Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1873-07-10
Martins Ferry. Ohio,
From W. g. Howe;ls in Ashtabula Sentinel
June 10th, 1873.
This morning / left this thriving viii

OF crossing the O0lO River AT the neaO
of Wheeling Island, it being more con.
tvenient to cross the river at this one
ferry than the two, with the inter.
Yening Island, opposite the city. The
roads leading to this ferry were the
chief thoroughfares for the travel OF
, emigrantS and adventures TO the new
country of Middle Ohio, and the return
of hogs and cattle in droves and the
lo;her produce Of the opening farms, on
Their way to eastern markets. So that
at an early day, about the first OF the
century, the ferry hecame noted rs a
kind of portal TO Ohio and Virginia.
The ferry house and an accompanying
tavern were soon put up, and became
places of comfortable rest and shelter
\ to many a weary man and beast.
lDroves of cattle ana hogs were nearly
tall ferried at this point. g.
i Through a period of over forty years
cattle and hogs were driven from the
Interior of Ohio, as far west IS the Sci
lpta Sand Miami, to Baltimore aud
Philadelphia by way of this route.
IThe cattle were mostly driven in the
latter part of winter and at different
! times through the summer, while the
season of hog driving was Late in the
fall. The ferrying of these drOves was
la great business, and at times engaged
many extra hands, and sometimes two
sets of boats. The boats used were
flat bottomed seows, without decks,
and sided up with fence of posts and
Stats, with bars at bow and stern to
confine the cattle, leaving only space
at each end for propelling the boats
with poles and oars as were most con-
ivenient; for steam ferry boats were not
introduced there until after 1910. As
the current of the river is strong here
at most seasons, it was necessary to
take the boat to landing far up
stream, and there by means of much
driving, coaxing, hallOOing, and swear
/ ing. get the cattle aboard; then push
tout into the stream. and with four
men pushing and pulling at each pair
of large oars, make for the opposite
side. OF course it would take a long
thine in this way to put over a large
drove ofcattIe, and an entire day WAS
often consumed in crossing with one
herd. On the thither bank man or
two of the drovers herded the cattle
| till the last load; when they took up
the line of march, one man towing the
lead OK by the horns and crying
s-o-o-ky s-O-o-ky in long continued tier
alton. The ferrying of hogs was by
much the same process, except that
the native sense of independence in the
pig made him. more troublesome to
handle; and as this driving all came in
| the midst of the fall rains and early
SHOWS, it was so fearfully muddy,
along the roads and at the ferry, in
ldoOrs and out, that no conception can
be formed of the hardships and dis
comfort of the whole business, by one
who has never seen it. The hogs were
| usually driven about ten miles day;
so that the journey from Chillicothe to
Baltimore would take up at least two
months. The drOverS were chiefly big
boys and young men who took that
means of travelling out to see the world,
as they got little wages and had their
Expenses paid, on trip they could not
otherwise afford to make. They were
hardy fellows, and mostly smart
enough to profit by the experience they
got, which in some respects came in
large quantities. If they kept their
faces out of the mud, and got a chance
at their suppers and breakfast of good
coffee, bacon and the other substantials
always furnished in those times, with
4 :
a place to sleeep on dry floor at night,
they never complained of the outward
trip. At Baltimore they got their pay,
dressed up in clean clothes, walked
home in time for the winter cbools,
and left their places as droyers for those
year younger; while they attended
ldebating societies and singing schools,
fsparked up pretty girl, and got mar
ried, and some went to Congress. i
/ But all this Is changed at Martin s
Ferry. The steam ferry boat snorts
through its fifteen minute trips all
lday, takes all that comes without tir-
| ing, ties up 1t night, and meets the
Incoming with notes from IFS whistle
that would shame Pandemoniun, and
make old ChoTos drop his oar in utter
Cisinay. .gr-.Z a.4Uz .tIgo.l sui-I,;-s-
/ Twill beleXcused here for describing
manner OF ferrylng that was In use at
this place aud Nv heelipg some ten
years or SO, by when natural principles
were ingeniOusly made available for
fpower; and the current OF the river
was made to pfopel the boat across the
STREAM. The q river here is about
quarter OF a mile wide. Near a. mile
above the landing, a strong wire rope
was tied to a q tree on, the Ohio bank,
from which point it was carried down
to the landing, supported at intervals
upon floating buoys, and made fast to
each end of the ferry boat over pulleys,
and passed around wheel by which
it could be turned either way so as to
turn either end of tho boat up stream
at will. A lee-board passed down the
outside of the boat along its length and
reaching to the bottom; against this the
current would press; and If the shore.
end was turned up stream, the boat
would remain at the shore; but on
turning the outer end up stream, the
current pressing against the 1ee-bOard,
and the wire rope holding the boat
from floating away, she would imme-
diately run across the river, on the