,000 to 3,500,000 acres. In each contract the line of the 17th range is recognized as yet to be determined. The price of the land was one dollar per acre, subject to a reduction of one-third for bad land, to be paid in gold, silver, or securities of the United States. From the above it is seen that Dr. Cutler and Major Sargent made an absolute purchase from the Board of Treasury for the direct use of the Ohio Company, and a contract for the right of purchase or pre-emption right of the three millions and a half or thereabouts wanted by Duer and associates. Having done this they ceded to the latter the pre-emption right. Cutler and Sargent, members of the Ohio Company, were included as associates with Duer. What we may term the Scioto tract was divided into thirty shares, of which Duer took 13, Cutler and Sargent jointly 13, and the remaining four were to be sold in Europe. Cutler and Sargent assigned interests to Generals Benjamin Tupper, Rufus Putnam, S. H. Parsons, and Royal Flint. Joel Barlow was also given an interest by Duer of one-sixtieth of the tract, he being selected as agent to go to Paris and sell the four shares. He arrived there the last of June, 1788. He could, however, sell only the "right of pre-emption." Barlow took with him a copy of a pamphlet by Dr. Cutler entitled "An explanation of the Map which delineates that part of the Federal lands comprehended between Pennsylvania, the Rivers Ohio, Scioto, and Lake Erie." This pamphlet was reprinted in Paris, in 1789, with the endorsement of Capt. Thomas Hutchins, the geographer of the United States, as to its accuracy. At first Barlow met with indifferent success, but early in 1789 he got acquainted with William Playfair, whom he describes as an "Englishman of a bold and enterprising spirit and a good imagination." In July of that year the Bastile was taken and all France was in an uproar. The times were propitious for schemes of emigration. Barlow and Playfair issued "Prospectus for an Establishment on the Rivers Ohio and Scioto." In preparing this they used the pamphlet of Dr. Cutler and Capt. Hutchins descriptive of the Ohio country, with additions and embellishments wherein Playfair's "good imagination" was displayed, as is shown by the annexed extract : A climate wholesome and delightful, frost even in winter almost entirely unknown, and a river called, by way of eminence, the beantiful, and abounding in excellent fish of a vast size. Noble forests, consisting of trees that spontaneously produce sugar (the sugar maple) and a plant that yields ready-made candles (myrica cerifera). Venison in plenty. the pursuit of which is uninterrupted by wolves, foxes, lions or tigers. A couple of swine will multiply themselves a hundred fold in two or three years, without taking any care of them. No taxes to pay, no military services to be performed. Volney, who came to America in 1795, in his "View," where we find the above, says: These munificent promisers forgot to say that these forests must be cut down before corn could be raised; that for a year, at least, they must bring their daily bread from a great distance; that hunting and fishing are agreeable amusements, when pursued for the sake of amusement, but are widely different when followed for the sake of subsistence. And they quite forgot to mention that, though there be no bears or tigers in the neighborhood, there are wild beasts infinitely more cunning and ferocious, in the shape of men, who were at that time at open and cruel war with the whites. In France, in Paris, the imagination was too heated to admit of doubt or suspicion, and people were too ignorant and uninformed to perceive where the picture was defective and its colors too glaring. The example, too, of the wealthy and reputedly wise confirmed the popular delusion. Nothing was talked of, in every social circle, but the paradise that was opened for Frenchmen in the western wilderness, the free and happy life to be led on the blissful banks of the Scioto. At length Brissot published his travels and completed the flattering delusion. Buyers became numerous and importunate, chiefly among the better sort of the middle class. Single persons and whole families disposed of their all, flattering themselves with having made excellent bargains. Volney here refers to the travels of Brissot de Warville. Brissot published several volumes relating to America, as we infer from his preface to his "New Travels in America," a work issued in the spring of 1791, and consisting in part of a series of letters written from this country in 1788. In his preface to the last, he says: "The third volume was published in 1787 by Mr. Claviere and me." In the last, he refers to the charges against the Scioto Company in this wise: "This company has been much calumniated. It has been accused of selling lands which it does not possess, of giving exaggerated accounts of its fertility, of deceiving the emigrants, of robbing France of her inhabitants, and of sending them to be butchered by the savages. But the title of this association is incontestable; the proprietors are reputable men; the description which they have given of the lands is taken from the public and authentic reports of Mr. Hutchins, geographer of Congress. No person can dispute their prodigious fertility." He elsewhere speaks, in this volume, in high terms of the company. With the proposals they issued a map copied from that of Capt. Hutchins, but with a fraudulent addition in the statement that the country east of the Scioto tract was cleared and settled when, indeed, it was a wilderness, the first settlement within it, that at Marietta, having been made only the year before. The engraved map annexed was inserted in the first edition of this work. It was copied by us in 1846 from the map of Barlow and Playfair in the possession of Monsieur J. P. R. Bureau, one of the settlers who was then living in Gallipolis, and who came out in 1799 from Paris. The original was sixteen inches long and twelve wide. It was in French, handsomely engraved and colored, with the lands of the two companies and the tract east of them, all divided into townships of six miles square. It represents the Scioto Company's tract as extending about 100 miles north of the mouth of the Kanawha, and including more or less of the present counties of Meigs, Athens, Muskingum, Licking, Franklin, Pickaway, Ross, Pike, Scioto, Gallia, Lawrence, Perry, Jackson, Hocking and Fairfield. This tract, on the map, is divided into 142 townships and thirty-two fractions. The north line of the Ohio Land Company's tract is eighteen miles south of the other, and included the present county of Morgan and parts of Washington, Meigs, Athens, Muskingum, Guernsey and Monroe, there divided into ninety-one townships and sixteen fractions. The tract east of that of the Ohio Company extends forty-eight miles farther north. Upon the original are the words, "Sept rangs de municipalite acquis par des individues et occupes depuis, 1786;" i. e., "Seven ranges of townships acquired by individuals and occupied since 1786." It was in November, 1789, that Barlow, as agent, concluded the sale to a company formed in Paris under the firm-name of the "Company of the Scioto," the principal members of which were M. Gouy de Arsy, M. Barond, St. Didier, Maheas, Guibert, the Chevalier de Coquelon, William Playfair and Joel Barlow. He used no deception with the company, showing them the exact terms of the giant to his principals. |