The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1888-12-20
MEMORIES
or Ye olden Times in Canton and
Vicinity
Contributed by An Old Rosidenter
who Knows Whereof lie
Speaks,

the days OF ancient Greece ana Rome
may no interesting 10 many Of the pres
ent day II should BIO more interesting
10 know how our own grandparents
liyed-tO know how the habits and Gus
toms Of their day differed from our
own. IL In questionable whether the
most advanced pupils OF tho High
School have an adequate conception Of
tho wonderful change that has been
wrought In our domestic habits and
customs within the last half'eentury.
When we contemplate the marvellous
advance that has been In the arts and
sciences In that time we wonder ut the
stupidity OF tho people who lived IN the
hundred years previous IT'S said ne
oeBslty ia the mother OF Invention, Very
true, and was there not as much neces'
gity for q friction match one hundred
years ago ~ today Yet IN my school
boy days q friction match was q thing
unknown, And this suggests q ques'
ton TO the pupils of the High School,
II was not an u|nffequent occurrence
that there was no fire about the h0usC,
How wOuldBou undertake 10 start one,
no matches In existence no Gre In the
neighborhoOd from whence you could
borrow and no PrOmetheus within
reachf
Canton was 20 years old and had o
| population Of over 2,0l0 before there
was a cook stove In town, There were
\ few tln'plato stoves as they were
called, used for heating and cooking
light meals, but general cooking was
done by an open fire, The ten kettle
was hung over the fire on q crane; tho
moat and potatoes fried IN a skillet set
on the Goals; pot pie and biscuit baked
IN u dutch oven, the lid covered with
live GOALS. The same vessel wnB often
used for baking bread, and frying
faustnachtH. Potatoes were sometimes
baked In the ashes, wood alone being
then used for fuel, Those were the
days referred TO by the poet when was
heard "the cricket on the hearth not
my days, but OF generations preceding,
when young people did their counting
by the dying embeIa. 10 IN now done
by electric light, Our chief light by
which 10 read nj night, was the tallow
candle, and II required snullng about
every fifteen minutes. Habits and Gus.
toms change, and we change with
them,
TO return 30 the ways ofliying In the
time OF which we write. The table.
ware was decidedly plain. Queensware
wac expensive, and many families used
pewter plates, The children 10 q rule
ate at the second table, and were re-.
quired 10 stand up, Why they were
not allowed W Rlt down / am unable ~
tell, unless II was then as now people
were particular ~ observe 2 fashion
whether II was agreeable or not
High bedsteada were she style, This
was necessary in many cases as trundle
beds in which children slept we're kept
under them, and at night rolled out for
use. IL was the fashion 10 pile the bed.
ding up high. On top Of n thick straw
tick would be q feather tick, making "
so high from She door that q short leg
ged woman would require tho assist
ance OF n chair 10 get In, and then II
was anything but q comfortable place
10 sleep In OF q hot, gultry night. led.
ucatiOn has done much toward eman.
cipating US from meek submission ~
an Objectionable habit, In carly times
q feather tick was u part OF the brides
Quilt. Now II consists Of many ar.
ticles quite az supcrtluous, but not so
unhealthy 10 use.
Hotels In those days were called tav.
ems, but whats In q nancy That
which we call n rose, by any other name
would smell rs sweet" And 80 II was
with many Of the early tayerns OF this
country. Food Of the staple kind was
cheap and plentiful. VIM. Hawk, the
grandfather Of the VIM Hawk con.
nected with the Windsor of New York,
was proprietor OF the Eagle tavern,
from whence the Eagle block takes its
name. His house had a reputation for
good living not exCelled by any be.
tween Pittsburgh and Mansfield.
There was no Chicago then. Ills table
was always supplied with the best Of
everything that could be had. He had
w iAlhNNA biAo VI lalti bhA AiltIt dIt u
few Of the old guard still living, and
they testify 10 the following ordinary
course. For breakfast, ham
and beef steak fried potatoes,
warm cakes, wa0les, spreads Of all
kinds, excellent coffee with rich cream.
For dinner, chicken, roast beef or kid.
ney, roast Of veal, roast turkey, yegita.
bles, sauces Of oil kinds and tea or
coffee. for dessert, pie or cake. Supper,
beef steak and ham, mashed potatoes,
sauces, coffee and tea. And this for 90
cents n meal, regular boarding with
l0dginglS2.J0 q week. A cold check Of
cold meat, boiled eggs, bread butter and
q spread, pie and milk, n shilling.
Lodging q shilling and horse feed che
same. There was no oysters or Ice
cream, nor napkins or music, but Gus.
toners were as well satisfied rs they
are now NJ the Windsor or Fifth avenue
where they pay from 80 20 IS q day.
This was The day Of the stage coach.
When Col. Cribs advertised that he
had established u daily line Of four
horse post coaches running east and
west from Canton, he was looked upon
rs n greater man than General Grant.
Leaving Canton after dinner and or.
irving In Pittsburgh by the next dinner
hour, was regarded the ne pins ultra Of
fast travelling, The arrival Of the coach
ut the tavern was an event calculated
10 attract everybody Of leisurewith In
convenient distance. Passengers took
their meals while there was u change Of
horses. AS the stage approached from
the east, IN reaching the rise opposite
the Lutheran church, the driver com.
menced blowing his horn and kept IL
up until he reached Cherry street, then
cracking his whip with q few extra
ilourishes he came In on q brisk trot
up TO the Public Square and around the
market house 10 the front Of the tav-
ern, when the landlord would make his
appearance, place steps to the door of
the coach and invite passengers TO
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