The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1884-09-10


grass Utopia as with that distinguished gen.
tleman who spent here the major part of one
of the happiest years of his life, and who
thereby gave it place in political history.
Primitive then, 1t is by comparison more
primitive now The march of thirty-four
years. so fraught with change and innova-
ton for whole continent, has left this re-
treat uncorrupted, and the bobtailed railway
train which, with much clatter and sputter,
sssails the good order of the town each morn
ing and evening, seems like an invasion very
much to be deprecated. Its pernicious infiu-
ence is notable in the fact that young ladies,
who grow in great abundance and luxurisnce
here wear white Mother Hubbards and chew
gum as, accompanied by their SWANS, they
saunter each evensng to the only popular re.
sort in the village, namely, the railroad
depot.
THE TOWN
is built somewhat in the form of a cross.
The white and very dusty turnpike, which
connects Maysyiile, forty miles northwest
on the Ohio River, with Lexington, twenty
seven miles southwest affords the town its
chief improved street, and for nearly mile
stores and dwellings lace upon it. Thirty
years all the freight from the East TO this
and the Lexington region used to come via
Pittsburg and the Ohio River to Msysville,
and thence freighters' wagons carried ii
down this long pike to its destination. A
stage ran daily each way and did great pas
senger traffic. In those days business at
Millersburg was very brisk, and the town
was sometimes quite giddy with excitement.
A railroad, however, was made TO parallel
this pike, and, as one indignant old resident
remarked, "Millersburg got tucked away in
the woodshed like, and she amt done no
great good ever senCe." The turnpike,
which belOn IS to a corporation, and used TO
be very sleek, has become quite bumpy, 10
the eminent dissatisfaction OF the town. and
the only parts OF il that are kept in real
good repair are the tOll-gates. The other
street of the town leads from the east
ern suburb. where the depot is, across the
main street. or pike, to the western suburb,
distance of four blocks. Where the streets
interssct there is public square, with an
ancient and rusty iron fence around it. with
dense thicket of weeds within. They say
there are snakes and rabbits in there, but as
nobody ever climbs OVertthe fence, no dan
ger is appTehended from that source. A
very old citizen dedicated that block to pub
lie uses, and prohibited its sale, aud as a re-
suit the people of Millersburg have had to do
an immense amount of walking all their
their lives to get 10 the postOffice and back.
A public square out near the cemetery would
be much more desirable, for there 1t would
not be in the way all the time. The Millers-
full, and compares favorably with any small
cemetery in the country. It is quite new;
the old ora which contains graves nearly q
hundred years old, is mile away, and was
located there probably in anticipation that
the town would grow out to it. The people
got tired going such long distance to inter
their dead, so they established a new Gene
terry inside the town limits, and about three
blocks from the public square.
THE OLD HOTEL
is just as monarchical among the buildings
of the town as it was fifty years ago. 1t was
built way back in the forties, with walls of
stone over two feet thick, aud partition walls
the same. The wood of the door frames and
window frames is so hard that nails can not
be driven into il. On the top OF the build
ing is a little. squatty bellfrv, which accom-
modates bell about the size of an ordinary
locomotive bell The strap by which this is
egitated extends down through the middle
of the second floor room into the little Off &c,
where it terminates in loop convenient to
the hands of the clerk. This bell goes off
with great suddenness and frequency, aud
without any regard whatever for the time of
day or night. You 90 into metropolitan
hotel and ask for room, and the clerk
sounds an electric gong, which at least keeps
the business inside the hotel. You go into
the hotel at Millersburg and ask for room,
and the clerk seiZes onto the strap and sets
to work like a woOd-sawyer, awaking the
echoes over the whole town, which has moth
ing louder than the bell in its borders. You
hope it is only coincidence, but he tells
yOu to sit down and the porter will sh0 v
you to the room directly. You wait a while,
and so does he.
wonder where that blamed porter is" he
finally exclalms, and forthwith, he lays on
TO the strap and rips out another bell solo
that can be heard for miles.
you don't mean to say you're ringing for
the porter?' you ask. feeling little nervous.
well that's what L m ringing for"
But why don't you ring something inside
something that won't be quite as bolster
ousF'
Because want to fetch him. No use
ringing anything inside If he can't hear it.
The blame nigger-here he is. Sam, show
the gentleman to his ROOM"
SAM
is a slouchy, good .natured darkey, with the
traditional prejudice against work and in
favor Of watermelons, and this prejudice
keeps him down street. large part OF his
time. 1t is soon learned that it wouldn't be
nearly so hard TO keep hotel in Millersbura
If they could just get bell-boy who would
stay on the same block. A very large par
a TIE ks time is devoted to locating and
ls' sOing the darkey, and were it not for the
bell on the roof the hotel couldn't run at all
The bell is rung twice for each meal once al
a warning that things are a-cOoking. and
done cooked. Hence a boarder has a good
deal to learn before he gets so that he doesu't
respond 10 a false alarm. 1t takes some time
too, to get accustomed to the practice of stir
ring mp the whole town every time you wan
your boots BACKED or a fresh pitcher oil
water. Notwithstanding these blne gras:
idiosyncracies, which are accepted by Millers
burg as evidence of life aud business, the
hotel is very nicely kept. An old lady WHIT
was born there, and whose father kept il be
fore her, is in charge, and a pleasant. home
like place she makes of il for the very few
transients that come that way.
Seven churches. 1000 inhabitants very
large proportion of negroes. three or fou
stores and two educational institutions, AND
the town is pretty fully characterized.
From all these facts it will be seen tina
what the people of that town do not know
about each other is not liable to be very In
feresting. II was On this community, in tn,
early spring of 1880. that
MAJOR ]. 6. BLAINE BURST REsPLENDESr
in blue and brass, with wealth of glossl
hair and beard, and a tendency to kid glove
and switch canes. He came down the Mays
vile pike in the old stage, and alighted abou
two blocks east of the hotel above described
in front of a rather ir1pOsiug tWO-gfOrv bricl