The Ohio Democrat and Dover advertiser. [volume] (Canal Dover, Ohio) 1839-1840, 1840-07-31

Oanks nad lent out so much paper mon-
ey that they were over head and ears in
debt themselves. Every body owed
them and they owed every body. So
they stopped payment in order that they
might have leisure 10 make other people
pay. AS all the money had, for some
years past come from The banks, and
hard dollars were ssscarce as flowers
IN winter, when they stopped payment,
every body followed their example, for
as they lived by borrowing, they went
10 the dogs when they could borrow no
more. -s
But though the Banks had stopped,a as
they said, for the safety Of the. commu-
nifty, and would pay nobody, they took
good care 10 make every body pay them
10 the last far,hing. Old Daddy Brown
was one of those unfortunate people, for
he had as | said before, joined Tom
Green in giving his notes to Toms
Bank, for the residue of the purchase
money ofthe greatswamp which now
proved Dismal swampto him, for Tom
had 'faiIed' as they say without paying
anybody a dollar, Nobody knew where
he had got his money,and nobody could
tell what had become of it. The Bank
called on Daddy, or Squire Brown, as
he was called, for the payment of his
notes, and the old man applied to the di-
reclors to lend him money or renew his
notes, both Of which they declined He
then, Though il almost okeihis heart to
part with such glorious speculation,
offered 10 give up the great s~ amp lfthey
would square accounts with him, upor
which they laughed in his face, and lolc
him bis great swamp was great hum
bug. "
+ Poor Squire Brown was in quanda-
Try for just about this time the corpora.
ton demanded payment for two years
taxes and assessments on the greaI
swamp, which being valued at two hun
dred thousand dollars, they amounted tc
a swinging sum. Squire. Brown wat
now between hawk and buzzard, anc
the upaho' Of the business was, that tn,
great swamp was put up at auction. an'
not bringing enough TO pay the taxes
the corporation sued him for the remaI
der, go that of all his mighty speculation
nothing remained but debt which h'
could not pay. -&%
The old man had dreamed he wa
rich, and now walked upa beggsL II
was turned out of house and home, wifi
children and all; and though John Wa
almost as badly of as h,msolt, he too
! him IN, that, as he said they might a
starve together. Johns Boss ba
gone the way of all flesh in those times
for hls specuIslions had all failed wit
the failure of the Banks, and Johns mo-
ey went with the rest, for all his proper
ty had been pledged in payment of hi
notes. The workmen we're discharged
and John could find no employment els,
where. Every thing was at a stand ex
cept that people must eat and drink, ap'
are just as hungry when they eau fiDt
no work as in the best ofiimes.
| Squire Brown nevef Recovered tht
shock ofthe failure Of Ills great specu'
lation, for he was too old TO begin the
world again, and when. he cav the mis-
erv all around him, and how John every
day came home, sometimes without fin
ding work, and always with less than Q.
nough TO supply the common wants o
nature, his heart sunk within him, ant
10 little wh:le he pined himself away,
and died miserably. His last words,
except short prayer which he offered
up for forgiveness, were: ''John, my
son, never forget to cut your coat accor-
ding TO your cloth, aud lay up something
for rainy day"
To pay the expenses of the funeral,
John was obliged TO sell some of bis fur.
Diture, which the landlord seeing. and
fearing he should lose his rent, seized
on the rest and left them with nothing
but the bare walls; for like every body
else, he was hard pushed for money, and
followed the old maxim, 'ihat charity
begins at aome.' The family could no
longer live together, and parted to seel,
their fortunes through the wide world,
never to meet again. What became. ol
the elder ones, never heard, but hope
Providence took care of them, for at that
time every body had enough to do to
take care of themselves.
John took his way with his wife and
little children to look for resting place.
which he at last found, in q miserable
hovel, where there we're three families
huddled together, each in a corner, in a
dirty alley, about fifteen feet wide. I,
was a den Of misery and vice, aud here
he was obliged 10 leave his wife and
children day after day, 10 seek the
means Of keeping them from starving.
II wss seldom he could find work. for
thousands of people had been driven to
the city, from all parts Of the country,
by the great demand for labor created
by he immense amount ofpaper money