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Henry lived at a time when the world was making a great revolution in travel, and just before another great change - trains. He was able to see steamships sailing down the Hudson, but the DeWitt Clinton locomotive didn't run on railroad tracks until 1831, three years after Henry's death.
Rev. Timothy Dwight, Travels through New York and New England, 1821
While Henry did travel extensively in his various positions, he doesn't seem as enamoured of being away from his domestic comforts as Dwight does. In fact, most of his poetry extolls the pleasure of just staying home. Maybe this bitch about taverns for travelers would explain some of his love of hearth and home. |
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Poughkeepsie to Albany: 2 days |
Albany to Poughkeepsie to Albany: abt 1 1/2 days each way |
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This series of books took the young reader step by step through an experience they might not have had so that, at the end, they could almost feel as though they'd lived it themselves! Here Forester is taking Marco on a canal boat trip.
FORESTER and Marco followed the runner down into the cabin. They found that it was a long and narrow room, which occupied almost the whole of the interior of the boat. It looked like a pleasant little parlor, only its shape was very long and narrow. There were seats on the sides, under the windows, covered with red cushions. They extended the whole length of the cabin. There were one or two tables in the middle, with some books and maps upon them. The cabin was divided into two parts by a projection from each of the two sides, which projections, how ever, were so narrow that they left a very wide opening between them, almost as wide as the whole breadth of the cabin. There was a large crimson curtain hanging over this opening, so that when the curtain was let down, it would divide the cabin into two distinct parts. When Forester and Marco came in, however, the curtain was up; the two halves being drawn out to the two sides, and supported there by a large brass curtain knob. Over this curtain there were painted in gilded letters the words, LADIES SALOON. Marco understood from this arrangement that that part of the cabin which was beyond the curtain, was intended particularly for the ladies, and that it could at any time be separated from the other part by dropping the curtain. In the middle of the ladies' cabin was a table, with books and a bouquet of flowers upon it. There were several ladies sitting upon the cushioned seats at the sides of the saloon. ... In a few moments, Marco saw before him two bright lights, which seemed to be in motion. They were approaching. He soon saw that they were lights in the bow of another boat, coming to meet them. Now he thought that he should have an opportunity to see how one boat could get by another. The boat that was coming was a line-boat, that is, one made to carry merchandise. It was loaded with lumber. It was drawn by two horses. The lineboats are usually drawn by two horses, while the packets have three. As the horses were at some distance before the boats, they would necessarily meet upon the towpath considerably before the boats would meet upon the canal. As the two sets of horses approached, the line-boat horses turned off the path a little, on the side of the path farthest from the canal, and then stopped a moment so as to allow the packethorses to go by them. The horses were stopped a moment, in order to let the towrope, which they were pulling, fall down upon the path, so that the packethorses could step over it easily. Then, when the boats approached each other, the helmsman on board the lineboat steered his boat out, away from the towpath, and the helmsman of the packet steered his in, toward the tow-path. By this means the rope of the line-boat came exactly across in the way where the packet was to go, and it seemed as if it was going to cut across the packet's bows. But just before the bows of the packet came against the rope, the boy who was driving the line-boat horses, stopped a moment, and as the line-boat kept moving on after the horses had stopped, it caused the tow-rope to drop down into the water, and it sunk so low that the packet-boat sailed directly over it, without difficulty. The boy began to drive his horses along as soon as the rope was fairly under the boat, and Marco could hear it rubbing along the bottom of the boat, and it came up into the air again as soon as it escaped at the stern. Then the boats were clear of each other, and each pursued its way. Thus it was in all cases, when the packet met the line-boats. They would always check their horses, so as to let that part of the rope which was over the towpath fall down upon the ground, and that part which was over the canal, sink into the water. By this means, the packet-horses could step over the part which would otherwise have been in their way, and the packet itself could sail over that part which would have been in its way. In case the driver of the line-boat horses should not stop his horses quick enough, there might have been danger that his towrope would have gone above instead of going under the packet-boat. This would have been very disastrous in its effects, for the rope would have been drawn along with great force over the deck of the packet, and perhaps pull the passengers and the baggage off the decks into the water. To prevent this, there was attached to the bows of the packet, at the top, a hooked knife, shaped like a sickle, with its edge turned toward the front. If now the tow-line of a boat coming the other way were to catch so high that it would slip up instead of down, this hook would catch it and cut it off. Forester explained this to Marco, and Marco thought it was a very ingenious contrivance. He could not help wishing that a rope would get caught so, in order that he might see it cut off. But no such case occurred. In fact, the lineboats are very careful to let the rope drop down soon enough. If they are not, their rope gets cut oil; and they have to tie it; and thus in a short time it gets full of knots. ... Marco saw, however, at a short distance before him, a bridge leading across the canal. It was so low that it seemed to Marco that there was only just room for the boat to pass under. He thought that all the men and all the baggage would be swept off the deck by it. He accordingly hastened back to the stern, and got down upon the lower deck, where he could be safe. A moment afterward, just as the boat reached the bridge, the man at the helm called out, in a loud voice, " Bridge !" Instantly all the men on the deck bowed their heads, and to Marco's great surprise they glided under it in safety, and the heads all came up together again, as soon as the boat emerged on the other side. Marco was very much surprised, for it seemed certain, when he first saw the bridge, that it was as low as the top of the boat. This was an optical illusion. Marco afterward observed a great number of other bridges, as the packet approached them, and they all appeared much lower than they really were. ...
"Come forward, Mr. Forester, and choose your berth," said the voice. So Forester made his way, as well as he could, into the cabin, Marco following him. Forester pushed forward rapidly to the upper end of the cabin, and putting his hand upon a berth, said, " I choose this, sir." While he was walking forward, Marco had time to observe the changes which had taken place in the cabin while he and Forester had been out. The curtain was drawn before the ladies' saloon, so that that part of the cabin was now cut off from view. Over the place where the seats had been, that is, along the sides of the cabin, were rows of berths, just wide enough for a man to lie in, and just far enough apart for a man to creep in between them. There were three in each tier; an upper, a middle, and a lower one. Forester chose the middle one, in the tier which was nearest the ladies' saloon. "Very well, sir," said the captain, " you had better get right into it, before any body else gets it." Then, looking at his paper again, the captain moved toward the door of the cabin and called out, in a loud voice, "Mr. Baron." Marco and Forester both laughed, and Forester, putting his hand upon Marco's shoulder, said, "Here." The captain smiled too when he found that the Mr. Baron, whose name he had announced so pompously, was only Marco. "Very well," said he, " let him take the berth right over you. He is young and spry, and can climb." "Shall I undress myself ?" said Marco to Forester, in a low tone. "No," said Forester, "only take off your shoes and hat." Marco had some difficulty in climbing up into his berth, and Forester had still more in getting into his. They found that the berth consisted of a piece of canvas stretched across a frame, with one sheet and one coverlid upon it. There was a little square pillow at the head, smaller and thinner than any thing that Marco had ever seen for a pillow before. In the mean time the captain went on, calling the other names in the order in which they stood upon his list; and as fast as the men were called they chose their berths and got into them The passengers seemed very much disposed to be dissatisfied at the closeness of their quarters. The frames which supported the berths appeared to be very frail, and they creaked and settled as the occupants got into them, as if they were coming down. One man, who was in the middle berth, opposite to Forester's, across the cabin, began to punch the lodger who was above him with his knee; for the berths were so near together that a very slight flexure of any of the limbs of one in a lower berth, brought an elbow or a knee into contact with the under side of the bed above. "Lie still, down there," said the lodger above. " Then keep off of me," said the lodger below. This dialogue was followed with a loud peal of laughter from all around. In the mean time, the cabin began to get very full, as more and more names were called and the persons answering to them came in from the deck. The voices became loud, and jocose remarks and laughter broke forth in every direction; and thus before long the cabin became full of confusion, frolic, and fun.
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coachhorses, black Wolsey | May 6 '73 | Exchang'd my pair of Coachhorses with James Wolsey. He gave me for them a Black horse of 3 years old & L15 in the bargain. Gave me his note of hand for L10 payable next May Interest to begin now on 1st of June & L5 I am to take in his way as Shoemaker | Day Book | NYHS |
black horse, pied mare | Feb 28 '75 | Gave my black horse to John Van Kleeck for a pied Mare and L6 to boot. If I dislike her I am to return her. | Day Book | NYHS |
pair of mares, pair of horses | Apr 22 '75 | Peter Lon and myself exchanged horses this day I gave him my 2 mares and L20 payable next Christmas as a year with interest for L10 one year - for his pair of horses 20-0-0 | Day Book | NYHS |
Hero at stud | Apr 24 '75 | Simon Freer (son of John) Dr to his mare being by Hero | Day Book | NYHS |
Hero at stud | May 12 '75 | Peter Vanderburgh Dr to having a mare to Hero, and warranted with foal | Day Book | NYHS |
Hero at stud | May 20 '75 | William Forman Dr to having his mare to Hero a foal insured | Day Book | NYHS |
Hero at stud | May 24 '75 | Barent Dutcher Dr to 1 mare to Hero 0-16-0 | Day Book | NYHS |
Hero at stud | Jun 1 '75 | John Freer Dr to having his Spanish mare to Hero 0-16-0 | Day Book | NYHS |
Hero at stud | Jun 2 '75 | Jacobus Freer Dr to having a bay mare to Do 1-0-0 | Day Book | NYHS |
Hero at stud | Jun 3 '75 | Barent Dutcher Dr to having another mare to Hero - warranted with foal 1-4-0 | Day Book | NYHS |
Hero at stud | Jun 21 '75 | Nathan Freer Dr to 2 mares to Hero 1-12-0 | Day Book | NYHS |
Hero at stud | Jun 24 '75 | Jacob Van Bunschoten Dr to having a mare to Hero (warranted with foal) | Day Book | NYHS |
Hero | Feb 16 '76 | "Fetch'd Hero from Ingersolls" | Day Book | NYHS |
traded Hero | Mar 21 '76 | Gave Capt. Platt my Hero for 2 mares of his. One a grey rising 4 years old, the other a sorrel rising 7 & 40 sh to boot) | Day Book | NYHS |
mare colt | Jul 27 '76 | Bt of Colo John Freer a yearling mare colt 11-0-0 | Day Book | NYHS |
paid for mare | Mar 26 '77 | Gave a note payable for a 4 year old mare bt of him paid | Day Book | NYHS |
brown horse | Mar 2 '78 | I sold my brown horse to Farbus Ostrom for L55. He paid me L27 down & gave me a note for L28. | Day Book | NYHS |
put black mare to Boldair | May 2 '78 | Zephaniah Platt Jun Cr to Cash in full for my black mare being by Boldair 4-0-0 | Day Book | NYHS |
traded black mare | May 7 '78 | Gave my black mare & 5 dollars to Nathan Freer for a bay mare | Day Book | NYHS |
mare for sorrel | Sep 20 '79 | He traded a mare for a 8 year old sorrel horse | Day Book | NYHS |
Pony | Nov 5 '79 | Sold my horse called Pony to Benjamin Pelton for L40 | Day Book | NYHS |
Pony | Nov 5 '79 | Melancthon Woolsey bought my spanish mare for one thousand dollars payable the 6th of April next with interest at 7 percent | Day Book | NYHS |
two mares | '81 | Sold two mares, one returned | Day Book | NYHS |
put sorrel to Boldain | Dec 16 '83 | Paid Theodorus Platt 32 Shilles in full for my sorrel mare in the year 1781 being covered by Boldain the season | Day Book | NYHS |
part sorrel mare | Feb 25 '88 | Sold a 2 year old part sorrel mare to Gilbert R. Livingston for twentyfive pounds which he acknowledged before Samuel Hake Jun to be in full for a note of hand given by himself to the said Gilbert R. Livingston on the 27th of March 17xx for L50 payable within 6 months after the termination of the then war subsisting between American & Britian in any money that might be a legal tender- N.B. I paid him; Part year L25 and have his receipt-- He did not take this xx sold with him as he was on a journey but left her with mexx he could fetch her-- This was at xx | Day Book | NYHS |
bay mare | Sep 23 '88 | Sold my bay mare of 5 year old to John R. Livingston for L20 Am to keep her till his brother Edward calls for her -- to run at his risk in the mean time | Day Book | NYHS |
Pinkey | Jan 27 '20 | Our pony Pinkey is almost entirely blind. Should she become totally so we must hold her for colts. The Kentucky tongue distemper is extending fast in this county-- Butler & Riley stables are infected & Mr. Iagnes has 2 horses laid up with it -- Some cows also have it. It appears however in a mild form. H. Riley says the most efficacious remedy is to put in 8 quarts of vinegar 4 tablespoonfuls of xx salt & spoonfeed xx xx of xx & xx the xx 1'2 on xx -- since the mouth 2 or 3 times a day -- physics xx with xx castor oil. An xx xx xx perpetuated | Letter to Sidney Breese | Illinois State Archives |
Pennsylvania's colt | Aug 25 '26 | On the 20th of May Pennsylvania dropped Sidney a horse colt, which is admired by many & approved by all. Will be a dark brown, perhaps black; two white hind stockings & a star; moves elegantly & is quite large enough. In fact it is a fine animal. | Letter to Charles Livingston | Illinois State Archives |
Pennsylvania's new colt | May 25 '27 | Old Pennsylvania 10 days ago dropped another horse colt of the same parentage as the yearling & he bids fair to equal his elder brother in beauty. This yearling is a brown. Two white hind stockings & a hansome star & is really one of the finest colts I ever saw, -- Quite large enough & moves as if he danced on air. Better Judges than myself pronounce him superior. Some go so far as to say he is too promising to be mutilated: Sidney, whose property he is must decide on this point. As Pennsylvania is fit for nothing but nursing she will be kept to that business solely. | Letter to Charles Livingston | Illinois State Archives |
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