The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1905-03-12

, subject to annoyance, and learning tina
1 De Smet was oonversant with the country
, toward the far West, inquiry was directed
, TO him For some reason he suggested
and recommended Utah. The description
given seems TO have impressed the Mormon
authorities favorably. At all events. the
next spring they set out for Salt Lake
The father never claimed that his state
ments decided their going thther, but
undoubtedly they were not without in
huence upon the minds Of his !nqurers
A Quaker Counting $50 Years Ago.
out OF the mass OF interesting historical
mate rial hidden away in the old family
treas iries Of Philadelphia in the shape OF
journals and letters Mr. Albert Cook Myers
fshed out year or two ago very at
tractive account Of Revolutionary times
which ne published under the title sally
Wistar't Journal lie follows this up
with another old diary going back to pure
Colonial times that OF Quaker John Smith.
which is published with the romantic title
Hannah Logan's Courtship' by the pub
lishers Of his other book, Ferris and Leach.
Philadelphia.
John Smith was one OF the Smiths OF
Burlington. y. j. whose honorable family
history before and after the diarist Is
recounted with antiquarian care by Mr.
Myers. He was shrewd, succ essi Ll
Quaker merchant. who kept a diary for
some Year,, during which little Of historical
note came under his eyes. This was leo
! years ago. however. and both he and hs
| wife died before the outbreak OF the Revo-
luton. The notes he puts down relate
/ almost wholly to Quaker social and relig-
/ ious life in Philadelphia and its neighbor-
hood with a few journeys to greater dis
tanoes. notably to New York, and are in
structive and entertaining even apart from
the love episode which provides the editor
with name for his book
He was born in l122 and at the age OF
fourteen years acquired the diary habit
OF his early notes the editor gives us
but few outside OF an interesting voyage
TO Barbadoes. q fact to be regrette ed for
they are very amusing. In l743 he comes
OF age and sets up in business and the diary
runs on with interruptions into l75l. The
gaps are due in part 10 the loss Of some OF
the little note ooks but we have been unable
to discover whether the portions printed
are all that ia left or only selection. The
btIsiness entries, which are plentiful at
the beginning. drop out almost completely
and the suddenness with which Hannah
Logan disappears as soon as she has be-
come Hannah Smith implies a marital
cooling on that was probably far from
true.
That was a happy time in the young
country when boy Of II could start in
business on his own account in a large city.
John Smith to be sure, had been trained
under his father. who was well 10 do and
had his help probably. ms starting but
coming of age meant a great deal more
than 1t does now in thehdays. before the
civil war, the burden OF knowledge and
education was less and the start in life
came more generally at the period ~hen
our BOYS are thinking Of entering college
Mr. Myers begins politely with the first
entry OF call at Miss Logan's fathers
house. but that IL followed by one that
John Smith must have thought far more
important Il opened dry Goods Store at
Philada the l4th OF 10th mo. l743-
There IL jump TO year later. when. with /
three: others. he joins in purchasing a
small schooner which we made BriRt OF |
Called her the Dolphin Loaded her
ourselves-d she sailed for Barbados
Then he buys ships shares in ships in
rapid succession. but by the end Of I748
he ceases to mention them His ships
sail to Ireland and En- gland az well as the
West Indies; there are tales of privateers
and OF blockades Of the hay that show how
adven turous the times were. Later there
are entries Of Smiths working on his books
and attending meetings OF his FIRE company
but business for some reason drops out Of
the diary
He was philosophical sort a OF youth
and had pretty wide range of reading
in spite Of his close attention TO religious
matters, which clearly interested him very
much. Here is the entry for Fifth month.
10th, 1746 At meeting | was, as at many
other times favored With a sight of the
weaknetNs and the yileuess Of my natural
disposition. which. with the remembrances
Of the tender merces | have repeatedly
received. bowed me very low and made
me abhor myself Oh, may the same sense
always keep me in humble frame OF soul,
Drank tea at s Sausome. Read Pope's {
Miscellany But this kind OF talk. sincere
hough il H. will not he found often 1t is
he events at meeting short criticisms I
II the eXhorters and 80 on that John Smith
ecords. Save about his love affair he does I
rot indulge in morbid introspecuon. +
His reading is interesting. Repeatedly
le writes Read shile in Chambers t
Dictionary of Arts and Sciences, the begin t
ing of the cyclopeds The books he r
,uys before he comes OF age. and they are c
~ no means few, considering the tins, U
re chiefly religious and historical In I7IO :
: the entry i Bought Of Benjamin /
franklin the following Books They all t
ogether Cost sos. But Chambers some z
INES was too heavy as, for instance v
Stayed at home in the afternoon. having >.
he Tooth Ache 4 reading Don Qui1ote !.
he next day the tooth was better and he a
eturned 20 Chambers Later he bought q
The Jewish Spy in five volumes and lent o
hem 70 a friend. Memo; my name is
ot in them Other unexpected books I,
4 his reading are The Conscious Lovers,' v
Grief Ia Mode Paradise Lost Shake :
peare, The Spectators Tstlers- In f747
e became an author himself with oon- :
reversal pamphlet called The Doctrine
Christianity as held by the People called d
1e Quaker which Benjamin Franklin a
rinted for him and he distributed gratll- Il
,usly. u
TonnU - ..