FIRST TERRITOrvlAL LEGISLATURE. 167 



We are aware that St. Clair was not the only one, if one, 

 who procured the passage of that act, but, it is not worth the 

 trouble of giving their names. It was promptly repealed, 

 through the agency of Thomas Worthington. During the two 

 or three years between the first territorial legislature and the 

 formation of our constitution, most of the business, usually 

 now done by our general assembly, was done by the governor 

 of the territory. He erected new counties, fixed county seats, 

 and commissioned all the higher officers. He was an active 

 stirring man, and often went over the mountains, but when 

 he returned he issued all sorts of proclamations announcing 

 new acts of legislation, enacted by himself. No man was 

 fonder of exercising all the powers that he had, and no man 

 was less liked than he was by those whom he governed. But 

 worse than all the other acts of his, he granted large tracts 

 of land in the now state of Illinois, to his near relatives. 

 These acts being utterly void were of no value to the gran- 

 tees. But we forbear, he is no more. 



During this period, New Connecticut began to be settled, 

 but the state was, except here and there a little spot, one vast 

 wilderness, with few roads, and still fewer bridges, mills, 

 churches or school houses. 



What few mails reached the territory were carried on horse 

 back, and they were so carried until after the late war; in 

 1815, carriages began to be used in conveying the mails and 

 passengers. There being no bridges across the water courses, 

 the mails were not only often thoroughly wetted, but the hor- 

 ses that carried them were drowned, with those who rode 

 them. Only twenty years have passed away since such ac- 

 cidents often occurred in this state. 



Many articles, such as iron and salt, during the territorial 

 times, were excessively dear and not easily nor abundantly 

 obtained at any price. For a farmer to send an ox team one 

 hundred miles for a load of salt, to the Scioto salt works, 

 where he gave three or four dollars a bushel for the article, 

 and be on his road one month, knee deep in mud, it could not 

 be expected of him to sell it for less than six or seven dollars a 



