The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-02-04
THE WHITE HORSE TAVERN.
4 Romantic Out Lonely Spot on the
Pennsylvania Pike.
(from The Pittsburg Di.patch.)

(From the Pittsburg Dispatch.)
Every person who knows their history
feels a certain loneliness when he travels
over one of the old pixies Of western Penn
sylyania that was long ago a great highway
of trade. Not great as we know highways
now, but great in young country. 1t is
dreamy drive along the old roads.
Every where there are decaying reminders
of the old days. and at times the traveller
unconsciously looks ahead as II expect
ing to see a booted stage coach or a
Conestoga wagon swing around the curve
ahead. But the stones and the ruts soon
jolt the dreams olt OF him. and he awakes
to a realization of how far away is the
past
One OF the loneliest of the old roads
is the Pittsburg aud Bedford pike, par
ticularly at this end. Once a busy.
bustling thoroughfare. it is now a dreary
backwoods road. roUgher than the back
of a mountain hog, and almost as lonely
as Crusoes Isle. The only Inducements
it holds out TO a traveller are the rugged
pictures of nature in the mountains it
threads. 1t passes through a country
rich in such views. which amply repay
one for the shaking up he gets.
one OF the most attractive spots along
IL is at the White Horse Tavern. on the
top OF a ridge near where the waters
divide. The old tavern is in ruins now.
but it is uOne the less interesting for
that Its day is gone. II was famous
tavern sixty or seventy years ago. and ii is
unique in history 1t is the only roadside
ina in southwestern Pennsylvania that has
no room in which Henry Clay slept.
II got its name from the thousand other
white horse "taverns in America and Eu-
rope, but you couldn't find person within
20 miles of it TO believe that. There is a
legend associated with the name homely
one. but characteristic of the people who
relate it, The stonemason who took the
contract to build IL hauled his material to
the ground with favorite horse. He had
taken the contract at too low price, and
when he learned this he swOre that he
would finish the job if ii cost him his
white horse" which it did. In conse-
quence whereof a picture of the horse
adorned the sign of the inn.
The ruins of the tavern are not haunted,
as wellkept ruins ought to be. Old sta
gers tell of being showed in there for
weeks at time Snow at that point some
times drifts to height of twenty-five or
thirty feet and the old tavern and its spa
cious wagon yard were often almost COM
pletely buried in it. IL is not unusual for
the snow to hide the ruins from view in
these days. Below the tavern the pike
winds down the hill like a switchback rail-
road. Descending il there is a view that
Is unsurpassed in the way of mountain
scenery. but unless a person goes down
afoot he does not enjoy it. for his mind is
wholly occupied with the question where
he would land If his horse should shy and
send the wagon over the hill. He would
have several hundred feet to go before find
ing stopping place
Connected with the old taven was barn
which was rooted with hand-cut oak shin
giles. When the tavern was abandoned.
! over a quarter of a century ago. everything
movable about the place was sold. includ-
ing the roof of the barn. The shingles
were used on another barn in the neigh
borhood They had been on the first roof
forty one years. and on the secord twenty
nine years. The grandson CT tht man VINO
bought the shingles now owns the barn on
which they are. and he declares that there
is not a leak in the roof.
Though most of the old taverns along
the road are gone an occasional old keeper
of a new tavern is met Two Plttsburgers
ran across one in the mountains not long
ago II was 1880 ~ IN. when they reached
the hamlet. OF which his inn was the build
ing of most Importance. he was IN 'he
barroom with his chair tilted back against
the wall and his feet On the rungs They
were hungry r
"Can we get dinner:" they asked
What's that" he said with scowi.
Dinner at this time a day! No. you can't
get dinner. People that want dinner ought