The Hocking sentinel. [volume] (Logan, Ohio) 1871-1906, 1895-06-20
Customs, Habits, Incidents,
Adventures i'm the Old
eli Times.
The character of the people
who founded Logan
and iiOurished when
we old men were
boys.
By Capt. Wm. NJ. Bowen.


= been kept prior TO the establishment
of the County, where entertainment
could be had "for man and beast ca.
the old signs reaD for pay. The
fact was, as we have heretofore exem
pliiied, the hospitality of the early
settler was unbounded, in so far as
his ability to extend the same wa.
concerned, for no stranger, no way
farer, with or without means, was evel
refused shelter and a due share Of the
co mmon board profferel.
On the 20 day of March in the year
1918, one Robert Evans was granted
n license to keep tavern in Logan. Or
the 25th of the same month and year
Samuel Smith was granted the same
privilege. 1t seems that Smith, prior
to his application for n license to
keep tavern, had been playing dead
"open and shut" in the whisky buis-
ness; for under the law at that time,
no one had the right to sell intoxi-
eating drinks at retail except regular.
ly licensed taverns, and we find the
following record on the minute
docket of the Court of Common pleas
of Hooking County at the June ses-
sion 1918, shook A." page II. "The
Grand Jury appeared in court and
presented an Indictment against Sam
uel Smith for retailing spurious
liquors without license, or permit
thereof. The said Samuel Smith
having appeared to said indictment,
on motion, it is ordered by the court
that the indictment be quashed and
that the said Smith go hence without
day." So Smith went "Scott" free
that time, but from the fact that the
first indictment for selling liquor
contrary to law, had been found
against him the "boys' gave him the
name of "Whisky Sam Smith" which
pseudonym followed him through
life.
For the benefit of the older inhab-
itants we here append the minute of
the court assembly for the aforesaid
June 1918 term. "At the June term
of the Court of Common Pleas: The
HonCourt appeared; present the Hon.
VIM. Wilson, President, and BENZ.
Beadle, Thos. Pullen and Abraham
Bltcher associate judges. The court
being opened and no grand jury APP
pearing, the court ordered a Venira
Facias to be issued to make up a
pannel of grand jury of inquest, on
the return of which the following per-
sons appeared, were sworn and heard
their charge; To-wit / Aaron Young;
Foreman 2 Robert Watts. 3 John
Zellers. 4 Frederick Bitcher. 5 David
butcher. 6 Christopher Westenhaver.
Michael Warren. 8 Charles Wright.
8 Matson Peterson. 10 George Han
sell. II Isaac Peterson. 12 Samuel
Moore. 13 Conrad Brian. ii Corne-
l;us Shoemaker. Is George Rouda-
baugh." Another little entry on the
docket, and we will quit the Court
business for the present. Page 13,
State of Ohio VS.. Lewis Grant. Suit
brought of horse stealing. Defen-
dant escaped, suit discharged by
order of Court and costs charged to
county" So, if Grant would only stay
escaped ! presume the Court backed
by the community would feel that 1T
was good radiance of bad rubbish
From 1920 to 1926 the prominent
hotel keepers in Logan were Abraham
Barnett and John Roads. For Salt
Creek township during the same
period were Christian Eby and An
thony Swineheart; Swan township
David Johnston and Henry O'Neil Of
Starr township. In 1927 Peter
Kuder went into the hotel business
and established himself on tho south.
east corner Of Main and Spring streets
the property now owned by the Chris
Mil heirs. In the same year two
brothers, Sumner l.. and Gilbert
Gushing opened up and began enter
tanning home and transien! custom
in regular hospitable and hostelry
style, on the north west corner of
Main and Spring streets, directly di-
agonal across Main and Spring from
the Kuder plant, now owned by cash.
ier G. L. Bowen and occupied by 7.
E. Bakers tin store, DR.. Lyons Office
rooms, Journal Printing House and
family living rooms. The actual bus
mess portion of Logan was for many
years embraced within the radius of
these two prominent Hotel corners,
extending eastward. Taverns were
well patronized in those good old
times, the hunter dropped in to get
his ''nip" and have bis charger filed
before a grand forest excursion, the
countryman his Saturday afternoon
md holiday rations, and the traveller
to partake of an inviting board, al
ways spread. Strollng minstrel
troops, Punch and Judy shows, the
over land circus with the inevitable
elephant duly comparisoned. were sue
,essively coming and going, in fact,