Butler County, Ohio - The whole text, 1882 (part 4 of 39)

September 2; 1806, James Blackburn, collector of county taxes for the year 1803, exhibited his accounts, as follows: Dr. - James Blackburn, to the amount of his duplicate of county taxes for the year 1803, $594.49. Cr. - By amount of cash paid into the county treasury, and per treasurer's receipts, $542.71; by amount of deductions and delinquencies allowed, $17.19; by amount of commission for collecting and paying over, etc., $34.59.

October 6, 1806, James Heaton, county surveyor, for expenses incurred in ascertaining the southern boundary line of Butler County, was granted $29.25. ;

November 8, 1806, accounts were allowed: John Gray, appraiser in St. Clair Township, $1.25; John Nelson and George Howard, wolf-scalp, each, $1; Isaac Reed, making return of election from Lemon Township, $1.25; Thomas Hunt, one of the judges of election in Liberty Township, $1; James Scott, one of the judges of election in Milford Township, $1; Isaac Gibson, one of the judges of election in Ross Township, $1; Robert Taylor, one of the judges of election in St. Clair Township, $1; John Patterson, one of the judges of election in Wayne Township, $1; Joshua Delaplaine, carrying an abstract of votes given for senator to the clerk's office in Warren County, $2; Celadon Symmes, attendance at clerk's office, in canvassing the election, $1; James Smith, for his attendance at the clerk's office, at the canvassing of the election, $1; Isaac Stanley, for attendance at the clerk's office, at the canvassing of five different elections, and the drawing of three different juries, $4; David Lee, wolf-scalp, $1.

December 2, 1806, the following accounts were allowed : Isaac Stanley, services as one of the viewers of the road from Rossville up the Miami, intersecting the road from Hamilton up Four-mile, ete., at or near Hampton Adkins's, $1.70; Isaac Wiles, one of the viewers, $1.70; William Murray, one of the viewers, 85 cents; James Heaton, surveying, with the fees of the chain-men and markers, etc., $4.84; Samuel Kennedy, as one of the viewers of the proposed highway from Cotton Run, by Winton's, etc., thence to D. Perry's, $4; John Vinnedge and Isaiah Ball, viewers, each, $4; James Heaton, surveying, including the fees of the chain-men and marker, $9.50; Samuel Dick, one of the appraisers of damages on the proposed highway from Cotton Run, by Wintén's, to D. Perry's, $1; Ebenezer Paddox, James Cummins, Charles Breece, and Thomas Pounds, for the same, each, $1; John Reily, clerk of the Board of Commissioners, mak ing out duplicates of taxes for the collectors, and as clerk to the Board of Commissioners from 5th May, 1806, to 4th November, 1806, $74.

January 5, 1807, the following amounts were allowed: James Dunn, associate judge; $16.50; Henry Weaver, associate judge, $16.50; Celadon Symmes, associate judge, $16.50; William McClellan, sheriff, for stove hire and fuel, ete., for the court-house, at December term, 1806, candles, and a lock for the jail, $5; James Smith, Alexander Wilson, William Hays, David Williamson, Robert.

Colwell, Thomas Alston, Bladen Ashby, Joseph Lummis, David Chambers, Robert Winton, Charles Breece, James McClure, Samuel Davis, Ezekiel Ball, and William Martin, grand jurors, each, $1.50; Brice Virgin, constable, for attending on the grand jury of Butler Common Pleas, $1.50; Thomas Ferguson, wolf-scalp, $1; Thomas Hunt, collecting the county taxes in Liberty Township, 1806, $11.32; Robert Scott, collecting the county taxes in Milford Township, $6.70; George Gerrard, collecting State taxes in Ross Township, $3.83; John Gerrard, collecting the county taxes of Ross Township, $7.74; William Broderick, collecting the State tax of Milford Township, and the county and State tax of St. Clair Township, $13.89; Isaac Wiles, making a chain for the confinement of criminals in jail, $4.50; Nathaniel Bell, collecting and paying over the State taxes in Wayne Township, $2.95; George Harlan, collecting and paying over the State taxes in Fairfield Township, $7.77; Davis Ball, one of the viewers of the road crossing the Miami at Baum's ford, thence to the Greenville road, $3.40; Levi Jennings, viewer, $3.40; Jacob Bell, viewer, $3.40;

March 2, 1807, accounts were allowed to Charles Breece, services as one of the viewers of the proposed highway from Williams's mill, on Indian Creek, to the highway leading from Hamilton to Cincinnati, $2.55 ; Joseph Walker and William Crooks, viewers, each, $2.55; James Heaton, surveying, $5; Israel Woodruff and Isaac Woolverton, chain-men, each, $1.34; Jonathan Woolverton, marker, $1.34; Samuel Kennedy, James Smith, James Cummins, John Wingate, and Isaac Wiles, assessors of damages, each, 85 cents; Levi Limpus, wolf-scalp; George Harlan, collecting and paying over the county taxes in Fairfield Township, $22.06.

The Board of Commissioners, on March 380, allowed the following: Joseph Lee, 2 wolf-scalps, $2; William McClellan, sheriff, fees paid for the apprehension of John Welsh, committed on a charge of robbing the United States mail, $50; John Reily, clerk of Board of Commissioners, making out a duplicate of the State taxes from the lister's returns, a copy for the auditor of state, etc., and for services to the third March, instant, $39.75.

Accounts allowed at the session of May 4, 1807: James Dunn, associate judge, holding a special court, $27; Henry Weaver, associate judge, $19.50; Celadon Symmes, associate judge, $18; James Shields, Edward Bebb, Thompson Maxwell, Daniel Baker, John Vansickle, Samuel Enyart, Peter Williamson, James Young, Robert Taylor, Junior, William Morris, Charles Stuart, Robert Taylor, James Mills, Lawrence Kavenaugh, and Andrew

Christy, grand jurors, each, $2.25; Thomas Hunter, constable, for attending on the grand jury in Butler Common Pleas, $2.25; John Smalley, a judge of the election for coroner in Liberty Township, $1; William Swafford, a judge of the election for coroner, held in Milford Township, $1.25; John Richmond, a judge of the election for coroner in Ross Township, $1.12; Robert Winton, a judge of the election for coroner in St. Clair Township, $1.12; Benjamin Van Cleif, a judge of the election for coroner in Wayne Township, $1.25; Uzal Edward, assignee of John Garrison, wolf-scalp, $1; William Liston, wolf-scalp, $1; Samuel Fraser, wolf-scalp, $1; William Squire, first installment for building the jailer's house, $250.

July 6, 1807, accounts were allowed as follows: James Smith, one of the viewers of the road from Hamilton, by Middletown, to the county line, in a direction for Franklin, in Warren County, $6.80; John Torrence and Charles Breece, viewers, each, $6.80; Daniel Chambers and Smith Thompson, chaii-men, each, $3.25; Henry Hesley, ax-man, $2.68; Henry Mason, ax-man, 67 cents; James Heaton, surveyor, $9.50; James Smith, one of the viewers of the highway from John Hamilton's to the north boundary of the county, in a direction for the town of Eaton, including a transcript from the records of Hamilton County, of a survey, $5.50; John Torrence, viewer, $4.25; David Beaty, viewer, and for-furnishing a chain-man, $6.26; Thomas Edmunson, chainman, $2.01; Hampton Adkins, ax-man, $2.01; James Heaton, surveyor, $6.50; Henry Taylor, one of' the viewers of the highway from Scott's tan-yard up Seven mile Creek, $3.40; Samuel Davis, viewer, $2.55; Jacob Witenger, viewer, $3.40; Darius C. Orcutt and Israel Woodruff, chain-men, each, $1.67; Robert Scott, axman, $1.34; James Heaton, surveyor, $5.75; Solomon Line, one of the assessors of damages on the road leading from Hamilton by Middletown, and from John Hamilton's to the north boundary of the county, in a direction for the county of Eaton, $3.40; Andrew Christy and Isaac Stanley, assessors of damages, each, $3.40; John McDonald, assessor of damages, $3.40; James McClure, assessor of damages on the road leading from Hamilton by Middletown, $1.70; John Reily, clerk of Butler Common Pleas, $35.50.

Accounts were allowed, at the meeting of August 3, 1807, to John Deneen, wolf-scalp, $1; William Gard, wolf-scalp, $1; George Roby, 4 wolf-scalps, $2.50.

A statement was made of the probable general receipts and expenditures of Butler County for the year 1807 : County taxes, $1,395; land-tax (the county moiety), $330; tavern, store, and ferry licenses, $200; fines, $30.

The appropriations were judged to be as follows: Listers' and other accounts liquidated and allowed, $303.61 ; third installment of the jailer's house, $500; associate judges' fees, $150; attorney prosecuting the pleas of the State, $80; clerk and sheriff, $50; grand jury, $90;

The following persons were appointed to collect the county taxes: Fairfield, George Harlan, $338.015; Lemon, Robert Brown, $326.91; Liberty, Thomas Hunt, $173.775 ; Milford, John Frazer, $104.80; Ross, Andrew Wilson, $155.865; St. Clair, John Orbison, $153; Wayne, James Bartley, $142.70.

At the meeting of the Board of Commissioners, September 7, 1807, accounts were allowed to James Dunn, associate judge, $19.50; Henry Weaver, associate judge, $21; Celadon Symmes, associate judge, $19.50; Arthur St. Clair, attorney for the State of Ohio, $27; Ezekiel Ball, William Barkalow, William Murray, William Gray, Jacob Piatt, Joseph Cox, Isaac John, Henry Taylor, Samuel Smith, John Halstead, Daniel Crume, Thomas Pottenger, Solomon Line, James McClure, and Thompson Maxwell, grand jurors, each, $2.25; Brice Virgin, constable, attending the grand jury, $2.25; Hugh Care, wolf-scalp, $1; William Roby, 3 wolf-scalps, $2.50; Zachariah P. De Witt, wolf-scalp, $1; Samuel Lee, wolfscalp, $1; Samuel Crooks, wolf-scalp, $1; Thomas Paine, wolf-scalp, $1. ,

September 8, Adam Dickey, one of the viewers of the highway from Middletown, by Thomas Hunt's, to the State Road, between Thomas Hill's and Isaac Swearengin's, $2.25;-. Abraham Huff and Joseph Williamson, viewers, each, $2.25; Isaac S. Swearengin, surveyor, $5; Ira Hunt and William Hunt, chain-men, $2.01; Nathaniel Hill, chain-man, $2.01; Isaac Hunt, ax-man, $2.01; William McClellan, sheriff of Butler, fees for services in State prosecutions, where the State failed, advertising elections and summoning grand jurors, and locks for the jail, $57.42; John Riley, clerk of the Board of Commissioners, making out duplicates of county and State taxes for the collectors, and stationery furnished, $58.37. On application of Samuel Seward, it was ordered that a deduction be made in his taxes of a stud-horse of $4.

The following collectors of State taxes were appointed : Fairfield, George Harlan, $122.892; Lemon, Robert Brown, $180.315; Liberty, Thomas Hunt, $139.597; Milford, John Frazer, $13.202; Ross, Andrew Wilson, $49.956; St. Clair, John Orbison, $41.68 ; Wayne, James Bartly, $48.217.

Accounts allowed, October 5, as .follows: Samuel Crooks, one of the viewers of the highway from near J. Beaty's to the north-west corner of the college township, $3.40; Zachariah P. Dewitt and Samuel Beeler, viewers, each, $3.40; David Woolverton, chain-man, $2.34; Stephen Elkins, marker, $2.34; William Squire, the second installment towards building the jailer's house, $250; William Patton, taxes on a stud-horse improperly levied and collected in 1806, $4.

surveying the highway leading from near J. Beaty's to the north-west corner of the college township, $9; Elihu Line, one of the chain-men, $3.01; John McClellan, carrying the abstract of the election for senator in October, 1807, to the clerk's office in Warren County, $2; John Stow, wolf-scalp, $1.

sheriff, $3.50; David Lee, George Myracle, and John Burns, wolf-scalps, each, $1; John Orbison, commission for collecting the State taxes in St. Clair Township, $2.50; James Bartley, collecting the State taxes in Wayne Township, $2.89; Robert Brown, the State taxes of Lemon Township, $10.82; John Frazer, the State taxes in Milford Township, 79 cents; William Murray, one of the viewers on the alteration of the highway leading from Rossville to Iseminger's mill, including fees of one day for marker or ax-man, $2.37; Isaac Wiles, viewer, including fees of one day of chain-man, $2.37 ; Robert Douglass, reviewer, 85 cents; James Heaton, surveying, $3; Davis Smith, chain-man, 67 cents; Will. iam Steel, viewer on the alteration of the highway from Scott's tanyard, up Seven Mile, 75 cents; Gilbert Marshall, viewer, 85 cents; Thomas Simmons, viewer, 85 cents; Henry H. Jones, surveyor, $1.50.

James Heaton, commissioner of the highway leading from Hamilton to Cincinnati, having exhibited to the board his account and charges against the State of Ohio, for laying out and repairing, $75, it was allowed.

January 4, 1808, accounts were allowed as follows: James Dunn, associate judge, $21; Henry Weaver, associate judge, $21; Celadon Symmes, associate judge, $21; Arthur St. Clair, attorney for the State, $27; Matthew Winton, James Brown, Thomas Hueston, Serring Marsh, Squire Little, Jacob Miller, Joseph Stuart, Samuel Harden, Nathan Stubbs, Samuel Davis, Peter Voorhies, John Ayres, James Mills, Jacob Lewis, and John Vinnedge, grand jurors, each, $2.25; Brice Virgin, constable, for attending the grand jury, 1807, $2.25; John Reily, clerk of the Board of Commissioners, for making a duplicate of the State taxes from the listers' returns in 1807, $17.50; Thomas Hunt, collecting the county and State taxes of Liberty Township, $21.86 ; William Foster, wolf-scalp, $1; James Bartley, collecting the county taxes of Wayne Township, $11.37; William Squire, third installment towards building the jailer's house, $500. It was ordered that all delinquent collectors of taxes should meet the Board of Commissioners at Hamilton on the first Monday in February next, for the purpose of settling up their respective collections.

Accounts allowed at the meeting of February 1, as follows: David Blackburn, a judge of an nitogl in Reily Township, $1; Cornelius Doty, wolf-scalp, 50 cents ; John Wingate, survivor of Torrence & Wingate, extra work in building the jail, $40; George Harlan, collecting and paying over the county taxes in Fairfield Township, $33.74; Robert Brown, collecting and paying over the county taxes in Lemon Township, $25.05.

March 7, 1808, the accounts allowed were as follows: John Dunn, appraiser in Ross Township, $1.25; Isaac Stanley, attending at the clerk's office in canvassing and certifying elections, $1; John Vinnedge, attending at the clerk's office in canvassing and certifying elections, $1.50; John McClellan, notifying John Vinnedge to attend at the clerk's office to canvass and certify an election, $1; John Frazer, collecting and paying over the county taxes of Milford Township, $8.25; Thomas Cooch, one of the viewers of the road from the lands of Samuel McCleary to the northern boundary of the county, $3.40; James Martin and Robert Barnhill, viewers, each, $3.40; William Martin, chain-man, $1.34; John Frazer, chain-man, $1.84; David Frazer, marker, one day, 67 cents; John Davis, marker, one day, 67 cents; Henry H. Jones, surveying, $4.50; John Reily, clerk of the Board of Commissioners, $27.75

It was ordered that suits should be instituted against all delinquent collectors of taxes .who fail to produce and deposit with the clerk of the board within ten days the county treasurer's receipts; and that suits be instituted against all delinquents who subscribed to pay either in cash, whisky, or grain, towards the public buildings for the use of the county of Butler, including the donation made or subscribed by C. R. Sedam. It was ordered that William Corry, attorney at law, be employed as counsel on behalf of the county.

May 2, 1808, accounts were allowed to James Dunn, associate judge, $19.50; Henry Weaver, associate judge, $19.50; Celadon Symmes, associate judge, $19.50; William Corry, attorney for prosecuting the pleas of the State, $27; James Mills, John Hamilton, Jr., Enoch Danford, Abner Enoch, James Rugless, Samuel Dickey, Moses Tegarden, John Thompson, William Webster, Andrew Wilson, Joseph Worth, Isaac Wiles, John Coon, William Hayse, and Thompson Maxwell, grand jurors, each, $3.

Accounts were allowed at the meeting of June 6, 1808, to Amos Hawkins, 5 wolf-scalps, $5; George Myracle, wolf-scalp, $1; David Lee, 2 wolf-scalps, $2; John Patterson, damages sustained by the alteration of the road commonly called Wayne's trace, through his lands as per report of the viewers, $13; David Beaty, coroner, for the cost and charges of an inquest held on the dead body of Ambrose Lawrence, $10.90; Maxwell Parkison, 8 wolf-scalps, $4.

At the August meeting, a statement of the probable general receipts and expenditures of the county of Butler, for the year 1808, was given. Probable receipts: County taxes, $1,396.29; land tax, the county moiety, $422; tavern, store, and ferry licenses, $200; fines and forfeitures, $30; arrears of county taxes for 1807, $130.09. Appropriations: Amount probably necessary to meet the orders which remained unsatisfied on the second Monday in June, 1808, $400; listers and other accounts liquidated since second Monday in June, 1808, $145.62; fourth installment of the jailer's house, $345; associate judges' fees, $150; attorney, prosecuting the pleas of the State for the county, $80; clerk and sheriff, $50; grand jury's fees, $100; judges of elections, $40; wolf and panther scalps, $40; viewers of roads and highways, $50; probable amount of the Board of Commissioners, clerk, and stationery, $150; towards furnishing the new jail, $300; collectors' and county treasurer's commissions, $200; contingent expenses and delinquencies, $127.76. The following collectors were appointed to collect the county taxes: Fairfield, George Harlan, $306.249; Lemon, William Harvey, $323.825; Liberty, Thomas Hunt, $181.525; Milford, Robert Scott, $89.50; Reily, John Price, $59.50; Ross, James Mahan, $139.55; St. Clair, William Broderick, $160.536; Wayne, James Barclay, $135.61: The following collectors of State taxes were appointed, and having given bonds, etc., were severally furnished with duplicates: Fairfield, George Harlan, $186.194; Lemon, William Harvey, $210.454; Liberty, Thomas Hunt, $141.55; Milford, Robert Scott, $19.13; Ross, James Mahan, $73.748; St. Clair, William Broderick, $49.655; Wayne, James Barclay, $55.535. Captain Isaac Wiles, for the soldiers to guard the jail in June and July, 1808, $19.25; John Wingate, sheriff, services rendered the county, including a portion of the annual allowance made by law, to the sheriff for failures in State prosecutions, $70.50; William McClellan, late sheriff, proclaiming elections, including a part of the annual allowance made by law to the sheriff, for failures in State prosecutions, etc., $24; John Reily, clerk of Butler Common Pleas, $35.50; John Reily, clerk of the Board of Commissioners, in drawing orders for roads and highways established by the Board of Commissioners, $33.

Accounts were allowed, September 5, 1808, to James Dunn, associate judge of Butler Common Pleas, $15; Henry Weaver, associate judge, $15; Celadon Symmes, associate judge, $15; William Corry, attorney-at-law, prosecuting the pleas of the State in Butler Common Pleas, 1808, $27; Samuel Dick, John Dickson, Adam Dickey, Moses Vail, Michael Morningstar, John Fisher, Thomas Kyle, Benjamin Hawkins, John Withrow; John Richardson, John Richmond, Henry Taylor, Thompson Maxwell, Samuel Dayis, and John Morris, grand jurors, each, $1.50; Robert Brown, constable, for attending the grand jury, $1.50; Samuel Powell, appraiser in Lemon Township, $3.12; Robert Lytle, one of the viewers on the road beginning at the State Road between Ogle's and Stout's, thence to Greenwood's, $1.70; William Robison, viewer, $1.70; James Scott, viewer, $1.70; James Heaton, surveyor, $3; Morton Irwin, chain-man, 67 cents; Robert Crome, chain-man, 67 cents; John Kennedy, ax-man, 67 cents; John Reily, clerk of the Board of Commissioners,

William Squire was requested to lay before the board, at their next meeting, a statement of what sums he has collected on the subscription papers made toward the public buildings.

At the next meeting it was ordered that William Squire have further time given, or until the first Monday of November next, to lay before the board a statement of the sums by him collected on the subscription paper made toward public buildings, and put into his hands for collection; and it was ordered that suit be again instituted against William Squire and his bail, on their contract for building the jailer's house, ete.

At the meeting of November 7, 1808, it was ordered that there be allowed to the judges and clerks of elections the sum of 75 cents per day, and the sum of five cents per mile to the judge who returns the poll-book.

Amounts were allowed to John James, wolf-scalp, $1; Godfrey Waggoner, wolf-scalp, $1; John Wingate, sheriff, in part for locks, etc., furnished-for the jail, $15.03; Ezekiel Ball, one of the judges at the October annual election in Lemon Township, and for returning the pollbooks, $2.90; John Wingate, sheriff, for work done at the jail, $12.07.

December 6, 1808, accounts were allowed to the following persons: Hough, Blair & Co., for iron locks, nails, etc., furnished the sheriff for the use of the jail, $33.43; John Wingate, sheriff, plank furnished for the jail, making doors and hanging the same, $26.06; William McClear, iron furnished for the jail, $70; John Reily, clerk of the Board of Commissioners, to making a duplicate of the State taxes, $29.75.

February 6, 1809, accounts were allowed to James Dunn, associate judge, $21; Henry Weaver, associate judge, $24; Celadon Symmes, associate judge, $21; William Corry, prosecuting the pleas on behalf of the State, $27; David Beaty, Isaac Stanley, John Vinnedge, John McDonald, James Piper, John Morrow, Abraham Montoney, John Kennedy, Knoles Shaw, Robert Winton , Samuel Ayres, John Craig, Matthew Hueston, Solomon Line, and Thomas Hunt, grand jurors, each, $2.25; Robert Brown, constable, in attending on grand jury, $2.25; Ezekiel Ball, judge of the election for justice of the peace in Lemon Township, $1.45; Joseph Lummis, judge of election, 75 cents; Gideon Long, judge of election, 75 cents; Daniet L. Pierce, clerk of election, 75 cents; James Bolis, clerk of election, 75 cents; Enoch Danford, judge of the election of 'justices of the peace in Wayne Township, $1.25; James Witherow, judge of election, 75 cents; James Stages, judge of election, 75 cents; Moses Evans, clerk of the election for justices of the peace in Wayne Township, 75 cents; Isaiah Ore, clerk of election, 75 cents; Matthew Hueston, attendance at the clerk's office to canvass and certify the election of justice of the peace held in Lemon Township, $1; John J olly, notifying Matthew Hueston to attend at the clerk's office to canvass and certify the election for justice of the peace in Lemon

Township, 75 cents; John Vinnedge, attending at the clerk's office to canvass and certify the election for justices ef the peace in Wayne Township, $1; James Mills, plank furnished for the court-room, $6; Hugh Blair & Co., a pair of andirons, shovel, and tongs, furnished for the use of the court-room, $5.69; Thomas Hunt, commission for collecting and paying over the State and county taxes of Liberty Township, $26.39 ; James Barclay, collecting and paying over the State and county taxes of Wayne Township, $16.59; William Harvey, collecting and paying over the State and county taxes of Lemon Township, $31.88 ; Nathaniel Bell, collecting and paying over the county taxes of Wayne Township, $9.20; Aaron Southard, carpenter work done in the court-room, $18.

At the meeting of February 15, 1809, a request was made by William Squire, the undertaker of the jailer's house, for more money on the contract, and refused, suit having been instituted by the board.

March 7, 1809, accounts were allowed to Samuel Dick, for his services as one of the viewers of the road from Rossville to the west boundary of the county, opposite James Crooks's, $5:10; William Blackburn, viewer, $5.10; William Crooks, viewer, $5.10; James Heaton, surveyor, $8.50; Benjamin Davis and Cyrus Timbrul, chain-men, each, $2.68; Hampton Adkins, ax-man, $2.68; Samuel Dick, one of the viewers of the road from Williams's mill, on Indian Creek, to the west boundary of the county, at the west side of section Np. six, town four, of the first range, $4.25; William Blackburn and William Crooks, viewers, each, $4.25; James Heaton, surveyor, $7; Benjamin Davis and Cyrus Lambert, chain-men, each, $2.01; Hampton Adkins, axman, $2.01; John Wingate, sheriff, two large locks, éte., procured for the jail of Butler County, $17.17.

Accounts were allowed, April 10, 1809, to William Wilson, a judge of the election for justice of the peace in Lemon Township, held 3d April, 1809, for returning the poll-book, $1.45; Joseph Williamson and'Squire Little, judges of election, each, 75 cents; Joseph Worth and Amos Sewell, clerks of election, each, 75 cents; John E. Scott, for his services as a judge at the election of justice of the peace held in Milford Township, 3d April, 1809, and for returning the poll-book, $1.80; Conrad Dow and William Ogle, judges of election, each 75 cents; Matthew Richardson and Joseph Steele, clerks of election, each, 75 cents; George Myracle, wolf-scalp, $1; Nathan Griffith, for a large lock made for the jail of Butler County, $16; William Squire, in part of the fourth installment for building the jailer's house, $150; John Wingate, sheriff of Butler County, for dieting and guarding, etc., John Cummins, a prisoner, lately confined in the jail of Butler County, $64.15; John Reily, clerk of the Board of Commissioners, $10.50.

May 1, 1808, accounts were allowed to James Dunn, associate judge, $18; Henry Weaver, associate judge, $18; Celadon Symmes, associate judge, $18; William Corry, attorney, for prosecuting the pleas of the State in Butler Common Pleas, 1807, $27; Arthur St. Clair and Jacob Burnett, attorneys, for prosecuting the pleas of the State, Butler Common Pleas and Supreme Court, against Cornelius Cummins, $16; James Heaton, Squire Little, Benjamin Van Cleif, Robert Brown, Isaac S. Swearingin, Michael Ayres, William Smith, Solomon Hittle, Ebenezer Paddocks, William Mitchel, Joseph Walker, Thomas Hunt, John Vinnedge, Thompson Maxwell, and John Smith, grand jurors, each, $2.25; Josiah Conklin, constable, for attending the grand jury, $2.25; Benjamin Davis, making hinges and spikes for the jail, $19.45; John Wingate, in part on account of work and materials found, ete., for the completing the jail, $134.44.

Accounts were allowed on the meeting of June 5, 1809, to David Beaty, coroner, for holding an inquest on the dead body of Baldwin Moore, on the 19th March, 1809, $15.30.

June 17, 1809, it was ordered, by and with the assent of William Squire, that the suit now pending in the Butler Common Pleas between the Board of Commissioners, plaintiffs, and William Squire and his sureties, on the contract for building the jailer's house, finding the materials, ete., be submitted to reference.

Accounts were allowed at the next meeting, that of July 3, 1809, to George Harlan, as lister and appraiser of houses in Fairfield Township, $27.50 4 James Heaton, appraiser of houses in Fairfield Township, $6.25 ; Robert Ferris, lister and appraiser of houses in Lemon Township, $30.62; Abner Enoch, appraiser of houses in Lemon Township, $4.37; Thomas Hunt, lister and appraiser of houses in Liberty Township, $24; Michael Ayres, appraiser of houses in Liberty Township, $1.25; Robert Young, lister and appraiser of houses in Milford Township, $8.75; James Martin, appraiser of houses in Milford Township, $1.25; John Price, lister and appraiser of houses in Reily Township, $7.50; William Broderick, lister and appraiser of houses in St. Clair Township, $12.50; Adam Heath, appraiser of houses in St. Clair Township, $1.25; Nathaniel Bell, lister and appraiser of houses in Wayne Township, $11.45; Jonathan Staggs, appraiser of houses in Wayne Township, $2.50; Peter Williamson, one of the judges of the election for justices ofthe peace in Liberty Township, and returning the pollbook of the same, $1.75; Daniel Nelson, one of the judges of election, $1; Joseph Cox, judge of election, $1; John Freeman, clerk of election, $1; Thomas Fish, clerk of election, $1; William Squire, fourth installment for building the jailer's house, $194.34.

It was ordered that notice should be given, by publication in the Whig and Liberty Hall, to all those who were in arrears with the county of Butler on their subscriptions made to assist in erecting public buildings, to come forward and deposit the same with Isaac Stanley, of Hamilton, or confess a judgment before him for the same before the first day of August next, and that suits be immediately instituted against all those who should fail to comply with the foregoing requisition.

Recerts. - Amount of the county taxes, $1,507.58; one-third part of the State or land tax, $288; store, tavern, and ferry license, $200; fines and forfeitures, $20; arrears of taxes in the collectors' hands, for the year 1808, $240.82.

APppROPRIATIONS. - A mount probably necessary to pay for the orders drawn (outstanding) previous to the second Monday in June, 1809, $300; amount of orders drawn since the second Monday in June, 1809, $364.12; probable amount of the associate judges' fees, $160; attorney for the State, $80; clerk and sheriff, $80; grand jury's fees, $120; judges and clerks of elections, $70; wolves' and panthers' scalps, $40; viewers, etce., of roads and highways, $50; Board of Commissioners, their clerk, stationery, etc., $175; collectors' and county treasurer's commissions, $200; necessary to be expended on the jail, contingent expenses and delinquencies, $617.28.

Accounts were allowed William Broderick, commission for collecting and paying over the county taxes of St. Clair Township, $15.83; John Wingate, sheriff of Butler County, for materials furnished and work done in completing the jail of Butler County, including dieting failures in State prosecutions, $281.23; John Reily, clerk of Butler Common Pleas, $46.12; William Murray, one of the judges of the election of justice of the peace, in Fairfield Township, $1; David Beaty, judge of election, $1; Thomas W. Spencer, judge of election, $1; James Heaton, clerk of election, $1; William Doty, clerk of election, $1; William Caldwell, judge of the election held for electing two justices of the peace, St. Clair Township, on August 3, 1809, and returning the poll-book, $1.75; George Huffman, judge of election, $1; Robert Winton, judge of election, $1; Jeremy Beaty, clerk of election, $1; John Taylor, clerk of election, $1; Christopher Beeler, wolf-scalp, $1; Joe Collins, wolf-scalp, $1.

The following persons were appointed to collect the county taxes: Fairfield, George Harlan, $332.442; Lemon, William Harvey, $379.897; Liberty, Thomas Hunt, $176.425; Milford, Robert Young, $94.20; Reily, John Price, $71.80; Ross, James Denning, $141.50; St. Clair, William Broderick, $169.261; Wayne, Nathaniel Bell, $142.06.

The following persons were appointed to collect the State taxes: Fairfield, George Harlan, $158.207; Lemon, William Harvey, $602.051; Liberty, Thomas Hunt, $160.587; Milford, Robert Young, $81.535 ; Reily, John Price, $18.18; Ross, James Dunning, $59.308; St. Clair,

September 4, 1809, accounts were allowed as follows: James Dunn, associate judge of Butler Common Pleas, $15; Henry Weaver, $15; Celadon Symmes, $9; William Corry, attorney for the State in Butler Common Pleas, $27; James Smith, Samuel Kennedy, John Caldwell, John Baker, Hendrick Lane, Tobias Barkalow, John Fisher, Thomas Irwin, John Dunn, Robert Morehead, Joseph Hough, Samuel Davis, Thompson Maxwell, Henry Taylor, and James Pierce, grand jurors, each, $1.50; Daniel Salle, constable, for attending grand jury in Butler Common Pleas, $1.50.

Proceedings From 1813 To 1819

December 7, 1813, the bond of James McBride, for the faithful discharge of his duties as sheriff, was recorded, with James and Hugh Wilson as his sureties; amount, $4,000.

January 3, 1814, Matthew Richardson took his seat as county commissioner, having been appointed to fill the vacancy caused by the resignation of John Wingate. His associates were James Blackburn and William Robison.

February 7, ordered that John Scott, contractor of the new court-house, be allowed to collect the subscriptions of stone, brick, timber, lime, mechanical work, labor, etc., as reported by committee on subscriptions, July 18, 1803. The bond of David Beaty, of $2,000, indorsed by David Beaty, David Brant, and Samuel Miller, for the faithful discharge of the former's duties as coroner, recorded.

May 2, John Richmond, road commissioner, was allowed $6.75, in full for his services in the repair of the road from the forks of the State road at Knox & Iseminger's mill to Hielay's mill.

June 6, the commissioners appointed John Reily clerk, Hugh Wilson treasurer, and Richard Scott collector of State or land taxes, the treasurer's remuneration to be three per centum.

August 1, the board made their yearly estimate of the probable receipts and expenditures of the county as follows: Receipts - From county taxes, $2,300; land taxes, $350; store, tavern, and ferry licenses, $300; cash in treasury, taxes, fines, and debts due to the county over and above the sum of $1,250 heretofore appropriated for building court-house, $1,275.50; total, $4,425.50. Expenditures - Associate judges, $220; State attorney, $81; clerk and sheriff, $120; dieting prisoners in jail, $100; clerk, and stationery, $200; listers and appraisers of property, $153.51; collectors and county treasurer, $300 ; orders drawn by commissioners not yet presented for payment, $150; to be paid towards new court-house, $1,500 ; to meet delinquencies and contingent expenses, $1,275.99 ; total, $4,425.50.

May 1, 1815, the commissioners agreed to have but two windows in the north end of court-house, first floor (instead of four), and three in the second floor (instead of five).

August 7, the estimates of the year's receipts and expenditures were made as follows: Receipts, $4,809 ; expenditures, $4,809; allowing $2,000 to run the courthouse, and $1,393.17 for contingent expenses.

January 1, 1816, it-was ordered that the sheriff should keep in repair the jailer's house (the court-room included), without any compensation, excepting only the use thereof for the accommodation of the jailer.

August 5, the estimates of receipts and expenditures for the current year shows a falling off over the previous year as follows: Receipts, $4,236.96 ; expenditures, $4,236.96; allowing but $1,500 toward the court-house building, and $1,029.01 for contingent expenses.

November 4, Joseph Henderson took his seat as commissioner, having been re-elected. Daniel Milliken, associate judge, having presented an account of $102, for duties, such as allowing writs of habeas corpus, examining bills in equity, allowing writs of injunction, etc., which was not allowed by the Board of Commissioners, gave

_. January 6, 1817, ordered that the Public Square be inclosed with a board fence, open work, and that there be left offs from each end four poles, on the north side one pole, and that the south side-be on a line with the jail and jailer's house, and that Hugh Wilson be the agent to purchase the materials and make the contract for inclosing the same.

March 8, Daniel Keyt agrees to inclose the Public Square at the rate of $1.25 per panel, and $5 for making three gates, one in front of each door of. the courthouse, the materials to be furnished by the Board of Commissioners.

April 4, 1818, a bridge was ordered built over Twomile Creek, north of Rossville, at an expense of $100; also a bridge across Elk Creek at Miltonville, to cost $40.

June 18th, Britton Moore was appointed to lay out $20 on the improvement of the county road from Belch's tayern to the east boundary of the county on the way to Lebanon. Moore was appointed in the place of Joseph Stevens, who refused to serve.

John E. Scott was voted $1,000 over and above the original contract price for building the court-house, he having shown that he expended that sum necessarily.

March Ist, it being found that the moneys then in the treasury, together with the moneys due to the county, and which money it was expected would be collected, would be sufficient to defray the ordinary expenses of the county for that year, it was, therefore, ordered that no tax under the act entitled '"' An act regulating county levies" be levied on the county for the year, and thatenotice thereof be given to the listers by publication in the Miami Herald.

We end our quotations with the year 1819. Enough has been given to show how inexpensively the wheels of government turned in the early part of the century, and with how little power men could be controlled. Ohio came forth into the world a full-fledged commonwealth, the first known in history. It was Minerva bursting full-armed from the brain of Jupiter.

The reader will notice some things that sound oddly enough. The court was obliged to omit its sessions until a stove could be hired by the sheriff; subscriptions were taken for the public buildings in labor, whisky, provisions, or money; wolves were an object of so muchfear that a premium was offered for their destruction, and laying out a new road was one of the commonest occurrences. It may interest those who know at what rate we now pay our public servants, to see how frugally judges of election, judges, sheriffs, and clerks were paid. There were no expenses worth considering for the poor or for the vicious; no charge for lunatics; the coroner's bills light, and schools were not in existence.

The Earliest Account Of The Miami Country

Tue earliest account we have of the Miami country is from the pen of Dr. Daniel Drake, a learned and successful practitioner of medicine in Cincinnati, who wrote a book descriptive of that city and the Miami country in 1815. He had evidently devoted much time and attention to the subject, and, as far as we may judge at this length of time, his accounts were accurate.

"The south-west corner of the State of Ohio," writes Dr. Drake, 'is watered chiefly by two rivers, called the Great and Little Miamis. Their general course is southwest; their medium distance apart, twenty miles.

"The Great Miami is about one hundred and thirty yards wide for forty miles from its mouth; its headwaters, between forty and forty-four degrees north latitude, interlock with the Massassinaway, a branch of the Wabash, the Auglaize and St. Mary, branches of the Maumee, and the Scioto. It has generally a rapid current, but no considerable falls. It flows through a wide and fertile valley, which, in Spring and Autumn, is liable to partial inundation. Its principal tributary streams on the west are Loramie's Creek, which joins it about one hundred and thirty miles from its mouth; Stillwater, which enters it about fifty miles below; and Whitewater, which it receives within seven miles of the Ohio. The first of these is navigable for batteaux nearly twenty miles, and in this respect is superior to the others. On the east side Mad River only is deserving of notice. This beautiful stream originates in a pond on the Indian boundary of 1795, and glides through a tract finely diversified with prairie and woodland. It is too shallow for navigation, but at all times furnishes water enough for the largest mills. Its mouth is nearly opposite that of Stillwater, and immediately above the town of Dayton. From this place to the Great Miami it is navigable, in moderate freshets, 'for keel and flat-bottom boats; in high floods the same navigation may be had from Loramie's drifting of sand and gravel renders the navigation, even near its mouth, difficult in low water. This river has a number of islands. The largest is two miles above the town of Hamilton. It was formed, since the settlement

'of that place, by a portion of the river enlarging a millrace which ran into one of its branches, called Sevenmile. Near the village of Troy is a group of about twenty more, the principal of which is nearly threequarters of a mile long. The valley of the river, at this place, is a mile wide, and the banks are low and loose. The current among the islands is rapid, but the navigation is not entirely obstructed."

'"This county lies west of the one last described (Warren), and to the north of Hamilton. The Great Miami traverses it diagonally. The soil of the north-east and south-west quarters is said to be generally poor; that of the south-east and north-west fertile. |

''Hamilton, the seat of justice, is situated twenty-five miles north-north-east of Cincinnati, on the east bank of the Miami. Its site is elevated, extensive, and beautiful; but near it, to the south, is a pond which has contributed much to the injury of health. The materials for building are neither very plentiful nor excellent. Good timber can not be had nearer than the neighboring hills ; the limestone in the bed of the river is indifferent, but some better quarries have: been opened in the uplands; the brick-clay yet discovered is inferior, abounding in fragments of limestone. The dwelling-houses, about seyenty in number, are chiefly of wood ; well-water is obtained at the depth of twenty-five feet.

'This town was laid off about the year 1794, and incorporated in 1810. The donations for public use are a square near the center of the village, for county purposes, and another for a church and cemetery. Its only public building is a stone jail. It has a post-office, an office for the collection of taxes on non-residents' lands in the western part of the State, and a printing-office, which issues a newspaper called the Miami Intelligencer.

'* Rossville, lying on the west side of the river, opposite to Hamilton, is a small place. Middletown, on the road from Hamilton to Franklin, is situated east of the river. Like*most of the villages in the Miami country, it has a post-office. Oxford, in the western part of the county, has less population and improvement but more notoriety than either of them, from having been fixed on as the seat of a university. The land is held in trust by the Legislature, which, in 1810, enacted a law directing the lots to be disposed of on leases for ninety-nine years, renewable forever, at the rate of six per cent per annum on the purchase-money, to be paid annually. Being on the frontier of the State, and almost surrounded by forest instead of cultivated country, it has received but little attention." miles of Cincinnati, at this time," he says, '' the prices of good unimproved land are between fifty and one hundred and fifty dollars per acre, varying according to the distance. From this limit to the extent of twelve miles they decrease from thirty to ten. Near the principal villages of the Miami country it commands from twenty to forty dollars; in remoter situations it is from four to eight dollars - improvements in all cases advancing the price from twenty-five to one hundred per cent. An average for the settled portions of the Miami country, still supposing the land fertile and uncultivated, may be stated at eight dollars; if cultivated, at twelve.

'Of tracts that had the same local advantages, those alluvial or bottom lands that have been recently formed command -the best price. The dry and fertile prairies are esteemed of equal value. Next to these are the uplands, supporting hackberry, pawpaw, honey locust,.

sugar-tree, and the different species of hickory, walnut, ash, buckeye, and elm. Immediately below these, in the scale of value, is the level clothed in beech timber, while that producing white and black oak chiefly commands the lowest price of all.

'The agriculture of this, as of other new countries, is not of the best kind. Too much reliance is placed on the extent and fertility of their fields by the farmers, who, in general, consider them a substitute for good tillage. They frequently plant double the quantity they can properly cultivate, and thus impoyerish their lands and suffer them to become infested with briars and noxious weeds. The-preseryation of the forests of a country should be an object of attention in every stage of its settlement; and it would be good policy to clear and plant no more land in a new country than can be well cultivated.

'The most valuable timber trees are the white flowering locust, white, black, lowland chestnut and burroaks, black walnut, wild cherry, yellow poplar, blue and white ash, mulberry, honey locust, shell-bark hickory, coffee-nut, and beech; all of which, except the first, are common throughout the Miami country. Many other species, such as the sweet buckeye, sassafras, sugar-tree, reed maple, tinder-tree, and box-elder, are seldom used for timber; but are of great value in the mechanical arts. Experience has shown that the timber of the Western country is softer, weaker, and less durable than that of the Atlantic States; which is no doubt owing to its more rapid growth in a fertile, calcareous soil and humid atmosphere. |

"The most elegant flowering trees and shrubs are the following, which excel in the order of their enumeration: Dogwood,. red-bud, white flowering locust, crabapple, honeysuckle, black haw, the different species of roses, plums, and haws, the buckeyes and yellow poplar,

"The beech, white oak, sugar-tree, and some kinds of walnut, hickory, and ash, are the most numerous of any trees in the Miami country. The flowering locust, abundant in Kentucky and along the Ohio, is rarely found more than twenty miles north of that river. The chestnut, persimmon, fox grape, and mountain chestnut oak, are still scarcer."

The following are given by the author as a catalogue of the forest trees then known to exist. Michaux, he says, names ninety kinds of trees in the United States which grow above forty feet in height, while in the Miami country there are forty-five which attain to that elevation. According to the same authority, there are, in the Union, ninety species which rise above sixty feet ; in this quarter there are at least an equal number which grow to that height. 'Hence, it appears that the soil of this tract," remarks the doctor, ''is superior to that of the United States generally, for it affords as many trees above sixty feet in height as all the States taken together, while it has only half the number of species." Here is the list of Dr. Drake:

Button tree, dogwood, swamp dogwood, alternate branched dogwood, rose or red willow, shrub teafoil, witch-hazel, fox grape, fall grape, Winter grape, ivy, New Jersey tea, Indian arrow wood, evergreen arrowwood, staff tree or bitter sweet, honeysuckle, gooseberry, black currant, slippery elm, white elm, common elder, red-berried elder, black haw, bladdernut. tree, poison vine, sumach, stag's-horn sumach, lentiscus-leaved sumach, trifoliate sumach, common or fetid buckeye, sweet buckeye, marsh leather-wood, long-leaved vaccineum, sassafras, spice-wood, red-bud, coffee-tree, mock snow-ball, wild cherry, plum, haw, crab-apple, wild roses, swamp rose, blackberry, raspberry, wine bark, downy spirca, black linden-tree, oblique-leaved linden, cucumber-tree, pawpaw - two varieties poplar - yellow and white, trumpet flower, flowering locust, St. Peter's wort, red mulberry, black birch, common alder, beech, chestnut, hornbeam, hop hornbeam, black walnut, butternut, shellbark hickory, pig-nut, balsam hickory, hemlock, sycamore, burr oak, chestnut oak, mountain chestnut oak, upland willow oak, black oak, Spanish oak, red oak, hazelnut, American arbor vite, rough-barked willow, ozier, mistletoe, prickly ash, cotton-tree, aspen, Canadian yew-tree, red cedar, sugar-tree, red or water maple, mountain maple, box-elder, hackberry, persimmon, honey locust, sour gum, white ash, swamp ash, greenbriar and blue ash.

"March 9th, commons becoming green; 10th, buds of the water maple beginning to open; buds of the lilac beginning to open; 11th, buds of the weeping willow beginning to open; 12th, buds of the gooseberry beginning to open; 16th, buds of the honeysuckle beginning to open; 80th, buds of the peach-tree beginning to open; radishes, peas, and tongue-grass planted in the open air.

April 12th, peach-tree in full flower; buds of the privet beginning to open; 19th, buds of the cherry tree beginning to open; red currants beginning to flower; 22d, buds of the flowering locust beginning to open; lilac in full flower; 24th, apple-tree in full flower; 28th, dogwood in full flower.

June 8th, cherries beginning to ripen; raspberries beginning to ripen; 10th, strawberries beginning to ripen ; red currants beginning to ripen; 28th, hay harvest.

July 8th, rye harvest begun; 14th, wheat harvest begun; 16th, blackberries ripe; 19th, unripe Indian corn in market; 22d, Indian corn generally in flower; 25th, oat harvest.

Miami University

Tue Miami University is situated in the town of Oxford, and at one time was the leading school of higher education in the West. It derives its permanent endowment from a township of land, six miles square, situated in the north-west corner of Butler County, being located on the west side of the Great Miami River, in lieu of a township of land which had been originally granted by Congress for the endowment of an '' academy and other seminaries of learning" in Symmes's purchase between the Miami Rivers.

Judge Symmes had, in his published' "terms of sale," made a reservation (among others) of a township of land "to be given perpetually for the purposes of an academy or college to be laid off by the purchaser or purchasers as nearly opposite the mouth of the Licking River as an entire township may be found eligible in point of soil and situation, to be applied to the intended object by the Legislature of the State." Notwithstanding this published reservation, Judge Symmes and associates, in actual practice, disposed of their land as though there had been no reservation for college purposes, whether knowingly or not. The settlers, fearing that they would lose the whole endowment, petitioned Congress to grant them an entire township, and the result of these applications moved it to pass a law, March 3, 1803, giving a township of land on the west side of the Great Miami River, within the land office district of Cincinnati, to be located under the direction of the Legislature of Ohio, in lieu of the township intended originally to be reserved in Symmes's purchase. In pursuance of this law, the Legislature of Ohio, April 15, 1803, appointed Jacob White, Jeremiah Morrow, and William Ludlow commissioners to locate a college township, which was,done in due time, they selecting what is now known as Oxford Township, Butler County, being an entire township of thirty-six sections, except section 25, and the west half of sections 11, 14, and 24, which had been sold previous to the location ; and to supply their place sections 30 and 31 in Milford Township and the west half of section 6 in Hanover Township were selected.

On the 17th of February, 1809, the Legislature of Ohio chartered the Miami University, and vested the proceeds of the township in the hands of the president and trustees; and appointed Alexander Campbell, Rey. James Killburn, and Rev. Robert Wilson commissioners to select a suitable and permanent site for the university. The commissioners knowing that, in conformity to the grant made by Congress, the purchasers of land from Judge Symmes who located high up the Miami Rivers had an equal claim with those on the Ohio River regulated their conduct accordingly. They, therefore, in their view for a proper site, looked at Dayton, Yellow Springs, Hamilton, Lebanon, and Cincinnati. By the act chartering the university, it was prescribed that it should be located in ''that part of the country known as John Cleves Symmes's purchase," and that the commissioners for locating the university should hold their first meeting at Lebanon, Warren County. At the time appointed for the meeting of the commissioners, the Rev. Robert Wilson was detained at home by sickness. The other commission-

"ers attended, and having examined all the places presented for their consideration, they selected the town of Lebanon, Warren County, as the seat of the university, and made their report accordingly to the Legislature.

It was then generally considered that the seat of the university was unalterably fixed, although many from other places were greatly disappointed; but at the next session of the Legislature a proposition was brought forward by Mr. Cooper, of Dayton, to establish the university on the College Township, without the Symmes purchase. "The law appointing the locating commissioners required that three should act, and as one was absent, the Legislature set aside the selection at Lebanon, and established the site of Miami University where it now is,

The first meeting of the Board of Trustees was held at Lebanon, on the seventh day of June, 1809. The trustees present were John Bigger and Ichabod B. Halsey, of Warren County; Benjamin Whiteman, of Greene County ;

A committee was appointed to contract with a surveyor to. subdivide the college lands into lots of five or six to each section, to be laid off as nearly equal as the situation of the land, water-courses, and situations for building would admit; and to make.out seven complete plats and field-notes of the survey (one for the trustees of each county in the Miami purchase), for which the surveyor was to be paid $2 per mile for all new lines to be run and marked. To this position James Heaton, of Butler County, was appointed. :

The second meeting of the trustees was held at Hamilton, on the first Monday of March, 1810, William Ludlow, John Reily, and Ogden Ross attending, but adjourning froy day to day until the 26th of March, when the following trustees were present: William Corry, James Findlay, Thomas Irvin, William Ludlow, John Reily, John Riddle, Ogden Ross, James Shields, and Joseph Vanhorre. Daniel Symmes appeared next day. The board was organized by the appointment of Joseph Vanhorne as president, and John Reily, secretary, pro tem.

They passed an ordinance to regulate the leasing of the lands of the university. This provided that not more than one-third of the farm lots should be offered for lease at any one time, and at a price not less than $2.50 per acre. It also provided for laying out the town of Oxford, and directed that not more than one-half of the lots should be offered for sale. No in-lot should be sold for less than $16.66. The lot was to be subject to a quit-rent of six per cent on the amount of the purchase money, payable annually forever. The four-acre lots were not to be sold for less than $5 per acre, on the same conditions as the in-lots.

The board appointed a committee consisting of Messrs. Ludlow, Irvin, Ross, Reily, and Vanhorne to select a suitable tract of one mile square on which to lay out the town of Oxford, to designate the lots and lands to be first offered for sale, and to select certain reservations.

The committee proceeded to the college lands, and, after two days spent in the examination, selected the south-east quarter of section 22, the south-west quarter of section 23, the north-west quarter of section 26, and the north-east quarter of section 27 of the college lands as the site of the town of Oxford. On this site the first portion of the town of Oxford was laid out by James Heaton. It consisted of one hundred and twenty-eight in-lots, ten poles in length by four poles in width; the streets six poles in width, and alleys one pole wide ; and forty out-lots of four acres each. At the first sale there were to be offered only the odd numbers of the lots in the town of Oxford, and the lands of the two tiers of sections from south to north, which included the town.

The first sale was held at the court-house in Hamilton, on the 22d and 23d days of May, 1810, under the superintendence of the president, secretary, and treasurer, where there were lots and lands sold to the following amount: 29 in-lots in the town of Oxford, for $560.86; 20 out, or four acre lots, for $495.75; 71 country or farming lots of land, at the average price of $3.75 per acre, $28,423.64; total, $29,480.25. The lots and land thus bid off on those days alone would have yielded an annual revenue to the institution of $1,768.81, had the purchasers complied with the conditions of sale; but many of the purchasers, residents of various parts of the State of Ohio, as well as of other States, actuated by motives of speculation, or other motives equally injurious to the prosperity of the institution, attended the sale and bid off lots, and neither before nor after the sale went even to explore the situation of the lands which they purchased. As no payment in advance, or other security, was required, it could only be known who were bona fide purchasers after the lapse of a year, when the payment of the interest became due. Of the farming lots bid off, forty-seven were forfeited, and eighteen in-lots and twelve out-lots were afterward forfeited to the institution. This provision, however, was not enforced until the year 1814.

Previous to the day of sale it had been discovered that there was a discrepancy of nearly two thousand acres in the quantity of land in the township according to the survey made by Mr. Heaton, the surveyor appointed by the Board of Trustees, with the survey of the same township made by the surveyor-general. It was therefore made a condition that the lots of land should be subject to a re-survey and measurement, to ascertain the true quantity each contained.

The next meeting of the Board of Trustees was held at Cincinnati, on the second day of June, when, on motion of James Findlay, it was resolved that the president of the board call on Jared Mansfield, surveyor-general, and request him to nominate a skillful surveyor to survey and measure the boundary lines of the Miami College township, and calculate the quantity of land, making report to the Board. of Trustees, in order that if any deficiency existed application might be made for an additional grant. The surveyor-general acceded to their request, and appointed William Harris, surveyor, to perform that duty, with John Hall and William Spencer chain-carriers.

of Mr. Harris, the surveyor, was received, by which it appeared that the township contained its full quantity of land. According to his survey there was twenty-three thousand, four hundred and seventy-one and thirteen-hundredths acres. On this report being received James Heaton was requested to re-survey and measure all the lines of the farming lots of land by him heretofore laid off, making a complete plat of it. If Mr. Heaton should surveyor. However, Mr. Heaton complied with the request of the board, and made a remeasurement. That previously done was found to be erroneous. At this meeting the board directed that the next sale of the university lands should be held at Hamilton, on the twentyeighth day of August, 1810.

At this meeting the Rev. John W. Browie was appointed an agent to solicit and receive donations for the Miami University. He was to receive fifty dollars a month and his expenses. He set out on his mission on the fourth day of January, 1811, and returned to Cincinnati "on the third of August, 1812. During his mission he collected about two thousand five hundred dollars in money and received a number of books. Mr. Browne was drowned shortly after his return from his mission, before he had an opportunity of meeting the Board of Trustees and settling his accounts with them. The books were sent to Cincinnati, and there yemained until the latter part of October, 1817, when they were received from the administrator.of Mr. Browne by a committee appointed by the trustees for that purpose. The executors had for a long time tried to get rid of them. The committee selected such of the books as they deemed proper fora college library. One hundred and eighteen volumes were sold to the Cincinnati Circulating Library Society at seventy-five cents per volume, amounting to $88.50. The rest of the books were sent to auction and disposed of to the best advantage... They brought $382.64, from which, after deducting expenses of sale, storage, and contingent expenses, there remained to the credit of the university, including the sum due from the library society, the sum of $571.86.

In 1820 the books reserved for the college library were sent to Oxford and placed in a room of the college building. Some time afterwards the door of the room was broken open and a number of the books carried off. The amount that reached the treasury of the university, as the fruits of his itinerant labors, was $849.86.

At a meeting of the Board of Trustees held at Hamilton on the twelfth and thirteenth days of February, 1811, an ordinance was passed for the erection of a school house in the town of Oxford, and one hundred and fifty dollars appropriated for that purpose. Afterwards one hundred and sixty dollars was appropriated for the completion of the building. The house was erected in the university square, west of where the main college edifice now stands. It wasa structure of hewed logs twenty feet wide by thirty odd feet long, one story high, with a clapboard roof. It had a fireplace and chimney at each end, built of rough stones. The building was designed (for the time being) to be used by the citizens of the township for an English school. The citizens of Oxford selected James M. Dorsey for their teacher, and in December, 1811, he moved into the building. He had a partition run Aintough the middle of the house, dividing it | 1824 into two apartments, and lived with his family in one apartment and taught his school in the other. In 1824 the trustees had a second story of logs put on the building, and converted it into a dwelling for the Rev. Robert H. Bishop, the first president. Mr. Bishop continued to live in this building until about 1830, when it was occupied by the janitor. In 1864 it was a stable. _

_On the fifth day of November, 1813, William Ludlow resigned his office as president, and John Reily was In November, 1813, Stephen Minor was appointed collector.

The trustees of the Miami University having resolved to erect a building for the use of the college, a committee, consisting of the Rev. Matthew G. Wallace, a Presbyterian preacher, then of Hamilton; Dr. Daniel Millikin, a physician, of Hamilton; and Benjamin Van Cleve, Esq., of Dayton, clerk of the Court of Montgomery County, was appointed to superintend the erection

Early in the Spring of the year 1816, a plat of ground in the university square having been cleared off of all timber, brush, and rubbish, Mr. Wallace and Dr. Millikin, two of the committee, attended at Oxford, and caused James M. Dorsey to measure and mark the foundation of the building. The ground for the foundation having been leveled and prepared, and Mr. Vail and the other contracters to perform the mason work being present, on the tenth day.of April, 1816, at the request of the building committee, James M. Dorsey laid the first corner-stone of the west wing of the Miami University. It was placed about eighteen or twenty inches below the surface of the ground. According to the original plan, there was to be a center building, with wings on the east and on the west, each wing to be eighty feet long. The building then contracted for was intended to be the onehalf of the west wing. Skilman Alger was the carpenter. As soon as the necessary funds could be raised the Board of Trustees applied them to the erection of a building for the institution. In 1818, a building fifty-six feet by forty feet, and three stories high, was erected as part of a wing.

A grammar school was then opened. The Rev. James Hughes was appointed teacher, at a salary of five hundred dollars per year tuition fees, and house rent, and the school went into operation on the first Tuesday of November, 1818, and was continued until April, 1821 - shortly after which Mr. Hughes died. This happened on the second day of May following, and the school was discontinued. The course of instruction pursued was principally confined to the Latin and Greek languages.

During this time the Board of Trustees directed their revenue, after defraying the expenses of the grammarschool, to the erection of an additional building; and in of secretary and treasurer to be held in the town of Oxford from and after the first day of January, 1821. Edward Newton was appointed secretary and Merrikin Bond treasurer. On the first day of January, 1821, the offices of secretary and treasurer were removed from Hamilton to the town of Oxford; June 20, 1822, Joel Collins was appointed secretary of the Miami University; October 5, 1823, Skilman Alger appointed collector; April 7, 1824, David Purviance appointed president of the Board of Trustees.

At a meeting of the board on the sixth day of July, 1824, the Rey. Robert H. Bishop was appointed president of the Miami University, with a salary of one thousand dollars per year, and the occupancy of the mansion house free from rent. William Sparrow was appointed tutor of languages, with a salary of five hundred dollars per year. The price of tuition in the grammar-school was fixed at five dollars, and in the college at ten dollars, per session, to be paid in advance.

September 15, 1824, John Annan, of Baltimore, was appointed professor of mathematics and natural philosophy, with a salary of seven hundred dollars per annum. James M. Dorsey was appointed treasurer in the room of Merrikin Bond, resigned. September 15, 1824, James _ Crawford was appointed collector.

In the year 1822 an effort was made to remove the university to Cincinnati, and make it a part of the Cincinnati College, and for that purpose a bill was introduced by Mr. Williams, of Cincinnati, having for its object the removal. When the news of the bill reached Oxford, Mr. Joel Collins, a warm friend of the university, and at that time a member of the Legislature, furnished a copy of the bill and other papers, in relation to its passage; and the lessees of the university lands held a meeting, of which James M. Dorsey was chairman and David Morris secretary. This meeting appointed a committee, consisting of

Rev. Moses Crume, William Ludlow, Rev. Spencer Clack, James M. Dorsey, Dr. James R. Hughs, David Morris, Charles Newhall, Edward Newton, and Abraham I. Chittenden, to prepare and forward to the Legislature a protest against, and to exhibit the injustice as well as the impolicy of, removing or attempting to remove the university from its present site. This committee also prepared and published ''An Address to the Inhabitants of Symmes's Purchase."

In this address the committee goes over the Bile ground of the dispute, which had then lasted thirteen years. There was no restriction upon the powers of the Legislature ; they were ample and conclusive. The only questions were as to the good faith to be shown to the inhabitants of Symmes's purchase, and as to the conduct and well-being of the college. The purchase of Judge Symmes, as originally intended, was seventy miles long by twenty miles wide. It was impossible at that day, and would now be, for many persons to live so near the university that they could board their children at home. It was estimated that not more than one in fifty.could possibly be near, enough for that purpose. The other forty-nine fiftieths wished the school where it might be the strongest and its expenses the least. Oxford offered them advantages more striking than any other place.

In the first place, Symmes had not fulfilled his agreement. He had promised the people who settled on his lands a full township for university purposes, but instead of living up to his promises, he went on selling until he could not have given in any township four sections of good land, much less thirty-six. He made no donation for this purpose; but, on the contrary, the land which is now the property of the Miami University is the gift of the United States Government. There consequently existed no contract between the dwellers on Symmes's grant and the trustees of the college.

The township of Oxford, by a happy chance, was nearly entirely unoccupied when the gift was made to the State of Ohio. - It was favorably situated for leasing. Its grounds were high and salubrious; its natural productiveness was great. It was no further from the Miami River, the great natural highway of the pioneers of this region, than Lebanon. Nearly all of the members of the Legislature from the purchase, in 1809, were in favor of the location at Oxford. Those from Hamilton County were unanimous.

By placing the university on this spot the lessees would be much better enabled to pay their rents. There would be the natural sale of commodities to the students and professors; there would be the families of the shop-keepers and artisans, and in the end there would be the families who would be drawn thither so as not to be far away from their children while the latter were attending the terms. Had the university been placed elsewhere these anticipations could not have been realized. The lands were in the center of a wilderness; there was no near market, and it would have taken many years for it all to reach the highest point of rent.

It was also believed by the Legislature that there would be moral advantages from the selection which could not be had in a large town, such as Cincinnati then bid fair to be. The celebrity of the place and the interest of the inhabitants of the town would depend in a very large de- . gree upon the suppression of immorality. No such interest would be strong enough in Cincinnati.

Mr. Shields, in support of his motion to reject the bill introduced by Micajah T. Williams, read this remonstrance,. and said that ''a remonstrance from: the citizens of Oxford against the removal of the university, had been forwarded to the Legislature at the session of 1814- 1815, at which time the subject was discussed." The ° committee to whom the subject was referred at that time was selected by ballot, and in their report declared that it was not in the power of the Legislature to do away with the acts of a former Legislature, where under those acts rights had become vested. The committee made a report, through its chairman, John Wilson Campbell, being an unanswerable argument in favor of sustaining the establishment at Oxford. This address seemed to tranquilize the minds of the lessees, nor did the dissatisfied portion of the inhabitants within the bounds of Symmes's purchase make any further attempt to remove the site of the Miami University until 1822. The bill was killed in Committee of the Whole, and although public notice was given that the attempt at a removal would be renewed the next year, the Legislature has not since then interfered in any way. The minds of many of the wealthy and influential citizens of Symmes's.purchase continued to be dissatisfied, and occasionally they manifested a disposition rather to pull down than to raise up the institution at Oxford.

Notwithstanding the able report from the pen of the Hon. Jacob Burnet, strongly recommending the removal of the Miami University from Oxford to Cincinnati, that gentleman in after life, in his Notes, makes use of these words: ''The Legislature, however, thought differently, and passed an act establishing the university on the land without the limits of John C. Symmes's purchase. The institution is now in a very flourishing state, and although the original beneficiaries of the grant have been wrongfully deprived of their rights, yet it is now too late to relieve them without great temporary injury to the cause of science, and on that account it is desirable that no effort be made to disturb the institution or check its advance."

The university began operations in November, 1824, and Robert H. Bishop, D. D., was inaugurated on the thirtieth day of March, 1825. A procession was formed in the Methodist Church at 11 o'clock of that day. First were citizens, then students of the university, the secretary, treasurer, and collector, trustees of the university, the president of the board, and professors. The body then moved to the college chapel, where the inaugural ceremony took place. The following were the exercises:

Facutry AnD Insrrucrors. - Rev. R. H. Bishop, D. D., President, Professor of Logic, Moral Philosophy and History, and ex-officio chairman of Board of Trustees ; John E. Annan (of Dickinson College), Professor of Mathematics, Geography, Natural Philosophy, and Astronomy, and Teacher of Political Economy; William H. McGuffey (of Washington College), Professor of Latin, Greek, and Hebrew, and ex-officio Librarian ; John P. Williston (of Yale College), Principal of the Grammar School; Samuel W. Parker, Thomas Armstrong, James Reynolds, John S. Weaver, Tutors; John W. Caldwell, secretary of the Faculty.

2d. At this meeting a return shall be made by every instructor of all the absences and deficiencies which may have occurred in his department during the month, and these returns shall be put upon file and preserved until the end of the session. :

3d. The faculty shall also at each of these monthly meetings enter into a full and free conversation on the conduct and progress of the students generally, and if any student, all circumstances being taken into view, shall be found not making that progress which he might do, or not conducting himself with that order and sobriety which are becoming, information of his situation shall be immediately communicated to his parents, that he may be removed.

4th. No student shall be allowed to recite with any class who does not, within ten days after he may have made application to be admitted into that class, lodge with the president a certificate from the instructor, stating that his previous acquirements are such as to entitle him to a regular standing in said class.

5th. No individual shall be allowed, on any account whatever, to continue connected with any department who is not, in the opinion of the faculty, fully employed.

Nor shall any individual be permitted to omit reciting with any class to which he may be attached, but by a vote of the faculty at their stated monthly meeting.

English Scientific Department

Those whose names are in the above catalogue are natives of fourteen different States. The youngest is in his seventh and the oldest in his thirty-third year. The great body are, however, natives of Ohio, and betwixt the ages of fourteen and twenty-one.

At the close of last session six had their names returned to their parents as not having made that improvement which would justify any further trouble or expense in endeavoring to give them a liberal. education, and fourteen of the good and promising students of that session have been prevented by the circumstances of their lot from prosecuting their studies this session. One of the present session has been sent home as not promising.

Add these twenty-one to the one hundred and eleven given above, and you have one hundred and thirty-two as the sum total of the present year.

Miami University. 7 63

months each. The Winter session commences on the first Monday of November and ends on the last Wednesday of March. The Summer session commences on the first Monday of May and ends on the last Wednesday of September.

Course Of Study

I. Grammar Scuoon. - The studies of the Grammar School, preparatory to admission into the Freshman Class, are English, Latin, and Greek Grammar, Mair's Introduction to the making of Latin, Ceesar's Commentaries, Cicero's select orations, Virgil's ASneid, Greek Testament, Collectanea Minora, and Arithmetic, including vulgar and decimal fractions, and the extraction of roots.

II. THe Fresuman's Ciass. - First Session. - Algebra, Sallust, six books of Homer's Iliad, Graeca Majora begun, Adam's Roman Antiquities begun, Modern Geography, Prosody revised, English Grammar revised, translations from Greek and Latin into English, Declamation and Bible recitations.

. Second Session. - Euclid's Elements, Horace's Odes and Satires, Greeca Majora continued, Roman Antiquities finished, Ancient Geography, Morrell's Rome, Neilson's Greek exercises, Double translations, Declamation and Bible recitations.

Second Session. - (Cambridge Mathematics) Spherical Trigonometry, Navigation, Dialling, Excerpta Latina begun, First volume of Majora finished, Double translations, Declamation and Bible recitations.

IV. Tue Juntor Crass Strupy. - First Session. - Conie Sections, Fluxions, Physical and Political Geography with the use of the globes, Excerpta Latina finished, Second volume of Majora begun, Tytler's Elements of History begun, Composition, Declamation and Bible recitations.

Second Session. - Natural and Experimental Philosophy, Virgil's Georgics, Horace de Arte Poetica, Graeca Majora continued, Translation from Greek into Latin and from Latin into Greek, Tytler's Elements finished, Hebrew Grammar, Jamison's Grammar of Rhetoric, Composition, Declamation and Bible recitations.

V. Tue Senror Crass Srupy. - First Session. - Moral Philosophy including the Philosophy of the mind, Astronomy, Chemistry, Greeca Majora finished, Cicero de Oratore, Latin and Greek compositions, Hebrew Bible begun, Declamation and Bible recitations.

Second Session. - Logic, Say's Political Economy, Cicero de Officiis et de Natura Deorum, Select portions of Greeea Majora revised, Hebrew Bible continued, Evidences of Divine Revelation, Declamation and Bible recitations.

VI. Eneuisn Screntrric Derartment. - The studies of the English Scientific Department are substantially the same with the studies of the College Classes, with the exception of the Latin and Greek languages. No person can be admitted into this department who is under sixteen years of age; and to profit by admission, arrangements ought to be made so that each student may continue two years at least. It is intended to have some of the modern languages taught in this department, and to give regular diplomas to those who may study the whole course.

MisceLLANEous Noricres. - A small but well-selected philosophical and chemical apparatus has been imported from London. Additional articles will be procured as the state of the institution may demand; a small sum is also permanently appropriated to procure regularly, for the use of the faculty, a few of the most important literary journals and any new work which may be of more than ordinary interest in any of the departments of science.

The first commencement will be on the last Wednesday of September next, when the degree of A. B. will be conferred on the members of the present Senior Class,

With the commencement of the third year, on the first Monday of November next, it is proposed to form a regular class of resident graduates. The studies of this class will embrace a course of general reading, adapted to the profession to which the members may be individually devoted, and to a review of any of their former studies to which they may be peculiarly attached.

No degree of A. M., or of any kind, will, in any case, be conferred as a mere matter of course. Particular attainments and a character corresponding to these attainments will, in every case, be required.

Expenses. - Tuition in Grammar School and in First Class E. 8. Department, $5 per session; College proper and Second and Third Classes E. 8. Department, $10 per session; boarding, one dollar per week.

To those parents and guardians who have thus far encouraged an infant institution, those who have the more immediate direction of its concerns tender their sincere and grateful acknowledgements; and trusting in the continued protection of a wise and good Providence, assurance is hereby given that every possible -exertion will be made to make the Miami University, in all its departments, a public and common good.

Progress Of The University

Marcu 30, 1825, William Sparrow was appointed professor of languages, but afterward declined entering upon the duties of his office, and his place was supplied by John T. Williston. The trustees resolved that a

March 28, 1827, the salaries of the officers were established as follows: Président of the university, $1,200; professor of mathematics and natural philosophy, $800 ; professor of languages, $700.

March 26, 1828, it was resolved that a building, one hundred feet in length by forty feet wide, and three stories high, be erected for the university, according to a plan then exhibited, and that Messrs. McBride, Reily, and MacDill be a committee to contract and superintend its erection.

On the twenty-third day of April they contracted with David Richey to execute the stone and brick-work and plastering of the building, and with William P. Vanhook, of Hamilton, for the carpenter-work.

March 25, 1829, John W. Scott was appointed professor of mathematics and natural philosophy, and William F. Ferguson principal of the grammar school, at a salary of $400. :

In September the building committee reported that they had erected a brick building, set on a good stone foundation, one hundred feet long by forty feet wide, and three stories high, each story or floor having two halls and eight rooms, situated directly east from the main building. The whole cost of erecting and completing the building, including cost of materials, was $7,147.46.

In November, 1827, Robert C. Schenck, a graduate of the college, and since the general and statesman, commenced teaching French, and continued the regular teacher of that language until September, 1830, when he left the institution.

September 26, 1832, the professorship held by Mr. Scott was denominated the professorship of natural philosophy and chemistry, and the professorship held by Mr. McGuffey was called. the professorship of philology and mental science, with a salary of $850 each: Samuel M. McCracken was appointed professor of mathematics, and Thomas Armstrong professor of languages, with a salary of $500 each.

In 1833 it was thought necessary that an additional building should be erected for the accommodation of the students of the university, and Major James Galloway, Dr. John C. Dunlevy, and James McBride were appointed a committee to contract for the erection and completion of a building one hundred feet in length by forty feet wide, three stories high, having a passage or hall running north and south through the building, the residue to .be divided into rooms about ten feet wide. The tuition fees of the students in the college department were raised to twelve dollars per session, and in the grammar school to ten dollars per session.

The building committee, at the next meeting, reported that they had contracted with Thomas Brown, of Dayton, for the stone and brick, and laying the same, and for plastering the building, and with Thomas Morrison, of the same place, for the wood and carpenter work.

October 1, 1835, Samuel W. McCracken was appointed professor of languages, in the room of Thomas Armstrong, deceased, with a salary of $600 per annum, and Albert. T. Bledsoe, of Kentucky, professor of languages. A lot of ground, about one acre, was directed to be laid off, in the north-east corner of the town square of Oxford, and appropriated exclusively for a cemetery or burying-ground for the students and other members of the Miami University.

In September, 1836, the resignations of Professor A1- bert T. Bledsoe and Professor W. H. McGuffey were received. The salaries of professors were fixed as follows: The professor of rhetoric and mental science, at $1,000; the professor of natural philosophy and chemistry, $1,000; the professor of mathematics, $800; and the professor of ancient languages, $800. It was resolved that the college year should commence on the first Monday of October and end on the second Tuesday of August, with a recess from the twenty-fourth of December to the second of January ; the Spring vacation to be three weeks immediately following the second Tuesday in March.

_ September 28, 1836, John H. Harney was appointed professor of mathematics, and Samuel T. Pressley professor of rhetoric and mental science.

~ December 21, 1836, the Rev. Mr. Pressley having deceased previous to his acceptance of the professorship of rhetoric and mental science, and Mr. Harney having declined to accept his appointment, Silas Totten was chosen professor of rhetoric and mental science.

August 10, 1837, the committee for building the laboratory reported that they had made a contract for a building forty-four feet long by twenty-four feet wide, one story high, to be completed by the first of October, 1837, for $1,250.

August 10, 1837, John McArthur was appointed professor of Grecian literature, rhetoric, and the elements of moral science ; Chauncey N. Olds was appointed professor of the Latin language and Roman literature.

August 9, 1838, the salary of the professor of the Latin language and Roman literature was fixed at $700, and the master of the grammar school at $700. Peter Sutton. was elected treasurer.

August 8, 1839, the price of tuition in the college proper was fixed at fifteen dollars per session, and in the grammar school at twelve dollars per annum.

August 12, 1840, the resignation of Chauncey N. Olds, professor of the Latin language and Roman literature, and the resignation of Samuel W. McCracken, professor of mathematics and civil engineering, were accepted. The Rev. Robert H. Bishop, president of the Miami University, having signified his intention of retiring from the presidency as soon as a successor to supply his place could be found, the board elected the Rey. John C. Young, then president of Center College, Kentucky, at Danville, president of the Miami University. The board created the professorship of history and political economy, and appointed the Rev. Robert H. Bishop to fill that chair, for which he was to receive a salary of $650 per year, and a house and garden free of rent. The following resolution, complimentary to Dr. Bishop, was passed:

'« Resolved, That as the unanimous sense of this board, the able, faithful, and unremitting labors of President Bishop in the discharge of his official duties as presiding officer of the Miami University for the last sixteen years, and the untiring exertions upon his part during that time to maintain for the institution the high reputation which has been so laboriously acquired for it throughout that period entitle him to the grateful memory of every friend of learning and moral virtue, as weil as the warmest thanks upon the part of the patrons and supporters of this institution."

August 13, 1840, John Armstrong was appointed professor of mathematics and civil engineering, and John McArthur, professor of Grecian literature and rhetoric. The salary of John C. Young, president-elect, should he accept, was fixed at $1,500 per annum.

November 3, 1840, it was resolved that the professorships of Roman and Grecian literature be unitéd into one professorship, to be called the professorship of ancient languages, and that John McArthur, the present professor of Grecian literature, be appointed to the professorship of that department, with his present salary of $800 per year. Robert H. Bishop, Jr., was appointed principal of the grammar school. It having been ascertained that the Rev. J. C. Young declined accepting the office to which he was elected at the last meeting, the Rev. George Junkin, of Lafayette College, Easton, Pennsylvania, was elected president.

March 9, 1841, J. C. Moffat, of Lafayette College, at Easton, Pennsylvania, was appointed professor of the Latin language and Roman literature, with a salary of $700.

August 11, 1841, the Rey. George Junkin was inaugurated president of the Miami University. The salary of the professor of history and political science was fixed at $750.

We have received from Dr. Scott, for seventeen years a professor in this institution, the following account of the Miami University while he was connected with it, and of the causes that led to his withdrawal. Dr. Scott wields a caustic pen, and sets forth his own side of the question with a freedom and fullness that leave nothing to be desired on that score. Elsewhere will be found his biography :

"'T'went to Oxford, by invitation of the board of trustees of Miami University, to the professorship of mathematics and natural science, made vacant by the retirement, on account of broken-down health, of Professor Annan, in the Fall of 1828. Every thing there presented, at that time, a rather primitive and rude appearance. The buildings of the town were limited, with but two or three exceptions, to the space bounded on the east by the street that forms the west boundary of the college campus; on the west, by the street running north and south in front of the building erected for a female institute ; on the north, by the street running past the Presbyterian and the United Presbyterian churches ; and on the south, by the street forming the south boundary of the college campus and grove. The campus, which was mainly a naked and open common, in which many of the stumps were still standing, was unprotected by any kind of inclosure, and the grove was still in the primitive state of nature. The plat of land south of the town was principally, except during the Summer and early Fall months, a rich, fat morass, through the eastern end of which, when at all passable, the citizens used to shorten distance by winding their way, among the stumps and fallen timber, to the Hamilton road, at the south-east corner of the corporation line.

'With the exception of the college buildings, which consisted of the great, tall, uncouth old center building and its disproportioned little western wing (which has since been enlarged and improved), and the north-east building, which had just been erected, I have a recollection of but five or six brick houses in the town. Such was something of the physical appearance and condition of things at that day. In regard to the social condition, the mass of the population was correspondingly primitive. Apart from the college faculty, the cultivation and refinement of Oxford was confined to a very small number of families, not exceeding six or eight at most, and the proportion in the surrounding township was, perhaps, very much the same. The manner in which the farming lands of the township were disposed of was not favorable to its settling up with a first-class farming population; namely, on a mere leasehold title, for which no purchase money was paid, but which was held on the condition of the payment, annually, of the interest of the nominal price, at six per cent forever, as a permanent revenue for the support of the university. There was, at the early day of the first settlement, a strong prejudice in the minds of emigrants of means, who were able to purchase their lands in fee simple, against holding them on the tenure of a mere lease, liable at the end of any year to forfeiture and sale without redemption, in case the rent or tax was not paid witkin three months after due. The consequence was, they would turn aside and purchase elsewhere, while any poor penniless wight, who could not pay for land outright, found it rather a temptation to take a lease and settle upon it for a few years, and if he could only make out to keep his six per cent of college rent paid up, and was worthless and unprincipled enough to do so, turn in to cutting and slashing away at the timber, and making all he could off of the land, without regard to its residual or ultimate value, as was said, in certain cases, to have been done; and then if he had any eye to accumulation of means, all he had to do was to forfeit, and leave the land in its denuded and depreciated condition, and go farther West to make the best of his ill-gotten gains. If he did not care to accumulate, but spent as fast as he made, he would continue to remain the same poor, shiftless, penniless creature as before.

'The result was that the township, at the first sales, became largely filled up with a poor, and in too many cases not very honest, population; indeed, at an early day of the settlement it almost passed into a common saying that if any property was lost in any of the adjoining townships it was but necessary for the loser to obtain a search-warrant and go over into Oxford Township, and he would find it. This was, of course, an exaggerated report, and yet there is reason to apprehend that the character and conduct of too many of the early settlers afforded too much ground for its currency. This state of public feeling and opinion may be illustrated by an amusing anecdote.

''At the inauguration of Dr. Bishop as president of the university, the duty of making the inauguration prayer was assigned to the venerable Rev. Mr. Porter, a member of the board. In the course of his prayer - as I was told years after by a very respectable old Scotch-Irish Presbyterian elder, a citizen of the township, who was present on the occasion - the old father made allusion, in some manner or form, to the reputed state of society in the township - praying for a change, by which the college might be surrounded by more favorable influences. My informant told me that the next day he met another old Scotch-Irish friend and neighbor, just over the line in an adjoining township, a rather quizzical genius, who had also been present at the inauguration, who asked him, 'Did you iver hear sich a foolish prayer as Father Porter made yisterday at Oxford?" 'Why do you eall it foolish?' he answered. 'Faith,' said he, 'and I think it was the foolishest prayer I iver hard in me life. Why, he prayed the Lard that he wad- move aff all that riffraff population from Oxford Township, and fill it up wi' a

'In process of time, however, by industry, thrift, and intellectual, moral, and religious culture, Oxford Township nobly redeemed her character; although, even at as late a day as when I arrived there, an element of the old rude, disorderly, intemperate, and vicious pioneer population, so characteristic of an earlier day, still remained, who would occasionally, of a Saturday afternoon and evening, collect together at a low groggery or two in the village, called (by grace) hotels, to drink and carouse, and to disturb the quiet and orderly citizens by 'making night hideous' with their noisy and drunken orgies, brawls, and fights. All this state of things, however, at length passed away. But I have, by this episode on the social and physical state of Oxford and Oxford Township, and their inhabitants, been diverted from the main subject; namely, the early history of the college.

'""T went to Oxford, as I have already stated, in the Fall of 1828. The college had then been in existence just four years. True, there had been an academy or classical and high school commenced, as a foundation' or incipient step towards the establishment of a college several years previous, in the little old west wing of the main, or, as it was called, the center building. That great tall uncouth edifice was erected, I believe, in 1820-21, but the university was not organized in regular college form until the Fall of 1824, when the Rey. Dr. Bishop was inaugurated as its first president. It commenced operations with a faculty of three, the doctor as president and professor of all the branches of intellectual, moral and _political science; John E. Annan, professor of mathematics and natural science, and William Sparrow, professor of languages.

'In 1826 Professor Sparrow, who seems to have been a very popular and successful professor, resigned, and devoted himself to the Episcopal ministry. He afterwards, if I mistake not, was connected as a professor with a theological seminary at Alexandria, Virginia. His place was supplied by the election of William H. McGutffey, a graduate of Washington College, Pennsylvania, who afterward acquired a considerable celebrity as the compiler of a series of English readers for the ' Eclectic System of Books for Common Schools.' He was a man of very considerable talent, though not of very general scholarship, especially in the departments of mathematics and natural science; of active mind and fond of abstract and metaphysical investigation and discussion; an ingenious and plausible, but not always a fair and_ safe reasoner; a very popular lecturer and public speaker, from his fluency and command of language, though never rising to the higher and bolder flights of oratory; a man withal of a good deal of personal vanity and ambition.

retire, and I succeeded to his place. He afterwards recovered his health so far as to enter the Presbyterian ministry, and preach for a year or two to a Church in Petersburg, Virginia, but died while yet a very young man. He was reputed a man of a high grade of natural talent, and of large and general attainments in scholarship for one of his age, and had he lived would have doubtless made his mark in the literary and _ scientific world; but on account of real or apparent rigidity and stiffness of manner, he does not seem to have been very popular as a professor.

'' During the first four years of its existence the institution seems to have flourished very much in public popularity and patronage, the number of students having risen from a comparatively very small number to very well up towards one hundred. It might be observed that the grade of scholarship for a diploma was set high (the full curriculum was patterned very much after that of Yale); and in its palmiest days, which were from 1830 till near 1840, when its number of students rose some years to near two hundred and fifty, it obtained from its alumni, patrons, and friends, the soubriquet of 'the Yale of the West.'