Source:Dickson-4/content
CHAPTER VIII.
Some Familiar Characters.
AFTER the new court house was completed the old court house in the Diamond was transformed into a market house, city councils retaining the rooms on the second story as a meeting place. The wings on each side of the main building, one story in height, were set aside for butchers' stalls, and the main building for the farmers to display their country produce. The main market house a one-story, semi-circular, wooden building, occupied the southside of the Diamond.
In the early days of Pittsburgh the people knew each other better than they do now, especially they knew the ones who were often before the people and who took a prominent part in the affairs of politics or business. I recall Isaac Harris, who had an intelligence office on Market street, and whose brain was a depository of all useful information of a civic, political and religious nature. He was a man well known and respected by all classes of the community. It was he that compiled and issued the first directory of the city. Then there was George Albree, the weather prophet, who foretold the state of the weather weeks and even months ahead, long before Uncle Sam had installed his forecasting weather bureau office in this city. Many now living will remember eccentric Charles B. Taylor, the speculator, who was always ready to enter into a contract for the purchase of anything in sight, from a wheelbarrow full of old junk to the product of a rolling mill, or from the building of a coal shed to the erection of a warehouse. He was always on the alert for some way to turn a penny. His office was his hat, in which he stored his business papers and memorandums.
In all his eccentricity and odd manner and cute business transactions no charge of dishonest or unfair dealing could be brought against him. Among business men, from the highest to the lowest, he was well received as a convenient medium through which they might dispose of what they dished [sic] to get rid of, or purchase what they wanted to buy.
Another person who was conspicuous through his high ability as a portrait and picture painter, was Blythe. He was highly gifted in his profession and mainly devoted his talent to producing paintings of a comical and ridiculous character. One of his paintings represents a portion of a Democratic parade as it passed the office of "The Daily Post," then at the corner of Wood street and Fifth avenue. It had been and was then pouring down rain, but the staunch Democracy, not to be dismayed or overcome by the outpour, continued its march, and had reached this point when Blythe caught the picture. They were a bedraggled set of marchers, their clothing drenched and hats put out of shape, their flags drooping and clinging to their poles, their banners disfigured by the rain; they indeed looked like a demoralized set, without discipline or order. The painting represents Mr. Dunn, one of "The Post's" editors, in a very faithful likeness of him, gazing from an upper window at the motley crowd passing, and dismayed at their forlorn and dilapidated appearance. Another of Blythe's paintings was a good representation of a well-known character who was almost daily seen on the street. He was called "Lemon Tom." This man carried on his arm a basket filled with plump lemons which he offered for sale to whoever would purchase. He was always made welcome in the stores and counting houses of business men. Tom was a native of Yorkshire, England, and gave great amusement to his listeners by his quaint stories and his witty sayings, uttered in the peculiar Yorkshire dialect. Blythe painted him wearing the usual odd style of dress in which he daily appeared, selling his lemons. Many of Blythe's paintings are now hanging on the walls in houses of our oldest and best-known citizens and are highly valued by them.
CHAPTER IX.
Farms Where Mills Are
There were three large ale breweries in the city in its early days. One was called the Pittsburgh brewery, and was located in Exchange alley, between Sixth street and Barkers alley.
The main entrance to the brewery and office was by a wide entry with a gate off Liberty avenue. The owners and operators were Brown and Verner. James Verner was the grandfather of Murry Verner. Another brewery was located on Pitt street, now Fifth street, between Penn avenue and the Allegheny river, and was called the "Shiras brewery." It was owned by the father of George Shiras, Jr., late a justice of the United States supreme court. The third one was located on Third avenue above Smithfield street, and was called the "Franklin brewery," and often the Scotch Hill brewery.
There was a market house on Second avenue between Grant and Ross streets called the Scotch Hill market house. I never have known why that region of the city was called Scotch Hill. The market house was burned down at the time of the great fire in 1845.
Although Penn avenue was then considered the aristocratic residence part of the city, yet there was on it the old Bowen rolling mill and nail factory, on the corner of Penn avenue and Cecil alley, where Horne's store stands. Opposite this, where McElveen's store is, was Freeman's large foundry. Both of these establishments ran back toward the river, where they met the grounds of the two city water pumping houses. Next to the foundry was Dennis Leonard's large lumber yard, running from Penn avenue to the river. Across the street, where the Belasco theater now stands, was James Mathew's Exchange livery stable. On the northwest corner of Sixth street and Penn avenue was Armstrong's Washington coffee house. The second story of this place was one large room fitted up to hold ward and town meetings. This place was the rendezvous and headquarters of the Democrats. There the party met to listen to political speeches, and on election nights to get the returns and results of the election. In this room Judge Wilson McCandless, then a young man, Judge Shaler and other honored members of the party, made brilliant and eloquent addresses.
Joseph Barker was a well-known character who figured in the notice of the community. Although he had not a college education, he could stand up before an audience and by his bursts of eloquence carry his hearers right along and fill them with enthusiasm. He had a fine flow of language, but unfortunately he did not always control it within the proper bounds. For many years on Sunday afternoons he would mount some hastily-made platform at the canal bridge and Penn avenue and, gathering a promiscuous crowd about him, proceeded to harangue the people on any subject his fancy prompted. Complaints were made at the kind of speeches he was making in a public place. Warning was sent him by the authorities that unless he desisted the law would be enforced and he brought to punishment. He heeded not the warning, but became more reckless in his remarks and defied the authorities to stop him. A warrant for his arrest was issued, and a true bill found against him for disorderly conduct and obstructing the public highway. He was tried before Judge William B. McClure in the court of quarter sessions and convicted. The judge imposed a penalty of six months' imprisonment in the county jail, whither he was at once taken.
CHAPTER X.
A Unique Mayor.
Barker had many friends, especially among the draymen, who were very numerous in the city at that time and were nearly all Irishmen. They at once espoused his cause, held secret meetings and planned their mode of proceeding to have him released from prison. Just at this time the election for mayor of the city was due. His friends announced that he was a candidate for that position. The election came off, and to the surprise of many, Barker was elected by a large majority. The evening of the election his friends gathered in large numbers and formed an impromptu parade with torches and music and marched to the entrance of the jail on Ross street, and there demanded the jailer that he produce Mr. Barker, that they might inform him of his election. At first the jailer refused to produce the prisoner, but finally consented. He was brought to the jail door, escorted by two turnkeys, one on each side of him. When told of his election he thanked them all and said if permitted to take his seat as mayor he would see that all laws of the city should be faithfully executed. A few days after, a committee sent to Harrisburg to obtain his pardon, returned with it and he was at once released and sworn in as mayor. He proved true to his promise and turned in with zeal to perform the duties of his office. When his term expired he was succeeded by John B. Guthrie, the father, I believe, of our present worthy mayor.
News from a distance was not so easily obtained then as it is now. During the Mexican war, when news from the seat of war was anxiously looked for and especially word of the result of battles fought and the list of dead and wounded, the evening "Chronicle," the only afternoon paper issued here at that time, would send a compositor with a typesetting outfit on the packet boat to Brownsville to meet the mail coach from Cumberland, arriving there with the latest war news, and then while on the trip back to the city he would set it up in type and have it ready for the press by the time the boat reached the first locks and then by a speedy conveyance have it carried to the printing office, where it was put in form for the afternoon issue of the paper. Frequently the boys would be crying the paper with the latest news from the seat of war before the boat had gotten through the locks and arrived at the Monongahela wharf.
The editors and proprietors of the paper at that time were R. R. Dumars and his brother, James Dumars. A young man, Daniel O'Neil, who had lately come from Ireland, was the city reporter, and Alexander Rook was chief compositor. Both of these gentlemen subsequently became editors and proprietors of the Pittsburgh "Dispatch." Benjamin Singerly, a man well and favorably known, had charge of the steam power press.
CHAPTER XI.
The Railroad and Carnegie.
All the land that lies on the north [sic] side of Penn avenue to the base of the hill and from Seventeenth to Thirty-third street was vacant until the Pennsylvania Railroad Company entered the city by that route and began building offices, shops and tracks upon it. This vacant land was known as Garret's pasture fields, where persons could have their cows admitted to pasture during the summer by paying a stipulated price. The land on the north side of Penn avenue to the bank of the river consisted of grain fields and truck gardens. After the Pennsylvania Railroad Company had completed its improvements Liberty avenue from Seventeenth to Thirty-fifth street was thrown open as a public thoroughfare. The Pennsylvania railroad completed its road into the city in the spring of 1852 and brought passenger trains along Liberty street to a small station erected on that street between Twelfth and Thirteenth streets. Afterward it moved its station and train sheds to a more convenient and suitable location in the rear of the present American house, where New Grant street intersects with Liberty avenue.
It was at this time I first met Andrew Carnegie, who was employed in the office of Thomas A. Scott, then superintendent of the Western division of the Pennsylvania railroad. He was filling the position of telegraph operator and private secretary to Mr. Scott. Mr. Carnegie looked quite boyish and delicate in appearance. He was then about 17 years of age and was very bright and sharp in his movements, quick to grasp an idea or situation and polite and gentlemanly in his demeanor. I had frequent opportunities of observing these traits in his character, as my business led me often to visit Mr. Scott's office. The acquaintance then formed with Mr. Carnegie has ever remained unbroken.
The writer would say in connection with this that the business firm of which he was a member was the first shipper of coal by rail into this city, over 54 years ago. That business was then in its infancy; it has now grown to gigantic proportions.
To be continued next Sunday.
