The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1877-09-20


present Etna House, was two story
frame building. painted yellow, in
which Dr.Swlft and my sister Eliza be-
gan heeping house. lived with them
that winter that you and l went to
school together. The old four ROOF
Court House stood Oh the village
green, DIR. DeWolf lived little south
of it, on the opposite side of the way
and little further Off was tannery
which was owned and run by jesse
Grant, father of the last President of
the United States. Some distance
| south OF the village was family by
the name of Collins. l was quite fa-
miliar with the oldest boy, Robert,
| who was afterwards a toOl-maker in
Utica, N. Y. The venerable old
''King's Tavern" stood east of the
Court House, where it still stands,
William King, landlord, Robert, Bert
ley and Porter, were the boys whom
remember in the family. Bertley
and l commenced studying Latin to-
gether at Mr.. Pitkin's, in Charlestown.
Further east, on that side of the street,
lived aud died Ira Hudson, Clerk OF
the Court. West of the village were
the families of Rawson and Williams,
and still further west Woodard's mill,
carding machine and cloth dressing
establishment, long since abandoned
and forgotten, but it was then a busy
place, through which almost all our
food and clothing had to pass before
it was ready for our use. Wheat was
then 25 cents a bushel and cotton
cloth so cents a yard. One of our
neighbors offered Mr.. Kent two BUSH
els of wheat for yard of cotton.
Some Of the young men OF I;avenna
then were Johnathan Sloan, the law
yer, Isaac Swift, the doctor. Seth Day,
the County Clerk and Recorder, Alex
ander Frazer, the Saddler and harness
maker. Saddles were then needed
more than at this day. 1t was the
common way of transporting humans
then to get onto the back of horse,
and not untrequently gentleman and
lady on the same horse. These young
men fire equently gathered at my fathers
house in the evening. The girls they
brought with them were Almena
Campbell, Amanda Carter. Sc. Sc.
These were about the age of my sister
Eliza. In those gatherings they sung
and chattcd away the evening. l do
not recoliect of ever seeing them
dance. 1 remember well come of
those songs, such as "There came TO
the beach a poor exile from Erin. sc"
and " See the leaves around US falling
., those early daysl How they fit
across the distant landscape, and stir
the deepest fountains of feeling. How
I then looked forward to the time
when 1, too, should "go into compa-
ny" In those early days we had no
regular religious meetings. Old Mr..
Shewe!l preached occasionally in the
old Court House. Afterwards an old
minister living at Beaver, Pa, who be-
ionged to the denomination then called
Seceders, was engaged for time, and
preached in Beaver and Ravenna alter
nate Sabbaths. Occasionally Mr.
Seward, of Aurora, or Mr.. Hanford,
of Hudson, and Mr.. Pitkin, of Charles
town, Mr.. Woodruff. of Tallmadge.
preached a single Sabbath or week day
evening. These clergymen usually
put up at my fathers house. Finally
Deacons Bostwick and Sutlif estab-
lished regular reading meetings on the
Sabbath in the Conrt House. So things
went on till Rev. G. B. Storrs, came to
ana q scholar. Sloan, Swift and 9TH
ers of the young people rather liked
him. He preached in the evening first.
"A disturbance occurred at that meet
ing, got up by man who was under
the influence of ilquor. The hext day
the drunken man was fined for dis
turbing public worship, and young
Storrs was invited to stay and preach
again. regard the coming of Mr..
Storrs into Ravenna as one of the
greatest blessings Ravenna ever re-
csiyed.
remember the first stage coach
that passed through Rayenna. 1t was
the first public conveyance from Pitts
burgh to Cleveland. Mr.. Jabez Gill
bert, Of Palmyra, was the proprietor.
l was at work in the back field OF my
fathers farm when heard the sound
of the stage horn. We all left the
field, and went half a mile to the road
10 see the stage. That stage-hOrn was
not a common tin horn / assure you,
but key bu.le, and the driver knew
how to play On it, at least so I thought
III those musicless days. Those were
days of simplicity. Seven yards OF
calico was full pattern for u woman's
dress. The clothes OF the men folks
which grew on the farm. The music
in the farm houses of those days was
the spinning wheel aud the loom. q,
how many nights have gone to sleep
listening to the monotonous sound of
the spinning wheel run by mothers
tireless arm. l remember the first
time 1 went to the mouth of the Guy
ahoga river, where Cleveland now
stands. stopped the first time at Mr..
Posts in Hudson, slept in the cham
ber of their log house, SO soundly as
only boys can sleep. In the morning
l was awakened by the growing of
cocks in the barn. (And just hero let
me state q curious fact. l have never
this, without thinking of that log
hOuse chamber and how I felt in that