portion of it, but the difficulties of the Penn family made it necessary to yield it to others. Jonathan Dickinson bought a part; and a part was given to Andrew Hamilton for needful professional services as a legal counsellor, &c., to the Penn family.

A few country seats were located along the Ridge road, having the rear of their grounds extending back to the beautiful banks of the Schuylkill. Among such were Mifflin's place, Francis' place, Peale hall, and others. Those named were all set fire to at the same time, by the British-saying, as their excuse, that they could or did serve for look-out shelters for their enemies. Two country seats on Germantown road were also burnt-say Norris' place at Fairhill, and Charles Thomson's at Sommerville.

Stenton, near Germantown, the residence of the Logan family, was originally taken up by James Logan, secretary, &c., of William Penn. The family mansion was built in 1727, in a very superior manner. At one time the fields there were cultivated in tobacco. It was used for a short time by General Howe, and at one time was preserved from intended conflagration by the British, by the adroit management of the house-keeper then there, in charge of it.

Familiar as I have been with the history and manuscript remains of the honoured proprietor, the first James Logan, I approach the secluded shades of Stenton, in which he sought retirement from the cares and concerns of public life, with such emotions as might inspire poetry, or soothe and enlarge the imagination.

In truth, I feel, with Sir Richard Steele, that on such an occasion, "I can draw a secret, unenvied pleasure from a thousand incidents overlooked by other men." A picture of the house, as now seen, is given in this work.

At the present time there are standing some three or four old brick country residences distinguished in their day. One of double front, from the road, in the lot on the northern side of the Arsenal; another stands opposite to the Arsenal, back from the road, having a circular window in the gable-end to the street, and a piazza around the whole square of the building. Another stands at the angle of the ferryroad, below the Arsenal, and shows its circular window to the road. It was built and resided in by Weiss, who inherited, it from the Swedish family of Cocke. This Weiss was the first man to bring Lehigh coal to Philadelphia for experiment. He, bringing what he had, in his saddle-bags, and was laughed out of his hopes therein, on its being tried for ignition in his cousin Dupuy's silver-smith furnace! He died at Weissport, named Col. Jacob Weiss.

Strange to tell, a former country-seat is even now in the centre of Philadelphia! It is No. 2 South Thirteenth street. The same house where the five wheelbarrow men murdered a man, and were hung for it, on the Centre square.

MISCELLANEOUS FACTS.

"Made of odd ends and patches."

THE following facts have no proper connexion, and have here been brought together, because they had no proper affinity with any other subjects treated of severally under appropriate heads. They are shreds and patches and odd ends, here wove, into a Mosaic pattern-to wit:

Miscellanea.

1683, Jan. 28.-The speaker of the assembly ordered, that each member absenting himself without good cause, should pay a fine of 12d. sterling each time.

1685, March 16.-Nicholas Moore, (former speaker,) for contempt of the authority of the house, was expelled.

1689, March 13.-John White, a member in prison in New Castle, was ordered to be set free and to take his seat, but he was again seized by the sheriff, John Claypole, and borne off!

1695. The Judges were allowed 10s. a day for their services. John Claypole alone was declared a man of ill-fame, and the governor was requested to remove him.

1701.-Juries were to be paid 8d. a day, and witnesses 2s. each. Members of assembly in after years received 4s. 6d. a day.

1702.-Solomon Cresson, going his round at night, entered a tavern to suppress a riotous assembly, and found there John Evans, Esq., the governor, who fell to beating Cresson.

1704, August 16.-The violence of the wind and rain prevented the members of assembly, out of town, from attendance. Such members usually brought their dinners with them.

October 15.-The assembly was required to meet on Sunday. They organized, and adjourned to Monday.

1706.-The wolves had increased so greatly near to Philadelphia, as to endanger the sheep.

1721.-Sundry persons in Philadelphia agree to receive, in payment of goods, &c., the dollars called Lion dollars at the rate of 5s., the English crown at 7s. 6d., the English shilling at 1s. 6d., &c., proclamation money.

Four brick tenements on the west side of Front street, and with lots extending through to Second street, fronting on which are two tenements, all rent for £70. per annum, and pay £12. ground rent, bounded on the north by Clement Plumstead. who lived at the north-west corner of Union and Front streets.

1722. The mineral water in the Great valley, 30 miles from Philadelphia, is discovered this year; and great praise is bestowed on the Bristol spring.

A public paper of the merchants at Jamaica, of July, 1722, states "that the reputation of a place, (Philadelphia,) once famed for the best flour in America, has become so corrupted, that housekeepers are scarcely persuaded to look on Pennsylvania flour." In consequence of this and other representations, an act for better inspection was passed.

The names of the grand jurors empanelled, gives one a good idea of the first inhabitants; and their original signatures to recommendations to tavern licenses, might now help many a descendant to a means of knowing the writing of their first progenitors in Philadelphia. These are still on file in the Mayor's court.

In 1722 and '23, interest was reduced in Pennsylvania from 8 to 6 per cent.

When blackbirds and crows were numerous and destructive, they gave premiums for their heads-by the act of 1704, they gave 3d. per dozen for blackbirds and 3d. for crows.

By an act of 1719, they compelled all paupers in Philadelphia to wear a letter P upon their right shoulder, to prevent them from street begging, &c.

The act for establishing a ferry to Daniel Cooper's land, was passed in 1717.

1726. There are advertised two gray stallions suitable for a coach.. 1727.-Lord De la Warr, after whom Delaware is so named, so spells his name in signing, with the other lords, the declaration of King George's death.

A lion, the king of beasts, is exhibited in Water street at Is. a sight.

The king's birth-day was celebrated this year, (1727,) at the house of Win. Chanceller, sailmaker, in whose gardens twenty-one pieces of cannon were placed and fired. Some incidental circumstances have shown that he was the friend of Sir Wm. Keith, the governor, and had from him the first grant of keeping gunpowder stored for safety.

The first loan office was opened in 1728.

1729.-J. Kempster and J. Coals were compelled to kneel at the bar of the house of assembly, and to ask pardon for offence.

1730, Nov. 5.-Monday night, one Bradley going home alone, in liquor, fell into a ditch at the upper end of Market street, where he was found dead the next morning, having been drowned in six inches of water.

It is worthy of remark, that in this early day so few co-partnerships should occur in business. In a list of 120 chief houses in trade, only two instances occur of signatures by firms.

1730. The house of assembly ordered that a flag should be hoisted on proper days upon Society hill-such as Sundays and

holidays, &c., and that Edward Carter be paid £10. for such hoisting, &c.

1736.-An ox is announced as to be roasted whole, for public entertainment, in the Northern Liberties-at J. Stennard's.

Mr. Derring, dancing-master, advertises for scholars, John Salomen, Latin and French teacher, advertises in Latin for pupils. 1736.-A servant man going into the river, "under Society hill," to wash, slipped beyond his depth and was drowned.

At the same place a man, attended by his wife, came to drown himself to get rid of her: but after casting himself in, at which sight she was a calm spectator, some officious persons near there rescued him, and compelled him and his wife to go home together!

1738.-Peter Poole, of Manatawna, hearing a noise in the brook near his house, supposed it was a deer in the water, and shooting at it, killed his own mother, Anna S. Poole! This family probably gave name to Poole's ship-yard and bridge.

1738. The mayor acquainted the city council that several of the barbers of the city had applied to him to take proper measures to prevent persons exercising that trade on the first day of the week, called Sunday, and the mayor desired the opinion of the board what measures to adopt,-whereupon the board orders that they be notified to abstain from so working on that day, according to the law of the province before existing, and preventing working on that day.

1739. One of the houses at the south-west corner of Front and Walnut streets, (held by Edward Bridges as a dry-goods store) is said to be "commonly called the Scales."

A camel is this year exhibited, the first ever shown here.

1746-" Firms" in trade now first begin to appear-say Hamilton, Wallace and Co."-" Steadman, Robertson and Co."

A storekeeper in Wilmington-say Joseph Peters-advertises his list of store goods in the Philadelphia paper. He does this often in several years, even till his death, and then his successor does the

same.

In 1746, Thomas Kinnett advertises to teach the noble art of defence with the small sword, and also dancing.

In consequence of that advertisement, an article soon after appeared, signed Samuel Foulke, in which he says, "I was indeed surprised at his audacity and brazen impudence in giving those detestable vices those high encomiums. They may be proved so far from "accomplishments," that they are diabolical. This is a freedom of assault by friend Foulke, not now practised with other men's advertisements! The other does not appear to have made any defence, although so accomplished to defend himself!

1748. The coin of the day is called pieces-of-eight-pistoles and cob-dollars.

1749.-A proclamation of Charles Willing, Esq., the mayor, commands all barbers and peruke-makers from working at their trades on the sabbath-day.

This year wood was determined, by an ordinance, that it should measure four feet in length, or be forfeited to the poor, and any person refusing to submit it to measurement, should forfeit 5s. per cord.

1751. The pilot boats used to be all docked in a dock where are now Girard's stores, above High street. They were of small dimensions then. I perceive they were pinked stern, but 27 feet keel, and 11 feet beam.

1754. By far the greatest collection of books that I have seen advertised by catalogue, even by Franklin and other printers, were published by Tench Francis, Jr., in connexion with his assortment of European and East India goods. There were then no exclusive book-stores.

William Taylor, who came from England in 1726, and settled at Darby, was the first man who ever made a pair of smith's bellows in our country.

There were great perplexities in our markets at the time of changing the computation of money from pounds, shillings, and pence, to dollars and cents, and considerable in keeping accounts, &c. It was a long time before people could get out of their old habits.

Philadelphia has long enjoyed the reputation of a peculiar cake called the apee. Thousands who partake of them have no conception of the origin of their name. Ann Page, lately living under another name and business, first made them, many years ago, under the common name of cakes. The aged may remember her small frame house in Second street, two doors north of Carter's alley. On her cakes she impressed the letters A. P., the letters of her name, and from this cause, ever since the initials have been disused on them, the cakes have continued to be called apees.

Our Philadelphia butchers are said to cut up and display their beef in a manner superior to the sister cities. At New York, they leave the lean on the chuck, which our butchers leave on the hide; and we cut the plate and the brisket more sightly than they do at New York or Baltimore.

In the year 1779, the Spanish ambassador, then living in Chew's large house in South Third street above the Mansion house, gave a grand gala. The gardens there were superbly decorated with variegated lamps, and the edifice itself was like a blaze of light.

I saw an ancient deed in the possession of Samuel Richards, which was written on very fine linen cambric, and faced on both sides with paper. It made it firm and to the eye like vellum.

The mile-stones from Philadelphia to Trenton were set up by the directors of the Company for the Insurance of houses-done in 1763, out of the funds raised by their fines. They cost £33. The particulars, as reported by the committee, may be seen at length on page 198 of my MS. Annals in the Historical Society of Pennsylvania.

I have been well assured that the stones set up along the Gulf road are marked with Penn's arms, having three balls. Some still