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number of brick houses, upwards of twenty stores, two print¬ 
ing-offices, and two glass-houses, where common window-glass 
and bottles are manufactured, which are well paid for in the 
vicinity; this town has been for some time the chief town of 
the state of Ohio, and is now the principal place of Muskingum 
county; the court-house is a large brick building, in front of it 
was erected a triumphal arch in honour of General La Fayette, but 
he did not pass here. We returned in the evening over the 
bridge to Putnam, to deliver letters to Mr. Ebenezer Bucking¬ 
ham. On this occasion I found that the length of this bridge was 
about two hundred and seventy-seven ordinary paces; it is divid¬ 
ed in two parts, the wagons keeping the right side. Putnam 
consists of a single street, running along the river, behind which 
is a rocky elevation; the street afterwards forms an angle, leaving 
the river and looses itself in a picturesque valley between fields 
and orchards. This place has six hundred inhabitants, a great 
many brick houses, and presents a flourishing appearance. Mr. 
Buckingham is one of the most respectable inhabitants, and has a 
large store in which he keeps all articles that may be required 
here; he received us in his store, and gave us much information 
relative to Zanesville, Putnam and its vicinity; the ground is not 
so fertile here as in other parts of the state, but kind Providence 
has indemnified them in some measure with salt, and coal-mines; 
the salt springs were previously known to the Indians, but not 
used by them. When the country became inhabited by a white 
population, they bored to the depth of two hundred feet and found 
abundant salt springs, some of them were deeper ; the openings 
being made larger, walled cisterns were fixed to collect the run¬ 
ning water. The salt is boiled in large kettles, after which it is 
made to run over flat reservoirs, where it is cooled, and the salt 
separated; this is the same method which is followed in England, 
and which I had seen in the salt works of Northwich; having heard 
this description, and the springs being four miles distant, I gave up 
the idea of visiting them. A great many petrifactions and im¬ 
pressions of plants are found here, some of which I had seen at 
Mr. Atwater’s, in Circleville. 
On the next day, Mr. Buckingham came for me, to introduce 
me to his family, consisting of his wife and three daughters, very 
good children; the eldest was nine years old, his only son was a 
cadet in the military school at West Point. The house in which 
he resides at Putnam is at some distance from his store, is two 
stories high, built of brick with a stone porch; in front of the 
house is a space planted with trees and flowers separated from the 
street by an iron railing with large stone posts. In the rear of the 
house is a kitchen garden and orchard ; the house is very con¬ 
venient and furnished with taste and well-directed luxury. All 
