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Individuals desiring to use this material in their own research may do so. ========================================================================= Formatted by U.S. Data Repository Chief Archivist, Linda Talbott All of the above information must remain when copied or downloaded. =========================================================================== Papers Concerning Early Navigation on the Great Lakes by William Hodge Buffalo: Printing House of Bigelow Brothers Pearl and Seneca Sts. - 1883 INTRODUCTION ------------ At the desire of the venerable writer of the following remin- iscences, I have undertaken to superintend their publication. In the main, the order and form of the memoranda here collected, are preserved, as in the author's manuscript. They are not pre- sented as a product of literary art, nor are they given forth as deserving to be ranked with "works" of biography and history. They furnish merely a simple and unpretending contribution of material for these. And it may be that what they afford by way of knowledge concerning the specific subjects treated, - the navigator and the steamboats, - does not constitute all their value. Much, making them more widely useful is, probably, to be found in the glimpses they give us of the days gone by; the forming times of that great commercial highway, in the midst of which Buffalo, as a chief depot of transfer, has so long stood pre- eminent. These memorial jottings should, therefore, be read remem- bering that things in themselves trivial, taken alone, may, if viewed in their relations, and considered not in a critical but in a meditative and receptive manner, become interesting and instructive. A. B. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- [Page 5] RECOLLECTIONS OF CAPTAIN DAVID WILKESON The greater part of what I have here written concerning Captain David Wilkeson, the subject of this paper, is from my own personal knowledge, and was, in fact, committed to paper many years before the Captain's death. To prepare the way for these "Recollections," I give here, first, a brief statement of the leading facts of his life, to be followed by the more par- ticular relation of incidents which I intend to present. He was born in the year 1800, but of the place of his birth I am not informed. Nor do I know anything concerning his child- hood. But in 1815 he was a "hand" on board the schooner Black Snake, of about twenty-five tons burthen, under Captain JAMES WILKESON, an uncle. In 1817, when only seventeen years of age, he was promoted to the command of the Black Snake. The next year, 1818, he became captain of the schooner Pilot, making trips between Maumee river and Buffalo. From this time he was in command of various sailing vessels (among them the Eagle of ninety tons burthen, which will be often mentioned in these "Recollections"), until 1835. Meanwhile, he had (soon, indeed, after the war of 1812-15) made Perrysburg, Ohio, his home, and he maintained his residence there during the remainder of his life. In 1835, he took command of the steamboat Commodore Perry, of which he was captain and part owner for ten years. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- [Page 6] He then became commander of the steamboat Superior, which position he held till 1852, when he retired at fifty-two years of age from sailor-life. From that time till his death, twenty-one years later, September 8th, 1873, his life was spent in culti- vating his farm, and in the care of the light-house in Maumee Bay, near Manhattan, Ohio. My acquaintance with Captain DAVID WILKESON dates from about the close of the war of 1812-15, when as a very young man, he used to come to my father's tavern, and my grand- father's house near by, in Buffalo. From that time until he finally gave up sailing in 1852, and remained ashore at his home in Perrysburg, Ohio, he was a constant visitor at our house, seldom failing to come out to see us when he made our port. I also at times took various trips with him, both on his sail and steam vessels, and consequently knew him well. Captain WILKESON was a practical sailor. In his time he was not excelled by any one on our lakes. He was energetic and persevering, and rarely failed to accomplish whatever he un- dertook in his line of business. Brought up in the hard school of poverty, and compelled at an early age to depend upon himself for advancement in life, and for his very livlihood, in fact, he was equal to the necessities of his condition and became a man noted in his chosen profession throughout the lakes. He was self-reliant but not to obstinacy, venturesome but not to foolhardiness; possessing in fact all the qualities which together make up the true sailor and man. As master of a vessel his invariable rule was to discharge his freight as soon as possible after his arrival in port, ship his return load at once, and be ready to start with the first fair wind. In the summer time he would get out into the lake as best he could, beat his way up in the day time, and at night hug the American or south shore, to catch the land breeze. He told me that by this method of being ready he made full --------------------------------------------------------------------------- [Page 7] trips when in command of the Eagle, a vessel of ninety tons (one of a hundred tons being at that time considered a good- sized craft), while other vessels would be lying in the harbor. He also told me that he had run with his vessel three times the length of Lake Erie in eight days, carrying a full load each way; and this when all loading and unloading was done entirely by hand. Late in the month of November, 1833, westerly winds had prevailed at this end of the lake for about a week. Buffalo Creek had become quite filled with sail vessels, -- so much so, in fact, that there was but a narrow passage-way left, only wide enough to allow one vessel to pass up and down the channel. Captain WILKESON'S schooner, the Eagle, was one of the thirty or more thus in waiting. The docks along the creek at this time were not very extensive -- nearly or quite all lying below the foot of Main street. One night there came a heavy fall of snow, fully a foot in depth, and during the latter part of that night the wind veered around to the east. I was to take passage on the Eagle for Perrysburg, and early that morning Captain WILKESON kindly sent a sailor out to my father's house (about three miles), to notify me that the vessel was ready to start, and was only waiting for me. I immediately rode down to the dock in a sleigh and went aboard. The Eagle was then quickly gotten under way. Most of the vessels that had been in the harbor were already off in the lake, and some were out of sight. We were soon beyond the pier (the original one,-- our outer pier had not yet been built). When fairly in the lake, with all sails set, for the wind was favorable though light, Captain WILKESON directed the men to try the pumps, and to his great surprise found water in the hold. He therefore con- cluded to lay his course for Dunkirk, and kept the pumps going. He soon found that the vessel took in water when on one tack, but not when on the other. He then ordered the mate, FRANK BUSHAW, to lower the small boat and examine the vessel's sides. While he was doing so, I leaned over the port --------------------------------------------------------------------------- [Page 8] railing, and discovered a hole near the water's edge which had evidently been made by the fluke of an anchor while we were in the jam of vessels in the harbor. The Captain then gave orders to "about ship" and return, -- it taking some time to reach the Buffalo dock. A carpenter was sent for, who repaired the broken plank. We then again set forth and once more were in the lake. It was now two o'clock in the afternoon, and most of the vessels were out of sight. Night set in, the light breeze continuing all night and the next day, and until almost one o'clock the following morning, when it shifted to the west, and blew a gale. The mate who had charge of the deck called to the Captain who was below, and wanted to know what he should do, as he could make no headway. The Captain turned out in a moment, and stopping half way up the com- panion-way, asked what was the vessel's position. Being told about how far we were above Cleveland, he then asked, "Can you make the lee of the islands by laying your course across the lake?" The mate replied, "I don't know." The Captain told him to "try it." He did so; and in the morning, just at day- light, we got under the lee of Cunningham's Island, now called Kelley's Island. I had been lying still in my berth, wide awake, all this time, as the vessel had tossed very much; by about daylight beginning to feel sea-sick, I concluded to go on deck and take the air. I did so, but the effort was too much, I was compelled to go to the rail. I hung on with both hands, and after a few heaves and surges, both the vessel and myself felt easier, as we soon got into still water. We continued our course without stopping, until we arrived at Swan Creek, now Toledo. After discharging part of our cargo at the warehouse there, we sailed up the Maumee river to Perrysburg. In consequence of this terrible gale, the Eagle, though the last of all that fleet of vessels to leave port, and notwithstanding the delay on account of the leak, was the first to reach her intended destination, while many of those vessels were driven --------------------------------------------------------------------------- [Page 9] on shore, -- The Guerriere, which was also owned by Captain WILKESON, being of this number; and several were totally wrecked. Before canals and railroads came into general use, Perrys- burg was expected to become the great business and shipping point at the head of Lake Erie. The place which was then known as Toledo was so marshy, and consequently so un- healthy, that people could not stay there and live. Swan Creek, a little above, was but little better. Port Lawrence, Vistula and Manhattan were hardly known then but in name, all lying below Swan Creek. Perrysburg and Maumee (nearly opposite) were ten miles up the Maumee river at the head of ship navigation, and therefore were thought to have great advantages not pos- sessed by any of those places lower down. At this time com- merce on our lakes was flourishing. The sail vessels, as a general rule, carried the furs, grain and produce from the west, and received a fair compensation, while the steamboats carried the passengers. Captain WILKESON having settled in Perrys- burg, took a deep interest in the prosperity of the place, and of its inhabitants. He was notably most generous and kind towards the poor families that settled in the town. He gen- erally refused to dispose of his spare produce (for he did some farming,) to those who would pay him cash, but reserved it for the poor, trusting them until they were able to pay. He was truly the poor man's friend. He was ever ready to help the industrious and those who were trying to help themselves, and thus he contributed to the welfare and thrift of Perrysburg and vicinity by causing the settlement there of many industri- ous families. Captain WILKENSON was always well liked by those who served under him. It is true that in the discharge of his duty he compelled and exacted implicit and prompt obedience to his commands; and, if everything was not done in exact accord- ance with his orders, did not hesitate to pour out upon the head of the offender the vials of his wrath in terms more em- --------------------------------------------------------------------------- [Page 10] phatic than elegant. Still, he was always willing to help those in his employ in their troubles, and endeared himself to them by his many and constant acts of kindness. During our first cholera season, in 1832, when this dread disease raged through our country, following the water courses, Captain WILKESON was taken with a severe attack of it upon one of his down trips with the Eagle. His mate, FRANK BUSHAW, who looked upon his commander as of "the salt of the earth," was ordered to take the vessel into the nearest port to get medical assistance, which order he obeyed with the greatest possible speed. After procuring a physician for the Captain, yet even then believing he would surely die, he him- self went ashore, and in his intense grief, sought, not spiritual but spirituous assistance, to drown his sorrows, and got as drunk as a lord in the endeavor. This was a singular way of showing his love and respect for the Captain, but it was, per- haps, the most expressive way of which he was capable. The deck load of sail vessels in the summer season, many years ago, consisted mostly of white oak staves and heading for flour barrels. The term commonly used to designate this kind of freight was "Ohio fur." One one of my passages with Captain WILKESON, the deck being covered with this "fur," he told me that he did not like to see this material going away from the Maumee Valley in this shape. I asked in what shape he would choose to have it go. He quickly replied, "Make the barrels and send them filled with flour, -- that is the way this deck load should be sent. We should try to encourage our own people, and encourage others to come among us and help to develope the resources of the Maumee Valley." That was his theme in conversation and what he was always trying to do. And he knew that encouraging those on shore would also help those who were doing business upon the water. Before steamboats ran up the Maumee river, two of my sis- ters came down one summer from Perrysburg with the Captain, aboard the Eagle, spending much of the time on deck chatting --------------------------------------------------------------------------- [Page 11] with him; he at the helm, they surrounded with the usual deck load of "fur." The Captain was good company. He was in the habit of procuring and reading the usual popular literature of his times. Cooper's novels he was familiar with, and on the trip would relate some of the exploits of Leatherstocking with his rifle, and many other incidents concerning the characters so well portrayed by the novelist. Such a com- mander as this made the trip upon his vessel a pleasant instead of a tedious journey. Captain WILKENSON'S vessel crews consisted usually of men residing at Perrysburg or vicinity, or of those he was acquainted with in other places; but sometimes he was obliged to fill the number required by engaging strangers who made application to him. On one of his trips with the Eagle he had with him a man of this latter class. Soon after his arrival in Buffalo he missed from a canvas bag which contained some sixty or eighty dollars in silver, twenty-five or thirty dollars. Suspicion pointed at once to this new hand, as he had the fullest confi- dence in the honesty of all the rest of the crew. The Captain took him aside and told him that there was some money missing from his bag of silver, and charged him with having taken it. He told him that there was no use of his denying the charge, and that he had better "own up" at once, for he knew there was no one of the rest of the crew that would do such a thing. The fellow being confronted so frankly and squarely, owned that he had taken the money. The Captain then asked what he had done with it. He said that he had hidden it under the dock. The Captain told him to go and get it, which he did at once, and passed it over to the owner. The Captain then said, "I know give you your choice, to be handed over to the authorities here, or take from me a flogging with a 'rope's end.'" He chose the latter. He was accordingly kept in dur- ance till evening, and when all was quiet around the dock, the Captain took him in hand, gave him a powerful flogging, paid him his wages and told him to go and be an honest man in future. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- [Page 12] Captain WILKESON was fond of practical jokes with his asso- ciates. When sailing the Eagle and making her last trip for the season before returning home, it was his custom to lay in supplies at Buffalo for himself and men for the winter, such as clothing, boots and shoes, etc. On one of these occasions he and some of his men stepped into a store, and he said to the merchant, "There are a half-dozen of us that want to be fitted out with boots and shoes." A display of these articles was of course soon made. "Well, now," said the Captain, "what will you charge a pair; there is one man aboard to come up, beside the colored boy Joe, six pairs in all?" The merchant at once named a price which was satisfactory to the Captain, excepting that he claimed he ought not to charge more than half price for the black boy's pair. So the merchant said he would not mind as to that, and agreed to put the boy's boots at half price. The articles were selected, for those present, and the man and boy aboard were sent for; but when the boy came to be fitted, he required a larger boot than any of the crew. After this the Captain would joke the merchant about his sale of a black boy's boots at half price. Captain WILKESON was very fond of instrumental music; and in 1831 or 1832, as we had at my father's a piano (there being at that time but one or two others in the town), one of my sisters who had taken lessons while away at school used to en- tertain him by playing. The piano was a new thing to him, as it was to most of the people here at that time. The Captain had been a hard worker from his boyhood, and had accumulated some property. He had full faith in the success of lake navigation, and in the fall of 1832 made ar- rangements to build himself a steamboat. Work was com- menced on this vessel in December of that year, at Perrys- burg, by the late F. N. JONES (the latter part of whose life was spent in Buffalo), who superintended the building. He was sent for this purpose by his father, who had taken the contract for constructing the boat. Some of Captain WILKE- --------------------------------------------------------------------------- [Page 13] son's neighbors and friends taking stock in the enterprise, the steamboat was duly completed, and at the opening of naviga- tion in the spring of 1834, commenced sailing. The name chosen for this steamer was the Commodore Perry. An incident showing well the energetic and efficient char- acter of the man may be given in this connection. Not know- ing but there might be something in the way to endanger the boat at the launching, Captain WILKESON stripped himself and went in personally and examined the bottom of the river or cove where the launching was to be accomplished. Among those who had taken stock in the Commodore Perry was one Joe or Joseph Langford, a colored man who had been cook on the Eagle, and afterwards had the same position on the Perry. His wife, a colored woman, was one of the most lady-like and stylish women in Perrysburg. During one of the steamboat's trips, after nearly all the passengers had eaten their dinner and one were left at the table, Langford sat down and was eating, when he was interrupted by a passenger who chanced to be late for dinner. This person seeing Langford at the table said, "I am not going to eat with a nigger." Lang- ford felt quite indignant at the remark and curtly observed, "I should like to know who has a better right to eat his dinner aboard that boat than one of the owners." In those early days of lake commerce, in the spring, or late in the winter, just before the opening of navigation, every one seemed busy along the docks in fitting out both steam and sail vessels. Sometimes, however, these would be delayed in com- mencing their trips until quite late in the season on account of the "ice blockade." I presume there are many now living who remember the delay caused at Buffalo by the ice, in the spring of 1837. All the vessels in the harbor had been for several weeks ready to leave, but found it impossible to get out. Boats would go out to the line of the ice and make an attempt to break through, but their efforts were in vain. They would have to work themselves back out of the jam and return --------------------------------------------------------------------------- [Page 14] to their berths in the harbor. Vessels and steamboats from the west would be seen to come down to the edge of the float- ing ice, and after reconnoitering would return. In this state of affairs, when Captain WILKESON with his steamboat Commo- dore Perry came down, it being his second trip from Perrys- burg that spring, he determined not to be balked a second time, and resolved to work his way through if possible, even though it broke all the buckets on the paddle-wheels, and cut through the planking of the boat. To resolve with him was to act. He plunged into the ice, and all hands exerted them- selves with a will to force the boat through. After many hours of hard labor, and a general destruction of the buckets and some of the arms of the wheels, the Perry emerged from the ice-pack into clear water, and in a crippled state steamed slowly up the harbor. The docks and vessels were covered with a multitude of people, who had been watching with anxiety the daring and successful attempt to reach the harbor. As the gallant steamer passed grandly on, the shores and crafts of all kinds rang with the loud huzzas of the spectators, which continued to greet the noble vessel and her plucky commander until she reached her dock. Captain WILKESON was the hero of the day. Through the en- ergy and confidence he had displayed in this emergency, as in others, he had succeeded, by breaking the blockade, in setting the many captives free, -- for the channel made through the ice by the Perry remained open, and within an hour several sail- vessels had taken advantage of it, and before the sun went down were out beyond the ice. Others continued to follow, and there was no further obstruction. The Commodore Perry was thus the first boat which came in that spring, arriving the 16th day of May. Upon one occasion I was talking with the "Commodore", as he was sometimes called, about his breaking through the "ice blockade," and said to him that the dock men ought to --------------------------------------------------------------------------- [Page 15] have given him a silver cup or some other token of acknowl- edgment for the great service he had rendered them, especially as his successful efforts had been attended with considerable damage to his boat. He replied that he did not wish anything. "But," continued he, "they did invite me to take a public dinner at the Mansion House, but I declined, as I could not afford to spend the time." This was not, however, his first exploit in opening naviga- tion at Buffalo, in order to accomplish his own plans in the carrying business. Six years before, when sailing the Eagle, he came down with his load of freight and found Buffalo har- bor blockaded with ice. No craft had gone out or come in. With his usual ready determination, he ran his vessel into the floating ice, and after many hours of hard work on the part of his faithful crew entered port. Through the opening he had made by his hazardous undertaking, others followed, and navigation was open for the season. Another incident which I have heard related will illustrate his spirit as a seaman, viz.: that having been caught in a sud- den storm of wind, hail and rain, which threw his vessel on its beams' ends, when unable to walk the deck, he crawled upon his hands and knees, holding on by whatever he could, the hail lacerating his face so that the blood ran down; and by his per- serverance and management brought his vessel all right again. Such stories of those that "go down to the sea in ships and do business upon the waters" bring to my mind often the old English song I used to hear sung more than sixty years ago: "Ye gentlemen of England, who stay at home at ease, Ye little know the dangers upon the raging seas, When up she mounts aloft, my boys, and down again so low, How she reels upon her keel while the stormy winds do blow." When the steamboats on our lakes ran in opposition, or "every one for itself," the owners would have bands of musicians aboard, playing to attract travellers. Some boats would keep the band aboard to play while in port, and some to play while --------------------------------------------------------------------------- [Page 16] entering and leaving the harbor. I have heard steamboat mates who sailed with Captain WILKESON say that he fre- quently meddled with things and affairs that did not belong to him, but which it was the duty of the mate to see to. I know well that he always stood at the engine bell-rope to guide the course of the boat in entering or going out of port. I also noticed that the brass band would sometimes cease playing while entering or going out of port. He gave me the reason for this, saying that he did not dare trust himself, for fear lest in listening to the music his mind might be diverted too much from directing the course of the boat. I have no doubt that he thought it was necessary, sometimes, to be "boss and all hands," to make things go right aboard his boat, and have everything done up to time. The Captain was prompt in his appointments and engage- ments. The Commodore Perry's time for leaving her dock at Perrysburg was a standing notice in the papers of the place. I asked him if he did not sometimes lose some passengers by being a little too exactly on time. He answered me in a slow, musing tone, casting his eyes up and scanning the bank and roads up and down the river (we were now lying at the dock at Perrysburg), saying, "If I see any persons hurrying to get aboard, I hold on a little to give them a chance; but if I see none of that class I order the boat to be let loose at the bow so as to swing off from the dock." While sailing the Perry his wife and sometimes some of the children would accompany him down and spend a few days at my father's house while the boat made a trip. The Captain's homestead was half a mile or so above the dock, and one time his wife informed him that she would accompany him down the next trip. The day came and the hour for starting. The time was up; Mrs. W. was seen coming, walking quite fast, because she knew his promptness, but was still some distance away when she saw the Perry swing into the stream, and she was left. The Captain related this to me on his arrival at Buffalo. He seemed to enjoy the transaction --------------------------------------------------------------------------- [Page 17] and consider it as a joke on his wife, to let her know that she must be up to time in all business transactions. In early steamboating on our lakes there was sometimes great competition in cutting fares, and most travelers were willing to take advantage of it. To illustrate the disposition of men I will state what Captain WILKESON related to me. He said that a gentleman once approached him here at Buffalo, on the dock, and asked what he would charge him, as cabin passenger, to Detroit. The Captain named an amount which was considerably less than half the regular fare, and he was invited to step aboard and take a drink with the Captain, at the bar. A little while after this the Captain met him again, and was told the other boat would carry him for nothing. "Well, I will carry you for nothing and board you. You will go with me, of course, won't you?" "Well, I don't know," was the answer, "I think his wine is a little preferable to yours!" At another time the steamboat managers had agreed that the boats should have up to a certain time to get their passen- gers, etc., and that then they would leave the dock. On one occasion the time was up, and the captain of a certain boat (it was not Captain WILKESON, for he scorned any subterfuge of this kind) was directed to cast off and go. Just then the rain was pouring down in torrents. The answer to the order given him was, "You should not expect me to go out in such rain." The fact was there was a railroad train from the east past due. The answer, however, was given more as a joke or a put-off than anything serious. They, the captains, were always hon- orable in their engagements. Some of his friends at home "ran him" pretty hard, at one time, about his paying so much attention and giving so much care to his steamboat, and neglecting his homestead. They said that he kept his boat in good repair, all painted up nice and fine, but neglected his premises at home; that his house looked dusty and brown, -- wanted painting and brushing up. So they offered to contribute and furnish the materials if he --------------------------------------------------------------------------- [Page 18] would have this renewing done. He answered them by saying he did not believe in this half-way charity giving, -- and when he did a person a favor he did not stop half way, but carried it out fully. "Now," said he, "if you furnish the paints and materials and two good workmen to put on it, I will consent that you may have the job." There are many yet living who remember the steamboat Buffalo running into the Commodore Perry just above Erie, and cutting the bow below the water-line. Captain WILKESON lay in his berth in the cabin very ill from a cold, and had not been able to be on deck for two or three days. Hearin the tre- mendous crash caused by the breaking of the shaft and timbers, he arose from his sick bed, went on deck, and gave orders to his men what to do. All was bustle and commotion. The next moment another cracking and crashing of timbers followed. It was one of the wheels with part of the iron shaft leaving the boat and going down to the bottom of the lake. The Captain, in relating the incident to me, said it seemed to him that when the wheel with part of the shaft was breaking away from the boat the whole boat was going to pieces and bound for the bottom. This breaking away and leaving the boat, however, saved the craft from going down immediately. It allowed her to careen over and bring a large part of her broken side above water. The passengers and most of the crew were taken on board of the Buffalo. Some few of Captain WILKESON'S faithful hands remained on the Perry with him. The Buffalo took her in tow and brought her into Erie harbor, to the side of the dock, where she soon after sank to the bottom. She was raised again, under Captain WILKESON'S management, and was repaired and did good service after this. It was Captain WILKESON'S persevering energy that saved his boat from going to the bottom of Lake Erie beyond recovery. The Captain, in speaking of captains of vessels, as to their capability of taking care of them in a storm or at any diff- cult time, said, "If he," the captain, "gets frightened, or loses --------------------------------------------------------------------------- [Page 19] confidence in himself, he is good for nothing, not worth a cent. He should never give up in despair. He should never say fail, or admit anything of the kind is possible." To illustrate still further his energy in business, I will relate one more transaction. At a time when there were but few side-wheel steamers (pro- pellers had not made their appearance), in the latter part of one summer, when business on the lake was dull, and the prices of grain as well as freights were low, to make out a load for his ninety-ton vessel, Captain WILKESON bought on his own account two thousand bushels of first quality wheat. On arriving at Buffalo he could make no sale of it, nor could he get room to store it, elevators not having been brought out even as an experiment yet. He directed his men at once to work or tow his vessel out into the lake and hoist sail for Dunkirk. When he arrived there he despatched several of his crew on horses, into the country, to call on the farmers in that vicinity and let them know there was a chance to buy first quality of seed wheat at the dock in Dunkirk at fifty cents per bushel, which they were glad to do; and Captain W. soon received cash for his wheat and immediately returned to Buffalo, took a load of merchandise and was soon on his way back to the head of the lake. Captain WILKESON, in his religious belief, was a Universalist. With those whom he knew who professed to believe otherwise, he would often, at a convenient time, introduce the subject of religion, seemingly to draw them out and learn their views more fully. In the years when I used to journey with him on the Eagle, we had many friendly chats upon this subject. He was familiar with the Scriptures, and possessed a very intelligent mind, and was candid and sincere in all his arguements, -- never treating the subject in a trifling manner. He was several years my senior, and I must admit many years older in practical business life, and far excelled me in argument. But, finally, I said to him, after repeated conversations on the subject, --------------------------------------------------------------------------- [Page 20] "Well, you truly believe in your professed way of thinking and that you are right?" To this he answered "Yes," at once. "Very well," I continued, "now I can say more than that." "How so?" "I can say I KNOW I am right." "Well," he quickly and earnestly enquired, "but HOW do you, or HOW CAN you KNOW?" I said, "I hardly know how I can explain that to you, but I have the convincing evidence within me, -- 'God's spirit wit- nessing with my spirit.' I did not," I added, "obtain this confidence and trust in our Creator until I had become of mature age, and therefore I think the evidence more convincing, and derive from it more pointed assurance than if I had given my assent to it at a much earlier period in my life." Continuing the conversation, I gave him, as well I could, a simple statement of my own feeling of assurance concerning my faith and hope, as a matter of experience; resting my confidence in the doctrines of the Christian religion as held by those usually called Evangelical Christians, on my own internal conviction of their truth. Having heard my statement, and reflecting a moment he said: "That is something I do not fully understand; but," he continued, "to those that have that confidence and faith, I would be the last one to say anything that would shake or weaken it." In conclusion, I may suitably adopt a few words from an obituary notice of Captain WILKESON, published in the Toledo Morning Commercial, September 10, 1873, two days after his death, ten years ago. "He was a man of great kindness of heart and geniality of disposition, whereby he won his way to the esteem of all acquaintances; while by his integrity and honorable dealing, he commanded the confidence of his fellow-men in an eminent degree. His independence of character ever prompted him to self-reliance and unremitting effort. After a residence in the valley of fifty-eight years, he passed away amid a state of things in extraordinary contrast with the scene which pre- --------------------------------------------------------------------------- [Page 21] sented itself to his youthful eyes. Few, indeed, of his earliest cotemporaries (sic) now remain, and the last of them will soon follow him. But it the care of those who have come or shall come after them not to forget the debt due to their early enterprise and sacrifices." ===========================================================================