The Old Pike Part 25

Three miles westward from Newcomer's was the imposing and well-remembered tavern kept by John Miller. It was of brick, a large and commodious building, situate on the north side of the road. Miller owned the property, and it may be in the possession of his descendants to this day. There were large rooms in this house, adapted to dancing purposes, and young men and maidens of the vicinity frequently tripped to the notes of the old time music in its s.p.a.cious halls. The waltz was unknown, and the figures varied from the "hoe down" to the cotillion, closing always with the "Virginia Reel." The old wagoners were invariably invited to partic.i.p.ate in these festivities, and engaged in them with a gusto not excelled by the lads and la.s.ses of the surrounding neighborhood. Alfred Bailes, the old pike boy of Dunbar, drove a line team from John S. Miller's to the Nicodemus House, two miles west of Hanc.o.c.k, as early as the year 1836, and is probably the only survivor of the young folks who partic.i.p.ated in the gayeties of Miller's old tavern.

One mile west of Miller's is "Shady Bower." There a tavern was kept by Conrod Wolsey. His house was well favored by wagoners, who sought his generous board in goodly numbers, and while well liked by his customers, he got the name of "Dirty Spigot," because the spigot of a whisky barrel in his house was once besmeared with filth. There was a large distillery near Wolsey's tavern, operated by Barnes Mason. Mason had two teams on the road, driven by William Keefer and Joseph Myers.

Clear Spring comes next, and derives its name from the existence of a large, gushing spring of clear water, in volume sufficient to propel a mill. An old wagon stand was kept at Clear Spring by Andrew Kershaw, who died the proprietor of the house, and was succeeded by his son Jonathan.

The house was a large brick building, on the south side of the road.

Stages stopped and exchanged teams at Clear Spring, but not at Kershaw's. His house, as stated, was a wagon stand. Gusty Mitch.e.l.l is a well-remembered character of Clear Spring. He used to steal and drink the wagoners' whisky, and "b.u.m" around their teams in all sorts of ways.

One night the wagoners poured turpentine over Gusty and set fire to him, which so frightened him that he never afterward had anything to do with wagoners.

The next old tavern was on the top of North Mountain, two miles west of Clear Spring, kept by Joseph Kensel. It was a log house, and on the north side of the road. Kensel owned the property. While this old tavern was humble in outward appearance, the fires burned brightly within, and its patrons, who were numerous, highly extolled the quality of the viands it spread before them.

Indian Spring comes next, four and a half miles west from Clear Spring.

Here a wagon stand was kept by David Miller. The house is a stone structure, on the north side of the road, and Miller owned it in fee simple. This old house was a favorite resort of wagoners, and night after night echoed the once familiar notes of the great highway, in the days of its glory.

Three miles west from David Miller's, Anthony Snider, a distant relative of John Snider of happy memory, kept a wagon stand. It was a frame building on the north side of the road. Peter Hawes once lived at this house, and hauled stone for an aqueduct on the adjacent ca.n.a.l.

Four miles west of Snider's, on the north side of the road, stood the old frame tavern of Widow Bevans. She owned the property, and her house was a popular stopping place. It will be noted that in many instances widows kept the best taverns along the road. There is no record of a widow making a failure as a tavern keeper.

Two miles further on to the westward, and before the once familiar tavern of Widow Bevans entirely recedes from view, the old wagon stand of David Barnett is reached. His house was a large log building, on the north side of the road. Here the first transportation line of six-horse teams, John Bradfield agent, had relays, its next relay eastward being the house of John Miller, before mentioned. Barnett was a jolly old landlord, fond of exchanging jokes with old wagoners and other patrons.

He had a manner and a method of pleasing his guests, and did a large and profitable business.

Westward, two miles from Barnett's, is the historic town of Hanc.o.c.k, named in honor of the man who wrote his name in letters so large and legible, that they were read all round the world. There was no old wagon stand tavern in Hanc.o.c.k, except for a short time about the year 1838.

John Shane established it, but was not successful, and removed to c.u.mberland, where he set up a confectionery shop. Wagoners preferred country before town taverns, as a rule. Stages stopped and exchanged horses in Hanc.o.c.k.

Two miles west of Hanc.o.c.k, one Nicodemus kept an old wagon stand. His first name has not been preserved, owing probably to the sublimity of his surname. He was known all along the road, but mentioned only as Nicodemus. His house was a frame building on the north side of the road, and he owned it, and died in it. He kept a good tavern, and was well patronized. Widow Downer kept this house before the time of Nicodemus.

Two miles west of the house of Nicodemus is Sideling Hill, so called from the sloping character of the ground upon which the road is laid. At the eastern foot of this hill Jacob Brosius kept an old wagon stand, and had a good share of custom. His house was a frame building and stood on the south side of the road. The distance from the foot to the summit of Sideling Hill is four miles, and it is the longest hill on the road. In 1837 Jacob Anderson, an old wagoner, was killed on Sideling Hill. His team became frightened on the summit and ran down the western slope, coming in contact with a large tree on the roadside with such force as to break it down, and falling on Anderson, he was instantly killed.

Isaac Browning, Caleb Langley and Black Westley, with their teams and wagons, were on the road with Anderson at the time of this accident.

Anderson was a citizen of Loudon county, Virginia. Langley, Browning and Westley belonged to Fayette county, Pennsylvania. The road crosses a stream at Sideling Hill, called Sideling Hill creek. There was a covered bridge over this creek. In 1841 John Moss and Billy George, old wagoners, drove their teams on this bridge, and stopping a while to rest under the shade afforded by the roof, the bridge broke down, precipitating horses, wagons and drivers a distance of fourteen feet to the water, causing considerable damage to the wagons and the goods therein, but strange to say inflicting but slight injuries upon the drivers and teams. The teams and wagons belonged to Robert Newlove, of Wheeling.

Two miles from the foot of Sideling Hill, and on the north side of the road, John H. Mann kept a wagon stand. His house was a frame building.

Mann was a citizen of some prominence, and at one time represented his county (Washington) in the Maryland Legislature. It is not known that his proclivities in the line of statesmanship impaired in any wise his talent for tavern keeping.

On the western slope of Sideling Hill, about midway between the summit and the foot, Thomas Norris kept a tavern, which was a favorite resort of wagoners. His house was a large stone building, on the north side of the road. There was a picturesqueness about the location of this old tavern that imparted a peculiar spice to the ordinary rounds of entertainment enjoyed by its guests. Samuel Cessna kept this house at one time.

One mile west of Sideling Hill creek, a wagon stand was kept by the widow Ashkettle, another widow, and she no exception to the rule before stated, that the widows all kept good houses. Her name is not inappropriate to some of the duties of housekeeping, but Mrs.

Ashkettle's forte was not in making lye, but in setting a good, clean table. She had a son, David, who managed the business of the house for her. Her house was a frame building, and stood on the north side of the road.

Two miles west of Mrs. Ashkettle's the wayfarer struck the point bearing the homely name of "Snib Hollow." These old names never wear out, no matter how ugly they are, and it is well they do not. They all have a significance and an interest, local or otherwise, which would be lost by a change of name. Quidnuncs in history and literature have exerted their restless talents in efforts to obliterate these seemingly rude, old names, and subst.i.tute fancy ones in their stead, but they have failed, and their failure is a pleasant tribute to the supremacy of common sense. As early as 1825 the widow Turnbull kept a tavern at Snib Hollow.

Later, an old wagon stand was kept there by John Alder, who had a large run of customers. His house was a log building, on the north side of the road.

Town Hill comes next, a half a mile west of Snib Hollow, at the foot of which Dennis Hoblitzell kept a tavern as early as the year 1830, and probably earlier. The house was on the east side of the road, and the locality is often called Piney Plains. Mrs. McClelland, of the McClelland House, Uniontown, is a daughter of Dennis Hoblitzell. Samuel Cessna subsequently kept this house, and stage lines and wagon lines all stopped at it. It was here, and in Cessna's time, that Governor Corwin, of Ohio, was treated as a negro servant, mention of which is made in another chapter. In 1836 John Snider stopped over night at this house, with a load of emigrants, while Cessna was keeping it, and had to clean the oats he fed to his horses with an ordinary bed sheet, the windmill not having reached this point at that early day.

At the foot of Town Hill, on the west side, Henry Bevans kept a tavern.

It was a wagon stand, and likewise a station for one of the stage lines.

The house stood on the north side of the road, and enjoyed a good trade.

Samuel Luman, the old stage driver, kept this house in 1839.

Two miles west from the Bevans house is Green Ridge, where an old wagon stand was kept by Elisha Collins. His house was a log building, and stood on the north side of the road. Although this house was humble in appearance, old wagoners are unstinted in bestowing praises on its ancient good cheer.

Trudging onward, two miles further to the westward, the old wagoner, and many a weary traveler, found a pleasant resting place at "Pratt's Hollow," where Samuel Hamilton kept a cozy old tavern. It was a frame house, on the north side of the road. Hamilton was a planter as well as tavern keeper, and raised tobacco and owned and worked negro slaves.

Levi McGruder succeeded Hamilton as the keeper of this house. This locality derived its name from Pratt, who owned the property at an early day, and, upon authority of the veteran David Mahaney, kept the first tavern there. An incident occurred at Pratt's Hollow in the year 1842, which brings to memory the state of public society in _ante bellum_ times. Among the old wagoners of the road, was Richard Shadburn. He was a native of Virginia, and born a slave, while his complexion was so fair, and his hair so straight, that he readily pa.s.sed for a white man.

When quite young he escaped from his master and struck out for liberty among the enlivening scenes of the great highway of the Republic. On a certain evening of the year mentioned, he drove into McGruder's wagon yard along with a number of other wagoners, to rest for the night. The sun had not yet disappeared behind the western hills, and a stage coach pulled up in front of McGruder's tavern, and stopped for water, as was the custom at that point. Among the pa.s.sengers in that coach was the owner of the slave, Shadburn. Looking out through the window of the coach he observed and recognized Shadburn, and calling to his aid a fellow pa.s.senger, emerged from the coach with a determination to reclaim his property. d.i.c.k was seized, but being a man of great muscular power, succeeded in releasing himself from the clutches of his a.s.sailants and fled. The disappointed master fired at d.i.c.k with a pistol, as he ran, but he made good his escape. The team driven by Shadburn belonged to Parson's of Ohio, who shortly after the escapade mentioned, sent another driver to McGruder's to take charge of it. Shadburn never afterward reappeared on the road, and it is believed that he found a home and at last a grave in Canada.

It was near Pratt's Hollow that the Cotrells, father and two sons, murdered a peddler in 1822, the perpetrators of which crime were all hung from the same scaffold in Frederic. The old tavern at Pratt's Hollow was destroyed by fire many years ago, and was never rebuilt.

Two miles west from Pratt's Hollow, John S. Miller conducted an old tavern, and a good one. His house was a frame building, and stood on the north side of the road. It was a popular stopping place for wagoners.

Miller kept this house as early as 1836, and subsequently became the proprietor of the old tavern, five miles west of Washington, Pennsylvania, where he died.

"Polish Mountain" is reached next, one mile west of the old Miller stand. On the summit of this little, but picturesque mountain, Philip Fletcher kept an old tavern, and greeted and treated thousands of old wagoners and other travelers. His house stood on the north side of the road, and was made of logs, but the table it furnished was equal to the best on the road.

And next comes Flintstone, four miles west of Fletcher's. All old pike boys remember Flintstone. The name has a familiar ring. The stages stopped at Flintstone, and Thomas Robinson kept the leading tavern there, in the olden time. His house was a stage station, and a wagon stand as well. Robinson, the good old landlord, got into a difficulty, many years ago, with one Silas Twigg, and was killed outright by his a.s.sailant. As early as 1835 Jonathan Huddleson kept a tavern in Flintstone, and had the patronage of one of the stage lines. He subsequently kept the old Tomlinson tavern at the Little Meadows. John Piper was an old tavern keeper at Flintstone. His house was a favorite summer resort, and also enjoyed the patronage of old wagoners. The Piper house is a large brick building, and stands on the north side of the road. John Piper died about the year 1872. The house is continued as a tavern under the joint management of John Howard, a son-in-law, and an unmarried daughter of the old proprietor. Henry B. Elbon also kept a tavern in Flintstone for many years, but his career began after that of the old road ended. Elbon died about four or five years ago. Fairweather and Ladew, of New York, own and operate a large tannery at Flintstone.

Two miles west of Flintstone, Martin's Mountain is encountered, at the foot of which, on the east, Thomas Streets presided over an old tavern, and welcomed and cared for many a guest. His house was a frame structure, on the south side of the road.

Two miles further on the westward tramp the widow Osford kept a regular old wagon stand. She was a.s.sisted by her son, Joseph. It is needless to state that her house was popular. She was a widow. Her house was a log building, on the south side of the road, with a large wagon yard attached. Her dining room occupied the greater portion of the ground floor of her house, and her table was always crowded with hungry guests.

Kitchen and bar room made up the remainder of the first story, and wagoners' beds covered every inch of the bar room floor at night. Mrs.

Osford retired from this house after a long season of prosperity, and was succeeded by Peter Hager, an old wagoner, who at one time drove a team for William Searight.

Two miles west from widow Osford's, Henry Miller kept an old tavern. It was a brick house, on the south side of the road. It will be noted that Miller is the leading name among the old tavern keepers of the road. The Smiths don't figure much in this line.

Two miles west of Henry Miller's an old tavern was kept by Slifer, whose first name is lost to memory. It is probable he was of the family of Slifers who kept at Boonsboro. It is said of this Slifer that he was a good, square dealing landlord, kept a good house and enjoyed a fair share of patronage.

CHAPTER XXVIII.

_Old Taverns and Tavern Keepers continued--c.u.mberland to Little Crossings--The City of c.u.mberland--Everstine's--The Six Mile House and Bridge--Clary's--Tragedy in Frostburg--Thomas Beall--Sand Springs--Big Savage--Little Savage--Thomas Johnson--The Shades of Death--John Recknor--Piney Grove--Mortimer Cade--Tomlinson's--Widow Wooding._

The city of c.u.mberland is the initial point, as before stated, of that portion of the National Road which was constructed by authority of Congress, and paid for with funds drawn from the public treasury of the United States. In 1835 James Black kept the leading tavern in c.u.mberland. It was a stage house. In 1836 John and Emory Edwards, of Boonsboro, leased the Black House, and conducted it as a tavern for many years thereafter. John Snider, the old pike boy of pleasant memory, hauled a portion of the household goods of the Edwards' from their old home in Boonsboro to their new location at c.u.mberland. At the date last mentioned there were two wagon stands in c.u.mberland. One of them was kept by Thomas Plumer. Plumer had teams on the road. The other was kept by George Mattingly. Frederic Shipley kept a tavern in c.u.mberland previous to the year 1840. It was located on Baltimore street, near the site of the station first established by the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad Company. This house was subsequently conducted by George W. Gump, and after him, in 1857, by David Mahaney. One Kaig, of Bedford county, Pennsylvania, succeeded Mahaney in the control of this house. It was called "The American," and entertained wagoners and the traveling public at large. In 1844 and later, the widow Adams kept a wagon stand in c.u.mberland, on the site of the present rolling mill. George Elliott was manager for Mrs. Adams. The house was a large brick structure, and known in its day as the "Mountain City House." Lewis Smith kept "The Blue Springs House" on Mechanics street, and was largely patronized by old wagoners. Frederic Shipley also kept a tavern on Mechanics street, after he left the American. John Kelso, the old wagoner, kept a tavern for a short time on Mechanics street, and was well patronized; and Otho Barcus, another old wagoner, kept the "Pennsylvania House" on Mechanics street in 1843, and for a period of three years thereafter. The road when first laid out, as seen in a previous chapter, pa.s.sed over Wills Mountain. In 1834 this location was changed for a better grade, up the valleys of Wills creek and Braddock's run. To make this change it was necessary to first obtain the consent of the State of Maryland, which was granted by an act of her Legislature in 1832. The old Plumer tavern stood at the eastern end of the old location, and the old Mattingly tavern at the same end of the new location. George Evans kept a tavern, also, near the eastern end of the original location.

[Ill.u.s.tration: JOHN KELSO.]

Five miles west of c.u.mberland, on the new location, a wagon stand was kept by Joseph Everstine. This was a frame house, and stood on the north side of the road. It was well conducted, but owing to its proximity to c.u.mberland, did not do as large a business as other taverns of the road, more advantageously located.

Six miles west from c.u.mberland there was an old tavern known as the "Six Mile House." It belonged to the Bruces, an old and wealthy family of Alleghany county, Maryland, and many years ago was destroyed by fire. A new building was erected on the old site, and remains to this day in the occupancy of a nephew of the old tavern keeper, Aden Clary. This house is near the junction of the old and new locations above referred to, and near the stone bridge over Braddock's run. The sixth mile post from c.u.mberland stands on the north wall of this bridge, firm and unshaken.

The bridge is well preserved, and a polished stone thereof bears this inscription: "1835--Built by Thomas Fealy, Lieut. Jno. Pickell, U. S.

Engineer, H. M. Pet.i.tt, a.s.s't Supt'd."

Eight miles west from c.u.mberland Aden Clary kept. His house was a large and commodious brick building on the south side of the road, and is still standing. There was not a more popular house on the road than Aden Clary's.

Frostburg is next reached. This was always a prominent point on the road. It did not derive its name, as many suppose, from the crisp atmosphere in which it was located, but from the original owner of the land on which it stands, whose name was Frost. Frostburg was the first stage station west of c.u.mberland. The leading taverns of Frostburg in the palmy days of the road were the "Franklin House" and the "Highland Hall House." The Franklin House was kept for many years by Thomas Beall, the father of the Bealls of Uniontown. It was headquarters of the Good Intent stage line. The Highland Hall House was conducted at different times by George W. Claybaugh, George Evans, Samuel Cessna and Thomas Porter. It was the headquarters of the Stockton line of coaches. During Cessna's time at this house he was the princ.i.p.al actor in a tragedy which produced considerable commotion in the vicinity. A negro servant employed by Cessna addressed some insulting remark to his wife, and immediately upon being informed thereof, Cessna proceeded to dispatch the negro without ceremony. He was tried in c.u.mberland for murder and acquitted, public sentiment very generally acquiescing in the verdict of the jury. About the year 1850 the Highland Hall House was purchased by the authorities of the Catholic church, remodeled, improved and converted to ecclesiastical uses.

About one mile west of Frostburg, and at the foot of Big Savage mountain, is Sand Springs, so called from the gurgling water in the sand at that point. In 1836 the widow Ward kept a wagon stand tavern at Sand Springs. Her house was a favorite resort for old wagoners. On the night of October 3, 1836, snow fell to the depth of a foot at Sand Springs, breaking down the timber all through the surrounding mountains. Mrs.

Ward's wagon yard was crowded with teams and wagons that night, and the snow was so deep the next day that the wagoners deemed it inexpedient to turn out, and remained at Mrs. Ward's until the following morning. John Snider was among the wagoners at Mrs. Ward's on the occasion mentioned, and is authority for the occurrence of the October snow storm. The tavern at Sand Springs was subsequently kept by John Welsh, an old stage driver, Hiram Sutton and Jacob Conrod, in the order named. Hiram Sutton was a son-in-law of Jared Clary. He kept the Sand Springs tavern down to the year 1852, when he moved to Parkersburg, West Virginia, and may be living there yet. Philip Spiker, the old blacksmith at Sand Springs, it is said could shoe more horses in a given time than any other blacksmith on the road. He had a rival, however, in A. Brice Devan, now of Dunbar, who, in the palmy days of the road, carried on a shop in Hopwood, and shod horses for old wagoners all night long on many occasions. Devan's backers will not concede that Spiker was a speedier sh.o.e.r than he.

A short distance west of Sand Springs, on the side of Big Savage mountain, an old wagon stand was kept by one Cheney, afterward by Jacob Conrod. It is a stone house, on the south side of the road. In Cheney's time at this house, Henry Clay Bush, who was an old wagoner, says that metallic mugs were used for drinking purposes, instead of gla.s.ses. He further states that the mugs were clean, and probably used through deference to the pure whisky of that day. Big Savage mountain is two thousand five hundred and eighty feet above the Atlantic.