The Abbeville messenger. (Abbeville, S.C.) 1884-1887, 1885-09-02
Extracts From McMaster's Sec
ond Volume.

faSsor AcMastcr's "History Of tho Peo-
1p1e Of tho United States" 1t opens
Nth a study Of social life and manners
49, sieorgia and South Carolina in 1890:
Bees and huskings, and assemblies,
AAra-saisings and parties were indeed
not In vogue. No pastime could flour
nh among them that did not partake of
Hanger or risk. They formed hunting
clubs, and met once fortnight. They
gambled, they bet, they gathered in
crowds to see cocks cut each other to
pieces with spurs made Of steel. They
came from parts to enter their horses
for quarter races, or contest for a purse
in thrce-mile heats. At such times the
men Of a lower caste played +. 0. and
faro, wrestled, and seldom went home
without a quarrel, or perhaps a brutal
fight. We are told by those who be-
held these scenes that the fighting was
rarely in hot blood, that the p1climina-
i. ries were 'coolly arranged, and that each
combatant agreed before he began wheth-
er 1t would be- fair 10 bite off an ear, to
gouge an eye or MAIN his opponent in a
yet more terrible way. Gouging was
always permissible. Every bully grew
a long thumb-naii or finger-nuil for that
very purpose, and when he had his OPP
ponent down would surely use it, unless
the unfortunate man cried out kings
cruse," or enough. If the gougcr took
out the eye of but one man, his punish
snent might be a few hours in the pillo-
ry and a few lashes Of the whip. When
he repeated the ~offensc, he might, the
law declared, be put to death. Yet the
practice was long a ~favorite one, and
conmon as far north MS the Maryland
border.
Travellers will be interested in the
sketch Of southern inns
The roads that led north and south
were good and well cared fer g; but the
inns throughout the whole south execra-
BILE. Travellers of all sorts have agreed
that the condition of the buildings. the
conrseness of the fare, the badnes of
the beds, and the exhorbitance of the
reckoning. could not be ~equalled else
where. Not one Of them displayed q
sign, and, save for the number Of hand
bills posted up beside the door, the inn
was like every other house along the
way. The windows had often no sash
es, the houses let in the rain. Mattresses
were unknown, and on the hottest
nights in summer the weary lodgcr was
compelled to lie down upon a feather
bed. Breakfast cost six shillings din
per cost a dollar. A nights lodging
wa half as much !; but If clean sheets
were demanded, the price was sixpence
more. Supper was rarely eaten. Inn
Keepers attributed these evils to the
customs Of the land, and declared that
while wayfarers found entertainment at
tho houses of the great, the conditions
OF the taverns could never be improved.
There were, Of course, exceptions.
Here and there in the large towns were
to be seen ordinarics with which the
most %fastidious could find little. fault.
No better specimen OF a good southern
inn existed than the Eagle tavern at
Richmond. The building was large,
was OF brick, and provided with n long
veranda in front. For II shilling and
sixpence. Virginia currency, he traveller
was shown to a neat bed in n well-fur-
,nsshed rsoi.np one flight Of stairs. On
the wall was fastened n printed table Of
rates. From this he learned that break
fast cost two shillings, and dinner, with
grog or toddy, was three that q quart
teddy was one and six. and that the best
Madeira wine sold for six shillines n
quart. When lie rose in the morning
he washed his face, not in his room, but
on the piazza, and ate his breakfast in
the coolest of the dining-rooms, at a
table adorned With pewter spoons and
china plates. Off ut one side was a tub
full OF water wherein melons and Gu
numbers, pitchers Of milk and bottles of
wine were placed to cool. Near by was
a water-case which held two decantcrs.
# he called for water, a wench brought
it fresh from the spring, and he drank
from q glass which had been cooling ir
q barrel which stood in one corner of the
Poqw. For bis lodging End his board, if
ne ate q cold supper and was content
with one quart Of toddy. he paid to the
landlord Of the Eagle ten shillings. Vir-
ginia currency, or one dollar and sixty
gig cents, federal money, each day.
AaomPanjon-piece is a sketch Of New
England tayerns about the year 1900 =
Many a New England village inn
aeald, in the opinion Of the most fastid-
joas OF ~Frenchmen, well hear colnpar-
y With the best to be found in
strange. The neatness of the rooms.