Box 1, Folder 4: Diary 1811-1832

[Left Page] 50 canal New York visited us to day he has been on a survey of a canal in Georgia. 24th April Went to Louisville to deliver the weekly estimates to the Directors. 25 Mr. [Sayre?] & his sone [son] William arrived from Ohio Mr A.S. Phelps a young friend of Mr Henry's from Rochester also came on his way to Texas. River got high 26th Sunday Went to Louisville to church in the forenoon 27. Worked in the canal. Got [illegible], and a letter from Parri — He has got employment at Chillicothe & he expects to go there soon. 28 Went up the canal to Louisville — 29 No work on the canal — stayed at home 30 Went up the canal and Mr. Godwin gave me a letter from Dr. Hildseth & I went to Louisville & got a box of shells & minerals which he sent. 1st May. Mr. Rowan (senator) came down to examine a [moddle?] for a swing bridge on a new plan invented by Mr. Henry to be built over the guard lock. Went to Louisville to carry the report & got a compafs [compass] — got a letter from Darius 2d Rainy — stayed at home 3d Sunday. Went to Louisville to church but there was none. Went to Rock island for shells, but the river was too high. 4th Worked on the canal. 5 [illegible] & went to Louisville. [Right Page] 51 5th May — Worked on the canal — Went to Louisville to get a book of Dr. Fitch but he has not yet finished reading it. In the evening we went to hear the effect of the echo in the guard lock recefs [recess] upon the [illegible] of the German flute — It was delightfull. A sharp sound is echoed ten or twelve times. 6th River got quite low — Assisted Mr. Henry to make calculations of the land which the canal Co. wish to buy of Mr. Rowan at the head of the canal. We have taken the Survey. 7th Early this morning I went to Louisville to carry the calculation to Mr. Godwin & then returned to assist in making the report. Afternoon went to Rock Island 8 A beautifull morning but a cloudy day! Worked on the canal. An agent for the Illinois Canal Commissioners wants Mr. Henry to locate that canal. 10th Sunday — Went to Church with Mr. Taylor & Mr. Henry. Took a walk to the south of the city a mile or so — also walked up the river, then called on Mr. Bullar. Windy dusty day — 11th Mr. Beauford the U.S. Engineer visited us at the office. I made him a present of a plan of the Locks & map of the falls. 12 Drew a plan of the bridge for Mr. [Sayre?] & in the afternoon I went to Louisville to get the original to satisfy Mr. Henry that I had copied it correctly.

[Left Page] 52 13th May. Copied a letter from Mr Henry to Mr White & went to Louisville. Got a book of Dr Fitch. Drew a map of the proposed alteration at the upper end of the canal. 14th May Copied a communication of Mr Henry's respecting a new plan for the look of the canal. Rowan charges too much for his land so they propose to do with out it. 15th After the reports [illegible] were finished I went to Rock Island for shells, found some new ones — Shower of rain got wet. 16th Saw a curious marine plant on the Steam Boat [Amaron?] from N. Orleans Worked on the canal. 17th Went to Louisville to an Episcopalian church. Saw Capt. Smyth U.S. Engineer & Lieu Swift, also an Engr. 18th Worked on the canal — The board recieved [received] a remitance [remittance] of $160,000 from Government & they met to pay their debts. They also authorized the construction of the swing bridge. 19 Rainy — Copied a letter to Mr White & drew two maps of the new plan at the upper end — then went up the canal 20th Was on the canal all day to see if the work is done properly. 21st Worked on the canal setting stakes for [Southerly?] and Adams — went to the Bridge — found that Mr P. [Camey?] had fallen from [Right Page] 53 1829 one of his [crains?] & was nearly killed. Drew a plan of the swing bridge for the carpenter [Terry?] Fipps, nearly killed a man on the commons. Went to see the man. 22d May — Three "fights" occured in the street this morning — no notice is taken of such Occurence by the civil authority. Made out the report But Mr Goodwin happened to be down & he had the goodnefs [goodness] to carry it up to the Board — 23d Went up the canal — Drew a plan of the Locks Got a letter from Darius — Parri is now working at the office of the [Scout?] Gazette The work on the canal under Mr Ives is not progrefsing [progressing] well — only 300 men. 24th Sunday — set up with Mr Carney last night & slept to day. 25 Drank so much "lemonade" as to make me sick — Helped lay out the swing bridge & drew a plan of the Lock gates for the carpenter. Went to Louisville to get some drawing paper. Got some views of improvements in London. 26 — Drew two plans of the swing bridge — Mr Henry got a letter from Mr White — he has got the next level but tell Mr Henry to keep the one belonging to Judge Bates. Got a letter from Parri. 27th Put a letter in the office for Darius. worked on the canal took some [pills?] consisting of [illegible] & [illegible]

[Left Page] 54 28th May. Jumped out of bed this morning with a cramp in my leg. Went to Portland to measure some timber sold to Mr Ainsly the Brewer. Afternoon went to Louisville & got some French books on bridges sent by Capt Smyth. 29th Helped make the necessary measurements & levels for the weekly reports. — Leveled the ground under a large Elm tree for Mr. Detiste who is about to make a platform in its wide spread of branches. Capt Smyth wants me to got to the Wabash with him to assist in making some levels & survey of that river. Hot. 30th Mr Henry made a long "communication" to the contractors, (Ives & Baldwin) in which there [illegible] some hard words, about a lack of [energy?] improper, treatment of hands etc. etc. We then went to the upper end & met Mr. Butler who walked down with us — had on light cloths, straw hat — hot weather. Sunday. Went to Louisville to church 1 June. Went to L. got a letter for Mr. H. from N.[illegible] Judge Bates is to survey the [illegible] canal. 2d Went to the city with the level to level the [illegible] but some thing was wrong the folks were not ready to have it done — Came back without doing it. 3d Worked on the canal Richard Singer for N. [illegible] Went down to New Albany to get some casting Took a vol. of Sill. Jour. to Dr Clapp. Saw Capt. Shrieves' [illegible] boat. Went also to see a new jail — building by Watson. [Right Page] 5[5?] Shipping port 1829. 5th June. Forenoon helped make out & copied the reports & carried them to Louisville in the afternoon. Paid Mr Penn for McMurties Sketch of Louisville which I got a great while ago. 6th On the canal. 7th Sunday. Weather more cool — Went to church 8 Laid the iron roller ways for the swing bridge over the guard lock. 9 Went to town twice — gave Mr Butler (who is just going to New York) some Letters from Mr Henry. 10 On the canal 11 Partly on the canal & partly in the office. 12 — Reports, as usual — Mr Ridgeway an Engineer from the Ohio canal with us 13th On the canal — Mosquitoe [illegible] necessary Sunday. Wrote about 6 miles in Indiana, to collect mineral specimens — Saw a lizard on a tree with claws like birds, & a lead blue tail. 15 — Rainy — Wrote a Letter to John Smyth of Blairsville, Pa. 16 — On canal — Rowan wants us to make him a basin at the head of the canal. 17 — Horses run away with a Lock. on account of a blast in the canal. 18 Unloaded another boat of Cyprefs [Cypress] timber from the mouth of the Ohio. 19 On the canal — fine day. 20th Heavy rain last night. To Louisville in the forenoon. Then went to hunt for shells in the Ohio — found none. Sunday — Went to Louisville to church with Mr Henry

[Left Page] 56 Shippingport & Mr Taylor. Waded the Ohio to Goose Island — got no shells or [illegible] — a fisherman put [illegible] over Indian [illegible] to Indiana, & we returned by way of Clarksville. Capt Smyth returned from the Wabash. 22 & 23 On the canal 26th June. Went to hear Mr Clay make a dinner speach [speech] & hurra for Jackson! 25th Got a piece of Sal. of [Automony?] from Indiana, brought by one of the hands. 26 Went to Louisville saw Capt. S. who wants me to make some plans of the Locks 27 — Drawing & hunting shells for Mr White. 28 Sunday — Allen & [Perrine?], arrived, they expect to get a settlement with the Canal Company when Mr White arrives. 29 Drawing for Capt Smyth. 30th Man hung in New Albany. Finished my drawings & Mr Henry made a table showing a history of the canal — Took them to Capt. S. he was not in. 1 July. Saw the Captain — the table is not quite right & I am to add another figure to my drawings. Mr. Graham. Portable theodolite. 2d on the canal. 3d Load of Cyprefs [Cypress]. Went to L. 4th Independance. Wrote to Darius, [Raised?] the [famous?] swing bridge. Sunday. Went for Blackberries — Capt Smyth with us 6th Canal 7th Worked all day getting iron for balancing the swing bridge — took 3 tons. [Right Page] 5[7?] 1829 July 8th Mr. A.G. Phelps from New Orleans, returned. [illegible] 9 Done some leveling in Louisville for Capt Smyth & then got in to ballance [balance] the other half of the swing bridge. 10. Measured the masonry laid during the week and the rock excavated in the different quarries for the reports — Finished the Bridge. 11 Aftenoon Went for shells, found them abundantly. Sunday. Walked alone in the woods. 13 & 14 On the canal 15 Got a letter from White he wants plans drawn of the bridge, locks &c. which I commenced 16th In the fore noon drawing for Mr White & was thus engaged when he & Mr Goodwin came in. Went with Mr Taylor to Portland & New Albany & returned by Clarksville saw a Mr Benton & his large Foundary. Was near getting wet in a shower. 17 Reports as usual — also went to Portland 18th — On the canal — New Level. 19 Sunday — Stayed at home 20 Went to Louisville — Mr Henry went then in the afternoon 25 Mr H. spent his time this week in Louisville. They made arrangements with Rowan to make him a basin 20 Got a Letter from Darius in answer to mine of the 4th 27 Worked part of the time on the canal — made up a box of shells for Mr White also wrote a note to accompany them.

[Left Page] 58 Shippingport 28th July. Went over to New Albany to see Dr A. Clapp. Borrowed Dr Arnott's Elements of Nat Philosphy. Made some experiments with Fluor [spa?] 29th Mr Canvafs [Canvass] White started for Pennsyl[vania?] worked on the canal 31st Estimate day. Sent Judge Bates' Leveling Instrument to Chillicothe — Recieved [Received] $90 for services on the Canal 1 Aug. Paid [J?] Keffer &co $28.25 for wheel barrow wheels which I sent to father on the Ohio canal. Samuel Scot — died! 2d — Very hot — read Arnott. 3d 4th 5th Worked at the Locks — setting segments for gates to open on. River 14 feet above Low Water. 6 — Went to Louisville in the morning & to New Albany in the afternoon on Canal businefs [business] — wrote to Darius giving an account of the swing bridge now being constructed over the guard lock — poor affair. 7th Wrote to Wm Darlington of West Chester requesting to exchange specimens. 8 — On the canal 9th Sunday — unwell — gale of wind 10 — Mr Henry commenced Superintending the canal hands for Mr Ives! [Right Page] 59 August 1929 11 Counted 37 Steamboats now layed below the falls for the season. Chloride of Lime. 28 — Since the 12th — Engaged mostly at the Locks except Friday when I have to measure each stone quarry in the bottom of the canal — assist in making the estimates & carry them to Louisville; and Saturdays I have to measure pavement for Sub. Contractors Recd a letter from Darius stating that he has received an appointment as Assistant Engineer on the Ohio Canal & that his office will be 5 miles from Lancaster. 4th September Wrote to Darius — Saw Mr Isaac Lea's Work on the Naïdes [Naiades] in the possession of Thomas [H?]. Taylor 7th Wrote to father & received a letter from Darius 13th Answered the above 16 Read a letter from Dr Darlington. 29th Made up a box of shells for Mr Lea. 40 species bivalves & 21 of Univalves they were sent by Mr Taylor 7th October — Got a letter from Father stating that he had got me a situation as Rodman in Ohio & requesting me to come home immediately — which I determined to do