Milford chronicle., 1932-08-05
Scenes Of LOng AgO-No. 9S

the hardest fights with fists that tn
people of Georgetown ever witness
ed took place within the bounds O
the public square. The deep sant
which covered the square made it
very good place for those engaged
in these encounters, as it made {
soft place to fall for those who were
beaten in the conflict. Men in thu
early days settled their difficultie:
by resorting to the knock down anC
drag out style, and when any mar
who was fighting cried he haC
enough then the victor ceased hi:
operations and the vanguished were
allowed to go free from further
punishment,
Knives and pistols were seldom
used in those early conflicts. WheI
a man was beaten in a fair fight
that was enough and perhaps those
who engaged in a fistic encounter in
the early days would be very good
friends afterwards.
During the years which the Civil
War lasted, were the scenes OF
many hard fights. Opinions differed
some were staunch supporters OF
the Union and the old red, white
and blue flag; others sympathized
with the South and were for the
bonnie blue flag. The four years of
the Civil War witnessed some ter
rible conflicts between these par
ties. Yet the several quarrels were
settled by the fists and some of the
enmity engendered lasted until the
death of the parties many years af-
ter the war had closed.
During the years in which cleo
tions were held, the principal par
ties always had their strong men to
attend their meetings when held to
keep those of the opposite party
from trying to disturb the meetings
and many hard fought battles oc-
CURED from this cause, and some-
times a dozen or more men would
be engaged in fray and in conse-
quence there were many black eyes
when the fight was over, but moth
ing but fists were used in the con-
fiict.
Sussex county in the early days
produced some of the strongest and
supple men and in fistic-encounters
they had no equal. There was one
family which had five stalwart boys,
strong and able and in the fistic ar
ena generally came off victorious.
They were kind and good hearted
men and never encroached on the
right of others, but waited for some
of the opposition party to strike the
first blow. Then a conflict would be
started which would carry on until
some of the parties had enough, but
in these battles the five brothers
above mentioned generally were the
winners. 1t can also be said for
.hese brothers that they never
frank to excess and this was the
secret why they were never quar-
relsome.
An amusing episode happened
within the public square during the
Civil War times. We don't remember
if it was one of the days when one
Of the political parties held one of
their mass meetings or on return
lay. In those days people who de-
sired could have stands in any
place within the confines of the pub
lie square, as there was no tax. An
I'D woman used to invariably have |
1 stand (as they called it, in the |
square. Her stock in trade consisted |
If sheets of ginger bread, persim-
non beer and a plentiful supply of /
lpple jack or better known as apple
brandy The sheets of ginger bread !
iold for A to cents, persimmon
,eer for &c per glass and apple jack
or sc a drink, take as much as you
wanted, as the price per gallon was }
,nly 40c. A couple of men about
lalf soaked were standing at the
tall of this woman and having call
ID for drinks and been, served, COM
nenced to quarrel with each other
S to who should pay for the drinks.
inc word led to another which fin
lily ended in blows, and one man
truck the other a terrific blow
which caused him to fall across the
tall, upsetting it and spilling the
ontents in the sand, and at the
anne time upsetting the old woman
lso, who with her legs stuck up in
he air made most laughable
Gene. The men picked up the old
roman and righted the stall, but the
ontents were ruined beyond repair.
he glass decanter containing bran
v was broken and the contents
,st; the jug containing persimmon
eer, the cork came out and the
mixed with the sand; the
niger bread was thoroughly mixed
18th sand and was not in eatable
lape. The old women when she
,und what had happened began to I
emand payment for her lost goods (
nd the two men who had caused all |
lie trouble (who in the mean time /
ad become friends again) asked !
DIV much the damage would be. {
he old lady said at once that one l
,llar would settle the bill, which '
ey paid and the trouble ended. /
his showed how low things were t
fore the Civil War.
Another episode also happened
lring the Civil War days. There
ere three hotels in Georgetown at
at time, the Brick Hotel, Adolf 1
lus Ewing, proprietor; the Eagle a
otel, Samuel Jefferson, proprietor, b
ID the other hotel had Stephen
azzard as proprietor. The Brick
)tel was the headquarters for the f,
hig or Republican party; the
gle Hotel was the headquarters Il
r the Democratic party and the
lzzard Hotel was used by either a
rty. The fight which we will en- a