West Virginia Democrat. [volume] (Charles Town, W. Va.) 1885-1890, 1888-05-11
LEAVES FROM A DIARY 1OC
YEARS OLD.


sale to the Ohio company of l,5OO,-
600 acres of land at Sos cents per
acre. DIR. Cutler had charge of the
enterprise, and kept diary which
has been recently published. We
give an extract from review of the
book:
Dr. Cutler left Ipswich, COnneeti-
cut, July 10, 17SS, and his entry
August II, is This morning, rose
early. The people got on board at
9 o'clock. Went down the river,
which is a most delightful stream,
very romantic. Arrived at Wheel
ING about ) o'clock and landed our
cattle. Lodged at Esquire Zane's
place. 1t has been fortified pref
" settlement. Opposite to his house
is very rich and fine island of 800
acres. Lodged on the floor, with a
bit of cot, slept very little, cooked
provisions for two days Next we
get an idea of the subtropical crops
which emigrants expected to raise
IN southeastern Ohio. Aug. IS
This morning Esquire Zane showed
me his rice in his garden, about a
rod square, in six drills. He has
raised ten bushels from four rods
square; it grows upon a high bank
on a somewhat sandy second bottom;
has now good rice on his island; ne
raises cotton; he has raised good in
digo. and says we may cultivate as
much as we please. He raises ex-
cellent tobacco; has a fine bottom
well cleared" Next day they drop
ned down the river. -Saw Round
Bottom, the land owned by General
Washington; very extensive and
good; it is about sixty miles from
Npskingum. 50 The FIRST APP
pearance Tof the Ohio settlement at
Marietta was the fort which was
very pretty. We landed at The
Point, and were very politely re-
ceived by the honorable Judges, Gen.
Putnam, and our friends. General
Putnam invited me to his lodgings,
which was marquee" Here DR..
Cutler notes that the distance
of Mustingum from Ipswich, as he
had travelled, was Isl miles. Aug.
90 This day an entertainment was
given to the Governor and officers of
the garrison by the directors OF the
company at the hall in campus mar
titus. We came over in the barge to
the hall with his Excellency, the la
dies and officers. The fort is
square, very handsome. Block
houses at the corners, curtains, bar
racks, new works, raised cannon,
field pieces in the square. A num-
Der of Indians at the fort who had
come in to the treaty. We landed
up the Muskingum opposite to the
campus martius. A handsome din
ner with punch and wine" The
next day DR.. Cutler took long walk
over the city lots through the corn
field. which astonished me on &C
count of its magnitude. / should
be as soon lost in it as in a cedar
swamp on a cloudy day. Went on
to the high mound; a white oak
upon the top which Gen. Putnam
Judged to be 100 feet high. Went
on most of the works, and particu-
larly on the Via Sacra." Three
DAYS afterward he describes another
great tree. Measured the diameter
-13 feet in the two opposite direc-
uons, 1. e., at right angles. The
growth OF the tree is slOping; il cut
off about two feet above the ground
would contain about Ga men, allow
ing eighteen inches to man. Six
horsemen could ride in abreast and
parade in the tree at the same time.
We measured the circumference as
near the ground as possible, and
made it 463 feet. Among other
things which DIR. Cutler deems
worthy of special record is visit
from mime. Zanes, squaw descen-
ded from a royal family, daughter
of the halEking of the WyandOttes.
Nine. Zanes and her family very
richly dressed. TWAS said she had
on three hundred brooches, and that
her whole dress cost five hundred
dollars; her family in the same style,
very neat" DR.. Cutler was natural
" interested in the vestiges of the
mound builders. "Sept.6. The di-
rectors ordered yesterday that this
day the surveyors be directed to
measure the Ancient Works; that
the Governor be requested to attend,
and that number of the largest
and oldest trees be cut down, in or
der to count the rings" &c. Exam
ined the elevated square, Sacra Via,
measured the great mound, ditch,
&c; observed the old trees and
stumps, as we'll as those cut down"
The results of this examination, I'M
dertaken to determine the age of the
mounds, are preserved in DIR Cutters
handwriting in the library of the
college at Marietta
In regard to the mounds, he
wrote:
Mounds of earth are frequent in
every part of the Western country
that has yet been explored, if the ac
counts of hunters may be relied on.