USA > Pennsylvania > Schuylkill County > History of Schuylkill County, Pa. with illustrations and biographical sketches of some of its prominent men and pioneers > Part 21
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Under their charter the company had not the power to carry on mining operations, and their control of the avenues of transportation did not enable them to con- trol the trade, or prevent the construction of other aven- ues. To accomplish the latter a corporation first known as the Laurel Run Improvement company was chartered, and the name was soon changed to the " Philadelphia and Reading Coal and Iron Company." It was owned, and its operations were directed by the Philadelphia and Reading Railroad Company; and it was a separate This road runs from Auburn to the county line in Tremont township, via Pine Grove, and extends thence to Dauphin, where it connects with the Northern Cen- tral, and through it with the northern and southern sys- organization only in name. Many millions of dollars were expended in the purchase of coal lands, and the purchase and establishment of collieries, and for these purposes an immense debt was incurred. Under this tems of railways. company mining operations were carried on to a very great extent in this county; and during many years the EAST MAHANOY RAILROAD. Philadelphia and Reading Railroad Company were able This was incorporated April 21st, 1854, to run from a almost wholly to control the coal trade and the transpor- point where it would connect with the "Little Schuylkill tation of this county. At length, for reasons which it Navigation Railroad and Coal Company," about five
would not be proper to discuss here, these corporations,- or rather, in fact, this corporation,- which had grown to such gigantic proportions, collapsed. President Gowen was appointed receiver, but an influential party of stock- holders opposed his management, and secured the elec- tion of Frank S. Bond as president, who on the 21st of April, 1881, issued a circular announcing his assump- tion of the duties of the office. Mr. Gowen immediately stated that the points involving the control of the road would be appealed to the United States Supreme Court, pending whose decision he intended to retain the man- agement.
MOUNT CARBON AND PORT CARBON RAILROAD.
This road was incorporated by an act of Assembly ap- proved July 16th, 1842. The route designated in the char- ter was from " the lower landings at Mount Carbon, at or near the termination of the Philadelphia and Reading Railroad;" thence to pass across the river Schuylkill to Port Carbon. By a supplement passed April 14th, 1843, the time for its commencement and completion was ex- tended to one and three years respectively from the date of the supplement.
It was built as provided by its charter, and connected with the Philadelphia and Reading Railroad at Mount Carbon, and with the Mill Creek and Schuylkill Valley railroads at Port Carbon. The first locomotive and cars passed over it in November, 1844-a year after its com- mencement. It was empowered to construct branches to mines, furnaces, etc., of other companies by an act of April 25th, 1854.
May 5th, 1855, an act was passed authorizing the sale of this road; and in accordance with the provisions of this act it was sold to the Philadelphia and Reading Railroad Company.
SCHUYLKILL AND SUSQUEHANNA RAILROAD.
On the 25th of April, 1844, the Fishing Creek, Swatara and Schuylkill Railroad, commonly called the Schuylkill and Susquehanna Railroad, was incorporated. It was to run from Fishing Creek gap in the Sharp mountain, near the junction of Fishing creek and Baird's run, in Pine Grove, along the valley between Sharp and Second mountains, to the Swatara; and thence, by a favorable route, to the summit between Little Swatara and Bear creeks; and by the valley of the latter to the Philadel- phia and Reading Railroad, at some point near the mouth of Bear creek. In 1847 the time for commence- ment was extended to 1850, and in 1850 to 1855.
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HISTORY OF SCHUYLKILL COUNTY.
miles north from Tamaqua, and thence by a route con- sidered favorable by the directors to "any point or points in the Mahanoy second coal field, with suitable branch roads thereon not exceeding in the whole twenty-five miles in length."
An act of April 11th, 1859, authorized the leasing of this road to the Little Schuylkill Company; and another of April 21st in the same year revived the charter and extended the time for commencement of construction five years.
It was constructed, in accordance with the provisions of its charter, to the southern base of Mahanoy mountain at a point about four miles from Mahanoy City. It passes under the mountain through a tunnel some four thousand feet in length. It was extended to Mahanoy City and there connected with the railway system in the eastern part of the county.
The road was built under the patronage of the Little Schuylkill Railroad Company, and after its completion was leased by that company.
LEHIGH AND MAHANOY RAILROAD.
The charter of the Quakake railroad was granted April 25th, 1857, and authorized the construction of a road from the Beaver Meadow railroad, at the junction of Quakake and Black creeks, westwardly up the Quakake valley, and thence to make connection with the Catawissa railroad between its two summit tunnels in the township of Rush.
A supplement, approved March 22nd, 1859, author- ized the extension westwardly of this road to the head waters of and down the Mahanoy creek, " as far as may be deemed expedient; " with authority to make connec- tion with any railroad in the valley, and to construct branches.
Under this charter and supplement the Lehigh and Mahanoy Railroad was built, and completed as far as Mount Carmel in 1865. In 1866 it was merged in the Lehigh Valley Railroad, by which it has since been owned and operated. It has a branch to Ashland, and branches to various collieries. The grades on this road are very heavy. It connects at Mount Carmel with the Northern Central, and through that road with the southern and western system of railways. It connects with the col- lieries of the Locust Mountain Coal and Iron Company, in which the Lehigh Valley Railroad Company owns half interest. This company also owns the collieries on the Girard coal lands, formerly owned by the Philadelphia Coal Company. The shops of the Lehigh and Mahanoy railroad are located at Delano, in the township of Rush.
MAHANOY AND BROAD MOUNTAIN RAILROAD.
The charter for this road was granted March 29th, 1859; and the route prescribed was from a point in Ma- hanoy or Butler township, and "thence, by the most ex- pedient and practicable route, to connect with the Phila- delphia and Reading Railroad, or any of its tributaries, with the privilege of making lateral roads into the Mine
Run, Shenandoah, Mahanoy, and New Boston coal basins."
In 1860 this road was constructed, with its termini at the terminus of the Mill creek railroad on the south, and a point near Ashland on the north. Subsequently it was extended; and connections were made with the Mine Hill railroad at Big Mine Run and Locust Dale. On the northern slope of the Mahanoy mountain, near the old Girard plane, this road was an important plane, with an elevation of about 380 feet. It is what engineers term a reciprocating plane; and its annual tonnage is about two millions of tons. The expense of this tonnage is not more than one-fifth of what the cost of the same would be over a route and grade that would dispense with the plane. If, by any accident, the plane should become useless for a time, the tonnage of the road could be carried away through interconnecting branches.
NESQUEHONING VALLEY RAILROAD.
This was chartered April 12th, 1861. By the pro- visions of its charter it was allowed to form con- nections with many other roads at the option of its directors.
It extends from the line between Carbon and Schuyl- kill counties to Tamaqua, and coal lands in its vicinity. It was leased and operated by the Lehigh Navigation Company, which was subsequently leased by the Central Railroad Company of New Jersey.
MOUNTAIN LINK RAILROAD.
Between the terminus of the Schuylkill Valley Railroad at Tuscarora and the Little Schuylkill Railroad at Ta- maqua was a space of about four miles, over which pas- sengers passed in stages during many years. No railroad was built over this route, by reason of a want of cordial- ity on the part of the two companies. When the Phila- delphia and Reading had acquired control of both these roads of course this antagonism ceased; and in 1864 and 1865 a road was constructed and put in operation by that company across this space, and railroad communi- cation was thus established between these places.
The road passes over the watershed, or divide, between ths head waters of the Schuylkill and Little Schuylkill rivers, and this necessitates grades, in some places, of about 100 feet to the mile. The connection which it es- tablished over this height rendered its name-Mountain Link-quite appropriate.
THE PEOPLE'S RAILWAY
was incorporated April 4th, 1865. It might extend "from and in the borough of Pottsville to any point or points in any direction, in the county of Schuylkill, not exceed- ing six miles in length, as the directors may select, and through any streets of boroughs, or roads, or by any routes they may deem advisable." The powers conferred on this road were extraordinary. April 28th, 1871, the time for completing the work was extended till 1874, and the company was empowered to use dummy engines in- stead of horse power, to which it was restricted by the
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PRIMITIVE EDUCATION-INTRODUCING FREE SCHOOLS.
original charter. March 4th, 1873, it was authorized to use locomotive engines.
The road was opened in 1872 between Mount Carbon and Fishbach, and used as a street railway. Early in 1873 it was opened from the head of Market street, in the borough of Pottsville, to Minersville; and it has since been operated between those points with motive power. From Mount Carbon to the head of Market street it is used as a street railway. From the foot of Market street to Fishbach it has been discontinued, and the rails have been removed.
CHAPTER XII.
EDUCATION IN SCHUYLKILL COUNTV-THE FIGHT FOR FREE SCHOOLS-ORWIGSBURG ACADEMY.
HE following sketch is condensed from a re- port made in 1877 by Jesse Newlin, who has been during many years county superinten- dent.
For a long time after the first settlements were made in the southern or agricultural portion of the county no schools were established, and only the children of a portion of the scattered settlers received instruction in the primary branches from their parents. In their youth these people had been instructed by their parents and clergymen in their native country, and they did not deem an education necessary, beyond the ability to read the Bible and catechism, and keep their accounts. They did not conceive mental discipline to be of any advantage, and they believed an education, beyond the rudimentary one which they had received, inclined its possessor to indolence and vice. It was not till the com- mencement of the present century that they began to gather their children in schools-at first in private rooms and afterwards, when settlers had multiplied sufficiently, in rude log school-houses. These were built by volun- tary contributions of materials and labor, and were quite in harmony with the other pioneer surroundings of the people. In these instruction was given in reading, writing, the rudiments of arithmetic, sacred music, the catechism, etc., and the pastor was usually the teacher ; and in many of the German districts this religious in- struction is continued to the present time. This curri- culum of instruction continued in general use up to the time of the acceptance of the common school system, or more than half a century, in the townships of Brunswig and West Penn, which were the first to establish these primitive schools and the last to accept the common school system.
In all the agricultural districts, which are situated be- tween Second mountain and the Blue hills, the German settlers entertained the same views concerning the utility of education and the amount necessary to enable people
to accumulate property and learn the simple tenets of their religious faith.
The only higher institution of learning in the county was the Orwigsburg Academy, of which a history is given elsewhere. The academy was succeeded in 1824 by the Arcadian Institute, which was established in the old court-house by Professor W. J. Burnside. He was suc- ceeded by Elias Schneider, A. M., and he by Rev. Mr. Fries. The institute became defunct in 1864, and the building was afterward converted into a shoe factory.
Although many of the German districts in this county were slow to adopt the school system of 1834, to Schuyl- kill belongs the honor of first moving in the direction of free education. Mr. William Audenreid, who repre- sented Schuylkill and Berks counties in the Senate in 1825, was the first to propose and earnestly advocate the establishment of the fund which has since become the foundation of the present school system. He was the leading advocate of English schools in his own town McKeansburg).
At a meeting of county commissioners and delegates from the districts in the county at Orwigsburg in 1834, the provisions of the school law, owing to the prejudices of the German population, then constituting four-fifths of the inhabitants of the county, were accepted by only four districts in the county. These were Orwigsburg, Pottsville, Norwegian and Schuylkill; and of these Schuylkill refused to elect directors favorable to the enforcement of the law. In opposing the new system the rich complained of a law that compelled them to pay for schooling the children of the poor and thereby make them the intellectual peers of their own; and politicians were, of course, found to espouse the cause of ignorance as long as it remained popular.
In Orwigsburg the free school system was almost unanimously adopted, and since 1865 graded schools have been maintained. In 1829 .Abraham Pott, of Port Car- bon, built at his own expense the first and only school- house in the town prior to the acceptance of the new school system, of which he was one of the most promin- ent champions. Norwegian and the townships that have been formed wholly or in part from it have always availed themselves of the full benefits of the school system and amply remunerated their teachers. In 1834 Tamaqua belonged to Schuylkill township, which then included the districts of Blythe and Mahanoy, and parts of Butler, New Castle and East Norwegian. In Tamaqua the friends of the new system prevailed ; and in the vote on its adoption in 1835 they outwitted and defeated the dull opponents of educational progress, who perponder- ated in the rural part of the township, by reserving a body of voters till near the closing of the polls, when the other party were leading and had concluded they need not exert themselves. Tamaqua then elected directors who at once put the system into operation. Among the first directors we find such men as the Honorable Benjamin Heilner, Doctor D. Hunter, A. H. Deuel, and others of like intelligence. The latter was secretary of the first board. Judge Heilner and Doctor Hunter served in the
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HISTORY OF SCHUYLKILL COUNTY.
Tamaqua school board over thirty years. In Schuylkill township there were two pay schools, in log houses, where children were taught at fifty cents per month till 1837, when the school system was adopted. In 1838 it was adopted in Manheim. Out of this, which in 1838 had eight schools, five districts have been formed, with thirty-nine schools. Pine Grove unanimously re- jected the system in 1834. Pine Grove village organized an independent district in the spring of 1835; north Pine Grove in 1843, and west Pine Grove in 1845. The remain- der of the township was without public schools till 1847.
In Rush, which included what are now Rush, Rahn, Ryan and Klein townships, a school was opened in 1810, through the instrumentality of John Faust, who became a resident of the township in 1806. It was taught by Francis Keenly in an unoccupied log house. Mr. Faust's son Jacob subsequently built and furnished three houses for school purposes at his own expense; and when the school system was introduced built a school house and presented it and the lot to the township as a contribution to the common school cause. These houses, and a school kept in an old saw-mill, were the school facilities of Rush till 1851, when the court, on petition of Mr. Faust and a few others, ordered the common school put into opera- tion. Jacob Faust procured the use of the English lan- guage in the schools, which has latterly been employed exclusively. From four schools in 1851 the number in all the districts has grown to twenty-six.
In Brunswig the first school in the county was estab- lished about the year 1777 at the "red church," followed by others at McKeansburg, New Ringgold, and one near what is now Moser's hotel. In 1838 the friends of the free schools here beat their opponents through the latter voting for "common " schools under the impression that they were the existing schools, whereas they were the very thing the obstructionists thought they were voting against. In 1849, when two more independent districts -South Brunswig and Center-were formed a school was opened in each. These were soon followed by other sections forming themselves into inde- pendent school districts as soon as a majority favored the system. West Brunswig was the last to yield to the system, and only acquiesced when com- pelled by order of the court. East and West Brunswig townships now include fifteen school districts, with twen- ty-six schools, supervised by ninety directors. Ten of these districts have each but one school. The annual school term has never exceeded five months. In Upper and Lower Mahantongo the common schools were not accepted till 1850, when Eldred township and what is now Lower Mahantongo made the advance movement. These were followed by others, until 1868, when what was left of Upper Mahantongo brought up the rear through a peremptory mandate from the court. The orig- inal territory now embraces the school districts of Barry, Eldred, Porter, Hubley, Hegins, Kessler, and Upper and Lower Mahantongos. They have thirty-eight schools, with an annual term of five months. West Penn was forced into accepting the common schools in 1868 by the
court appointing Peter Seiberling, Reuben F. Lerby, John S. Longacre, Ludwig Berner, Thomas Zimmerman, and William Backert school directors. They at once or- ganized the board, located and built fifteen school- houses, and opened the schools for four months. Some of these were men of business, and suffered very materi- ally for a few years by the withdrawal of much of the patronage of the opponents, who outnumbered the school men three to one. The opposition has almost entirely disappeared. Previous to the formation of Butler, in 1848, there had been one "pay school" in the territory which it includes. Miss Mary Savage was the teacher, and the school was supported by A. H. Wilson, Samuel Boone, Peter Seitzinger, and R. C. Wilson. In 1877 Butler had forty-eight schools, with a term of nine months. Barry accepted the school system in 1852, Wayne in 1841. In this township Christian Meyer taught during forty-one years from 1829. In. Union township the Germans succeeded in defeating the adoption of the free school system until 1858, when the court appointed six directors. But these men, after laying a school tax and locating school-houses, were forced to retreat. "In July, 1859, the court appointed six others, who fought the cause with a determination equaled only by that of the opposition. They levied the tax and appointed the collector, who, being a man of unshaken courage and endurance, accomplished his part of the work un- der the most trying circumstances. He says: Many guns were leveled at me, and threats were made. At one house I was badly scalded by a woman throwing boiling water over me; at another a woman struck me on the back of the head with a heavy iron poker; and at another I was knocked down with a stone and assaulted with pitchforks and clubs, but suc- ceeded in getting away with three cows. Many wealthy farmers did not pay their tax till after I had taken some of their stock, advertised it for sale, and they had con- sulted their attorneys.'" In Mahanoy township twenty years ago there was not a single school of any kind. In 1858 it commenced with three free schools; to-day it has within its original limits ninety-four public schools-more than in any one of the counties of Montour, Union, Sul- livan, Pike, Fulton, Forest, Elk and Cameron. These schools are nearly all graded; have an annual school term of nine months, and paid in 1876, for teaching alone, $34,155,88. It has two public high schools, that furnish the children of the miner, as well as those of the wealthy operator, a first class academical education. It has also a number of excellent grammar schools.
The first teachers' institute in the county was held at Pottsville in 1851, under the instruction of P. G. Angele, A. M., D. G. Rush, N. Olmstead, B. Bannan, A. K. Brown, A. H. Ludlow, and S. E. Carr. Fifty-seven were in attendance at this session; among whom were many who have subsequently attained high rank as teachers, or in other walks in life. Semi-annual institutes were held till 1859; then they were held annually till 1875, in which year the institute numbered four hundred and forty-eight teachers.
95
ORWIGSBURG ACADEMY-COUNTY MEDICAL SOCIETY.
ORWIGSBURG ACADEMY.
This institution was incorporated March 29th, 1813. Daniel Graeff, William Green, jr., James McFarland, Jacob Krebs, Barnet Kepner, Jeremiah Reed, Abraham Reiffschneider and Philip Hoy were named in the act as trustees. Their successors were to be elected two each year, at the general election in the county, and their powers and duties were defined. They were authorized to receive donations, and $2,000 was granted by the State; $1,000 for the erection of buildings, and $1,000 to be invested and the income applied to the payment of the compensation of teachers. In consideration of this endowment four indigent children were to be taught gratis in the school each year. The yearly value of the property owned by the corporation might not exceed $2,000.
A supplement to this act, passed in 1823, required the gratuitous instruction of as many indigent children as the resources of the institution would permit.
The only record concerning this academy that can now be found is the treasurer's book, containing entries from 1826 to 1853, except for the years between 1831 and 1840. From this it appears that under the charter a school was established before the academy building was erected. The first entry in this book (January, 1826) is an order in favor of Jacob Shelly for making a desk for the academy. This is followed by similar entries in fa- vor of John Kreter for work done, and Joseph Rambo for repairing stove in academy. From allusions in other entries to previous settlements it appears that a school had been established before 1826, but at what date can not be learned. During this and several succeeding years various amounts were paid "for teaching poor children," to Silas Hough, John St. Clair, Charles Loeser, John McClenan, P. W. Jackson and William Clark. These were probably teachers employed in the academy. In April, 1829, twenty dollars were paid for a lot on which to erect an academy, and Daniel De Frehn was the con- tractor for building it. The mason work was done by John Kreter, and the building was completed in De- cember at a cost of $1,316.96. It was planned and its erection supervised by Colonel John Bannan. It was of brick, two stories in height, and it covered an area of about 24 by 35 feet. Under an act of Assembly passed in 1870 it was sold, and it has since been taken down.
But few statistics can be gleaned from the meagre re- cords that are left. It appears that the $1,000 endow- ment granted by the State was loaned to the county, and that during a portion of its existence the institution re- ceived from the State an annuity of $125.
The names of only a few of the teachers in this school are preserved. Among them are found, in addition to those already named, Charles Loeser, F. Landebrun, James Ottinger, P. B. Carter, William H. Burns, Aman- dus Schmidt, S. F. Penfield, William Hammer, Thomas Shoener and probably G. H. Melabe, George H. Hart, Joseph Hammer, Jacob Diebert and Charles A. Wyeth.
CHAPTER XIII.
MEDICAL, RELIGIOUS AND AGRICULTURAL SOCIETIES- THE MINERS' HOSPITAL.
T a meeting of allopathic physicians of Schuyl- kill county held at Pennsylvania Hall, in the borough of Pottsville, January 15th, 1845, the preliminary steps were taken for the for- mation of a medical society. At another meeting, February 22nd of the same year, a permanent organization was effected by the adoption of a constitution and by-laws and the choice of the following officers: President, George Halberstadt; vice-president, James S. Carpenter; secretary, John G. Koehler; corresponding secretary, William Housel: treasurer, G. G. Palmer.
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