Jackson Township (part 3 of 19)

Section 2. Be it further enacted. That the person appointed by the governor, agreeably to this act to perforate the rock at Scioto Salt works, shall, if successful in the experiment, have the right to lease and occupy the water so discovered, free from rent, for the term of five years, as an additional compensation, and for that purpose, the agent at the said salt works, shall on application, execute to such person, a lease for the term of five years, for the well containing the salt water as aforesaid, and such lot of land as will be necessary to carry on the manufacture of salt. This act shall take effect and be in force from and after the first day of May next.

It appears that no experiments were made under this act, for on February 5, 1813, there was passed "An act to authorize experiments to be made at the Scioto Salt works." This act designated Abraham Claypool as an agent to contract for the perforating of the rock, at two places, "provided the first trial is unsuccessful,'^ and to report his proceedings to the next session of the legislature. A sum not exceeding |1,500 was appropriated for his expenses.

Claypool did not succeed, and on February 7, 1814, an act was passed to encourage the manufacturing of salt at the Scioto Salt works. William Givens, Joseph Armstrong, John Johnston, Ross Nelson, John W. Sargent, John Prather and Asa Lake had petitioned for assistance to dig each a salt well, they to bear incidental expense, and in return to have exclusive use for five years. In this connection it may be mentioned that John Nelson did -sink a well to the depth of 240 feet, John Wilson to the depth of 260 feet, and Henry Harmon to the depth of 276 feet. But no stronger brine was discovered.

An act to make further experiments, passed February 15, 1815, directed William Givens to sink a well to the depth of 350 feet and to be two and a quarter inches in diameter at the bottom, for which he was to be paid |700. Givens found many difiiculties in the way, and on February 24, 1816, an act was passed extending his time to April 1, 1816, to finish and tube his well.

HILDKETH'S NOTES - The number and character of the acts relating to the Salt works indicate their great importance in the eyes of the pioneer statesmen of Ohio. Hildreth's notes on the Scioto saline written in 1837 deserve a place here:

Muriate of soda, or common salt, is so intimately connected with the economy and comforts of civilized man, that a short sketch of its early history (although in a manner foreign to a geological report), and of its manufacture in Ohio, can hardly fail to be interesting, and worthy of our notice. As a branch of the geology of the State, there is no portion of it more vitally connected with the welfare of the people, than those deposits which furnish the materials for our salt wells. From the period of our first organization as a member of the Union, the "Salt Springs" arrested the attention, and received the fostering care of our legislatures. Even before we had become a State, and were yet a territory, the great value of the salines had attracted the notice ot our most sage and prudent citizens, and, in the compact made with congress, distinct and express stipulations were entered into for setting apart the most noted salt springs, and a considerable territory around them, for the benefit of the State; they being considered as too valuable to fall into the hands of individuals, who might create a monopoly. At the present period, when culinary salt is so cheap an article, it may seem strange to us that our fathers should have been so careful to preserve salines, the waters of which were so weak as to require six hundred gallons to make fifty pounds of salt. But when we remember that at the period referred to, before this territory became a State, the price of salt varied from four to six dollars a bushel, and that the larger portion of it was brought across the Allegheny ranges of mountains on the backs of pack-horses, we need not wonder at the high value placed upon these saline waters. At that time they were the only ones known in Ohio, and it was not even suspected or imagined, that at a depth of a few hundred feet, many portions of the valley were based on a rock whose interstices were filled with exhaustless quantities of brine, of such strength that one-twelfth part of the quantity would make a bushel of salt. This article so valuable and so scarce in those early days as to be looked upon almost as a luxury, has since been so abundant as to sell for half a cent a pound. The ancient and noted Scioto saline lies near the center of Jackson county, on an eastern branch of Salt creek, a tributary stream of the Scioto river. Many of the old furnaces and wells may be said to liave been seated within the boundaries of the present town of Jackson. It is among the earliest known salt springs in the w-estern country, and may be ranked with the Big Bone and Blue Licks in Kentucky, for antiquity, from the fact of the fossil bones of the mastodon and elephant being found at the depth of thirty feet, imbedded in mud and clay. The remains of several of these extinct animals were discovered in digging wells for salt water along the margin of the creek, consisting of tusks, grinders, ribs and vertebrae; showing this creek to have been a noted resort for these huge mammalia at very remote periods. When the white hunters and traders first came into this country, it was visited by thousands of buffalo or bisons,, deer, bear and nearly all the wild animals of the forest, who found the saline waters agreeable to their tastes, or perhaps needful to their health. So numerous and so constant were the animal visitors to these springs, that at certain seasons of the year the country adjacent was the most valuable and profitable hunting ground which the savages possessed. They were also in the practice of making salt here from very remote times, as has been ascertained from several of their white captives who had visited them in company with the Indians. The first attempt at its manufacture by the whites was after the close of the Indian war, in the year 1795. At that time, and for several years after, the stumps of small trees cut by the squaws, and the charcoal and ashes of their fires where the salt water had been boiled were plainly to be seen. The Indian women, upon whom all the servile employments fell, collected the salt water by cutting holes in the soft sandstone in the bed of the creek, in the summer and autumn when the stream was low. These were generally not more than a foot or two deep, and the same in width. Into these rude cavities the salt water slowly collected, and was dipped out with a large shell into their kettles and boiled down into salt. The hunters and first salt makers jjursued the same course, only they sunk their excavations to the depth of six or eight feet, and finally to twenty feet into the sandrock, and excluded the fresh water by means of a "gum"' or section of a hollow tree, sunk into the cavity. After a few years they commenced digging wells a little higher up the stream, in the alluvion or bottom lands, near the creek, and to their surprise, found they could dig to the depth of thirty feet before they came to the sandrock, which a few rods below filled the whole bed of the stream.

The greatest quantity of salt made at the Scioto licks, was from the year 1806 to 1808, when there were twenty furnaces in operation, making on an average, from fifty to seventy bushels per week. During this period, it was worth |2.50 per bushel, or five cents a pound. These furnaces were located along the borders of the creek for the distance of four miles. At one time there were fourteen furnaces in operation near the town of Jackson. At that early day the roads were generally mere bridle paths through the woods, and nearly the whole amount of salt made was transported in bags on pack-horses, and distributed through the middle and western portions of the State. That we may understand the high value placed on the salines both by congress and the people of Ohio, it will be proper to revert to the legislative acts on this subject, and to know that the grant was made with the express stipulations that the State should never sell them, nor lease them for a longer period than ten years at any one time. In the year 1803, amongst the earliest proceedings of our legislators, we find an act regulating the leasing and the managing of the "Public Salt Works." An agent was appointed to take charge of the lands, to lease small lots for digging wells and erecting furnaces, and to see that no individual or company monopolized the manufacture of salt. To fjrevent which, it was expressly enacted that no one person, or company, should work more than 120 kettles, nor less than 30. For this privilege the lessee paid a rent to the State of twelve cents a gallon, on the amount of capacity of his kettles, annually. A fine of |5 per kettle was laid on every person who made salt without a license. The agent himself was forbidden to engage in any way in the manufacture of the article. In the year 1804 the rent was reduced to four cents per gallon, and the amount limited to 4,000 gallons of capacity. In 1805 the rent was.

again reduced to two cents, and in 1810 to five mills. At this time, a much stronger water had been obtained on the Kenawha, by boring into the rock strata to the depth of one hundred feet. In February, 1812, the legislature appropriated |300 to defray the expense of boring two hundred feet, and in 1813 they appropriated $1,500 for the same purpose, which does not appear to have been expended. In 1815, the State ordered $750 to pay the expense of boring to the depth of 350 feet, under the direction of TVilliam Givens, with a proviso that the water procured must be of such strength as to make 50 pounds of salt from 250 gallons of brine. It seems that Mr. Givens executed the work faithfully, and then added another 100 feet to the depth at his own expense, as I am informed by Mr. Crookham, who was amongst the earliest of the salt makers, and from whom much of the history of the first proceedings in digging wells was obtained. At this depth, viz: 450 feetj the boring ceased. A stronger water was procured, but it was in small quantity and did not rise to the top of the well; probably from a deficiency of carburetted hydrogen gas, which, at several other works, rises in great volume, and forces the water for many feet above the surface. Forcing pumps for raising water were not then in use, as they now are, at the various salines. No less than 15 acts were passed on the subject of the Scioto Salt works.

BRIGGS' NOTES - The following statement was written by Caleb Briggs, of the Ohio geological survey, in the same year: Brine has been obtained in the Waverly standstone series, by sinking through the conglomerate at the licks in Jackson county, and good water obtained, but not in quantity sufficient to be profitably used in comi)etition with the Kenawha salt wells in Virginia. The salines at Jackson ea,v\y attracted the attention of the western pioneers, and from them alone, was obtained most of the salt used in the early settlement of the State. They were finally abandoned, in consequence of much stronger brine having been obtained in Virginia. These wells with the exception of those called "mud wells," were commenced in the superior part of the conglomerate, which on this account was denominated the "salt rock." Thejvaried in depth from 10 to 450 feet, with no sensible improvement in the strength of the brine, except in the deepest, which was bored at the expense of the State; and in this no difference was observed in the saturation of the water, till the strata had been penetrated 350 feet, when it continued to improve till the work ceased. Mr. George Crookham, by whom the information in regard to these wells was communicated, says he thinks the brine at the depth of 350 feet was equal in strength to that used on the Kenawha, but the quantity was comparatively small. The ''mud wells" (referred to above), were dug to the depth of 24 to 30 feet, in clay, sand and gravel, which occupy a basin-shaped cavity in the sui)erior part of the "salt rock" at Jackson. The brine without doubt was produced by the percolation of water through the rock into this reservoir. The wells at Jackson in addition to the disadvantage of having been commenced too low in the series, were situated on a stream, the waters of which run in a direction opposite to the dip, through deep valleys and ravines, which so interrupt the continuity of the strata that a considerable portion of the saline matter finds its way into the water courses, and flows off in a westerly direction.

SUEVEY OF JACKSON COUNTY - The history of the Salt works is so interwoven with the early history of Jackson county that they can not be separated. It was the presence of the salt boilers that attracted the first settlers into the lands adjoining the licks. The earliest came as squatters, but the Indians having ceded, by the treaty of Greenville, all their claims to southern Ohio, Congress began preparations for throwing the land open to settlement. Accordingly, on May 18, 1796, it enacted: That a surveyor general shall be appointed, whose duty it shall be to engage a suflflcient number of skillful surveyors, as his deputies; whom he shall cause, without delay, to survey and mark the unascertained outlines of the lands lying northwest of the river Ohio, and above the mouth of the river Kentucky, in which the titles of the Indian tribes have been extinguished, and to divide the same in the manner herein after directed. Two years elapsed before the surveyors began their work in Jaclcson county. When they entered the district between the Ohio company and the Scioto river, they found it necessary, according to the statement of Whittlesey, to run a correctional meridian, because of the excess in the sections abutting on the west line of the company at range fifteen. The correction was made by establishing a true meridian between ranges seventeen and eighteen, with sections of an exact mile square. Between the Ohio river and Hamden, in Vinton county, the correction north and south, amounted to a mile. The errors from the variation of the needle were such that quarter sections abutting on the true meridian on the east were nearly as large as full sections on the west. Three townships, Milton, Bloomfield and Madison are in rage seventeen and east of this true meridian. This explains the jogging of the sections along this line, a circumstance that has puzzled many. It ma}^ be mentioned here as a coincidence that Oak Hill, Berlin and Wellston are located on this meridian. The first surveying in Jackson county was done in May, 1798, under the direction of Elias Langdon. During this month, township six of range eighteen, now known as Franklin, township seven in range nineteen, now included in Liberty, and that part of township five, range twenty, now included in Scioto, were surveyed. The next month Levi Whipple surveyed township nine, range seventeen, now included in Milton township, and in July following he surveyed township seven, range seventeen, which is now a part of Madison. Elias Langdon returned to the county in April, 1799,, and surveyed Hamilton township. The next surveying was done in August, 1799, by Thomas Worthington, assisted by J. B. Finley, who afterward became a noted Methodist divine. They surveyed township eight, range eighteen, now known as Washington, and that part of te»>vnship seven, range twenty, now included in Jackson township. Worthington was a native of Virginia who settled in Chillicothe in 1798. He took an active interest in politics from the first, and in 180.3 he was elected the first United States senator from Ohio, serving until 1807. He w^as elected a second time to the same office in 1810, but resigned in 1814 to accept the governorship^ which office he filled for four vears. Few men of today would be willing to make this exchauge, but the service of the State was considered the most honorable in those early days. Worthingtoa died in 1827. There was no surveying done in 1800, and the next work done was in March, 1801, by Jesse Spencer, who surveyed township eight, range nineteen, now included in Jackson township. Jefferson township was surveyed in June, 1801, by John G. Macon. He surveyed that part of township six, range seventeen, included in Madison in the same year. Bloomfield was surveyed in October^ 1801, by Benjamin F. Stone. The same person surveyed that part of township ten, range seventeen, now included in Milton, in the following November. Elias Langdon surveyed township six, range nineteen, now included in Scioto, and township six, range twenty, included in Liberty, in June, 1801. He completed the survey of the county in December, 1801, with the survey of Lick township. The law of 1796 provided that the lands now included in Jackson county should be offered for sale at the Pittsburg land office, but there is no record that any land was entered until after the Chillicothe land office was established.

BOSS COUNTY - The licks remained a part of Washington county for the first ten years after the founding of Marietta. In the summer of 1796, Colonel Nathaniel Massie laid out the town of Chillicothe, and the population increased so rapidly that Governor St. Clair established the new county of Ross. This occurred on August 20, 1798. Nearly all the territory now included in Jackson county was placed for the time in Ross. When Sciota county was organized. May 1, 1803, a portion of it was cut off and placed in the new county. The part remaining in Ross was erected into a separate township.

LICK TOWNSHIP - The newly organized territory was named Lick township, and it held its first election in April, 1809. Following is the roster of officers elected: Trustees, Roger Seldon, David Mitchell and Robert Patrick; treasurer, Levi Patrick; clerk, John Brander; lister, Samuel Niblack; overseers of the poor, John James and Olney Hawkins; constables, Samuel Niblack and Phillip Strother; justices of the peace, David Mitchell and William

Niblack. Hawkins refused to serve as overseer of the poor and was fined. The vacancy was filled by the appointment of Stephen Radeliff, sr. Olney Haw^kins served as grand juror at Chillicothe in 1800, and Robert Patrick and AYilliam Niblack as petit jurors. The Niblacks seem to have been among the most influential families at the works at that time,

THE WAR OF 1812 - When the second war with England began in 1812, the salt boilers proved themselves true Americans General Tupper, of Gallia county, came to the works looking for volunteers, and almost the entire male population enlisted under him. The following account of his campaign is from Atwater's history: In July, 1812, General Edward W. Tupper, of Gallia county, had raised about one thousand men for six months duty. They were mostly volunteers and infantry, but they were accompanied by Womeldorf's troop of cavalry, of Gallia county. This force was mostly raised in what are now Gallia, Lawrence and Jackson counties. They marched under the orders of General Winchester through Chillicothe and Urbana and on to the Maumee river. Having reached the Maumee in August, w^e believe, of that year, an Indian or two had been discovered about their camp. General Winchester ordered Tupper to follow the enemy and discover his eamp, if one was near. For this purpose Tupper ordered out a small party to reconnoitre the country. This party pursued the Indians some six miles or more, and returned without finding the enemy. Winchester was offended, and ordered Tupper to send out a larger force, but the troops with their half-starved horses and without a suflflciency of ammunition, refused to go. Winchester, in a rage, ordered Tupper himself to go with all his mounted men. Obeying this order, as he was just about to march, a Kentucky officer came to him and offered to join the party in any situation which Tupper should assign him. Tupper appointed him his aide, but soon afterwards, taking Tupper aside, he showed him Winchester's orders, appointing this Kentuckian to command the reconnoitering party. This conduct so irritated Tupper and his troops that they applied to the commander-in-chief to be allowed to serve under him. This was some time afterwards, as soon as General Harrison had assumed the command of all the northwestern army. Tupper moved down the Maumee near to the lower end of the rapids, where they usually crossed at a fording place. The Indians in large numbers showed themselves on the side of the river opposite Tupper's camp. He attempted to cross the river with his troops in the night. The current was rapid, his horses and men were feeble, being half starved, and the rocky bottom was slippery. The current swept away some of the horses and infantry into the deep water. Seeing this, disheartened those who were left behind on the eastern bank of the river, so that only a small number of men crossed over the Maumee. Those who had crossed had wetted their ammunition, and finally all returned back into their camp before day. The Indians were hovering about the camp and a few were killed on both sides. Finally, all the British Indians along the river, anyw^here near by, collected all their forces, and attacked Tupper and his troops on all sides. The enemy had from one thousand to twelve hundred men, whereas, from sickness and various casualties, our force amounted to only about eight hundred men, and they were badly supplied with provisions and ammunition. However, they fought bravely, drove oif the enemy, and killed and wounded a large number of his warriors. Their own loss was trifling, losing only twenty or thirty in all in the action. The enemy acknowledged the loss of upwards of fifty killed, one hundred and fifty wounded. It is highly probable that their losswas at least three hundred. Our troops were all sharpshooters, and real backwoodsmen, who were well accustomed to the use of the rifle in the woods, where they dwelt when at home. The fate of the enemy would have been much more disastrous had not our new recruits, half starved as they were, while pursuing the flying, enemy, fallen in with a drove of fat hogs in a cornfield. Leaving the pursuit of the enemy, they kille'd many hogs until attacked by the Indians, and losing four men killed, they turned on the enem^ and drove him over the river. The British returned to Detroit and our troops returned to Fort McArthur.

CAMP ROCK - In this connection mention sbould be made of the sandstone boulder standing by the roadside near the old Stinson tavern on Salt creek, in Jackson township, which is known as the ''camp rock." I visited this rock in 18*J5 and Avrote the following notes at the time:

This is an immense boulder that broke oft' from the hill some centuries ago and rolled down to the creek, lodging just on the rocky bank. It is now about fifty feet long, fifteen feet thick and twenty feet in height. It was longer until a year or two ago, when a blast was taken out of its east end to secure stone for the abutments of a bridge some half a mile above. The road passes between the rock and the hill and always has done so. It has received the name Camp Rock from the words cut deep in the surface facing the road. Most prominent is the following legend:

Camp Op

General Tupper and his army are supposed to have camped one night near this rock. The creek is fordable here, and a spring used to bubble forth nearby. Old citizens claim that there were many names of soldiers carved in the rock, but they have now disappeared.

CAPTAIN STRONG'S COMPANY - Another band of salt boilers marched into the Indian country in 181-3, with the command of Major Ben Daniels. This expedition was for the relief of Fort Mei|;s, and the men served from July 29 to August 19. The salt boilers were organized as a company with the following roster: Captain Jared Strong, First Lieutenant John Gillaspie, Ensign William Howe, Sergeants William Given, John Lake, David Mitchell, Phillip Strother; Corporals Salmon Goodenough, Alexander Hill, Joseph Lake, William lligginbotham; Drummer Harris Penny, Fifer James Markey, Privates William Hewitt, Thomas M. Caretall, Jesse Watson, Joseph Robbins, William Ellefton, James Philli])s, Samuel Aldridge, John Sergeant, Samuel Huun. Ste]'hen

Bailey, Henry Rout, Joseph Clemens, Joseph Schellenger, John Ogg, James Higginbotham, William Black, Some of the most prominent men at the works were in this company. The captain was afterward the first representative of the county. Given will be spoken of at length later, Mitchell, Howe, Bunu, the Lakes and Schellenger have many descendants in the count}', Hewitt was the noted hermit already spoken of.

JACKSON COUNTY ERECTED, - The organization of the Lick township government gave the inhabitants at the works a feeling of importance. Quite a village had sprung up on the slope facing Salt creek, east of the site of the court house, and it had exchanged the name of Purgatory for Poplar Row. The influx of settlers into the surrounding territory caused the inhabitants of Poplar Row to indulge the fond hope that its towuhouse would ere long give way to a court house, the seat of justice of a new county. The matter was talked of as early as 1810, Settlers were now rapidly land in that part of Gallia county bordering on Lick township. The first of whom there is record, was Lewis Adkins, who -entered his land in 1810, Jeremiah Roach became his neighbor in 1811, and Hugh Poor settled farther north in what is now Bloomfield township in the same year, John Smith, Gabriel McNea!, Benjamin, Amos and Nimrod Arthur, George Burris and perhaps others entered land in the country east or south of the licks in 1812. Samuel McClure entered land in 1813, and John Stephenson, Moses Hale and others followed in 1811, These settlers had a number of squatters for neighbors, whom they did not like, on account of their thieving propensities. Their peace was disturbed too frequently also by the lawless element among the salt boilers at the licks. This state of affairs led them to think favorably of the propositon to erect a new county, with a court house at the Salt works. This was what the leaders at the licks wished for, and the new county movement at once assumed respectable proportions, A delegation was sent to Chillicothe, the capital of the State, in the winter of 1815, to bring the matter before the legislature. The petition was placed in the hands of Senator Robert Lucas, and the following entry appears in the senate journal for December 22, 1815: Robert Lucas, senator from Gallia and Scioto counties, presented a petition of certain inhabitants of Ross, Gallia, Scioto and Athens counties praying that a new county may be set off in such a manner that the seat of justice may be established at the Scioto Salt works. The petition was referred to a committee of three, of whom Lucas was made chairman, to report thereon by bill or otherwise. The committee saw its way clear to report favorably, and a bill to erect the county of Jackson was introduced by Senator Lucas on Tuesday, December 26, 1815, and read the first time. It was read the second time December 27, and passed the senate December 29. It was introduced in the house the same day, read the second time December 30, and passed January 10, 1816. It was signed up January 12, 1816, and became a law. Following is a copy of it:

Section 1. Be it enacted by the general assembly of the State of Ohio, That all that part of the counties of Scioto, Gallia, Athens and Ross, included within the following limits, to-wit: Beginning at the northwest corner of township number ten, range number seventeen, and running thence east to the northeast corner of said township ; thence south to the southeast corner of township number eight in said range; thence west to the southwest corner of section number thirty-five in said township; thence south to the southeast corner of section number thirty-four, in township number seven in said range; thence west to the southwest corner of said township; thence south to the southeast corner of township number five, in range number eighteen; thence west to the southwest corner of section number thirty-three in township number five, in range number nineteen; thence north to the northwest corner of section number four in said township; thence west to the southeast corner of Pike county; thence with Pike county line to the northeast corner of said county; thence north to the northwest corner of township number eight, in range number nineteen; thence east to the range line between the seventeenth and eighteenth ranges-,

Section 2. Be it fui'ther enacted, That all suits or actions, whether of a civil or criminal nature, which shall be pending, and all crimes which shall have been committed within said counties of Scioto, Gallia, Athens and Ross, previous to the organization of the said county of Jackson, shall be j)rosecuted to final judgment and execution within the counties in which such suits shall be pending, or such crimes shall have been committed, in the same manner they would have been, if no division had taken place; and the sheriff, coroner and constables of the counties of Scioto, Gallia, Athens and Ross shall execute, within such parts of the county of Jackson, as belonged to their respective counties previous to the taking effect of this act, such process as shall be necessary to carry in effect such suits, ijrosecutions and judgments; and the collectors of taxes for the counties of Scioto, Gallia, Athens and Ross shall collect all such taxes as shall have been levied and imposed within such parts of the county of Jackson as belonged to their respective counties previous to the taking effect of this act.

Section 3. Be it further enacted. That all justices of the peace and constables, within those parts of the counties of Scito, Gallia, Athens and Ross, which by this act are erected into a new county, shall continue to exercise the duties of their offices until their term of service expires in the same manner as if no division of said counties had taken place.

Section 4. Be it further enacted, That on the first Monday in April next, the legal voters residing within said county of Jackson, shall assemble in their respective townships at the usual place of holdings township elections, and elect their several county officers, who shall hold their offices until the next annual election; provided that where any township 'shall be divided in consequence of establishing the county of Jackson, in such manner that the place of holding township elections, shall fall within the counties of Scioto, Gallia, Athens or Ross, then and in that case, the electors

Section 5. And be it further enacted, That the courts of said county of Jackson, shall be holden at the house of William Givens, within the reserved township, at the Scioto Salt works, until the permanent seat of justice for said county shall be established. This act shall take effect and be in force from and after the first day of March next.

FIRST COMMISSIONERS - The legislature appointed Emanuel Traxler, John Stephenson and John Brown as Commissioners to organize the new county. Traxler was a German by descent ancn a Pennsylvanian by birth. When he arrived at manhood's estate he came west. His first stop was on the bank of the Ohio at the mouth of the Scioto. There he determined to make his home, and his cabin was the first erected by white men on the site of Portsmouth. This was in the early part of the year 1796. Other settlers came, but Traxler continued to be the leading citizen in the community, and in 1798 Governor St. Clair appointed him as the first justice of the peace in the settlement. Traxler neglected one important matter, however, and had to pay the penalty. In the year 1801, he discovered that Henry Massie had secured the patent from the government for the land on which his cabin and improvements stood, and he was dispossessed. He moved inland, and there built the first watermill in Scioto county. In 1813 he came to the Scioto salt w^orks, and sunk a salt well, but it proved a duster. Later he settled on a farm in Franklin township, on Fourmile, and in 1816 he built the first watermill on that creek. John Stei)henson was a native of South Carolina. After his marriage he moved to Cabell county, Virginia, and in 1814 he entered land in what is now Bloomfield township, in this county. He was the father of a large family, and his descendants in the county are more numerous than any other family. His son James became Sheriff of the county a few years after its organization, and Associate Judge in 1827, His son John held a number of ofQces of honor and trust, and died while Recorder of the county. His grandson, John S. Stephenson, held the office of Commissioner for several terms. The son of the latter, and his great grandson, was Commissioner of Pike -county, while another great grandson, Hiram Stephenson, was Treasurer of Jackson county for four years. The act erecting the county went into effect March 1, 1816, and on that day these three Commissioners met at the house of William Givens, the temporary seat of justice, to organize the new county. The object of the meeting was to call an election for the purpose of choosing county officers to serve until the fall election. For convenience at this election, they divided the county into five townships, named as follows: Bloomfield, Franklin, Lick, Madison and Milton. They also appointed judges and clerks for each voting precinct. The record of this meeting is not on file at the Court House, and it has been either destroyed, or purloined by some relic hunter of the early days.

THE FIRST ELECTION - Jackson county held its first election Monday, April 1, 1816, for the purpose of electing a Sheriff, Coroner and three Commissioners. The names of all the men that voted at this election have been deemed worthy of preservation for the benefit of posterity. The old poll books, which had been supposed lost for eighty years, were found by the writer in going through old papers in the Court House attic. The names are given by townships.

BLOOMFIELD - The election in this township was held at the house of Judge Hugh Poor, which stood in a central location. The officers were Samuel McClure, Moses Gillespie and Theophilus Blake, Judges, and Robert G. Hanna and Allen Rice, Clerks. Thirty-seven electors cast their ballots, the name of Reuben Long being the first registered. The others were: Theophilus Blake, Henry Humphreys, John Hale, James Hale, William Keeton, Morris Humphreys, Ellis Long, Benjamin Long, Azariah Jenkins, Joshua Stephenson, Thomas Barton, John R. Corn, John Scurlock, John Dickerson, Sharp Barton, George Campbell, Hugh Poor, Hugh

Scurlock, Moses Hale, Arthur Callison, Christopher Long, Benjamin Hale, Robert Irwin, Moses Gillespie, David Stoker, Nimrod Arthur, Allen Rice, Michael Stoker, James Lackey, Martin Poor, John Stephenson, Sr., Samuel McClure, Andrew Donnally, John Stephenson, Jr., Robert G. Hanna and Alexander Poor. There was considerable excitement at this voting place, occasioned by a number of free fights, growing out of a feud between members of the Long and Hale families. The origin of the trouble is unknown, but at some time in the day Joel Long and John Hale started the ball rolling by agreeing to ''box and fight each other at fisticuffs." The well known code of the backwoods was no doubt followed to the letter in this fistic duel, but the result did not give satisfaction. Blood was up, and some words led Christopher Long to assault Moses Hale, and, according to the indictment, did "strike, beat, wound and illtreat, to the great damage of the said Moses Hale." John R. Corn interferred in behalf of the latter, and Long promptly gave him a dose of the same medicine. At this point James Lackey got mixed up ia the affair, and Benjamin Long then took a hand and assaulted him. These contests furnished some of the grist for the first term of court in the following August, John Hale and Joel Long being fined |12 each, and Christopher Long |6 under each indictment. Benjamin Long's affair with Lackey was not adjusted until the November term, when Long i)lead guilty and was fined $10 and the costs.

FRANKLIN - The officers in this township were Judges John Rook, John Farney and Abraham Baker, and Clerks Isaac Baker and William Stephenson. Teter Null was the first of the sixty-one electors to cast his vote. The others were: Jacob Wishon, J'eter McCain, Basil Johnson, John Wallace, Lewis Howard, John Clemmons, Isaiah Sheward, Jesse Martin, Peter Seel, Samuel Stephenson, Isaac Kilcoderic, Hugh Malin, Nathan Kirby, John Graham, John Peters, William Lyons, Eli Dixon, Thomas Crabtree, James Graham, James Higginbotham, Jonathan R. Nelson, John Dixon, Abraham Dixon, Thomas Craig, Ralph Nelson, James Johnson, John Martin, John Duncan, Ross Nelson, Emanuel Traxler, Richard

Johnson, William Martin, Hugh Gilliland, John Burnsides, Alexander TMlson, Alexander Anderson, Nathan Dixon, John George, AVilliam Holland, Francis Holland, Nottingham Mercer, Samuel Craig, Levi Mercer, John Traxler, Benjamin Ellison, Samuel Trax ler, Jonathan Traxler, Nathan Sheward, Thomas Scott, John Far nev, John Rook, Abraham Baker, John Webb, James Martin, William Stephenson, Isaac Baker, Joseph Graham, Isaac Hartley, James Pennelton, Henry Dixon. An election to choose Justices was held the same day, but by a different set of officers. They were Teter Null, Samuel Traxler and Hugh Gilliland, Judges, and John Martin and Francis Holland, Clerks. Sixty votes were cast, of which John George had 32, Thomas Scott 29, Isaac Baker 28, Nottingham Mercer 26; George and Scott were winners.

LICK - The officers were James Weeks, John Ogg and Asa Lake, Judges, and Joseph W. Ross and George L. Crookham, Clerks. The first of the flfiy-nine voters was Major John James, grandfather of ex- Warden C. C. James. The others were : Abraham Dehaven, William White, Horam Denny, JohnW. Sargeant, Joseph Clemmens, Philip Stother, Samuel Bunn, John Gillaspie, Asa Lake, James Weeks, George Bowen, Jacob Gulp, Matthew Rider, Absalom Wells, Hugh Sharp, Valentine Pancake, William Givens, John Stockham, Joseph Armstrong, James Adams, John Brander, George L. Crookham, David Mitchell, Jacob Schellenger, William Brown, Salmon Goodenough, John Crago, John Armstrong, John Ogg, John O. Kelly, John Higginbotham, Charles Higginbotham, David Watson, Samuel A. Hall, John Henry Grant, Peter Marshall, Daniel Comber, John Praether, John Stewart, Henry Routt, Joseph W. Ross, Francis O'Ray, John Lake, John McGhee, Jared Strong, Daniel Harris, Daniel Clark, Samuel Aldridge, A. J. Higgins, Isaac Newell, Jesse Watson, Alexander Hill, Abraham Welch, Elk Bramlett, William Higginbotham, William Howe, John Allen, William Hewitt.

It will be noticed that Franklin had two more electors than Lick. Lick at that time included a tract of six miles square, belonging to the State Government, and all its inhabitants were lessees. Many of them had purchased lands in Franklin in order to be freeholders, and claimed their residence there. This is the only explanation that can be offered for the action of so many Lick men voting in Franklin.

MADISON - The election of this township was held at thehouse of Jacob Moler, which stood near the site of Madison Furnace. The officers were: Judges, Jacob Moler, William H. C. Jenkins and John Atkinson and Clerks, John Horton and Jeremiah Callahan.

Twenty-one electors participated, Samuel Radabaugh being the first to vote. The others were: George Radabaugh, John Callahan, Sr., Henry Radabaugh, William Comer, Robert Taylor, Benjamin Arthur, Lewis Adkins, Sr., Joel Arthur, Amos Arthur, John Horton, Jacob Moler, John Atkinson, William H. C. Jenkins, Elijah Delano, John Shoemaker, Joseph Pauley, Jeremiah Callahan, Jere~ miah Roach, Lewis Adkins, Jr., Jesse Radabaugh.

The returns were taken to Jackson by Jacob Moler. This gentleman was for years the leading citizen of Madison, and the family of Aaron McLaughlin are connected with him. William H. C. Jenkins was another of the leading men. Cyrus Jenkins of Bloomfield is one of his sons. The Radabaughs are all gone from Madison, but William, of that name, is living in the old Arthur schoolhouse, which stands on ground formerly a part of Madison. Some of the descendants of Jeremiah Roach still live in the township, and a namesake lives in Wellston. John Horton's descendants are numerous in Jeft'erson.

MILTON - The officers were George Martin, John Baccus and George Burris, Judges, and Joshua Scurlock and John Crouch, Clerks. There were forty-two votes cast, the first by Austin Palmer,. The others were cast by Andrew Frasure, I'eleg Potter, Charles- Ratcliff, Joseph Crouch, John Phillips, Thomas Phillips, William Crow, John Baccus, George Martin, George Burris, Patrick Shearer, Joshua Scurlock, John Crouch, James Stephenson, W^illiam Burris,. Reuben Rickabaugh, Drury Bondurant, William Delay, William

Bass, Jonathan Delay, William Craig, Cuthbert Vinson, John Snuke, Robert Howard, James Dempsej, Joshua Rhodes, John Kite, Robert Ward, Jeremiah Brown, Zephaniah Brown, David Paine, Charles Robbins, Adam Althar, Daniel Hollinshead, John Hollinshead, John Delay, Joseph Howard, Jacob Delay, Joseph Crouch, Jr., John Brown and Nathan Brown. The majority, if not all of these men had been citizens of Athens county. Several of them have descendants living in the township and in other parts of this county. Rev. Jacob Delay was perhaps the most widely known The peculiar spelling throughout is that of the poll book.

COUNTING THE VOTES - The returns were all taken to Poplar Row and placed in charge of Judge William Givens. Hugh Poor, David Paine and William Givens had been commissioned by Governor Thomas Worthington, who, it will be remembered, was one of the men that had surveyed Jackson county, as Associate Judges for the new county. Their first meeting, of which there is record, was held at Givens' house on April 6, 1816, to open the election returns and declare the result. The house of Givens stood a little west of the site of Fulton Furnace. This has been disputed, but I make the statement on the authority of James H. Darling and A. F. McCarley. The house was built of logs, but was better than the ordinary log house of the early days, in that it had two stories. This accounts for its selection as the temporary seat of justice. The lower floor consisted of two rooms, while the upper story consisted of one large room, unceiled. All the Judges being present, the votes were counted. Following is the official abstract:

Commissioner - John Stephenson 114, Emanuel Traxler 108, John Brown 100, Samuel McClure 94, Francis Holland 36, Reuben Long 84, Jesse Watson 21, John Delay 46; Stephenson, Traxler and Brown were the winners.

lin Gl, Lick 59, Madison 21, Milton 42; total 220. It is probable that almost the entire vote in the county was cast at this election. The total vote cast at the presidential election in 1896, eighty years afterward, amounted to 8,362. This shows a healthy growth. The record of this meeting of the Associate Judges has been lost, but it is evident that the new officials appeared before the court, gave bond and took the oath of office. The Commissioners appointed by the Legislature were elected by the people foi' the short term until the Fall election. Welch, the Sheriff-elect, had been at the salt works for some eight years. He was a tavern keeper, and his acquaintances were so numerous that he won his election easily over a popular opponent. Welch's record was not what it might have been, however, and certain passages in it will be referred to later.

And now a word about Judge Givens, the wealthiest and most influential man in the county at that time. The following sketch was written after the death of his son, of the same name, and may contain a few repetitions:

A NOTED SALT BOILER - The following special, which appeared in a Cincinnati paper Sunday morning, was sent from Buena Vista, in Scioto count}^, July 30, 1898: "William Givens, a pioneer farmer of Southern Ohio, died on his farm near here this morning. He would have been 87 years old tomorrow, and had lived all his life on the farm on which he died." The death of Mr. Givens deserves more than a passing notice, for he was the oldest son of Judge William Givens, the most noted salt boiler in the early history of Jackson county. He was really 87 years old on the day of his death, for he was born July 31, 1811, at Poplar Row, the village of the salt boilers. William Givens, Sr., was born in Pennsylvania in 1782. After his father's death his mother removed with her family to Kentucky. William was then ten years old. In early manhood he came to Ohio and settled in Scioto county. Later he came to the Scioto salt works, then located in Ross county, but now included within the limits of Jackson. He was married October 23, 1810, to Rachel, daughter of William and Susan (Paine)

Stockham, and went to housekeeping on Poplar Eow. There William, the oldest of eleven children, was born as stated. Mr. Givens prospered at the salt works, and to maintain his standing in the community he erected a two-story log mansion, which was for years the finest residence in all Jackson county. This house stood near the site of Fulton Furnace. When Jackson county was erected in ISIG, this house was designated as the first seat of justice in Jackson county, Section 5 of the law reading as follows: That the courts of said county of Jackson shall be holden at the house of William Givens, within the reserved township, at the Scioto salt works, until the permanent seat of justice for said county shall be established - A large oak tree stood in front of the house, and an interesting and authenticated tradition is connected therewith. The first term of court for Jackson county convened August 12, 1816. The entire male population of the county, salt boilers, planters, hunters, trappers, hermits and squatters, were in attendance. The house was too small to hold the crowd. The weather being warm, Judge John Thompson ordered Sheriff Abraham Welch to open court under the spreading branches of this primeval white oak, and the sessions of the first day were held there. When the grand jury was organized, the Court Constables led it away some distance to another tree, where it carried on its deliberations, the crowd being kept out of hearing by the Constables. It was a memorable day in the history of the new county. Under the old Constitution, three Associate Judges sat on the bench with the Presiding Judge, and William Givens, whose activity, energy and influence had been largely instrumental in securing the organization of Jackson county, was elected by the Ohio Legislature on February 24, 1816, as one of the first three Associate Judges of this county. The others were Hon. David Paine, father-in-law in later years of Hon. H. S. Bundy and Hon. Hugh Poore, founder of the Poore family in this county. Givens was thus head and judge in his own house, much like the Patriarchs of old. In 1818 he waa honored by his fellow-citizens with an election to the Legislature, but he served only one term. In 1823 he was again elected Associate Judge, and served until 1826, when he left the county, and moved to Nile township, in Scioto count}'. He lived there 37 years, and died June 26, 18G3, aged 80 years, 9 months and 8 daj'S. Hiswife survived until February 18, 1865, dying at the age of 70 years- 9 months and 15 days. Mr. Givens was a Whig in politics, and a member of the M. E. Church. It was as a manufacturer of salt that he first acquired prominence in this county, and he was closely identified with most of the later salt works legislation. It appearsthat the expense of salt boiling at the Scioto licks was alwaysheavy, and about 1812 it became so excessive that the Legislature appropriated $300 to pay for boring 200 feet, in hopes of finding stronger brine. No one undertook this work, and the Legislature found it necessary to increase the appropriation. Accordingly^ $1,500 was appropriated February 5, 1813,and Abraham Claypool was authorized to sink two wells to a depth of 200 feet. Thismoney does not seem to have been spent, and AVilliam Givens^ Joseph Armstrong, John Johnson, Ross Nelson, John W. Sargent,. John Prather and Asa Lake petitioned for assistance to dig a salt well each, they to bear incidental expenses, and to have exclusive use of wells for five years. In 1815 the Legislature appropriated $700 to pay William Givens for sinking a well 350 feet, to be twoand one-quarter inches in diameter at the bottom. It appears that Givens proceed imI to sink the well, and by December 23, 1815, he had reached a depth of 275 feet, and was paid $375. On February 24, 181 1), he was gi\fm until April 1, 1816, to finish and tube thewell. There is no record that Givens was paid any more money by the State, but he continued the work on the well until he reached the depth of 450 feet. The last 175 feet were sunk at his own expense. Hildreth says that Givens procured a stronger water, but it was in small quantity, and did not rise to the top of the well,, probably from a deficiency of carburetted hydrogen gas, which at several other works, rises in great volume, and forces the water for many feet above the surface. Givens' experiment demonstrated that a brine strong enough to compete with that of other salinescould not be secured at Jackson, and the legislature passed a resolution January 3, 1818, favoring the sale of the Scioto Salt reserve. Givens' salt well is still open. It is a few hundred feet above the Baler building, and the water stands the year round in the well pipe. Givens' furnace stood on the knoll near by to the south, and its remains may be seen whenever the ground is ploughed. The small creek emptying into Salt creek, a few hundred feet below, bears the name Givens' run. Thus the name survives here, although the family has been forgotten. William Givens, jr., was 15 years old when the family left the county. The other children were Allen, David, James H., Thomas J., John, Samuel,. George, Cynthia, Jane and Mary. The descendants of the family are scattered in many states.

COMMISSIONERS' PEOCEEDINGS - The record of the first meeting of the Commissioners of Jackson county has been lost. At the second meeting held. Dr. Nathaniel W. Andrews was appointed clerk of the board, and he kept a very faithful record, although many acts of the board were not recorded, for reasons not now known. Some of the entries were quaintly worded, and others refer to conditions which have long ago ceased to exist. The following extracts can not fail to interest:

April 25, 1816 - Be it remembered that at a special meeting of the honorable commissioners of Jackson county, held in the house of Jared Strong in Lick township, present Emanuel Traxler, John Stephenson and John Brown; ordered that Nathaniel W. Andrews be appointed clerk to this body, he having been qualified according to law.

Orders were issued to the listers of Lick township, Milton township and Franklin to attach the fractional parts adjoining the different townships to each of them.

June .3, 1816 - Proceedings of the honorable Board of Commissioners at their annual meeting on the first Monday of June, 1816,. held at the house of Nathaniel W. Andrews in Lick township,.

Ordered that the price of license for retailing merchandise shall be Fifteen Dollars per annum, also that the price of tavern license throughout this county shall be Six Dollars per annum.

July 1, 181G - Pursuant to the adjournment June 4, the honorable Board of Commissioners this day met, eTuly 1, 1810, present John Stephenson, John Brown and Emanuel Traxler.

Jackson - It is ordered that in compliance with the prayer of the inhabitants of the following boundaries, that they shall be incorporated in a new township and be called Jackson; beginning at the northwest corner of this county and running east to the seventeenth range line; thence south along the same line to the corner between the Seventh and Eighth townships; thence w^est to the southwest corner of the Eighth township in the Eighteenth range; thence south one mile to the corner between section Nos. 1 and 12 in the Seventh township in the Nineteenth range; thence west along the section lines to the line between Nineteen and Twenty; thence north along the same line to the place of beginning.

Clinton - It is also ordered that in compliance with the prayer of the inhabitants of Township No. 10 in range Seventeen, that the said township be incorporated according to its original surveyed boundaries by name of Clinton.

Milton - It is also ordered that in compliance with the prayer of the inhabitants of township Xo. 9, in range Seventeen, that the said township remain incorporated according to its orignal suryeyed boundaries by the name of Milton.

July 21, 1816 - Pursuant to the adjournment, the honorable Board of Commissioners met according to appointment the second day of the term July 2, 181G.

Bloomfield - It is ordered that in compliance with the prayer of the inhabitants of township No. 8 in range Seventeen, that the said township remain incorporated according to its original surveyed boundaries, by the name of Bloomfield.

Madison - It is also ordered that in compliance with the prayer of the inhabitants of the following boundaries, that they be incorporated in a new township by the name of Madison; beginning at the northeast corner of section No. 3 in range 17 and township 7; thence running south to the county line to the southeast corner of section 34, range 17 and township 7; thence west to the southwest corner of section 31, range and township aforesaid; thence south to the county line to the southeast corner of section 36 in the 18th range and 5th township; thence west to the southwest corner of section 35, township and range aforesaid; thence north along the section line to the northwest corner of section No. 2, range and township aforesaid; thence east to the range line between 18 and 17; thence along the same line north to the northwest corner of section No. 6, township 5 and range 17; thence east to the place of beginning.

Franklin - It is also ordered that in compliance with the prayer of the inhabitants of the following boundaries, that the same remain incorporated according to its original name of Franklin; beginning at the northeast corner of section No. 1^ township 6 in range IS and running south along the said range line to the southeast corner of section No. 36 in township 6 and range 18; then west to the northeast corner of section No. 3; thence south with section line to the county line; thence west along said line to the southwest corner of section 36 in township 5 and range

19; thence north along the section line to the northwest corner of section No. 1, township 6 and range 19; thence east to the place ol beginning.

Scioto - It is also ordered that in compliance with the prayer of the inhabitants of the following boundaries that they be incorporated in a new township by the name of Scioto; beginning as follows: At the northeast corner of section No. 2, township G and range 19, and running south along the section line to the county line, to the southeast corner of section 35, in township 5, range 19 ; thence west to the southwest corner of the county; thence north along the county line to the old Ross county line; thence east to the place of beginning.

Lick - It is ordered that Lick township have the following boundaries: Beginning at section No. 1, the northeast corner of, running south to the southeast corner of section No. 36, township 7, range 18; thence west to the county line, southwest corner of section 31, range 19, township 7; thence along the county line north to the northwest corner of section No. 7, township 7, range 19; thence east to the northeast corner of section No. 12, range 19, tow^nship 7; north to the northwest corner of section No. 6, range 18, township 7; thence east to the place of beginning.

Hamilton - This township was not erected until December 6, 1825. The commissioners' entry in the journal is as follows: ''Ordered that in compliance with the prayer of the inhabitants in the following boundaries, that the}' be incorporated in a new township by the name of Hamilton, bounded as follows, to-wit: Beginning at the northeast corner of section 1, township 5, range 19; thence south along the township line to section 36, township 5, range 19; thence west along the Scioto county line to section 33, toAvuship

5, range 19; thence north to the northwest corner of section 4; thence east to the place of beginning. And ordered that Scioto township be hereafter designated by the following boundaries, towit: Beginning at the northeast corner of section 2, in township

6, range 19; thence west to the northwest corner of section 6, range 19 and township 6; thence south to the northeast corner of section 12, township 5, range 20; thence west to the northwest corner of section 11, township 5, range 20; thence south to the southwest corner of section 35; thence east to the southeast corner of section 35, township 6, range 19 ; thence north to the place of beginning.

THE FIRST ROAD PETITION - A petition was this day -(July 3, 1816) handed by the hands of Isaac Baker, praying for a road to be opened; beginning at the fork of the creek two miles a-nd a half above Lewis Mercer's, on the new county road leading from Portsmouth to the Scioto Salt works; thence running the nearest and best way to Hugh Gilliland's on the waters of Simm's thence to Abraham Baker's; thence the nearest and best way to intersect the new road that leads from the Salt works to Gallipolis at or near Mr. Radebouth's on the most suitable place. Or- -dered that the above road be reviewed and the following persons are appointed as reviewers, they having agreed to do it without -charge; reviewers, Levi Mercer, John Horton, Lewis Adkins; surveyor, Gabriel McNeal. - These reviewers made a favorable report January 8, 1817. The report was considered June 2, 1817, and the road was established as proposed, as "one of the public highways -of the county." This road was nine and three-quarters miles long. It began at a white oak in the forks of Little Scioto, ran by a beaver pond and intersected the Gallipois road near Henry Radabaugh's.

FIRST YEAR'S TAXES - The Commissioners met on the 29th of July, 1816, present Emanuel Traxler, John Stephenson and John Brown, and proceeded to make out the alphabetical duplicates of the property tax, and finished them ready for delivery, the total amount being |301.20. The following persons served as township listers in 1816: Lick, Joseph Armstrong; Madison, John Atkinson; Franklin, Richard Johnson; Milton, Joshua Scurlock; Bloomfield, John Stephenson. June 6, 1817 - It appears from all statements, the total amount of expenditures for this year up to the fifth of this month, and up to order 176, amounts to |547.18. "The receipts were |363.874. Thus the county was in debt |183.306 at the end of its first fiscal year. The total amount of taxes to collect for the

FIRST TERM OF COURT - The new county was in the second judicial circuit, of which Judge John Thompson was president. He set the opening day of its first term of court for August 12, 1816. He arrived at the Springs on horseback, riding up from Chillicothe, accompanied b^^ a number of attorneys, and sightseers who came to see the noted Salt works. Judge Thompson became the guest of his associate, Hon. William Givens, whose residence was the temporary seat of justice. The attorneys were quartered' with Nathaniel W. Andrews and Sheriff Abraham Welch. When the hour came for opening court, it was found that no room in the Givens' residence would hold the crowd. This, together with the great heat, led Judge Thompson to order that chairs and tables be taken out and set under the wide spreading branches of a white oak tree, standing near the home. It w^as a motley crowd that gathered there. Three classes were largely represented and deserve mention. The salt boilers with their rough exterior, much resembling the denizens of the more modern mining camps, were the most numerous. Second in number, but first in influence, were the sturdy yeomen planters, clad in homespun. Trappers, hunters and half hermits, silent men, with coonskin caj^s and clothes of deerskiUj formed a third class. There w^as beside a small sprinkling of the better dressed, which included the Methodist circuit rider, two or three tavern keejjers, a few salt well lessees and furnace owners^ some small merchants, and a bakers' dozen of visitors from Chillicothe and Portsmouth. The hour having arrived. Judge Thomjjson and the associate judges, William Givens, Hugh Poor and David Paine, took their seats, and Sheriff Welch was ordered to open court. Following is the record of the first proceedings, as they stand approved:

William Givens, esquires, associate judges for the county of Jackson, at the house of William Givens, temporary seat of justice, on the 12th day of August, Anno Domini, one thousand eight hundred and sixteen, of the independence of the United States, the 41st, and of our State, the 14th. Present, Nathaniel W. Andrews, clerk pro tempore, and Abraham Welch, sheriff. The sheriff", to whom the venire facias was directed, this day here returned the same, and the names being called, appeared, to-wit: James McDaniel, George Gamble, Samuel Traxler, John McBride, Gabriel McNeal, Robert Erwin, James Higginbotham, William Martin, William Stephensou. And the other named presous not appearing, ordered that the sheriff summon sufficient number of the bystanders to complete the panel of 15. Whereupon the following persons were summoned as talesmen: Joseph W. Ross, Joseph Crouch, Joshua \\ inks, Andrew Donnally, Moses Hale and Jared Strong. Whereupon Jared Strong was appointed foreman, who with his fellows having taken the oath prescribed by statute, and having received their charge, retired to consult. The court appointed Joseph Sill, Esq., prosecutor. This day, on motion, ordered that the electors of Scioto township have leave to elect a wise, sensible, prudent and discrete person a justice of the peace, in addition to the one at present acting in that capacity, and that certificate issue to trustees. Judge Thompson, in issuing this order, must have had in mind Jethro's advice to Moses: "Moreover, thou shalt provide out of all the people, able men, such as fear God, men of truth, hating covetousness; and place such over them, to be rulers." The first case called at this term was styled, "Brown & McCort vs. Peleg Potter; debt." Hon. Richard Douglass appeared as attorney for the plaintiffs. The case was called, for Potter to get an opportunity to give bond, and John George was accepted as his surety. The next business to engage the attention of the court was the appointment of the first administrator to serve in the county, viz: Joseph Crouch appointed to administer the ''goods and chattels, rights and credits" of his father, Joseph Crouch, Sr. Jacob Delay, James Stephenson and John Brown, all of Milton township, were appointed as appraisers of the personal estate of decedent. The first business transacted

August 13, 1816, the second day of the term, was the considering of the petition of Andrew Donnally for a license to keep a tavern, which was as follows:

A PETITION FOR A LICENSE TO KEEP A TAVERN - July 10, 1816 - To the honorable judges of the court of common pleas of Jackson county: The petition of the undersigners, freeholders of Bloomfield township, humbly represent to your honours that we conceive a publick house of entertainment in Bloomfield would conduse to the publick convenience, therefore we recommend Andrew Donally, one of the sitizens, as a man of a good carricter and ever}^ way calculated to acomodate the publick, we therefore pray your honours would grant him a licens for the purpose and your petitioners as in duty bound will ever pray. - Andrew Donnally.

The other signers were Hugh Poor, Elijah Long, Moses Hale, Andrew Boggs, Samuel McClure, William Stephenson, James Stephenson, Samuel Allison, Reuben Long, Alexander Poor, Joel Long, Christopher Long, Gabriel McNeal, Robert Irwin, John Stephenson, Robert G. Hanna, Benjamin Long, Azariah Jenkins, George Burris, George Campbell, Anthony Boggs. The text of the petiton was written by Donnally himself, and, like Shakespeare, he exercised the right of spelling his name in more than one way. This fact may explain why the spelling in the petition is out of the ordinary. He may have felt that inability to spell was no bar, but rather a recommendation, with the backwoodsmen. He could spell, but did not want to. Be that as it may, his license was promptly granted.

FIRST CRIMINAL CASE - The criminal docket for the term was then taken up. John Hale and Joel Long had been indicted because, '*on the first day of April, in the year of our Lord, one thousand eight hundred and sixteen, with force and arms, in Bloomfield, etc., they did agree to box and fight each other at fisticuffs, etc." This fight occurred on election day and has been men-

FIRST PETIT JURY - A petit jury was empaneled on the same day, in the case of Elkanah Bramlet, "otherwise called" Elcano Bramlet. He had been indicted for assaulting William Mc- Oonnell in Lick township on July 10, 1816, and the case was tried to the following jury: Basil Johnson, Moses Gillespie, John Ogg, David Mitchel, John Corn, Salmon Goodenough, Allen Rice, Austin Palmer, Samuel Stephenson, James Weeks, William Alden and John George. The witnesses for the State were, Joseph Armstrong and Andrew Donnally. The verdict was "guilty" and Bramlet was fined |6 and the costs. Singulary enough, one of the jurors, Austin Palmer, had settled a little affair of his own with the court, just before taking his seat in the jury box. He had been indicted for assaulting Andrew Frazee, of Milton township, on August 10, 1816, entered his plea of "guilty" and had been fined $12 and the costs. These affairs of honor were very common among the sturdy backwoodsmen, who brooked no insult.

OTHER BUSINESS - The only other transaction of interest at this term was the appointment of Dr. Gabriel McNeal as surveyor of Jackson county for the term of five years. There were no resident attorneys in Jackson at that time, and a foreign attorney had to be apjDointed prosecutor. The attorneys in attendance at this term of court, according to the records, were Joseph Sill, Richard Douglass and N. K. Clough, all of Chillicothe. It was the custom then, for the attorneys to travel the circuit with the court. This term closed August 14, 1816.

THE FIRST FALL ELECTION - The voters of Jackson were called upon in October, 1816, to vote for State and district officers, and for county officers for the long terms. The county had been divided by this time into eight townships, viz: Bloomfield, Clinton, Franklin, Jackson, Lick, Madison, Milton and Scioto. Two hundred and fiftv-two votes were cast. The eandi- dates for governor were Thomas Worthington and James Dunlap. Wortliington received 120 votes and Dunlap 132, but the former was elected. The vote for congressman stood as follows: Joseph Kerr, 72; Levi Barber, 125; John A. Fulton, 12; Samuel Monett, 17; Henry Brush, 41. Jackson county was then in the Third congressional district, and Levi Barber was elected from the district. Two years afterward. Brush, mentioned above, was elected, but in 1820, Barber again regained his seat for this district. For State senator, Robert Lucas received 107 votes and David Ridgeway 150 votes. The senatorial district was then composed of the counties of Gallia, Jackson, Pike and Scioto. Ridgeway was from Gallia. Lucas was from Pike and he was elected. The vote for representa' tive stood: Jared Strong, 171; George L. Crookham, 89; Guthrie^ 5. The legislative district consisted of Pike and Jackson, and Strong was elected. He thus became the first representative of Jackson county. He was a citizen of the county. His early history is unknown, but it is said that he moved to the Salt works from what is now Vinton county. He early built a mill on Salt creek below Jackson, which was known by his name for many years. He was the statesman of the county, for he was re-elected in 1817, and again in 1819, 1822 and 1823. At the first term of court he was appointed foreman of the grand jury. He became one of the contractors for building the first jail, and he was interested in building the first court house. He was thus foremost in all public affairs. He died early, else he might have become much more prominent in county affairs and might have represented the county in congress. His tombstone stands in the old graveyard near the new school building and the inscription is as follows: "Sacred to the memory of Jared Strong, who departed this life December 20, 1827, aged forty-five years, seven months and ten days." Crookham, his opponent at the first election, has been already spoken of at some length. There was a hot contest for sheriff. Joseph Armstrong, a jolly, good-natured citizen, with considerable executive ability, was pushed by friends in order to try to secure the defeat of Welch, whose record was not of the best. The vote stood Welch, 144; Armstrong, 127. Welch's triumph was of short duration, for he was compelled by circumstances, to leave the county a short while afterward. The vote for coroner stood as follows: John Stockham, 94; Peleg Potter, 49; John Gillespie, 31; William Jolly, 24; John Kite, 1. Gillaspie was thus defeated for re-election. There was a spirited contest for commissioner, the vote standing as follows: John Stephenson, 185; Emanuel Traxler, 165; R. G. Hanna, 153; John Brown, 112; John Delay, 24; Samuel Hall, 27; John Scott, 21. Stephenson and Traxler were re-elected, but Brown was defeated by R. G. Hanna. The Commissioners held their first meeting November 11, 1816. The first official act of the Board was to determine by lot who should get the long terms. Traxler was the luckiest, and drew the three-year term; Stephenson drew the two-year term. Hanna was re-elected in 1817, and in 1820 he was elected to the Legislature for the counties of Jackson and Pike. He continued one of the most prominent citizens of the county while he lived.

EARLY CRIMINAL RECORD. - The first settlers at the Licks being squatters, many of them were lawless men. Davis Mackley, who knew something of the early times, wrote as follows: There was no law administered nearer than Portsmouth or Chillicothe, and as many of the men around the salt furnaces were the worst type of adventurers, and as whisky was used in large quantities, it is not strange that fighting was common, and that murder was committed occasionally. In the year 1803 a man named Fitzgerald was murdered by one Jack Brandon, and about the same time a man named Squires was murdered by one Pleasant Webb, a notorious and dangerous character. He had been a Tory during the Revolutionary war, and was the terror of the early settlers. He was known by the nickname of Pompey. I could not learn that either of these murderers was brought to justice or punishment. All that part of Jackson from Pearl street to and beyond the fair ground was originally a wet and marshy place, with large maple, elms, birch and other trees, with an undergrowth of alder, wild rose and other bushes. After a time it was cleared and the timber cut, except one of the original maple trees, which yet stands on the i-ear of Samuel Stevenson's lot, a short distance north of the schoolhouse. After thjs portion of the present town had been cleared, it was enclosed with a worm fence, and was an old pasture field seventy years ago. This field w^as the place where the fighters usually went to settle their drunken quarrels. Judge Salter, of Portsmouth, worked at the licks when he was a boy, and he once told me that a day scarcely passed without one or more fights in this field, and that blood could be seen almost any time either on. the battle ground or where the ougilists had crossed the low rail fence when retiring from the field of battle. Whisky and peach brandy were always in great demand about the licks. A man once came with a yoke of oxen and a small wagon, and a keg of whisky^ which he desired to barter for salt. There happened to be no salt on hand at the time, but the inhabitants of Purgatory were bound to have some whisky. They proposed to barter anything they had,, but the owner of the whisky wanted nothing but salt. They proposed among other things to trade him a calf, but he still refused and was preparing to leave earl}' next morning. During the night they caught the calf, tied it and put it into the wagon, which wasa covered one, and the owner drove off before daylight next morning. After he had got some two miles from the licks, several men, followed him and pretended they had a search warrant, and accused him of stealing the calf. Of course he denied it, and told them to search his wagon. One of the partj' raised the cover, when, sure enough there was the calf. The pretended officer then compelled the man to haul the calf back to Purgatory, and treat the crowd to all the whisky they desired before they would release him from the pretended prosecution. Even after the county wasorganized, drinking whisky and fighting continued to be the principal diversions of many of the settlers. All the criminal prosecutions at the August and November terms of court in 1S16 were for fighting. The men indicted plead guilty in nearly all cases, for such a plea established his record as a fighter. Many of the fights were fistic duels, both parties having agreed to fight at fisticuffs, but it not infrequently happened that a ruffian would seek to whip every man that came in his way, in order to win a reputation as a bully. At the April term, 1817, prosecutions for violations of the liquor law began. The first indictment was found against William Howe. It was charged that he did, on January 10, 1817, barter, sell, retail and deliver, for money, certain spiritual liquors or strong drink, not cider or beer, by less quantity than one quart, to-wit: One-half pint of whisky to James Mail, without having first obtained a license therefor. He plead guilty, and was fined |2 and the costs. This kind of a conviction was then considered as not in the least reflecting upon the man convicted. Even the very best men in the community were occasionally indicted for such an offense, and they invariably plead guilty. A study of the Court Record almost convinces one that such convictions were regarded as good jokes, for even the court officers were indicted in turn. At the July term, 1817, Abraham Welch was indicted for three sales of half-pints of whisky, and one of the sales had been made to the foreman of the grand jury. Welch was always in trouble with the courts, although he was the sheriff. At the July term, 1817, he was indicted for assaulting one Valentine Pancake on January 10, 1817. He plead guilty, of course, and was fined |30 and the costs. He was also required to give a peace bond in the sum of $250. A riot that occurred at the Jackson township spring election in 1817 furnished almost as much grist as that at the Bloomfield town house the year before. It began with a fistic duel between Robert Darling and Joseph Hartley. Hartley was so badly vanquished that his brother Philip went to his rescue, only to be pummeled in turn. Darling was indicted for both offenses, the wording in the latter case being as follows: ''Robert Darling, unlawfully, riotously and routously, did beat and wound and illtreat, and other wounds, to the said Philip Hartley in Jackson township."

THE FIRST CONVICT - The first person sent from this county to the penitentiary was Burgess Squires, convicted at the May term, 1817, of issuing counterfeit money. There was a great scarcity of the circulating medium at the licks at all times, and this led some adventurous souls to increase the circulation by issuing counterfeit bank money to a considerable amount. There was no bank here, and no persons handling money in sufficient quantities to become familiar with the currency of the country. This made the passing of counterfeit money that much the easier, for the victimized merchant, tavernkeeper or official would not learn of the imposition that had been practiced upon him, until he tried to pass the money at Chillicothe or elsewhere. But experience is a dear school, and the business men of Jackson began to be on the lookout for bad money. Andrew Uonnally, the tavernkeeper, was the first person to cause an arrest. It seems that one Nimrod Kirk gave him six notes, signed by I. Ross and N. Mercer, and each payable for 50 cents in specie or bank currency at Brownsville. He received these notes March 1, 1817, and a few days later he learned that they were forged. When the grand jury met at the July term he laid the case before them, and Kirk was indicted. He plead not guilty, and the case came on for trial. Kirk was ably defended and was acquitted July 2-3, 1817. The next day the trial of Burgess Squires began. The indictment charged that Burgess Squires, on March 10, 1817, did unlawfully utter and publish as true and genuine a false, forged and counterfeit bank note, purporting to be drawn and payable for |10 by the Bank of Pennsylvania; also one false, forged and counterfeit bank note payable for |1 by the Bank of New Lisbon. It appears that he had paid these notes to Abraham Welch, the sheriff of the county, who, together with Dr. N. W. Andrews, Francis Holland and Levi Mercer, was a witness against him. Burgess was represented by Hon. N. K. Clough, of Chillicothe, while Hon. Joseph Sill, of the same place, acted as prosecutor. Burgess plead not guilty, and a jury was empaneled. The jurors were Cornelius Culp, Anthony Howard, James Dempsey, William Reed, Joseph Armstrong, Jared Strong, Moses Gillespie, Alexander Poor, Peter Williams, William Grove, Daniel Harris and Reuben Long. Some prominent men were on this jury. Armstrong was director of the town of Jackson and Strong was the representative in the Ohio Legislature. The jury returned the verdict "guilty." All of Clough's efforts to save his client were unavailing, and Squires was sentenced to five years in the penitentiary, twenty-four hours of that time to be in a solitary cell. The conviction of Squires led to some very ugly talk about others, even Welch, the prosecuting witness against him, and another county officer, still more prominent. Welch was finally indicted for counterfeiting, and gave bond in the sum of $500, with J. W. Ross, Francis Holland and John Graham as securities. At the next term of court Welch's case. was called, but he did not appear, and his bond was declared forfeited, but it was respited one more term. On Monday, March 23, 1818, the case was called the last time, but no Welch appeared, and the bond was forfeited. Welch had left the county and never returned here. The conviction of Squires and the departure of Welch put an end to the circulation of counterfeit money in Jackson.

THE COUNTY SEAT - The organization of a new county involved the establishment of a county seat. The largest village in the county was Poplar Row, and its central location made it suitable for the seat of justice. But the land on which it stood belonged to the National Government, and all that the Legisla* ture could do at the time of the organization of the county was to establish the house of Judge William Givens as the temporary seat of justice. The matter of securing the consent of the General Government to lay out a town in the Scioto Sale Reserve, and to sell lots to raise funds to erect county buildings was pushed at once after the erection of the new county, and Congress passed a law April 16, 1816, which authorized the state to sell one section of the reserve for that purpose. But while these matters were in progress a county building was a necessity at each term of court and at each session of the commissioners. The house of William Givens was used by the courts during 1816, but the commissioners met at other houses to suit their convenience. At the April term, 1817, court was held at the house of Dr. N. W. Andrews, the clerk. No reason is known for the removal from Givens' house. At the July and October terms court was held at the house of Andrew Donnally, the tavernkeeper. It happened once or twice that broils would occur in tlie barroom while court was in session in the parlor, and the oiienders were brought belore the court red-handed. These interruptions drove the court from Donnally's house, and after that it held its sessions at the houses of Joseph W. Ross^ Charles O'Xeil, the Widow Richmond and perhaps others, until the new court house was ready for occupancy, which did not occur for several years. When the Legislature met in the winter of ISIG-ISIT Representative Jared Strong worked hard to get the General Assembly to take action in accordance with the law passed by Congress, authorizing the sale of a section of the Reserve, and on January 14, 1817, the following law was passed:

Whereas, It is provided by an act of Congress approved April 10, 181G, that the Legislature of the State of Ohio is authorized and empowered to cause to be selected and sold in such manner and on such terms and conditions as they may by law direct, any one section not exceeding the quantity of six hundred and forty acres, of the tract of land of six miles square reserved for the benefit of this state, at the Scioto salt springs, in said county of Jackson; provided, that the section so selected shall not include the said salt springs, and that the money accruing from the sale of the aforesaid section shall be applied to the erection of a court house or other public buildings thereon, for the use of the county of Jackson, in this state; and whenever the selection and sale of the said section of land shall have been made, and the same shall be duly certified to the commissioner of the general land office, a patent shall be granted by the President of the United States for the said section in trust to such person or persons as the Legislature shall appoint and authorize to sell and execute titles to the purchasers of the land aforesaid; therefore,

Section 1. Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of Ohio, That commissioners shall be appointed to fix the seat of justice in the county of Jackson as is pointed out in the act entitled, "An act establishing seats of justice," passed the 28th day of March, 1803, and the said commissioners, when met in the county of Jackson for the purpose of fixing the seat of justice for said county, shall select any one section, not exceeding the quantity of six hundred and forty acres, of the six miles square reserved by congress for the use of this state at the Scioto salt springs; which section shall not include the said salt springs, and shall not be on either boundary of said township or tract of land,, and when selected it shall be the duty of the commissioners to point out thereon such spot as in their opinion will be most eligible for the seat of justice in said county, and shall make report thereof to the next Court of Common Pleas, to be held in said county agreeably to the provisions of the before recited act.

Section 2. Be it further enacted, That there shall be a town, laid off on such section, to be known by the name of Jackson, and a director appointed by joint resolution of both houses of the General Assembly and commissioned by the Governor, who shall hold his office until the duties required by this act shall be performed,, if so long he behaves well, and jjrevious to entering on the duties of his office he shall take an oath or affirmation faithfully to discharge the duty assigned to him by this act, and also shall enter into bond, with one or more securities in such sum as the Court of Common Pleas in said county may direct, made payable to the- Treasurer of Jackson county and his successors in office, conditioned for the faithful paying over and accounting for all moneys that may come into his hands by virtue of his office as director.

Section 3. Be it further enacted, That it shall be the duty of the director, on being duly notified by the Clerk of the Court of Common Pleas of Jackson county, that the commissioners have selected a section and pointed out thereon the seat of justice, to proceed to lay off one-half of said section into a suitable number of in and out lots at the places selected by said commissioners, of such a size as he may think most advantageous, no one of which shall exceed ten acres, and make out an accurate plat of the same, and cause it to be recorded in the Eecorder's office of Jackson county, and shall proceed to sell the said town lots at public sale, giving at least thirty days' notice of the time of such sale in the newspaper printed at Gallipolis and one of the papers printed at Chillicotlie, which sale when commenced shall continue from day to day until all the lots are* sold, which shall be on the following conditions: One-fourth part of the purchase money to be paid at the time of sale, one-fourth part in twelve months, and the. balance in two annual payments, the purchaser or purchasers giving his or their bond with good and sufficient security to the director thereof, and if not punctually paid at the time the money shall become due, to bear interest from the time of sale; the -director shall give each purchaser of a lot or lots a certificate of purchase, specifying therein the number of the lots by him purchased, and that a conveyance will be made when the last installment shall be paid, and when the lots are all sold the director shall deposit in the office of the Secretary of State an accurate plat of said town, designating the section on which the same is laid off, accompanied with a list of the sale, which shall be filed in said office, and the Governor thereupon shall certify the same to the commissioner of the general land office of the United States, and procure a patent for such section in the name of the director, and his successors in office, in trust, who shall make conveyances to the purchasers of lots on their complying with the terms of sale.

Section 4. Be it further enacted. That the half of the section of land so, 'as aforesaid, selected, as shall not be laid off into town lots, agreeably to the provisions of the third section of this act, shall be and remain under the direction of the Court of Common Pleas of said county of Jackson, and the director of said town shall make sale thereof at such time and under such regulations as said court may direct.

Section 5. Be it further enacted, That the director shall be entitled to receive $2 per day for each day he may be necessarily employed in the discharge of his duty as director, to be allowed by the commissioners of Jackson county, and to be paid out of the county treasury.

into the county treasury of the county of Jackson; and the commissioners of said county, after defraying the expense incurred by the director and his fees, shall apply the balance to erecting a court house and other public buildings for the said county, and for no other purpose.

Section 7. And be it further enacted. That if any person or persons having heretofore settled on said section of land so as aforesaid selected by the commissioners to be sold under the law of the United States, for the purposes aforesaid, having leased the lot or lots upon which they may reside of this state, and whose lease will expire on the 1st day of March, 1817, if on the sale of the aforesaid lots by the director of said town the lesees do not become the purchasers, then in that case the purchasers of such lots shall pay to such lessee of such lot the price of the building* erected on said lot, to be valued by the commissioners of said county, or any two of them.

COMMISSIONEKS AND DIRECTOR " APPOINTED - Theselection of the commissioners to fix the seat of justice under this act, and of the director, was made by joint resolutions, which are as follows:

Resolved, by the General Assembh' of the State of Ohio, That Samuel Reed of Pike county, Lewis Newsom of Gallia county and Henry Bartlett of Athens county be, and they are, hereby appointed to fix the seat of justice in the county of Jackson.

Resolved, by the General Assembly of the State of Ohio, That Joseph Armstrong of Jackson county be, and he is, hereby appointed director of the town of Jackson, in said county.

would attend March 18, 1817, for the selection of a town site. On the appointed day a large assemblage of salt boilers, planters, hunters and trappers greeted them at Donnally's tavern. They found their duty a very simple affair. Nature had long before prepared a most beautiful town site, and all that it needed was the official sanction of Ohio's agents. The report of the commissioners was laid before Judge John Thompson on Monday, April 7, 1817, the opening day of the April term of Court of Common Pleas, and was as follows:

The commissioners appointed by joint resolution of the Legislature of Ohio for fixing the seat of justice in the county of Jackson, after being notified of their appointment, and the inhabitants having due notice of the time and place of their meeting, entered on the duty assigned them by the Legislature, and after -examining different sections of land in the six miles square re" served by Congress for the use of this, state, do report that they are unanimously of opinion that section numbered 29 is the section thej' have chosen for the use of said county of Jackson, and that they are unanimously of opinion that the north end of said section, south from Salt creek and immediately back of the houses occupied by N. W. Andrews, Mr. George and Mr. A. Welsh, upon the highland, is the most eligible place for the seat of justice in said -county of Jackson. All of which is respectfully submitted. Given under our hands at Poplar Row, Lick township, the 18th day of March, 1817.

Henry Bartlett Samuel Reed

NEW TOWN LAID OUT - This report was approved by the court and ordered filed. The clerk was then directed to notify the director to give bond and qualify. Joseph Armstrong came into court April 8, 1817, presented his bond in the sum of .flO,000 with John Stephenson, Emanuel Traxler, Robert G. Hanna and Andrew Boggs as securities, which was approved, and he was thereupon authorized -to proceed to the execution of his duties as director. His first duty was to lay out the new town. Surveyor McNeal did not care to undertake the work, and the services of Judge Joseph Fletcher of Gallipolis were secured. He was assisted by N. W. Andrews and David Radcliff. Joseph W. Ross, Francis Ory and George Riley acted as chain carriers, and the stakes were made by James Chapman and a son of Sheriff Welch. The stone for the corners of the public square were furnished by Major John James. The public square was surveyed first, and was laid out with reference to the houses designated by the state commissioners. The house of John George stood on the lot facing the Ruf tannery, and that of A. Welch on the site of the residence of Jacob W. Beyron. The sides of the square determined the bearing -of the streets. The remainder of the half section was divided into 137 inlots, 36 outlots, a common and the necessary streets and alleys. The survey occupied eight days, during which the surveying party was boarded with John George, whose account was .62 1-2. Judge Fletcher was jjaid |60 for his services.