Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1883-04-10
THE BLACK HORSE.


Some Interesting Account Of 1t and Its Pro
prietors and 4uests-A New fsui!d-
ing to Take its Place.
The Black Horse hotel, No. - North
Queen street, one of the oldest tavern
stands in the city, has been vacated, and
will very soon bs torn down, to make
mercantile purposes by its present owner,
Mr.. A. G. Kepler.
There is tradition that the Black
Horse was tavern stand prior to the
Revolutionary war, when narrow strip
of country along the Atlantic coast, ex.
tending from Boston to the Savannah river
and east of tho Alleghenies, was known as
the British colonies, and everything west
of the mountains was an unexplored viii.
derness, inhabited by many Tribes OF
Indians. However this may be, the oldest
inhabitant now living has NO recollection
of the time when the BLACK Horse" was
not in existence.
Some of the old denizens whom we have
interviewed can remember when Abra
ham Ditlow kept tho place, and when
Grabill Diller kept it, and when Mr.. Bach
man, the father of Mrs. Judge Champneys
was proprietor, more than half a century
ago, but their recollection of dates and
incidents is little misty.
John Kaufman, a man of fine physique
and q jovial whOle-souled, clever fellow,
came from Lititz about 1892, and leased
Michael's hotel for a term of five years.
At the end of one year, however. Mr..
Michael rued bargain, and paid Kaufman
bonus to move out. Kaufman took
the Western hotel, corner of Orange and
Walnut streets, kept it for several years,
and in 1888, removed to the Black Horse
which had been purchased for his wife by
her trustees. He kept the hotel and had
good run of trade until 1874 when he
died. His widow continued to keep the
place until 1852, when she sold it and re
tired to private life.
Abraham HOStetter was the purchaser
and took charge of the hotel in 1852. Dur
ing his ownership he added fourth story
to the front and back building, greatly
enlarging its accommodations, and when
tho stabling was destroyed by fire in 1858,
he rebuilt it on all enlarged and improved
scale. The hotel was q headquarters for
drovers and cattle dealers. HOstetter was
a genuine Lancaster county Dutchman,
rather illiterate, but shrewd and business
cerned. Hundreds Of funny stories are yet
told about him and his odd sayings
and dOings. He ran the hotel until
1858 or 80, when he leased it to Reuben
Johns, his son-in-law, who kept it only
about two years, and then retired to pri.
vate life, and is now farming near Earl
vile. Mr.. HOstetter sold the property to
Abram Bard, David Shultz and Henry
FOrney, WHO after holding it for a very
short time conveyed it to John Shaeffer,
who leased it to George Horting, a land
lord of considerable experience, who had
kept tavern at ReamstOwn, Hinkletown,
and at the corner of North
Queen and Lemon streets, this city, before
he took charge of the Black Horse. He
was a good landlord and did good bust
ness, his lease commencing about 1861, en-
bracing the period of the rebellion, and
in 1867. On leaving the Black
Horse he removed to the Franklin house,
which he kept for several years, then re-
moved to tho Keystone house and finally
retired to private life and died in 1876.
Chambers Yundt, Mr.. Horting's Son in
law was the next landlord of the Black
Horse and kept it from 1867 to 1870.
Chambers was jolly good fellow, fond Of
good living and good company, and would
rather spend money than put himself to
the trouble of makiDgit He had hosts Of
many for his own good, and
at tho end of three years he got tired Of
the Black Horse and quit. He died several
years ago.
Mr.. Shaeffer, the owner of the property
sold it to Abraham Russell and MIR. Rus
sell sold it to Jesse Lutz of Reinhold's s
station. Mr.. Lutz put his son in charge
of the hotel, but he kept it less than 4
year when he too retired.
Henry s. Kaufman, rs genial and &C
landlord as ever welcomed
a guest to good meal. was tho next
proprietor of the Black Horse, which he
kept from 1871 until 1877. He was a
corpuleDt, rosy faced, good natured man
and great fayOrite with all his guests
On leaving the hotel he removed to Que Of
Mr.. Demuth's houses on South Queen
street and afterwards kept private
boarding house in the Exchange building,
East King street, corner of Christian, and
afterwards in the Pennock property, cor
ner of North Queen and Lemon streets,
as singular incident that he and the late
friends, had made an agreement that
when either of them should die the sur
vivOr should attend tho funeral but it so
that both of them lay dead at
the same time.
When Mr.. Kaufman moved ont of the
Black Horse John Slough and his sons,
Frank and John, jr., moved in. Frank
was proprietor and ran tho hotel for three
years, when his brother John was assO-
ciated with him for year, and finally sue
coeded him as proprietor, Frank removing
and taking charge of the Sorrel Horse
hotel on West King street. John remained
in charge of the Black Horse until few
days ago, when Mr.. A. G.. Kepier having
purchased tho property, he moved out an.!
now lives private, and the Black Horse,
whose hospitable doors for century Or
more were never closed against the
stranger or traveller, is now dismantled
and will soon be demolished to make room
for one of the largest and handsomest
houses on North Queen street.
A world of incident and anecdote might
bs narrated of the landlords and guests Of
this ancient hostelry. Among its old time
guests were E. G. Darlington, the veteran
editor of the Examiner Frank Heckert,
one Of the former proprietors of the same
paper JAG. NJ. Marks, late of Lanes store,
one of the best story tellers in the city
Christ. Huber, printer and one Of the
California pioneers of 1S49; Frank Car
penter, the wag and joker and Abraham
Bard, who for the last "a years has been a
boarder there, and who ouly left the place
when landlord, clerks, walters and cham
bermaids deserted it. For twenty four
years, and under no less than seven differ
ent landlords, Mr. Bard occupied the same
room. and during that time paid about
So, 900 for board-but he says he got the