The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1882-08-05
TIL, GOOD FORTH NE
OF q +. inner Citizen OF EiktuH Fecol-
lections o. President HARRISON, &c.

On Friday las: MIR. Stephen Hyiand,
native Of this county and for u number OF
wears merchant in this town, now resi-
dent Of Grccnvlle, Ohio, seventy miles
north of Cincinnati, arrived here on
his route To New York, To visit the scenes
OF his younger days and renew old friend
ships. Nh Elyiand has been Il resident OF
the Vest lor turty-tour years, having been
much of that time largely engaged in mer-
ch ,n'tis;ng and railroad and canal contract
in.-. lie settled first in Cincinnati ami On
gagged III trade. Very shortly afterwards
he took the contract for the construction OF
u portion OF what was then known as the
"Cincinnati White Water Canal" This
work he prosecuted for srver;, years, the
company meantime becoming much in
volvel and finally selling out its franchises to
the indianapolis, Cincinnati and Louisville
Railroad Company which concern trans
formed its entertainments into Il road lie and
| laid its tracks thereon.
Al the time of the closing ont Of the con-
Germs of the Canal Company, which WAS in
t
the sum of SO, 900. This, as well as all
other hletlness of the company, was Sc
cured by mortgage given at the time, Mr..
Hyland coming in under the third mort
gaga. These debts were assumed by the
railroad company, who after the lapse OF Il
number of years paid of the first and Sc
cond mortgages. The third, however, they
| resisted, refusing to recognize it upon the
! grounds that the Canal Company had no
legal right to mortgage its rights and fran
chisrS for common Indebtedness, or such rs
was for work, Ne, done in its construction.
The matter was taken to the courts. Judge
Taft, now Minister to Austria and at one
time President Grants Attorney General,
! appearing for Mr.. Hyland The ease
/ after number of years fought its slow
+ way through the various courts, the rail
road company, (Which had i'll the mean
time grown in power and wealth is we'll as
/ in extent OF its lines, and was now known
as the Cincinnati, indianapolis, st. Louis
/ and Chicago Railroad Company, nick
named the "Big t, y one of the most power
ful and wealthy corporations of the Vest
using every means to bar its way and gain
time. Mr.. Hylanh, however, gained his
case in every court, until within the year
! mast it reached the highest or court of last
resort,
WHERE MR.. HyLANp ALSO WON.
/ The privilege of appeal being exhausted
and there being no other court to which the
case might be taken, the company could do
nothing more than acquiesce in the result
as gracefully as possible and pocket the
/ loss, which they did.
Thirty mine years Of interest added to the
/ original debt of $50, 900 swelled the amount
due by the company to Mr.. Hyland to the
vigorous and healthy figure of S240 900,
which amount the company have in part
paid over and the remainder is at the com
mand of the victorious litigant. Mr.. Hyland
! takes his good fortune with the greatest
! ed,lnaimity, and does not appear to think
/ that anything unusual has happened He
will continue to reside in Greenville, where
| he has become largely interested in bust
ness.
/
| ten miles below this town, and is son of
the late Jacob Hyland. He is brother
! to Mrs. Araminta Howard, widow of the
| late Jacob Howard, and an uncle of Mr..
| VIM. =. Howard, of Randalia, Back Creek
Neck and Mr.. II. j. NJ. Howard and Mrs.
/ Aaron q. Tuite, of this place, The late
! Washington Hyland of the Secl, was also
! hrpt1 r,fh Ia l. Mr. II ,l,,,
served as clerk to Capt. NJ. c. Pearce-trst
| upon the steamer Constitution and then upon
! the independent, plying between Baltimore
and Frencltown on the then main route
north and south. He afterwards embarked
in trade in Eliton, doing business for a
! number Of years at the old stand on Main
street, where Mr. &eWmeyer now has a
clothing store. During His time hers Mr..
| llyland did a large business-tha r., ". Z,
b. Railroad being then in course of con-
struction and this town being a centre of
supplies for that concern. lie states that
he often at that time sold goods to the
AMOUNT OF 81, 900 PER DAY
The late s. S. Matfitt, of this place, and
~ III. -ht'd'h'HS. I-otl.. HOW oi NutsleItoN II
ciarke.. tar sIt. IIyiand at that time John
Hewitt il ,,i,!ia character in those days,
was also in his employ. Mr. liyianii Tciatr5 !
some Interesting incidents in relation 10 hi.
emigration to and life i'll the then far West I
He was induced to go to the west by reading
little book which accidentally fell into his
hands while upon one occasion in New York
purchasing goods. The volume was made |
up of Il series of letters written by young
man while travellingin the western country |
to H. parents at home. The accounts given
| by this enthusiastic traveller Were so bril-
liant and glowing sha! The readers ipind
WAS filled at once with dreams Of for;unes /
! made in the new country. and lie promptly /
made up his mind TO take the hazard !
Horace Greeley was hardly known at that |,
time, and his celebrated words Of advice to /
young men had not been uttered. The only |
and sole knowledge Mr.. Hyland had of the
western portion of the then sparsely settled |
country came from the book mentioned and
upon trat alone he made the venture. He |
; had fixed upon St. Louis, then q growing |
young eiE. Is lis ooiectiye point, and clos
ing up his business leVe ana i&ytn.. in a ,
stock of goods 10 be transported TO the Chic !
river by wagon, he struck out; this was in |
1858. Much to his disappointment upon
reaching Cincinnati he found the river so |
low that even flat boats We're unable to nav
igate its channel and an inevitable wait here
Of ap indefinite length was the only alter
native W hiie a. this point waiting for q
rise i'll the river. ha l,ade NJ, mefogs ac4 /
quaintances and ere the river mad 94a..Le.i
a point sufficiently high to permit him to
depart he had determined to make that
city Chen Il place Of twenty thousand in
hahitants) his stopping place, and had Sc
c,trl!+ ( sy4re ;-nd opened out his stock of
goods.
The White Water Canal, hi,e. w4licn I.ie
work was done which gave rise to the Law
suit mentioned, ran through the property
of
IAG>TiENT WILLIAM HENRY HARRISON,
and IL E.+s .~4c.: - IS place that most OF the
heaviest Ser& va. lsai+s <l41.; ssir RyIands
contract. Mr. HyiaBd teI.s Il, ~ ,EleAAst-
ing Incidents in relation to the dead i'tES:-
dent, he having been upon intimate terms
of acquaintance with him-neeting hi,a
daily. Mr.. llyland was prosecuting this
E,}rk ut the time of General IIarris"ns elec
tio@ ;,ij ,,,t3 = The time Of his death, and
has now in il,S p,.sS,..s.D! ;. ?"ttrr addressed