Box 1, Folder 5: Diaries 1827-1828

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these considerations I was content to pass them by without examination. I got a belly full of blackberries which are now ripe and well flavored. After passing through the woods to about one mile from Clarksville I came to where there is a rocky bank extending square with the general direction of the river for some distance. It is in this bank that the cave is situated which we went to visit in the spring of the year 1827. I found it more completely filled with earth than ever. After examining this bank for specimens of which I found but few I returned to Clarksville taking a rout further back from the river into the woods. [p. 69] There I stayed some time waiting for the ferry boat to arrive from the opposite shore. I got back to Datistes Inn a little before the bell rang for supper and before Mr. Henry returned from Louisville.

The board of Directors met today and excepted [accepted] the offer which Mr. Bates made then to resign, and offered Mr. Henry the office of Principal Engineer in his stead.⁹¹

Tuesday July 1, 1828. I cast up the means and made a copy of the meteorological table for June; in the morning then went on the canal and done a little work; After dinner I went up the canal [p. 70] and kept on to Louisville and left the table at the printing office.⁹² In the morning I got a letter from Pazzi and one for Darius from D. Thomas. This last I put into the post office of Louisville for Chillicothe.

When I returned I wrote a letter to Darius, giving a method of gaging small streams.

Wednesday July 2, 1828. The thermometer indicated 61° this morning but we were very much chilled with cold insomuch that Mr. Datiste had a fire started in his bar room which felt very comfortable!! I put the letter for Darius in the post office. Worked on [p. 71] the canal nearly all the day. Drew a plan of the courses of stone in the Bridge in the evening for Mr. Henry, who has made some alterations to the plan.

Thursday July 3d 1828. Tomorrow is the 4th of July. The Hon. President & Directors being aware of that wish that they would meet today and thereby give themselves time to celebrate the Anniversary of the American Independence which happens to come on the day of there usual meeting. We were of coarse required to report today and I went up the canal as soon as I got my Breakfast to get the time lists of the different bosses. After I returned & Mr. Henry made out his reports I commenced [p. 72] copying them. At the bottom Mr. Henry says "I beg leave of the Board to offer my services as Principal Engineer together with the Assistant at twenty five hundred dollars per year.

In the afternoon Mr. Henry went to Louisville to see the Directors and left a little work for me to do on the canal at the bridge; after doing which I stayed home until night.

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July 4 1828. This morning I was awakened very early by the roaring of canon celebrating the 52d anniversary of American Independence. After breakfast I went to the post office and got a letter from Darius [p. 73] requesting 50 wheel-barrow wheels made of cast iron, and I immediately went to Louisville to get them.⁹³ The founder informed me that he would have them ready within about one week from this time. While I was there I went to see the Egyptian Mummy and other curiosities & paintings now exhibited there.⁹⁴ When I returned to Shippingport I had to make out the copies of the time lists, which took till some time after dinner. The day was celebrated here by getting out the two military companies an[d] marching off into the woods to dine and returned, about the middle of the afternoon at Even[in]g they fired a cannon 24 times, once for [p. 74] each state. I spent the rest of the date at home. (Mr. Henry was appointed principal Engineer at the meeting of the Board held yesterday).⁹⁵

Saturday July %th 1828. I felt very weak in my joints and other little symptoms of disease this morning. I resolved to inform Dr. Dalton⁹⁶ of it and know what he thought best for me to do about it. This I was prevented from doing until noon in consequence of his not returning from the Ball in Jeffersonville until that time. He is of the opinion that it will not be a very serious disease and recommended some Elexi Vitreal. There was very little work to do for the canal. [p. 75]

Sunday July 6. Ever since I received the first letter from Darius since he left here (received June 21) I have been wishing for an opportunity to go to Utica and to examine the rock which presents itself in the hills a little above that village.

In the letter above referred to he writes as follows "Six miles above Louisville we passed the small Village of Utica situated on the first bank of the river about high water mark. Just above this place a limestone ledge or mural precipice, approaches the river bank 60 or 80 feet high or more. The demoded surface of the rock strata appear to be covered with oxide of iron which is probably contained in the clay between the strata, and exuding runs down the surface. It abounds in geodes [p. 76] There appears to be one stratum about ten feet thick situated two thirds of the height from the river the other part is stratified or shelly. I am suspicious that it is the Geodiferous limerock of Eaton."

He concludes by recommending to me the propriety of visiting the place, and accordingly I procured a horse of Mr. Perrine¹⁹ one of the contractors, this morning very soon after breakfast and ferrying across the river I proceeded up the road which leads to Jeffersonville. My horse is one which is what is commonly called "hard, or hard to ride", that is, he jolts a person very much when on the trot. Not being much used to riding horses, I at first found it necessary to hold on by the saddle to

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prevent myself [p. 77] from being precipitated entirely off from the horse! However I soon learned to set on without much fear of that but then the jolts must of course ware a sore on the parts most exposed to the saddle. I passed through the main street of Jeffersonville which is next to the river no buildings being permitted to stand on the river side. The bank is very high and steep opposite the village. And I think the river is encroaching on it here, for the streets is very narrow. I passed on up the river, through alternately deep umbrageous forests, and cleared fields or plantations; occasionally over a deep ravine, and sometimes a small brook, about 6 miles and arrived at [p. 78] the small village of Utica. It contains about 40 or 50 houses. The business done here is very little being principally what arises from the manufactory of Quicklime, and brick, and of supplying Steam Boats with wood. I passed on through the village and came opposite the limestone ledge. Here I tied my hors to the fence and went up to the rock which I found to be the same as that which forms the Ohio Falls at this place. I climb[ed] from shelf to shelf on the side of the rock and thus got up to the top at almost the steepest place. I found all the minerals are petrefactions substantially the same as the Ohio Falls. I passed along on the top of [p. 79] the ledge in a direction leading up the river and came to the place where the quarry of stone for the lime kilns is. Here I found a geode with a piece of spar in it of a laminar [lamellar] structure which I at first supposed to be selenite but on examination when I returned I found it to calcareous spar. This mineral occurs on the side of a vein which was opened by the quarry in the form of an incrustation. I got also several specimens of a fossil shell, which is very plentiful. I pocketed all these specimens and commenced my return. I stopped at Uitica and got a bottle of small beer and some cake, it was now [p. 80] Just 12 o. o'clock. I returned by the same rout I had taken to get there and got home about the middle of the afternoon, very sore.

The result of this excursion proves that there is no geodiferous or [. . .] tiferous limerock in these regions. The Third Graywake lays immediately upon the Calciferous state of Lias. It is probably that the rock at Cincinnati mentioned by Darius in the letter belongs to the same general stratum.

Monday July 7th. 1828. I had mush pain in my hip joints and back all day this day occasioned by my ride [p.81] yesterday. I assisted Mr. Henry at laying out the patterns for the segments on which the gates open. It occupied the principal part of the day.

It is not probable that Darius extended his examinations on to the side of the hill at Utica or he would have at once perceived the striking similarity of the stratum with that at the Ohio Falls.

Tuesday July 8th. This morning I finished a letter for Darius mention

216 The Filson Club History Quarterly [Vol. 45

ing my late excursion to Utica, and [p. 82] some information concerning the canal and put it in the post office.⁹⁷ After doing that I assisted Mr. Henry to take an estimate on a sub-job of two stations and set some bank stakes which occupied the time till noon. After which I went to Louisville and saw Mr. Goodwin who gave me the principal. dimensions of the largest of five steam-boats. He also told me that I must agree with Mr. Henry what my wages shall be hereafter.

On my return I went on the bed of argillo Ferruginous limestone [p. 83] opposite Corn Island below the City and found some very fine specimens of Anomalies.

Wednesday 9th. 1828. In the morning I went up the Canal and set a few tall stakes, we then went out with the level and took the height of the rock above the angle till Noon. Afternoon we was setting stakes on the curve. The Tinner is making for me a Nicholson's Portable Balance for taking specific gravities.⁴³

Green Corn on the table for Dinner.

Thursday July 10. I went up the canal this morning to get the time lists from the different [p. 84] bosses, which I do not any longer have to copy. After doing that I finished reading the account of the Indians in Long's Expedition in the forenoon. In the afternoon I was writing for Mr. Henry.

In the evening I received a letter from Darius Letting me know how to learn how to spell properly.

Friday July 11. I had to copy Mr. Henrys report this morning. In the afternoon I went up the canal.

July 12th. 1828. Not much work to be done on the canal today Mr. Henry went to Louisville [p.85] in the afternoon, & I wrote a letter for Darius.⁹⁸ As I have felt rather costive for a day or two back I resolved to call on the doctor; he gave me some calomel which I took just before I went to Bed.

Sunday July 13th 1828. The cathartic medicine which I took last evening sent me to the jakes four times before dinner. I stayed at home all day.

July 14th. In the forenoon I went to Louisville to see about the cast Iron wheel-barrow wheels. They will not be cast within two or three days. I put Darius’s letter [p. 86] in the post office; it contains certain reasons why I wish to leave this place and get into business in Ohio; a geological profile from Utica to knob-Creek a distance of 18 miles, and a variety of miscellaneous matter.⁷⁵

In the afternoon I calculated the length of the arch of the Bridge and then went to Portland to see if I could find some cast Iron belong[ing] to the canal which was left there under water last fall.

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Tuesday July 15. This morning I got a letter from Pazzi and the No of the Western Tiller which contains my description of this canal.⁹⁹ In the afternoon I done a little work [p. 87] on the canal; the rest of the time was spent in copying this journal into the form of a book.

July 16. In the forenoon I done a little work on the canal, in the afternoon I went up the canal and continued on to Louisville. I also went up Bare grass creek about 1 1/2 or 2 miles but found nothing very interesting.

July 17. I spent most of the time today at work on the canal. In the afternoon I received a letter from Darius giving an account of his journey to [p. 88] Circleville, describing ancient works, geology of the neibouring high lands, &c. &c. very poorly written many mistakes.¹⁰⁰

Friday July 18. In the morning I was employed most of the time in the office copying The Engineer's reports Estimates &c. Afternoon I went to Louisville to render them to the board of Directors. Saw in the market some very fine water melons, price 62 1/2 cents, bought some drawing paper. Mr. Geo Scogel¹⁰¹ arrived today, he has been lately at Lockport, on the Welland Canal and at the Niagara Falls. He informs me [p. 89] that Mr. Barret⁵⁸ is sick and not able to attend to the work on the Welland canal of which he is the Principal Engineer.

July 19th 1828. There being not much to do on the canal today I resolved to dray [draw] a plan of the Locks on the canal at this place. In the afternoon I went over the river with Mr. Tailor. We found but few specimens but visited a chalybeate spring situated in the bank of the river above Clarksville.

July 20. Sunday. I went up to Louisville this morning with Mr. Henry & Taylor for the purpose [p. 90] of going to Church but owing to circumstances which occurred there I did not hear the sermon. I stayed at hone the rest of the Day. Mr. Smyth⁸³ arrived from Indianapolis last evening. Not much done about the Maume & Wabash canal.

Monday June [July} 21, 1828. We done a little work on the canal this morning but was obliged to put in rather in a hurry on account of a very heavy fall of rain which was making its way towards us. Afternoon the rain having ceased falling I went to Louisville on some business of the [p. 91] canal. I had the 50 wheel barrow wheels put up in barrels and sent off on board the steamboat Gen. Marrion & returned home toward night, received the 2d No of vol 14 of Silliman's Journal.

Tuesday July 22 1828. This morning I helped to do a little work on the canal after which I was writing for Mr. Henry until noon. After which we commenced a survey of the bank of the river from Portland to Louisville.