Travels Through North America, During the Years 1825 and 1826. v. 1-2

In many villages where you see handsome brick buildings, stables, and barns, the school is a simple log-house, much worse than the school-houses I have seen among the Indians. There is no want of churches, mostly Lutheran, some Calvinist, Quaker meeting-houses, Anabaptists, and Menonists. Between Quakertown and Bethlehem, the former called so on account of its having been originally settled by that sect, but now inhabited mostly by Germans, there is a parish of Swiss Menonists, which they call here Dunkards, because the men let their beards grow. As we passed through, there happened to be the funeral of a young girl, and almost the whole congregation followed the coffin. Between four and five o’clock, P. M. we reached Bethlehem, and staid in Bishop’s tavern, which was very cleanly, and well managed.

Bethlehem is very handsomely situated, partly in a valley, and partly on a hill near the river Lehigh, into which empties the Manokesy brook. Very near the town there is a wooden bridge over the river, which was built in the year 1791, and rests upon three stone pillars, and over the brook there is a newly-built stone bridge of two arches. The moment you behold Bethlehem, you are pleased with it: opposite the town, on the right bank of the Lehigh, are rather high mountains, overgrown with wood. The brick houses of the town are situated amphitheatrically; above all the houses, you see the church with a small steeple, and the whole is crowned by the burying-place, which lies upon a hill, and is planted with lombardy poplars. The fields around the town are excellently cultivated, and the landscape is bounded by the Blue Mountains, eighteen miles distant, a long range of mountains with no one distinct summit, but with some openings through. The streets in Bethlehem are not paved, but planted with poplars, and provided with broad brick side-walks; the houses are built either of blue limestone or of brick. The greatest building in this town, which formerly served as the house for the brethren, is now occupied as a young ladies boarding-school. There is also here an arched market-place, where butcher’s meat is sold. On the place where Bishop’s tavern now stands, not long ago stood a little frame building, which was built at the time Bethlehem was founded by Count Zinzendorf. The town has about seven hundred inhabitants, mostly tradesmen and merchants. The clergy consists of Bishop Huffel and the two preachers, Messrs. Seidel and Von Schweinitz; the latter is the great grandson of Count Zinzendorf, he was just absent on a voyage to Germany, where he met the general synod in Herrenhut.

One of the Messrs. Rice introduced me into the tavern, and gave notice to the clergy of my arrival; shortly after, I received a visit from Mr. Seidel, a Saxon by birth, who has resided nineteen years in the United States. I found him a very friendly and pleasant gentleman, and had a long conversation with him. I also met with an old man from Eisenach, by the name of Stickel, who came to this country as a surgeon with the Hessians, and for some years past had taken up his residence in this tavern, where he acts as cicerone to the strangers.

Next morning I received another visit from parson Seidel, and went with him to Bishop Huffel; the bishop is a man of about sixty years of age, also a Saxon, and a very friendly man, who has travelled much and speaks pleasantly. He had a very handsome collection of minerals, particularly of American marbles; Mr. Seidel resides with him in the oldest dwelling of the town, which has quite the appearance of the house of a country parson in Germany, and has even German locks and bolts to it; in this house is a large hall, which formerly served the parish as a church until the church was finished. I visited the church, escorted by the two divines; the arrangements are quite simple, a white hall with benches, and a somewhat higher seat for the clergy, with a table before it; the church has a very fine organ, which was made at New York. The bishop, who is a good performer on the piano, had the goodness to play for me on the organ. From the steeple of the church is a handsome prospect of the surrounding neighbourhood, the Lehigh, the mountains of the same name, and the Blue Mountains. In the church building, next to the large hall, are several chambers, where they formerly kept school, before the new school was built, but now the elders hold their conferences in it, and the smaller meetings of the parish. By building this new church, the parish incurred a debt; the building, however, is not very tasty. The burying place of the congregation is upon a small hill, and resembles a garden planted with trees. The graves are in rows, a simple stone lying on each, containing the name, birth, and time of death of the departed. This morning I observed by a circular notice, the death of a young lad who died last evening; in order to give notice of his death, they played with trumpets the tunes of three hymns from the steeple, early in the morning; certainly a very simple and touching ceremony! The corpse is put in the corpse-house, and the burying takes place in presence of the whole parish. Not far from the burying place, upon an elevated spot, is a cistern, in which by means of a forcing machine, the water is carried from the brook, and thence all the houses and streets are supplied with water.

After that we went to the dwelling of the sisterhood; all the old maids, and some younger ones of the parish, who have no parents, live together. Heretofore, all the unmarried women were obliged to live in the sister-house; but this has been changed since, and those who have parents, live with their families. Those sisters who live together, have either each a separate room, or several have a sitting room together. They support themselves by selling female utensils, which they manufacture. There is no house for the brotherhood, because young industrious labourers in this happy land, where there are no taxes, can support themselves very well. The ground on which the houses stand, belongs to the parish, and every man, who wishes to build here, has to pay a certain ground rent. There is, however, here no community of goods; every one has to work for, and to support himself, and the parish only assists him when he has become poor by misfortune.

After this interesting ramble I visited Mr. Rice, who is a merchant, owner of a mill, and is particularly engaged in the flour business; he also keeps a store, where every article is to be found, which the country people are in need of; from cloth, and fine linen, down to common wagon-screws. After that, I dined at home in the lively company of six young ladies from Providence, who also came to finish their education here in the boarding-school; as in Germany, the brothers have boarding-schools, where children, whose parents do not belong to the society, are carefully educated. The female school is at Bethlehem, and the male school in Nazareth.

After dinner I took a ride with Dr. Stickel, in order to examine a new lock, lately established on the river Lehigh. Within a few years they have opened important coal works, about thirty miles from this place, at Mauch Chunk, on the other side of the Blue Mountains; these mines furnish Philadelphia and the neighbourhood with the well-known Lehigh coals, which are much better than the English coals. These coals were formerly shipped in light boats near the pit, and floated down the Lehigh into the Delaware to Philadelphia, and the boats were then broke to pieces and sold, on account of the falls and strong current of the Lehigh, which prevented their return. As even the navigation down the river was frequently obstructed on account of low water, and incumbered with difficulties, the company owning the mines, made a dam in the river, through which canals pass with locks, by means of which they have improved the navigation.

In the vicinity of the Lehigh, there are many limestone rocks; these they explode, partly for the purpose of having heavy stones, which are thrown on the dams, partly for burning them to lime. The burned lime is not only used for building, but also as manure for the fields.

We returned from the locks to Bethlehem by another road; on account of their distance from the coal pits, these locks are called the thirty-seven mile locks. We passed through a well cultivated valley, wherein is situated a place called Butstown, settled by Germans, and consisting of a few neat brick buildings. Thence the road passed through an oak-wood, which appeared to be in very good order, and belonged to the brotherhood. In the evening I went with Mr. Seidel to a concert, which the amateurs of the town gave. In the town-school is a room appropriated for these concerts, which take place weekly. The orchestra consisted of eleven musicians, all of whom were mechanics of Bethlehem, who very successfully practiced this art as amateurs. The greatest part of the religious service of the brotherhood consists of music; for this reason music constitutes a principal part of their education. The music was fine beyond all expectation; I heard very good male and female singers; amongst others were Mr. Seidel and one of the young female ushers of the boarding-school, Miss Humphreys. Finally, the good Bishop Huffel had the politeness to amuse us, to our great gratification, by performing fancy pieces of his own on the piano. After the concert I remained a few hours with Mr. Seidel, his wife is a German by birth; moreover, I made acquaintance with a preacher, Mr. Frueauf, a native of Dietendorf, near Gotha; he married a sister of Mr. Von Schweinitz, and lives on his income; I found in him a friendly old gentleman, who was rejoiced to meet a countryman. Moreover it was no trifling gratification to me, to have conversed this whole day in German, and to hear that language spoken in purity, which is hardly ever the case in other parts of America.

On the third day of my stay at Bethlehem, Mr. Frueauf called for me, for the purpose of riding with me to the brotherhood of Nazareth, which is ten miles distant. The road passes partly through a well kept wood, and partly through a well cultivated country. A great many single farms, which we passed, showed the wealth of their owners. One of the places we passed, is called Hecktown; this name originated from a waggery of Mr. Frueauf, on account of the fruitfulness of the inhabitants, who increase and multiply very fast. Nazareth is also very well built, and resembles Bethlehem, only it is, if it be possible, still more quiet. The town was laid out in the year 1744, and the large brick building, which is now used as the boys boarding-school, was originally intended for the mansion of Count Zinzendorf. This district has about five hundred inhabitants, including the adjoining parish called Schoeneck, they are mostly mechanics and farmers. There were two clergymen, Mr. Van Vleck, son of the ex-bishop of Bethlehem, and Mr. Ronthal, a native German, who was long pastor of the parish of Sarepta in Russia.

We first visited Mr. Van Vleck, and then inspected the society’s garden; it is situated on the slope of a hill and has some pavilions and handsome promenades. Then we went in the boarding school, in which sixty boys receive their education; forty board in the house, and twenty reside with their parents, in the village. This school is likewise for children of different denominations, and is generally praised. Immediately on my entrance, I remarked the great cleanliness of the house. The scholars are divided into four classes, and are not received till they are eight years old. The tutors are mostly Germans, or at least speak that language, which is taught to the boys by particular desire of their parents. The school possesses a good cabinet of natural history, which is kept in good order, and has a collection of eggs of various birds of the neighbourhood, gathered by the scholars. The scholars sleep in common in two great halls, two superintendents sleep in each of them. They eat in common and take a long daily walk, under the guardianship of their tutors. Besides the common school rudiments, the French, German, and English languages, they are taught drawing, music, and Italian book-keeping by double entry. For instruction in music, every class has a piano: a particular room is destined for religious worship. The boys have all healthy, lively, and open countenances, and are kept very clean. In the building there is also a theological seminary for young men who are designed for the pulpit; there were five pupils studying. These students are obliged to finish their education in the large theological seminary of Gnadenfeld in Upper Silesia. On the top of the house there is a gallery, from which you see the surrounding neighbourhood. Nazareth is situated on rather high ground, and is only eight miles distant from the Blue Mountains. The vicinity would be very handsome, if there were more streams in the neighbourhood, but in these it seems to be deficient.

After this we went to the sisterhood’s house, wherein were lodged thirty-seven old women, who sleep all in one large hall. In the room where they perform worship, there is a small organ, as in the sisterhood at Bethlehem; one of the sisters acts as organist. I observed here, as well as in Bethlehem, that the old Moravian female costume, particularly the caps, have gone out of fashion, except some few very old women, and they now dress in handsome modern style. We visited the parson, Mr. Ronthal, and the elder of the congregation, Mr. Hoeber. I became acquainted with a former missionary, Mr. Oppelt, who was many years amongst the Indians, one hundred miles the other side of Detroit, and has baptized several of them. He has retired to Nazareth, and was busy in making preparations of birds.

On our return to Bethlehem, we went rather roundabout, in order to see a large farm, which is distinguished in the country on account of its good management; it is occupied by a native of Nassau, Mr. Schlabach. His fields are indeed in an excellent situation, as well as all his barns and farm houses. This proprietor, who is now so wealthy, came over a redemptioner, and owes his present wealth to his industry and frugality.

After dinner I went with Mr. Seidel, who is the guardian, to the great female boarding-school. In the office where the small domestic library is kept, which not only consists of religious books, but also belles lettres, voyages and travels, I met the venerable Bishop Huffel, who accompanied me, with Mr. Seidel, during my inspection of the school. In this school we found about one hundred handsome young ladies, between the ages of eight and eighteen years, who are carefully educated, and who, besides the common school education, are instructed in drawing, music, and all female accomplishments. They make very fine embroidery and tapestry, and also handsome artificial flowers. They are divided into four classes; in every class-room was a piano. I was informed that they performed their morning and evening devotions by chanting. After dinner they receive no other instructions but music and female accomplishments; the latter part of the day is employed in walking in the large garden, which lies in a vale behind the house. They have also a hall for prayers, in which stands a piano, and which is often made use of as a concert room. They sleep in large halls, with the superintendents, and the girls have a very good appearance. The custom which prevails in European boarding-schools, of dressing all the girls in uniform, and distinguishing different classes by different ribands, does not take place here; every girl dresses as she pleases. The scholars are from all parts of the United States, even some from Alabama.

After having examined this interesting establishment, I walked with the bishop and Mr. Seidel on the banks of the brook, in order to examine some works that are situated on the waterside. The first was the work which forces the water into the cistern, as above-mentioned. By a conductor from the brook, a water-wheel is set in motion; this wheel works two pumps, which force the water into iron pipes leading into the cistern. Not far from this work lives a currier by the name of Mr. Leipert, who manufactures leather and morocco: in this establishment the principal machinery is also moved by water. They have two ways here of raising water, one is by boxes fastened on a large wheel, these boxes fill themselves with water, when they are below, and throw it into a gutter, when they come up; the other is by a common pump.

At last my companions introduced me to a gentleman, who, with trouble and expense, had established a cabinet of ancient and other coins. This collection was indeed extensive and valuable, recollecting that it was in America.

I spent the evening very pleasantly in the young ladies school; all the girls were assembled, and gave a musical entertainment, mostly songs composed for several voices. But as the girls have to retire early, the entertainment, for which I was indebted to the politeness of Mr. Seidel, was soon ended. I remained a short time with Mr. Seidel, I then took my leave of this worthy man, of the venerable Bishop Huffel, and the polite Mr. Frueauf, with the intention of returning next spring, God willing, to this lovely spot, with which I was so much delighted. In going home, I heard the young ladies sing their evening hymn, and received a very pretty serenade from twenty young folks of the place, who, although they belong to the brotherhood, serve as the musical band of the militia. I could not leave this peaceable and quiet Bethlehem without being affected, whose inhabitants all live united like one family, in brotherly and sisterly love, and seem all to have the same habits, acquired by the same education and continued sociability. I returned with the stage on the same bad road to Philadelphia by which I left it, but better enjoyed the view of this beautiful, well cultivated and thickly peopled country. The last part of the road was particularly interesting to me. In the flourishing villages of Germantown and Nicetown there are handsome gardens and country-seats of Philadelphians. In the vicinity of Whitemarsh, I observed the remains of General Washington’s entrenchments. Germantown, originally settled by Germans, forms only one street, which is above three miles long. During the time when the English occupied Philadelphia and its vicinity, General Washington fell upon the English that were in and about Germantown. One battalion of the British threw themselves into a stone house, and defended themselves in it until the British army could rally again, and drive the Americans back. The house is situated in a garden, about one hundred paces from the road; near the house, in the street, is a well which supplies the house with water; to keep possession of the well was of great consequence to the British, and in its vicinity many men are said to have lost their lives.

On the ensuing morning I went with Mr. Halbach to Mr. Vaux, in order to visit under his guidance some other public institutions. At Mr. Vaux’s we met several of the public characters of the city, with whom I had conversations on various subjects of public utility, such as schools, punishments, &c. Then we went into a Lancasterian free school, where five hundred lads are instructed, and several hundred girls of the lower classes. We did not see the girls; it was Saturday, which is a holiday. The boys are of various ages, and are divided into eight classes, under the inspection of one teacher and several monitors. They obey their instructors by signals, all their motions are made according to these signals, and they give their answers with the greatest precision. They exercise their memory by reciting pieces of poetry, and making mental calculations. They write well and all alike; they also receive instruction in geography; one of the boys had drawn a good and correct sketch of Thuringia. They ought to pay more attention to the dress of the children, for some of them were in rags. The school is supported by the city, and is under the direction of Quakers.

Of the courts of justice I will say nothing; they are entirely formed after the English model. The common law of England is so well known, and so many huge volumes written upon it, that I need say nothing on the subject.

The state prison, which, about fifty years ago, was built for a county jail, contained ad interim those prisoners which are intended for the new penitentiary. For this reason this prison is overfilled with five hundred prisoners; they were not sufficiently watched, and therefore often riotous. Through a misdirected philanthropy of the Quakers, who have also the direction of this prison, there are no guards on the walls, nor in the passages, and but five overseers go continually amongst the labouring prisoners, and their lives are often exposed. The inspector of the house, Mr. Swift, seemed no way to favour this system, which not only does not improve the morals of the convicts, but also seems to threaten public security. At this time there was a bad feeling among the prisoners, and they daily expected a riot. The Quakers themselves, in spite of their philanthropy, seemed to have no great confidence in the prisoners. In our walk through the prison with Mr. Vaux, it was evident from his countenance that he felt uneasy, and as the prisoners were assembled on the large stairs at twelve o’clock, to go to their dinner, he ensconced himself behind the iron grate.

The female prisoners occupy one of the wings of the prison, and are employed in spinning, sewing, knitting and pulling horse-hair, platting straw, and washing. They sit in long warmed corridors, adjoining to the doors of their bed-rooms; ten and more sleep in one room, on horse-hair mattresses with blankets. There are also cells for solitary confinement established for them; in one of them, four weeks since, a handsome girl was confined that had been condemned for stealing, and affected to be a simpleton, deaf and dumb, but during her solitary confinement she began to speak sensibly, and with good understanding. The male prisoners inhabit the other wing, and have the whole yard to themselves, where there are several workshops. Most of the prisoners were busy in the yard sawing marble, others weave, are tailors, shoemakers, &c. and there are several good cabinet-makers, who make very fine furniture for the stores in the city. All hands are busy: the invalids are mostly employed in pulling horse-hair. In the bake-house of the institution they bake very good brown bread, and each prisoner receives daily one pound and a half. The prisoners have a long subterraneous room for an eating hall, which is lighted with lamps, and receive daily good broth, fresh meat, and potatoes. They certainly live much better than many an honest man who has to maintain his family by his industry. A weaver was confined in the solitary cells, who, in a moment of impatience, had cut through his thread with a knife, because it was entangled. In each wing there is a separate nursery for the patients of both sexes. In spite of the great number of prisoners, great cleanliness is maintained.

His excellency, John Quincy Adams, President of the United States, had just returned from a visit to his aged and venerable father near Boston, and took the room next to mine in the Mansion-house. He had been invited to the Wistar-Party on the 22d of October, at the house of Colonel Biddle, and accepted the invitation to the gratification of all the members. I also visited the party. The President is a man about sixty years old, of rather short stature, with a bald head, and of a very plain and worthy appearance. He speaks little, but what he does speak is to the purpose. I must confess that I seldom in my life felt so true and sincere a reverence as at the moment when this honourable gentleman whom eleven millions of people have thought worthy to elect as their chief magistrate, shook hands with me. He made many inquiries after his friends at Ghent, and particularly after the family of Mr. Meulemeester. Unfortunately I could not long converse with him, because every member of the party had greater claims than myself. At the same time I made several other new and interesting acquaintances, among others with a Quaker, Mr. Wood, who had undertaken a tour through England, France, Germany, Denmark, Sweden and Russia, mostly with the philanthropic view of examining the prison discipline of those countries. I was much gratified with his instructive conversation, although I had some controversy with him on the prison discipline, as he heard that I did not agree with his views relative to the new penitentiary, of which he was one of the most active promoters. Mr. Livingston, who has effected the abolition of capital punishment in the state of Louisiana, was here lauded to the skies by the philanthropists. God send it success!