Maumee express. [volume] (Maumee City, Ohio) 1837-1838, 1837-06-03
ORIGINAI. SKETCI.Es.
RECoLLECTIoNs OF THE FORT TRACT.


mee, as il sweeps with silent graceful
ness along--now playing with happy
daillance, at the foot of some almost per-
pendicular bluff, whose lofty trees strive
TO bow their heads, and mingle ID the
ripping wave that is smiling below them,
and now sweeping with graceful curve,
around the borders of some rich bottom,
Il comfortable cottage and waving
eorn'|S||t bespeak the residence of some
settler ~ho drawshis "sustentation" Zine
word I'D from the bosom Of the earth
al z7sI as from the woods around-that
is 70 say-he has plenty of "wiH hogs
and, hominy,D to say nothing of slight
I touch Of whiskey, now and then. But
of all the fine sights of this most magnif-
cent ofall streams, let me tell you one,
which, ten chances to one, you have seen
fifty times, and half of those times (for
Itake it for granted you are in good hu-
NOR half of the time) have admired.
Just below the. foot of the rapids the
Maumee river changes its character, and
becomes an arm of the lake; and its first
effort after its trans formation is most
splendid. 1t expands to double its form
er width, and throws out the most beau
tiful alienation of bluff and bottom that
can be imagined--all disposed in sue
cession of the most wavy curves, that
ever met the eye OF the most Industrious
prospect fancier.
itwas here that that most pussiant of
all personages to wit: Uncle Samyllav-
ing in his eye the otium cumdignitate,"
as much as the terrors of "wars brazen
'front.'" had selected himself few most
delicious country seats, which he had
dignified with the name of the "Fort
Tracts"
Here no doubt the old gentleman in
tended to raise for himself most SUBJ
stantial country seat, with perhaps a
few pop,guns,mounted uponit for amuse-
ment on training days, and the fourth of
jelly; and here in his "rus in urbe" he
no doubt expected to enjoy himself huge
ly in company with the DANES of the c-
ties which he foresaw would grow up
around him. But the old gentleman be-
came involved, and was forced to sell.
But we are getting before our story.
In the course of time. as the shores of
the Maumee became inhabited, the desi-
rableness Of the incipient farms we have
spoken of became more and more appa-
rent, and as they continued unimproved
BY the owner himself, they straightway
became the habitation of whole troops ofa
certain species of semi-barbarious "ver-
min" known as squatters, who seeking
to become the possessors Of certain uaeI
recorded evidences of title called "'prds
enlption rights built their log edifces1
upon the same, striving nobly to petpet-
uate their names, by whole troops of
gaiiigaskinless brats and unpctticoated
chips of mortality. tits with the laiiai1aaaa- /
bic desire of rescuing the names of
portion of these worthless from oblivion
that we have undertaken to give to the
world our Recollections Of the Fort
Tract" and we propose to begin, with
the name of Catfish Smith.
CHAPTER II.
CATFISH SMITH.
There can be no greater indignitv Of
fered to the memoEyof. a truly, great
man, than that Of striving 10. deduce his
descent rom some illustrious ancestor.
Itsseems TO display on the part Of the
biographer doubt at least, if not dis
belief in the infallibility of his hero, while h
at the same time, it brings the misty
shades ofantiquity, with all their solemn
and awful grandeur, into a competition
with the more fresh but less striking pic
lures of modern times. With our hero
we shall do no such thing. For aught
we know.
. His ancient and ignoble blood
Has crept through scoundrels since the food. 81
But with this partof the subject we have s
lone. He was the Rodolph of his race, {
and like Napoleon, who dated his patent {
rom Monte Notte, our hero may be said
o have gained bis nobility from the same {
lct from which he received his most mu- '
'ical cognomination. r
Catfish Smith indeed was no ordinary
lame: given on the battles hard fought :
ield, in the days Of chivalry, it wenld !
AVE entitled its possesser,tof li1e honor
# becoming theThero Of modern ross
nance,with allits pafaphenalia,o of sword
& buckler ofglittel5ng tournaments and
aides fair, Of bard love, hard drinking
and hard 6shting earned in the days Of !
The revolMion, the owner would have
been embh hlmedin the records of Sump-
ters and Marions men as first cousin to
Horse Shoe Robson.
Theu Is no similarity in the appear
r,,,o ,,,fa.,. Uraaf oenar-