A year's residence in the United States of America / [William Cobbett].

  • William Cobbett
Date:
1822
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: A year's residence in the United States of America / [William Cobbett]. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    557. July 29th—From Wheeling, through Charls- ton, changing sides of the river again to Steubenville. My eyes were delighted at Charlsten to see the smoke of the coals ascending from the glass-works they have here. This smoke it is that must enrich America; she might save almost all her dollars if she would but bring her invaluable black diamonds into service. Talk of independence, indeed, without coats to wear or knives or plates to eat with! : 558. At Steubenville, became acquainted with Messrs. Wills, Ross, and company, who have an ex- cellent and well-conducted woollen manufactory here. They make very good cloths, and at reasonable prices ; I am sorry they do not retail them at Philadelphia ; I, for one, should be customer to them for all that my family wanted in the woollen-way. Here are likewise a Cotton-mill, a Grist-mill, a Paper-mill, an Iron- foundery and Tan-yards and Breweries. Had the pleasure to see Mr. Wilson, the editor of the Stenben- ville Gazette, a very public-spirited man, and, I be- lieve, very serviceable to this part of the country, If the policy he so powerfully advocates were adopted, the effects would be grand for America; it would save her dollars while it would help to draw the nails of the vile Boroughmongers. But, he has to labour against the inveterate effects of the thing the most difficult of all others to move—habit. 559. By what I have been able to observe of this part of the country, those who expect to find what is gene- rally understood by society, pretty much the same that they have been accustomed to it on the Atlantic side, or in England, will not be totally disappointed. It is here upon the basis of the same manners and customs as in the oldest settled’ districts, and it there differs from what it is in England, and here from what it is there, only according to circumstances. Few of the social amusements that are practicable at present, are scarce; dancing the most rational for every reason, is’ the most common; and, in an assemblage for this pur- ose, composed of the farmers’ daughters and sons rom 20 miles round, an Englishman (particularly if a young one) might very well think his travels to be