The Highland weekly news. [volume] (Hillsborough [Hillsboro], Highland County, Ohio) 1853-1886, 1875-01-28
"reminiscences of a Country Tavern.

"reminiscences of a Country Tavern.
From the Cincinnati Saturday Night
In these days of palatia1 hotels and
Pullman palace coaches, when 1t is
real luxury to spread ones self abroad
over the land, it is like going back
a century to attempt to describe the
oIdfashioned country tavern. 1t so
transpired in my young days that l was
a dweller in one of those ancient, rustic
hostelries, where refreshment was fur
nished for man and beast, and to the
strange and incongruous life which |
led in those years, l owe my limited
knowledge and insight into human ma
ture.
"Our tavern" was a large, square
frame building painted white, an unusual
thing in those days. At one end was an
addition of a one storied room, which
was both Office and bar-room. A wide
old fireplace held pair of iron fire
dogs" upon which, in season, rested
huge "back log" and at one side of this
chimney was the sink, over which hung
an eight by ten looking-glass and comb,
suspended by a string; several pairs OF
heelless slippers also hung near the sink,
for the use of travellers when they wished
to retire. Under the sink was a
basin of grease for the boots which
were always left in the bar-room and
the ostler was both man of all work,
boot-greaser and bar tender, by turns.
On the other side of the fireplace was a
large bunk" for lounging and mapping,
and it was on this delectable piece OF
furniture that the landlord was nearly
always to be found. A bar, with slid
ing gate of sharp pickets, which was let
down at night after the loungers dis
persed, and raised up in the morning IN
time for the early birds who needed an
eye-opener, was the central feature OF
the room. A queer old bar it was as
remember it. There were four decan-
ters, two on either side of the old clock,
and alemon temptingly lying between-a
bowl of sugar and bottle OfStoughton Bit
tiers and one ofpepper sauce completed the
stronghold of Belial. Those were days
when people did not agitate the bill OF
compulsory education. They were quite
satisfied with the limited knowledge
they possessed. There were no screaming
locomotives blowing through the coun-
try and halting to drop off a daily paper.
There was store where all sorts OF COM
modities were kept: calicoes and candles,
soap and scissors, mackerel and muslin,
and at one end was the post-ottice. at
whose door a muddy horsenlan alighted
once week and emptied the mai[bags.
His appearance was the signal for rush
to the store by all the young and old who
were not too busy. If any one received
a letter it was a ripple to break the mo-
notony, and was heralded throughout
the town. Our tavern had a hall IN the
center of the house, and a "settin' room"
on one side and dinin'-room" on the
other. The bedrooms were up stairs,
and barely large enough to put bed IN,
with space enough left to let oil mod
erate-sized pair of pantsin. There was a
window which was shaded by section of
a menagerie bill, in which "Herr Dries
bach" +" was performing with a bloody
mouthed tiger at cne window, and Mad
anne "Marie Macarte" was making a
flying leap over four banners at another.
| These cheerful works of art were the
first thing upon which the waking eyes
| of the traveller rested. In front of the
house stood huge frame, in which hung
a sign upon whose sides the weary
stranger read Center House" The let
tiers were large and black, and so plain
that he who ran might read. On stormy
nights the old sign swayed back and
forth with dismal creak, and its croak-
ing voice comes back now, after all the
wears, with a horrible echo of reality.
The travellers who "put up" at the
Center House were not the dainty whisk-
cred commercial travellers of the present
dav. They were mostly movers with
great white covered wagons which were
driven through the big gate into the
barn-vard, and then the women folks
took out the provisions and bedding, and
came in and cooked their own suppers
and made beds on the floor of the dining
room. Sometimes dozen loud moutheo
raftsmen would come, and these par
ties ALWAYS tried to outdo each other II
the number of boiled eggs they coulc
dispose of. M
There was no elevator in our "tav
ern," when the travellers grew weary o
the poker-playing in the bar-reom which
was nearly always going on. They haC
only to express desire to retire when
pair of slippers and candle an incl
long were given them, and the direction
to turn to the left when they got to th'
top of the stairs, and go into the seeonC
bedroom.
There was no annunciator IN ou
hotels. If any sudden illness overlook
man in the night he was heard gropin!
down the carpetless stairs, feeling alonl
the walls and groaning as he went.
Such instances were not uncommon
There were certain customers who wen
! on periodical sprees which usually laste'
|, three or four days There was an olt
! DR.. Mccormick, who always rode pom,
which he called Pocahontas, or Poky'
for short. When he came down from tn
country for a siege, Poky was put in tn
stable, and then duly ordered out thre
times day, when she stood hitched an
! paving the ground in disgust at he
, masters indecision.
! The doctor always grew melancholy L
: his CUPS and talked through tears abou
the "noble Potomac" where he ono
lived. and of wife who twas as good
woman as ever God let breathe"
o After day or two of this sort of thin
: the doctor would grow restless at night an
!, would prowl around the house, huntin
! something cool. Poor old fellow, he ha
= gone long ago to the other shore, whe
:, ever it may be. There was anothe
= character who came to the tavern sem
8 monthly, and never went away withor
: a fight. When we heard chairs bein
J; Knocked over, and heavy thuds of heac
in the process of being punched, "
knew "Old Iddings' was there.
e That wasa curious childhood which WI
II surrounded by such scenes as these. BI
:. more strange than all was the fact tn;
II over the years so tender and impressib
(. was the watchful love and solicitude OF
If pure and intelligent mother, who was
ot far removed from the coarseness of HI
% surroundings as the brightest stars al
re remote from the sin and misery OF OF
n world. And so it came that we grew
a, in this strange life of grossness on OF
ID side and culture and refinement on tt
other. If l discover the influences
1t my outcroppings of thought, L kno
ID whereof speak.
r Among the exciting events of our Ii
to were the shows" which came alol
ly from time to time, to give exhibitions
r the dining-room. There was the annu