New-York tribune., 1906-12-22

psN % Is G. p Putnam's Sons
vos vital part that the Ohio River played in
= national expansion-affording IN the early
-, the chief route into what is now the great
,-ssle West 10 the hardy pioneers who pushed
...lr way beyond the natural barrier OF the
.usrhsnies-makes Its story one OF fascinating
,-..,sst 10 the student Of American develop
- II MI Hubert the river has found a
- f,etio historian. His previous work has
- been prosecuted along the line of the West
&c growth of Empire. witness his books
= The Historic Highways Of America"
swssbington and the West" and pilots Of the
,uhIic" :,vgliIe his living at Marietta, the first
-.,,ral a. The Northwest Territory. brings him
- closa touch with the river and with its
-.st present and future significance. The
si..,,resaue side of the great waterway appeals
> .se author with no less attraction than do
a. ,rrelv historical and industrial features and
=. rolurae abounds in entertaining anecdotes
,rrs--ative OF the life that grew 10 upon il and
along IT'S hanks and that spread into the rich
and fertile region that it drains.
ro-est covered as the country was before the
eve of the frontiersran cleared the way for set
.Iernent the term ''pathIess Wilderness" so
ofren given 10 II. appears 10 have been inap-
rropriately applied. Well travelled trails led
through It IN many directions as easily 10 be
the red men who made them. There We're prob
ably as many paths IN Ohio in 1775 eighteen
wears previous 20 the first white settlement in
the state), ca which man could travel horse
hack at a rate OF five miles an hour. as there
are railway lines IN that state to-day" writes
~ Hubert. and he adds, in general. where
there IS q railway to-day there was a path
century and quarter ago. The forest was
remarkably free from underground. and offered
more agreeable way OF passage than the river
,,sels which when not frozen over or in freshet
was often TOO shallow for navigation and al
ways dangerous on account OF its snags its
accunula-ions Of drifJwood and other imped-
uen1s Otherwise the successful escape from
raptivity among the Indians Of Mrs. Mary Ingles
n 1863. notable as IL was, would not have
beer possible. Taken IN 2 raid upon the little
Esrtls-neut Of Draper's Meadows situated in
what IS now Pulaski County, Y. Va, this in
uepid woman was carried. with her baby, born
on the "Trip, as lar as the Mississippi, which she
was the first westward faring white woman 10
see With another white woman captive as her
sole companion. and armed only with a
sto!en t0rnahawl-. she managed 20 make her
way back 10 her home. seven hundred miles
through the wilderness, her worst danger, apart
from starvation being from her comrade, whom
the priva1lon and exposure had driven insane.
i Is q wonderful story Of heroism and endur-
snce. hut Wen typjfes the character and perils
Of the mothers Of the West
Coming down 10 later days, we are made 10
witness the tide q immigration which swept
down The river on keeIboats and datboats. 70 the
number of seventy o. these rude craft IN
single day White men as We'll as red menaced
The voynge-s. reneeadss often cooperating with
lhs savages 70 lure the travellers 10 the shore.
ians For g time a freebooter named Wilson
made his headquarters al Cave-in Rock where
udsr the guise Of tavern keeper, he headed
& hand Of desperate outlaws. Taking posses
sion Of the cave, ne hung out a sign, Wilson's
liquor Vault and House Of Entertainment"
Tie plan OF operations was fendishly simple.
Fag5oats. On route for instance. 10 New Orleans,
Z y So T. - - ~ - 80 - - We e TA y 419d IA.
way VIII. and a crew from The island took charEe
y -is -l-- e--I - -el y 20 ~ (+' C.l5a-is - lIlS
q cave-s- FGc- me 9T6ces5e T-e-s divided. Many
c-cun-s-an-es combined 10 make this conspiracy
safe and t.e c1nsplrstors wholly free from sGs-
Eeon The danger of travel on the ONO and
Mississippi was great and so many boats We're
Eree1el t.1t t.e owner ot any one or the captured
DoaIs could easily account -or rs loss on the score
9. canser. s navigation. Then TOO. there we're tie
Eatety.
When the gang was finally broken up.
nearly SIXTY skeletons We're found IL the upper
chamber OF the cave Rough life made rough
msl ard the 'alligator-horses as the keel
boatmen were called, kept the river towns in a
continual state Il turmoil for years. The cele-
bEated Mike Fink was a type Of this class.
known on the Ohio as the Swapping Turtle" and
On the Mississippi as the Snag."
Nike became King OF the Valley, and what this
meant NAV pc Inferred from an experience OF
Aouls Philippe O. France in this neEhhorhOod.
y ne seJ--s lls score with western landlord II
y saie t1at me future King Of France became in
n To-ffec Tfn ~ = elspLt-. beilS unEsl--lng 70 continue
eess';ned 10 le King OF France could not stoop 70
Ehsreupon party OF the second part lea ped over
ts as counter sad kicked the representative Of royalty
are? We're su kings over here
The steamboat brought another era ana q
eHerent atmosphere. Nicholas J. Roosevelt, a
brother Of the Presidents grandfather. seems to
nave been the chief promoter Of the Ohio branch
q Fulton's grea; business. In 1911 the New
oFeans was launched at P1ttsburg and was the
lfst Steamboat 70 1oat on the River Of Many
"aie Caps" as Nr. Hubert translates the
indian name Of the stream. But the boat never
tslurned 10 the Ohio, and 70 Henry N. ShreVe
Oslongs the credit OF proving the practicablIity
q The steam navigation Of the river with his
0oaI The Washington. introducing into the con-
s1ocaon OF its engine many original improve
nerts
--ese gircpses at the surface OF the river, so
speak. serve IN a measure as indices Of the
sfoWth OF the country through which it flows, no
salient aspect OF which the author neglects TO
ooasloeF-the contests for sovereignty, the
-ouho'ng OF its cities and their rise 70 wealth,
ls romantic incidents, such as the rise and fall
: ee Burr -Blennerhasset conspiracy, and the
'3S'so phases OF the uprising OF many prosper
Gus eonmonweaIths.