Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-06-27
AN HISTORICAL INN.
It Sheltered Many a Revolutionary
Hero and 0l6-Fime KnaYe.
THE KANSAS BENDERS 0UTD0NE.
HOw1ne Evil Landlord Slaughtered Many
Of His Hapless Guests.
lE KANSAS BENDERS OUTDONE.
RETRIBUTION OVERTAKES ANOTHER

little country pace, rev miles from hem-
ington station, on the Cleveland and
Pittsburg Railroad, there is now used for
one of Uncle Sans postoffices remark.
able old stone building. 1t has withstood
all the storms and vieissitudes of the past
100 wears, and has strange and eventful
history, fraught with deepest, most ro-
mantle interest. One of the few inns or
taverns of colonial days now standing, it is
among the oldest-if, indeed, it is not the
oldest-places otpublic entertainment in our
country. 1t is 2 square, massive, two-story
structure and stands upon messy bank a
few hundred yards from the swiftly flowing
Ohio-that graceful stream which Long
fellow has Justly styled the Beautiful
River" Before its doors runs the old
turnpike. which once formed a great con-
Meeting link between the cities of the East,
the South and the West, but was long since
supplanted by the railroad, whose iron arms
now stretch between it and the river.
A Spook- -Burdened Old House.
IF those old walls, whose substantial
solidity at the end Of a century may put to
shame the mushroom building methods of
to-day, could speak, what a tale they might
unfold OF life and death, love and hate,
jealousy and despair, mirth and murder,
laughter and tcars, song and story! If Long
fellows saying be true, that all houses
wherein men have lived and died are
haunted houses, then every stone, every
timber in this old building might be eX-
pected, aside from the reputation it popu-
larlv enjoys of abounding in spooks of all
kinds, to send forth a legion of ghosts at
that 'witching hour when church yards
yawn. And no commonplace, every day
ghosts. either: for many of our most distin-
guShed national heroes of the Revolution,
and of later times as well-men whose names
are household words upon the lips of our
children-have sojouned here, as We shall
see when We come to dive more deeply into
the life record of this quaint old structure.
Its present use as a postotfice is not inappro-
pirate, for it would be the place par excel
lence for dead letters.
wierd Tales by the Present Landlord.
For the following "reminiscences of this
quaint old edifice / am indebted to Mr..
Charles Cheney, the present postmaster.
He was born more than 50 years ago within
a few rods of the spot on which it stands.
His recOliectionS are especially valuable,
from the fact that he was not only identi-
fed with the old tavern in the days of
stage-coaching, but subsequently, during the
era Of railroads where, as locomotive en-
giueer. he drove the first locomotive ever
seen west of the Alleghenies across those
Railroad Company.
This remarkable old building was erected
Just at the close of the Revolutionary
War BY Captain Ephraim Sholes,
who had distinguished himself as a
brave officer of artillery during the
struggle of the colonies with the
mctucr country. On retiring to private
life, when the zoe mad been completely van
quished and the independence of the con-
iuerors finally established, Captain Sholes
turned his sword, not into plowshare or
4 pruning hook, but into a pencil and slate
wherewith TO keep account Of thirsty and
impecuniOus customers.
The Origin of the Eagle Tavern.
In other words, having inherited from
his father and through his wife what was
very snug little fortune for those days, he
erected this stone building, called ii the
Eagle Tavern out of compliment 10 that
noble bird which is cur national emblem,
and established himself in life as an inn
keeper.
Hotel, OF in the veruacular of that period,
tavern" signs then consisted merely of
pictures. An innkeeper would display a
picture of black bear or a red
lion, supplemented by no lettering
and everybody knew that his
was TO be spoken of as the
ease might he. Many of these pictorial
devices are still to be seen in the small
towns OF the South, where the rural echoes
have never been awakened by the shrill |
scream of the locomotive whistle. There are
'sWhite Lambs, "Black Magpies,' and
countless heads of Washington, Franklin
and other Revolutionary celebrities
The Inns First Christening.
In those days of turnpikes, horseback
journeys and numbering stage coaches, and
during the epoch of long wagon trains
headed westward Ho"' which came after
ward, picture Of a game cock, a red fox or
a national hero, mounted upon a pole
planted hy the roadside and swinging in an
iron frame, was hailed with JOY as an an
o. place of rest and refresh
ment for man aud beast.
WheE Ephraim Sholes first opened to the
travelling public this stone tavern he in
tended to call it the "Black Bear" but an
experience he had with tramp |
sign painter, which has been handed down |
through many generations, and is still told |
with great relish by the local 81 Primes |
and Solon Shingles when they gather to-
gether OF a night at the country store, caused |
him to abandon the idea. In response to |
Sholc's question what would he take to |
paint a sign OF a black bear, the painter |
relpicd that he would portray the animal |
unclaimed for S25, but that he would re-
yuire $50 10 paint him chained so that he |
cOIld net get away. SholeS did not think |
the chain would have anything to do with |
the permanency of the sign, and accepted |
the migratory artists first proposition.
Why Ii Was Named the Eagle.
The picture of bruin was very handsome |
" hen completed. bUt Il heavy rain immedi- |
arely ;,tter il was placed in position made |
the siCu board as blank as ShOles' face when |
lie called the attention of the tramp painter
10 the result Of hi, work
''Of course, sad that worthy with the
utmost aon"halance, Il l.ncw the bear would |
disappe;.- ii he were not chained Didn't |
! tell YOU thai for Sa5 would chain him SO |
&c coplan't get awgy?'
Sholcs thought good quality OF white
lead would have retained the bear better
{ han painted cnaiG, so he dismissed TIE |
humorous tramp artist with something a
good deal less pleasant than the price of mis-
Iruitless iabo-. Regarding the disappear
anCe Of tie bear as an i'll omen, he replaced |
Elr B-uiu with an American eagle
From the aarroom doorway of this old inn
WAS seen she tlrst steamboat--built and
owned 10y ihe inventor, Robert Fulton
hat ever uayig&ted Western waters. With
in ;he four walls OF that came barroom
George Washington, James Madison,
Thomas Jefferson, William Henry Harrison,
Henry CLAY and otiier famous soldiers and |