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Excerpts from Souvenir

Submitted by David M. Waid 

TRIP TO JAMESTOWN AND CHAUTAUQUA, N. Y.,

AUGUST, 1889.

        On August 23, my wife and I left Meadville for Jamestown, and upon arrival there we walked to the house of Frank Simmons, my cousin, where we were to spend the night.  During the evening two cousins, Rachel and Elizabeth Phillips, from Meadville, but who were visiting in Jamestown, called upon us, and we had a charming evening.

        August 24--At an early hour this morning, with Frank Simmons, we started for Chautauqua, and after a trip on the cars and a delightful ride on the lake we reached our destination.  At the dock I met Dr. T. L. Flood (of whom I have written before), who greeted us heartily, saying:  "Call and see me before leaving Chautauqua."  Grand Army Day at the lake had called forth a vast assemblage of people.  Dr. Paxton's address was very interesting, and Corporal Tanner's oration to the veterans was inspiring to the highest degree.  I met several acquaintances, among them being Mr. Bush and wife, of East Branch, O. B. Craven and wife, and P. Walters; also Mrs. Jones, of Buffalo, N. Y., whom I have always known, as she was one of my scholars when I taught school.

        August 25, 1889--We attended several meetings at the Hall of Philosophy in the evening, and heard short addresses by Drs. Russell and Hurlbut.  Also two lectures by Col. Sanford, the noted traveler, on the subjects, "Old Time" and "New Time," both very interesting.  The C. L. S. C. held its last meeting for the year, and among other interesting things the tribute to John Bright, the great English statesman, who died last March, deserved the highest encomiums.  In the afternoon of the 27th we went to Brocton, and were shown through the basket factory of Hosea Crandall, who presented Mrs. Waid with a grape basket.  Mr. and Mrs. R. B. Devenpeck, with whom we had a most pleasant visit at Brocton, accompanied us to the basket factory.  While there we were shown a grape vine with two clusters or stems of grapes, one of last spring's planting; in fact, the grape crop was good in all respects.

        August 28--We to-day again visited my cousin, R. B. Devenpeck, to whom I gave our pictures.  Cora also has them, and thus they are well supplied.  Mr. Devenpeck drove us to the depot, and we went by train and boat, "J. A. Burch," to Jamestown.  On the way we met President G. W. Williams and Dr. Hall and wife.  We arrived at Jamestown at 2:30 P. M., and after a protracted streetcar ride, in which a derailed car figured, we arrived at Frank Colt's, where we spent the night.

        August 29--Stayed at William Cobb's, and in the course of the day we called upon Harvey Simmons, and afterward upon his daughter, Mrs. Mamberts, and Mrs. Andruss who live on Fool's Avenue, near Mr. Simmons'.  In the afternoon we visited the Fair, and there met several whom we knew.  The exhibits at the Fair of poultry, cattle and horses, were very fine.  On the 30th we visited the cemetery, and on our return called at the house of William Bowen, going from there to dine at Mr. Cobb's.  After dinner we took the stage from the Humphrey Hotel for Busti, where we arrived after a dusty ride.  We spent the night at Henry Simmons', and there met Miss Mabel Burns, of Buffalo, and Miss Minnie Howard, of Jamestown.  We were obliged to hurry through breakfast in the morning to catch the stage which came earlier than we had anticipated.

        August 31--While waiting in the stage for the mail this morning I saw Dilbert Simmons, whom I introduced to my wife and told of my ineffectual attempt to see him the night before.  Our hurry at this time was occasioned by our desire to reach the house of Mr. Burns, at Frewsburg, where we intended to spend Sunday.  Upon reaching Jamestown once more we were surprised and gratified to find that we could take, at about 10 o'clock, a stage, instead of being obliged to wait until the afternoon as we had expected.  We reached Mr. Burns' in time for dinner, and afterward, accompanied by our host, we went to Connewango Creek, and took a short ride upon the little steamer, "Hattie" (a new enterprise), manned by a crew of two.  The captain was waiting for a pleasure party from Jamestown, and in the interim gave us a turn upon the stream.  Although a short trip, we entered thoroughly into the spirit of it, and succeeded in extracting a fund of enjoyment.  Upon our return we found the party from Jamestown, one of whom, Mr. Meyer, I knew, and by him we were introduced to the other excursionists.  We watched the little boat until it steamed out of sight, and then we turned homeward.  Anna and I will long remember this day, for into it was crowded a variety of events seldom compassed by the time between sunrise and sunset.

        Sunday, September 1--We went to church and the Sunday-school to-day.  I had attended the same house of worship before, and was fond of its services.  After the sermon Brother Stone spoke of the boy who, at Gettysburg, desirous of doing something for his country, had filled the soldiers' canteens with water, and from this incident Mr. Stone drew the lesson that it lay in the power of everyone to do something for the kingdom of God in its warfare against the Prince of the powers of darkness.  A collection had been taken up for missionary work, and as the school superintendent, Miss Wilsey, told me that the scholars had raised $10, I gave her a like sum, thus doubling the collection.  I was glad to carry out the spirit of the remarks that I had heard, and give my mite in a good cause.  In the afternoon Clara Burns, my wife and I visited the cemetery, a beautiful spot, bordered by Frew Creek, upon the bank of which stand stately evergreens, throwing a pleasant shade into the quiet home of the dead.  Here are buried Robert Myers and wife, and Mary, wife of Hugh Frew, born in County Down, Ireland, in 1762, and died in Frewsburg, N. Y., in 1865, aged one hundred and three years.

        September 2--Our pleasant trip to Busti is over, and we are now on our way to Ashville, where we will stop at Mr. Fleek's.  We did not see our cousin, Mrs. Leander Simmons, as we expected, as she had gone to Jamestown to see her youngest daughter.  We arrived at Ashville after a hot, dusty ride.  I have met Dr. Martin, the dentist, and on the train we saw Elizabeth Densmore and other friends.  Our visit at Fayette Fleek's, though short, was pleasant.  Mr. D. G. Fleek, the father of our host, was visiting here yesterday.  On the 3rd we arrived in the evening at Meadville, and at once proceeded to the home of Cora Williams, where we spent the night.  A rain has laid the dust and cooled the air, a most welcome change from the heat of Frewsburg.  On the morning of the 4th we returned home, and upon our arrival we found that my sons, Fred and Guinnip, with their wives, had gone to the International Fair at Buffalo.  [Here my Diary proper picks up the thread of my everyday narrative.]