title: Life and works of Orlo Jay Hamlin (1803-1880)
text: I lM»{t«i*l<^> o o x .$% ' \S .** -■0 o x $ '%$ U. Kr A. '* >• *2f cl- * A A * \ & -u. <*t ' >** cr .tf ,% ■ X 00 - v * o>' $ " > O. '', aN % ^ ^ ^ O ,1., >-" / % •^ ■ ... * .A ^ ^ f x° °*. cT ,\V , .#' This Edition of the Hamlin Life and Works is limited to one hundred copies. 0. ef. 7£&^^£^ Age 50 Life and Works of Orlo Jay Hamlin (1803-1880) EDITED BY CHRISTINA HOWELL CHARLES 1914 PRIVATELY PUBLISHED 4h^ .<£ Copyright, 1914 By CHRISTINA HOWELL CHARLES JO! 301314 VAIL-BALLOU COMPANY BINGHAMTON AND NEW YORK ©CI.A376839 TO The HONORABLE HENRY HAMLIN AND TO LAENA HAMLIN ROSE THIS VOLUME IS AFFECTIONATELY DEDICATED PREFACE ORLO JAY HAMLIN, the subject of this volume, was a man of unusual mental power. His early career, from his own pen, is conscientiously set forth in this volume with as much accuracy as has been in the editor's power to give. The reader will note his strong and never-ending desire to better his own and the lives and conditions of those who knew him. The way he set about to study law as a step to his greater success indexes the sturdiness of his will, and the giant, undaunted spirit he showed in all his life-long efforts. His simple sketch of his early life proves that his temperament was modest and sensitive. Reason and justice governed all the aims and relations in the life of this lofty and ennobling man whose spirit and brain kept him steadily working on problems of life, and of local, state and national interests. During his short-period of physical strength he accomplished much, and then came the cruel thirty years' epoch of invalidism, throughout which he kept up a ceaseless study of laws, languages and customs; such heroism manifested on a sick bed marks him as an unusual intellectual and spiritual character. While he was ill of nervous prostration and tor- mented by all the characteristics attendant upon such a sickness, he lived in the highest thoughts, wrote poems, axioms, reminiscences, political speeches, sci- entific articles and translated French and German. x PREFACE He also did exhaustive work in chemistry, geology and astronomy. Meanwhile, he kept abreast of the times, and even touched upon the Woman Suffrage question, which was young in its agitation at that date. Mr. Hamlin's habits were irreproachable, his nature was essentially spiritual; he never knew bit- terness nor wrath over his physical weakness, neither did he fret over his blighted career. His physical incapacitation in no wise stopped his mental growth ; his soul called for intellectual stimulation; mental growth and betterment of conditions around him meant infinitely more to his nature than did material possessions. Mr. Hamlin was doomed to drudgeries and dis- tasteful occupations in his early life, but he was born of wise, honorable and tender parents, which is the greatest blessing to a man in the power of fortune to bestow; his mother was a superior woman, with a keen eye for the essentials to the formation of char- acter. Love watched over Orlo J.'s childhood, he was cast in an heroic mold and was early filled spiritually to meet his hardships. Mr. Hamlin's mind was a climbing one, his accomplishments in public life were many before ill health put him between sheets, where for so many years his inborn ambition and force of character held him closely to his purpose in life. He was at once a man of will and intelligence, and of soul and temperament; he was brilliant in conversa- tion, and accurate in his statements. The subject he discussed always showed his thorough understanding of it; his information was solid, he digested it well. This accuracy, with his natural charm, gave him un- usual influence with his contemporaries and in his PREFACE xi profession. By ill health, his successful legal career was cut off when he crossed the meridian of life. As will be seen, his extraordinary brain power gradually sapped the vitality of his frail body, meantime his mentality grew stronger. He was wise and just al- ways and fearless for right everywhere, — in his fam- ily, his social life and in his profession. Mr. Hamlin was a distinctive man of parts. McKean County has not his superior in contemporaneous history. Modesty of his attainments may be truthfully re- corded as his greatest characteristic. It is needless to describe in detail the literary task-work done by Mr. Hamlin during the thirty years of his invalidism. His manuscripts speak volumes of love for accurate studentship. We would like to reproduce herein some of his works on Botany, Chemistry and Astronomy. These manuscripts could well be made into separate text-books for public school work. Because of their age and decay, the writer regrets that she must leave many more valuable materials unused to complete this showing of the attainments of this wonderful man. Mr. Hamlin signed his own name or initials to many of his writings and treated the authorship of others as open secrets. Those certified by him give us a complete understanding of his way of thinking and of his conduct. From these we get a sound idea of his life and of his character. He made good prim- itive history for the State of Pennsylvania. This record of his life will mean much to his town, his county, his State, to his family and to mankind. Christina Howell Charles. CONTENTS PAGE I THE MAN HIMSELF 1 Lineage 3 Reminiscences of Life 7 Primitive History 18 Obituary and an Appreciation 56 II A LOVER OF NATURE 67 A Summer's Sunrise in the Country 69 McKean County, Pennsylvania 75 Sketch of the Hill Scenery Surrounding Smeth- port 103 Coal Fields of McKean County, Pennsylvania. 123 Agricultural Address 130 III ATTITUDE TOWAR.D PUBLIC QUESTIONS. .149 Our Duty 151 Views of a Private Citizen on the Question of Constitutional Secession 172 The Law of Nations 195 The Woman's Rights and Suffrage Question. 220 Are Free Colored Persons Born in the United States Citizens within the Meaning of the Con- stitution of the United States? 226 Remarks on the American Constitution .... 229 United States Treasury Notes 238 Lecture on Temperance 240 Patriotic Address 241 Physical Education or Culture 242 United States Flag 260 A Few Hints Suggested on Political Subjects. 261 Judiciary Memoranda 263 One of Mr. Hamlin's Speeches in the House. 270 Remarks on Read's Amendment on the Canal Bill. 288 A Letter 300 IV A STUDY OF MENTAL AND MORAL PROBLEMS. 303 Moral and Mental Culture 305 CONTENTS PAGE Is a High Degree of Mental Development Result- ing from Educational Training Productive of Dis- belief in the Bible and Christianity? .... 327 Speculative Ideals of the Moral Philosophy. 330 Is the Human Soul Immortal? 357 The Revelations of the Scriptures 369 V LITERARY WORKS REVIEWED 373 Philosophy and Metaphysics 375 Dante's Poems, Translated by Longfellow. 397 Abstract of Wayland's Moral Science, or Philoso- phy, 1835-1865 400 Professor Stone's " Invitation Heeded ". 416 Goethe's Tragedy of " Faust," Translated by Bay- ard Taylor 424 Brief Extracts from " Science and the Bible ". 436 Rhetoric — By Henry Coppee, A.M 444 Rhetoric — By G. P. Quackenbos, A.M 458 VI STRAY THOUGHTS 463 " Heu Miserandi Ah Me 465 Thanksgiving Dinner 467 Affection 469 To My Canary 471 An Outing 472 Historical Ages 473 Miscellanies and Extracts 479 My Favorite Extracts from Longfellow's " Hy- perion " 482 Legend of the Nunundah 488 Hamlin's Translation of " La Marseillaise ". 490 An Incomplete Picture of an Episode of the Writer at the Age of Nineteen Years 492 VII IMAGINATION AND VISION 501 A Picture of the Imagination. Asa Hamlin, was born on March 30, 1780, in Sharon, Connecticut. He was married there on December 26, 1802, to Asenath, daughter of Stephen and Huldah (Doty) Delano, who was born in Sharon, April 6, 1780. He practiced medicine at Sharon for some years and was highly respected by the community, and then removed to Fairfield, New York, about 1814 ; to Salem, Pennsylvania, 1816; and to Smethport, Pennsylvania, 1833. Dr. Asa Hamlin was a Federalist. He was reared under the Puritanical regime of the Connecticut Presbyterians ; as his son Orlo put it : " Amusements were rare and Sunday a day to be dreaded." His opportunities for education and culture in youth were scanty, yet he improved them so well that he secured a profession in which he held respectable rank. In those days, however, doctor's fees were small and hard to obtain ; in consequence, at his death his family was left with little financial support. He died in Smethport, September 8, 1835. His children are : Orlo Jay, born December 2, 1803, at Sharon, Eliza Maria, born October 31, 1806, at Sharon, Edward W., born January 11, 1809, at Fairfield, New York; Edward died young. 3 4 LIFE AND WORKS OF William Edward, born June 7, 1811, Asenath Jeanette, born August 27, 1817, at Salem, Asa Darwin, born February 16, 1820, at Salem, Byron Delano, born May 7, 1824, at Sheshequin. Orlo Jay Hamlin, son of Asa, was born in Sharon, Connecticut, December 2, 1803; he was married in Norwich Township, McLean County, Pennsylvania, January 13, 1828, to Orra Lucinda Cogswell, daughter of John and Dolly Cogswell. Orra Lucinda was born in Griswold, Connecticut, September 10, 1804. It is supposed that Orlo Jay removed with his parents from Connecticut to Fairfield, New York, about 1814, and then to Salem, Pennsylvania, in 1816. He was teacher of the pioneer school at Towanda, Pennsyl- vania, in 1824; and while holding that position read law with Simon Kinney, and was admitted to the bar of Bradford County, Pennsylvania, in 1826. In the fall of that year he sought a place of business, visiting Warren, and later at Smethport, Pennsylvania, where he located in time for attending the second term of court held in the county, December, 1826, and was there admitted to the bar, ex gratia; and was ad- mitted to practice in the Supreme Court, July, 1836. In after life he stated that he had filled the offices of township collector, recorder and register, treasurer, deputy-postmaster, deputy prothonotary, postmaster, deputy United States marshal to take the census of 1830, deputy attorney-general for McKean and Potter Counties, and member of the legislature in 1832; he further stated : " Complaint has never reached my ear of mismanagement in any of the offices, and I could have held them longer had I chosen to do so." He was a member of Constitutional Convention of ORLO JAY HAMLIN 5 Pennsylvania, 1837 ; candidate for Judge, 1839 ; and for Representative in Congress, 1841-2. The news- papers writing on the subject of his nomination quoted Honorable John Sargent, President of the Constitutional Convention, as follows : " I am very- impressed with the force of Mr. Hamlin's arguments and would take this opportunity of saying that McKean County is ably represented." In physique he was tall and slender, black hair, with eyes of peculiar blue; bilious temperament, a man of logical mind and remarkable intellect; al- though not a college graduate, yet a rare student. He continued to reside at Smethport until his death, the center of a large circle of friends and of a happy family, the leader of the bar in that community for many years; ever held by his fellow citizens in high honor and esteem for ability and integrity. He could have received any office in the gift of his constituents, but ill health compelled him to decline further polit- ical honors. For nearly thirty years he was an invalid from nervous prostration, and during his forced con- finement, while lying in bed, mastered many sciences, of which pursuit he was very fond. About 1870, Dr. Keating, of Philadelphia, was called to his bedside, but was surprised when the patient said : " Doctor, I have been reading the Marseillaise Hymn; I know you are a French scholar ; I have it in the original and in translation. Now I wish you to take it in the French and translate it slowly, while I compare the translation to see whether the translator or I am right." The doctor assented and when he came to the verse which gave Mr. Hamlin special trouble, he said : " Now, please be accurate." At the conclusion of the 6 ORLO JAY HAMLIN reading, a smile gladdened the face of the invalid, and he said : " I thought that I was right, now I've proven it. — You may tell me now what you can do to make a sick man well." In early years he was skeptical regarding the im- mortality of the soul, but in 1854 he received baptism from Rev. B. T. Babbit, and became a member of the Presbyterian Church. From that time to the close, his faith grew firmer and stronger, as will appear from the sketches written by him in this book. He died at Smethport on February 13, 1880; his wife followed him on April 17, 1881. His children were all born in Smethport: Harriet, born January 3, 1829, Henry, born April 9, 1830, living, John C, born March 4, 1836, Pauline E., born September 13, 1838, living. One of the last things uttered by Mr. Hamlin was : " When I shall have entered the other world, I hope next to my Saviour I shall see the face of my mother." He loved and respected her supremely. Mr. Hamlin's mother was a very superior woman in- tellectually, and a strong moral character. Her influ- ence had much to do with shaping her son's mind and character. His wife, Orra Lucinda Cogswell, was a very hand- some woman, domestic in her taste, economical and sincere. She was a loving mother and a devoted wife, she watched faithfully by the sickbed of her hus- band until she was entirely broken down in health. She died the year after her husband was laid away. REMINISCENCES OF LIFE AN AUTOBIOGRAPHY PERHAPS at no former period of my life have I been better able to judge of my own value to myself and to the world than at the present. I have always adopted for a maxim that if a man has not done something either by making himself rich or by obtaining celebrity in his calling or profession by the time he is about thirty years old, he never will, and at that period of life he can tolerably well judge of his future prospects. Being now nearly twenty-nine years of age, I spent a few moments in applying this rule to myself. Born and brought up to the age of eighteen in indigence and too much in idleness, at that period I found it necessary to adopt some course of life; like most boys who have read a few volumes of novels or romance the moral of talent I possess con- sists rather in imagination than judgment. The past seems like a view of a desolate barren, over which hung the clouds of adversity without the bright influence of even a cheering star; but to my young imagination the prospect was a fairy lawn, a field mantled with all the rich variety of nature, gilded with the tissue of hope. Future years were to be but a paradise of enjoyment. I had drunk in the idea from the examples given in books that by industry, perseverance and unremitting attention to books, a man endowed by nature even with mediocrity of tal- 7 8 LIFE AND WORKS OF ent in due time shines conspicuously in a professional career. Firmly impressed with this belief, I set out under very discouraging circumstances, with but a glimmer- ing of education, totally penniless, with the assistance of no one able to contribute to my pecuniary wants or friends to patronize me. Still, reckless of conse- quences and in direct opposition to my father's choice of a profession, I came to the desperate resolve of becoming a lawyer. After wading through a depth of misery and mortification apparently insurmountable, my object was attained, being admitted to the bar at the age of twenty-three, in September, 1826. So great was my pecuniary embarrassment previous to my admission to the bar, sometimes I thought of abandoning my profession and sometimes of abandon- ing myself: for, in some gloomy moments, I even dared the thought of suicide. I believed it could not be an unpardonable sin under such circumstances; tortured with the thought of being called to suffer with my Host without the means of discharging the debt, absolved an occasional faithlessness as to my eventual success. (For by this time I had begun to doubt of the correctness of my maxim.) All those youthful dreams of glowing fancy having fled like the morning's dew before my ripening judgment, the earth again assuming the appearance of a desert island without a spot of green to change its unvarying hue of desolation, it seems rather the performance of a duty than the commission of a crime. However, time, which is said eventually to relieve all our woes, brought me on the stage of action. Still solely dependent on my own exertions for whatever ORLO JAY HAMLIN 9 success, if any, I might meet with six years have passed since I first launched my little bark into the ocean of business. When I reflect on my qualifica- tions and natural constitutional defects I am greatly surprised that I have ever met with the least success in my professional career. Naturally of the most timid and diffident disposition, it is unaccountable to me that on my first attempt at a public speech I had not forever renounced a calling for which nature had not given me one necessary qualification, and I can only account for a continuation of exertion on these grounds by an inherited predilection or pref- erence for the legal employment. It has been re- marked that a man's having a taste for a particular employment is an evidence of his natural qualifica- tions for that mode of life. It may be so in some instances, but I should dissent from it as a general rule. Hundreds of examples in real life may be found where men, having an ardent preference to a partic- ular employment, have labored through a life of serv- ice without gaining an inch from the starting point. Another and still more powerful consideration urged me on : a latent feeling of vanity, which was so early incorporated into my moral system or principles of innate action as to render me so totally blind to the effects of my efforts at public speaking that I have not yet been able to dissuade myself from an effort for improvement. It is said that charity covers a multitude of faults. This is true as a Christian prin- ciple, and I believe vanity hides many defects in the estimation of an individual; for, I am quite certain that without this all-powerful influence I never should have made these efforts at public speaking in my 10 LIFE AND WORKS OF whole life. I believe that some public speakers, hav- ing a good memory, pass off tolerably well by borrow- ing their ideas from books and clothing them in a new garb; this privilege is, however, denied to me, for I have neither a memory sufficiently tenacious to quote, nor presence of mind enough to find other words to convey the same idea ; so that the whole substance of all I can say is a club recital of a few of the plain facts. Notwithstanding all these discouragements, I have passed through six years of a professional career with a tolerable degree of success, owing more to good for- tune than to good management. One trait has al- ways marked my conduct, a regular, consistent course after my political principles and conduct, as also a steady determination as to one course of life. Early in life I fixed my political creed by the Demo- cratic standard and have steadily continued a sup- porter of the principles and policy of the Democratic party. I always had a taste for agriculture and, conse- quently, while yet a boy resolved to immigrate to a country where I could get a farm of new land so cheap that I might eventually pay for it. I early thought of an additional reason for settling in a new country : in such a country there would probably be less competition in a professional business. I would, therefore, probably get a share from the dernier re- sort of necessity where no other could be found; accordingly in the early part of my studentship I fixed upon McKean County as what I termed my star in the West. I had early resolved to not change situa- tions often ; I had resolved once permanently to locate ORLO JAY HAMLIN 11 myself which was to be immediately on coming to the bar; this I believe I have done, having settled at Smethport, McKean County, Pennsylvania, at the organization of the county for judicial purposes in the twenty-third year of my age, being the last of November, 1826. I have passed through different grades of a variety of little offices, such as township collector, deputy- postmaster, deputy-prothonotary and registrar and recorder, treasurer of the Turnpike Road Company two years, postmaster three years, deputy attorney- general for Potter and McKean Counties, deputy United States marshal to take the census of 1830, and in 1833 have been elected to the legislature. Com- plaint has never reached my ear of mismanagement in any of these offices, and I could have held those which I have held longer had I chosen to, but pre- ferred resigning. I have learned to consider office rather as a matter of accident and peculiar fortune than the result of talent or management, and I have frequently ob- served that those who seem most desirous of office are least fortunate in obtaining it. A man's coming into public notice depends much on peculiar circum- stances which seem rather the result of fortune than of any human foresight ; consistency in politics should never be lost sight of. I have both in my private and public career universally acted honestly and upon honorable principles and left the result to fortune, let what would be the consequences. I am resolved my memory shall never be blackened by a stain of conscious dishonesty. My views of pe- cuniary matters have always been based upon the 12 LIFE AND WORKS OF Franklin system of industry, prudence, frugality and economy, and to the two last principles I am chiefly indebted to my having gained a comfortable and tolerably independent living. I have chosen rather to trust to the small but more certain earnings of a safe business than to embark what little I have in the more hazardous but sometimes the more profitable enterprise of speculation and, consequently, have no idea of ever becoming rich, but hope if no very disas- trous fortune overtakes me to live comfortably. I believe I now can see my own situation in life with reasonable clearness. It is totally impossible for me to become distinguished, either politically, profes- sionally or by wealth, my talents being at best but on a level with ordinary mediocrity. It would be but the excess of folly to attempt the attainment of any station beyond my capacity. I have no doubt I have attained the climax of all I ever shall be. I am, there- fore, reconciled to my fate, and have resolved to spend the remainder of my life in paying strict attention to the little professional business I may obtain and the leisure time to give to the domestic employ- ments about my farm. I have always found either to be more congenial to my taste and capacity, and, therefore, shall practice them. I have always felt a strong preference for a home over any other place, and enjoy myself better there than in any other situa- tion. I am convinced that at best life is but a dream, and I may as well make that dream as pleasant as possible, for at best there are many dark spots in the scenery of human life. The winter of 1832 and 1833 I spent in the discharge of my duties as a member of the legislature of this O^LO JAY HAMLIN 13 State. The most important object I wished to obtain was an appropriation of $200,000 to aid in improving the east and west state road running through McKean County. For this object I labored with unremitting zeal and in the early part of March, 1833, the bill came up in the House of Representatives, but, unfor- tunately, it came up by way of an amendment to an- other bill containing appropriations to various other local objects and the whole bill was defeated in favor of this measure. I addressed the House in a speech of nearly two hours' length. It was on my motion to attach my bill to the one already under considera- tion the amendment carried almost by acclamation, although the whole bill was finally lost on second reading. One of my friends came round to me when I had closed my remarks and said to me, in the utmost warmth of friendship, that I had made the best speech made in that House this session. It is time I ex- erted all the abilities I had, but the effort was far from being a splendid one. My first speech that ses- sion was made in favor of an appropriation for the extension of the Pennsylvania Canal up the north branch of the Susquehanna. This project also failed at that time but has since (in 1835) carried. I probably may never forget my feelings on first addressing the House for the first few minutes of speaking; while looking around the House upon the members, of whom there were one hundred, their heads looked like so many pinheads, and all appeared in a whirl or giddy dance, and I felt as though I were filled with ether and a good deal like rising in the air. This feeling, however, lasted but a few moments, and I was ever after, while addressing the House, as 14 LIFE AND WORKS OF calm and collected as while trying a cause in a court of justice. My first speech was complimented by a number of newspaper editors. As my health that winter was quite poor, I did not engage in any de- bates, although as a speaker I believe my standing in the House was tolerably fair. One object I accomplished that session very un- expectedly to my friends and to me was the pas- sage of a law for the organization of the Eighteenth Judicial District, composed of the counties of Potter, McKean, Warren and Jefferson. There was but one petition before the House in favor of this project and that was signed by only about a dozen persons. It so happened that at an evening session I was anxious to attach some trifling local bill to another local bill then before the House by way of amendment. I rose and moved the Speaker to receive the amendment. Some other gentleman had got the floor at the same time and the Speaker decided in his favor. General Lacock, a member from Beaver County, then observed to the Speaker that I had the floor first, but the Speaker would not recall his decision. General Lacock and a number of others then spoke to move to dispense with the ordinary rule for calling up bills and they would sustain me. It then occurred to me that I would try the fate of my new district bill and it so happened that this was but of a single sec- tion and part of a bill provisionally organizing Pot- ter County. On moving to dispense with the rules I was supported by the whole House. When the first section was before the House I rose and said I was not disposed to occupy the time of the House but would state briefly the objects of the bill ; that it con- OKLO JAY HAMLIN 15 tallied two distinct propositions, that I would be brief upon the first proposition and would not speak upon the second unless it was opposed in debate. The whole bill was read after my statement of the first proposition and passed without dissent. Judge Lewis (then a member from Bradford County) rose and said that I was quite unwell and wanted to leave the House. He, therefore, moved that the usual read- ings be dispensed with and that the bill be read the third time by its title, and this was agreed to. When it became generally understood the next morning that the bill contained a section for a new district some of the members were much surprised, and one of the members of the Senate came to me and remarked that he had just heard that I had got a bill through the House last evening while the members were asleep. However, by the influence of my political friends in the Senate, the bill passed that body and it became a law. In the spring of 1833 I returned home in poor health and traveled the following summer to the Eastern States; returning in the fall I resumed my professional business and resolved never to appear again in public life. I was, however, put in nomina- tion by McKean County and Potter County that fall for the legislature, but not being placed on the ticket in Lyconing County (to which those counties were attached in their election of representatives), I did not run. I was also put in nomination for the legis- lature the fall of 1835 but declined being a candidate. I continued regularly in practice of my profession and in July, 1836, was admitted to the bar of the Supreme Court at Sunbury. In October, 1837, I was 16 LIFE AND WORKS OF admitted to the United States District Court then sit- ting at Williamsport, in which court I was counsel for the defendant in an important ejectment suit which involved the title to the whole of the lands of the Trimble estate in McKean County. I have elsewhere remarked that the only object of my ambition was to become a tolerable public speaker. My exertions were so far crowned with suc- cess that in 1835 at the Potter court on the trial of a slander cause in which I was counsel for the plain- tiff, notwithstanding I addressed a jury who were characteristically a hardy people and whose sympa- thies were not easily wrought upon, at the close of my remarks my efforts melted nearly all the jurymen and nearly all the bystanders into tears. I gained my cause and my client got a handsome verdict. I have found by experience that if I have any talent in pub- lic speaking it was in playing upon the sympathies of my audiences — in short, in the pathetic. I have, however, made some successful efforts at the ludicrous in trying causes where my opponent's cause set him in a ridiculous point of view. I have kept a jury for an hour in a constant scene of smiles and laughter, and it is often said by the adverse counsel that I some- times indulged in a mild, easy strain of satire which cuts the more severely for the good humor with which my bolts were shot. In the spring of 1836 my health became very much impaired. I became so weak while attending the Pot- ter County court at the May session that I fainted while doing business in court and from that time be- came a confirmed dyspeptic. From the spring of 1836 to the fall of 1837 I abandoned my studies and ORLO JAY HAMLIN 17 did little business. In the fall of 1836 I was again called from my domestic fireside, much against my own choice, by being elected a Senatorial delegate to represent the counties of Tioga, Potter, McKean, Warren, Jefferson and Venango in the convention assembled at Harrisburg in May, 1837, to amend the constitution of Pennsylvania. I attended the spring session but ill health prevented my tak- ing an active part in the procedure. Toward the close of the spring session I was attacked with an affection of the liver (doubtless resulting from dys- pepsia ) and was confined to my bed for several weeks. I left the convention before the close of the first ses- sion and continued in ill health all summer. In the fall my health began slightly to improve. I have from early youth been most devotedly at- tached to home, always preferring retirement within the domestic circle of my own family to my public station. I never supposed I was qualified for a statesman nor had I ever the slightest desire to dis- tinguish myself in that way. In May, 1832, I wrote a description of McKean County. It was published in many of the papers throughout this State and in Hazard register which can be found in the state library. My speech in favor of the North Branch appropria- tion was published in the Pennsylvania Reporter, February 12th, 1833, and my remarks in favor of the E. & W. state road appropriation appeared in the same paper about the 9th of March, 1833. PRIMITIVE HISTORY [A few reminiscences written by Mr. Hamlin relating to the early settlement of Smethport, and McKean County, Pennsyl- vania.] AS the history of a whole country is made up of the private history of its individual members to a certain extent, so an individual's history may to a limited extent be an index to, or exponent of, the whole community; therefore I may be pardoned the other- wise seeming impropriety of using the personal pro- noun, I, so freely in this paper. Egotism I have always disliked; I am ever adverse to saying or writing much about myself, but now it seems unavoidable. Human life is made up of actions and motives to human actions. Every person who settles in a new country for life, does so from a motive known to him- self, and that motive operates with him as an impetus to impel him to action. I was born poor, my elemen- tary education was poor, and my physical constitu- tion was poor; but I had industry, personal pride of position in society, a little ambition, and early re- solved to acquire a competence, if I could. For that purpose I determined to locate in a new country and to grow up with the growth of that country, if my destiny would permit, but time, which solves all things human, seems to have ruled adversely to my youthful hope, as neither my personal success nor the 18 ORLO JAY HAMLIN 19 prosperity of the county has ever been very marked; the latter has lingered its slow length along, and has not as yet found much success, although we still hope a better end is dawning for that; while the former has dwindled into obscurity and will soon pass to oblivion. I trust my next move will be to locate in the far off " better land." From 1822 to 1824 I spent mainly at Towanda, Bradford County, Pennsylvania, in acquiring the pro- fession of a lawyer, being obliged to earn my own board and clothing or the means to procure them. Money was hard to get in those days. I taught the village school at Towanda for eleven dollars a month, teaching an evening grammar school at the same time for one dollar and fifty cents per scholar for Hye months. This business I thoroughly detested, and I may say cordially hated, and after I had spent the proceeds of the five months' teaching I supported my- self by signpainting, surveying and mapping, a busi- ness which I liked much better because to me it was not so much a drudgery, and by these means I could earn money much faster and thereby gain more time to read. I was a hard student, reading from twelve to fourteen hours a day and thereby gaining the un- enviable sobriquet of " the Pale Village Student," and about the 20th of September, 1826, was admitted to the bar. That day I have ever considered the hap- piest day of my life. I had struggled hard through poverty and privations to gain a profession, being the object which I constantly held before me as I then termed it, " The Pole Star of my Attraction." Doubtless many young men who settled in this county worked out by the month to gain their first 20 LIFE AND WORKS OF business start. Here I will make a little digression by relating an incident which had nearly closed my career as a surveyor. In the summer of 1826 I was employed to re-survey a lot of land on Towanda Creek, about twelve miles from the Village known as the Barclay Tract, it being the tract on which the Barclay or Towanda coal beds are now situate. When we closed the survey it was about sunset, and we were about a mile from the cabin at the coal opening at which we expected to stay the night. One of the men who knew the country led the way, I followed next. It soon grew dark and then came up a violent thunder storm. It grew so dark we could no longer keep our way and were obliged to stop, and concluded to try to go no further but stop for the night short of the camp, where we were. Some of the party sat down on a log, while another who had a flint and steel in the tinder-box tried to start a fire. To return to the thread of my story, the day of my admission to the bar, the Court assigned Mr. Ingham, another young lawyer, that same day admitted to the bar, and myself to defend a prisoner charged with a crime of mayhem, or gorging out another man's eye. The case came on for trial next day. Ingham and I appeared for the defense, but the third young lawyer (whose name I have forgotten) did not put in an appearance. Ingham made the first speech and I made the closing argument for the defense ; this was my debut or maiden speech. When I had taken my seat, Ex-judge Strong, then a lawyer practicing at the Bradford County bar, came to me, and taking me cordially by the hand said : " I congratulate you ; keep on as you have begun and you will get on well enough." This kindly remark did me good, for it encouraged me and gave me a better opinion of myself and gave me hope for the future; and I now reflect how much good an older person may do a younger one, only at the cost of a few kind words. The next two months I spent at Towanda construct- ing a county map, for which I received $110.00. This sum enabled me to pay nearly all the debts I had been obliged to incur in my studentship, and also to buy a little fat chubby pony about as large as two wether sheep and about as good a roadster for travel- ing, a new bridle and saddle and a portmanteau. Putting my spare clothing into the saddle-bag, boxing up my library consisting of Blackstone's Com- mentary, Peake's Evidence, Gibson's Surveying and 22 LIFE AND WORKS OF a few miscellaneous books with my surveyor's compass and the balance of my wardrobe in a small deer-skin covered trunk (which I had made when a boy, about the close of November, 1826 ) , I mounted my pony and turned its head toward the West. On the top of the hill west from the Village I looked upon the quiet town nestling along the slope of the hill facing the river, and cast a momentary glance upon the smooth, silvery shining surface of that placid stream as it flowed from the rugged moun- tains of the southern counties of the State of New York, — Chemung, Steuben, Broome and Chenango — toward the Chesapeake Bay and thence to the Ocean. I took in a momentary view of the bold, high and rocky mountain which rose like a projecting promontory almost from the bed of the river on its eastern shore to the height of nearly a thousand feet. On its summit, gained by a circuitous path, I with a merry troup of young men and maidens of the village had often stood of a pleasant Sunday after- noon to view the town and admire the landscape ex- tending up and down the river, and its valley dotted with farms, farm houses, orchards and intervening woodlands. Here we had often gathered together on the table of a large projecting rock, standing a little below the summit and nearly perpendicular, and listened to a little speech from my friend Ingham or me, descanting on the beauties of the scenery with which some imaginative poetic thought was sure to be mingled. Now a crowd of memories burst upon my emotional feelings and in an instant, I shed an involuntary tear, and mentally rehearsed that pa- thetic line of Lord Byron's " Farewell ! and if forever, ORLO JAY HAMLIN 23 still, farewell ! " and bent my course toward my fu- ture home among the forests of McKean County. The country from Towanda to Wellsboro was mainly settled by thrifty farmers. At Columbia Flats a young man, whose name was Black, on horse- back, on his way to Kinzua, overtook me, and we journeyed on together. We stopped at the Phoenix tavern on Pine Creek to feed the horses and for dinner. The tavern was a small log house, and as there was no landlord or hostler we got a mess of oats for each horse and fed them ourselves. The only barn was a one-roof shed entirely open on one side, and in a tumbled down condition with one manger and no hay. A large flock of hens leisurely walked about, and as the horses fed they commenced a furious on- set upon the oats to see which could secure the most of the treasure. While partaking of our plain frugal dinner we heard the deep-mouthed baying of hounds and going to the door and looking up the road to a sawmill we saw a man running at full speed with a rifle in one hand, and a powder horn in the other hand, and a dog at his heels, no hat on, wearing a coat like Joseph of old, of many colors, with its tattered skirts fluttering in the breeze, presenting, a lifelike picture of the thriftless, indolent hunter and thoroughbred back-woodsman. I thought that man presented an ill-omened harbinger of the new country which I was seeking. Whether he killed the deer the hounds were driving to the creek, I did not wait to ascertain. 