The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1893-07-19
old NATIONALPIKE TAVERNS
Col. t. B. Searight Takes a Trip
Over the Road and Gives Some
Interesting Pen Pictures.

Many changes have taken place along the
National Pike since that great national hi Oh
way Was in the fall tide Of its glory in the
days OF Clay and Polk and Jackson. Speak
ing Of these matters with a Cumberland
Times reporter few days ago, Col. T. B.
searight the historian Of the pike said
IS Yes. 1 drove over the old National Road in
a buggy bringing Mrs. searight along 70 see
thai no harm befel me- We had a very
pleasant trip. experienced a feeling Of
sadness at Witnessing the great changes
wrought along the road by half century
Of time, but a recollection Of its past glories
kept me from moody state o. mind. Near
I ly all the old tavern keepers, stage drivers
and wsgoners are dead, and many Of the old
tayerns utterly obiiterated left my tired
horse in the keeping Of Joe Fisher, an old
stage driver in Frostburg. recognized his
face the moment j saw him, although I had
not seen him before for forty years
Coming out from Uniontown one Of the
/ first place Of note is the Turkeys Nest at the
/ foot Of the first long western slope OF Laurel
Hin. Old wagoners and stage drivers would
not recognize the Turkeys Nest as it appeaH
I to-day. Its ancient beauties are supplanted
by wha: they call the greater beauties follow
ing in the wake Of progress and improve
ment. The big water trough, one mile from
/ the summit, once 50 familiar to stage driv-
/ ers and wagoners, occupies its old place on
/ the road side up against the laurel beds, but
/ the old stone building near il has collapsed
and is little less than pile Of debris To
add TO the encroachments Of progress, the
ancient water supply at this famous point
has been cut or by the Unionlown Water
Company.
! The summit Of Laurel HiIl wears It's old
! time aspect The cottages are there fairly
/ well preserved and the msin building is still
standing, but plainly yielding 10 the ravages
| Of time and storm. Jerry Snyder's old tay-
ern At the foot Of the hill still remains.
showing evidences OF the kindly efforts Of
its blind owner to keep it from falling. The
owner is Lewis n. Snyder q son Of the orig
[ inal proprietor. who lost his eyes many
years ago BY an explosion in limestone
| quarry. The stone he was quarrying were
{ for use on repairs Of the road the Chalk
Hill house, eight miles east Of Vuiontovn.
near Fayette Sps.ngs, shows bu, slight
( changes. i- still keeps open as . tavern,
/ and is sustained by local trade only. The
old Billy Darlington stone house is st.1 open
for the accommodation of the public, and
well kept by Calvin Dean. The old Mt
/ Washington house retains its original ap-
pearance but is a private residence. Here
the Good Intent line Of stages changed
horses. The old stone toll house near Nj
| Washington has tgmbied down.
The old Bozs Rush, stage house Of the
Stockton line. has not been kept as a tavern
/ 6or many years. Mr. Rush lives in il in Ie-
I tirement, and IS Of venerable age. The
house and surroundings are well preserved.
The old Inks house stands as silent, lonely
monitor Of the glories Of the past, and Mich
olas McCartnes, its most famous proprietor,
is dead but by no means forgotten. The
old barley Rush house, a popular wagon
stand Of the olden time, IS q lonely farm
house with nothing around it to tell Of the
stirring scenes Of the past. So il is with the
old Yeast McCoiloush MlrlOw ard Brown
field houses. The ham that once surround
ei them is changed u painful stiffness, rot
to say solitude.
b. The great bridge At the Big Crossings is
giving away, but is to be repaired and re-
stored \ wise thing to do. The old End
sley house in Somerield, is still! KEEP; up.
Il is in good condition and well managed by
Wm. Endsley, a son OF the old proprietor.
The Metzar house. Temple Of Juno, still pre-
senis its antique and now lovely appearance
to the few passing travellers. The Newbury
and Mitchell tayerns are farm houses, faiE-
ly well preserved, but the large old stables
are bending and wayering. Petersburg
wears a prosperous appearance, but the land
marks OF the old pike are nearly ali Affect
ed.
Augustus old tavern at the foot, and the
old stone tavern at the top Of WinGiHg
Ridge, have suocumbed TO the new order,
and the old wagner would scarcely recos-
nize them. Ke5ser's Ridge is not Ike IL
was when the painting stage teams were
driven up before the doors Of Stoddard's and
Farrell old taverns. Niger Mountain is
the same old rugged PEAK, with a history
that cannot be Obliteraied, bus it echoes no
longer the rattle Of the stage coach. The
Little Crossings is the seal of an apparently
vel cultivated mountain farm, Wat moth
ing Of It's ancient prestige. Tne Shades of
Death have no longer any terror for the trav-
eler. The trees are all cut down and the trs-
dition Of sam Luman's encounter with high
w1ytnen is al that remains 10 remind the
present settlers Of the giories Of the old pike.
The old Tomlinson home is in 8 poor
state Of preservation. The sand Springs are
merged in the municipality of Frostburg,
and few can remember the Old popular wag-
on stand at that point. The Franklin
House and Highland Hail are remembered
only in song Mr.. Sheets keeps a good
house in Frostburg, but it is only lineaily
descended frOm the tavern Of the old pike
Clary's old place, east Of Froslburg, remains
solid and looks natural The Egerstein
house has vanished. The toll house is still
standiGg six miles from Cumberland, but no
tolls are demanded. The old Bruce house a.
the junction Of the old and new locations,
remains a monument Of the past. The
Narrows" are as picturesque and beautiful as
when seen and admired By Henry Clay
found the road better than ] anticipated.
There are but few rough places between
Uniontoxn and Cumberland.
Did you see many old pike boys in Cum
bedand?"
saw Samuel Luman, Ashbel and Han
son, Willison and Robert Hall, who mani /
tested deep interest in the history Of the T.
old road"
When viii your history be published ?"
The coming fall, think The road /
from Frostburg to Cumberland IS as good a. :
ever it was, and the drive from the point I
first named, doxn to Cumberland in the /
evening is delightful
The Colonel has been gathering material /
for his BOOK Tor years past.
Easy 70 Manage.
The Cinderella Range IS easy 10 manage, /
many other ranges are not. The Construct
Jon Of the Cinderella admits Of plenty Of air
under the CRATE, which prevents il from
burning out, and every provision is made