The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1877-09-07
OLD;CROw'S TAVERN.


Landmark - Capt. Crow and his
Bear "Black Hug"
Glenroy page McCarty in the Washing
ton Capital.
When you take ride at White Sui
phur you may always have the advan-
tage of high melted courser, whose
head you should turn eastward along the
meandering valley in which, at dis
lance of seven miles, stands Old Crows
tavern. Let the time be morning, OF
course, and If q drop OF pure Celtic blood
flows in your veins remember the sacred
custom, and, though in the glen should
wait yonr "blue-eyed Highland maid"
or your dearest foe to redeem his glove,
yet never put boot in stirrup without
draining the "chockin dorrish."
On beautiful little mountain stream,
which is full of speckled trout, embower-
ed in grand old oaks and commanding
only close glen, with such horison as
Inspired the poet of Vslchiusa, stands
the quaint old gray cottage inn where
Clay, Webster and many another
worthy used to revel in story, and mark
the half hours with jullp made by the
artistic hand of Old Crow, than whom a
finer host never aourished even in the
classic pages of Fielding and Smollett.
His beaker of cut glass held gallon,
and filled with old brandy, crowned
with mint and surmounted with "snow-
Storm" it was q sig hit which would have
pleased the eye of the hest drinker OF the
table round-even the noble Taleisan
who used to drink "Guin o EIer," to
the Queen.
The men of the old time often pause
by this old tavern, and signing for the
DAYS of stsge-coaches and inns, read these
touching lines, which one who in infancy
slipped MS first julep on Old Grew 5 ven
cradle knee, has cut in the white bark o.
u giant sycamore:
IN MEMoRIAM.
Old Crow is dead, that good old soul,
Who used TO brew our waSSail bowl;
HIS lace was red and his nose was blue,
But his heart was big and his faith wa
He drank all day and he drank all night,
And once on time drank Bacchus tight ;
And then when the devil caught his
ghost,
He played him a game of who'd drink
Though the liquor sized with fiery
roar,
Crow drank and drank and called Tor
more,
Till the devil swore he had caught a
And staggered back into hell dead drunk
While Crow skipped aloft like ashooting
star
And asked Saint Peter to "show him the
bar"
Those who are familiar with the first
efforts of Victor Hugo's fantastic genius,
wherein Han is described riding after
his enemies on his pet bear, are doubtless
aware of the docile and atfectlonate dis
position of that animal when properly
civilized and educated. Bears have often
been persuaded up to high degree OF
usefulness and culture but of all such
instances on record Capt. Crows pet
bear Big Hug; could excel. He had
been taken when an orphan three hours
old. and put on cows milk OF sucking
bottle, until he was raised TO believe him.
sell the social and political peer OF the
old colored lady, who nurtured him with
a tenderer care than any but human
baby of the same color could claim. He
grew up with fair sense OF humor
which was evinced in playful pranks on
cats or other domestic animals and his
love for his master was such that if he did
not get a csress in the morning ne
would climb the biggest tree in the yard
and lie curled up IN the fork, without
moving or saying word, until the gong
struck for dinner, when his master had u
come and coax him down. When Crow
would sometimes thrash him with s
wagon " hip, for some mischief, he Woulc
| come afterwards and stand on his hlnc
legs, with tears in his eyes, until his mas
ter made friends. The devotion of the
master for his pet was not less touching
In the midst of story and drink he woulc
Pause and say: "Look at that there
vsrmint, ledge; dern my ears /
ne can't knock the hind sight
of n q eighteen hundred-dollsr niger O
the same color for sense and attention Il
his master. If could Jest marry tina
bar to q strsppin' oorntsld black gal
there'd be some niggers worth hsvin,
tell yoa." Concluding: "Sam, my
snowflake, skip down to the spring llk'
a show-monkey and fetch US some tresl
mint, and be quick, or I'll fetch you seci
wallup as will make you think you
breeches is lined with fre-cosls, OF which
bring me one while you are at it; m.
pipes gone clean out with listenln' u
that story. Excuse me for interruptin!
OF you, ledge; now bile on"
At times-thst is in the spring, whel
young bears fancy lightly turns tc
thoughts of love-Mr. Big Hu!
would disappear In the mountains for
day or two, and come home looking
very sheepish, on which occasions hi
master would upbrsid HIM somewhs
thus: "You burned hst-headed blacl
cuss, you're pretty picter of 8 respeeta
bic bar, arn't you; wouldn't you make
nice deguerytype for lady to ham
around her neck? l reckon shall hsv
to send you to the springs to set up
courtin' school. Sulphur water is goo
Tor that" &c.
IT,