USA > Pennsylvania > Clearfield County > History of Clearfield County, Pennsylvania : with illustrations and biographical sketches of some of its prominent men and pioneers > Part 24
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Griffiths, Neil & Co. opened up Victor No. I on the Derby Branch during 1881. This mine was sold to the Victor Coal Company sone time in the year 1883, and is now capable of producing 500 tons daily. The same company opened up Victor No. 2 and 3, on the Crowell Run Branch, in 1883, and are able to ship about 1,500 tons daily. John Walton is their superintendent.
In August, 1881, Jones, Mull & Co. opened a colliery on the Pardee Branch, which they called " Hawk Run." This mine is not a very extensive operation, and now ships its coal over the Beech Creek Road.
During the year 1880 the Moshannon Land and Lumber Company, in conjunction with the Pennsylvania Railroad Company, combined to grade a branch road up the Moshannon creek to reach their lands on Whiteside Run and beyond. This road joins the Moshannon Branch Road a mile above Osceola Mills, and at the present time is six and a half miles long, with a branch two miles above its junction leading to the Central and Leskie collieries, a mile long. The Leskie colliery was opened for shipments September 26, 1881, but was sold to R. H. Powell & Co. immediately afterwards, and by them renamed "Stirling No. 3." This colliery, with the Central, are in Centre county. The Stirling is not working at present.
The " Central " was opened by the Mears Brothers in 1883, and by them called " Rush." They did not work it more than a year, when, getting into trouble, they were sold out. The colliery then passed into the hands of T. C. Heims, of Osceola Mills, who gave it its present name, and by whom it is now worked. Its capacity is about 300 tons per day ; superintendent, W. R. Ed- wards.
The " Glenwood " colliery, situated on the Derby Branch, was also opened in 1881, by R. C. Colburn. He sold the mine soon afterwards to George F. Huff & Co., and they to Williams & Morris, by whom it is now worked. Its capacity is about 600 tons daily, and its coal is well and favorably known in the market.
" Lancashire No. I," also situated on the Derby Branch (this branch is also known as the Campbell), was opened for business during the year 1881, by Thomas Barnes & Brother, and during the following year they opened " Lan- cashire No. 2," on the Crowel Run Branch. Both these collieries are now being worked by Campbell, Tucker & Co., and are able to produce 1,000 tons per day. The Barnes Brothers are working the " Baltic," a mine opened during 1885, whose capacity is 400 tons per day.
The " Colorado " was another mine opened in 1881, by A. & W. H. Bar- low, on the Derby Branch. They operated it until some time in 1883, when
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HISTORY OF CLEARFIELD COUNTY.
their rights were transferred to Hoyt & Jackman, by whom it is still operated. Its daily capacity is about 400 tons ; Thomas Pilkington, superintendent.
During the year 1882 the branch up the Moshannon Creek, and known as the Moshannon Extension, was graded to its present terminus, but the rails were not laid upon it until the spring of 1883. A road was also projected and commenced, during 1882, up Coal Run, following the old Decatur Branch. This road was also completed in the early part of 1883, and other collieries were opened upon it.
The first of these was a mine called the " Ashland," which was opened upon the lands of Wallace & Reading, at the head of Coal Run, by a party of Schuylkill county capitalists, prominent among whom was the late State sena- tor, J. P. Colihan. The company did not succeed very well, and the colliery reverted to the land owners, by whom it was leased, in 1885, to the Berwind- White Coal Mining Company, and who operate it at present.
The next opening on this branch was made by Holt, Lewis & Co., who opened the old "Decatur " of 1866 fame, which they renamed the " Arctic," and its name is appropriate, as it soon froze out its new owners, and the mine is again deserted.
The Crowel Run, or Mapleton No. 2, Branch was also completed during the latter part of 1882, and J. A. Losie opened his " Keystone " mine on this road. He did not have very good success, however, and in 1885 he sold the plant to Graham & Passmore. The mine is now abandoned.
H. J. Smith opened a mine on this branch during the year 1882, and com- menced shipping coal during 1883, which mine he called "Logan Ridge." This is north of Logan mine, but in the same hill. Its capacity now is about 400 tons daily.
The Atalanta Coal Company also opened its Atalanta collieries Nos. I and 2, on Crowel Run, in November, 1882. These collieries have a capacity of about 700 tons daily, and their coals compare favorably with any other in the market. Charles Welch is the superintendent.
In March, 1882, D. D. Dodge & Co. opened a mine on the main line near Steiner's Station, which they called " Hudson." This mine the Dodge & Co. sold to the Atalanta Coal Company, by whom it is now operated under the name of " Atalanta No. 3." Its capacity is 400 tons daily.
Berwind, White & Co. opened up a colliery, and commenced to ship coal in March, 1882, which they called "Eureka No. 3." This colliery was located on lands of the Kittanning Coal Company, two miles above Osceola Mills. It was originally opened by T. C. Heims, W. A. Crist, and Peter Cameron, sr., and called " Bonanza." They never operated it, however, but sold it before ready to ship.
The Pardee Branch was also extended northward during 1882, and Duncan, Lingle & Co. opened up the "Pardee," which commenced shipping March,
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1882. This mine is still in operation, and is looked upon as a very successful colliery, though it met some very serious faults in its infancy. Mr. Lingle, one of its owners, died in March, 1886, but the firm name remains unchanged. W. C. Lingle is the superintendent. Its production is now being shipped over the Beech Creek Railroad.
In November, 1882, Holt, Schoonover & Co. opened up a mine at the head of this branch (the Pardee), which was named the " Allport." They soon after sold to Holt, Chipman & Co., and the colliery was renamed the "Coaldale No. 3." It is an extensive opening, its coal being shipped over the Beech Creek road. W. H. Blackburn, superintendent. The proprietors have intro duced rope haulage in this mine, and have thus more than doubled its capacity. Holt, Chipman & Co. have other mines shipping coal over the Beech Creek, called " Coaldale No. 3," and " Coaldale No. 4" on the Mapleton No. 2 Branch, shipping over the Tyrone and Clearfield Railroad, which they opened in the latter part of 1884.
In the fall of 1882 a company was formed in Houtzdale, called the Houtz- dale Coal Company, consisting of Charles and Theodore Van Dusen, W. A. Chase, and J. C. Scott & Sons, for the purpose of mining coal. They leased from the Houtz heirs a tract of land that had previously been condemned, and proceeded to sink a slope therein, the coal being found under water-level at that point. On February 23, 1883, all things being ready, they made their first shipment. This colliery lies in the borough of Houtzdale, about half a mile from the Moshannon Branch, and a spur was built to enable the colliery to ship. James Mines was the superintendent, who also owned an interest in the company. This mine was sold to the Berwind-White Coal Mining Com- pany, July, 1886, and by them named "Eureka N. 10." Its present capacity is about 1,000 tons per day.
In the spring of 1883 John Wilkinson reopened old Moshannon mine, three miles above Osceola Mills, on the Moshannon Branch, and commenced to ship about two cars per day from it. This mine he renamed "Sobieski." In 1885 he opened the "F Bed," over the old Beaverton mine, and named this mine " Sobieski No. 2." The capacity of both will equal 200 tons daily.
In May, 1883, Berwind, White & Co. commenced to ship coal from two mines they had opened at the head of the Moshannon extension, two miles south of Houtzdale. These mines they had named " Eureka No. 4" and " 5." No. 4 was a drift opening, and having only a limited territory it is now worked out. No. 5 was opened by a slope and is a very extensive mine, though not very valuable. The company, in 1884, opened another mine half a mile fur- ther west, which they called " Eureka No. 6," and are now engaged in open- ing another one still further west a half mile, and which is called " Eureka No. 8." The mines have an extensive territory and will make large collieries. Will- iam Pollock is superintendent of No. 5, and John Allen is superintendent of Nos. 6 and 8. 30
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HISTORY OF CLEARFIELD COUNTY.
On August 17, 1883, John Maurice successfully opened a colliery in the abandoned territory of the old Eureka No. I, which he called " Mount Ver- non." This colliery was situated on the Goss Run No. 2 Branch, about one- fourth of a mile above its junction. Mr. Maurice soon sold an interest to the Elizabeth Coal Company, and by them the mine was renamed "Elizabeth." Its schutes were burned down in May, 1884, on the occasion of the Brisbin fire, but they were soon rebuilt, and the mine is still working, but will not last much longer, as its territory is limited.
During the year 1883 the Mapleton No. I Branch was extended two miles to enable T. C. Heims to ship from his new opening on the Drane farm, and which he had called " Drane." This mine was situate on the old Goss lands, and coal was taken from them some fifty years ago and hauled in wagons over the mountain to Spruce Creek. The Drane commenced to ship November 8, 1883, and its present capacity is 500 tons per day. It is situate about two miles north of the town of Osceola Mills.
Reakirt Bros. & Co. opened, during 1884, a mine north of, and in the same hill as their Penn, on the lands of the Houtz heirs. This mine was situate on "Goss Run Branch No. 3, about half a mile above Brisbin, and was called " Loraine." Its present capacity is about 400 tons daily, and the coal is equal to the "Penn " coals; George Gould, superintendent.
The Coal Run Branch was extended, in the summer of 1884, from the Ashland mine, some two miles west, and on October 9th of that year Harned, Jacobs & Co. opened "Ocean No. 3." This mine was formerly called " New- castle," and its coal was hauled through the hill, under ground, to Ocean No. I tipple, and there shipped as coal from No. I, but on the day mentioned it entered a separate existence. This mine followed the others of Harned, Jacobs & Co., and was sold to the Berwind-White Coal Mining Company, in 1885, and Harned, Jacobs & Co. ceased to exist as a coal firm.
Fisher & Miller also opened a mine on this branch in October, 1884, which they called " Excelsior No. 2." This mine worked the same tract as Excelsior No. I and Eureka No. 2. Its present capacity is about 500 tons daily.
During the year 1882 Messrs. R. B. Wigton & Sons purchased from Aaron and Frederick Schoff, Boaz Alexander, and Bigler Dunlap, an extensive tract of land just west of Amesville, Bigler township, and in 1885 they proceeded to open a colliery upon it which they called " Vulcan." This caused the Moshan- non Branch Railroad to be extended two miles to reach the mine, and coal was shipped over the Vulcan Branch in the fall of that year. This mine is quite an extensive one, and its present capacity will equal 700 tons daily.
The Messrs. Wigton also opened a new mine on the Beech Creek Road in 1885, and named it "Rothrock." This colliery is on the Hawk Run Branch, and is fitted up with coal cutting machines, a Norwalk air compressor, and every appliance for the mining of coal quickly and cheaply.
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REVIEW OF COAL INTERESTS.
During the year 1884 R. H. Powell & Co. erected a powerful air compres- sor at their Stirling No. I mine, and placed three coal cutting machines in their No. 2 opening. These have been very successful. They had formerly hauled their coal out of this opening with a locomotive, but in 1885 they placed a pair of stationary engines at the drift mouth, and hauled the coal with a wire rope. This was a very great improvement, and largely increased the capacity of the colliery.
The Beech Creek Railroad was finished to Peale in July, 1884, and 114,- 15I tons were shipped from the "Grass Flat" mines, located in and around that place during the year. The road was finished to Gazzam July, 1885, and that point commenced to add its quota to the general production. The Phil- ipsburg Branch was completed February, 1885.
In the year 1885 the Karthaus mines of John Whitehead & Co. commenced to ship over the Clearfield and Susquehanna Railroad. This road joins the Philadelphia & Erie Railroad at Keating, thirteen miles above Renovo. This mine was also transferred to the Berwind-White Coal Mining Company, No- vember 15.
The Three Runs Mine, or " Cataract " was opened in the spring of 1885 by Berwind, White & Co. on the same railroad, six miles lower down the river than Karthaus, on the lands of Weaver & Betts, and is now a very large col- liery.
In June, 1885, the Excelsior No. 3 colliery was opened on the Moshannon Branch, about a half mile below Ramey by Fisher, Miller & Co. This mine is a "slope," and is without exception the most completely equipped colliery in the region. Its superintendent is Thomas Richards. The vein is pinched and at places not over two feet in thickness. At the present time they are open- ing another mine on the north side of the tract, where the coal is of normal thickness. This coal reaches the market over an extension of the Vulcan Branch. The mine is known as Excelsior No. 4.
In the spring of 1886 the Clearfield Consolidated Coal Company leased a tract of land north of the Moshannon Creek, and south of the old Beaverton mine, owned by the Kittanning Coal Company, and opened two mines on it, which they called " Mount Vernon No 1" and "2." The capacity of the mines amounts to 300 tons per day, and the coal is shipped over the Moshan- non Extension Branch.
John Maurice also opened a mine on lands of the Houtz heirs, and com- menced to ship in the spring of 1886. He called his mine " Ferndale." It is situated on the Goss Run No. 2 Branch, about a quarter of a mile below Eureka No. 2, and its capacity is 100 tons daily. Mr. Maurice is now opening a mine on the Beech Creek Road, below Gazzam, from which he is now ship- ping coal.
In the fall of 1886 Reece & Long opened a colliery near the main line, a
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HISTORY OF CLEARFIELD COUNTY.
mile below Philipsburg, and called it " Glenwood No. 2." This is a new op- eration, but its projectors expect it to make its mark before long.
In 1885 J. C. Scott & Sons and James Mines withdrew from the Houtzdale Coal Company, and formed a partnership among themselves under the name of James Mines & Co. They procured a lease on some lands at Ramey, and proceeded to open a colliery, which they called "Webster No. 4." This mine is now at work, and its outfit is very satisfactory to its owners. James Mines is its superintendent.
There are a few local "banks" shipping a car or two now and then to market, prominent among whom is the "Esteps " at Osceola Mills, but with this exception it is believed that every mine within the region has been re- viewed, a total of over eighty.
It is possible, however, that some of the small producing mines may have been omitted ; some that are still in their infancy and just preparing to ship ; others that are owned by individuals who ship occasionally, and produce an amount so inconsiderable that no record has ever been made concerning them.
A statement of the tonnage from the year 1862 to the year 1886, inclu- sive, will be found of interest as showing the comparative growth of this most valuable industry in this wonderful coal-producing region :
1862, 7,239 tons ; 1863, 24,330 ; 1864, 65,380; 1866, 107,878 ; 1867, 169,219 ; 1868, 171,238; 1869, 259,994; 1870, 379,863 ; 1871, 542,896 ; 1872, 644,246 ; 1873, 592,860 ; 1874, 654,251 ; 1875, 926,834 ; 1876, 1,218,- 789; 1877, 1,374,927 ; 1878, 1,298,452 ; 1879, 1,622,976 ; 1880, 1,739,872; 1881, 2,401,987 ; 1882, 2,838,970 ; 1883, 2,866,174; 1884, 3,287,514; 1885, 3,663,466; 1886, 3,331,020; a grand total of 30,251,004 tons.
This is not the total production of all the mines in the region. It repre- sents only the amount that was passed over the Tyrone and Beech Creek scales. The amount used in the county for locomotives, stationary engines, household purposes, fire brick manufacturers, etc., will amount to 200,000 per annum ; nor does it represent the amount shipped over the Low Grade Di- vision of the Allegheny Valley Railroad from Du Bois and vicinity, or the amount shipped by the Bell's Gap Railroad, nor over the Keating scales.
The region, however, is only in its infancy, and twenty years from now, it would not be a surprising fact, that a shipment of 10,000,000 tons per annum will be reached, judging from the improvements now being made. The Mos- hannon Branch Railroad has been opened nine miles further west to Knox township, and openings have been made, and schutes erected on the lands of William A. Wallace, on Pine Run, and in a short time this new field will add its out-put of both coal and coke to the general result.
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BENCH AND BAR.
CHAPTER XV.
BENCH AND BAR.
History of the Courts - Supreme Court - Common Pleas - Other Courts - The Judiciary - The Bench and Bar of Clearfield County.
T NO properly understand and fully appreciate the history of the judiciary of any nation or commonwealth, and the worth and attainments of the magistrates and practitioners at its bar, some knowledge of the origin and de- velopment of the machinery and spirit of this branch of civil government is indispensable.
The sentiment is commonly expressed that the judicial system of the State of Pennsylvania is largely copied or derived from the common law of England, and slightly from the civil law of the continent. In many respects this is true, and resemblances may be traced therein; there are certain changeless principles running throughout the laws of every state and people from time immemo- rial. The statute and common laws of England are the recognized funda- mental principles upon which are based the legislative and constitutional enactments of this Commonwealth.
We may look briefly at the past and present disposition and powers of the courts of the State and observe from what elements they have grown.
In the year 1722 a law was passed by the General Assembly of the prov- ince establishing a court of record to be known and styled the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania, and by the same enactment was empowered to hear and determine all pleas, plaints and causes removed or brought there from the various Courts of Common Pleas of the province, by virtue of writs of error, habeas corpus, or certiorari, or other writs or process remedial in nature; and furthermore to administer justice to all persons, exercising the full powers and authority granted by the act creating it as the King's Bench, Common Pleas and Exchequer at Westminster. This court was not made the court of last resort in the State until 1806. By the terms of the charter or grant to William Penn by Charles II, then on the throne of Great Britain, the right to review any proceeding or judgment of the court in the province was reserved to the king and his successors. This reserved power was, of course, overthrown by the Revolution, and in the year 1780 was vested in a Court of Error and Ap- peals. In the year 1791 the act of 1780 was repealed, and the court organ- ized upon a plan agreeable to the constitution of the United States and that of the State of Pennsylvania.
The constitution of the State adopted and ratified in convention on the 2d day of September, 1790, article V, provided for the judiciary, as follows :
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HISTORY OF CLEARFIELD COUNTY.
Section I. "The judicial power of this Commonwealth shall be vested in a Supreme Court, in Courts of Oyer and Terminer and general gaol delivery, in a Court of Common Pleas, Orphans' Court, Registers Court, and a Court of Quarter Sessions of the Peace for each county, in justices of the peace, and in such other courts as the Legislature may from time to time establish."
Section 2 provides that judges of the Supreme Court shall hold their offices during good behavior ; but that for any reasonable cause, which shall not be sufficient ground for impeachment, they may be removed by the governor on the address of two-thirds of each branch of the Legislature. The article fur- ther provides that the jurisdiction of judges of this court shall extend over the State, and that by virtue of their offices they shall be justices of Oyer and Ter- miner and general gaol delivery in the several counties.
Section 4 of the same article in making provision for the Courts of Com- mon Pleas, says : " The governor shall appoint in each county not fewer than three, nor more than four judges, who, during their continuance in office, shall reside in the county. The State shall be divided by law, into circuits, none of which shall include more than six, nor fewer than three counties. A president shall be appointed by the courts in each circuit, who, during his continuance in office, shall reside therein. The president and judges, any two of whom shall be a quorum, shall compose the respective Courts of Common Pleas."
The judges of the Common Pleas, thus created, were made ex officio jus- tices of Oyer and Terminer for the trial of capital and other offenders within their respective districts. While the act provides that any two of the judges shall constitute a quorum, it further directs that the president shall be one of them.
The Supreme Court and the Common Pleas, as well, are made Courts of Chancery for purposes therein fully set forth. The Common Pleas judges are further made to preside at the Quarter Sessions, Orphans' Court, Registers of Wills, and are made within their respective counties justices of the peace so far as relates to criminal matters.
By section 10 it is further provided that the governor shall appoint a com- petent number of justices of the peace, and that they shall be commissioned during good behavior, but they may be removed on conviction of misbehavior in office, or on any infamous crime, or on the address of both houses of the Legislature.
In the selection of officers to represent the Commonwealth, provided for above, the chief executive was the sole appointing power, and this continued a law until changed by act of the State Legislature, approved April 15, 1851, which provided for the election of each by ballot by a majority of the electors.
By the ratification and adoption of the constitution of 1790, the people of the great Commonwealth of Pennsylvania laid the foundation for a grand sys- tem of jurisprudence which has commanded the admiration not alone of the
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entire people but of the nation-a system under which, with some modifica- tions, some necessary additions, her people were content to live for nearly a half century.
Prior to 1836 the powers and jurisdiction of the Supreme Court were not expressly defined or fixed by the constitution, or by definite enactment of the Legislature. Statutes were passed from time to time, as occasion or exigen- cies demanded. In territorial extent its jurisdiction and powers reached throughout the entire State ; it had and retained jurisdiction co-extensive with the three great courts at Westminster-the King's Bench, the Common Pleas, and the Exchequer.
The act of June 16, 1836, re-confirms the powers vested in the Supreme Court by the constitution, and, in addition thereto, somewhat enlarges those powers and defines more clearly its jurisdiction in certain cases.
From the year 1786 to 1799 Courts of Nisi Prius were held in the several counties by the justices of the Supreme Court, at such times as they deemed most convenient for the people. Original writs did not issue from the Supreme Court to the several counties, but writs of certiorari and habeas corpus only, by virtue of which actions were removed from the inferior courts, and the issues in fact arising in them were tried at Nisi Prius, after which judgment was rendered in bank. Circuit Courts were substituted for Courts of Nisi Prius in 1799, only so far as concerned the State outside the county of Phila- delphia. The Circuits were of the same nature as the Nisi Prius, except that judgment could be rendered at Circuits, subject in certain cases to revision on appeal. Having been found impracticable and inconvenient, the Circuit Courts were abolished in 1809, the Nisi Prius re-established, only applicable, how- ever, to the county of Philadelphia, and the same act that restored the Nisi Prius also revived the Circuit Courts for the other counties, but after a faithful trial of several years were again abolished in 1834.
In the year 1838 a new constitutional convention was organized for the purpose of revising, amending, and enlarging upon the constitution of 1790. By the adoption of the amendments, the appointing power remained in the executive, by and with the consent of the Senate. The tenure of office of Supreme Court justices was fixed at fifteen years, "if they should so long be- have themselves well." The president judges of the several courts of Common Pleas, and of such other Courts of Record, and all other judges required to be learned in the law, shall hold their offices for the term of ten years, "if they shall so long behave themselves well." The term of office of associate judges is fixed at five years, subject to the conditions quoted above. This embraces substantially the amendments to the old constitution applicable to the judi- ciary of the State, except that provision is therein made for the election of justices of the peace by the qualified voters of the several wards, boroughs, and townships.
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