The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1876-04-14
THE OLDEN TINES.
Somerset FOrty-Three Years Ago.
No. 4.-August and September, 1893.


published in the frame building oppo-
site the old Carroll tavern-now called
the O'Keefe property. John Hearhol-
ger had a grocery a few doors west of
this, in the Louis Greiner property.
Every one knows what was meant by the
term grocery" in Those days.
A part of Section 16-being School
land-was sold this year in tracts Of so
AMI 40 acres The former was appraised
at $3.50, and the latter at 1920. This
land lies about a mile south of Somer-
set, the Newark, Somerset & Straitsville
Railroad passing through il. The aver
age value ofthe appraisem ent was "a so
per acre; so the reader can see how much
the land has increased in price since
then.
George and Adam Spurck were in
partnership in the dry good- business;
and one j. w. Miller was running
tailor shop two doors west of the build
ing where Reim, Morris & Co. were car
rying ON the dry gond4 business.
John Midda gh. jesse Thomas. Daniel
Hall, William Spencer, jesse Spencer,
Laurence Alwine, George CIum, John
Spohn, Adam Binckley, and John Z.
Linn, were we'll known names in those
days.
Dr. David Pardee was a prominent
physician, and kept his Office in a frame
building one door east of his residence
on East Main street.
Peter Ziegler was orderly sergeant of
the "Somerset Guards an old company
that played prominent part in getting
up military excitement for the boys. Ii
used TO be from fftv to sixty strong, and
when on parade with their neat, clean
un forms, made a handsome appearance.
Several years afterward4. John Law be-
came captain of the company. and VIM.
F. Moeller first lieutenant. Jonathan
w. Ream and John Poorman (now re-
siding in Tiffin, Ohio,) had each in turn
the rank of orderly.
The taxes for 1S33-State, County
and. Township-were low. compared
Reading township was 374 cents on the
hundr ed dollars for State and County
purposes; 10 cents on the hundred dol
lars for Township purposes, and 10 cents
for poor purposes-making in all 81!
cents on the hundred dollarT Aud yet
it was quite "a hard for people to pay
their taxes in those days as it is now to
pay three or fonr times the amount.
John E. Linn, Samuel Mains, and DIR.
l.. J. Moeller were adjutants in the LIST
Rifle Regiment, Third Brigade, Seventh
Division, Ohio Militia. and were enti-
tied to wear the "hat military cap"-a
head ornament that few of yonr young
readers know anything about.
Jacob Catterlin, former citizen OF
Somerset died at DAYTON, Ohio, Satur-
day, August 18th of this year.
In this month Anguish Colonel Rich
ard VI. johnson was elected to Congress
Lewis Cass was in the Cabinet: Henry
Clay and D mi el Webster, and Rives ot
Va, were in the U. S. Senate; Judge
Mclean was L. S. Supreme Judge, Mr.
Van Bnren in the Cabinet, p. p. Bar
bour in the House of Representatives.
All the names occurring in this para
graph were candidates fer the PreSiden
cy-as also was Judge Leigh, Of Va
Major "DoclS Downing" a noted comic
political writer at Washington, was il
fall force of reporting the doings o
Gen. Jackson's Administration at thi,
time, and his letters would bear reading
now with more than ordinary interest.
John Beckwith was CARRYING on the
mercantile business in the building nov
occupied by Nathan Dennison.
Richard Griggs was engaged in butch
ering. and furnished the people with bee
every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday
tide of it, prosperity, held fair on tn,
23d day of September for the benefit o
the institution. Admission fee was II.
cents. 1t may be right to state here tha
the cid 124 cent piece has gone out 0
existence.
Samuel Beatty, the timer, moved hi
shop, Sept. 18th, into the frame buildin,
on the south side Of West Main street
on the Brechhill alley.
Myron II. Orten was, on the 10Th O
September, admitted as an attorney an,
counsellor at law at the session of tn
Supreme Court held in Newark
l. -
Somerset at this time. Some of you
old readers will remember him as
proud, dignified parsonage, who SCENE
impressed with the idea that he "kne'
it all, !" and that all Of worth existed j
appearance. He was nevertheless ma
of fine abilities. He afterwards move
to Chillicothe and became Commo
Pleas Judge.
During these years it was as much eS
pected to see Thomas Ewing, sr., Henr
Stanberry, Van Trump, Brazee, HuRte
and Judge Irwin attending Court i
Somerset as it was to see the Judge hin
self there; and many were the legal cor
tests and the clock of horns" that too
place between these Samsons of Law
while engaged in defending their client
Brazee and Stanberry are the only tw
prominent members of the then larl
bar Of Lancaster attorneys that are no
living.
John B. Orton, Myron IL. Or;on, Pet
Odlin, Edmund c. Cusack, Josiah Lo'
ell, and perhaps few less prominen
were the attorneys at Somerset. NJ.
Orton. believe, is still residing at L
Porte, Indiana, and Josiah Lowell
Dayton, Ohio, unless he has died latel
and is in as poor circumstances as whit
he left Somerset "for a larger place."
Candidates Mt the annual October ele
ton were quite as numerous and appa