USA > Ohio > Miami County > Piqua > The first century of Piqua, Ohio > Part 17
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Another much earlier minstrel company was organized in Piqua, which will be told about in our sketch of Billy Manning.
BILLY MANNING
Billy Manning, grandson of our pioneer, John Manning, and son of Edward Manning, was born in Piqua, May 15, 1839. From the time he could toddle he had been a continual laugh producer with his quick wit, rollicking humor, and his indiscribably funny singing voice. In the latter part of the fifties he had organized, among similar convivial spirits, an amateur minstrel quartette, and gave many impromptu rehearsals in the barns and wood-sheds of the town, to the great delight and envy of those juveniles who succeeded in obtaining admission.
About 1860, Manning, with Amzi S. Mott, Geo. Hardenbrook, and Geo. Hauser, none of them much over twenty, started out as minstrel performers, trudging westward, sought wider fame, and incidentally money.
Amzi Mott was a great humorist, and he had the sweetest, most sympathetic natural tenor voice ever listened to. Hardenbrook was a funny chap, too, and had a rich basso voice. Hauser was a good all- around singer and performer, and all four were excellent instrumental musicians.
Their performance soon met with such success in the Indiana towns that the boys were able to ride in the cars, and both fame and money were coming their way. But one day after a successful stand in a towr
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BILLY MANNING, BASE BALL AND SHOOTING MATCHES
in western Indiana, Geo. Hauser, who had been selected as treasurer of the company, failed to come around, and as he had the money it also failed to come around, and neither of them ever did come around.
This so discouraged the others that they disbanded, Mott and Har- denbrook tramping back to Piqua, and Manning making his way to Chi- cago.
He had already gained quite a reputation, and in a very short time was on the road to prosperity. The song that first made him famous was the one he had given during their Indiana tour. The first two lines were:
BILLY MANNING
Oh, my grandfather had some very fine chickens, In the merry green fields of olden.
Then came a vivid imitation of the different sounds and motions pro- luced by a flock of these fowls. Each verse took up and imitated some nember of the barn-yard family, and each ended with the invitation :
Oh, its come, my bonnie lassie, and go along with me, To the merry green fields of olden.
Manning had a world-wide reputation and was conceded by all min- trel performers to have been the best end-man ever on the stage.
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THE FIRST CENTURY OF PIQUA
He continued as a star until his death, which occurred in Chicago, May 15, 1876, at an age of exactly thirty-seven years. He was buried in Forest Hill cemetery, and for many years minstrel and other troups playing in Piqua have visited Manning's grave, and in other ways have shown their reverence to his memory.
BASE BALL
The first record we have of a regular base ball team in Piqua is that of the old "Sterling Club." This and a minor team were coached by two Presbyterian preachers, Rev.'s Greenough and Blakesley, who were from the east, and had probably learned the game at college. The Sterling team went to Dayton and played against the "Buckeyes" of that city on July 6, 1866, where they were beaten by a score of 54 to 34. The return game was played at Piqua on Aug. 31, 1866, and resulted in the defeat of the Buckeyes by a score of 81 to 66.
The keeping of scores in those days was entirely different from the present method, and the time of the game much longer, thus the large scores did not always mean poor playing. We will give the scores of this latter game, as it will also show the positions of the different members of the teams :
STERLINGS
OUT RUNS
BUCKEYES
OUT RUNS
A. M. Bowdle, capt., c ... 1 11
Morton, capt., c. 9
3
W. S. Parker, p. 4 S
Fleming, p. 1
S
J. H. Griggs, ss . . 2 10
Cochrane, ss. 2 8 W. R. Bowdle, 1b. 4 9
Kiefaber, 1b. 2
9
W. C. Johnston, 2b 5 S Stoddard, 2b. 3
- Nettleship, 3b. 1
10
Beebe, 3b. 3
H. T. Chappel, If 2 9
Slote, If. 5
€
W. M. Knox, cf. 5 7 Garst, cf. 1
Rev. Greenough, rf. 3 9 Winder, rf. 1
Totals 27 81 27 66
The deciding game for the championship was played later, but we have no record of the scores.
Another Piqua team called the "Creightons" played against the "En terprise" nine of Sidney on Aug. 16, 1867, and Piqua beat by a score o 91 to 40. Umpire, W. R. Bowdle; time of game, 4 hours and 40 minutes
The names of the Creighton nine were: McNealy, c .; Wallace, p. Fordyce, s.s .; Dorsey, 1b .; Evans, 2b .; Woods, 3b .; Widney, l.f .; Deputy c.f .; and Rouzer, r.f.
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BILLY MANNING, BASE BALL AND SHOOTING MATCHES
Another team of early date was the "Athletes" of 1878. The per- sonnel of this nine were: Gilmore, c .; Achard, p .; O'Ferrall, 1b .; Amendt, 2b .; Butterfield, 3b .; Jarvis, s.s .; Anderson, I.f .; Procter, c.f .; and Zoll- inger, r.f.
This, like others of later date, was a High School team, and in 1880, though retaining the same name, the players were: Wall, c .; Cole, p .; Morris, 1b .; Murray, 2b .; Geyer, 3b .; Hafer, s.s .; Todd, I.f .; Clark, c.f .; and Friedlich, r.f.
Other school teams have come and gone, and their playing has usu- ally been above the average.
In 1903-04 we had a paid nine, known as the "Fast Blacks," who cleaned up everything in this neck of the woods, some of them afterward playing in the league clubs. Capt. Wills, "Chesty" Berger, "Si" Simons, Collins, Gilligan, Wessel, and Totman are some of the names of this team that will long be remembered by local fans.
HUNTERSVILLE BRIDGE FIGHT
The following incident is copied from the reminiscences of J. Man- ning, of Dayton, and was written some years ago:
About 1853 or 54, Van Amberg's show was in Piqua. The Columbus, Piqua & Indiana railroad was being built and many Irishmen were em- ployed on the grading.
A large number of showmen were quartered at the Watterman Tav- ern at the corner of Spring and Water streets, where beer and whisky flowed as freely as the water in the river. Some time in the afternoon of show-day, an Irishman and a show-man got into a quarrel in the stable where the show-man had his horses, and almost in a flash the quarrel spread until all the show-men and all the Irish found themselves in battle array.
The contending parties met on the bridge that spanned the river from Huntersville, the Irish coming from their work on the embankment, und the show-men from their different hotel headquarters, until the bridge was crowded with the fighters. The Irish were armed with their shovels und picks, and the show-men with their fists. The battle lasted for some ime, until the sons of Erin were satisfied to let the showmen go, and I hink neither side had to bury any dead. I do not remember the part hat the town marshal played in the fight, but I do remember that Van Amberg was much displeased. Standing on the steps of the "Piqua Touse" in the presence of a large crowd, of which I was one, he seemed o me as one of the finest specimens of physical manhood I have ever seen. n words of burning sarcasm he said : "I have traveled over the civilized
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world, have been in many kingdoms and empires, and have never seen but two men that I can say I am really afraid of-one is the czar of Russia, and the other the marshal of Piqua."
SHOOTING MATCHES
This is one of the forms of sport among the early settlers which has survived to the present day. To excel in the use of the flint-lock rifle was the ambition of every normal frotiersman. Matches for tests of skill were frequent, and in the early days live turkeys were placed at a given distance, the winning contestant being required to kill the turkey by shooting it through the head. Many matches of this kind were held in the vicinity of Piqua in our very early history, and were frequently at-
FRANK REDMAN, OLD TIME HUNTER
tended by the best marksmen among the peaceful Indians who were il the neighborhood prior to 1830. George Moffett (Kit-ter-hoo) was cor sidered the best shot, and the identical rifle used by him is now in G. W Lorimer's collection of antique fire-arms. Moffett's closest competitor were Tom Rodgers, the hermit wolf hunter, Jos. Mendenhall, and a ma named Beedle.
In the period between 1830 and 1860, there were many matches hel in the Caldwell woods, just below the hill, near the present west end o Ash street. This was at a time when the flint-lock was being replace
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BILLY MANNING, BASE BALL AND SHOOTING MATCHES
by the more modern form of percussion cap locks, and it kept all our old gun-smiths busy with the remodeling. Though we have no record of their individual prowess, such familiar names as Mckinney, Hilliard, Valen- tine, Bushnell, Sam. Redman, and Adam Conover were among them. Young Frank Redman would occasionally lend interest by coming in and capturing the prizes. Another form of shooting matches were also in vogue in these early days. It was an all-day squirrel hunt, either between two men, or two parties of men; the squirrels being so numerous that only the scalps were saved for counting. We have one record of a match, four men on each side, whose total count of scalps for the day was 1,872.
After the civil war, rifle shooting again came into favor, and though a few of the older shooters were in evidence, a new crop of younger men were greatly in the majority. Among the Piqua contingent were the Tobias boys, Sam. Heitzman, Simon Killian, Frank Adams, Christ. Vogt, Dave Oblinger, Joe Beedle, Len Hyde, and Al. Brotherton, with later additions of Billy Snyder, Charley Templeton, Fred. Rice, C. A. Thomp- son, and others.
About 1896, Dr. F. M. Hunt appeared on the scene, and thereafter for several years took so nearly all the prizes that the old-timers were about to give up in disgust. At about this date the modern breech-load- ing rifle began taking the place of the old muzzle loaders, the shooting became off-hand, with a standardized target, and Dr. Hunt withdrew from the game, thus placing the old crew again on a competitive basis. At the present date Ed. Teach and G. W. Lorimer are considered the best rifle shots in Piqua, though some of our older shooters are ready at any time to demonstrate that they are not. Although pistol shooting in Piqua is not as popular as the rifle matches, Homer Greenamyer is un- doubtedly the champion pistol shot of this section of the state.
Early in the seventies, when wild pigeons were so numerous and easily captured, live bird shooting with shot-guns became popular. Among those who took an interest in this sport were Wash. Harbaugh, Mart. McNeely, Dr. Parker, Frank Redman, Tom Wiley, and others. This was followed later by blue rock trap shooting, but the game never seemed to arouse the same interest that was given the rifle matches. A fitting climax to this sketch will be the following report of a match held Nov. 25, 1907, and printed by a local paper :
AN OLD TIME RIFLE SHOOTER
MARTIN TOBIAS LAYS IN HIS WINTER SUPPLY OF MEAT
At a rifle shooting match recently held in Troy, shooters were pres- ent from Wapak, Sidney, Piqua and Fletcher. The prizes put up were
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THE FIRST CENTURY OF PIQUA
sugar cured hams. Guns of every description and caliber were in evi- dence from grandpap's ancient muzzle loader to the modern high power breech loading target rifle. The owners of the last named pieces were grouped about the club house and were learnedly discussing the merits of their respective weapons and while the writer did not understand the meaning of such terms as "muzzle velocity," trajectory," "breech expan- sion," etc., yet from the particular stress laid on these features by the experts, he knew that all these were absolutely necessary before anybody could have any possible show of winning any of the prizes. This argu- ment was interrupted by the appearance of two youths from Piqua who had evidently played "hookey" from school and evading the truant of- ficer, had found their way to Troy to attend the shoot. Boylike, they had brought the old family rifle along and wanted to shoot. Inquiry of the dean of Piqua rifle shooters, Daddy Heitzman, disclosed that these two kids were known by the name of Tobias and hailed from the moun- tainous district of Sheeny Hollow. On his say-so, they were permitted to enter. Their ancient weapon was the source of much kidding and joshing by the sharp shooters present, who expressed themselves audibly to the effect that "it was a shame to take the money," "taking candy from children," etc.
The gun was worthy of a description. The stock had the appearance of a county store hitching rack to which had been hitched a generation of "stump suckers" and "cribbers" who had left the trademark of their favorite pastime. The barrel resembled a section of gas pipe that had suffered a severe attack of electrolysis. It was held in place by sundry pieces of tarred fodder twine, hay bailing wire and hoop iron.
The youngest of the "kids," who admitted he was 64 years old, was very skeptical of the recent new fangled improvements that had been put on the old gun, which was a percussion lock. He much preferred the original flint lock.
The experts shot out their scores and adjourned to the club house to measure and divide the prizes. Both brothers were shooting the same gun and the slow and tedious manner of loading the old fusee from a cow- horn powder flash, patched down with a piece of blue and white bed tick- ing, consumed so much time that darkness was near at hand when "Mart," the eldest, was ready to begin shooting out his 10 shots. A high wind accompanied by a driving sleet and rain storm made the worst conditions possible for favorable shooting. "Mart's" first three or four shots went wild, caused by frost and rain clouding his spectacles. Carefully wiping his specs with a piece of tow, he sighted the bunch of old scrap iron Bang! Out went a dead center. The crowd cheered lustily at what
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HAUNTED HOUSE, THE CRUSADE AND UNDERGROUND RAILWAY
they considered a lucky scratch. He had reloaded and was again ready. Bang! Another center cleaned and more meat for Sheeny Hollow. The cheer following this shot was rather faint hearted as visions of tooth- some sugar cured hams began to go glimmering. His next shot broke the center and all further interest in the match. His three shots had cleaned up about all the available pork lying around loose in that locality. The traditional groundhog would never get a chance to see his shadow in Sheeny Hollow if Hank drew a bead on him. The crowd of experts silently made a sneak across fields for town leaving behind them a large number of nice sugar cured hams in charge of one Martin Tobias, aged 64, occupation, rifle shooter; place of residence, Sheeny Hollow, Piqua, Ohio .- Patchen.
HAUNTED HOUSE
Years ago it was the prevailing custom for towns over the country to have at least one haunted house. Piqua's most noted contribution in that line was the old "Stone Front" on South street. The story runs that in the latter part of the sixties a gentleman, his wife, and their beautiful little son, came to Piqua and boarded in a private family up town. They had been here but a few days when the man was called to New York on business. He took his little boy with him, leaving his wife who was in poor health, and also leaving with her a large sum of money. In a few days the wife received a telegram telling her that her husband had taken sick on reaching New York, and had died in a short time. The shock proved too much for her delicate constitution, as she was critically ill when the little boy returned two days later, and on the third day she died. The evening before her funeral, and just before her relatives from Cincinnati arrived, the child mysteriously disappeared, also a satchel supposed to contain the large sum of money left in her charge.
About midnight it was learned that the curly-headed little boy had been seen going toward the south end of town with a tall, slender man who was carrying a satchel. They were afterward traced to the "Stone Front," which at that time was unoccupied, but neither boy or man was ever again seen.
The story which at that time gained much credence was, that the boy was murdered in this old house and the murderer took the money and disappeared completely. A good many years afterward this tale was corroborated by the finding of fragments of human bones when ·leaning out an old vault in the yard.
In the meantime persons passing this house after dark saw "spooks" Iressed in white and carrying lights going about the house, but on closer
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THE FIRST CENTURY OF PIQUA
examination by the bravest of these observers the ghosts always disap peared, and the house was seemingly empty. For a number of years the house remained unoccupied on this account, but for some time past the spooks have ceased to revel in the midnight hours, and the families living there are not bothered with their ghostly tread.
TEMPERANCE MOVEMENTS
In the early days there were many drinkers and few drunkards Whisky was about fifty cents a gallon, and seemingly of a purer natur than the modern fire-water. Nearly all the stores kept it on tap for thei customers, and it was not until 1834 that we find any restrictive legisla tion in Piqua.
At that date the town trustees passed an ordinance prohibiting it sale by those not taking out a license. Other town and city legislatio at intervals placed the yearly license at five, ten, and later at fifty dollars
The first organized fight on the moral side of the question was th "Women's Crusade" of 1873-74.
THE CRUSADE
We take the following from the Miami Helmet of that date:
This movement was inaugurated in the summer of 1873, and by winte had grown to such proportion that the whole country was aroused. Du ing this winter at many places, bands of devoted women marched 1 saloons and drug-stores, and where not allowed to enter the room, woul hold religious services in front of the place, and where opportunity o fered would plead with the keeper of the place to destroy their lique and sign a pledge not to continue in the business. In Piqua, though mar meetings were held and much temperance work done, it was not unt Feb. 18, 1874, that the real crusade began.
On that morning a band of 35 ladies, headed by Mrs. Hopkins al Mrs. Stephenson, visited the seven drug-stores of the city. At four tl pledges were signed, and at two, though the pledges were not signed, tl ladies were treated courteously. At one the proprietor was out al could not be seen.
They also had services at one saloon. In the afternoon the ban now numbering 85, visited five saloons. Three closed their doors again them, but they sang and prayed on the sidewalk. Two allowed the access to their rooms, but none would sign the pledge. This marked t actual beginning of the campaign in Piqua, and as the band grew in nu: bers to about 200, it was diveded into six smaller bodies, each head
1
PP
IH
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HAUNTED HOUSE, THE CRUSADE AND UNDERGROUND RAILWAY
by such women as Mrs. Hopkins, Mrs. Stephenson, Mrs. Clark, Mrs. Wal- lace, Mrs. Chappell, and Mrs. Geo. Yager.
The work continued for some time, the ladies in some cases being grossly insulted by the saloon men, and in one case 15 were arrested and suit for $50 damage entered against them for trespass in using the side- walk in front of a certain place.
The case was tried, and the verdict of acquittal unanimously rend- red by the jury. After the passage of a state law restricting the sale of liquors, and a city ordinance presented by the temperance people was passed by council, the ladies retired from the onerous street work, but xept the cause moving through the press and the W. C. T. U.
MURPHY MOVEMENT
The next temperance agitation was in the spring of 1877, when Francis Murphy, a reformed drunkard, held a series of temperance meet- ngs in Pittsburg.
His success was so great that the movement spread rapidly over the middle states, and eventually became national.
The first Murphy meeting in Piqua was in the Presbyterian church n the evening of April 25, 1877. At this meeting 160 signed the total bstinence pledge, and one week later the number reached 1,000. We an not say as to the total number of pledges signed, but when Murphy poke in Piqua on Oct. 9, 1877, it had reached over 2,000.
Like in nearly all spasmodic reformations, many of these pledges ere broken, and the signer of such had the stigma of dishonesty added his disgrace, thus making his burden doubly intolerable, and in some ises ending in a complete loss of self-respect.
At this date (1907) there is much proposed temperance legislation, unfind no doubt that in the near future county local option will decide as ) the status of the liquor question in Piqua.
UNDERGROUND RAILWAY
This was the popular name for the lines of stations from the Ohio ver to the Canada border, between which points runaway slaves were sisted to their freedom. Many years prior to the civil war one of these nes was in operation from Cincinnati, through Hamilton, Dayton, Troy, iqua, Sidney, and on north. The different stations on this line were pt by Abolitionist citizens, and many slaves were sent through without tection.
Grandfather Barrett's house in Troy was one of these stopping aces, and from here the runaway slaves were taken to James Scudder's
is an ur tl ed, ti at an e bar again d the ked in mu head
mar
inte Dur d roul
the
i la
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THE FIRST CENTURY OF PIQUA
in Piqua, and then on to Sidney. On one occasion when Henry Bibl was escaping in this way he was followed to Piqua by slave-hunters who knowing him to be secreted here, watched the road north of town that night. Mr. Scudder knew they were on the watch, so waited until the next morning, when he fixed Bibb up as a coachman, and with my father Wm. Rayner, started out in a fine two-horse carriage with Bibb as driver and though they passed the slave-hunters on the road, were not suspected and got their man to the next station in safety.
Dr. Richard Brandriff was one of the founders of this particula line.
RANDOLPH SLAVES
John Randolph was a noted Virginian who was opposed to slavery He made a will giving all his own slaves their freedom after his deatl The will also provided $8,000 for the purchase of land in some free stat for their colonization, and named Judge Wm. Leigh as agent to carr out its provisions.
In 1837, four years after his death, the will was probated and Leig appointed by the court. In 1846, after much litigation in the Virgini courts, he bought 2,000 acres of land in Mercer county, Ohio, and imm diately transported his charges, numbering 318, across the mountain down the Ohio river, and up the canal from Cincinnati to Minster, Ohi Here they were met by a host of armed farmers who refused to let the be landed from the boats. They then turned back to Newport, but mee ing the same kind of a reception, continued on down the canal to Piqu where they were unloaded and went into camp near the middle bridg east of the present ball park. There were four boat loads of them, ar Frank Pilliod, still living in Newport, and his two brothers were ca tains of three of these boats. Eventually these people became scattere some settling in Troy, Sidney, and others near towns, but the majori remained in Piqua and its vicinity. A suit to recover their Merc County lands has lately been in the courts, but has thus far been decide against them.
These people made good citizens, and though there are only a few them alive at this time, their descendants are very numerous.
ODD CHARACTERS OF PIQUA JOHN RAWLINGS
Nearly every town has at some time in its history had one or mo odd characters as residents. We have had several such people in Piqu among the earlier of them being "Uncle John Rawlings," a very eccenti individual, who was off on the subject of money. He was a tall, sli man, always in a hurry, and invariably carried a cane. He was call
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RANDOLPH SLAVES AND ODD CHARACTERS
"Governor" Rawlings, as he claimed to be governor of the world. He always walked fast, on the inside of the side-walk, and would cross the street if crowded to the outside.
He lived on the north side of Ash street between Wayne and Down- ing, and was always clean and neatly dressed. He would often whirl around a tree or lamp-post several times, then cross the street diagonally and resume his walk.
He walked many miles each day, molested no one, and attended strictly to his own business. When he wanted money he would go to the old Piqua Bank and call upon the president, Wm. Scott, or the cash- ier, Jos. G. Young, and tell them what he wanted. The cashier would pretend to write him a check, and he would go away perfectly satisfied. He clamed to own the bank, and would call for money when he thought he needed it.
Uncle John died many years ago, but the memory of his eccentricities remain fresh in the minds of our older citizens.
JIMMY SIMPSON
"Jimmy" Simpson was another eccentric character of some years ago. He was the son of Martin Simpson, who formerly owned the Con- over Opera House corner.
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