The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1876-06-23
THE OLDEN TIMES.
Early RecOlIectiOns- Continued.
Number I3.

public square were bhllt. Oh iile i"'
where stands the building in which the /
PRESS is published. Joseph Brown had .
"A hat manufactory; and on the opposite
corner, where stands the brick store
house now owned by Isaac 1ost, there
stood a one-atory hewed log house that /
was used by Benjamin Ream "a hat |
factory. Hating business was good in |
those days. as there were none imported I
from the East, a. now. to compete with /
the home manufacturers. This house !
gave way before 1880, and the present
brick was erected in its place by Henry |
Dittoe. One story frames lined the |
street south Of the square to the bridge
and beyond, with here and there an un-
occupied lot. Benjamin Huff had
chair manufactory in a one-story hewed
log house that stood on the spot where
Dittoe & Hnlrs grocery now stands.
Some of the first Protestant church
services ever held in Somerset were held
in that building. William d. Harper
had his residence on the hill where the
nunnery was located. He had his car
penter shop in small building that
stood nearly opposite the old residence
of Patrick Mcdonald. In still earlier
days Laurence -Curran, one of the first
butchers of Somerset, had his slaughter
house about the same spot. a few of
your readers may remember Old Larry,
the Irishman. He had his pecuiari-
ties, like other men, one Of which may
be worth relating. In disposiDg of his
meats he had to trust a good deal, but
always made it duty TO set apart
special day for collections, and he did it
20 adroitly that it rather pleased his
delinquent customers than annoyed
some corner of the public square in the
morning and watch for his delinquents.
When he saw one Of them ne would
hasten in advance Of him and remark
in his Qood-natured Irish brogue, "An'
is it me ye are huntin' Gtther'" The GUS
toner always knew what Larry" was
after, and nevor failed, if he had the
money, to shell it right out. And SO he
would continue till his collections were
made.
OF course many of your readers rec
ollect the old Jail, situated nearly opPo-
site the residence of DIR. MAgruder. The
frst story was built of dressed sand
stone and the second story was carried
up with brick. The courts were held in
this house for many years, and until the
new court house upon the square was
erected. On the south side of this
building there was a ball alley where
the young men used to while away many
hours in playing what was termed ALLEY
ball. Indeed, for years the place was
daily resort for all classes of middle
aged men, young men and boys. If the
men were not there, the boys were sure
to be. Afterwards the ball alley was
removed to the Academy building in
the north end of the village.
The ground covered by DR.. Magru-
der. residence was where George Beck
with had his dwelling, when he occu-
pied the lanyard afterwards run by Law
& Meller and later by John Law. The
old brick NJ. f. Church stood on South
street, nearly opposite the residence Of
Col. Spencer. On the corner of the alley
next west stands a small brick where
John II. Binckley used to reside in
ha
little noisy occasionally, and Binckley
living 80 near the church, felt himself
little annoyed occasionally, and 40
gave to this thoroughfare the name of
"Happy Alley" name by which it is
known to the present day. Between the
church and the corner brick was two
story hewed log house, in which John
H. Buckley and Samuel Binckley had
paint shop and chair factory. Samuel
Buckley was one of the pioneer young
men of Somerset, but left shortly after
his marriage and located at Xenia Ohio
He is still living, at Troy, Ohio, hearty
and hale. at the age of rs years. And
here ] may as we'll close this article
with an Snecdote that is worth repeat
ing at this late day-almost fifty years
after its occurrence.
Samuel Binckley, as is well known
by those who knew him, was as full of
fun. as the saying is, "as dog is of fieas.
Being gifted pretty well with the power
of speech, he used to go into the nelgh-
borhoOd to preach little. In his trips
he wonId always take with him Jesse e.
McGowen to open the meetings with
prayer. On one occasion they agreed
to hold service in Rehoboth. So one
Sunday marning, in the fall season Of
the year, they strided their horses, Sam
on rather a sober old nag. and Jesse on
a little fiery bob-tailed pony. When
they got ont from town a few miles
and were trottin9 along. Binckley rath
er envied Jesse's nag that was trotting
along 80 proudly with it's tail up at an
angle of forty-fve degrees, and looking
down he saw rome' chestnut burs lying
in the road. Somehow or other the
devil got into him, and stopping down
he stuck his cane into a chestnut bur,
and moving up behind Jesse's horse
stuck il under his tail. The horse at
once grounded arms-or, rather, tail
and quicker than lightning he broke
from under the riders control. Out he
went through the woods, in frantic
speed, over logs and tree tops and
brush. Jesse held on as best he could
but finally the horse, in making an ex-
ira effort to jump some impeding OBJ
stacle, threw his rider of, be falling one
way and the saddle another. The thing
turned out to be more serious than Sam
designed; but seeing that Jesse escaped
injury he felt relieved, and the two sa.
about TO catch the horse, which was
done after some strategy. After they