Name/Title
Miss Betsy Osborn DoverEntry/Object ID
2011.01.015Scope and Content
Miss Betsy Osborn
Dover
This story describes a trip to the south.
Betsy discusses being busy with her studies and unable to write.
The story begins as she decides to take a trip to the south. She started from Cleveland on a sleeper car train to Cincinnati. She eventually travels on a boat and describes what she sees on the journey.
Transcribed:
Miss Betsey Osborn
Dover
Read by Hattie Porter March 25 1859
I hope my Instructor
will excuse me for not writing
much, as I could not think of any
thing worthy of my attention my mind
has been so occupied with my studies
the past week. Although I will give
you a brief account of a short side
I took a few days since and of my
safe arrival home. I concluded to take
a short tower (as ladies of taste
frequently go aboard) I concluded a
southern one would be the pleasantest
this season of the year as I had
never seen the southern climes where
the snow of winter is unknown
and the novelties of climates
and rivers are so diverse from ours
as well as its productions and
population. I started from Cleveland
on the improved evening train of
cars where all passengers may retire and
have a good nights rest that are used
to the rumbling noise of the cars and
the noise of the Locomotive as we went
on whistling and puffing
over hill and dale and through the
woods enough to scare every wild cat
within five miles. I had to wait a
long time before Morpheus would come
and shut my eyes so as to sleep much.
However at last I rather forgot I was
on my journey. Till the whistle of the
Locomotive squealed loud enough to arouse
a deaf man, And the Conductor
announced that we were in Cincinnati.
The gas lights are still burning like so
Many stars or rather like torches in
the distance. But the moment the
cars came to a stop the Coachmans
bedlam like cannon hooting. one for
this and one for that - Hotel Announcing
also that the fast steam boat
Fashion would start in one hour for
New Orleans and all its fine fare and
advantage over every other boat. and
by this time the sun had risen in
all its splendor the river and city
appeared in all its beauty as the
Omnibuses rattled often the swift
streets and in a short time we
were at the National Hotel. it
appeared especially filled up for our
reception the waiters were
in attendance to show us our
rooms with dust brush in hand
and a pleasant good morning
friends. When the gong announced
us that Breakfast was ready which
was got up in good style. our appetites
were in fine order our waiter were
as polite as possible and of cours[e] we
helped our selves to the --dfuls to
the best advantage. when the
Coachman sounding his horn for the
passengers as the Fashion ½ mile distant
was the be start in 15 minutes and Oh!
such scrambling for, hats, caps, bonnets,
shawls, canes, &c[etc.], was not to be beat.
We were soon under way reaching the
boat in season I had a fine view
of the city on both sides of the river
its fine Buildings and lofty Edifices
and churches, numerous sail boats
cruising on the Ohio river as the
sun shore on there while sails and
the morning breeze wafted them over
the glassy waters our boat soon gave
the signal for starting. We were soon on
our way for the sunny south. Our
boat was not much like those on
lake Erie they would have been shattered
to pieces in half an hour in a
storm as we passed I had a pleasant
view of old Kentucky as my state room
was near the bow of the boat on the
upper deck. I saw the blacks on some
plantations with there drivers with there
long whips in hand and if any one
looked up they catched it sure.
This look rather aristocratical
for us Northern folks. We stopped
at Memphis Tenn - to wood which
was done by the negroes while the
overseer stood under his umbrella with
whip in hand to give them a touch once
in a while. We also shipped a lot
of negroes all handcuffed and
chained for market. Many things
I must omit here for fear of being
too tedious. The houses were few and
far between on the plantation and things
looked rather dreary except where we
could see the fine Orange Groves near
the towns or cities. We began to feel
the intense heat of summer as we
arrived near Natchez. Our boat got
snagged as it is called, by running
on trees or logs sank in the
river and as the top of one struck
the starboard wheel and tore
off the shaft our Captain said we must
be detained a day or two we were towed
in by a tug besides the quay the most
of us went to see the city of Natchez.
There were a lot of negroes in market
for sale the whites were armed to the
teath, men and woman each carrying
there revolver and bowy knife for
fear of insult. And now for the
first time I wished my self in
Dover again I went up to the
St Charles Hotel with a very amiable
young man of my acquaintances
from New York which had come down
here to try some new experiment
in telegraphing he said he had been
inventing a new vehical [vehicle] for caring
passengers by telegraph to any desirable
point they wished I told him I had
Been attending school this winter at
the academy in Dover under
Proff. Wilson and the school was a going
to have a grand exhibition to morrow
evening and I would give almost
any thing if I was there he told me
if I would give him $25 I should the
first passenger which offer I gladly
accepted he soon opened his chest
and took out a little sled like
instrument it was steel shod,
shaped some like a boat and
painted blue cushend in the nicest
manner, in which I was to sit
In a neeling [kneeling] manner, giving me
some straps to hold, as he touched
the magnets wire he said the next
instant I should be in Cleveland
and in fact so it was this explains
how I came to be here to night.
The remaining half page and the next few pages are blank.Collection
Osborn Family CollectionRelationships
Related Person or Organization
Person or Organization
Osborn, Betsy
