History of Stark County, with an outline sketch of Ohio, Part 54

Author: Perrin, William Henry, d. 1892? ed
Publication date: 1881
Publisher: Chicago, Baskin & Battey
Number of Pages: 1060

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tained the character of an honest, upright eitizen. He was a man of decided and inde- pendent opinions, kind of heart and open-handed to the poor. In his intercourse with his neigh- bors. he practiced the golden rule-he made it a point to do unto others as he would be done by. lle took his share of the privations, and sustained his part in life as became a good eiti- zen from first to last, during the long life, which measured in its span the growth of this great nation. In October, 1863, he had a stroke of palsy in his right side, and he was quite feeble ever afterward. In October, 1872, he had a stroke which partially paralyzed his left side ; the ultimate result of these severe attacks being his death at the advanced age of nearly ninety years.

Forty or fifty years ago, as is incidentally mentioned in the above sketch of Mr. Myers, much of the surplus grain raised hereabouts was manufactured into whisky ; in those days lager beer and other beers were unknown among the people in this Western world ; whis- ky was used to some extent in almost every family ; the morning bitters were as regular as the morning meal ; and places where liquor was sold, were the taverns under a stringent license law, to do a lawful business, and to keep a decent and respectable house. While drunk- enness was probably not as prevalent then as now, there was, however, enough of it to awaken attention, and to cause measures to be taken for its suppression. Modern temperance move- ments were in their infancy, and were to a great extent entirely unknown in Canton. Occasion- ally, however, measures were taken for the cure of drunkards, by citizens, which though not always strictly within the law, were at times quite effective. We find a vivid description of the application of one of those methods in print, headed, " Crusading in Ye Olden Times," which is as follows ; " Forty years ago, or there- abouts, when whisky sold at three cents a glass, and drunkards were made according to law under the old license system, they had a summary way of reforming topers, that often proved more effective than moral suasion. It was in the days of the old apprenticeship sys- tem, when Canton, with a population of less than two thousand inhabitants, contained more of that class of boys than can be enumerated at the present time, notwithstanding it boasts five times the number of inhabitants. To a

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considerable extent they constituted of a class of themselves, isolated from the society of others. They were mostly from the country, removed from the paternal influences, and ready for al- most any kind of deviltry. When a "greeny " came to town, they were sure to take him through a process of hazing. There were no police in those days, and they generally man- aged to keep out of the way of the Constables. There are many yet living who remember how I these young fellows got after the drunkards. If caught on the streets after night, they were sure to be taken through a process that may be called the hydropathic and motorpathie system, the modus operandi of which will be described in the case of Seth Godder. Seth was a shoe- maker by trade-a clever, social man-who fell into the ruinous habit of indulging in strong drink. It was not long before his family came to want. and then his wife, a good, industrious woman, was compelled to take in washing and work out in order to keep the wolf from the door. She bore with her husband's weakness as long as patience was any virtue, then reasoned with him, entreated and threatened. all to no purpose. Finally, she concluded to let the " Regulators" take him in hand. She talked with John Caskey, an apprentice in the Repos- itory office. and a ringleader among the b'hoys of that day ; she told him she had exhausted all her resources in trying to reform her drunken husband and failed; and now she wanted the boys to take him in hand and do anything they pleased with him, only not to take his life. As several topers, caught on the street after night had already been taken in hand, Godder, to avoid similar treatment, had taken the precaution to wend his way home be- fore dark. On the evening of the day upon which the event we are about to chronicle or- curred, Godder came home drunker than usual, and. if possible, made himself more disagree- able to his family than ever before. Mrs. God- der lost no time in notifying Caskey of the condition of her husband. and requested that he be taken in hand forthwith. The company was summoned. There were John Hoover. Sam Cove, John Mobley, George MeNabb and a lot more of choice spirits, including, if we remember rightly. George Haas and John Buck- ins. They repaired to the house of Godder, found him quite demonstrative. and asked him to take a walk. He at first declined. but find-

ing it useless to resist, at last apparently yielded. They led him to the town pump, then on West Tuscarawas street, set him under the spout, and held him there, while two or three of the boys did the pumping, and it was effect- nally done to the extent of drenching him completely. Meanwhile a fence-rail had been procured, astraddle of which Seth was assisted, and securely held by one on each side, while two stout boys carried the rail on their should- ers. As they moved off singing " Jim Crow." Godder joined in the sport. but as the rail- bearers would give him an occasional bound and gyratory movement. the treatment became somewhat painful. and he began to protest. They asked him to quit drinking, but he re- fused. They renewed the march, and the rail movement. lle swore worse than the " army in Flanders." On North Market street. at the public pump. they gave him another dose more copious than the first. The night was some- what cool, and the patient became chilled. Re- mounting him on the rail, the march was ro- sumed. It continued until Godder became apparently quite subdued and helpless. Speak- ing to him without obtaining an answer, a halt was ordered. and on lowering the rail it was discovered that he was apparently dead-cold. clammy and speechless. Terribly frightened. the boy's hastily bore him to his home, while one of their number summoned Dr. Brysecker. On being placed in a warm bed. by the appli- cation of mustard to the extremeties and hot peppermint tea internally. he gradually revived. but the shock to his nervous system contined him to the house for several weeks. He he- came a sober man. Never again, as long as he lived in Canton, did he drink intoxicating liquor. He secured the respect and esteem of the community. We have often thought the same treatment would be more effectual in cur- ing our most notorious drunkards of the pres ent day. than fines and imprisonment."

In that carlier day. there was also among many of our young people a desire to add im provement to amusement, and the history of facts concerning the earlier theatrical perform ances in Canton should also have a place here. These performances, it must be remembered. were given by home talent exclusively. The first effort of the kind was on Christmas Eve, in the year 1817. It was rendered in the long room of John Patton's tavern, standing on the

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1 lot now occupied by the St. Cloud. The per- formances, as advertised, were " The most in- teresting parts of the celebrated tragedy of Pi- zarro, to which will be added patriotic, senti- mental, moral. humorous and comie dialogues and single speeches." On the evening of July 3. 1818, at the same place, " Douglas, or the No- ble Shepherd." was performed, and on the even- ing of the 6th, a repetition of " Pizarro. or the Spaniards of Pern," was given. As there are none now living who have any distinct recol- lection of the particulars, the names of many of the performers and patrons of this early drama have gone into unmerited oblivion. Among them. however, were Samuel Buckins, JJohn P. Coulier. Joseph Alexander. Lewis Barnes. James Sloan. Jacob Rapp. Samuel Penniwell, John Shorb and Adam Fogle ; Chris- tian Palmer, a violinist of some note and pre- tensions in that day, led the orchestra. In the winter of 1822-23, the "Thespian Society of Canton" was organized. William Raynolds was one of the most active in getting up this organization. and to his efforts its success was largely owing. Their first performance was in the south part of the Eagle Tavern. then owned and occupied by George Dewalt. now also among the things of the past. The main play first presented on this occasion, was the tragedy of "Barbarosa, or the Usurper of Al- giers ;" this was followed by an after-piece, called " She Stoops to Conquer," from Gold- smith. The male performers were William Christmas. James Beggs, James Allen. Frank and Jeff Raynolds. James Graham. Harmon Stidger. Dr. Jerome. Val. Buckius, Lewis Fo- gle, and the two Coulters. Dr. Thomas Bon- field. F' J. Myers, Madison Raynolds and Lewis Fogle performed the female parts in these plays. William Raynolds acted in the double capacity of prompter and stage manager. The scenery, made of curtain calico and wall-paper, exhibited considerable taste and ingenuity. The next play rendered was "Othello." in which James Allen represented the Moor, and Frank Myers, Desdemona. Although the stage decorations and scenery were necessarily of a rustic character. and the wardrobe scant and only improvised for the occasion, all accounts agree that these entertainments were quite at- tractive and successful. quite as much so. in- deed. to that generation as the more preten- tious, but certainly not more creditable per-

formances of to-day often are. And there was one beauty about them from which the modern theater, especially when some celebrated " star" is to be on the boards, has gone far away, the admission fee was 25 cents, and no reserved seats. There was but this one season of per- formances in the Eagle Tavern. When our native talent next came to the front, it was at Trump's Tavern, a two-story brick, on the cor- ner of East Tuscarawas and Cherry streets. Among the plays rendered here with great suc- cess. were " The Robbers." " Damon and Pyth- ias," "Servant with two Masters," "The Re-

view. or the Wag of Windsor," and " Robin Rough llead." In the play of "Coriolanus," Andrew Myers took the place of the leading character. Besides the persons already named, the performers at Trump's included William Bowen, Dwight Jarvis, Henry Dickinson, Adam Bowers and Thomas and Joseph Blackburn. The last-named afterward became a popular clown in a traveling circus, and was performing in England at the time of Queen Victoria's coronation. There were about the same time, also, some performances at the house of Jacob Wareham, on West Tuscarawas street, where Mr. George Althouse resides. About the year 1828. Joseph Shorb, who kept store in a one- story frame building, erected another story up- on the same building and had it fitted up ex- pressly for theatrical entertainments. The stage fixtures, scenery and accommodations for the audience were at that time considered very good. The house was usually well filled, and the receipts at each performance amounted to $25 or $30. Performances were given in this place about once a week for five or six suc- cessive winters. The principal actors, some of whom as jurists and other professional men attained great celebrity at a later day, were ITiram Griswold. G. W. Belden. Andrew Myers, John Rappe, Isaac Steese, William and Henry Myers. Henry and John Buckius. William Clark, O. P. Stidger, William Fogle and Jacob R. Palmer. A few of these as respected and honored citizens are still residing in Canton. Isaac Hartman, James Cameron and Daniel Burgert are remembered as the principal repre- sentatives of female character. "The Broken Sword" was a popular piece played here, as was also " Bombastes Furioso," a very laugha- ble farce. Dan Meeds. commonly known as " Black Dan," led the orchestra. The Shorb

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property changed hands about the year 1834, and after this a new company was organized, and the upper rooms of the old academy. known as the "Salt Box," were fitted up for their accommodation. A German artist by the the name of Schweighoffer, painted the scenery. which was considered very good. Perform- ances were given here every week or two for several winters. Among the more notable new actors, who here appeared upon the scene were S. P. Hulliban, Sol Stont, John Taylor, Isaac Hartman. H. P. Dunbar, Eli Sala and James Armstrong. Among the boys acting female parts were William Mathews, F. L. Carney, John L. Saxton and George Dunbar, Jr. Since the close of the performances at the "Salt Box." some forty years ago, there has been no effort, we believe. to organize the home talent, except upon a few special occasions, in this di- rection. At the expiration of the academy performances, one of the most pleasant of the enjoyments of the olden time came to an un- timely end.

Horse-racing was also one of the popular pastimes of the pioneer period. A horse-race excited general interest and attention, and always drew a crowd. At the first sale of lots in Can- ton, then competing with Osnaburg for the county seat, Bezaleel Wells, the proprietor of the town, arranged for a race in order to draw the people together from a distance, and suc- ceeded. Our old and esteemed friend and fel- low-citizen in Plain Township, Judge Loutzen- heiser, was present, and is authority for the statement that there was a great crowd, and also for the additional one. that the people were more interested in the racing of the horses, than they were in the sale of the town lots. The race-course was on Market street, from North to Tuscarawas streets, which was especially prepared for the occasion by the grubbing and the clearing away of timber and underbrush. Canton, if not exactly born of a horse-race. com- menced with one under the auspices of the father of the town. and though, perhaps, not one of her peculiar institutions, the horse-race was a popular institution with the pioneers of this as of nearly every new town then growing up in the West. " Like parent, like child," holds good for towns as well as for people. For a generation and longer, nearly every town and village in this part of the country boasted in the possession of a horse never beaten on the

turf. Not only the owner of such a horse, but with him every man and boy was willing to back up the town's favorite by bets of money, or whatever else of value they happened to possess down to a bull-eye watch, a dog-knife or tin-whistle. Betting in those days was very general, whereas now it is confined almost en- tirely to professional sporting men. There were, however, also, in those days, men who made it a regular business to travel the country with running horses, and who were ready to match them for a consideration, with anything that offered. There was another set of fellows, owners of horses, well calculated to take in the unwary and too eager betters on horse-flesh. Their horse was a kind of "Sleepy Davy," and they went round in disguise pretending to fol- low some other business, by which ruse they frequently threw people off their guard. An adventure of theirs with Cantonians of two gen- erations ago, will well illustrate their method of proceeding. On a warm summer day, a stranger might have been seen leading a horse up Tuscarawas street. He was clothed in the style of the day, but his clothes were somewhat the worse for the wear and exposure they had undergone. He wore a dilapidated stove-pipe hat, and a swallow-tail coat mounted with brass buttons. The horse had on a riding-saddle loaded with tinware. The man and his horse moved along as though they were tired, and as they approached Cherry street, a lot of boys playing there canght sight of them, and at once began poking fun at them. The man paid no attention to the boys, but moved along uncon- cernedly until he reached the Bell Tavern, now the American Hotel, then kept by Ilahn, where he stopped and hitched his horse to the sign- post. At that day, Canton received the mail but twice a week, and newspapers were rarely seen ; the coming of a stranger never failed to draw a crowd eager to learn the news from the outside world. The old man, how- ever. paid but little attention to them, but kept on talking about the assortment and prices of the tinware he exposed for sale. until some one in the crowd made an ironical remark about his horse. npon which the owner, being quick to see and to improve his opportunity. offered to run him against anything there was in town. Jess Raffensperger, who was then carrying on blacksmithing at the corner diagonally opposite, was the owner of a little gray that, in several

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competitive trials, had given proof of good racing qualities, and Jess was of the opinion that he was hard to beat, and had intimated his desire to match him againstany horse that came to town. John Rex, then a boy of some twelve years of age, was present and heard the ped- (ler's banter to run his old horse against any- thing there was in town, and he at once ran over and told Raffensperger that there was a man over at Hahn's who wanted a raee. Jess immediately dropped his apron and went over to the tavern. When tokl that the horse hitched to the sign-post was the one it was proposed to run against his little gray, he con- sidered himself badly sold by some one, so mopy and unlike a racer did the old horse ap- pear-like his master, he was playing his role well. But when Jess was convinced that the peddler was in earnest, he felt inclined to hu- mor what he regarded a good joke, and asked the peddler how much he wanted to wager on the race. The latter, taking out his wallet and counting over his money (all in silver) very de- liberately, replied, that he had $5, which he was willing to stake on the result. "Oh ; " said Jess, somewhat contemptuously, "I wouldn't run my horse for less than $25. If you can raise that amount, I'll show you how casy it is to part a fool and his money." That was more than the peddler could raise, he said. but if any gentleman in the crowd would loan him $20, he would give the horse, saddle and tinware as security. By this time, the crowd were getting eager for the race, and were thrown entirely off their guard; so that when another stranger, who had joined them without being observed, stepped forward, and just for the fun of seeing the race, accepted the peddler's security, and advanced the $20, not the least suspicion was aroused, and the stakes were at once put up, and preparations made for the race. The ped- dler stripped his horse of the tinware and sad- dle, and sought among the boys for some one to ride his horse ; but the old horse's move- inents were so awkward that the boys. fearing he would stumble and fall, placed too high an estimate on their own necks to accept the posi- tion, and the old man was obliged to ride his own horse. Eli Sala rode Raffensperger's horse. The race track. at this time, was just south of town as it was then, from Coulter's house to Frederick's hill, or as it would now be known, on Market street, from the Melchoir

Bros. to the residence of Mr. Peter Honsel be- low the railroads. To this place all parties re- paired ; judges were selected, and all things were made ready for the race. In the mean- while the stranger, who had advanced the $20, took all the bets that offered. When the horses were about to start, the peddler's horse ex- hibited so much spirit that it required two men to hold him until the word was given, and at the word. "Go!" he dashed out like a streak. soon took the lead, and eame out at the end several lengths ahead. The Cantonians were badly taken in. and no one more so then Raf- fensperger himself ; his remark about the ease of parting a fool and his money was indeed verified, but "the saddle was on the other horse." IIe and other citizens, for a long time, were shy of traveling racers, especially of the " sleepy " kind.

In the summer of 1834, a company of enter- prising and liberal minded citizens of Canton, had a circular track constructed immediately west of town on land owned then by John Harris, now part of the estate of Simon Miller, deceased. There were races daily, distance from one to four miles and repeat. The horses entered were all blooded stock, and brought here from a distance, the majority of them from West Virginia. The most notable feature of the en- terprise, and one that will be longest remem- bered, was the new gambling devices for the first time introduced into this community kn .wn as "roulette " and "sweat cloth," by which many of our people both from town and coun- try were inveigled into a trial of their " lnek ;" some escaped with only a slight seorching, while others lost all they had. This track was kept up two seasons, when by a cooperation with parties at Massillon, it was removed to grounds midway between the two towns, and continued there one season more. but as the patronage was not sufficient, the enterprise was abandoned.

Before concluding this chapter on the early settlement and reminiscences of Canton, noth- ing seems more proper than to give a history of the Oberly Corner, which from the beginning till within a very few years past, has played so important a part in the history of the city. We give it almost verbatim from an artiele in the Repository of a couple of years ago, and signed by the familiar letters. L. S. It says: "The lot on which the building stood, was sold by

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Bozaleel Wells, the proprietor of the town, to James F. Leonard, in 1806, the year the town was located. The deed names the considera- tion $1, from which we would infer it was a gift. Leonard (an unele of William Barber), was a surveyor and land-jobber, and laid off and platted the town, and was in a position to render Wells' service, and the probabilities are, that the gift was made either for favors received or expected. At this time it was 'hip and thigh' between Osnaburg and Canton, which should be the county seat. This consideration may have been the agreement of Leonard to improve the lot, and put up a building upon it at once. At any rate, the bricks were made the same summer, just outside the original town plat, near where the Schaefer Rink was until lately. As early as the weather would permit in the spring of 1807. work was com- menced, and the building was completed and ready for occupancy in the fall, being the first brick house erected in the county. There was no eellar under the house, for the reason that no walling-stone could be procured within a reasonable distance. The first ocenpant was John Shorb. He came from Maryland that year. and brought with him a small stock of store goods. He remained in it but one year, when Samuel Coulter, from Washington County, Penn., rented it for a tavern. Before the expi- ration of the year. Coulter bought the property of Leonard. for 8600, and put up a frame addi- tion, intended for a dining-room and kitchen. Under this part was a cellar, walled only on two sides, with bowlders. This was the second tavern in Canton, then known by the traveling publie as " Conlter's Tavern, sign of the Green Tree." In the winter of 1808-09, a post office was established in Canton, and Coulter was appointed Postmaster. There was but one mail a week, and that was carried on horse- back to and from New Lisbon, in Columbiana County. Canton was then on the western bor- der of civilization. AH that country west of the Tuscarawas River was given up to roving bands of Indians. The upper story of Coulfer's building was partitioned into three rooms. The way np was by a ladder. through a trap door in the floor above. The reason for adopting

this mode of ascent does not appear. In this upper story. County Court was held for several sessions. The llon. Calvin Pease. then Presi- dent Judge. a resident of Warren, was in the

habit of walking from one county seat to another in the discharge of the functions of his office. It was out of the question to travel with a vehicle, and the probability is the Judge preferred walking to riding on horseback. The hole under the frame bnikling was used as a jail. In it there must have been several incarcerated, for there are those still liv- ing who remember one imprisoned for debt and one for stealing corn. The County Com- missioners also held their sessions in this build- ing. At the April sessions in 1809, it was "ordered that for every wolf or panther sealp. under six months old, 50 cents be paid, and for every one over that age, $1." They also "ordered that Samuel Coulter be paid 83 for the time each session of conrt was held in his | house." John Harris, then a young man of energy, was engaged in teaching school, and doing odd jobs of surveying. He was, also. a fine singer, and at the solicitation of friends. he started a singing-school in the court room of the Coulter tavern. For a time it flourished. but the difficulties and embarrassments en- countered by the female scholars in their efforts at climbing the ladder to the second story, deterred them from going, and the school was finally abandoned for want of the female accom- paniment. The organization was turned into a debating society. Ilere they met weekly to discuss " Which affords the greater pleasure, the pursuit, or the possession of an object," or " Which was the greater man, Hannibal or Julius Cæsar?" Sometimes their discussion took a metaphysical turn, and then they had the question, " Is there such a principle in the human mind as disinterested benevolence ?" The principal disputants were Samuel Coulter. John Harris, John Patton, unele of Thomas Patton, Daniel MeClure, Roswell Mason, Moses Andrews, William Raynolds, father of John Raynolds, Dr. Stidger, Dr. Jerome and Jere- miah 11. Halleck, afterward President Judge of this district, and John Sloan and Col. Gibson. then connected with the land office in Canton. It was in this debating society that John Har- ris developed that forensic ability, which, in after years, distinguished him as a prominent member of the bar. the compeer of Tappan, Wright, Goodenow. Loomis, Silliman and Tom Ewing. Sr .. with all of whom he came in con- tact. Coulter continued his tavern until 1820. when he concluded to relinquish the business.

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History of Stark County, with an outline sketch of Ohio, Part 54

Author: Perrin, William Henry, d. 1892? ed Publication date: 1881 Publisher: Chicago, Baskin & Battey Number of Pages: 1060

Author: Perrin, William Henry, d. 1892? ed
Publication date: 1881
Publisher: Chicago, Baskin & Battey
Number of Pages: 1060