Page:Architectural Review and American Builders' Journal, Volume 1, 1869.djvu/42

 22 Sloan's Architectural Review and Builders' Journal. [July, treaty-ground, whip-sawed their timbers and other lumber,) for the purpose of sawing it into two-inch plank to be used in making articles as mementos of the great and renowned treaty and tree. My father, John Eggleton, informs me that he hauled it to the pit or saw-shed as above stated, but cannot remember the year exactly. He believes it was after peace was declared, as he knows that a part of it was sent to England, and thinks it was not sent during the war, while the people were incensed against Great Britain. In that case, he says, it might be in 1815 or 1816, as peace was declared in 1815. His ac- count-books of those clays, in which he had charged for the hauling, having been destroyed or lost since that time, he is unable to give the exact date, which we regret very much on this occasion. An incident connected with the tree was related to me a few da3 r s ago by Washington Yan Dusen, Esq., youngest child of Matthew, Sr., and his successor in the property, and which notwithstand- ing he was then a very small boy, not exceeding seven years old, he remembers -as distinctly as if it were yesterday, viz. : A man by the name of Lawrence Hill, (Lall Hill, as he was commonly called,) who sounded his words through his nasal organ, on one occasion went up into the tree after its fall to tie a rope to the main upright limb, that was to be taken out or cut off, on account of decay. A large number of men and boys took hold of the rope, while some one was cutting at the bottom of the limb, and probably very awkwardly, as very few men know how to fell timber, so that it will fall in the desired place, without being split and ruined. Some of them called out to Lall to come down, as they were going to pull. Lall called out, through his nose, " Pull away, you 1" They did pull, and with a will. The rope broke, leaving Lall in the tree, and the pulling party in the dirt out in the road, for nearly every one having hold of the rope fell, creating a great dust and causing uproarious shouts of laughter ; Lall, of course, had his laugh and shout up in the tree. Battery Hill, so called from having been the site of a battery of artilleiy during the Revolution, was a place ex- tending say from near Maiden (now Laurel) street to Green Woods lane, (now Shackamaxon street,) and from the Delaware river to Queen (now Rich- mond) street ; the front of which, along the river just below Shakamaxon street, was about seven or eight feet higher than the present grade of Penn street, which now passes through it. At Beach street it was about five or six feet above the present grade ; at Allen street and Shackamaxon about the present grade, but below Shackamaxon, on Allen, the ground gradually rose, until about midway between Shackamaxon and the King's (now Frankford) road, to the height of about four feet, and sloped off towards and to said road. There was a low place between Allen and Queen street, extending from a point about four hundred feet below Shackamaxon street toward Marlborough street, in- clining towards the river until it met the river at the treaty-ground, (this low place or part of it, can yet be seen in the yard of Thomas Vaughan, Esq., on Rich- mond street above Shackamaxon street). But on the northwesterly side of Queen street, beginning at this low place near Shackamaxon street, and extending in a northerly and easterly direction, the ground rose gradually to a height of about ten or twelve feet above the grade of the present street, (Queeri or Rich- mond,) at a point about Crown (now Creese) street, and descended to the river, and extending northwesterly to about where ran Prince street (now Girard avenue) at about the present grade, subsided into a hollow toward Frankford road, and again rose to the Frankford road. This spur, connecting with the high ground forming Battery Hill, was called Sheep Hill.