From the Otsego Herald

for Saturday, December

22, 1810

Compiled, with comments

BY HUGH C. MACDOUGALL

SEEK YOUR FORTUNE!

Tickets for Sale, in Union College Lottery No. 11. By the editor of the Herald at 8 dollars and 50 cents. The price will be raised by the 20th June, to 9 dollars.

COMMENT: Union College in Schenectady, like other very early New York Colleges, raised money through officially sanctioned State lotteries.

A COOPERSTOWN TAILOR ELNATHAN ORSBORN, Merchant Taylor, Respectfully informs his old Customers, Friends, and the Public in general, that he still continues to carry on the Tayloring Business, at his old stand, Second street, Cooperstown, where he has just received from New-York, a good and fashionable assortment of black, blue, bottle green and mixed superfine Broad- Cloths. Do. of second quality. Do. of low priced. Bedford Chord and Hunting Chord, for pantaloons. Kerseymeres.

Vestings and Flannels, together with an excellent assortment of trimmings selected by himself at New- York. All of which he will dispose of for ready pay, or short approved credit, on as low terms as any person in the vicinity.

All orders in his line will be strictly attended to, and every favor Duly and Truly acknowledged. Wanted one or two Journeymen at the above business.

To those who are good workmen and steady, the highest wages will be given if they apply immediately. He likewise is in want of a smart, active Boy, 14 or 15 years of age, as an apprentice to the above business, to whom could encouragement will be given.

December 22, 1810.

COMMENT: Elnathan Osborn (the printer misspelled the name) (1769-1853), came from Danbury, CT via Vermont. It is said of him that in 1777, when he was a child, he came home in Danbury to find his family gone and the house occupied by British soldiers: “This is my home, and I want my dinner’’ he said. The soldiers, after asking for apples and cider, departed, leaving the house undamaged.”

He was Secretary of the Otsego Lodge of Masons, and evidently a solid citizen. In 1793 he married Sally Jarvis (1772-1831) of Fly Creek -- they had seven children. He was advertising for apprentices as early as 1805.

“Chord’’ (or Cord -- we know it better as corduroy) was a raised rib fabric, often used for riding breeches and other trousers (pantaloons) subject to heavy wear. A “Kerseymere” was a twilled woolen cloth.

AN ESCAPED CAPTIVE

Delaware: Is there not an avenging God above? A FACT -- Richard Hancock, a citizen of the United States, who has a wife and two children and formerly living in this borough, says, “he was prest (impressed, or “drafted’’) eight years on board a British 71 gun ship -- that in the course of his eight years captivity, he was only 33 hours on shore, and then in a dock-yard, rigging a 90 gun ship; where he consented to go in getting an opportunity of making his escape.’’

He states, “that he frequently wrote home, & to the American department of state, but he believes the officers with whom he entrusted his letters, never delivered them.’’ He also states, “that there were 37 American Citizens on board the ship Bellisle with him -- that they were treated severe and kept very close.”

Hancock was determined to commit his body to the sharks, rather than sustain such severity any longer; and seeing the American ship Amiable at some distance, he plunged into the deep and bravely swam to her; where he was kindly received and secreted, and has lately arrived at Philadelphia from Tonningen. He is personally known to many of the inhabitants of this borough. -- Delaware Watchman.

COMMENT: The British Navy would continue to seize sailors off American ships, on the grounds (sometimes justified) that they were really British subjects, and force them to serve indefinitely on board British warships. This would continue until the end of the Napoleonic wars, and was one of the principal disputes between England and American for many decades.

SPINNING RECORDS

Pittsfield, Mass.: Female Activity and Industry. Misses Waterman and Wheeler, did, on the 3d inst. (November) at the house of Mr. John Waterman, Esq., of this town, between the hours of three in the morning and six in the afternoon (in the whole fifteen hours) spin from rolls, on the common wooden wheels, and reel on the common reels, (6 feet and two inches in circumference) 277 Notts of 40 threads each, of excellent Yarn, suitable for making the first quality of homespun Cloth -- equal to 27 Skeins and 7 Notts, of 10 Notts each, which, if extended in a line, would have reached 68,327 feet -- equal to thirteen miles, 11 rods, and 7 feet!

This, we hope, will convince those Ladies, who have hitherto submitted their spinning races to the public, that the fair inhabitants of the towering hills of Berkshire are not to be excelled in any of the useful arts; and while to conclude their industry, they triumphantly exclaim, “out do this if you can,’’ we as proudly call upon them to EQUAL this if they can. -- Adams (Mass.), Nov. 7, 1810 -- Pittsfield Sun

ALOE TREE

A vegetable wonder. -- An article under the date of Dublin Sept. 8, states as follows: -- “An aloe, which is known to have been in the garden of lord de Dunstanville, at Trehidy Park, sixty years, and how much longer is uncertain, and which till about two months ago was not more than four feet from the ground, suddenly shot up. And has grown at the rate of two inches a day, till it is now some twenty-five feet high, and expected shortly to appear for the first time, in full bloom.’’

COMMENT: Francis Basset, 1st (and only) Baron de Dunstanville and Basset (1757- 1835) lived at Trehedy Park in Cornwall, England.

He was a Member of Parliament.