Morgan County Democrat. (McConnelsville, Ohio) 1886-1943, 1925-02-26

| boro in about 1873, and which yer
early struck McConnelsville, and be
came quite effective in small places
Here the speaker introduced som
pleasantries. A Dutchman owne,
and ran the brewery, and when tn
women crusaders were conductin,
their operations about his place o
business. he treated them very wei
for time, but he finally told then
that if they didn't go home HI
would say to them something's il
Dutch vot they would not under
stand"
Where George Kenney's gro
cery is now, was tavern and a bal
of the latter there were many il
town. When the crusaders went tC
this proprietor and wanted him tC
close down his bar, he gave as hi:
excuse that he could not stand the
financial loss that it would entail
Finally the women agreed to pay
him for his "stock" if he would
close out--this he agreed to do. In
a few days he got pretty sick of his
bargain, and business seemed dull
And Mr. Travis recalled how the
proprietor lamented the poor busi-
ness, saying that everything was sc
dull, and he longed for the good old
times when they had three or four
fights daily, and added now there
are no fights at ALL"
The only bridges on the Muskin-
gum river were at Marietta and
ries, one above where the bridge is,
GAINESVILLE Here We had two fer
and the other below the dam. Dur
ing a good stage of water the lower
ferry was operated by means of an
overhead rope, on a pole up ia
feet. From this were other ropes
leading down and fastened to the fer
ry, and by tightening the rope the
current in the river would drive the
ferry across. The first river bridge
was built in 1866 and was of iron. It
was a toll bridge and belonged to a
company. This bridge was not fully
completed when an ice gorge swept
ii aWay-or rather took off two
spans, and the others were removed
and a wooden structure 0ui1t. At
the time the first bridge was swept
away, Mr.. Travis had narrow es-
cape from drowning. The ice had
gorged and there was apparently no
fall at ali where the dam was, and he
thought it would be good sport 10 be
able to say that he rOwed MS boat
up over the dam. While he was at
tempting the feat, the ice above
gave way, and came down with
rush. He managed to reach the
shore safely Huge blocks of ice
we're washed about the canal, and
around the cemetery, which did not
melt till summer
Stores.
During the early period Of which
Mr.. Travis spoke, there were num-
Der of general stores. These stores
Kept practically everything gro
ceries, hardware, drugs, clothing,
dry goods. etc. There we're very
few if any exclusive grocery stores.
The stores bought all kinds of pro-
iuce-honey, feathers, wool, dried
fruits, etc All of the stores kept
car which was used to- grease big
wagons, and most all wagons carried
their tar buckets. Among the geneT-
al stores mentioned were the Jno. B..
Stone, located where the Citizens
bank now is; Samuel Williamson,
where tie H White & Co. store is To-
o u Mo
Keown & Carter; C.. L. Barker, now
Standard Supply; q. L.. Black, where
Morris tin shop is situated, and
there was one wiiere the wholesale
building now is.
During the Civil war the first tel
egraph lines We're buiIt, connecting
this place There were two lines
builc about the same time. Ore was
the United States line; the other the
Western Union. Oae went by the
river; the other by the ridge. But
they were soon consolidated, and a
company of business men purchased
the other lire, and made it over into
d. telephone line which connected
here at a saation in the II. B. Vim
Gent store.
The town had about 80 pablic
wells; and there were three huge
cisterns FOR fire protection. One of
these was in the vicinity of the pres
ent residence of Jesse Sherman; one
was near what is now Elmer Tay-
lor's residence, and the other on the
| public square.
Mr.. Travis spoke OF the work done
on the Old Calico railroad, leading
/ frora here to Salt Run. Mr. Tim
Ryan, father of John Ryan of this
! place, had a number of horse carts
with which to move the earth, and
| the horses were trained to do with
out drivers. Mr.. Travis stated that
he still holds a stock certificate in
this road.
Asked about the early doctors
here, the speaker named the follow.
ing: Little, Lewis, Hull, Robinson
Joshua Brown, Reaves, Johnson, anG
Edwards. This town in its earlier
days was the home of four congress
mem. M. Gaylord who lived IL
what is now the Mrs. Alice Simpson
house: p. B. Johnson, who lived il
the present J. X. Bingham property
Z Cydnor B. Tompkins and w. P
Sprague, each of whom lived where
DR.. Leeper now resides. 1t will b'
noted that these congressman al
had lived in practically the sam'
part of town, and within about :
square of each other.