232 OCEAN TO OCEAN ON HORSEBACK, 



several advances to her which were met with coolness, 

 and at last both villages applied for charters; the one 

 on the left bank receiving hers first and glorying in 

 her new name of '' Ohio City." Again Cleveland be- 

 sought a conciliation and tried to persuade the inde- 

 pendent little rival neighbor to change her name, and 

 become one with her, but with ill success. As time 

 wore on, however, population decreased on the left 

 shore and increased on the right, and signs of union 

 became apparent from the fact that " Ohio City " 

 reached out to the southeast, while Cleveland met her 

 half-way by extending toward the southwest. We are 

 not sure how matters were arranged between the two 

 rivals when the final step was taken, but at any rate it 

 was a felicitous event, and now that the coveted 

 neighbor has become the West Side, some Cleve- 

 landers find it difficult to determine which is the 

 " better-half." 



In those early days before the railroads reached her, 

 this new Ohio town was obliged to look about for 

 other means of transportation, and we hear of one of 

 her pioneers establishing a boat yard in the woods a 

 mile and a half from the lake. Here the engineer 

 cut his timber and carried out his plan for the first 

 boat built at Cleveland. The framework was raised 

 in a clearing of the forest, from whence a rough road 

 led to the water, and in this wild but convenient spot 

 the schooner was finished, and ready to be introduced 

 to the world as '^ The Pilot." The farmers of the 

 surrounding country were invited to assist in the 

 launching and accordingly came into town on the ail- 

 important day, with their oxen, to haul the craft down 

 to the shore. The ceremony was greeted with re- 



