The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1876-06-09
TIE OLDEN TIMES.
General Reflections-C Continued.
Number II.

street. / have all the elasticity ana
niubleness of boy. In short, am
young again. On either side the for
eats edge up close to the village, and
these abound with squirrels and other
game, and a mile or two out | hear the
crack Of the rife of the huntsman, who
is engaged in furnishing the few dozen
of villagers with a choice article of ven
i=on. Perhaps the young reader will
say, "what simpleton that old fellow
mnst he who is writing such silly stories.
Do YOU suppose such stories ever took
it is quite true. Many a saddle Of ven-
ison was served up at "Fink's Tavern"
that had been slaughtered just south of
St. Joseph's church, and many "sad
die" found cheap market in the very
early history Of the village, that was
captured in the very suburbs. low
wonderfully times change, and we change
with them! The scenes, and circum-
stances We are called to pass through in
Young life, as well as the place in which
we had our birth and raising. seem to be
nothingto us at the time. They become
xopcommonplace as often to disgust US.
But let US recede from them half cen
tury, and then for the first time we be-
gin to know their value. Our hearts
begin gradually to cling to them. Mem
ory awakens afresh to our innocent,
childhood days, and what seemed to US
then 40 dry and irksome, now begins 10
form the halo of>glory in our very IN
most souls, and affords us enjoyment we
love to cling to with the tenacity We
cling to life itself. But now for that
down street march.
The large two-slory brick building on
the corner of Main and High street, east
OF "Finks Tavern" was quite bust
ness house in Its early day. The first
newspaper Somerset ever had was print
ed within its ancient walls. 1t was used
for various offices, and was in the heart
of the business portion of the early viii
lage. II was anciently known az the
"Ruch House" The brick, if | mis-
take not, were made by Henry Sterner,
who has long since gone to his reward.
Although it has always been represent
ed as being only nine-inch wall, the
masonry has preserved remarkably well
showing that it was a good, honest job.
Il is one of the oldest standing bricks in
the town, and was built with the design
of showing the people what could be done
nifcent building. 1t may stand for
some years yet, and it is worthy of hav.
ing its picture taken for preservation.
OF the time l write of, half the lots
between High street and the Square
were in commons" and unfenced. The
log cabins and small on, STORY frames
were scattered along on each side of the
street, and little beaten path on either
side marked the sidewalks. Jonathan
Babbs owned and lived in little long
one-story frame that stood where stands
.the &C. L. Griner" house-now John
Huston's. Then came vacant space
weatherboarded-on on the lot where
Mrs. Chilcote lives, and the other on the
next lot west of it. The later building
was one of Somerset's first hotels, and
was afterwards used by Ensor Chilcott
for carpenter shop. On the opposite
side, between Dan Mohler's blacksmith
shop and the cas-: end of the village
there were, in 1924, only some three oil
four houses, some Of them log. A fe"
years later, Dan Mohler carried or
blaeksmithing in a shop where the pres
ent brick stands, and next lot west of j
his brother in law, David Church, fol
lowed the same business. About the
time that Church qnit business, c
Poppe was manufacturing spinning
wheels, &C., but the business of manu-
featuring wearing apparel at home has
been done away with, and with it wen
Poppe's business.
The few houses between this poin
frames, used as residences, but they gave
way gradually from year to year for the
present buildings. The brick now
known as the Russell House" was one
of the first permanent structures on this
street. At a late" day it was purchased
by John .Humbarger, who kept a gro
Gerry in the corner room next the alley
lie died about the year 1882, and hi'
Harper. The house across the alley
occupied by George Goldman as resi-
dence, and the on. west of it, may be
termed "pioneer buildings" and / seri
ously suspect that one Of them,-or per
haps both are log houses. The corner
room of the Goldman honse was in early
day use for grocery store by Georgt
Sanders. Both those buildings at onG
time played prominent part in the
trade history of Somerset. The oit
Johnny Lentz property on the opposite
side of the street, afterwards occupied
by Med Keenan," outstrips my years il
age. At least it has been in existence
As far back as my memory can reach
and it was not new building then
This was for a number of years the rea
headquarters" for dram drinking. Ma
ny disciple of Bacchns took his frs
lessons in taking on the whiskey appe
tite" in this building, and many were
the persons who have stepped out Of III,
door, next TO Ream's bank, fancyini
themselves "monarchs of all they sur
veyed," provided, always, they wer'
able to Survey" anything. A small
one-story frame building stood on th'
corner of the alley where now stand
part of the hotel building, which wa
used in my first recollection by Joe
Beck with as a store house. 1t was af
terwards used by different parties, Beck
with having removed his goods to new
house he built on the corner Of thu