Even the action of Congress, making the ordinance a law, declaring its provisions also to be articles of compact, was insufficient of itself— what was needed was life, the power that grasps and assimilates. That power came from the men who bore into the wilderness this ark of a new covenant, and set up there their Temple of New Institutions, in which it was enshrined. From that spot and by their aid it grasped, held and fashioned all those germs of great new commonwealths which afterwards grew up within the area of its jurisdiction, and have given to it its transcendent value of result.

After the passage of the ordinance, the Associates had three months to make the first payment, and on October 27 their contract was finally closed, covering one and a half million acres. They paid in "final certificates," (the soldiers' pay scrip before referred to) $500,000. For this they received immediate possession, with power to improve and cultivate, seven hundred and fifty thousand acres. They were to pay as much more within one month of the completion of the survey, and then to have a clear title to the whole. It was considered that one million acres were actually purchased at one dollar an acre, and the price was governed by that estimate. This price, payable in public securities, was, at the price then ruling, about ten cents an acre, specie.

The half million acres remaining of the whole purchase was considered as donated for various purposes, for which, by the terms of the deed specific tracts were reserved. E. g.—for a university, two entire townships of six miles square, for common schools, section 16 (six hundred and forty acres) in each township; " for the purpose of religion," section 29 in each; and to be subject to future disposition by the United States, sections 8, II and 26 in each. It was stipulated that the university lands should be included in the very first tract which the company should pay for, "for to fix it in the center of the proposed purchase might too long defer the establishment."

The "Ohio Company" as they had now come to be called, held further meetings at Brackett's Tavern, Boston, in November, 1787.

At the first was adopted a plan for starting a town at the mouth of the Muskingum, and for the allotment of town lots and lands in severalty. At the second, the engineers and boat builders were directed to proceed to the head-waters of the Ohio, there, during the winter, to build boats in which the settlers in a body might in the spring descend the Ohio to the mouth of the Muskingum. The third meeting was held at Rice's Tavern

in Providence, when Dr. Cutler, Colonel Hay and Major Haffield White were appointed a committee "to consider and report upon the expediency of employing some suitable person as a public teacher at the settlement now making." The Rev. Daniel Story was accordingly chosen.

The twenty-two engineers and boat builders left Danvers, Mass., in December under charge of Major White. They reached Sumrell's Ferry, on the Youghiogheny, thirty miles above Pittsburgh, in January, 1788. In the same month the rest of the party met at Hartford, and began their march January 1, 1788, in charge of General Rufus Putnam. The second in command was Colonel Ebenezer Sproat, who was also one of the signers of the petition of 1783. The snow in the Alleghanies was so deep that they built sleds for their baggage. They had marched in winter time before-perhaps they had crossed the Delaware with Washington-and they pushed on, joining the boat builders at Sumrell's Ferry by the middle of February.

Just at this time Washington wrote to Lafayette that "the spirit of emigration to the western country is very predominant. Congress sold in the year past a pretty large quantity of land on the Ohio for public securities, and thereby diminished the domestic debt considerably. Many of your military acquaintances, such as Generals Parsons, Varnum and Putnam, Colonels Tucker, Sproat and Sherman, with many more, propose to settle."

June 19, 1788, he wrote to Richard Henderson: "No colony in America was ever settled under such favorable auspices as that which has just commenced at Muskingum. Information, property and strength will be its characteristics. I know many of the settlers personally, and

9 One detachment of the party came from Ipswich in a body. Dr. Cutler himself supervised their departure, and Jervis Cutler, one of his sons, was among them. Another son, Temple Cutler, has left a graphic account of the departure. Dr. Cutler's diary says: "Mon. Dec. 3: This morning a part of the men going to the Ohio met here two hours before day. I went on with them to Danvers. The whole joined at Major White's. Twenty men employed by the Company and four or five at their own expense marched at eleven. This party is commanded by Major White. Captain Putnam took immediate charge of the men, wagons, etc. Jervis went off in good spirits. He is well fitted for the journey."

Temple Cutler's reminiscence is: "The little band of pioneers assembled at Dr. Cutler's house, Ipswich, took an early breakfast, paraded about dawn in front of the house, and after a short address from him, fired three volleys (the men being armed), and went forward, cheered by the bystanders. Dr. Cutler accompanied them to Danvers. He had prepared a large wagon for their use, which preceded them with their baggage. It was covered with black canvas, and inscribed on the sides by Dr. Cutler, in white letters, For the Ohio at the Muskingum.-Life Rev. M. Cutler, I., 329.

there never were men better calculated to promote the welfare of such a community."

Mr. Cutler says that when Lafayette, who visited Marietta in 1825, arrived, he inquired, " who were the first to settle here?" On being told, he said: "I knew them well. I saw them fight the battles of their country at many places. Better men never lived."

The boats were finished by May-a large one forty-five feet long and twelve wide-and three canoes: the large boat, roofed and bulletproof. For some years afterwards it served a useful purpose for safe transportation to and from the mouth of the Muskingum, and to it was given the name of Mayflower. It seems a dull mind's eye that does not see that, as the true freight of the original Mayflower was the covenant adopted in her cabin "for our better ordering and preservation to enact, constitute and frame such just and equal laws, from time to time," so of this new Mayflower, the true burden which she bore was the ordinance of 1787, with its "Articles of Compact," and chief among them that there should be "neither slavery nor involuntary servitude, except for crime." As to each of these incidents, the things that were not seen have proved to be the things that are eternal.

On the first of May they left-some fifty men in all—and went down the Youghiogheny into the Ohio. Meeting with no interruption, they reached the Muskingum, May 7, at once commenced building a blockhouse and laying out a town, which they called Marietta, in honor of Marie Antoinette.

In July they were joined by the officers provided for by the ordinance and elected by Congress-St. Clair, the governor, Sargent, the secretary, Parsons and Varnum, two of the three judges; the third, Major David Armstrong, having declined his appointment. All were ex-officers of the Continental army. On July 18 the government of the Northwest Territory 10 was inaugurated by proclamation of the governor.

It is interesting to look back upon these few men assuming thus, in the name of the United States, authority over a great region extending from Pennsylvania and Virginia to the Mississippi, and from the Ohio to the Lakes. They were without troops, treasury or legislature; they could scarcely have maintained a single constable. The whole region was in control of great tribes of unsubdued Indians. There could scarcely be

10 Now comprising the states of Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Michigan and Wisconsin.

said even to be any United States. The present Constitution was not yet fully framed, the Continental Government was but a rope of sand. It had not been able even to pay these very men their dues for service in war. Their faith was all that they and their associates had. It proved, as faith so often does, to be enough when coupled with endeavor. From this beginning of established government the progress of settlement was rapid. In August, 1788, eight families came, the colony now numbering one hundred and thirty-two men, with some women and children.

In October, John Cleve Symmes bought a million acres from the United States, fronting on the Ohio between the Great and Little Miami rivers. He had been Chief Justice of New Jersey, and was afterwards appointed to the post which Armstrong had declined.

WAGER SWAYNE.

(To be continued.)

A

I

THE HISTORY OF LOTTERIES IN NEW YORK

(Fourth Paper)

NSURANCE of tickets made up a large part of the business of a lottery office. The following table advertised by Waite's lottery office, shows the rates of insurance on tickets in the Baltimore Grand

16

Lottery: 18

It will be seen from the table that a speculator on the sixth and seventh days of the drawing of the lottery might register a bet of ten dollars for the sum of two shillings and eight pence. The bet might be made in a variety of forms "to suit the convenience of the adventurer." For example, he might bet that a particular number would turn up blank or that it would turn up a prize.

The letting of tickets by the day, dividing tickets into shares, and the insuring of tickets, enabled persons of small means to invest their earnings in lotteries. Servant girls, clerks on small wages and laboring men furnished a large part of the patronage of lottery offices. It is probably impossible to make any just estimate of the effects of the gambling spirit that was thus encouraged among the very poor. No one will ever know how many air castles were built on imaginary fortunes, or how many hopes were raised only to be dashed as the result of the allurements held out by the lotteries.

16 New York Daily Advertiser, Jan. 25, 1808.