The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-04-26
THE OLD MARKET HOUSE.
Demolition of An Ancient and Accepted
Landmark of Indianapolis.
RecollectiOns of the Oldest Inhabitants Mar
ket Days in Ye 0lden Time-Incidents
Of Its Earlier and Better Days

The East market-house has been torn away
that IL, the west end of the structure, about one
third OF the entire bnilding-to make room for
the new market-honse and city hall. which Is to
go upon its site The old market house was
built in 1888. and was abou, $50 feet long. Since
that time it has been twice heightened, the last
time in 1876, by John Gulick, who built twenty
stalls at the east end. making the low and mar
rOw structure $50 feetin length. The old cupola
that surmounted the market was considered
great thing in its day. when market was form
erly opened by the ringing of bell The bell is
not there now, having beer removed years ago
Il has scarcely been rung at all within tho past
twenty FIVE years. the only exception. probably.
being in 1875, when Marketmaster Gulick
sounded it few times, to the obstruction of the
cobwebs that swathed it, and the great distress
OF the spiders.
liz its youth the market-house had neat
fence about it. to protect it from vagrant village
kline and nomadic swine, and was en-
tered at either end by turnstile,
man. In the early days the butchers
were nearly all Americans and English, but later
on the Germans came into the majority. and
have ever since held preponderance. Perhaps the
Oldest butcher who did business in the market
house. is John C. Dickinson. who sold meats
there over forty years ago. John Gulick, Fred
Heidi and johnson Chill were there thirty-fve
years ago.
Going to market meant something twenty-five
or thirty years ago. People did not then saunter
into the market at s o'clock in the morning. Not
bit of it. They got up there at half-past or
A o'clock by the very earliest of candlelight, ito
sleep In their dfowsy beds seorning.' Candle
light in those days was, SO far as the visiting
farmer was concerned, pan OF lard with a
twisted string alight in it The men as well as
the women went to market in those days, for 1T
was before the corner grocery had enlarged into
green things, and the delivery wagon had not
yet been introduced. The prominent citi-
Gems were all 10 be found at
market on every market morning and
the topics Of the town we're discussed by
Judge James Morrison, William Sheets, James
Bake James NJ Ray, ]. b. McChesney and
others over transactions in poultry and veg
etables. In that day nearly every head of
q family was connoisseur in beefsteak. He
did not merely know whether it was tough or
tender after it was cooked. but beforehand,
and the meat lay upon the butchers block
brought into requisition several unfailing meth-
DDS of determining the exact character of the
article.
Market hours said an old time butcher TO a
reporter ARE getting later and later 1t used to
be that business began before o'clock in the
morning. and | could then sell out two or three
good cattle and be able to go nome and clean up
for breakfast. After breakfast would ride out
eighteen or twenty miles. up into Hamilton or
Hendricks county, buy bunch OF cattle,
and be home again by o'clock in the
afternoon. The butchers made money In those
days; so did the farmers and gardeners who at
tended the market think better beef was sold
here then than row. No bull beef Do you
know that there are at least half dozen bulls
hanging in the market every morning negs It's
against the law TO sell such meat Why doesn't
the marketmaster prosecute the offendsrss He
says he Is afraid he couldn't make a east against
them, and 50 the violation of law eoes on. DO
think bull beef unfit to sell2 won't answer that
question directly, but I'll tell you little story.
DIR. e. came into my shop one morning and
wanted a beefsteak. Well, l cut him off
one. An hour or so aftelward he
came in and said, John, have you
any more steaks Of the same kind as that yeu
sold me this morningr turned very red in the
face and was badly frightened The Doctor was
a very good customer. The Doctor continued
III you have, want all you have of it. I've
travelled all over Europe, I've been in
England, and eaten what was called the
tOothsomeness l never have found anything to
equal that steak bought of you Then felt
better. But that was bull beef, and before the
day was over fellow who was spying round
had me fined for selling it, as against the statute
made and provided.
mo hotel keeper in the Old days trusted to a
steward to buy his meats. He went to market
himself, and made his own purchases. There was
not the desire then. as now to get cheap meats
what the hotel man wanted, and what he would
have. was good meat Capt. Edward Browning
was one Of the best customers ever had.
genial old gentleman. who always knew what be
wanted. Henry Achey, who used to keep tavern
like Ii, was a terror to the butchers and
gardeners in those days. He was loud -mouthed
vouable and very profane. Standing before a
butchers sttll he would say, Don't tell me that's
q tender piece of meat. continuing with torrent
of abuse and profanity which, as it would soon
draw the attention of everybody in the market
and make the butcher appear to be criminal Of
the vilest kind that sufferer would be willing, in
order to get rid of his tormenter.i to let Achey
have 1T at any price, or even to
Hways came to market For long time he pat
lOnized one particular butcher and bought ono
particularly kind of meat One morning as the
Geperal then Colonel Dumont, the got his title in
the Mexican war. came into market this butcher
saw him from afar off and when the Colonel
came up to the stall the butcher handed the
meat to him. wrapped up In apple pie order
What's thisP said the Colonel. 'Your-your
meat. stammered the butcher Meat said Du-
mont. i don't want it. I'll have yea know, sir,
Pm not baby. l can ask for what want
On he went and never patronzed that unlucky
butcher again.
Farmers and hucksters used to come to the
market from a considerable distance, thirty
miles or more, and the lines of flame around the
markethouse looked like the camp-fres of
bivouacked army. There used TO be a singular
old man named Kingbury, jeweler, living near
the east end of the market He was at times
hmw a N eca1S ms WIZ r>x1r.
sued by the man with the poker. He WAS par
tcular in his attire on two points-he always
wore cloak and tall silk hat One morning
saw the old man running and jumping throagh
the flames of one of the market fires He had
absolutely nothing but his cloak and silk hat
After we had watched him take several leaps
through the flames asked him what was the
matter, when he gravely informed me that he