4
ii
IpuWished eviyaTxsDA-r and FridaIt; by
At Fits Dollars )er annum half in adrance.
- Not exceecling' 16 JineSj neatly mserted thj-ep
tjmf s for a-Pollar, and 25 centfor every 81lCs
ceedin publication ; tho?e ofater length
in tbe sanie proportion....Co-Mi?iCATToi?s
.thankfully received.... Lsttirs to the Editors
must be post-paid. ; r n. v.,-
From the Second Series of Salmagundi.
,TIIE ; OLD FERRY HOUSE AT NEW
' " . . YORK. '-; ' l"t
Every one - is acquainted . with the
little oldrfashioned house in Broad st.
on the right; hand side, coming up from
the river, which was formerly the PVr
ry Mouse where people embarked for,
and landed frdm: the oppbsite' shores.
It i&l a1 two story structure; built witH
Holland bricks, covered with' Holland
,Tiles,nd exhibiting the old fashioned
DutchaSte, in every part. The end
is turned towards the street, and the
roof js sufficiently steep to , turn the
i rain: it .-haying probably occurred to the
simple f(lk of those days, that this was
the principal use of having a roof at all.
Some years ago, F remember to havj
seen a little sheet-iron boat perched on
the
sharp pinnacle of this old building,
veering about in the; wind, like a
and
trusty I weathercock ; but this is now
taken dowu nor can T learn what has
Tbecome of the venerable reliq tie, which,
to my shame I confess, 1 should value
were it my possession, almost as high
ly as a Babylonian brick, or even i-the
;liead of Memnon, lately so gillantly
cut 6ff by :the famous modern travelling
;Quixottq M. Belzoni., V , ; , I !
- It was here the people of the coun
; try round, were in the habit of coming
to land witK their. marketing, and here
they 'were accustomed to wait, till the
boats were ' ready to carry them over
again, At the time referred ' to, from
' Corfsers.Hook to the point of the bat
tery, was a. naked beacH of sand, with
here and there a little projecting point
of rocks, and the space between Broad -street,
and - the Eiistfe river, presenting
a few detaqlied houses, dispersed at in
tervals, and surrounded by little gar
dens. . The name of Cherry-streets is
saitl to be derived from the circum
stance of its being laid out through a
ianie public gardeh, in which was .the
.only .bowling green in the city, ami
where on a Saturday ; afternoon j the
wealthy people who could alford to be
idle a fev hours in aveek resorted to
' plav at bowls, or look on, and smoke
their pipes. Beyond this, lay the mea
dow of Wolfert Webbers, of whom
nothing
I believe is known, but -his
name. ; "-;v';' . ...O
j Somewhat niore ihan axentury ago;
the little old Ferry House, I have just
been describing, was the scene of an
event," which is related" in an old drary
of one of' the Cockloft family, still
presefveti at the hall with pious care
by his worthy, descendants. This old
gentleman like all the rest of the fami
ly, was somewhat -of a humourist, - al--
tnough possessed of, a very , considera
. ; ble degree of learning, and a more than
. ordinary degree of common sense f for
: after all, I believe ,it will be found in
;genera I that those we denominate hu -mouristsi
are , for the most part, peo
: pie who choose, to think and act for
. themselves j in defiance of caprices of
.fashion, or . the changes of .-manners.
. He resided' entirely at his farm, feand
wijli 'all his- eccentricities, was a: man
ofsingiilaryiriethoil as well as exeni-
apiary industry, and. his-feelings were
. so q u ick, tha t th ey of te n exhibi ted
'themselves jii rather an "odd way. 4 It
is till remembered, that on one occa
sion when 'a little ' daughter tfell frmn
thesteps of the porch, to the great
alarni of the whole: family, the old gen
tleman, actually snatched her up; and
.boxed ber-ears soundly. Most people
would have taken this for sheer tyran-
ny, but Ijam assured it proceeded from"
i excess of affectionate terror. . His
diary is exceedingly minute, and cou
' tains not . only his actions, but his re
; flections on almost ;eyey-subject?f:to-"getlier
with various extracts from the
, books he; vread,;interspiersed with re
ceipts for curnig horses; .trimming ap
ple trees, killing caterpillars, and mak-fno-
all rts of savoury; dishes., Tp
"Hlns.dav my worthy cousin Chrtppher,:
never .gives a ilinner, .J without : telling
the story of the old gentleman always
: warming his wine, and trimming his ap
ple tfees on the back of an old white
- horse, which with singular aptitude, he
called old Brown; -v . J : !
--The. following little story.as jletaUea
jnThe; hand -ifwrifinV of Hhis old gentle
man, tut whether related as havihsr oc-
urredi tojbimselfjor from . the informa
tion of some other ye-witness is some
what doubtful. .1 should rather be in;-
chnedito belreve.the latter supposition
correct, as he died iust at the end of
trie revoju.uuna.ry war, ano tnougii up
wards ! of ninety- years 4 of age, could
Rardly have been so conspicuous an ac
tor in I the scene , Beithis as jt may,
the whole is carefully recorded. in his
diary, and in immediate succession to
the following memorandum : j
"April ye 12th. r Unpleasant weath-
er vviim n. -i ijiiuk. it yiU
blow a cale 'no1 blossoms yet- Dutch
nigntingaies quiet" i ;
" It was on the evening of the 12th
of April, one thousand seven; hundred
and four,' and a bitter evening it was
as e?er I saw at that season of the year.
The north east had encreased gradual
ly, -ever -.since, morninjr, and now blew
a terrible strmTof wind, accpmpaniefl
by rain that spit in the face like drops
of boilinV water. T e river was las
black a.s niv hat, except , where 'th
whit? cap$ -curled like winding sheets
round shipwrecked mariners, buried in
the roaring waves. There was not a
boat to beseen, either on the rivers, jor
in the bavjr not a sau enlivened the
bosom of the watery waste, and nofh
ine ivas heard, but the sad shrill shriek
ot the .vyinu Winch mastered every
other sound. ! j" !
t "NTn " l--iQ f ln? rrrii 'ttTetf ftnm. h
opposite shore, since early in the
ing, and the market people, sat
morn-
sat wait-
ing in the Kerry House, witji the quer
ulous impatience of people m such sit
uations. One o-ood woman had left her
poor little) child to the care of a girl
that she feared would neglect her ;
another had her dairy to attend to, and
various were the? alleged inconvenien
ces that would result from the deten
tion of the others- from their home all
night. There was not one but could
nave Deep, petrer spared any otner
riiffht in the whole year. Every in -
stant some one would run out into the
pelting storm, to look which way the
little ferry boat on thjr'top of fhe house
pointed, , and whenever , a bitter flaw
howled louder oxer their heads, their
eyes were turned towards each other
with a woeful expression implying,
' We shall never get over to night.' j
" In the milst of this war of hopes
and fears, arising out of the little rubs
of every day life; seated in one of the
darkest corners of the room,, was a fi
gure apparently little interested in the
struggle. It was a very old man, if
one might judge by the few hairs, as
white as. snow, that strayed from un
der a low wide brimmed hat looped up
at the back", but shading:his face so that
nothing could be seen but the mouth
and chin, that ever and anonmoved
with a tremulous motion, which might
either arise from a slight affectioif of
the palsy, or of the heart. Inere
was little to' mark him from the com r
mon people aroifnd ; but notwithstand
ing' his dress was not only plain but
threadbare, a gold headed cane, and
large squdre silver buckles, seemed to
indicate, that at least he had seen bet
ter days. : In the accidental assem
blage of people, having little or no con
nexion with each -other, and every one.
occupied by his own cares, hopes, and
fears -some amusing themselves count
ing their market money, others occupied
in the , usual predictions of weather
wise and, weather-bound travellers, it
was not probable such a figure,! so si:
lent, abstracted arid unobtrusive,' would
excite either interest or curiosity, j He
might be deaf, dumb, or asleep, it was
a. matter of no sort of consequence ;
for it is a melancholy truth, that the
aged are very often placed in situa
tions, where if they did not excite it
by querulous complaints, they would
meet with but little attention! from
those around them- '
But he happened, I can hardly-tell
for what reason, to excite my curiosi
ty, perhaps something better. Ijknow
not whether it has occurred to others,
but it has to me to see persons carry
ing in their very costume, figure), and
air,; something almost as pathetic, as a
storV of actual sufrerinff.' I jcouicl nev-
r ilanaliz his rnvserious: sympathy,
nor give a reason tor it ; but 1 am con
vinced there is a pathetic in dress and
dir. as well as in language acd ex
pression: ; THusV i notwithstanding the
speechlessand jmptionles quiet . of
this old man ,1 ' cou id dot help fancy
ing he, must be labouring under some
iu tense feeling of grief or ahxiety.V As
I hatched him with un accountable in
terest? I ''observed that at every shrill
blast ht the, wind,; he seemed ,to shrink,
t as if from some terrible apprehension,
heightened .byAthe!; -conviction fthus
brought! to his;i?enses?i that tle, storik
was, ragingmOrei fierce! y r th an e ver.
Cou Id pccioriaUy 'distinguish the long
jremulou;, shuddering figh,-which re
lieves the overcharged .heart, when the
fountains of. the eye .are np longer able
to suppl y the comfort of tears, j
It was now the,-dusk of evening ;
the candles were J ighted within doors.
and the great lantern hung out, as
beacon to those Avlio.; might be on the
water in that tempestuous night.' The
master of,, the house now, came ? in , to
still the agitations of. hope,. by announ
cing there . was ndw no possibility of
crossing s that ;inightJ iTheJ .important
arrangement of beds now began to oc
cupy the companv, which concluded,
the industrious dames took Out their
knitting, or resorted to, some other oc
cu pation to tu rn, the time to ad van tage
till the hour for going; to bed. While
these arrangements were going on, .the
oid man sat still apparently unmoved
his head resting op the cane which he
held between his legs, and except that
nis sign, was deeper than before, when
he heard that no boat could possibly
cross that night, he appeared perfectly
uninterested in what was g-oing: for-
wanl. '
" Eight o'clock now came, and
brought with itan increase of the pelt
ing storm, the wind whistled with
more angry vehemence, and in those
appalling7 intervals of J solemn silence
that happen sometimes in the pauses of
tue gaie, the. waves were oistiuctly
heard dashing; all along; the shore from
Smith's Fly, to the junction of the ri
vers; There was. not a footstep passing
in the street, and the very dogs, aban
doned their nis:htlvi serenades and
nightly depredations, to couch iri the
chimney corners. The eyes of the good
uames,, who . were accustomed to go to
roost with the; fowlsvjwitn whom they
rose, '.began to draw straws, and they
set about to arrange themselves in pairs
for the nighr.,cin whispers that passed
almost unheard amid the bowlings of
the .stomi. . ! ''-. ; ;
'4V In the midst of this dread silence
of animated'-', nature, crouching .as . it
were, to the awful violence of the tem
pest, the street -door opened with vio-
iencej"and some one came in who in a
hurried voice related soinething; to the
master of the house, which those with
in could not well distinguish. Curiosi
ty induced one of the company to open
the door, and they then heard the new
V . .1 . i. a -
comer, giving; information that a ooat
which had put off from the opposite
shore just before dark,' had been driven-
past the inlet leading up to the ferry
House, and either, overset- among the
eddies, and whirlpools, gr bilged upon
the point of rocks, for 'they had heard
dismal c shriekings, and could nlainly
distinguish a female voke'among them.
" It is my daughter' cried the'old
man in a voice where the weakness of
was blended with the energy of
despair. Striking his stick upon the
floor he raised himself with a desperate
effort, and as he tottered to the street
door besought every one that ever hadj
a mother, wife or daughter, to follow
and give assistance. I snatched the
lantern from the ..place where it was
suspended, and in attempting to fol
low,' had almost tumbled oyeiuhe body
of the old. man, which lay extended at
full length at the foot of the outer
steps. As I stopped to raise him, he
exciaiuieii iu .iuvv ami nciiiuiuus, yci
earnest accents "Mv strength is gone
don't mind me,, but go, in God's
name, , I beseech you, and save ,my
child." ,1 I " v
I bent 'my wa v as fast as possible,
which was slow enough, for the: dark
ness was profound, towards the river
side ; but before I got halt way, the
wind blew out my light, and obliged
me to .return for another. The poor
old man :by this' time had been helped
into the house, arid placed in 'an arm
chair, where he sat apparently uncon
scious of what was going forward, for
the weakness oi extreme debility of
body, had yielded to the strength of
feelings that seemed as yet in the vi
gour of youth. s "
I once more sat forth followed by
the person ' who had brou-ht. the ac
count of the boat, an' two otliers.
We groped our way along the, creek,
till we came to the water side, where
riothing could be seen but one black
void of pitchy darkness, arid nothing
heard but the mingled jargon of whist
ling winds arid faring waves. - In a
fevvl minutes, however, during; one of
the monWntary pauses of tie storii,l it
seeriied that w e could dis ti uguish a low
plaintive, moaning at a littie distauce
to the. riglit 'ot , where we ; stood, and
wherej" as I recollected, a -point of
rocks jp!pjectetl ritOiAheriven elevate
a few inches fHRve the level of the -higi
-tideiiiWr'e , fdllo;ecid they'd i rec'tinn.?! jind
aHet seajthirlg about for; some time, we
perceived J)y turning the; lantern in
that ireGUoit,-somethirig; white, but
whether it was sl stationary object. V
the foam of the -high waves breaking
oyer the rocks could not be ascertain
ed yvithout (approaching nearer. '.H'Fjifir
my part, I had a foreboding that, the
exclamation of the father was the knell
of his daughterv Taking the.hin.terni I
scrambled to: the - place where, lay -the
body ot a female apparently perfectly
dead, and- motionless, except as the
waves, moved it to dnd fro, with an un
dulating motion, keeping time with
their own. v . ; ' - ';.:.'--- ' 'A'V. -"
With . the assistance of, my com-
panions, we removed ' it trom the point
of rooks, and carried it up to the Fer
ry House. The bustlef we made, am
the exclamations or the company: on
our entrance, i seemed to recal the ab
sent and wandering perceptions of the
old man. I he nioment hisjeye reste
upon the lifeless body, he rose with the
quick alacrity of youth, ajid breakin
violently through the! icirele that ha
gathered about it, he contemplated
it
for a moment, as if .unable to realize
the' dreadful, calamity. , His cane drppt
from his feeble hand, and he sunk upon
the lifeless ' bod v crying out- fy
daughter alas !- my onlv daugifter.'
r 44 There is something terribly affect
ing in "the despair of an aged father,
lamenting, wnat by no possibility cart
be remedied, and! mourning.in the an
uish of hopeless sorrow the sundering
or those ties wnicn there is no possi
bility of knitting .agjain: in?'-, this: world
In youth we weep for the slightest ca
lanuties, and almost before the eves are
dry, the little skin deep wounds of the
heart are' well again. But the tears of
a rational old man, whose mind retains
its native energies, arer the last wring-
mgs of agony- the concentrated drops
pr.excruciating suflering -the very w;i
ters of bitterness overflowing from the
heart's core, and they are wrought by
a convulsion of the human mind and
luman - frame, similar to that 'whicl
precedes the dissolution of both. .
44 The effect .of such sufferings Was
seen in the behaviour of the little group
of honest people that Stood m awful
and inactive silence, without taking
any measures to ascertain if yet a spark
lingered in the apparently extinguished
aslfes." In a few minutes, however, we
bethought ourselves of trying all the
means we knew to bring ab mt a return
of animation, if any vet remained. We
carried the bodies up stairs, both appa
rently equally lifeless, and essayed
over and over again to awaken the poor'
girr irom a siumoer that seeineu entl-
less. Just as we began to despair of
success, one of the women insisted she
felt a slight beating at the heart, which
was actually found, to be' the case.
This information brought the father) to
life airain.- He continued to kneel " at
the bed-side, with clasped hands, be
seeching.1 as it seemed, a blessing on
the exertions of these good people-
44 Uradually almost imperceptibly,
life returned. The young woman shud
dered, and opened " her eyes upon the
father, who was still on his knees. In
a moment, and before any one thought
of preventing it, they were locked in
each other's arms. O ! why did you
venture out in such a night as this,'
were the first words of the father.
44 Ah I father, I was afraid you would
be uneasy,', were the last words.of the
unfirtunate daughter. The exertion
walTthe expiring effort of nature. Slid
ing gradually from the relaxing arms of
the aged parent who watched her with
wild and, glazed eves, she fell back up
on the pillowy at the moment he sunk
u pon th e fl oor. . Ti i e poor gi ri , as was
afterwards discovered, had been sadly
bruised against the rocks and nothing
couid have preserved her life evetCa
few hours, longer.
44 The old man came to himself again
after a time, and was conveyed, toge
ther with the body of his daughter, to
the home, where there'-' was now ' no
longer any one to welcome the aged
pilgrim. 1 saw him afterwards otcar
sionaMy, ; dressed in a suit ol rusty
bUck, which he wore to the day of jus
death.' lie evidently lemembered, bat
never spoke to nie, nor A to Jiim. lie
seemed to associate ineiTs iraltnostah
consciously, with some painful yet vague
recollections, and ever after, avoided
nie as much ( as ; possible. Enduring
life wi thou tjeiyoy ing it, he ; passed his
reinairiirigtyears in' the solitude of a
home devoid of every ouject of social
or kindred :i afi'ection, or m, wandering
about, d-v:it n ess of the bustle in; whicn
he never partook, and of human Tfacc
for which lie felt rib interest. Sucu n
hefw;5&fCrtey fee! -
ing iosars in fmy eyesli1 for he xvas a tvo
(uY 'exainplei'of one Iwening f u "iJ Vil
deruess once pebbled 'xvith objects "of
affection, bht now; a blank ariU melan
choly waste. ;-, What imleed would be
come of .us in such'asitua'tint,,'werrric"
not. fo r that sw eet h ope , $ he feafterV a
which the brokcji;iniiit --JcJ ingi ! firmly
arid fearlessly a'ud whicn like the light
lmsejtac't'm.i
er and brighter to ' the eyes of ttxe, sai
for, as he approaches: the land where
his frail barqueUs; destined to "break
asunderi and hii soulfand body to part
forever." r;f:im:- W.!! "
T the . Bookstore' of Ji Gales & Son, aV
assortment of Music, cpus -sting ci thtt
most f;n?Mabfe so 113 arid pieces.'.-
,r.;; jusT;iiECEiy icp:,;;.; t;.,
And for sale by Hie SulicribeV,'.
Cheap for Cash or oh short credit.
J f jomnif.gonkk:k;
Sept. 25.- ' il ! - , 91 St
50 !WvavA.s I i
t -
5 ni
'ANA W AY From ;he - subscriber,' on ' the
edit of tlie 20th ioitaftL;a "y'liow' Mail
by the name of S'AM, (sometimes C 'Us him
self Sam Freeman, at others k&m pniven.)
He ha" more the countenance of an Indiaii
tlUn a miilatfo. ; He . is 5 feet "8 or V inches
lii,4fi,V 24 years of ageVBusln' hair, his fore
teeth decayed,' is sensible and quick: spoken.
can read and writ -; and is a Carpenter and
Paiufer by trade, and is 'also a pretty g-ood
Barber. , He carried vith liitn a blue Ijqdic-.
spun uit, also a blue bri.adcloth coati' a buff
colored and a brown paif of pantaloon's. ' ! I
hive no doubt he has a tree passr a'ml i$ aim
ing td get to some free State, j He srn'eyear
ag ran away, ' and was apprehe nde and
lodged in Harrisburg Jail, in iltockin gharri
county, Virg-in'ia. t will give Fifty Dollar
for his apprehension if taken out of the' State
or Twentyrtive IJolIars within the State.
,11.
H.LOOKE.
Baleigh, Sept. 27.'
91if .
State of Nbrthf-Carolitia,
;-V..-7. f: ,Sury County; j
Joseph 'Fliompoh, dccd,
1 iter lICIITt HI 1KW Ul
.! ' v.. ! y
The real estate of said
I deceased. , - f
Petition f. .Par
tition: &c.
IT appearing to thesatFact:on of the Conn,
thut Klisifa Williams nndi Eli iah Javis
are not inhabitant bfih'is State, ii is there
fore ordered hy the Court, that1 publication
b'ej made in-tlie Italeicrh Itegister for iiiree
weeks, that the said Williams' land Davis ap
pear at our next. Court of Pleds and Quarter
Sessions, to be heldfot the County of Surry, at
the Court-house in, Uockf'ord, oi the second
Monday in November next ; .then and there
pi ead, answer, qt demur, to 0 j e , petitioii , or.
the snip will be takenpro confess and
hejlrd ex-parte.: '' r l - 't'"7 -'.! "
TJiST,
jo. wcluams; ;. C.
State of North-Carolii.
August Sessions, (A. D1&3-1. '
i l reuuoniorpar-
The ral estate of Me'daus
uuon 01 uims,
&C. ' . I'
.'; ..w, .... A. .t (
1
vjasi.cnnc.iis, uct'sascu, t I - f!
T appearing- to the satisfaction . of iht
Court that Peter Castephens, Sarah'
Penix, and her husbarfd Tr- a Pen'ix, Betsey
; uiijy, vjLiWA aim jjeneutcK. uaste
phens, are not inha!i.ants of tlus State! it is
therefore ordered b the Court, that nubh-
cation be made 'for three weeks in the Ha-"
leigh Register, ; t iat file said Peter Caste-
phens, Sarah Penix an ! her husband Trea
PeniXiBetsey ILo-p, Polly, Xlallia & : Benedick .
Castephens, to appear at ouii next Court of
Pleas and Quarter, Sessious, to be helcj for -
ne Uounty ot buiry, at ihe Ciburt-TIouse xt
Uockford, on the second Mo lds';' in Novem
ber next ; theii and there oleic, answer or
demur to the petition; or the sum e wilt be la-'.
ken pro contesso and heard ex-parte. ;
of agef, has a pleasanf. countenance, speaks"
pretty quick, Converses; se,iii)y, and both
reads and .writes. He rather inclines to th.-
yellowish color, of low stature and not very
icavjt nMuc, win VfClgil aOOUt 43 Of 16x) -
IJob has been often at sea and has contracted
something of a sailor's air when - walking.
His teeth ate very white, and lias a small
scar (I thmk) below his ritrht eve his hand
and feet are small Bob' Jia 1 on when he left
me, A SDiall chio' hat. nine clnfh nantn1nnra '
but he will change, as he has other clothes;
and it is likely he will wear a blue broadcloth'
pair 6 1 short bootsi with "'re vol vijiig- bee Is,! also
a bible and a sm dl psalm and hymn book.
It is likely Bob will change hi.Jnume anil at
tempt to pass for a free man. 1! think he wilf
make for the North- and may attempt to get
a passae ;by water. Few negoe Jiave the
cirnnlng and sense he lias. About twn-yeara
ago I bouh him out of J.dl,: sold as a runa
way for his fees'. X will give, twenty. dblla:s"
to any person who wdl lodcre; h!ui in
Jail in the United Stales.' j
any
"I ':tv .: 't':-;.;-;'" iitNou clinton".
July 31. ";vis ' '.:-:-77 10w!
; ' i
Printing neatly executed at thi
ui,r .... MK T
E ROM me at Lajicaster Cpurthouse, South"
r Carolina, on the-29tli of this! instant mv
Negro Man iJOBi lie is about 21 or 22 vearV
- at' ;- ' ''- - 'i .'
1
--..