considerable relief in the news department. Independent of this accommodation on the part of Mr. Kline, his post-man, George Hacket, amused the citizens on his arrival, with a tune on the fife, of which he was a complete master.

In a short time afterwards Mr. Cadwallader procured a mail route from Harrisburg to Huntingdon, on which a horse-mail was carried once a week; but Mr. Duffey was unable to make a living by the publication of his paper, and removed to Baltimore in 1798.

Jno. R. Parrington succeeded Mr. Duffey as a printer, by permission, but only for a brief period, as some of his creditors deprived him of liberty even to carry on his establishment.

January, 1801, the "Huntingdon Gazette" was established, which continued to be permanent.

In 1802 or 1803, a number of enterprising citizens, among whom were Robert Clark, Esq., of Clark's Ferry; Cochran, of Millerstown; G. Mulholland, of Lewistown; G. Galbraith, of Waynesburg; Jno. M'Connell, of Huntingdon and Jno. Walker of Alexandria, established a stage line, which, by permission of the postmaster general, was extended to Alexandria, seven miles west of Huntingdon. This company succeeded in running their stage through from Harrisburg to Alexandria, and back in six days; from once a week, it increased to its present speed between the same points, in twenty-four hours.

West of Alexandria, a mail route, at the time, was scarcely thought of. The roads, in fact, were scarcely passable on horse back. The freight of iron from the works in Huntingdon county to Pittsburg was as high as seventy-five dollars per ton, in fact, my informant added, that he himself was in company with a team which took three days to travel from Munster to Edensburg, a distance of seven miles.

The Northern Turnpike," through the indefatigable exertions of Jno. Blair, Esq., was commenced in the year and completed, between Harrisburg and Pittsburg, in 1822. The canal was commenced in 1826, and finished in 1831. The turnpike is now entirely abandoned as to heavy burthens. The freight on iron, west, generally from 7 to 5 dollars per ton; East, 5 to 6.

Mr. M'Cahan was the first successful printer of a newspaper in Huntingdon.

XLV.-Thomas Godfrey-the Inventor of the Quadrant.

By JOHN F. WATSON, of Germantown.

When the Annals of Philadelphia was published in 1830, the author was almost the only man who knew of the grave of Godfrey; and in noticing that fact, he made the remark that "thus he, who benefitted maritime science, and enriched commerce with millions, had not himself the requital of a stone to mark his memory; he rests without any storied urn or monumental bust to show his grave!" But now, in 1836, some of the friends of science are disposed to rescue his remains from obscurity,

and to give them sepulture, with pre-eminent distinction, even purposing to inter him and other worthies beneath a beautiful pyramid (after the pattern of Caius Cestus) at the Laurel Hill Cemetery! It is intended there to associate his name and fame with the removed remains of Rittenhouse, Wilson and Say.

In noticing this fact, it presents a favorable occasion to set down some additional facts concerning Godfrey, useful to the further development of the character of the man. It seems to have been the design of writers who have heretofore spoken of him, to mark, as of set purpose, the meanness of his circumstances, education and calling-as if those facts should increase our wonderment at his distinguished discovery; but the case needed no such artifice. He was called Godfrey, "a glazier;" and as if that fact was not sufficiently marked, he was said to have been "apprenticed with a very poor man," and was himself of "a mean trade," and "got his family bread by the labors of his own hand." It is true that James Logan, who became his patron and friend, so spoke of him also; but that he did in some measure for effect,-intending thereby to enlist the feelings of Dr. Halley in behalf of the Inventor. When the Annals of Philadelphia was published, Godfrey was called a glazier and painter, the last term being gratuitously superadded from a desire to "magnify his office." But that helping addition was improper, for when Godfrey was a glazier it was a respectable trade by itself, and had nothing whatever to do with house painting, as the two trades are now connected. They did not then set glass in wooden frames with putty as now; and Godfrey's business was to solder little panes into leaden frames.

Having thus rescued his calling from its supposed meanness, it is useful to furnish some additional illustrations to prove that while he was a reputable tradesman among a community of tradesmen, held in respectable standing, he was also, from his circumstances in life, placed in a situation to be above pecuniary want, and free from the inquietudes of the res angusta domi. These facts we must infer from the condition of his father and grandfather before him, from both of whom he inherited the estate (even now a good one) situated in Bristol township near Roberts' Mill, at the junction of the lime-kiln road with the church lane. The farm house where he was born and reared, is one of respectable size and appearance, even now, and sufficiently picturesque for a good picture, located amid lofty trees, on a pretty knoll, and close by the old "Malt house," where his grandfather" the Malster " made his malt and brewed his beer; he having bought the estate, now forming two or three farms, as early as 1697. This property remained in the family down to the year 1735, when Thomas Godfrey, the inventor, sold it to John Lukens. It is on record, that from the time that he became of age, in 1725, and received "the release" of the premises from his mother, he had retained the avails of the same, for the term of ten years of his manhood.* That it was still continued as a brewing es• It reads "the Release of Catherine Wood of Philadelphia, late wife of Joseph Godfrey, deceased, to Thomas Godfrey of Philadelphia, glazier, only son and heir apparent-dated December 31, 1725."

tablishment, we may justly infer from the fact, that it is named to this day by some of the aged, as "the Malt-house," and was so used as late as 30 to 33 years ago by Mr. Nathan Spencer, when he owned the premises. The fact of the family's having its own grave ground and the stones fully inscribed, is an indication of a respectable family establishment in that early day. That Thomas Godfrey was not educated in college form and in the classics, and that he chose or was placed to a trade, implies but little against his good common-school education. It was probably as good as was attainable by a country lad, and before colleges were formed in our country.

The story of his being led to his first thoughts upon the quadrant, by the accidental notice of a piece of fallen glass, while he was at work at Logan's place, though hitherto a story told without contradiction, may be deemed somewhat apocryphal, when collated with other known facts. It savors somewhat of fancy and contrivance, because it seems so like the apple story of Sir Isaac Newton, and leading him to the discovery of gravitation; besides, we have James Logan's own words for it, (vide his letter of 25th May, 1732, to Dr. Halley,) saying, that, "the first time I ever saw or heard of him, to my knowledge, he came to borrow Sir Isaac Newton's Principia, and after a little discourse, he soon became welcome to that or any other book I had." Then he adds: "this young man, about eighteen months since; told me that he had for some time been thinking of an instrument for taking distances of stars," &c. He also added in the same connection, that "he accidentally inet with a mathematical book, and took such a fancy to it, as soon to make himself master of it, and of any other of the kind that he could borrow or procure.' We see herein no reference to the piece of glass as a cause of his researches and study; but the whole is ascribed to his love of the mathematics in general, and that to this end he also made himself master of Latin, &c. The whole showing a devotion to the exact sciences, from an innate love of them, and pursuing them con

amore.

This passion in him, was enough of itself, to hinder his enrichment by any diligence to his trade-"one master passion eat up all the rest!" We have the evidence of James Logan, that he was a man of study be fore he knew him; and we may know from the incidental remarks of Benjamin Franklin,-vide his life,-that Godfrey, as early as 1728, was then one of the first members of his Junta Club, and was called by him, "a skilful though self-taught mathematician, the inventor, afterwards, of what is named Hadley's Dial." Franklin, indeed, says he did not personally like him, which may account for so little being said by him of his special merits; but the cause of the dislike, is itself a proof of the genius and mind which finally developed itself in the eventful discovery, to wit: "He was insupportable in company, (says Dr. Franklin,) always requiring, like the majority of mathematicians, an unusual precision in every thing that is said;" he adds, that "he very soon left us." At this same period too, Franklin was an inmate in Godfrey's family as a boarder, both using the same house "near the market," for their two employments. But Godfrey, as Franklin says,

"worked but very little at his business in the shop, being always alsorbed by mathematics."

If we consider the kind of persons who comprised the Junta Club, few of them of elevated rank in life, but with minds and inclinations for improvement and reading, we must admit that Godfrey stood as fair as any of them. Among them was one, (Wm. Parsons,) a shoemaker, "who had a profound knowledge of mathematics." The same afterwards became surveyor-general. It is easy to see a cause why Franklin should speak rather petulantly of Godfrey: The wife of Godfrey had contrived. a marriage relation for Franklin with one of her relatives, and the young lady cut the acquaintance, because the cautious printer wanted to raise £100 upon her property. "The Godfreys expressed some resentment at this," says Franklin, " and we could no longer agree!" This very fact, however, shows a family connection and standing in society creditable to the condition of the Godfrey family, howbeit, he was but a "glazier!" Men did not disparage tradesmen then, not even by implication! They were indeed, the proper primores of our country! The fact of Godfrey's son, a watchmaker, being a poet, and a lieutenant afterwards in the army, shows that he had education, genius and respectability, things not likely to have occurred if the father had died an obscure and poor man, &c. Let us, therefore, put away the idea of depressing his state in life for the sake of exciting wonderment at his discovery and usefulness.

It might be deemed a fact of somewhat curious coincidence, that my attention to the name and fame, and, I might add, to the neglect of Godfrey, should have been awakened by my acquaintance with Mr. Nathan Spencer, an aged gentleman, still alive, and who was born at, owned and dwelt upon the premises once Godfrey's, and there pursued the same business of farming and brewing, besides all which he was a very earnest and self-instructed mathematician. His love to that science, and the fact of his occupying the house where the inventor was born, induced him gratuitously and spontaneously to address a letter, in 1809, to Alexander Wilson, ornithologist, then acting editor of the reprint of Rees' Cyclopedia, pressing him to take that occasion to record sundry facts therein, concerning the neglected Godfrey. My inspection of a copy of that letter and the essay accompanying it, induced me to give sundry facts concerning Godfrey, in the Annals of Philadelphia, especially those which marked the identity of his unmonumented grave; and this fact coming at last to the public eye, and home to the sensibi

*The letter itself, read thus, viz: Friend Wilson-seeing that the lives of many eminent men are recorded in Rees' Cyclopædia, republished by S. T. Bradford and edited by thee, I have thought fit to prepare a memorial of Thomas Godfrey, a native of this place, who was eminent for being the true inventor of the Reflecting Quadrant. I am the more inclined to this, because I was born in, and am now in possession of the same house in which he was born, it being on the same premises once owned by him and his ancestors, and where their remains are now interred.

Bristol Township, 8 mo. 9, 1809.

(Signed)

NATHAN SPENCER.

lity of sundry generous sons of science, produced resolutions to provide for his monument, and to bring both Mr. Wilson and Godfrey to one common sepulchre! Little could Wilson, when reading that letter, think of it, in its after relation to his own interment! These little incidents, in themselves, are sometimes the counters of whole ages of imposing

events.

Memoranda. It might be metioned as an additional proof of the circumstances of Godfrey, that the farm he owned consisted of 153 acres, and that Nathan Spencer sold the same premises, about the year 1812, for $200 a acre, say for $30,600. Benjamin Lehman, who purchased them on speculation, cut off the wood, and sold off the land to sundry purchasers, making thereby a handsome advance. The grounds extended out to Branchtown, eastward, and along the lime kiln road, up to Pottstown, of a mile north. Mr. Spencer who lived on the premises for fifty years, before the year 1814, has told me that he remembers to have heard his parents and other people say that the house was upwards of one hundred years of age, and that it was considered one of the first in the country, and was deemed of superior finish and style for its day; so much so, that many came to see its plan of construction, as it was said to be after the city mode. Mr. Spencer remembers that some of the windows in his time were latticed with leaden frames, and some of the moulds for casting them he used to see about the place.

END OF VOLUME I.