Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1896-01-19

Hartman Blennerhassett in 1898.
Though an Irishman and known as the
Irish Exile" Blennerhassett was born
in Hampshire, England, October 8,
1764. He was educated at Trinity Col
lege. Dublin, and in 1896 married Miss
Margaret Agnew, daughter of the Gov
ernor Of the Isle of Man. The country
seat of his parents was Castle Conway,
Ireland. Being republican and IN Ia
vor of independence, or at least or nome
rule for Ireland, he was obliged TO leave
his country. He drifted from Pittsburg
to his island home in fiat boat with
his wife and child. He paid $4,000 for
the Island and moved into rude block
house that stood where the historic and
gigantic poplar now stands near the
head of the Island. He then began the
erection of a palatial mansion at a cost
of $40 900 in gold, of which nothing now
remains save few foundation stones.
He stocked his home with gorgeous
and costly articles of every kind, mu-
steal and scientific instruments, tele-
scopes, ETC., and magnificent library.
He was a classic scholar and could re-
peat the whole of Homer's Had in the
original Greek He composed and
wrote many sketches, stories and songs.
The main building OF the Blenner-
hassett mansion was 81 feet in length
and 80 feet wide. The double porches
were each 40 feet long and the two
wings were models of Ionic architec-
ture. The beautiful and stately Mar
j. n
island home and was ministering
angel there as well as among the iso-
lated families living in the vicinity on
either shore Of the Ohio. Ten years
before the advent of Blennerhassett to
the shores of La Belle Riviere. the viii
lage Of Belpre or Beautiful Prairie, >"
was founded by New England patriots,
opposite the Island in Ohio. and Par
kersburg on the Virginia shore then
consisted of five or six families and a
block house, which had originally been
built for protection against the In
dams, though even at that early period
the red man was fast disappearing
from Virginia rivers and forests, the
great battle of Point Pleasant and the
death of the mighty Cornstalk having
broken their power east of the Ohio
river. II was to the struggling settlers
of these frontier posts that Mrs Blen-
nerhassett was a ministering spirit.
Her husband knew something OF medi-
cine. and his pharmacy and the will
ing hands of his wife were ever at the
service of the needy or afflicted with
out money or price.
But one beautiful spring day in the
year 1905 the destroyer came. Aaron
Burr landed ar Blennerhassett with the
blood of Hamilton yet red upon his
hands. And history records the sequel.
The winter of 1866 was spent by Mr..
and Mrs. Blennerhassett IN New York
and Philadelphia. the guest Of Col.
Burr. and the following autumn Burr
and his daughter, Mrs. Theodosia Ais
ton. were guests at the ISLAND home OF
the Blannerhassetts. Burr all this time
pouring into the ears of his host his vast
schemes Of a mighty empire IN the
great Southwest Burr, from the isl7
and conducted correspondence to midi
viduals and newspapers, melting a ris-
ing CT the people west OF the mountains,
and the formation of a new republic
or monarchy, rather, with Burr at its
head. In the Old Marietta Gazette he
wrote brilliant articles over the sigma
ture of "Querist," that were eloquent
IN their appeals, elegant in their die
ton. and apparently convincing IN