Poetic Description of Spring House Tavern

A Poetic Description of the Spring House Tavern in 1804 by the renowned ornithologist and traveler Alexander Wilson

"The road was good, the passing scenery gay,
Mile after mile passed unperceived away,
Till in the west the day began to close,
And Spring House tavern furnished us repose.
Here two long rows of market folks were seen,
Ranged front to front, the table placed between,
Where bags of meat, and bones, and crusts of bread,
And hunks of bacon all around were spread;
One pint of beer from lip to lip went round,
And scarce a crumb the hungry house-dog found;
Torrents of Dutch from every quarter came,
Pigs, calves and sour-crout the important theme;
While we, on future plans resolving deep,
Discharged our bill and straight retired to sleep."

~From "The Foresters"