Columbiana County, Ohio - Chapter with an unread heading (no. 12 of those read), 1879

Authors And Publications

Among the residents of Columbiana County, the principal contributor to technical literature is William D. Henkle, who has achieved an enviable reputation in the State and nation as an author and editor of educational works. Some of his works were prepared and published before his removal to Salem, where he now resides.

In 1857 he issued a large " University Algebra," of five hundred and twenty -seven pages; and in 1859 an "Elementary Algebra," through the publishing-house of Sheldon & Co., New York city. The latter work was written at Indianapolis, and a key to each was subsequently published. " Henkle's Test Spelling-Book" was published by Van Antwerp, Bragg & Co., of Cincinnati, in 1872, and a "Primary Spelling-Book," which constitutes a part of the series of " Harvey's Graded School- Readers," was issued by Mr. Henkle in the same year.

Mr. Henkle has also prepared " Pronouncing Vocabularies" for three of the Eclectic Series of geographies and for " Guyot's Common School Geography also the " Geography of Ohio" for " Colton's Common School Geography."

As secretary of the National Educational Association, Mr. Henkle has edited the " Addresses and Journal of Proceedings" of that body for the sessions held in 1875, at Minneapolis; in 1876, at Baltimore; and in 1877, at Louisville - three volumes. The two periodicals, Ohio Educational Monthly and National Teacher and Educational Notes and Queries , are edited and published by Mr. Henkle.*

"The Old Log School-House," an entertaining volume, more or less familiar to readers young and old, was written by Rev. Alexander Clark, a former resident of the county and published at Pittsburgh.

Besides the story which gives the book its title, the volume contains many " fugitive sketches," written at different periods, from which, though all are of interest, the following is chosen for its local historic value :

" Passing up the fertile valley of the (Yellow) Creek three or four miles, the traveler is in the midst of one of the richest coal-regions west of the Alleghanies. The high hills and deep ravines, on every hand, are wildly romantic. In winter, when the clustered hemlocks along the shores, and the scattered and desolate pines farther up the slopes, are foliaged in evergreen, and when the hilltops are crested with snow, the effect produced by the contrast is enchanting. Or in summer, when the forest-trees are decorated wilh leaves and the woodlands are musical with birds, when the meadows and fields down in the winding valleys are luxuriant in their growths of grass and corn, the beholder may well take delight in rambling along the shores of Yellow Creek.

" While others may talk in raptures of the majestic Hudson, sing the praises of the ' Blue Juniata,' wander in silent admiration along the tuneful Tennessee, or weave fanciful stories of fairies and angelloiterers in a thousand ' Sleepy Hollows' elsewhere in our broad domain, we remember our dear old Yellow Creek as the place of our earliest hopes and our pure st joys. Near its rippling waters stands the Old Log School-House, a few of whose experiences we have attempted to relate in the first pages of this little volume; and were we so disposed, we could tell many a strange tale of wondrous deeds ofttimes rehearsed at the humble fireside, years and years ago, by the story-tellers, who would linger beneath the cabin-roof of our early home on Yellow Creek hills. One, somewhat dim on memory's tablet, we shall attempt to narrate.

" A long time ago, before any of the pioneers had permanently settled in the valley of Yellow Creek, it was common for Virginians to make excursions over these hills, bringing their horses with them from the settlements, and hobbling them in the wild meadows to graze while they wandered off in search of game, in which the woods abounded. In such exploits it was usual to sleep on the grass with the far-off sky as the only shelter, and the distant howling of the wolves the only lullaby.

f Since the preparation of this chapter, notice has been widely published of the death of Dr. Clark, which occurred at Atlanta, Ga., in thefirst days of July, 1879. He was born in Jefferson Co., Ohio, March 10, 1834, was trained in the Presbyterian faith, but afterwards united with the Methodist denomination. He served five years as teacher of a public school, and meantime founded Clark's School Visitor, a publication which was changed to the Schoolday Visitor, and finally was merged into the St. Nicholas, having attained a circulation of more than 30,000.

Dr. Clark entered the ministry in 1S62, and served four years, from 1806, as pastor of the First Church, Fifth Avenue, Pittsburgh. In 1870 he became editor of the Recorder ; in 1875 received the degree of Doctor of Divinity from Delaware College, Ohio. In failing health, he went South, where, notwithstanding the tenderest care, he died, at the executive mansion, where he had been during his last illness the guest of Governor Colquitt.

rude furnaces were built for 'boiling salt.' The persons who first engaged in this business were a daring, reckless class of men, not particularly regardful of their appearance or habits. Commonly, two or three would join fortunes, erect a rough cabin, and build a furnace near a saline spring, there to spend weeks and months boiling salt in the wilderness.

" One of these establishments was owned and operated by a rough, mischievous fellow by the name of Miller, who was always ready for a joke, no matter how severe, or at whose expense. While Miller and his two associates in the enterprise were seated around the great roaring furnace one morning, a stranger, lean and lank, having every symptom of a. genuine Vermonter, approached on horseback, and asked permission to leave his pack-saddle and other traveling appendages in their care, while he should spend the day in hunting. The favor being cheerfully granted, ho dismounted, left his saddle, and wandered off in quest of deer.

" As soon as the new-comer was fairly out of sight, Miller, who looked upon him as an intruder, determined to annoy him ; and as a convenient method of testing the calibre of the stranger he threw his pack-saddle into the furnace, where it was soon reduced to ashes. Towards evening the hunter returned, and on very deliberately making inquiry for his saddle was told the less he said about that the better, otherwise he might share the same fate. The remark was accompanied by a significant look towards the fire, which instantly suggested to the indignant stranger the whereabouts of his saddle. However, he said nothing, and was soon on his homeward way.

" In a few days he returned once more, seeming in a fine humor, and brought a new pack-saddle, which he left in Miller's care, as before, charging him emphatically not to burn that one, or else there would be a noise about it. Of course the warning not to touch the saddle was more than Miller was willing to bear, and he resolved to repeat the experiment as soon as the stranger should start on his day's hunt. No sooner had he turned his back upon the furnace than Miller called after him, ' Look a-hcre, mister! I'll show you who's agoin' to do the orderin' round here,' and into the fire went the saddle with a will ! But in a moment the huge kettles, the walls of the furnace, and everything thereunto pertaining, were scattered in one universal wreck; the hot fluid sprinkling freely over the unsuspecting beads of the salt-boilers, and the clouds of hissing steam completely blinding them for awhile, thus affording the revengeful stranger opportunity to make good his escape, which he did without the formality of bidding his victims ' good-bye !' The truth flashed upon Miller's mind about as soon as the hot ashes flashed in his face: the pads of the new pack-saddle had been staffed with gunpowder."

Thomas Corwin Mendenhall, who was a native of Clark County, Ohio, and taught for a number of years prior to I860 in the high school at Salem, and who is now professor of physics in the Imperial University at Tokio, Japan, has written many articles of general interest, which have

Joseph Shreeve, a schoolmaster of the early days of Salem, was the author of several poems, two of which were rendered at the close of the schools at that place in each of the years 1831 and 1832, and published for the pupils of the poet-teacher, in pamphlet form, by John Watt, in 1832. A number of verses from these poems have been quoted in connection with the history of the Salem schools, as published in this volume.* He prepared also for the Ohio Repository , published at Canton, Ohio, several admirable New Year's addresses in poetic form, which contained many good political hits suiied to the times. These, it is said, were chiefly composed while on his long "rides" as a medical practitioner at Mount Union.

In 1878, " Modern Pedagogy," a poem of eight hundred lines, by George D. Hunt, of Salem, was issued in pamphlet form from the press of W. H. Henkle.

Mrs. Rachel M. Watson, M.D., a native of Pennsylvania, settled in Salem in 1850. She attended medical lectures at Philadelphia, and became a physician of the school founded by Samuel Thompson, M.D., known as the Thompsonian school. She was the author of a work entitled " The Family Physician," of which one thousand copies were issued in 1868 from the press of J. K. Rukenbrod, of Salem. The work is " dedicated to the memory of Aaron Comfort, of Philadelphia, grandson of the late John Woolman." As the title-page claims, the book contains "simple remedies, easily obtained, for the cure of disease in all its forms." In the language of the author, the object of the work "is to diffuse information in regard to attendance upon the sick ; how to cook for them, and to prepare drinks, poultices, etc., and how to guard against infection from contagious diseases. It gives the symptoms of fevers, with the best and simplest remedies for their cure. It also treats of the various diseases of children, of cholera in all its forms, with infallible remedies if timely and perseveringly applied."

The author, now in middle life, evidently seems actuated by motives of love for her kind, more than by hope of pecuniary reward, in what she has written and accomplished in the line of her profession. As she further says in her little work, " It was presented to my mind several years since to publish a work for the benefit of my fellowcreatures, especially those of my own sex, giving my experience in the treatment of disease, and observations on its nature."

The work contains, among other recipes, several for the treatment and cure of hydrophobia, one of which, known as the " Goodman Remedy," was the occasion of a long commendatory letter from Miss Swisshelm to a Cincinnati paper, in which she desired its reproduction and preservation.

Charles Williams, of Winona, published a book of travel after a visit to the continent of Europe. The volume was issued several years since.