Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-11-08
BITS OF LOCAL LORE.

BITS OF LOCAL LORE.
Picturesque and Peculiar Things From Old.
Time Pases-How Or. Msnasseh Cutie,
Looked a Century Into the Future
PennsvlvAnia's Frontage On Lake Erie.
WRITTEN FOR THE DIsPArcHJ
"A friend has asked me for further facts
concerning Dr.. Manasseh Cutler and the
prophecy he made more than a century
ago, which was alluded to in my article
"Pittsburg on the Sea- in THE DISPATCH
last Sunday. The portion of the prediction
there quoted was that in regard to the Ohio
river becoming "more loaded than any
other stream on earth," which has been
more than fulfilled. The other portion of
the prophecy of DR.. Cutler, which has also
been realized long ago was in regard to
steamboats,. DR.. Cutler in the year 1857
wrote these notable words: cit is worthy of
| observation that in all probability steam
| boats will be found to be of infinite service
in all free river navigation" This the
reader should bear in mind was q year be-
! fore "Poor John Fitch" launched in the
| Delaware the curious invention which he
| abandoned soon after; it was twenty years
before Fulton's practically successful ap-
plication of steam to navigation and almost
! the first steamboat which ruffied the West
ern waters, was built at Pittsburg.
| The fact that Cutler made this prediction
at the time he did is one OF the indications
that he was an unusually well equipped
man fully abreast Of the times, and with the
| light he had, peering even into the future
with keen and correct vision. He was, in
addition to being man of culture and Of
much genius second MS a scientist only to
n W
and although no successful experiments
with steamboats had been made in America
he was doubtless acquainted with the fact
that in Europe the Marquis de Jouffrey had
worked steamboat, on the Seine. in 7S0,
that in the very year he wrote Q7SO Miller
and Symington had fully demonstrated the
DR.. Cutler was the agent Of the New Eng
land Ohio Company, consisting largely Of
Revolutionary army officers, who formed
i7ss. He also was the author of the celebrated
"Ordinance of Freedom" or "Ordinapce of
l7S7," which was the fundamental law
of the territory northwest of the Ohio river
and made it an anti-slavery land. 1t was in
pamphlet describing the country and ad-
vertislng 1t to prospective or possible
settlers that he made the noteworthy
steamboats,.
First of the side-wheelers.
-Apropos of steamboats,, it seems
of construction of the ''side-wheelers' had
its origin in the mind of a Pittsbufg, or
rather Fort Pitt mechanical genius, long be-
fore steam was applied to the propulsion OF
any water craft. What for lack Of O better
name might be called side-wheel row boat
was attracting considerable attention on the
waters here in 1851. Information of this Gu
rosity which perhaps in a crude way con-
veyed the initial suggestion of the steamboat,
has been preserved in a quaint entry in
the journal of James Kenny, who was a
trader: and very wide-awake observer, at
"a young man called William Ramsey has
made two little boats, being QUAR- at We
sterns and Joined together at We sterns by
swivel make ye two in form of one boate,
but will turn round shorter than boate Of
safi,yna SAFETY in falls oos and b. in nes case of
made an engine that goes with wheels,
closed in box to be worked by one man, by
sitting on ye end of ye box and tredding on
wheels agoing, which work scullers or short
paddles fixed over ye gunnes, turning them
round: ye under ones, always laying hold on
ye water, will make ye boate go as If two
time by lines, like flow lines"
Here was the first ''side-wheeler."
PennsyIvania's Triangle on Lake Erie.
The little triangle of Pennsylvania |
territory which extends above her general |
northern border (the 42o line). including |
Erie land sure to some day include the |
northern terminus of Pittsburg's outlet to |
the waters of the lakes-the ship canal) was |
the last addition which the State received, |
and the patent issued to the State |
for it WIS the first land patent |
until then that Pennsylvania assumed the |
proportions that she now presents. The |
rnpl-x ,,<Nfa 1SOI,A dow n,.s
ginally the little tract that Pennsylvania |
coveted to secure q lake border belonged to |
New York, but its title became vested in the |
general government lin 1881, very fortunate
ly for Pennsylvania for had it not been first |
relinquished to the United States it is very |
probable that this commonwealth could |
never have secured it.
As it was, 1t could only be secured through |
considerable diplomacy and by long delay. |
The acquisition of the triangle was first |
attempted in 17S4 ana the work occupied
stantly for the succeeding eight years. The
was fought with much obstinancy |
and some rancor in several congresses. All |
New England members were opposed to the |
transfer, and william Maclay, the PennsyI- !
vania Senator, was its chief champion and |
defender: He says in his journal: $50 plain
a case, L never before saw cost SO much
home was at Chestnut Ridge, Westmoreland
county, was prominent in the various trans
actions The triangle consisting of over
an acre. the deed of confirmation being
issued March 3, 1892, and the payment was
made at Fort Pitt, the Indian claim having
been previously quieted by the State i'll o
treaty made on the Muskingum.
Beginnings of the Pennsy.
In April, 1926, was taken the first de-
cisive step in that chain OF events and
actions which resulted in building the great
Railroad. 1t was only little
step. and for time appeared to have been
taken in vain. On the date mentioned the
LancaS Ster and Philadelphia Rail-
road was incorporated by the Legislature, |
but the corporation proved unequal to the |
task of building the road, and two years
later it was undertaken by the State. Por-
tions of the road were soon finished. and
cars we're run by horse power. Indeed, so
full possibilities of q railroad that it was at
first proposed that the road should be so
that ordinary vehicles could
travel upon its rails; that every individual in
fact should use his own carriage or wagons
upon it and merely pay toll as upon u turn
pike.
The efficacy Of steam power, however,
came to be recognized and in September. |
1892, the first trial of q locomotive was made |
street and the Schuylkill. In the summer
IF 1885 the tourney from Philadelphia to
occupied four days. This was
made by cars and canal boats to Columbia |
Ind from that point by the latter means, |
Ind the famous Portage Railroad over the
Mountains.
First Macadamized Road.
Just 100 years ago the first improved road