The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1910-04-01
OLD TAVERN CHARGES
Cost of Living at a Turnpike Inn
Near New York In 1916.
Low PRICES THE RULE THEN

The Regular Tariff For Dinner Was
10 Cents, and Wedding Breakfast
For Six, With Twelve Quarts Of Oats
on the Side, Cost just $1.6e.
Guarded as carefully as any Of the
guests jewels that lie beside it In the
big safe of great and glittering
Broadway hotel in New York city and
treasured by the proprietor more than
its weight In gold is an old cashbook.
s'he entries run from March to De
cember, 1896 They recofo in quaint,
descriptive phrases the comings and
goings of the travellers who stopped at
a wayside inn on a turnpike road less
than 100 miles from New York. This
tavern was kept by the Broadway no.
tel proprietor's grandfather. The build
ing of the railroad, the passing Of the
stagecoach and the changes of more
than half century have obliterated
this once famous old inn at South Dur
ham, and now all that remains Of it is
this ancient. book, which served not
only as record Of cash received, but
took the place Of the modern hotel
register.
The prices charged by this innkeep-
er of long ago are as far removed
from those exacted today as this an
Gent hostelry is from the gorgeous
summer hotels of the countryside
where it once stood. The regular price
for a dinner was 10 cents, but even
this appears to have been ''cut" to fire.
Quent travellers. Fer instance, there is
an entry Of Candy peddler from AL
bany, two meals and lodging, 81
cents" Almost every entry is a brief
description of the individual traveller
and what he got-for example, "Frec-
kle faced, eagle nosed boy, hay, sup
per, lodging and grease, 81 cents"
This boy was probably driving a horse
and wagon. which would account for
the hay and grease Another man who
was described as fellow with tired
colt got hay, lodging and breakfast
for A cents.
Every few days there came along,
according to this ancient register,
Connecticut man." He invariably
spent just cents for food, and that
was for pie. On two occasions there
is an additional charge for "greasing
wagon, 6 cents" There were no the
atrical companies touring this turn
pike road half century ago, but a
phrenOlogist appears and vanishes, it
being recorded that for ebay, 6 quarts
of oats. lodging and breakfast" he
gave up 56 cents. Once In awhile
real spendthrift would come along.
like the "gent with three ladies' and
two children" They had six dinners.
For these, the hay for the horses, the
"'meals for the dog" and the s'segar'
for the man $1.28 was charged. There
was a wedding breakfast at this
quaint tavern too. 1t is set down as
wedding, Radcliff's sister, 6 dinners.
II quarts of oats, $780,"
People went west" by wagon in
those days from the thickly settled
east to seek their fortunes. Some did
not find what they expected and came
back again. One such group, an sem
igrant family returning east-seven of
them"-spent So at the inn. '.Three
cents worth of candy is frequent
entry. Probably the candy peddler
from Albany paid for his food and
lodging In sweets. There are but two
entries of anything stronger than lem
onade, and those. are for beer-four
quarts for 8 cents. Oysters were
cheap. too, far six plates Of them in
creased the contents Of the tavern
Keepers money box by just 10 cents.
Among the, journeyers along this
turnpike road whose passage is record
ed in this age yellowed volume is "Old
Particular. Doubtless he was some
cranky old codger who kicked about
everything and whose goings the inn
keeper sped as muchas possible. Then
there was the "Whistling Man." the
.Stiff Arm Man." the .'Dispeptic Man.
Che had four quarts Of teal and the
Hen Man." who ate q piece Of pie
and traded ROSTERS with the hotel
keeper. Other travellers along the
highway are thus described: "Aboll-
ton Man." MEAN Fellow" "Gent
Win Noble Horse" Lady With Cry
ing Baby" flank Days Likeness"
and "Cravat Peddler" (fooD.
Occasionally an old acquaintance
would pass by or some dignitary, for
It Is set down that a Friend from
Lexington" had hay and lodging one
day at the inn. Who knows but he
might have been son Of one OF the
"embattled farmers" who kept the
bridge that April morning Of the ride
Of Paul Revere? The Grand Juror
and His Wife" tarried for a meal at
the inn the same day as did the ''Dom-
inie's Wife and Child" On Nov. 8, so
the careful chronicle says, the pro-
prietor went to York." where he re-
manned six days. He must have had
a roaring. roistering time Of it while
IN the metropolis. for the next entry
In his handwriting is somewhat shaky
and saws "SundrfoQ xvhflo of Vnrtr RO