Smyrna times., 1881-03-09
For the Smyrna Times
"reminiscences Of Smyrna 90 Years
Ago.
For the Smlrna Times.
BY ONE WHO LIVED THERE.
(CONCLUDED.)


of Piner Mansfield. Matchmaker, .iewelpr
and dentist. He had two daughters and a
son by first marriage and children also
by second marriage. His son Richard,
was near my age. From the time that !
was II to Is years of age, think never
S ~ hIm again until we were both married
men of families. was stopping at a hotel
in Baltimore, ii traveller entered, looked
scrutInizingly at me. passed on to the clerks
desk and inquired my name. He then
returned To where | was sitting and mad.
himself known to me; we spent most en-
joyahle afternoon in recounting the scenes
from Smyrna to Ohio, at the age Of Is
years and there married New England
lady and subsequently returned with her
TO her native town. | was pre.slavery
and he had become anti slavery. re.
member how he shockc me when he
told me that in the town where he then
lived, there was family Of colored persons,
rich. educated and refined that when he
attended church or lecture, he never
noticed whether he took his seat beside
this colored man and his family, or whether
they came in and took seats beside him and
his family. In a word that the color line
did not exist there. could not then CON.
prehend how Richard could have become
educated to that point. But stranger de
velOp-ments than that have come to pass
in the last twenty years.
Next was the store of Presley and Enoch
Spruance. These gentlemen were substan.
tiil merchants and did large business.
Presley Spruance has been previously re-
ferred TO. Enoch Spruance was largely
interested in one Of the stage lines. Next
to his store was his dwelling ghouse. He
had number of sons, most of whom reside
in Smyrna and vicinity, and one daughter
who married VIM. C. ElIason.
From Spruances to the hotel there were
several dwellings and shops Of different
trades. The hotel was then kept by Thos
L. Temple, hsfsre referred to. rememhel
that Dan McCauley. used to bring to thi,
hotel droves of horses and mules, and the
hoys would struggle for the privilege o
riding the horses mot the mules) to thu
mill pond to water. At ono time there wa
a hostler there who was somnambulist
Once in a while, it would be discovered il
the morning that quantities OF the corn o
oats hal been taken from the feed bins dur
ing the night. Time and again this hostile
would sit up and watch all night for tn
thiof, Int no detection followed. On
night az Dan McCaully was entering th
hotel after the inmates had all retired, h
saw the hostler coming down stairs. lighte
lantern in one hand and keys of the stahl
and feed bin in the other. On speaking I
him and receiving no reply, McCaully dil
covered peculiar look about the hostile
and decided to follow him. The man wen
TO the stable, unlocked the door, entrre'
then opened the feed hin and passed i
and out the stalls Of 40 to so horses, givin
each one an extra feed, then closed al
returned to the hotel, retired for the nigh
and next morning reported another rel
bery He was both astonished and alarme
when acCaully informed him of what Il
had witnessed the night before.
From the hotel stables, there was bI
one house on the East side of Cemmer'
street to the mill pond. think the mill
lived in that one though there was b.
little if any grain ground there at that tim
IL had been changed into bark mill an
was run by Robert Cook and Barney Graz
ford. They bought the bark in the roul
!, and shaved it, sold the Foss for fuel al
ground the inside for foreign market. N
Cook. afterwards removed to Philadelph
and believe went West and again return,
/" to Philadelphia. Barney" was slandil
beaux, but did not marry until after
had removed to Baltimore.
!, On the South side of Petersons m
popd, stood the old hip rooted Presbyteri
=. Church and CemsteFy, The building W
fast dilapidating. They had no pastor al
but few members. US
The mill pond was the Natatorium
Smyrna. Init boys and men bathed a
no SWAN in Summer and in Winter akat
r. and slsded to their hearts content.
was famous for perch, pkg, cells, cat a
sun fish, and afforded rare sport for