The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1876-04-07
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THE OLDEN TIMES.
Somerset Forty-Three Years Ago.
No. 3.-June, July, 1893.

No. 3.-June, July, 1888.
Nature has her own way of dealing
with the human race. To the many
she gives only one talent, and they. from
the very necessity of their makeup, be-
come the "hewers Of wood and the draw
ers of water" The writer belongs to
this class, and he had no expectation.
when hs wrote his last, to be relieved so
soon from his routine task as to be able
to furnish another chapter to follow so
closely after his last. But as the cob
webs of time are brushed from the mind,
memory begins to revive, and the events
of the past crowd in rapid succession, 40
that find myself at no loss for materials
for another chapter.
In my last you have me to say that
Samuel Beatty was the tall, gangling
timer. The name should be Samuel
BEATTY-wh1ch some of your old read
ers will readily recognize.
As told you in my last, military
matters formed large portion of the
real, rolicksome enjoyment of those early
times. When a man could aspire to
a military title, he was elevated few
inches, and sometimes many feet, above
his fellows. Thomas Ritchey was Col
onel of the Let Regiment, Sd Brigade,
eth Division. Ohio Militia; John B. Or
ton was A. D. c.; John Lidey was Col
onel of the 1st Rifle Regiment; Samuel
Goodin, Colonel of the I'd Regiment,
9TH Division, Ohio Militia. 1t was
something of n sight for poor boy who
never expected to rise to such military
eminence, TO stand along side of the
road when these valiant officers, booted
and spurred, with their fat caps, highly
plumed, rode by.
The 4th Of July, this year, was cele-
brated, as they used to say, "in the real
old-fashioned STYLE" but was somewhat
marred by the approach of the cholera.
Jacob Drummer presided as chairman at
a meeting held at the Court House,
Wednesday evening, June 5th, and My
ron H. Orton was appointed Secretary.
1t was unanimously resolved to celebrate
the coming 4th, and a committee of ar
rangenents was appointed. Said COM
mittee consisted of DR.. VIM. Mcclure.
VIM. F. Moeller, John Slevin, Colonel
Thomas Ritchey, and Colonel John Lii
dey. The committee met the same even
ing, and made the following appoint
ments: G. c. Hood, President of the
Day; John B. Orton, Vice-President;
Edmund G. Cusack, Orator; George
Morris, Reader; John Beckwith. George
Drummer, ST., Henry Dittoe and Myron
H. Orton, committee on Toasts; William
Jackson, and R. J. J. Harkins {" Musical
Bob" as he was called), committee on
Music; Revs. Charles HenkeI, N. D.
Young and Joseph Carper were the
Chaplains. and Major Henry Filler and
Capt John Law, Marshals. John Or
wig prepared the dinner for the occasion.
If our recollection serves us right, the
celebration this wear took place in a
wood lot north of the Methodist ceme-
terry, now cleared out.
The gusto with which these 4th of
July celebrations were usually carried
out IN those days cannot now be duly
appreciated, since we have SO many
gatherings and celebrations to divert at
tention; while then, the 9th of July"
and big Muster" were the grand at
fractions, and about the only ones. The
musters have been broken up, and all
interest has been lost in them, excep,
that which still fingers in the memory
We well recollecl the last muster
under the old system, which took place
in Somerset Isaac Thorn was Captain
of the Reading township militia. The
Captain was naturally tall, but the idea
of being Captain over the corn-stalk
militia elevated him, like Saul, "head
and shoulders" over the tallest private
in the company. The trenchant blade
in his puissant hand looked fearful in
the distance. There used to be Little
Muster" prior to the General Muster,