Bryan daily eagle and pilot. [volume] (Bryan, Tex.) 1909-1918, 1910-03-07
OLD TAVERN CHARGES
Cost Of Living at a Turnpike Inn
Near New York In 1916.
LOW PRICES THE RULE THEN

The Regular Tariff For q Dinner Was
10 Cents, and a WsaSine Breakfast
For Six. With Twelve Quarts Of Oats
on the Side. Cost Just st.69.
Guarded as carefully ms any OF the
guests jewels that lie beside II In the
bic safe Of a great and ellttering
Broadway hotel In New York city and
treasured by the proprietor more than
its weight IN gold Is an old cashbook.
The entries run from March 10 De
ccmter 1916 They record IN quaint.
descriptive phrases the comlngs and
goings Of the travellers who stopped at
a wayslde inn on 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 a century have oblltcrated
this once famous old Inn at South Dur
ham, and now all that remains Of Il Is
this ancient book. which served not
only as a 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.
Client hostelry Is from the gorgeous
summer hotels Of the countryside
where IL once stood The regular price
for a dinner was 10 cents. but even
this appears 90 have been ''cut" 20 FIRE
qusnt travellers. For instance. there Is
an entry Of Candy petidler 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. Free
kle faced. eagle nosed boy, hay, sup
per. lodging and grease. 81 cents"
This boy was probably driving horse
and wagon. which would account for
the hay and grease. Another man who
was described as a fellow with tired
colt" got hay. lodging and breakfast
for "A cents.
Every few days there CAME along.
according 10 this ancient register.
Connecticut man" He invariably
spent Just q cents for food. aud that
was for pie. On two occasions there
Is an additional charge for "greaslng
wagon. @ cents" There were no the
atrical companies touring this turn
pike half a century ago. but
appears and vanlshes. II
being recorded that for shay. o quarts
OF oats. lodging and breakfast" he
gave up 90 cents. Once IN awhile a
real spen1;hrift 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 "segar'
for the man SIPS was charged. There
was wedding breakfast at this
quaint tavern too. II Is set down as
wedding. Radclinrs sister. O dinners
II quarts OF oats. siG9"
People went west" by wagon In
hose days from the thlckly settled
FAST to seek their fortunes. Some did
not find what they expected and came
back again. one such group. an "em-
grant family returning east-sevcn OF
s. at the inn. Three
'ents' worth Of candy" is a frequent
,ntry. Probably the candy peddlcr
rom Albany" paid for his food and
odging In sweets. There are but two
'ntries Of anything stronger than lem
made. and those are for beer-four
quarts for o cents. Oysters were
heap. too. for six plates OF them In
rcased the contents OF the tavern |
.eeper's money box by just 10 cents.
Among the journeyers along this
turnpike road whose passage is record
Il IN this age yellowed volume is "0ld |
'articklar." Doubtless he was some
ranky old codger who kicked about |
and whose goings the inn.
eeper sped as much as possible. Then
here was the "Whistling Man." the
stiff Arm Man." the "Dlspeptic Man
be had four quarts Of teal and the
Hen Man" who ate a piece Of pie
nj traded ROSTERS with the hotel
eeper. Other travellers along the
ighway are thus described: "Aboll.
lon Man." ''Mean Fellow" Gent
With Noble Horse" Lady With Cry
ig Baby" Hank Days Likeness"
nd "Cravat Pcddler" (fooD.
Occasionally al old acquaintance
'ould pass by or some dignltary. for
Is set down that a friend from
exington" had hay and lodging one
ay at the Inn. Who knows but he
light have been son OF one OF the
embattlcd farmers" who kept the
ridge that April morning OF the ride
I Paul Reverei The Grand Juror
nd His Wife, tarried for a meal at
he Inn the same day as did the "Dom-
lies Wife and Child" On Nov. 8. so
he careful chronicle says. the pro-
rietor went TO York." where he re-
lained SIX days He must have had
roaring. FOSTERING time OF II while |
! the metropolis. for the next entry
his handwriting Is somewhat shaky