BILLY ROBINSON.
About the center of the town of Beallsville, and on the south or west side, Wm. Greenfield kept a famous old tavern, and he was in many other respects a famous old man. He was tall and spare, with a brown complexion, a defective eye, and a philosophic turn of mind. It was his fortune to have a good wife, and to her, in great measure, was attributed the high grade of this old tavern. The traveler could always get a good cup of coffee at Greenfield’s, a rare thing in a tavern and utterly unknown in a hotel. In addition to keeping tavern, William Greenfield was a banker, and established the “Beallsville Savings Bank.” His bank was in his tavern, and his safe was his pocket. He issued notes of small denominations, which were handsomely printed and engraved, and they acquired some credit, and a limited circulation. The pressure of redemption, however, was more than the old banker-tavern keeper could withstand, and he was forced to close business as a banker, but continued his tavern successfully. It is due to the memory of the old gentleman to state, that no serious losses were sustained by the note holders of his bank. He continued to keep tavern at the old stand until his death, which occurred many years ago, and all the old pike boys, from one end of the road to the other, have a kind word for the memory of William Greenfield.
Charley Miller kept a tavern as early as 1830, and probably before that date, in the brick house on the corner opposite Greenfield’s, and this house was subsequently, and for many years kept by Mrs. Chambers. It was a quiet, orderly, and aristocratic old tavern, especially when under the management of Mrs. Chambers, and enjoyed a good reputation as an eating house. Benjamin Demon took charge of this house after the retirement of Mrs. Chambers, and kept it for a while. Moses Bennington succeeded Demon, and Charles Guttery succeeded Bennington. Guttery was the last of the old line of tavern keepers, at this house. Beallsville was a station for the line wagons, and John Cook, an old wagoner whose home was there, drove a line team for many years.
[CHAPTER XXXVII.]
Old Taverns and Tavern Keepers continued—Beallsville to Washington—Hillsboro—The Old Hill House—Samuel Youman, next to Old Mount the biggest man of the Road—George Ringland, John Noble, Billy Robinson, Charley Miller’s, The Gals House, Daniel Ward, Egg Nog Hill, The Long Stretch, Thomas Hastings, The Upland House, Joseph Doak, The Mount Vernon House, Maj. Dunlap, Charles Rettig, Pancake, Jonathan Martin, The Sample House.