The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1876-04-21

Jacob Petty .."...........'.. -.''.'.. -.''' oo1
The vote of the county at this time
was about 1900, and so close was the
canvass usually made, that but few votes
remained nnpolled on the evening OF
election day. Henry Filler and John
Lidey were popular men among the
masses, and it was little use for any one
to oppose them, if they had mind to
aspire for an Office.
Perry and Morgan counties formed
the Senatorial District, and William
Hawkins, of the latter county, was elect
ed Senator.
John Orwig, whom but few of your
middle-aged readers will recollect, kept
the principal hotel in log building,
weatherboarded, and located on the
northwest corner of the Square, after
wards purchased and torn down by y.
III. Moeller, who erected the present
brick in its place. Between the hotel
and the Square, however, there stood a
frame store house, in which John w.
Davis, in 1886, kept a dry goods store,
and which had been successively used
for various purposes, by more persons
than I am able to give in this off-hand
way.
The road leading from Gratiot, Lick
ing county, to Somerset, by way Of
"Walker'ss MILL" then owned by An
drew Walker, was laid out this year
Walkers Mill WAS afterwards changed
to Mt. Perry, by which name it is still
known.
The list of delinquent lands offered
for sale this year amounted to 81 parcels,
being about the same average number
that are annually allowed to go to sale
IN these-latter years.
4 OF the time ] write, turnpikes and
gravel roads were unknown, and the
reader can only form an idea how people
managed to travel by stage-coach and
wagon, by hitching two horses to wag-
on, putting load upon it and trying to
reach Rehoboth or Lexidgton from
Somerset in our muddiest seasons
1t was on the night of the 10Th OF
September, 1888, that Henry Dittoe,
then a merchant of Somerset, William
Ijams of Rushville, and others, were
travelling in coach from GAINESVILLE to
Somerset. They had good deal of diff
ficnIty in getting through, and became
generally disgusted with the roads, the
coach, the driver, and the proprietors OF
the stage line. The next week they
rushed into the "Western Post" (at that
time published by VIM. F. & III. Noel
ler) with their grievances, which many
will still remember by copyinga a portion
of their card, which reads as follows:
ITO THE PUBLIC.
"The subscribers, passengers in the
Mail coach, on the line from GAINESVILLE
to Lancaster, on the night of the 18th
inst, were, together with other passen'
gers, grossly mistreated by the conduct
ors of the line. The night being darR
and somewhat foggy, and the stage be-
log without lights, the driver could not
see the road so as to drive without i'm.
minent hazard to the safety and lives o.
the passengers, They had frequently tC
alight from the stage into the mnd, and
feel the way for the driver, and also tc
help him up the hills-the team being
ordinary and worn out, and the stage
being overloaded with extra luggage
and way passengers, so that we literally
stalled at several hills-the stage being
moreover a bad one and the bed hanginG
very mnch to one side, the driver coulc
not with safety drive on ground the leas
inclining to that side.
''rhe Mail Stage on the same line, full
Of passengers, owing to the same kind o
mismanagement, was capsized twice
over, from high bridge on the follow
ing night 1t is unnecessary to add tina
the passengers in the first instance, wer'
kept out nearly all night, and in th'
latter until late hour in the morning
travelling eighteen miles"
And so the article complains on unit
the end. It was no doubt bad enough
and aggravating to the passengers, bu
occurrences of this kind were SO com
mon in those days, especially in mudd.
seasons, that only very fastidious peopl
thought it worth while TO make com
plant.
1t is needless to say that this carr
walked up Darius Talmage of Lancaster
who was the general agent Of Neil
Moore & Co., and perhaps part owner @
the line at the time. He Immediately
set to work to get up certificates with th
view of showing the principal allega
ton. in said card to be false. He go
VIM. Ijams, who resided at. West Rush
Vile, to partially ignore his connection
with the card by saving that "he neue
saw the paper, and ,Ohat its contents may be
which his name is appended, he 'cas not pr
pared TO say" The inference tn be draw
from this, and indeed he 80 plainl
states, was that he allowed the other CON
plaInants TO use his name, expectin
they would write nothing but the truth
Then he had FIVE men TO certify to III
':good condition" in which the coach al
rived in Lancaster, and "ahead Of time,
on the next morning after the eventfr
night complained of. The certificaI
was properly sworn to and subscribe
before Gen. George Sanderson, of LaI
caster, then acting Justice of the Peac