The Washington herald., 1915-11-28
A Hero of the
Wayside Tavern
BY WILLIS STRINGHAM,

BY WILLIS STHINGHAM.
Somewhat less than a hundred year,
ago, when the work OF widening anC
deepening the Schuylkill River so thai
seasoing vessels could sail up and dowr
the canal thus formed from Philadelphia
to the very source of the stream in
Schuylkill County-a distance of 12s
niles-was just beginning. there lived on
the line of this great improvement. but
Tar inland, a boy whose name should be
written in the hall of fame.
His name was Richard Strong and he
was Il years old age.
Richards father, Ezekiel Strong, was
The landlord of small and very hum
BILE tavern which he had erected out of
logs hewn by his own hand on the pub
lie highway which ran parallel with the
river that was to be transformed into
a great canal.
Fortunately. Strong was unlike the
typical landlord in one respect-there
wasn's a lazy bone in his big body.
Now just as things began to look
as if prosperity were close at hand
the canal was coming nearer every
day, and the little tavern was often
taxed to its utmost capacity, so that
the landlord had planned an addition
to it and had already made part of
the excavation for the cellar - every
thing came to a sudden stop on &C
count of the death of Ezekiel Strong
after an illness of less than half
day
Then the widow and the children
were face to face with the problem of
what was to be done. Then il was,
also. that Mildred Strong showed
herself to be a women of courage
and determination by announcing her in
tention to remain where she was and
to carry on the business which her hus- ,
band had started in the great Pennsyl-
vania woods. She turned a deaf ear to
the protests Of those of her family who
had come to the funeral. and declared ,
that their advice to return with her chill |
dren to her old home near Philadelphia |
did not appeal to her.
Il have health and strength TO do it" |
reap the harvest that Ezekiel and have |
sown with such great labor? I eve it |
to my children TO remain here now that
something profitable is sure to come of |
it" !
All in vain they urged that the wilder
ness was not the place for an unpro-
tected woman, and that as keeper OF
public house in such a spot as the settle
ment would be when the canal diggers
reached it she would be subjected to
harsh treatment, if not to actual danger.
She met all such attempts to dissuade
her with the brave assertion that she
was not afraid of anything that drew
the breath Of life. and, indeed. to look
at her. it would seem that she was justi-
fed in her fearlessness. for she was Of
massive build. of unusual stature for
woman, and mistress of a dignity that
compelled respect.
So Mrs. Strong and her children re-
manned in the tavern and the bust
ness continued to grow. The addi-
ton to the building was completed,
and before the close OF that year 1t
became evident that still further addi-
ton must be made. Travel was in
creasing every day. the Strongs were
as busy as bees from early morn to
bedtime, and money was coming in
with very gratifying regularity. At
last it became a question of a good
deal of anxiety to Mrs. Strong where
to keep SO much money, for there
were no banks within reach, and the
opportunity to send 1t to her rela- I
tives in Philadelphia for safekeeping
were exceedingly few. So 1t hap I
pened, sometimes. that the large sums r
which she was obliged to keep In
The house were source Of considera- a
BILE uneasiness to her. v
1t was this troublesome money, the n
accumulation Of several months of t
sibIe for the most trying experience a
which the brave lsndlady of that lonely &
avern ever knew. 1
One bleak and stormy March day IL
high wind, frequent snow fiurries, and v
he prospect of a blizzard-just at night 81
eading another which matched 1t closely 1
ode up to the tavern and asked for d
upper and lodging for himself and his W
,easts. AS luck would have 1t, Joel m
sassettr the man employed by Mrs.
strong to attend to the stable and do Il
he outside work. had gone to see his
lister, who lived about ten miles down al
he river. and would not return until h.
he mex day. So it became necessary lii
or Richard to see that the horses were Ii
made comfortable. which he was per- n,
ectly competent to do. even If the new W
omer had not helped him. w
Now. although Richard took an instant ia
ancy for the horses, which were indeed CO
attractive, both in build and re
: color, he was far from being equally W