Audubonian Sketches. 



Mr. Audubon to his new home, and they 

 all lived here until about the year 1822 or 

 1823, He was a Frenchman, and possessed 

 of all the energy, fire and vim so character- 

 istic of the French people, he soon embarked 

 in business. His first enterprise was to open 

 a grocery and dry-goods store in a little 

 one-story log house which stood upon the 

 corner of Main and First streets. He lived 

 with his family in a little one-story brick 

 building just in the rear of where the Odd- 

 Fellows' Building now stands. Just where 

 the Post Office is now located was a pond, 

 in which he used to catch one or more 

 turtles every day, which he used in making 

 into his favorite dish, turtle soup. Shortly 

 after this he operated a very large corn and 

 flour mill at the foot of Second street. This 

 mill was of very large capacity for those 

 days; in fact, it would be regarded as of 

 very respectable size these times. In this 

 mill, upon the smooth surface of timbers, 

 were to be found the most life-like paint- 

 ings of birds, fowls and animals of every 

 description which inhabited this country at 

 that time. Mr. William T. Barrett has now, 

 it is said, the first painting Audubon ever 

 made of the woodpecker. The bird is rep- 

 resented as sitting upon the limb of an 

 old tree, and listening to the familiar call of 

 its partner. So perfect is the picture that 

 persons have frequently mistaken it for a 

 genuine stuffed bird. 



"While Mr. Audubon was engaged in the 

 milling business, it was his custom to bathe 

 in the Ohio. This he continued until he 

 became the most noted of all the swimmers 

 who indulged in that delightful pastime. 

 It is said of him that when the first steam- 

 boat landed at the town some of her machin- 

 ery had become disarranged, and the boat 

 had to remain here for several hours making 

 necessary repairs. As might be expected 

 upon so extraordinary an occasion as this, 

 the people turned out eti masse to see some- 

 thing new under the sun — the steamboat. 

 A number of country visitors imagined the 



thing had life in it. Mr. Audubon and 

 other citizens were among the visitors, and 

 during the time they were on board con- 

 cluded they would indulge in their favorite 

 amusement — swimming. They undressed 

 and began to dive from the side of the ves- 

 sel. Several members of the swimming 

 party made successful dives from the inside 

 of the vessel next to the bank, coming up 

 on the outside. This was regarded as won- 

 derful. Mr. Audubon walked to the bow 

 of the boat, sprang into the river, and, after 

 some time had elapsed, made his appear- 

 ance below the stern, having gone clean 

 under from one end to the other. This 

 feat was regarded by all who witnessed it 

 as a most remarkable and dangerous under- 

 taking, and he was awarded the greatest 

 praise for this unequaled performance. It 

 is said he did this several times during 

 the time the boat lay at the bank. Mrs. 

 Audubon was also a great swimmer. Mr. 

 H. E. Rouse told us that he had frequently 

 seen her go into the river at the foot of 

 First street and swim to the Indiana shore. 

 She dressed in a regular swimming costume, 

 and was regarded by all who knew her as 

 the next best to her husband, if not his 

 equal. 



"During Mr. Audubon's life in Hender- 

 son, he pursued the study of ornithology, 

 frequently going to the woods and remain- 

 ing there for two or three months at a visit. 

 Upon one occasion he followed a hawk pe- 

 culiar to this country, and so anxious was 

 he to become the possessor of this bird, he 

 pursued it for two or three days, finally suc- 

 ceeding in killing it. He was never known 

 to stop for streams of any kind; he would 

 swim rivers or creeks in pursuit of any game 

 or bird he might be in search of. At one 

 time he watched a flicker, or what is com- 

 monly known as a yellow-hammer, until he 

 saw it go into a hole at the top of an old 

 tree. He immediately climbed the tree and, 

 running his hand into the hole to get the 

 bird, caught hold of a huge black snake 



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