USA > Pennsylvania > Annals of Buffalo Valley, Pennsylvania, 1755-1855 > Part 41
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tinued to make speeches at public meetings, the burden of which was "corruption" and " My letter to the Columbia Observer." His action, in speaking, was vehement and ungraceful, his voice loud, and his accentuation false and ranting, such as school-boys are apt to acquire under the tuition of an injudicious teacher. His honesty and zeal no one doubted ; but designing demagogues con- trived, by dexterous management, to keep him back, as he was too straightforward for them, and if admitted to their councils, would mar the harmony of their best laid plans by denouncing their selfish- ness and unfair dealing. There was neither selfishness nor mean- ness about him, and had he condescended to cringe to the party leaders in 1828-1829, when his name was in the mouth of every one, or had he intimated that his influence might possibly be turned against Jackson, there is no donbt but that he could have obtained highest reward in the form of political preferment. Indeed, it was a matter of wonder and remark, among his unsophisticated constit- uents, that he remained without office. They little thought that their favorite was altogether thrust aside by the throng of hungry office-hunters, who assailed the President with their importunate cries for the spoils of victory. He was not blind to the intrigues . and foul play going on at the seat of Government, for on his way home once, he met an acquaintance whom he mistook for one of his own political caste, and to whom he said : " Adams and Clay were corrupt, but their corruption was child's play to what is going on at Washington now."-G. A. S.
Weather Record.
The spring was early; peach trees in bloom on the Ioth of April ; plum trees on the 18th ; flowers in the garden on the 16th ; rye in head on the 8th of May. July 13, the thermometer stood at ninety- six degrees. Many springs in the Valley gave out, and the pasture burned up. July 16, the crops in Union county were most extraor- dinary. It was generally acknowledged that the yield was one fourth more upon the same quantity of ground than ever has been raised before. Jonathan Spyker, of Lewisburg, cut twenty-three dozen of wheat off thirty-eight perches. October 4, a comet visible. December 4, the first snow fell.
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Various Items.
March 29, a dinner at Jacob Maize's, in Mifflinburg, to Honor- able George Kremer. The latter sold out his stock of store goods at Lewisburg to Samuel Roush, Esquire, who removed it to Mifflin- burg. William Taggert kept the hotel at the Cross-Roads ; Valen- tine Hahn and Roland Stoughton at Lewisburg ; John Hoffman, " The Rising Sun," at New Berlin; and Thomas Crotzer, " The Bull's Head," at Mifflinburg. May 18, George Kremer, James Merrill, and Ner Middleswarth, appointed delegates to the internal improvement convention, at Harrisburg. July 2, John Cummings, junior, took charge of the Union Times, succeeded on the Ist of October by John A. Sterrett, Esquire. The candidates on the Democratic ticket for Assembly were Ner Middleswarth and Wil- liam Forster, junior. On the Independent ticket, James Madden and J. Reifsnyder. For a convention, 1, 715; against, 717. Novem- ber I, Camp Calhoun held at McEwensville. The Lewisburg Guards, commanded by Captain Jackson McFaddin, numbering forty-five men, were in camp. David and James Templeton left ' New Berlin to establish a store at Canonsburg. James to study di- vinity there. David C. Ambler left Lewisburg. He finally landed in Florida, where he died in 1867 or 1868. November 10, Mr. Still- well commenced a survey of the turnpike, from Mifflinburg to Belle- fonte, at Mifflinburg. James Wilson purchased Captain William Gray's place.
In July, James Magee commenced boring for salt in West Buffalo, at the place still known as the salt works. A stock company was formed, Samuel Roush, Esquire, treasurer, and an assessment of one dollar per share of " The Union Salt Works" called in. The opera- tors humbugged the share-holders until their patience was exhausted. In December, according to the Times, " they had reached the depth of one hundred and fifty feet, striking on two veins of salt water of considerable magnitude. Should the anticipations be realized, Union county will, ere long, be able to supply its inhabitants and those of the neighboring counties with the indispensable article of salt." [A barrel of salt conveyed in the night to the well saturated it well enough to raise an assessment from the stockholders assembled the
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next day.] One good result, however, was a stream of cold sulphur water, which has refreshed and invigorated thousands of people.
"A man by the name of Ephraim Stephens, of White Deer town- ship, was brought to the jail of this county. One report says that he had formed the resolution of killing some part of his family, and then putting an end to his own existence, and that he loaded his gun for the purpose of putting this resolution in execution. Fortunately, one of his sons caught him, and wrested the gun from his hands; but in the struggle, the gun accidently went off, and its contents lodged in the barn, which was filled with grain and hay, and which was totally consumed."- Times.
July 22, James Young, of Kelly township, (near Ephraim Stean's, ) was found dead, his body in such a state of putrefaction, he was buried where he was found. He had gone to the mountain with some of his neighbors to cut cooper poles, and, complaining of being sick, started home and, no doubt, died from excessive heat. His neighbors searched for him all night and the succeeding day, before finding his body. "The German Reformed and Lutheran church, known as ' Emanuel Church,' at New Berlin, was dedicated on Sun- day, July 31, agreeably to the German ritual, in the presence of a vast concourse of people. The Reverend Mr. Hendel, of Berks county, officiated, assisted by Reverend Messrs. Shindel, Smith, and Fries. The concourse of people was numerous, beyond all conception. The building is a handsome piece of architecture. Christopher Seebold, Esquire, was the contractor, and deserves much credit for the superb manner in which this building is finished, particularly the pulpit, which is said to be a correct model of the one in the German Re- formed church at Harrisburg, and which has been pronounced to be inferior to none in the State. On the subsequent Sunday, dedica- tory services were held in the English language, by Reverend Martin Bruner, of Sunbury, assisted by Reverend Thomas Hood."-Times.
Peculiarities of the Bar, from the Manuscript of the late James F. Linn, Esquire.
" I do think, and I do say, gentlemen of the jury."-Lashells. "According to the perpendicular line of justice."-Bellas.
31
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" It is not in the power of mortal man to have a particle of doubt about it."_Greenough.
" But this is of no earthly consequence, if the Court please."- S. Hepburn.
" Under the statoot of hoo and cry."-Bancraft.
" The gentle, humane, and mild spirit which is diffused through the penal code of Pennsylvania."-William Cox Ellis.
" Humph ! the gentlemen are marvelous witty."-R. C. Grier.
" Yes, stop-well, let us see-stop there-come, let us have it down in writing."-Frick.
" There is no evidence in the wide world to support it."_Van Horn.
" It is no such matter."-Donnel.
"'I fancy."-Jordan.
" Hum ! the big man gets up, and the little man gets up, and they try to carry their cause by a kind of mechanical operation."- Marr.
" The creditors of the time of this transaction had no existence."_ H. D. Ellis.
Showman at New Berlin again.
The evil star of last year's showman brought him to New Berlin again. The place seemed charged to the full with ill-luck for him. My young friend, B-, having ascertained that he was to perform in a room on the ground-floor of Grier's tavern, went to a window of the room, soon after the performance commenced, and having silently raised the sash about one inch, introduced the nose of a large syringe filled with a most abominable compound of filth. He had not waited long before the performer, standing upon the rope, presented a full front, within point blank distance; then the fra- grant liquid was squirted over his magnificent person. Grier, who sat, in the capacity of fiddler, in a line with the discharge, had his hair perfumed by the falling of divers odoriferous drops from the hissing current. Down leaped the rope-dancer, and up leaped Grier ; the former ran out to plunge his head and body into a rain- barrel; the latter, foaming with wrath, to wreak his vengeance on the offender, whom, however, he could not find. The showman
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swore he never would set foot in New Berlin again, and he kept his oath.
A very remarkable meteor appeared during this summer. I was standing in the prothonotary's office in New Berlin, when I heard, as I imagined, some one fall heavily upon the floor of the room above me. Knowing that the room was unoccupied, I had the curiosity to go and look in, but found no one there. On my return to my house, I mentioned the matter to my wife, who said she had heard a simi- lar sound, and I soon discovered that all my neighbors had been deceived in a similar manner. Those who were in the open air when they heard the sound, said the ground trembled under their feet, and horses were observed to start and crouch as when a bridge cracks under their feet. It appeared afterwards that the explosion had accompanied the appearance of a meteor, and had been heard at Bellefonte and Lewistown, on the Juniata, and at Sunbury and Liverpool, on the Susquehanna. The flight of the fiery ball was dis- tinctly seen by the workmen on the Juniata, and at Liverpool. I was told a fiery body was seen to fall apparently on the north side of Peter's mountain.
Temperance associations began to be formed in the Valley in this year. Those connected therewith bound themselves to use no intox- icating liquor, except in such cases as required their use as medicines, and to discontinue the custom of offering strong drink to visitors. The latter practice had been so common that to omit it was con- sidered a breach of politeness. Every one knows with what a whirl- wind force public opinion in America, when once excited, bears down everything before it, and here was an illustration of its power.
After three or four years, it became rare to offer liquors to visitors, and common to hear a person refuse to drink, on the ground that he was a temperance man. A respectable inn-keeper in Sunbury told me, about three years after this, that the sale of liquor at his bar, to travelers, had been diminished by not less than one half, under the influence of the temperance societies. The first temper- ance societies allowed the use of wines, on the ground that those who limited themselves to these would not get drunk on so expens- ive an article.
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Witchcraft Farce.
During this year a remarkable farce of witchcraft was played in the family of a man named Kern, in Beaver township. He had a wife and two daughters, and followed the occupation of farming. In his immediate vicinity lived a man named Romig, who, from some unknown cause, became a hypochondriac, and the impression got abroad that he was bewitched. Soon after this the milk in Kern's spring-house became sour, within a few hours after it was placed there. This occurred daily, until the farce was concluded, which was in two or three weeks. The next act played was of a more remark- able character. Kern's tables and kitchen furniture were to be seen flying in all directions, thrown, it was SUPPOSED, by supernatural means. Knives, forks, spoons, ladles, &c., never remained more than five minutes on the dresser, after having been placed there, but were thrown in various directions about the house ; and, as the more BELIEVING portion of the neighbors asserted, it was no uncommon thing to see them thrown through the solid wall of the house, with- out leaving any mark of their passage in the wall ! A peddler, who stopped for the purpose of trading some of his notions to Kern, as- serted that he had not been in the house ten minutes before his hat and dog were thrown through the wall of the kitchen, into the adjoin- ing yard. It is not to be presumed that he was influenced in propa- gating this story by the hope of assembling a crowd around his wagon.
During these transactions, Kern had a numerous crowd daily at his house, and on Sundays there was a gathering at his door, such as the most eloquent divine would have failed to assemble. Of these, the major part came prepared to believe ALL they saw, and ALL they might hear. Of course, there was no lack of TRUE stories. The un- believing portion of the visitors-a very SMALL number, for men of SENSE generally staid at home-kept their eyes open, and readily discovered that the old woman and the daughters were the witches, and threw the knives, forks, &c. A witch doctor was called, who proceeded, with great solemnity, to expel the evil spirit. Divers magical and mysterious rites were performed, exorcisms were chanted, and texts of Scripture nailed to every door and window in the house. The witches, however, set the doctor at naught, and baffled all his schemes. At length a party of young men, residing in New Berlin,
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resolved to try their skill at taking evil spirits. One of them, having procured a mask, a huge flaxen-wig, a pair of furred gloves, and other necessary apparatus, set out with the rest, in the afternoon, and arrived at Kern's early in the evening. At their request, the witches performed, to their great satisfaction, until a late hour. At length, when all the visitors, except the young witch doctors, had left the house, it was resolved to commence operations. They desired to see how the witches acted above stairs, and were accordingly con- ducted up the ladder, accompanied by the whole family. In the meantime, one of the party, who had a remarkably hoarse and deep- toned voice, and who was to act the part of the devil, was notified by a preconcerted signal-for he had not entered the house-to pre- pare for action. He accordingly put on his wig and mask, which he rubbed with phosphorus, and wrapped himself in a buffalo-skin. The party up stairs were well provided with squibs. One of them had a piece of phosphorus, with which he wrote on the wall such words as " devil," " hell," &c., in a number of places. The sig- nal being given, the candle was extinguished, the squibs distributed most copiously, and the horrid words on the wall shone out in liquid fire. The barrels and furniture in the room were trundled about the floor, and an astounding uproar was kept up for some minutes. Pres- ently a terrific roar was heard from below. All parties ran to the stair-door, and saw, at the foot of the ladder, HIS GRIM MAJESTY, in all the terrors of flames, flax, fur, and horns. Satan made an appro- priate speech on the occasion, and then retired. His address was followed by a most edifying exhortation, by the wag of the party, on the sin of deceiving, and the danger of another visit from old Nick, if the present practices should be persisted in. The terrified witches made a full confession, and so ended the enchantment .- G. A. Snyder.
Marriages.
January 18, by Reverend J. W. Smith, Hezekiah Amberg, of New Berlin, to Miss Elizabeth Brooks. February Io, by Reverend T. Hood, David Nesbit to Miss Mary, daughter of Jacob Musser. February 24, by Reverend Patterson, Thomas Candor, of Kelly. to Margaret, daughter of John Montgomery. March 15, James Dun- can, of Aaronsburg, to Mrs. Sophia Maxwell, of New Berlin. April
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7, by Reverend Fries, John Orwig, of Mifflinburg, to Miss Maria Bright. April 28, by Reverend T. Hood, John Linn to Mary F. Chamberlin. May 5, by Reverend Heim, Daniel Ludwig to Miss Sarah Hoffman. May 6, by Reverend John Dreisbach, Robert P. Maclay, of East Buffalo, to Miss Margaret C. Lashells, of New Ber- lin. May 20, Henry B. Mussena to Miss Elizabeth Winter, of New Berlin. June 5, by Reverend Fries, Mathias Benner to Elizabeth Overmyer, of New Berlin. October 6, by Reverend Fries, Daniel Apple to Miss Susan Orwig, of Mifflinburg. October 9, John Maize to Miss Elizabeth Jones, of Mifflinburg. October 13, Mr. Straw- bridge, of Columbia county, to Miss Louisa, daughter of Charles Maus, Esquire. November 2, by Reverend Heim, Jonathan Wetzel to Miss Hettie Hoff, of Union. November 3, by Reverend J. H. Fries, Jacob G. Chestney, of Mifflinburg. to Juliana, daughter of John Cummings, Esquire, of Hartley. November 3, by James Mc- Clellan, Esquire, Daniel Mook to Miss Mary Dieffenbach. Novem- ber 20, David Mauck to Miss Nancy Shriner. December 22, by Reverend Stewart, William Kelly, of Union, to Miss Margaret Alli- son, of Centre. December 26, John Row to Miss Rachel Kunkle, of Dry Valley.
1826.
LOTTERY ADVERTISEMENTS-FOURTH OF JULY CELEBRATION-MURDER OF JACOB SWINEFORD-WEATHER RECORD-BISHOP NEWCOMER'S DEATH- POLITICAL-OBITUARY.
ANUARY 7, prices current in Philadelphia : Wheat, ninety cents ; rye, fifty-eight; corn, sixty-two; whisky, twenty-six. Samuel Baum, postmaster at New Berlin, in April; Alexander Graham, at Lewisburg; Jacob Maize, at Mifflinburg. February 13, the coldest day of the year. The Democratic-Republican convention met at New Berlin. Robert Taylor, president ; John Bossler, secretary ; William Forster and Henry C. Eyer were appointed delegates to the State convention, with instructions to support the re-nomination of Governor Shulze. Feb- ruary 18, Judge Seth Chapman, who was impeached for misdemeanors in office, was acquitted by the Senate, twenty-six Senators voting not guilty, five voting guilty. March 13, James F. Linn admitted to the bar. April Io, the turnpike company incorporated to make a road from the end of the Lewisburg bridge to Mifflinburg. Com- missioners, William Hayes, James Geddes, Jacob Maize, Henry Roush, and James Duncan.
Lottery advertisements fill the county papers this year. John A. Sterrett was agent for the Union Canal lottery, at New Berlin, and James Appleton, at Mifflinburg. New Berlin lottery, by Peter Smith. In Mifflinburg, one by John and Henry Orwig ; James Cummings, Samuel Roush, John Ray, James Appleton, George Bogar, and Conrad Grove, managers. William Wolfinger advertises the Selins- grove lottery. Andrew Reedy, one at William Taggert's, Buffalo
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Cross-Roads. Two prizes of $3,000, one of $2,000. Severe drouth which continued until the 23d of June, when it rained so excessively as to spoil much hay.1 28th, a great freshet on the river. The old market house, on Market street, in Lewisburg, taken down. 4th of July celebrated at New Berlin. Reverend J. H. Fries delivered a discourse from Psalm lxxxv : 10 and 1I verses ; Charles A. Brad- ford, Esquire, an oration. The singing was under the direction of Mr. Hickok. After which the company repaired to Gross' spring, where Mr. Eilert had prepared a dinner. Abbot Green was then made chairman, George A. Snyder, secretary, and a number of toasts were read.
Murder of Jacob Swineford.
Jacob Swineford, Esquire. of Middleburg, in this county, was murdered on the night of the 4th of July, in Lebanon. The facts, as far as we can learn from a German paper published in that place, are as follows : Swineford and his son had been, for some days pre- vious to the 4th, in the vicinity of Lebanon, with a drove of sheep, consisting of about three hundred and eighty, which he had disposed of, except about fifty, with which he arrived in Lebanon on the morning of the 4th, where he spent the day. In the evening he met with a Mr. Greenawalt, an old acquaintance, at the tavern of a Mr. Williams, where they drank together, after which Swineford asked Greenawalt to walk with him. They went, and when they came to an alley in Hill street, they were suddenly attacked by three men, by one of whom Greenawalt was knocked down twice, but succeeded in making a retreat, calling to Swineford to run also. Immediately afterwards, some boys, while passing, discovered some one lying on the ground. Light was immediately brought, and it was found to be Swineford, who was then in the agonies of death, and expired immediately afterwards. He had received two blows on his head, which occasioned his death. The deceased is supposed
' At this time a farmer in West Buffalo made several attempts to hanl in his hay, only to be disappointed by andden showers. Finally he had a load within a short distance of his barn, when a terrible storm came on. In his wrath, he swore he would have some hay in dry at any rate, and grabbing from the wagon as much as he could carry In his arms, he ran for the barn, Unfortunately for him, the creek intervened, and as he was running with all his might, his foot slipped at the middle of the foot log. and he plunged, with his hay, into the stream,
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to have had between $400 and $500, in a large pocket-book. which was missing. About $80 in a small pocket-book was found about his person. Two men were arrested on suspicion of having com- mitted the crime, but were afterwards discharged. The deceased has left a wife and six children to mourn his untimely end .- Times, July 14.
In August it became very sultry, with no rain. Dust followed the plow, and a great deal of sickness prevailed in the Valley. In Sep- tember, fever and ague prevailed extensively. In December, there was a great deal of snow and good sleighing, and the river was fro- zen, and crossed by sleds. The first snow fell on the 4th of Novem- ber.
September 28, Bishop Newcomer visited the Valley for the last time, on his return from a trip into Canada, staying at Martin and John Dreisbach's. He died at his own home, in Hagerstown, on 12th March, 1830, aged eighty-one. " Long will he be remembered by thousands. Many, very many, souls will, at the great day, own him as the instrument, in the hand of God, by which they have been turned from the error of their ways, and have been brought from darkness to light."
Utica for girl's name having become quite common, it is, perhaps, proper to state its origin. In this year, Captain John Snyder went on a visit to New York, taking with his newly-married wife, Margaret. Having a race-horse with him, he was lucky enough to win a match at Utica, in memory of which he named his daughter, born within the year, Utica, and the name, through mere fancy or personal liking, became quite the rage.
Political.
September, Democratic convention at New Berlin, Michael Rath- fon, chairman ; Samuel Aurand, secretary. William Forster, junior, and George Aurand nominated for Assembly; Elias P. Youngman for commissioner ; Andrew McClenachan and William Kessler, sen- atorial conferees, with instructions to support Ner Middleswarth for Senator, and indorsed the nomination of Governor Shulze.
At a county meeting, held on the 20th, Frederick Gutelius, chair- man, Dan Caldwell and John Montelius, secretaries, John Ray was
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nominated for Senator ; James Madden and Robert Willet for As- sembly : John Montelius, commissioner ; Conrad Grove, James K. Davis, and Simon Shaffer, standing committee.
The congressional conference met at the house of William A. Pet- riken, in Pennsborough. Henry Yearick and Jacob Hummel, con- ferees. George Kremer, Samuel McKean, and Espy Van Horn nominated for Congress.
25th September, a senatorial conference met at Randall Wilcox's, in Lewisburg, and John Ray was nominated as a canal man.
Governor Shulze had no opposition in the county, receiving 1062 votes, nor had Van Horn, Mckean, and Kremer. For Senate, John Ray received 929 votes ; Middleswarth, 785.
Marriages.
2d February, by Reverend T. Hood, John Chamberlin to Eliza- beth, daughter of William Hayes, of Lewisburg. 21st February, James Caldwell, of Lewisburg, to Isabella, daughter of James Dun- can, of Centre county. 11th April, Jonathan Reedy to Miss Amelia Buchner. July 20, by Reverend T. Hood, James F. Linn, Esquire, of Lewisburg, to Miss Margaret, daughter of Hugh Wilson, of Buf- falo township. 17th August, by Reverend T. Hood, Thomas Grier to Mrs. Rachel Stratton, of New Berlin. In New York, by Reverend Doctor Roberts, John Snyder to Miss Margaret Hammond. 31st October, John Devling to Mary Wilson, daughter of Judge Hugh Wilson. 19th October, by Reverend T. Hood, James Merrill, Esquire, of New Berlin, to Miss Sarah Hepburn, of Northumberland. 22d October, by Reverend J. H. Fries, Jesse Mauck, of New Berlin, to Miss Catherine Crotzer, of Mifflinburg. November 14, by John Nesbit, Esquire, William Alsbach to Catherine Shively. December 26, by Reverend John Dreisbach, John Yost, of New Berlin, to Miss Sarah Shaffer, of Buffalo.
Obituary.
Samuel Templeton died at his residence, near New Berlin, on Sat- urday, February 18, aged seventy-two. He was born in Ireland, and came to this country at the age of nineteen, and has since then resided in this neighborhood. He has been for many years an elder
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