Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1881-10-07

nam 8 SGOTo IL HOW. LILO IoooAHdoGtf was
old Lawrence Tremper who was post
master for forty years. He was com
J missioned postmaster by Postmaster
General Habersham, under the admin
istration of President George Wash
ington. The opening of the mails was
told by the ringing of bell on the porch
in front Of the post office.
Crossing from there to what is now
Haine's corner you come to the store kept
by Miss Jane Stuart, and keeping on that
side, going East. you come to the matters
shop of John Heiskell who afterwards
moved to Winchester. Mr.. Fnnkhouser's
store is where Heiskell used to be. From
Haiue's corner going South, you come to
| the old Chancery Office at the corner of
Court House alley. Chancellor Brown was
the Chancellor. Next to it was the Coun-
ty Court House, strong built house with
the entrance on the ground floor and next
door to it was the Clerks office. The
court house was as we'll fitted up as now,
and something like it is now, except that
the high Sheriff had box and the Depu-
| d Il.
side of the street came the Jail an old stone
structure, very solid and secure, and be-
| yOnd that there was nothing, between it
| and Sears Hill.
| Crossing over from the Jail to what is
now Mrs. Bolen s. you found frame build
ing occupied by Isaac Collett, publisher of
the Republican Farmer" the Federal pa
per of that day. Next to that, going
| north, was the chair factory of Jacob
Kurlz, the father of John (Cynthy) Kurtz
His motto was "Be Honest" and he lived
up to it.
Where DR.. McChesney lives now, there
lived Dr. Boys. He was the great physi-
clan of those days, having graduated at
two Universities. something very rare for
doctor in those days. He always had
five or six students studying under him
and, up on what is called Sears Hill, now,
he had little cabin for dissecting room.
This cabin was the terror of all the chill
dren and colored people of the town.
| Where Mai. Newton's store is now.
stood the store of Jacob Swoope. The
store which Maj. Newton pulled down,
must have been a century old. Next to it.
| where Byers & Cochran are, was the store
| of John Mcdowell, who was rich man,
and among his other possessions was what
| is now known as the Gay farm. south Of
| Staunton.
And now you have what was the whole
| of. the business centre' of StauntOn.-
The manufacture then was far ahead Of
what it is now. Any time you might
| find in town eighteen or twenty hatters.
| shoemakers, tailors, timers, and other
| workmen. There Was more enterprise in
Staunton then than there is now; the whole
| countryside had their goods made here.-
| And yet, in town that was, doing all this
/ manufacturing there were only ten brick
or stone houses.
Tie newspaper business then was diff
| ferent. The papers and the editors were
rated as second rate. For instance
/ there was printing office near where DR..
McChesney lives now at which ''The Spir-
! it of '76'' was published. One day the pa
per published communication which dis
pleased Jacob Peck, tanner below town
Peck was fine looking, broad shouldereo
man and wasn't afraid of the devil. He
came to the office and demanded the namt
of the author. The printer declined to
give it, whereupon Peck said, "Then III
take the liberty of wringing your nose, -
and suited the action to the word. The
printer made poor fight. They didn't
| have revolvers in those days.
They used to be pretty wild in those
days. But Waynesboro was the town
where the bloods were. They had cock
fighting, horse racing, gambling-every
thing In Waynesboro then. That was the
town that all the young bloods went to on
Sundays, and such tune as they had!
And here our old friend got tired OF
telling us of the former days of Stanton;
but he had furnished us with an interest
| ing article nevertheless, as we think our
| readers will agree. ,s