USA > Pennsylvania > Lehigh County > Catasauqua > Early history and reminiscences of Catasauqua in Pennsylvania > Part 7
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SOLDIERS' MONUMENT
earnest request of his brother David, made shortly before his death in 1862.
A superior and attractive, enclosed pavilion was placed in the circle, next to the Soldiers' Monument, by the Association in 1895; and another prominent feature is the large vault of David Thomas.
Soon after the cemetery had become the property of the Association in 1872, two bequests were made to it by James W. Fuller and Samuel Glace with the condition that the income should be expended towards the perpetual care and preservation of their burial lots. Since then numerous other lot-holders have followed their example.
The total lots laid off number 2,317. The graves to January, 1914, number 4,800.
John Kane was the first soldier of the Civil War buried in this cemetery, April 27, 1862, and the ex- traordinary event attracted many people.
SOLDIERS' MONUMENT-At the close of the Civil War, the patriotic impulses of this community gave a practical appreciation of the costly services of the volunteer soldiers from Catasauqua and the vicin- ity, by the erection of a costly marble monument on the circular plot, reserved for it in the cemetery, and on the four sides of the shaft there are inscribed the names, rank and regiment of each soldier who boldly went forth to battle that the Union might and should be preserved, numbering altogether 157, and also the names of the battles in which they were engaged, and twenty-six of these soldiers were killed or died in service. And across the top of the shaft hangs the American flag in graceful folds, surmounted by the striking figure of an American eagle with outspread wings, as if standing guard over the heroes sleeping quietly there till the resurrection morn. Around the monument a space was at first reserved for the burial of veteran soldiers but this idea was afterward
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EARLY HISTORY
abandoned in order to set apart the monument more effectually.
The monument was solemnly dedicated on Oct. 3, 1866, with appropriate ceremonies, pursuant to ar- rangements by the Monument Association, and Rev. C. Earle, pastor of the First Presbyterian Church, delivered an historical address. In the course of his remarks, the pastor emphasized the statement that neither his name nor the name of any other civilian member of the committee appeared anywhere on the shaft in pursuance of a provision by the Monument Association at the time of its inception "that no man's name shall be inscribed on the monument unless he was sworn into the service of the United States and was under the enemy's fire;" so that it is just what it purports to be, "A Soldiers' Monument."
Maj. A. R. Calhoun was the orator and he delivered an impressive oration to a large concourse of people who had assembled from all the towns and places of the Lehigh Valley, including many men who had been in actual service and faced the enemies of their country.
In 1871, Gen. Charles Albright, member of Con- gress, introduced a special act of Congress to donate four siege guns and 24 cannon balls of unused artil- lery to the George W. Fuller Post, No. 74, G. A. R., for the adornment of this, "the first soldiers' monu- ment in Pennsylvania;" and in 1884, upon the re- organization of Fuller Post No. 378, G. A. R., the Secretary of War ordered the Commandant of the Watervliet Arsenal at West Troy, N. Y., to issue to said Post four 64-pounder cannons, two of the Eng- lish model of 1812 weighing respectively 5,514 and 5,498 pounds, and two U. S. guns of the 1819 and 1829 models, weighing respectively 5,014 and 5,000 pounds ; and these were placed at the four corners of the monument as an appropriate and expressive orna- mentation.
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SOLDIERS' MONUMENT
ROLL OF HONOR-The names of the enlisted men in- scribed on the shaft, with their rank and organization as a "Roll of Honor," are as follows :- 46th Reg't., P. V. Officers.
Major Arnold C. Lewis
Serg. Morgan Richards
Capt. Joseph Matchette
Serg. John J. Davis
Lieut. Wm. R. Thomas
Corp. Robt. E. Williams
Lieut. Robert Wilson
Corp. Wm. McMonegal
Lieut. Edward Cramsie.
Corp. Hugh Lyons
Lieut. James McQuillen
Corp. John Patrick
Ord. Serg. Isaac Davies
Corp. John Moore
Serg. Daniel Davis
Corp. John H. Price
Musician Andrew Sinley
Privates
-
Wallace Brown
James McCracken
John Blair
James McLaughlin
David Bachman
David McCandless
John Brown
John McQuillen
John Cannon
John McFadden
Daniel Dwyer
John Reed
Daniel Desmond
Solomon J. Rowe
Alex. Doneghue
Michael Rohfritz
Hugh Dougherty
John Richards
Philip Hill
Patrick Reilly
Geo. Hasson
John Son
Patrick Sullivan
Jeremiah Keefe John Kilpatrick John Leo Thomas Mooney John McMurtrie
Wm. Thompson
Franklin Ward
Samuel Zellner
47th Reg't., P. V. Officers.
Capt. Henry S. Harte
Serg. W. F. Longenhagen
Capt. Edwin Gilbert
Serg. John L. Jones
Lieut. James W. Fuller
Corp. Joseph H. Schwab
Lieut. Geo. W. Fuller
Corp. G. H. Longenhagen
Lieut. Wm. H. Bartholomew
Corp. Martin O'Brien
Lieut. Augustus Eagle
Corp. Josiah H. Walk
Lieut. Henry H. Bush
Corp. James E. Patterson
Lieut. Thos. F. Lambert
Corp. Robt. Cunningham
Ord. Serg. James Tait
Ord. Serg. Wm. H. Glace
Corp. Chas. L. Nolf, Jr.
Serg. John W. Heberling
Corp. Spencer Tettermer
Serg. Richmond H. Schwab
Corp. Jas. Ritter
Corp. W. H. Van Dyke
Serg. Albert H. McHose
Corp. Augustus F. Eberhart
Serg. Jos. J. Lilly
Mus. David A. Tombler, Jr.
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EARLY HISTORY
Privates
David Andrews
Chas. H. Michel
Abram Bauder
Daniel Newhart
Godfrey Betz
John O'Brien
Stephen Beers Hiram A. Beitelman
Wm. Offhouse
Wm. Christ Ambrose Dietrich
Robt. M. Sheats
Wm. Ehrich
Nicholas Smith
Orlando Fuller Fred. Fisher Rainey Grader Addison R. Geho
F. H. Wilson
Joseph Geiger
John Weiss
Joseph Gross
Joseph Hunsicker
G. Assenheimer Wm. Henry Emanuel Leffler Aaron Laub Chas. Leffler
John Kane
Frank Leffler
Geo. Kerchner
Benj. Missimer
Nicholas Kuhn
Wm. Mensch
Wm. Kuntz
William Myers Ed. Mathew
Reuben H. Keim Philip King
Jenkin Richards
Charles King
Alfred Lynn
J. K. Longenhagen Joel Laudenslager John Lucky
W. H. Moll
Geo. Moll
Different Organizations.
Milton J. Hooker, 1 Pa. Res. Joseph Shelly, 1 Pa. Res. Stephen Sheirer, 1 Pa. Res. John Scholle, 3 Pa. Res. Joe. Davies, 53 Pa. Vols. James Hutchison, 53 Pa. Vols. John McClelland, 53 Pa. Vols. George Henry, 54 Pa. Vols. John Case, 58 Pa. Vols. John Saurwine, 58 Pa. Vols.
Thomas Smith, 202 Pa. Vols. Charles Boyle, 6 Pa. Cav.
Samuel Roberts, 6 Pa. Cav. William Berlin, 8 Pa. Cav.
James R. Henry, 8 Pa. Cav. Peter Mack, 8 Pa. Cav. John Keeffer, 16 Pa. Cav. Samuel Kiefer, 6 N. J. Cav.
Abram Miller, 6 N. J. Cav.
Robert Newhard, 6 N. J. Cav.
Herbert James, 12 U. S. Inf. John Bigley, 14 U. S. Inf.
William Paul, 188 Pa. Vols.
Charles Miller, 14 U. S. Inf.
William Newhard, 14 U. S. Inf. John Graham, U. S. Navy. Battles of the 46th Regiment. Winchester, Va., March 23, 1862. Middletown, Va., May 25, 1862. Winchester, Va., May 26, 1862.
Michael O'Brien
Griff. Reinhart
Gotlieb Schrum
John P. Weaver
John Worley
William Herman Isaac Jacoby Wm. Jordan
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FIRST FUNERAL
Cedar Mountain, Va., Aug. 9, 1862.
Sulphur Springs, Va., Aug. 27, 1862. South Mountain, Md., Sept. 14, 1862. Autietam, Md., Sept. 17, 1862.
Chancellorsville, Va., May 1, 2, 3, 1863. Gettysburg, July 1, 2, 3, 1863.
Resaca, Ga., May 15, 1864. Cassville, Ga., May 19, 1864. Dallas, Ga., May 25, 1864. Pine Knob, Ga., June 9, 1864.
Kulp's Farm, Ga., June 22, 1864.
Pine Tree Creek, Ga., July 26, 1864. Atlanta, Ga., Sept. 6, 1864.
Cypress Swamp, Ga., Dec. 8, 1864. Savannah, Ga., Dec. 21, 1864.
Chesterfield, C. H., So. Car., March 2, 1865.
Averysboro, No. Car., March 14, 1865. Berryville, Va., Sept. 5, 1864. Coon Run, No. Car., April 10, 1865. Raleigh, No. Car., April 26, 1865.
Battles of the 47th Regiment.
St. John's Bluff, Flor., Oct. 8, 1862.
Pocataligo, So. Car., Oct. 22, 1862. Sabine Cross Roads, La., April 8, 1864.
Pleasant Hill, La., April 9, 1864. Cane River, La., April 25, 1864. Manasses Plains, La., May 16, 1864.
Berryville, Va., Cept. 5, 1864. Opequan Creek, Va., Sept. 19, 1864.
Fisher's Hill, Va., Sept. 22, 1864. Cedar Creek, Va., Oct. 19, 1864.
FIRST FUNERAL-After the completion of the first furnace, a young man named John Thomas (a relative of the superintendent) fell from its top and was killed. Samuel Thomas, the son of the superin- tendent, told me a few years prior to his decease, that he saw the young man drop. The body was buried in the grave-yard at the rear of the Presbyterian Church on 5th street, in Allentown. It was carried on a bier, on the shoulders of relays of fellow-employ- ees, who wore high hats from which hung long streamers of black crepe, after the custom at that time prevalent in Wales.
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EARLY HISTORY
Almost every inhabitant of the hamlet followed the solemn procession on foot to the grave-yard, amongst them being "Mother" Thomas (as she was afterward affectionately called), and Mrs. James Lackey. After the completion of the substantial fam- ily vault of David Thomas in Fairview Cemetery, the remains were removed to it. Soon after this funeral, a burial ground was provided in Biery's-Port on the lot adjoining the frame Presbyterian Church on Church street.
At that time it was customary in the surrounding country, when there was a funeral, to place the coffin on a large farm-wagon on a bed of straw and chairs were arranged around the coffin for the chief mourn- ers. On account of the thinly-settled country, rela- tives and friends came a considerable distance to at- tend a funeral, and after the burial all were invited to return to the house for refreshments. The guests stood in a row and waiters served them with a cold lunch, followed by helpers who carried bottles of whiskey and glasses on trays and offered liquid re- freshment to all such as wished to indulge.
The cholera of 1854 was fatal. It was brought here in a boat from Philadelphia. Some days there were several funerals; and it was indeed a gruesome sight to see them marching up Church street, the coffin high in the air upon the carriers' shoulders, swaying to and fro, followed by relatives whose lamentations filled the air. Of the McClelland family, an adult brother and sister were buried the same day.
Quite a number of boatmen were drowned here by the rapid rush of the water in the canal, which was caused by the forcing process to supply a strong blast for the furnace, and their bodies were buried on the Presbyterian lot.
Since that time, there has arisen a great change in the modes of burial, and in the construction of the coffins, all in the line of an advanced enlightenment.
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EARLY SCHOOLS
Then there were no means of embalming or preserv- ing the bodies, the only way being to lay them on sod. Burials were necessarily made soon after death.
A grave-yard was attached to the St. Paul's Luth- eran Church; and one to the Evangelical Church at the corner of Howertown Road and Mulberry street. Two were attached to the Presbyterian Churches.
These grave-yards in the town have been discon- tinued and the bodies buried there removed to the Fairview Cemetery. It has been estimated that about 100 bodies were buried in the grave-yards of the two Presbyterian Churches.
EARLY SCHOOLS-The first school was held in the "Old Church," and started with 15 pupils. A Mr. Landis was the teacher, and he was soon after- ward followed by a young man named Evans, when it was transferred to the Hanover township school- house on Deily's Hill, which overlooked the dam opposite the foot of 2nd street. This was before 1853, when the village was a part of the township. The new school law had previously been accepted. The building was one story, with one room.
The first school building established within the limit of the borough was a frame shanty put up by the Crane Iron Co. at the corner of Church street and Limestone alley.
The second was erected by Hanover township at the corner of Union street and Railroad alley which the borough received upon its incorporation.
The third was the Bridge street school in 1849.
The fourth was situated on lower 2nd street, which is now owned by the Lenox Manufacturing Co.
The fifth was the 2nd street High-school building in 1859.
The sixth was situated on lower Front street, now owned by the Temperance Association.
The seventh was the Lincoln building on the How- ertown Road.
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EARLY HISTORY
The eighth was the High-school building, adjoining the Lincoln building.
In addition to the schools mentioned, a three-story building, situated on Front street near Union, was rented and used for school purposes. This is now owned by Frank Hunsicker, Esq.
Mrs. Esther Hudders conducted a private school for years in the basement of the Bridge street Presby- terian Church. She and her husband were the first teachers in the Bridge street school, and they taught there three years.
TEACHERS-The early teachers, as I recall them, were the following, with the time of service :
Margaret Meeker 1845; from Allentown.
D. F. Davis 1846; from Easton.
Edward Clarke 1847 . from Wyoming Co., Pa.
John Hudders 1848 to 1852; from Irish Settlement.
Esther Hudders 1848 to 1852; from Irish Settlement.
Joseph Leonard 1853; from Connecticut.
Rebecca Leonard (sister of Joseph) 1854; from Connecticut.
Annie E. Butchers 1854-55; from N. Y. State.
Charles L. Russell 1855-56; from Bridgeport, Conn.
Samuel P. Bliss 1856; from Connecticut.
Charles H. Kitchell 1857; from N. Y. State.
Alonso W. Kinsey 1857; from Catasauqua.
In the year 1858, the teachers were: Charles L. Russell, grammar school; Alonzo W. Kinsey and Wil- liam H. Barton, secondary; Eliza McKee and Anna Phillips, primary.
Mr. Russell having resigned, R. Clay Hamersly be- came his successor; then his school was regraded and classified; the advanced pupils were formed into a High-school which was assigned to Prof. Hamersly. The High-school came to be regularly established as a part of the system in 1863, with Prof. Hamersly as the teacher.
PUPILS-The attendance of the pupils was regis- tered as follows :-
1858
.300
1861 408
1859
325
1862
450
1860
365
1863 .474
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EARLY SCHOOLS
SESSIONS-The early custom was to continue the sessions of school from four to six months, but the founder of the town did not think it was right to allow the sons of his workingmen to run around the streets; so he erected a long frame building at the corner of Church street and Limestone alley and di- rected school to be held during the whole year without any vacation.
DEILY SCHOOL-A teacher, by the name of Toby, taught for some time in the school-house on Deily's Hill and his ability and success were highly appre- ciated, but like other good teachers, he quit for want of proper compensation. He was followed by a teacher who had the remarkable name of William Henry Harrison Barton, but he also quit because the salary was too small. Besides leaving his great name, he left an incident which is worth preserving in con- nection with our schools.
Barton, finding his salary too small, resorted to writing stories for the newspapers, among them the Allentown Democrat, whose enterprising and sympa- thetic publisher engaged him to write a certain story and promised to pay him $5 for it after the first chap- ter was published. The first chapter appeared and proved interesting, but the $5 did not appear. Not discouraged, the hopeful author supplied the second chapter, but the money not then appearing, he hesitated.
This led the publisher to urge him to finish the story, which showed the publisher's interest. The third chapter was supplied, but the author left the hero of his story in an awkward position. It seems that the hero was about to be married and on his way to the church was intercepted by a swollen stream. A large tree fortunately stood on the edge of the bank and one of its lower branches reached to the other side ; and the emergency being great, the hero climbed the tree and cautiously worked his way out on this
92
EARLY HISTORY
branch, which trembled under his weight and swayed to and fro. Suddenly, his foot slipped, and in falling he was caught by the seat of his trousers, where the wary author left his trembling hero, and sent word to his anxious publisher that he proposed to let him there until he received his $5.
The money was promptly paid, the concluding chapter of the story rescued its hero from his perilous situation over a raging torrent, and a happy marriage ensued, which delivered both reader and publisher from further suspense.
INDICATOR-I recall a large square board which stands out prominently in my mind in connection with the Deily School. It hung on a nail near the door. On one side was painted in plain letters the word IN, and on the other, the word OUT. This constituted one of the rules of the school; quiet, easily understood, but very expressive.
One day, a little fellow in the centre of the room raised his right hand to make use of his privilege to retire, without first looking to see how the board was turned. The teacher said sternly, "Did you look at the board?" Undaunted, the boy, with a tremor in his voice, replied : "But, teacher, please, I must go!" The teacher yelled : "Go, but don't you dare to sneak off for candy !"
The boy retired and slammed the door after him, which caused the board to drop to the floor. This ex- cited the quick wit of an older boy, who raised his left hand with a loud snap of his finger to attract the teacher's attention, and the teacher responded curtly : "Well, what now ?" The boy said meekly, with a twinkle in his eye, "The board dropped and the sig- nal's gone." "The what's gone ?" said the teacher ; when the boy answered "The light's out." This put a twinkle in the teacher's eye, and he said, "Well, boy, you're bright ; put up the light."
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EARLY SCHOOLS
READING CLASS-In reading, a class stood up and read in consecutive order from the head to the foot, or vice-versa; and so the English reader was read through and commenced over again and re-read. It was considered the proper thing when the end of the book was reached at the Latin word FINIS, for the last pupil in the course of reading to call out loudly, "Five Irish Niggers in Spain," and the next to re- verse the order of the letters and call out "Six Irish Niggers in France," and this performance generally ended in a trouncing.
CLASS LEADERS-It was customary to choose two leaders of a spelling-class who were selected by the pupils to fill up their respective sides, and whenever a word was mis-spelled by a pupil in the class, he quit and this was continued until only one was left, who represented the winning side.
PENS-Quills were used as pens and a part of the teacher's duties was to make them after school hours, ready for the next session. I remember the day the first steel pens were introduced. They were imported from England and called "Jos. Gillotte Pens," which were sold to the pupils two for three cents. All school supplies then, even the ink, were sold to the pupils.
TEACHERS' PAY-The teachery's pay, $1.061/4, was brought by the pupils every three months and this was generally paid in Mexican money. Spanish shillings were called "levys;" and sixpences or half- shillings were called "fips" (61/4 cents.)
PUNISHMENT-Corporal punishment in the schools was almost universal. Solomon's admonition "spare the rod and spoil the child" was considered the proper doctrine. Long whips, cut from the stumps of trees after the woods had been removed, were the proper caper. It was considered good practice to send a pupil out into the yard to cut them and bring them into the
94
EARLY HISTORY
school-room, then give him a good whipping to break his spirits and so develop obedience.
Rulers were thrown at scholars for whispering, who were directed to bring them to the teacher, then hold out their little hands to the teacher who slapped them until the offenders wriggled with pain.
Pupils who failed to understand their sums in Men- suration were compelled to stand on a desk and hold a brick in one hand and count the corners of the Bridge street Presbyterian Church. This was before the parsonage was erected.
Some of the teachers in those days were barbarous in their treatment of the pupils. They would sneak behind the pupil who had made a mistake in his sums and yank him from his seat by pulling him by the ear, or take a book and bang him on the side of the head. I remember one teacher who called up his pupils and slapped them on their hands with a black ruler (which was supposed to be more painful than a white one), meanwhile chewing tobacco vigorously and expector- ating into a large spittoon five feet off.
Another cruel feature of those days was this: When a class was called up to recite or spell, the pupil who missed had to go to the foot of the class, and, at the close of the lesson, tell the teacher how many mistakes were made, and so many times would the teacher slap the palm of the hand hard with a black ruler. Oh, how those slaps would sting! The burning sen- sation would continue for hours.
TOWN-BALL-Among the games for the boys was one called town-ball. Self-appointed leaders divided the boys into two contesting parties or sides by select- ing one at a time alternately until the number present was exhausted; and that leader started the selection by winning the toss of the bat, "wet" or "dry," either having spat on one side and tossed it into the air, then the other would have to guess, and if the lat-
95
PUBLIC LIBRARY
ter got his guess he would take his side to the bat, and the other his side to the field.
The bat was a heavy paddle, not a round stick as now. The ball was not a purchased article; it was generally made by some boy out of his woolen socks which were unravelled and the yarn was wound around some rubber strips cut from an old gum-shoe, or around a small piece of cork, and sewed in a leather cover.
There were four corners, like the points of a square figure; sometimes five corners, an extra one between the second and third, making the points of a pentagon. If the batter struck at the ball and missed it and the catcher caught it he was out; but if he hit it he had to run and make his base. If the ball was caught on the fly or even one bound he was out. All the players had to be made out; then the side would select its best batter to bat and if he succeeded in making three "home-runs," his side could start anew; otherwise the fielders would take their turn at the bat.
The score of runs was frequently very high in the game. It was kept by cutting notches in a stick or by tallies of five.
If the ball should be lost in the grass, the fielders would cry "lost-ball," and the play was suspended until the ball was found.
A runner at or around the bases, hit by a thrown or batted ball, was regarded as out. The ball was not hard; frequently, it was a hollow, flexible "Goodyear" ball, which was preferred.
PUBLIC LIBRARIES-In 1846, The Crane Iron Co. started a library of 250 books for the use and im- provement of their employees. A room was set apart on the second floor of the old two-story brick office building on Front street opposite the furnaces for this purpose and it was kept up for nine years. This is another evidence of Mr. Thomas' desire to develop and maintain a high standard in the community.
96
EARLY HISTORY
About 1878, Oliver Williams, another prominent man here in the industrial affairs of the Lehigh Val- ley, took an active part with other persons in estab- lishing a library. Several hundred volumes of pro- miscuous books were collected and a successful read- ing-circle amongst the young people was kept up until May 1891, when the books were presented to the High- school and added to its collection. The room was in a building on Church street, west of the Town-Hall, where a cigar store is now conducted.
BRASS BAND-About 1845, a band of music was organized in the village with John Thomas as leader and the last survivor was Samuel Thomas. It contin- ued until 1854, when Samuel Thomas and other prin- cipal players removed to Hokendauqua. The instru- ments were made of brass, some of which were very large and attracted much attention not only on ac- count of their size but of the great volume of tone pro- duced by the strong-winded players. The slide- trombonists were placed in the front rank, and in their sliding movements reached out so far at times that the little boys, who walked along in a listless, wondering manner, would be shocked with a bump head-foremost if they didn't keep their distance.
TEMPERANCE SOCIETIES-David Thomas was particularly solicitous of establishing the practice of temperance in the growing community and encour- aged his workmen to sustain his efforts in this behalf. Two lodges were organized, one for adults called the George Crane Division, and the other for boys, called the Crystal Fount Section, No. 2. The members up- held the movement in an active manner for twelve years until 1857. It may be remarked that the young men who became identified with this beneficent cause kept clear of the baneful influence of liquor in their later years.
POLITICAL ANIMOSITY-As elsewhere, polit- ical animosity manifested itself in this vicinity in var-
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