The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1885-10-10
NaiOnaI Road RecOllectiOus.

/
due seTnc3n. Historic germs or ma
terial ,fecedes history itself. just as
the seed does its product, and they
should be utilized while yet service
able afd attainable. The octogenarian
with us store of practical knowledge
OF face dies. and the whole is lost to
useiuiRess-a loss often greater than
if the whole edition of some of our
modern books were given to the
flames. So we have from time to
time ina feeble manner been endeav-
ing to discharge this obligation on our
part by rescuing and recording yet
living facts for the coming historian.
Considerable has already been writ
ten and published 10 regard to the
Old Rational Road, but there is a
feature of it that yet remains I'M
touched; the hotel, or public inns,
legally known as Ordinaries. The
subjec Of this article will be the no.
tells al d their proprietors in by.gone
times in Garrett county.
In the flush times of this now de.
ceased thoroughfare, there was upon
! arr diaTage about one of these useful
institutfofs to each mile, They were
in most cases, especially in early
times, plain buildings of logs or frame
work, with annexes from time to
time as circumstances would author
ize however, there were some brick
and stone edifices among them, no.
tibly at Grantsville and Little Mead
ows. In busy seasons even these
numerous Inns were insufficient to
comfortably accommodate the i'm
mense "travel" on the road. Many
a way-farer had to submit to pretty
hard lodging; but always plenty to
eat. The chambers in these build.
ings were neither large or numerous,
with but little furnishing, always a
good clean bed, however, sometimes
with posts or spars mounting to the
ceiling, with covering to suit temper.
allure though it should be largely be-
low zero, as very often it was. The
table mot lot of little desks as now
dot the modern dining ROOM usually
extended from one end of the room
to the other, mostly loaded with good
wholesome, we'll cooked edibles, fit
for statesman or Prince. All the
edibes were placed upon the table,
which was generally so crowded as
to not leave room enough for nap
kin, but there were none in those
days. The guests were summoned
to their meals by the ring of bell
which would electrify all concerned,
and who would respond in manner
according to their breeding and edu-
cation. The hotels, especially the
stas -houses, furnished most excellent
meals. Mountain provisions were
plenty, cheap. and the very best.
The mutton cannot be equaIed by
any other climate, and in those days
venisOn and other game meat, such
as wild turkey, pheasant, &C.. were
abundant. and easily obtained, with
brook trout at about the price of beef
steak just think of such an array of
luxuries before promiscuOus travel
ers, but of course this was not the
general rule.
In the front part of the hotel was
always found the 6dr-r0On1, which
formed a lobby for the guests and the
public generally. Here in corner
was the lar itself, not for lawyers
especially, but for the thirsty gener-
ally The bottles were numerous and
sometimes grotesaue in shape, but
the varieties of the liquors not so
manifold-the taste generally much
the same. One remarkably candid
proprietor had habit of asking the
applicant what his beverage would
be, but always answered his own
question by saying he had nothing
but whiskey. Sometimes a little
cheap brandy and gin would be found
in secret part of the lookup. Once
prominent U, S. officer who had
seen service in the Florida war called
for brandy. which happened to be on
hand. 1t was pronounced to be good
by the partaker; the quiet old land
lord replied yes, il ought, for it cost
rs cents per gallon. Common whis-
key cost from IS to 25 cents per gal
lon, and was doled out at 3 and 5
cents per drink. 1t was mostly made
of corn. and generally hard stuff, and
had many hard names, such as rot
gut. Perry grove, &c. 1t was drunk
freely and almost by everybody. and
strange to say, Its effects were not so
pernicious as now from liquor ten
times as costly. None of these inkeep-
ers were or could be tetotlers Zone,
however, was in the habit of declaring
he had not taken drink for 40 years,
but really sometimes not so many
l.. /