USA > Pennsylvania > Annals of Buffalo Valley, Pennsylvania, 1755-1855 > Part 45
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To the Electors of the District composed of the counties of Union, Juniata, and Mifflin :1
FELLOW-CITIZENS : I have been in a deplorable situation for eight or ten days past. I was elected your representative. As such, I am
1 This communication was published as an extra of the Union Times. Wednesday, December, 19, and gives Mr. Montelius' reasons for withdrawing from his party organization at that interesting epoch in Pennsylvania political history, known as the " Bnekshot War," causing a collapse of Thaddeus Stevens' " Rump Legisla- ture," as it was called. Mr. Montelius was commissioned associate judge of Union county, February 27, 1845, by Governor Shunk, and died at Milllinburg, March 31, 1864, aged eighty years two months and twenty-three days.
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bound faithfully to discharge my duty to you, to myself, to God, and my country. You are already informed that there were two Speakers elected. on the 4th instant, in the House of Representatives. With the information I had, and the advice of the friends in whom I confided, I was induced to act here with the party who profess the same principles with those of my constituents who nominated and elected me. But full information, cool and deliberate reflection, and warnings of my conscience, have convinced me that my party friends here have mistaken their course, and that, as a faithful rep- resentative, and an honest man, I was bound to retrace my steps, do what I conscientiously believed to be right, and trust to the im- partiality of your judgment, upon a full and fair examination of all the facts. Finding my political friends had done wrong, according to my judgment, I withdrew from them immediately, and have waited for several days to give them time to retrace their steps, and to allow all concerned to arrange, peaceably and justly, the unhappy difference that had arisen ; but finding this has not been accom- plished, I have nothing left for me but to do that which I believe to be right, and leave to those who would destroy our beloved State the consequence of their rashness. Do not think I have acted rashly. The step I have taken was taken deliberately and coolly, and in obedience to my understanding of the constitution and laws of our dear country. I am for peace. " Es wird meiner seele bange zu wohnen bey denen die den frieden hassen." And I hope the course I have taken may help to save our beloved Pennsylvania from blood- shed and the horrors of civil war. The great question is whether the majority shall rule, and upon this question I know you all think with me. Now, all I have done has been done with an honest desire to carry out this great principle in our free government, that the minority must yield to the majority. And I am certain not one of you, however strong a party man he may be, will blame me for maintaining this principle. My constituents, particularly in Union county, all know me, and I beg of them all, before they condemn me, fully and coolly to examine the facts. I have not, in this in- stance, acted as a party man, but I have acted honestly, and accord- ing to my conscience.
In joining with my party friends in organizing the House of Rep- resentatives, with the eight Philadelphia county members of the
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Whig party, I thought these had been elected by the majority of the votes of the county, and had been returned by a majority of the judges, but I soon found that this was not true, and that the eight members of the opposition party in the county of Philadelphia, had been elected by a majority of about five hundred votes in the whole county, and had been returned elected by a majority of the judges.
I am sorry to say that the Secretary of the State kept back these returns, which I think was wrong. Under these circumstances, I could not continue to act with men who had no right to their seats, no more than my opponent had to mine. You would not, as honest men, ask me to sanction so bad a principle, and it is that I know your honesty that I have joined those who have been fairly elected by the majority. My party opinions and principles have not changed, and my future course will show that I am true to those principles. On your calm judgment I rely. What I have done has been done for what I believe to be your interest, and is approved by my conscience.
I remain your friend,
JOHN MONTELIUS.
HALL OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, December 17, 1838.
On the 17th of December, Messrs. Butler and Sturdevant, of Luzerne, and Mr. Montelius, of Union, appeared in the House, over which Mr. Hopkins was presiding, and, after some remarks by Mr. Butler, explanatory of their course, were duly sworn as mem- bers, thus ending the contest.
1839.
AURAND'S HOTEL BURNED-POLITICS-OBITUARY NOTICE OF REVEREND J. HI. FRIES.
ANUARY 15, David R. Porter proclaimed Governor. February 19, Samuel Aurand's hotel, at New Berlin, burned. It was court week, and the house full of law- yers, jurors, suitors, and witnesses. Some made narrow escapes, with the loss of their clothing, as the fire broke out in the night, when all were abed. April 5, John Egbert's stable, at Lewis- burg, burned, with his horse and cow. This was followed by the burning of Alexander Graham's and a number of others, caused by incendiaries.
The Times, August 21, publishes the following as the " Demo- cratic-Republican Anti-Bank ticket : Assembly, Doctor Isaac Hot- tenstine ; Prothonotary, Samuel Roush; Register and Recorder, Robert Forster ; Commissioner, George A. Snyder; Auditor, Jacob Wittenmyer; Trustees of the Mifflinburg Academy, Colonel Samuel Barber, John Hilbish, and Charles Pellman ; and the following as the " Abolition United States Bank ticket : " Assembly, John A. Vanvalzah; Prothonotary, Jacob H. Horning ; Register and Re- corder, John Glover; Commissioner, Henry Hilbish ; Auditor, Samuel Pawling ; Trustees, Samuel B. Barber, James Simington, and David Watson. Anti-Masonic candidate for Register and Recorder, David Schwenck. At the October election, Vanvalzah's vote was 1,577. Average majority of his colleagues on the ticket in Union county, 277.
In October, the banks in Philadelphia and Baltimore suspended
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specie payment, and the Northumberland bank was compelled to follow. The directors of the latter bank, John Walls, Alexander Jordan, John Taggert, &c., however, published a card, in which they pledged their individual responsibility that all its issues should ultimately be made good.
October 3, grew on the farm of Samuel Zellers, in East Buffalo township, two pumpkins on one vine, one measuring two feet three inches in diameter, and two feet five inches in length, and weighs one hundred and twenty pounds; the other measures six feet eleven inches in circumference, and weighs one hundred and seventeen pounds.
November 19, Absalom Swineford, Esquire, admitted to the bar. On the 8th of December, the new Lutheran and Reformed church, at the place of the old Dreisbach church, in Buffalo township, was dedicated. The building committee were John Sheckler, Samuel Reber, Peter Engel, and Jacob Ritter.
Obituary.
Just Henry Fries died on Wednesday evening, the 9th of Octo- ber, aged sixty-two years five months and sixteen days. For some years before his death, he was deprived of his sight, but his astonish- ing memory enabled him to give out the hymns in full, and preach with a precision for which he was always noted. He refused to take medicine in his last illness, saying he wished to die in the full pos- session of his senses. His disease was of a very singular character. In July he cut a corn on his toe, mortification took place, spreading gradually, with intense pain, to his knee. Here it remained seated in his knee, the pain having nearly ceased, when suddenly it com- menced spreading, and affected his whole body. He is buried in the Mifflinburg grave-yard. The grave-yard lies along a slope, somewhat elevated above the town, which lies immediately in front ; beyond it, west and east, extends one of the finest valleys in Penn- sylvania. To the west, in the distance, are the jutting knobs ; and to the north, the broad, blue side of the mountains, with quiet nooks between ; and as far as the eye can reach, in the north-east, are the breaks in the mountains, with the broad levels between, which indicate the course of the noble Susquehanna. Thus does
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his quiet grave still overlook the wide scene of his labors, while he has gone to await the final issues of his care, as they shall gather around him in the resurrection of the just.
Mr. Fries was remarkably open, honest, and true. His word could be depended upon. He hated all sham and hypocrisy to such a degree that he was constantly in danger of falling into a blunt frankness, without giving due attention to that suavity of manner, which is to an open heart what the fragrance is to an open flower. He was fearless in preaching.1
He was unnecessarily open and free with his political views. He not only argued readily on this subject in private circles, but often introduced political matters, with more or less plainness, into the pulpit, referring even to candidates and parties. He also wrote numerous articles for the papers during the heat of contests, anony- mously, it is true, yet still so that their parentage was recognized by many. This was one of his weaknesses, which his friends always regretted, but which he was never able to see in its true light. He was very kind hearted, which he manifested in great affection towards his family and in kindnesses to his friends. His labors in the min- istry were very extensive, and the complete statistics of his services show an astonishing result, &c .- Harbaugh's Fathers.
He was twice married, first to Catherine Groff, by whom he had two children : second, to Susanna Groff, by whom he had eleven. Judge Henry W. Fries, late of Lewisburg, now of Iowa, is his son.
1 I have often heard quoted a remark he made in a sermon in Brush Valley : "Money rules the world, but ignorance rules Brush valley."-Linn.
1840.
WEATHER RECORD-STATE ROAD FROM HEBERLING'S TO ELK CREEK, CEN- TRE COUNTY, LOCATED-CENSUS OF 1840.
ANUARY -, the deep snows of this winter, followed by intensely cold weather, drove the wolves down from Shade and Jack's mountain. A pack of thirteen attacked and destroyed an ox near Beavertown. Friday, January 16, was called the "cold Friday," thermometer being seventeen degrees below zero. On the Ioth of February the ice broke in the river, and passed off, and on the 4th of December the first snow of the succeeding winter fell.
The following is the result of the elections held on the 5th March, in the borough and township, for and against the common school :
Borough of New Berlin.
For the school, . 64
Against the school, 3I
Majority in favor of the school, . 33
-
Union Township.
Against the school, ยท
154
For the school, . I2
Majority against the school, I 42
May 26, the commissioners, Anthony Wolfe, of Centre county, Henry Noll, of Union, and Jacob Stitzel of Northumberland, com-
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menced locating the State road from Heberling's mill, in West Buffalo township, to Elk creek, in Miles township, Centre county, through the Brush Valley narrows. James F. Linn was the surveyor, David Wolfe and Henry Peters, chain carriers, and Colonel Samuel Reber, axeman. July 4, a monument to the memory of Captain Samuel M. Patterson was erected in the Presbyterian grave-yard at Lewisburg, with appropriate ceremonies, by the " Union Hornets." On the 19th of October, Reverend Thomas P. Hunt commenced a his series of temperance lectures, at Lewisburg, which gave a very remarkable impetus to the cause through Buffalo valley. On the 29th, Reverend Hugh Pollock, from Belfast, Ireland, arrived and took charge of the Lewisburg academy, made vacant by the removal of James McClune to Mifflinburg.
United States Pensioners Residing in Union County in 1840.
Centre, Conrad Swartzlander, aged 85. Union, George Miller, 81 ; Jacob Bickel, 85 ; John Derr, 86. Mifflinburg, Peter Lenhart, 85 ; John Linn, 84. West Buffalo, Robert Barber, 89. East Buf- falo, Jacob Mook, 86 ; Adam Schout, 86. White Deer, Joseph Bit- ting, 83. Hartley, Peter Klingaman, 85.
Census of 1840.
Mifflinburg,
704 Penn's, . 2,280
Kelly,
788 Middle Creek, 562
Buffalo, .
1,348
Chapman,
1,297
White Deer,
1,252
Perry,
1,254
Hartley,
1,866
Union,
1,630
Centre, .
1,891
Washington, 1,135
New Berlin,
679
Beaver, .
2,609
Lewisburg, .
1,220
West Buffalo,
1,460
Total,
22,787
East Buffalo,
812
Samuel Roush, Esquire, was the deputy marshal, who took the census of the south side of the county. Captain John Forster, dep- uty marshal for the north side.
1841 to 1855.
DEATH OF JAMES MERRILL, ESQUIRE-DEVELOPMENT OF IRON ORE IN THE VALLEY-NEWSPAPERS-POLITICS-DANVILLE ENCAMPMENT-NOTICE OF WILLIAM HAYES-MILLERISM-CAMP POTTER-LIBERTY PARTY FORMED -FURNACES BUILT-DEATH OF WILLIAM L. HARRIS-DAGUERREOTYPES INTRODUCED-RAILROAD MEETING-ACCIDENT AT TURTLE CREEK-LIST OF VALLEY SOLDIERS IN THE MEXICAN WAR-VOTE ON LICENSE-DEATH OF JOHN LASHELLS, ESQUIRE, AND GENERAL R. H. HAMMOND-LEWISBURG UNIVERSITY CHARTERED-HIGHI'S MILL BURNED-THE LAST BATTALION- TAXABLES AND VALUATION-CENSUS OF 1850-SUSQUEHANNA RAILROAD COMMENCED-FIRST COMMENCEMENT AT LEWISBURG-RAILROAD EXCITE- MENT-UNION COUNTY AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY FORMED-LEWISBURG, CENTRE, AND SPRUCE CREEK RAILROAD COMPANY CHARTERED -- GREAT FIRE AT LEWISBURG-DEATH OF HONORABLE GEORGE KREMER-UNION FUR- NACE AT WINFIELD ERECTED-ERECTION OF SNYDER COUNTY-VOTE IN FAVOR OF DIVISION-VOTE ON THE LOCATION OF THE COUNTY SEAT.
[1841.] In the spring, J. & M. Halfpenny started the Laurel woolen factory, at the mouth of Laurel run, in Hartley township. They built the Winfield woolen factory, near Laurelton, and removed thither in 1851. The Presbyterian church, at New Berlin, was or- ganized. Elders, John Lashells, James Merrill, and Joseph Stillwell. Mr. Hugh Pollock published his pamphlet, entitled "The Present State of America compared with England and Ireland." April 12, the People's Advocate, at Lewisburg, suspended publication. Septem- ber 4, S. K. Sweetman and D. O. E. Maize commenced the publica- tion of the Independent Press at Lewisburg. In October, the vote for Governor, in Union county, was : For David R. Porter, 1,568 ; for John Banks, 2, 132. October 29, James Merrill, Esquire, died at New Berlin, after a lingering illness, from cancer of the face. He was born at Peacham, Vermont, May 8, 1790. Eldest son of Jesse and Priscilla (Kimbell) Merrill. Graduated at Dartmouth College in
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1812, in the same class with Honorable John Blanchard, and came with him to Pennsylvania. He studied law with David Cassat, Esquire, at York, and settled in New Berlin in 1816. As a jurist, he soon became prominent in every department of legal science. He was always upright and candid in all his professional intercourse, and was a faithful and efficient advocate. He was a member of the Con- stitutional Convention of 1837-1838. In the fall, the iron ore below the mouth of Turtle creek was found to be of a superior quality, and its development was commenced by Napoleon Hughes, of Franklin county, a short distance above the site of the present furnace of Beaver, Marsh & Co., a few hundred yards from the river bank. On the 25th of December, Nathan Mitchell and James S. Marsh com- menced the manufacture of the " Hathaway Cooking Stove," at the Lewisburg foundry. Current prices of grain at Lewisburg, Septem- ber 18: Wheat, $1.20; rye, 50 cents ; corn, 56 cents ; oats, 33 cents; butter, 10 cents.
[1842.] Current prices at Lewisburg, June 11, wheat, $1.00. August 20, wheat, So cents. The military spirit of the Valley may be inferred from the number of volunteer companies : Lafayette Troop, Union Troop, Patriotic Blues, Union Rifle Rangers, Mifflinburg Greens, and the Lewisburg Infantry. The Union Times, at New Berlin, was published by Jacob Reichly & Co., John M. Baum, editor. The Independent Press, at Lewisburg, by S. K. Sweetman and J. F. Busch. February 10, twelve, P. M., distillery of R. M. Musser, in Kelly township, burned down. March 2, the Northern temperance convention met in the Methodist church at Lewisburg. March 14, Elder William Lane commenced his labors at Lewisburg. March 21, Jonas Kelchner, editor of the People's Advocate, at Lewisburg, died, aged thirty-five. June 1, the encampment at Danville was held. General Winfield Scott was the distinguished guest. Lewisburg In- fantry, Captain McFadden, and the Union Troop, Captain Vanval- zah, were in attendance. June 6, the election for field officers of the forty-third regiment resulted as follows : Colonel, Levi B. Christ ; Lieutenant Colonel, Jacob Ritter ; Major, Robert B. Green. Inde- pendent Battalion-Lieutenant Colonel, S. H. Laird ; Major, S. F. Lyndall. July 4, General Abbot Green was elected major general of the eighth division.
Union County Democratic Standing Committee-James Dale, Hon-
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orable George Schnable, Jacob Reichly, Honorable John Baskins, Thomas Bower, Colonel Samuel Reber, Captain John Forster, Major George Roush, Major John Gundy, Valentine Haas, Esquire. Dem- ocratic convention at New Berlin, August 29, was composed of the following delegates : New Berlin, Samuel Wilson and Sem Schoch ; Union, Adam Miller and Jacob Wetzel ; West Buffalo, Elias Kleck- ner and William Forster; Mifflinburg, J. G. Chestney and Joseph Eilert ; Buffalo, Jacob Ritter and Martin Dreisbach ; Kelly, David Kelly and David Howard; East Buffalo, James Reber and David Herbst ; Lewisburg, John Walls and C. D. Kline ; White Deer, Sam- uel Henderson and J. W. Drum; Hartley, Henry Charles and Charles D. Smith. Henry C. Eyer was nominated for Senator, and Samuel Reber for Assembly. Samuel Wilson, president ; Thomas Bower, secretary. The Whig convention also met in August, and nominated the following ticket : Congress, William L. Harris; Sen- ate, Ner Middleswarth ; Assembly, John A. Vanvalzah; Register and Recorder, Michael H. Weaver ; Commissioner. Solomon Engel ; Auditor, S. H. Laird; Trustees, Robert Chambers, William A. Pi- per, Charles Montelius. This ticket is called, in the choice language of the Union Times, The Anti-Masonic, Anti-Suffrage, Peg Beatty, Blue Light, Federal Whig ticket of Union county. Vote in October : For John A. Vanvalzah, for Assembly, 1,562 ; for Samuel Reber, 1,405.
October 29, the church at Laurel run, in Hartley township, dedi- cated. December term, George W. Graham, Esquire, admitted to the bar. December 13, Reverend S. H. Reed installed pastor of the German Reformed church at Lewisburg. December 23, New Berlin Artillerists organized by Colonel Jackson McFadden, brigade inspector. Officers : Captain, J. J. Maclay ; first lieutenant, Mi- chael Kleckner; second lieutenant, Charles D. Roush, and the event celebrated by a dinner at Michael Kleckner's hotel.
[1843.] In January, Honorable John Baskins resigned the office of associate judge of Union county, preparatory to moving to Mer- cer county, and on the 24th, B. F. Baskins was admitted to the bar. February 17, William Hayes, merchant of Lewisburg, died, aged sixty-one. His ancestors, John Hayes and Jane, his wife, with four children, emigrated from Londonderry about the year 1730-settled in Chester county, where his house burned. He then moved to
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Northampton county, where he kept public house and store. During the Indian troubles, he used to beat a drum on the hill-top, near his house, to warn the settlers of approaching danger. He died in 1 788, aged eighty-three. His widow died at Derry, Northumber- land county, aged ninety-four, in 1806. Of the four children born in Ireland : 1, William, moved to the State of Virginia at an early period ; 2, Isabella, married to Patton, whose descendants live near Bellefonte ; 3, John, died near Meadville, Pennsylvania ; 4, Mary, married a Gray, afterwards a Steele. Of those born in Pennsylva- nia : 5, Elizabeth, married Thomas Wilson, (grandfather of Francis Wilson, of Buffalo ;) 6, James ;1 7, Robert, born in Northampton county, in 1742; 8, Francis, who moved to Tennessee ; 9, Jane, married a Brown, settled first in Virginia and afterwards moved back to Pennsylvania. Robert married Mary Allison, and moved to Northumberland county in 1790. He lived nine years on a farm near Warrior Run church, seven years at Derry, and in 1806 moved to the farm in Delaware township, where his son Joseph lately lived. He was a school-master, and at that time there were seven or eight acres of the place cleared and two indifferent huts on the premises, which he used as a dwelling and school-house. He died in 1819, and his children were : 1, John, whose descendants live at Water- ford, Erie county, Pennsylvania; 2, Jane, married to Moses Laird, (father of Robert H. Laird, Esquire, of Lewisburg;) 3, William Hayes, born in 1776; 4, James Hayes; 5, Joseph Hayes, who was living a few years since, at the age of ninety ; 6, Mary Walker, who died at eighty-four years of age ; 7, Sarah Shipman, descendants re- siding in Michigan; 8, Elizabeth, married her cousin Brown, living near Franklin, Pennsylvania. William Hayes' wife was Mary, daughter of William Wilson, of White Deer, now Kelly township. Children : Robert and Thomas of Philadelphia, Mrs. Doctor Seiler of Harrisburg, Mrs. John Chamberlin, Mrs. Doctor Thomas Mur- ray, James Hayes, late of the Auditor General's office, at Harris- burg, Doctor William Hayes of Muncy. Mr. Hayes was the second postmaster of Lewisburg, and held the office a long time, in con-
1 Lieutenant James Hayes served under Colonel Bouquet in the French and In- dian war, and received for his services a tract of land at the mouth of Beech creek, in Clinton county, on which he settled, raised a large family, and died. He is buried in the Hayes grave-yard, so called from him, at Beech creek. He is the only one of his brother officers who fulfilled to the letter his contract with the Proprietaries by settling upon his allotment.
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nection with his store, which was the principal one in the Valley for many years. The late George A. Snyder relates the following inci- dent of Mr. Hayes' early life in Lewisburg :
"'Soon after I commenced business in Lewisburg, said my old friend William Hayes, I was so unfortunate as to lose an entire cargo of wheat at Conewago falls. I was indebted to several per- sons for money borrowed, and much of the wheat had been pur- chased from the farmers on credit, who, being in easy circum- stances, were content to leave the money in my hands, receiving interest after six months. So heavy a loss to so new a dealer created alarm. It was feared I should not be able to answer my liabilities, and every creditor discovered that he had just then need of his money. I paid out to every one who came, though with each pay -. ment my heart grew heavy, for it felt that I must be crippled, if not ruined, before all were paid. One of my creditors, however, on the day after I had paid him $400, came to my store and returned me the money, saying, ' by taking the money, I have been only making sure to you the ruin which I apprehended ; take it back, I can trust it to your honesty, and it will help you get afloat again.' From that time I took courage and worked with a good heart, and was enabled to become what you see."
In April, 1843, Isaac G. Gordon,1 a student-at-law with James F. Linn, Esq., was admitted to the bar.
Millerism.
The grand delusion of this year was Millerism. A clergyman named Miller undertook the task of ascertaining when that hour should come " whereof no man knoweth; no, not the angels of God, neither the Son." Relying on the chronology of Rollin, and seemingly not aware of the impossibility of verifying the dates of the Old Testament writers, he confidently predicted that the visible and personal reign of Christ would commence in the year 1843. His preaching, vehement and fanatical in its tone, and the seeming accuracy of his calculations, quickly gained him hearers and prose-
1 In 1860-61 Honorable Isaac G. Gordon was elected member of the House from Jefferson, &e., April 12, 1866, commissioned president judge of the twenty-eighth judicial district, and In October, 1873, elected one of the justices of the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania.
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ANNALS OF BUFFALO VALLEY.
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lytes. Miller was content to take the whole year for the fulfillment of his prophecy, but some of his disciples had undertaken to fix the precise day and hour. One preacher fixed on twelve, P. M., 14th February. He and his little flock provided themselves with ascen- sion robes, and repaired to the church-yard to await the resurrection of their departed friends, and join them in their ascent. The clock struck twelve, one, and two, but the graves gave not up their dead, and the company gradually dispersed to their homes.
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