Evening Star Newspaper, January 19, 1930, Page 118

.HERE WERE FEW TOURISTS IN ANCIENT TIMES . TRAVELING FROM PLACE TO PLACE WAS FRAUGHT WITH 50 MANY HARDSHIPS AND> PERILS THAT NO ONE VEN- . TURED ON A LONG VOURNEY UNLESS HE HAD SOME PRESS- ING REASON. . HIGH LIGHTS OF HISTORY -1 IS NOT KNOWN FOR - CERTAIN JUST WHEN INNS AND TAVERNS CAME INTO EXISTENCE . THERE ARE RECORDS OF INNS IN LYDIA INTHE 4TH CEnTuRY B.C. MHOWEVER , THERE WERE PROBABLY INNS AT LEAST TWO NUNDRED YEARS BEFORE THAT TIME. TAVERNS ARE DEPENDENT UPON TRAVELERS FOR. TRADE AND THERE WAS VERY L\TTLE TRAVELING DONE BEFORE 600 BLl. ———-o HE SIGN OF THE EARLY MEDI- ABVAL INN WAS A GREEN BRANCH MUNG FROM A POLE . 17 WAS GENERALLY CALLED THE "ALE STAKE ", LCH A THING AS "A ROOM-AND- | BATH" WAS UNDREAMED OF IN THOSE DAYS. TN THE POORER INNS THE GUESTS USUALLY SLEPT IN A LOFT OVER THE PUIB- L1C-ROOM ON PALLETS OF STRAW, —* NIGHTS LODGING IN ONE OF THESE FIRST INNS MEANT MERELY SLEEPING SPACE ON A DIRTOR STONE FLOOR OR EVEMN, IF THE INN WAS CROWDED, IN THE STABLE . - .HEQE THERE WERE SEVERAL RIWAL TAVERNS IN A TOWN THERE WAS KEEN COMPETITION TO HAVE THE LONGEST ALE-STAKE. THESE SIGNPOSTS BEGAN TO BLOCK TRAFFIC. !N THE BETTER TAVERNS THE GUESTS SLEPT ON ROUGH BUNKS IN ONE LARGE ROOM THAT WAS DIVIDED BY GURTAINS INTO SMALL STALLS. @ .OST TRAVELERS OF THAT DAY WERE EITHER MERCHANTS OR OFFICIALS. VERY FEW MEN DARED> 7O UNDERTAKE A LONG JOURNEY ALONE, AND IN MOST CASES TRAVELERS BANDED TOGETHER 4 AND SET OUT IN CARAYANS OR ANCIENT TIMES WHOSE WRITINGS HAVE BEEN PRESERVED, COMPLAINED BITTERLY OF THE WRETCHED INNS OF THEIR DAY. .mAw/ A SPECIAL TAX WAS LAID ON ALE-STAKES, AND LAWS REGULATING THEIR SIZE AND LENGTH WERE PASSED. — @ OBLEMEN SELDOM PATRONIZED THESE EARLY INNS. THEY PREFERRED,WHEN TRAVELING , 7O SEEK THE MOSPITALITY OF SOME NEIGHBORING BARON FOR THE NIGHT, — 2 CONVOYS FOR MUTUAL AID AN,(; PROTECTION. . umue THE MIDDLE AGES,WHEN THE CRUSADES SET HOSTS OF CHRISTIAN KNIGHTS AND PILGRIMS MARCHING TOWARD THE HOLY LAND; INNS SPRANG UP EVERYWHERE FOR THE ACCOMOPATION OF TRANELERS. g B.: o EARLY INNS,BUT THE GUESTS WERE OBLIGED TO SECURE FOOD ELSE - WHERE AND COOK THEIR OWN MEALS. ST EAlzv TRAVELERS WHO CHANCED TO BE OVERTAKEN BY DARKNESS FAR FROM A TAVERN COULD ALWAYS BE SURE OF FINDING SHELTER FOR. THE NIGHT WITH THE HOSPITABLE- MONKS OF A NEARBY MONASTERY.