USA > Maryland > Frederick County > Emmitsburg > History of Emmitsburg, Maryland, with a prelude of historical facts of Frederick County, and a romance entitled Disappointed, or, The recluse of Huckle's feld > Part 7
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TINNERS.
Joseph Beachey was amongst the early tinners, as he bought the property now J. A. Helman's store of Jacob C. Winter in 1804; there he carried on the tin and coppersinith trade; continuing till 1847, moving opposite, where his son David carried on for short time, selling out to Jaines F. Adelsberger, the house occupied by Zacharias' store. In 1860 James & D. G. Adelsberger moved their shop to where Rotering's store stands; it was burned in the conflagration of 1863, rebuilt, and occupied until his death 1878; after- ward his son, F. A., removed to the present location, where his widow carries on the trade.
In 1833 Michael Helman came to Emmitsburg, carrying on the trade where S. N. McNair's house stands until his death in 1865. James T. Hays started a tin and stove shop in 1865; has continued to this day, now J. T. Hays & Son, adding plumbing; he is the inventor of the acetylene appa- ratus now used in lighting the Presbyterian Church, the
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Reformed, the Roman Catholic; also inventor of a creamer of note.
The manufacture of tinware has destroyed that part of the trade, as this article is now sold by all the stores. Stoves in the early days were sold only by the manufac- turer, now the tin shops are the distributors.
LIVERY STABLES.
George Sheets prior to 1840 was the pioneer liveryman; he had stables in the rear of Bennet Tyson's house, living in the house. Later, Jacob Moritz, Madison Fisher, Agnew & Jarboe, Eli Smith, Guthrie & Beam; it was their stables in which the fire started that caused the great conflagration of 1863; it stood where the Elder stable stands. Jacob Smith, John Long, G. P. Beam, and Howard Row are the liverymen now.
STONE CUTTERS.
Joseph Kelly lived south of the College, he did all the marble work until Frederick Meals came here from Gettys- burg near 1860; later U. A. Lough, who owned the M. F. Shuff property, W. H. Hoke, Charles Hoke and A. Annan, now Hoke & Rider. We can understand why so many graves are unmarked; the stone cutters were few in the early days and no opportunity to get them; as to price, the cost must have been great, as men of means have very small tombstones
Item .- At one time a large post stood at the curb on the pavement of Lewis Motter, a beam poised in a slot on either side had a square platform to which was attached chains from the four corners, then centering at the end of beam. It was a balance scale; 56 pound weights and smaller stood by for use in weighing iron and heavy arti- cles; this was the scale before platform scales came into use.
Item .- Miss Mary Knox lived where Albert Patterson lives; she was an expert on raising flowers; the lot of F.
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A. Maxell's house was her flower garden; the older citizens can remember this genial old lady, as she freely gave to the young flowers from her great abundance, many of them rare.
Item .- During the fifties a lottery office was conducted in the Barry room by Smallwood, agent; his sale of tickets was marvelous; like all these schemers blanks are the win- ners; the sellers get the prizes; the poor maintained this office for quite a while. When hoping against a hopeless game it died for want of patronage.
PASSTIME.
In 1790 society and the appearance of the town were much alike; everybody was fighting the wolf from the door; no time for style; yet every age has had its passtime; one of these was the men rolling long bullets on the streets, pitching quoits and horse shoes was another amusement; the ladies amused themselves at the spinning wheel or the looin, or knitting stockings; later horse racing and card playing, twin brothers, became fashionable.
The east end of Lowherds tavern, where the store-house now stands, erected by Joseph Danner in 1838, was the place reserved as a ball alley; here seventy-five years ago the young men enjoyed a game; amongst them Frederick Black stood first. On this spot the noted fight between Daniel Wetzel and Shocky took place; it was a naked hand fist prize fight; a large man and a small man, the large inan a bully; Wetzel the lighter had the endurance and won; a short time after Shocky died from the effects of the fight.
PIC-NICS.
Fifty years ago and earlier it was customary for the young men to invite the ladies to pic-nics, the men provid- ing a large wagon, the ladies the provisions; they would go to Split Rock usually and spend the day in conversation and dancing. It was a union regardless of creed or party. Where is the social relations of today compared with that of the by-gone.
LUTHERAN STEEPLE.
The rod on the Lutheran steeple was blown down near 1850; a sailor came along and replaced it; after finishing the work he straddled the ball and sung a sailor's song; a great crowd of citizens watched him from beginning to fin- ish. This steeple had a fish about four feet put on when built in 1814, at the remoddling of the church and painting of the steeple. The committee decided to remove the fish; the town has been deprived of the only true weather vane they had; a fine relic of the past. Oh, that it were there again.
VIEW OF CHURCH AND CONCRETE WALK.
The former study of the Lutheran parsonage was re- moved and an avenue opened direct to the church, and a concrete pavement made from the street to the church door. No improvement ever made in the town has met with such universal favor; the dark alley through which the congre- gations, now dead, traversed when living, and were carried when dead, has resumed its former position, a road away only. The fine scenic effect produced by this improvement shows the æsthetic taste of the pastor and council connected with him; give them the praise due. The church presents an imposing effect from the street; the steeple so unique, symmetrical and substantial, has stood the storms of over one hundred years, attesting the capability of men who did honest work.
The old board fence was removed from the cemetery front and a substantial wire fence has been placed in its stead. The class of monuments recently erected in the cemetery far surpass those of any other age.
This sturdy building was the provost marshal's office, Captain Schofield, when the Federal army passed through on the way to Gettysburg, also on its return; General How- ard has his headquarters in the priest house, while General Steiner occupied the house now J. Stewart Annan's; whilst this army was passing the soldiers purchased all the tobacco iu the town and all the whisky they could get. One dealer
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sold hundreds of canteens at one dollar each, until the pro- vost stopped it and put a guard there. Sunday morning after the fight at Gettysburg Jenkins' Confederate cavalry entered the town by daybreak on their retreat; when asked how the battle terminated they claimed the victory; soon they were off toward Mechanicstown, crossing the moun- tain through that gap to Hagerstown. About ten o'clock Kilpatrick's cavalry came dashing into town full charge, expecting to find the Johnnies here, they had fled, they re- ported the full retreat of Lee's army. Kilpatrick was in pursuit of the Rebs that passed through here. Oh, the commotion of that day; the church bells rang, but who heeded them, it was war times. Soon the army was on the move, the roads were full, the fields full (the roads were knee deep in mud). The hungry and dry soldiers ate all the bread and other eatables offered them; the people stood on the sidewalks with buckets of water to slake their thirst; many that passed through six days before did not return, they were either in the hospitals or their graves at Gettys- burg. Capt. Wilcoxen shed tears when he told me of his great loss.
It was a day long to be remembered; when the Confed- erates entered the town they captured some prisoners which they carried with them. When the Union forces came they captured some rebs which they retained; the occasion will not be forgotten. Two men on Sunday morning went on the Lutheran steeple to see what was to be seen whilst the reb cavalry were in the town. When the cavalry stationed at the street pump saw them they raised their guns to shoot; the citizens assured them these men were citizens of the town and not signal corps men, and their lives were saved. Many inconveniences connected with the passage of the army could be mentioned. It is enough to repeat the words of General Sherman: "War is hell !"
STREETS.
The streets of our town are in fine condition; do you think they were always thus? ah, no! It is within the
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memory of some when the streets were mud holes, only good when the weather was dry; but oh ! the mud in the springtime, almost impassable; the streets were hollow in the centre, the rains washing them deeper after each rain. Thus it continued until 1853, when the plank road was made from Westminster to the State line north; how blessed were we then, how smooth the road, how loud the noise of a horse and wagon; in a few years it had worn out, and the State lost sixty-five thousand dollars by an experi- ment, and we had a ruined street deeper in the middle than before. For eighteen years the street continued in this con- dition, until 1873, when a board of commissioners was elected, who did more real good for the town than any be- fore; they spent the money filling up the centre with large rocks, and finished with small stones and gravel; that is the secret of our good streets; all praise to that board. If future commissioners will add broken lime stone then they will be complete.
CHOLERA, 1853.
The town was visited by cholera in this year; the first case was that of a black inan, Isaac Norris; he was taken early in the night in a stable and died there; black inen at- tended him, not knowing the disease; whether the doctor did or not, I am not prepared to say. Suffice it to say, he died during the night and was buried in Dr. Patterson's field. Shortly after another case occurred and the man died. Then it was noised about that cholera was in town and the scare commenced. Soon another and still another case, until the death list was twenty-three. It continued dry the entire summer and very hot until the middle of September, when a very severe thunder storm passed this way, drenching the earth and washing the surface as it had not been for many months. After this rain no new cases occurred; a few of the more prominent I mentioned dying: Dr. A. Taney and wife, Joseph Moritz, Mrs. Agnew, Eagle hotel; Rev. Thomas McCaffery, George Mentzer, Samuel Morrison; a great many recovered; some light attacks,
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others severe; quite a number of persons left the town, re- maining until fall; whole families spent the cholera season away, having their property looked after by persons remain- ing; business was almost suspended, the country people going to other towns for their supplies; a depressed state of feeling rested upon all, not knowing who would be the next victim; this year the cholera visited Cumberland, Hagerstown and Williamsport. One man passing through contracted the disease and died in Waynesboro- There was a peculiar smell in the town all the while the cholera was here, more noticeable after no more cases and the rain had drenched the town.
WATER INTRODUCED.
Isaac Baugher, a prosperous merchant of Emmitsburg, retiring in 1847, dying in 1848, aged 61 years, during his business career here made an effort to interest the people in a project to pipe the water of Crystal Fount to town. The people were satisfied with the conveniences their wells af- forded them and he dropped it. D. G. Adelsberger inade an effort to interest the people at a later date, in the seven- ties; he commenced a reservoir on his lot of the famous Crystal Mountain Spring; receiving 110 encouragement from the public he abandoned bis enterprise. In 1884 a com- pany was formed, stock subscribed, a reservoir completed, the water piped to town, mainly through the influence of the president, Isaac S. Annan.
FIRE COMPANIES.
In the childhood of Einmitsburg the protection against fire was the same as in all small towns, that of carefulness. When the town was alarmed by the cry of fire great was the excitement; the bucket brigade as it was called turned out, men and women. The men passed the full buckets the women the empty; after spreading blankets on adjoin- ing roofs to save these houses the men drenched the blank- ets. Later on an old suction engine was bought, it was an out-of-date affair; about 1850 a more modern apparatus was
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purchased through J. W. Baugher in Baltimore, which an- swered very well; the trouble was to supply it with water. With the introduction of the mountain water all the former difficulties were overcome; sufficient force is obtained to throw water over the highest building.
FIRES.
In connection with the engines and introduction of water will note a few of the most destructive fires: The Otter Hotel burned in 1845; it was the oldest house standing on the Square; it stood where E. E. Zimmerman's house stands. The Elder & Taney barn, stood in the Lutheran hitching ground, it burned in 1848; the cornice of the steeple caught fire from it; the chances of the church burn- ing were great, as there was not sufficient force to throw the water up so high from the engine, men were at the bell; water was passed through the steeple to thein, they flooded the roof, throwing the empty buckets to the ground, but all to no purpose; when all hope was gone James Gallagher volunteered to cut the cornice away; they place a rope around his body to support him, he stepped on the roof and cut the cornice, it fell, thus the steeple was save. Tlie great fire occurred June 15th, 1863; it originated in the liv- ery stable of Guthrie & Beam, consuming over fifty build- ings in all; the fire commenced at eleven o'clock in the night, did not get it under control until seven in the morn- ing; the hotel was the last to burn. Saving the house of Decklemyer saved the upper portion of the town. People in the country heard the church bells ring; some came within a mile of town, looking at the blazing houses, but feared to come in, as they thought the rebel army had fired it, as they had done Chambersburg. Word was sent to the College after midnight, when Rev. John McClosky called all the larger boys and hands together, bringing them in to assist; they came in time, as the citizens were fagged and tired; they worked manfully at the engine and in supplying water. Oh, the desolation a fire makes; most of the people lost their all, and never recovered. Money was sent from
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the cities to aid the poor. Think of it, forty-three years since that fire. The Presbyterian Church was burned Au- gust 28th, 1902.
HILL NORTH OF TOWN.
The oldest residents can remember when it was called Robinson's Hill; who was Robinson ? Philip Nunemaker had the honor of having it called after him next; he had lived in town as early as 1808; no doubt he purchased the property from Robinson. Nunemaker died 1849; his widow remained on this property a few years, when Henry Faller bought it. Since which time it has been known as Fal- ler's Hill. Now that John Sebold owns the propery, justly following the precedents of the past, it is Sebold's Hill.
PAINTERS.
This occupation has not always been one alone, usually it was connected with some other calling; cabinet makers and chair makers followed painting also, until Manning came here before 1850 and painted St. Joseph's and Jacob S. Gelwicks, also made it a business. Whilst Samuel Wil- hide, Blackford Campbell and Barnabas Riley were chair makers; later Geo. Gelwicks, John Adelsberger and James Gelwicks.
GRAVE DIGGERS.
An old custom; the neighbors volunteered to dig the graves when interments were on the farins or in the coun- try cemeteries. In town the early grave diggers were, John Logan,, 1811, Tome Bones, Thomas Buttler, Sebas- tian Adelsberger, Jacob Duphorn, Jacob Favourite, Thos. Butler, John Welty, John Glass. Their work today re- quires them to dig the grave four and a-half to five feet deep. Many graves were not dug over three feet; for sani- tary purposes this was changed, and justly, as the gasses arising from decaying bodies have made close proximity to some graves unpleasant. In 1811 John Logan received $3 for digging graves.
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Along in the eighteen hundred and thirties a man named Markey committed a crime for which he was sent to the penitentiary from up in Harbaughs Valley. Mr. Newey was his principal accusor; after serving his terin he left Baltimore, coming through Emmitsburg in the evening; stopping at Black's tavern for a drink, he proceded to the mountain to take revenge upon Newey. Newey had butch- ered that day; after night put the fire out and retired. Mar- key had lain in sight of the house- watching; at midnight he broke the door open with an axe. Mr. Tressler, Mrs. Newey's father, slept down stairs; Markey killed him; Newey came down to meet the same fate; also Mrs. Newey and the children; he carried away with him a vest, watch and few articles. The news was printed in a Frederick paper; a few days later a policeman sat in the General Wayne in Baltimore reading the account; he heard steps of a man as he entered the bar-room; he knew from the descrip- tion this was the man; he arrested him; he had the watch on his person; he was tried and hung in Frederick.
FULLING MILL.
The fulling mill on Middle creek was carried on by Na- thaniel Grayson for years prior to 1840; in the fifties Joseph Culbertson manufactured clothi blankets and yarns till after the civil war; in 1871 Jolin Peoples was conducting the mill; after him Charles Deeg. It was abandoned for lack of customers and torn down in the eighties.
ITEMS OF INTEREST.
Coppying from an old ledger dated 1811 to 1812 I find the following items of interest: A negro, Pol, sold for $267.67 April 9th, 1812, to Wm. Moreland.
The following articles were sold at prices named: Lodg- ing in hotel and gill of whisky, 12 cents; coffee, 25 cents; terpentine, 50 cents pint; one gill rum, 121/2 cents; flour, $7.50; gallon whisky, $1. 121/2; bacon, 1212 cents; brown sugar, 13 cents; loaf sugar, 25 cents; flaxseed oil, $1. 121/2; brandy sling, 1212 cents; salt, 121/2 cents quart; nails, 12 1/2
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cents pound; butter, 14 cents; oats, 6212 cents; 6 chickens for_53 cents. I gill whiskey, 614 cents; half lottery ticket on Susquehanna Valley, 6814 cents.
Old Mrs. Moreland sold her home-made linen to Hughs' store for 40, 47 and 62 cents per yard; selling May, 18II, 483 yards at 62 cents, 90 days credit, interest after 90 days; calico sold for 45 cents yard, glass tumblers 25 cents each, brandy and wine $2.50 gallon, white lead 25 cents pound. The itinerant shoemaker charged 40 cents per pair for mak- ing shoes; by digging Mrs. Granger's grave, $3.00; women hired out at $3.00 per month; making a pair breeches, 83 cents; making coat, $1.00; making slips, 371/2 cents; jacket, 83 cents; whiting, 1212 cents pound. Iron sold for 7 cents pound, making nails four dollars per thousand; all nails were made by hand in 1811. Vinegar, 50 cents gallon; salt, $1. 25 bushel; 8 by 10 glass, II cents a piece; fur hat, $3.00; ten-plate stoves, $18; sole leather, 40 cents pound; one gill whisky and dinner at Eagle Hotel, 31 14 cents. (The death of Catharine George entailed the following expense 1811: John Row, coffin, $8.00; digging grave, $3.00; I pair stock- ings, James Hughs, $1.00; Margaret Mintie, eight days attendance, $6.00; 4 pounds candles, $1.00). Dutch cheese, 9 cents; unbleached muslin, 45 cents yard; one pound brim- stone, 121/2 cents; shoeing horse, 3114 cents shoe; flour of sulpher, 50 cents pound; postage, 40 cents per ounce. John Devoy, tailor, 1812, charged $3. 33 to make a suit of clothes.
RUNAWAY SLAVES.
During the days of slavery many negroes, slaves in Vir- ginia and Maryland, ran away from their masters, their ob- ject was to enter Pennsylvania at the nearest point. Many came through Emmitsburg; some thought our town was in Pennsylvania, others, more knowing ones, avoided the town, knowing there were negro catchers, as they were called, white men who watched for these escaping slaves for the reward; it ranged from $50 to $500. A few were arrested in the town; as a general rule they gained their freedom once they arrived here. As many as a dozen would
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travel together, armned with clubs and pistols. It was dan- gerous to attempt to arrest such a body. Slaves liave es- caped from their owners here. Felix Taney and Dr. James Shorb each had quite a number to run away; others a few. We were too near the Mason and Dixon line for slavery to exist. It was only by the kindest treatment they could be kept. The free black people living here, and we always had more free than slave, were helpers of these absconding slaves; some of them were very loud in denouncing the negro catchers, amongst the number Roderick Dorsey, who lived on the street up town. James McCullough got up the following trick on Roderick: He blacked his face and dressed in old clothes; arrangements were made for the boys, large and small, to run him up town, he to take shelter with Roderick, which he did; as soon as he entered the house and told who he was (a runaway) Roderick closed the door. Mccullough crept under the bed. Soon the boys were outside yelling a runaway in Dorsey's house. McCul- lough raised up, upsetting the bed and escaped through the back door, the boys opened the front door and filed through the house after Mccullough, this raised Roderick's wrath.
TREES ON THE STREETS.
This locality was called Poplar Grove, which tell us poplar trees grew here. No doubt the streets in early time were shaded by poplar trees. As late as 1850 poplar trees as thick as a flour barrel stood in front of Grover's house (now Chas. Zeck), in front of Jolin Barry, a row in front of Dr. Taney's house; at different places in the town single trees stood, also locust trees as large; one in front of Mary Knox's house, Joseph Moritz and many others, showing locust was the second setting of shade trees. Around the ground of the Lutheran church were locust trees. Mul- berry came in about 1850. The town had trees almost from end to end of mulberry. One man said you can sit in the sun until the mulberry leaves come and you hunt the sun when the mulberry sheds its leaves; it was true. Later the Buckeye and the present poplar were planted. After
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the fire, F. Smith planted cherry trees along the lot now Henry Harner's. It was a feast for the children. A cherry tree stood in front of the lot where John Jackson lives, long ago. A large locust tree stood in front of Mrs. Blair's house long ago. The locusts were as long as bananas and fine eating, so the boys said, though very insipid. A few mulberry trees stood along the streets, that bore delicious fruit. How eagerly they were watched for fear they should become too ripe.
DEATHS AND BURIALS.
When a person died, the undertaker went to the house, if in town, and measured the dead for a coffin; if in the country, some person took a stick and measured the length and breadth, bringing the stick to the undertaker. Coffins were not kept on hand as now; then all were buried in the single coffin. It is within the memory of all persons over 60 years of age, when coffins were let down in the graves by ropes fastened inside the coffins; rough boxes are of re- cent date.
POLE RAISING.
During the political excitement of a presidential cam- paign, prior to 1860, it was customary for both political parties to raise a pole to the candidate. In front of Henry Hahn's hotel, where the bank stands, the Whigs raised the last pole. (the Whigs always used poplar, the Democrats hickory). This was the most symmetrical pole ever raised in the town. This same year the Democrats raised one, a fine one, in front of Devit's hotel, now E. L. Row's house. It was not left long standing after the elections. The great labor of cutting these sticks, hauling them to town, splicing and getting ready for pole raising day incurred great labor; that day some prominent speaker addressed the crowd. In 1844 the Whigs made a ball 10 to 12 feet in the Geo. Winter barn, to roll to a political meeting held at Frederick, which they did. It was a curiosity when made. Its the old saying, what compensation was there in it?
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Our campaign was the singing of songs written for the oc- casion: Our esteemed and venerable Lewis Zimmerman was the leader of the singing at that time. After the elec- tion, torch light processions; torches hung in wreaths across the street; firing of the old gudgeon; groaning the defeated as the procession passed their houses and cheering at the houses of the successful; burning of tar barrels, bands playing, drums beating. This gives the youth of today a crude idea of the past. One of the evils of these occasions, was the drunkenness of these affairs. Come take a drink, was the candidates salute, and the boys took it. Happy day when this style of politics went down. Blest conception to close the bar room on election day.
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