gathered in
Cooperstown, and among the guests of honor were two old friends of
Stranahan, Alvan Stewart and Levi Beardsley of Cherry Valley, the former
being the orator of the day. Stewart and Beardsley, greatly distressed
that, on an occasion devoted to the celebration of liberty, Stranahan
should be in jail, went to the sheriff and gave their word to indemnify
him, if he would bring his prisoner to the celebration. Accordingly
Stranahan came, closely attended by the sheriff, and, after the
oration, dined with the celebrating party. After the drinking of many
toasts, toward evening the sheriff wished to return with his prisoner to
the jail. By this time the party was in a merry mood, and full of the
spirit of independence. The sheriff had some difficulty in persuading
the banqueters to permit him to withdraw Stranahan from the festivities.
Finally it was decided that if Stranahan must return to jail it should
be with an escort of honor, and a group under the leadership of Stewart,
Beardsley, and Judge Morell agreed to perform this duty. On reaching the
jail the members of the escort were seized by another freak of fancy,
and insisted upon being locked up with Stranahan. The sheriff having
complied with their wishes, the prisoners soon tired of their
confinement without further refreshment, and sent for the plaintiff
against Stranahan to come to the jail. This being done they affected a
compromise with him, by which he agreed to cancel a part of the debt if
Stranahan's friends would each pay him twenty dollars. Thus Stranahan
was released in triumph, and the rest of the night was passed in
celebrating the event.[79]

Ambrose L. Jordan's chief rival among the lawyers of Otsego county was
his neighbor Samuel Starkweather, a man of great physical and mental
power. He was in many ways to be contrasted with Jordan, more strongly
built, swarthy, having dark eyes and hair, with a massive head set upon
broad shoulders, and every feature of his face indicative of strong will
and energetic action. Somewhat less of an orator than Jordan,
Starkweather equalled him in close logical reasoning.

[Illustration: _J. B. Slote_

THE HOME OF ROBERT CAMPBELL]

At the beginning of the century John Russell, Elijah H. Metcalf, and
Robert Campbell were resident in Cooperstown. Russell was the second
member of Congress to be elected from the place. Col. Metcalf served two
years in the legislature of the State. Campbell, of the well-known
C