Morgan County Democrat. (McConnelsville, Ohio) 1886-1943, 1939-07-06

to various dealers. The building is
! now used by the Hardestys for stor-
age.
Some months ago we wrote oul
| feelings in regard to this old store
of days when our world was mea.
sured by distance, measured by
miles travelled by horse power, on
or behind, these beasts of burden
We feel that we should write o1
those days in this work that it be
preserved for coming generations
Not having the article here we may
repeat in some instances. In ouI
minds eye we can see Dick Adams
going over his route with the huck-
ster wagOn-a wagon loaded with
goods kept in the store receptacles
to put eggs and butter in. In our
boyhood they did not have egg cas-
es with filters as we have now. The
tub where he put the butter was
perhaps not up to the requirements
Of the state board Of health, at the
present time. At any rate, the tub
was we'll made-it had to be to hold
the butter. Many of the customers
were fine butter makers, and kept
the rolls in the spring house until
Dick was ready to weigh it, then
'ker plunk" it went in with butter
which had had less tender atten-
ton. Many times it took an all day
ride in the hot sun. What they did
with it depended on what they could,
Very little money changed hands in
those transactions The customers
aimed to have trade enough to pay
for their purchases, and in case they
had more, they were given due bills,
or checks-not bank checks, as at
the present time, but a round piece
of pasteboard. The one we have
here reads around the outer edge on
one side: "This check is good for
five cents in goods at the store of
Ike Whitehouse, general merchant,
Meigs Creek, Ohio On the other
side around the edge Give cents,
not transferable and in the inside
big five around which are lot of
little fives. While this check was
never exchanged and you would not
give whoop for it, yet to us it is
worth much more than it's former
face value for the mem cries 1t holds.
The goods for this, as other coun-
try stores, were at least to a great
extent purchased by the merchant
going to the cities and making his
purchases and having them shipped
to the boat landing, from where
they were hauled by wagon to the
store, and that brings us to g. E.
Club" Anderson, who perhaps has
hauled more store goods than any
twin in,
Hauling in those days meant a long
hard day with the road in winter
axle deep with mud. 1t was neces-
sary to take four and sometimes six
horses to bring two-horse load.
Many times the mud would role un-
til the wheels would lock, then the
mud had to be punched out before
they could go farther.
Today the merchants can make
the round trip by truck nearly as
quickly as Cub could feed, curry,
harness and hitch up. For farther
particulars see Bub When we first
remember the mail route was from
McConnelsville to Caldwell--out one
day and back the next The carrier
went horseback, going through
Meigs Creek, Bristol, Reinersville,
Olive Green, Sharon to Caldwell.
The mail was carried in one lock-
pouch. The letters were all tied in
one bunch. Each postmaster had a
key that unlocked the paddock. All
the mail was emptied on the coun-
ter and sorted. Any late news was
delivered by the carrier by word Of
mouth. The first daily paper we re-
member was received by the late