History of Schuylkill County, Pa. with illustrations and biographical sketches of some of its prominent men and pioneers, Part 52

Author:
Publication date: 1881
Publisher: New York, W. W. Munsell
Number of Pages: 604

USA > Pennsylvania > Schuylkill County > History of Schuylkill County, Pa. with illustrations and biographical sketches of some of its prominent men and pioneers > Part 52

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The first store in St. Nicholas was kept by Smith & Krebs, and opened about 1861. It is now kept by James Delong.

The Union Church was built in 1874 by the united efforts of all who were interested in having Protestant services held in the place. Among its prominent sup- porters were Major Phillips, James Delong, Benjamin Jones and John A. Donneston. It is a neat framed structure and meets the wants of all classes of believers. Services are held by Primitive Methodist, Evangelical, Presbyterian, Lutheran and Reformed clergymen from the adjacent boroughs.

St. Nicholas Colliery .- This colliery was opened in 1861, and it is now the property of the Philadelphia and Reading Coal and Iron Company. Its breaker was built The earliest known settler in the township was a Ger- man named Reisch, who built a log cabin on the site of the large brick hotel known as the Mansion House, in Mahanoy City, about 1791. The family of Henry Ket- | The slope is sunk to a depth of 720 feet below water ner was one of the first to settle in the township. With- in 1861; has a capacity of five hundred tons daily, and its average annual shipments have been about 80,000 tons. Three hundred men and boys are employed. level and workings opened in the Buck Mountain, two in the next ten years the families of Henry Stauffer, splits of the Mammoth, and, to some extent, in the Prim-

rose. J. A. Donneston was superintendent under the St. Nicholas Coal Company nearly sixteen years.

St. Nicholas Division, No. 26, S. of T .- This division was instituted April 8th, 1879, with Richard Koons, John De Silva, B. R. Jones, F. J. Smith, Thomas Metz, George Shafer, Charles Drum, William Jones, William Trevethyn, E. C. Koons and Owen Brown as charter members. At the first meeting Richard Koons was elected W. P., George Shafer secretary, and John De Silva treasurer. Since that time the following members have passed the chair: George Shafer, John J. Reed, F. J. Smith, Thomas Metz and John De Silva.

The officers in position November Ist, 1880, were: W. P., E. C. Koons; W. A., Rachel Jones; R. S., John A. Trevethyn; F. S., Alexander McHale; T., Richard Koons; chaplain, W. C. Emory; cond. W. M. Gibson; assistant cond., Alice Gibson; I. S., Emma Koons; O. S, George Case.

There are about sixty members. Meetings are held This place includes the St. Nicholas, Wiggan's and Suf- at Suffolk school-house Tuesday evenings.

St. Nicholas Silver Cornet Band was organized Nov-

folk patches, as they were formerly called. It was set- I tled in 1861, at which date Cake & Guise commenced ember 5th, 1878, with twenty members, and employed mining operations here. While engaged in erecting the | Jacob Brittz, of Mahanoy City, as teacher. Within a few breaker Mr. Guise was killed by an accident. H. L. I weeks after organization J. C. Neuland was chosen lead-

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HISTORY OF SCHUYLKILL COUNTY.

er, and he still holds the position. Its officers in 1880 were: John J. Reed, president; Thomas Metz, secretary; Enoch Decker, treasurer; J. C. Neuland, leader. It is well equipped and a credit to the place.

PUBLIC SCHOOLS.

The first public school was taught in 1859. From data kindly furnished by the superintendent of schools, M. J. Murphy, the following summary of the condition of the schools in 1880 is gleaned:

There were at that time in the township fourteen school buidings; one at Hill's, with one school, containing fifty- four scholars; one at Bowman's, with two schools, con- taining in all one hundred and fourteen scholars; one at Suffolk, with two schools, and ninety four scholars; one at Myersville, with one school, and thirty scholars; two at Yatesville, with three schools and one hundred and twenty-four scholars; one at Wiggan's, with two schools and seventy scholars; one at Grantville, two schools and seventy scholars; one at New Boston, two schools and fifty scholars; one at Boston Run, with two schools and sixty-four scholars; one at St. Nicholas, with two schools and seventy-four scholars; one at Cole's, two schools and sixty-four scholars; one at Ellangowan, two schools and one hundred and three scholars; in all twenty-three schools and 913 scholars. The highest salary paid to teachers was $55 per month; the lowest $30. Thirteen male and ten female teachers were employed, of whom the greater number received their education in the public schools of the county, and seven held permanent certifi- cates. The total monthly pay-roll for teachers' wages amounted to $985.

COLLIERIES.

North Mahanoy Colliery .- The first development here was made by Samuel and E. S. Sillyman as the firm of Samuel Sillyman & Son, and this was the first colliery opened at Mahanoy City. The first shipment of co.I was made in 1861. The colliery continued in the hands of the Sillymans until 1869, when E. S. Sillyman sold it to Hill, Harris & Rumble, and in 1872 it became the prop- erty of the Philadelphia Coal and Iron Company, the present owners. The original breaker was destroyed by fire in 1869, and the present one built by Hill, Harrison & Rumble. It has a capacity of four hundred and fifty tons daily, and about the same average production. The workings consist of a slope about two hundred and twenty-five yards deep, with gangways driven west about one and one-half miles. Half a mile west of the foot of the slope is another, driven one hundred yards.

was sunk to the Buck Mountain vein, from the foot of which a slope 636 feet in depth, with four gangways, has been driven. The vein now worked has an average depth of about fourteen feet, with a " dip " west of about six degrees. The capacity of the breaker is about five hun- dred tons daily, and the average production is nearly up to its capacity. Two hundred men and boys are em- ployed. The power is supplied by four engines, with a total of 200 horse power.

The Primrose Colliery was first opened in 1861, by Steele & Patterson, who operated it until 1866, when Caleb Kneavles purchased it, and he still operates it.

The original slope was 125 yards, with a pitch of 40 degrees. The distance of the farthest heading from its foot is 900 yards. The veins worked are the Primrose, Mammoth and Skidmore. A slope was commenced in 1879, and it has been driven to the middle split of the Mammoth vein, and a tunnel to the Skidmore. Engines with a capacity of 310 horse power are in use. The present breaker was built in 1871, and has a capacity of 350 tons daily. The average daily product is fully up to its capacity. The total number of men and boys em- plyed is 150. James Wynn is superintendent; William Wynn, outside foreman; William B. Harris, inside fore- man; Frank Reed, shipper.

The Tunnel Ridge Colliery was opened in 1863, by George W. Cole, who built a breaker and commenced shipping coal in December. It was operated by him until 1879, when the Philadelphia and Reading Coal and Iron Company bought it. The capacity of the breaker is nine hundred tons daily. The average production is about seven hundred tons. Six engines, aggregating 270 horse power, are in use, and 300 men and boys are em- ployed. The depth of the slope is one hundred and sixty-six yards, and gangways have been driven fifteen hundred yards each way, east and west, from its foot. The veins worked are the Mammoth and Buck Mountain John L. Shipman is the outside foreman.

Glendon Colliery was opened in 1860, by Abraham Potts, who built a small breaker in 1862, and in 1863 sold it to Alfred Lawton, who built the present breaker two years later. Lawton sold it to James B. Boylan, who operated it until 1876, when the Delano Land Company took possession of it and leased it to its present operators, J. C. Hayden & Co., which firm is composed of J. C. Hayden of Janesville, Pa., and Francis Robinson of New York. The capacity of the breaker is seven hundred tons daily, and the average production five hundred tons. The power is supplied by four engines, aggregating one hundred and eighty-five horse power. The veins worked are the Seven-feet, Buck Mountain and Skidmore. The slope is sunk one hundred and fifty-five yards, and gang- ways are driven two thousand yards from its foot. The total number of men and boys employed is ninety-five outside and one hundred and fifty inside. There are nine tenement houses on the property.

Schuylkill Colliery was opened in 1863 by Abraham Focht, who commenced shipping coal in the spring of the following year. In 1865 the works were sold to the firm of Focht, Whitaker & Co., who operated the colliery until 1877, when it passed into the hands of the Phila- delphia and Reading Coal and Iron Company, who are the present operators, The coal mined previous to 1870 The New Boston Coal Mining Company opened a drift and commenced operating in 1864. They erected the was taken from the Five-feet and Seven-feet veins, above water level; but in that year a shaft fifty-seven feet deep breaker, from which the first shipments were made in

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COLLIERIES IN MAHANOY TOWNSHIP.

1865, and continued operations until 1871. They were line of the Mahanoy City branch of that road, and succeeded by the Broad Mountain and Lehigh Company, which, when stripped of its machinery and valuable timbers, was destroyed by fire, as the best way of dispos- ing of it. The average daily production is four hundred tons. Ninety-five men and boys are employed inside and twenty-five outside. The extreme headings are five- eighths of a mile east and three-eighths west from the foot of the slope. Thirty-two breasts are being worked, the average thickness of the vein being ten feet. Four en- gines, with an aggregate of one hundred and forty horse power, and two steam-pumps of one hundred and thirty horse power are in use. Twenty-four tenement houses are connected with the colliery.

who operated until 1873, when a reorganization was affected under the name of the Middle Lehigh Company. who remained the owners until 1878, when the personal property and lease were purchased by Joseph Hitch, who still controls the colliery. The breaker has a capacity of 950 tons daily, and employs 425 men and boys. The depth of the slope sunk is 375 feet, with a pitch south of 22°. The distance from the foot of the slope to the ex- treme eastern heading is one and three-fourths miles, and to the extremity of the western headings 1,500 feet. The vein worked is the Buck Mountain, with an average depth of fifteen feet. The company have also driven a tunnel one hundred feet south from the bottom of the slope to the Skidmore vein, on which a distance of 2,700 feet east has been worked. The engines used are two at the fans, of 20 horse power; one pair of hoisting engines, of 180 horse power; one pair of pump engines, of 530 horse power (capacity of pumps 1,200 gallons per minute), one pair of small pump engines of 45 horse power (capac- city of pumps 300 gallons per minute), and one breaker engine of 45 horse power. Morgan W. Price is the pres- ent superintendent, John Goyne outside foreman, and Michael Murphy and Henry Kanute inside foremen.

The Coply Colliery was opened by the Bowmans at an early day and is one of the oldest workings in the town. It was purchased in 1879 by L. F. Lentz. David Bow- man became superintendent, J. L. Bowman assistant and outside foreman, William Davidson inside foreman. The colliery was formerly known as Lentz, Bowman & Co.'s. The number of men and boys employed outside is eighty, and inside one hundred and forty. Thirty-five mules are worked. The average production is 250 tons daily. The capacity of the breaker is 1,000 tons. One pair of 60 horse power hoisting engines, one 80 horse power breaker engine, one dirt and plane engine, of 15 horse power, and two 12 horse power fan engines supply the power. The shaft is one hundred and sixty feet in depth. The workings extend half a mile east and the same distance west. The original workings were six drifts, now worked out. The colliery is still working one drift on the Seven- feet vein. The shaft is sunk on Buck Mountain vein, which here averages ten feet in depth. The number of tenement houses is fifteen. The colliery is free from fire damp.

West Lehigh Colliery .- This mine was opened in 1864 by a man named Shoemaker, from Philadelphia, and is usually known among the residents of Mahanoy as the Shoemaker colliery. He built a breaker with a capa- city of 200 tons daily, and commenced shipping coal in 1864. In 1870 he sold to Bedford & Co. The original workings were in a drift on the "Seven .feet" vein. The new firm sunk a slope two hundred and fifteen yards, with a pitch of 45°, on the Buck Mountain vein. In 1874 Fisher Hazard became the owner, and built a new breaker, capable of turning out six hundred tons daily. This structure is on the main line of the Lehigh Valley road, north of the old one, which stood on the

Bear Run Colliery was opened in 1863, by George F. Wiggan and C. H. R. Treibles, who built a small breaker during that year, and erected the present one in 1871. It has a capacity of four hundred and fifty tons daily, and the average out-put is about three hundred. The original slope was one hundred yards deep, and from it was worked the top split of the Mammoth and the Seven- feet veins. This slope is not worked, but is in a condi- tion to reopen at any time when the condition of trade will warrant. The present slope was sunk two hundred and twenty-five yards, with a pitch of 45°, and workings extend west three-fourths of a mile, and east seven hun- dred yards, on the Mammoth vein. There are in use at this colliery one pair of hoisting engines of 120 horse power, one breaker engine of 20, one fan of 15, and three pumps of 150 each. The total number of men and boys employed outside is one hundred and twenty-five; inside, one hundred. The average thickness of the vein now worked is sixteen feet.

The Suffolk Colliery was first opened in 1863 by Pliny Fisk, and in February, 1864, sold by him to the Suffolk Coal Company, which built, during that year, the present breaker to take the place of a small one built by Fisk. The capacity of this breaker is 750 tons daily, and the average production 600 tons. One hundred and twenty men and boys are employed outside, and the same num- ber inside. The slope is driven 193 yards, at a pitch of 20°, and seven gangways are being worked in the Prim- rose and Orchard veins. The power used is furnished by one hoisting engine of sixty horse power, one breaker engine of fifty, one fan of forty, one shop fan engine of eighteen, one pump-used for washing-of forty, and one tank pump engine of eight, with one mine locomo- tive of twenty, besides a slope pump of one hundred and fifty. The head of the slope is about eighty yards east of the breaker.

Ellangowen Colliery .- The name by which this colliery was first' known was Maple Dale, or more commonly Lanigan's colliery, it having been opened by James Lan- igan, the original owner and operator. Mr. Lanigan sold his interest to a Mr. Star, of Boston; he sold to John C. Scott & Sons, of Philadelphia, and the name was changed to Glenville. Subsequently it was purchased by the Philadelphia and Reading Coal and Iron Company and named Ellangowen colliery. Under the control of this company, who are the present owners and operators, it

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HISTORY OF SCHUYLKILL COUNTY.

has become one of the best equipped and most produc- tive collieries in the anthracite coal region. It has one of the best constructed breakers, with the latest improve- ments in hoisting machinery, and it is producing an av- erage of twelve hundred tons of coal daily ready for market, which is its full capacity. This colliery requires the labor of two hundred and fifty men and boys inside to keep it in successful operation. It has two hoisting engines for the shaft, of ninety horse power each, and two engines for the slope, of thirty horse power each, be- sides breaker and fan engines. It has two fans to regu- late ventilation, of twenty-two and sixteen feet diameter respectively. The veins worked are the Primrose, about ten feet in thickness, and the Mammoth, in three splits, each from twelve to sixteen feet in thickness. There are about one hundred tenant houses belonging to this col- liery, and occupied by employes.

Knickerbocker Colliery .- This colliery was opened in 1864 by M. P. Fowler and Henry Huhn, and they made their first shipment of coal November 23d of the same year, having already expended $75,000 in its opening and partial development. In March, 1865, they sold the colliery to the Knickerbocker Coal Company, of which Isaac I. Hayes, of Arctic expedition fame, was president. The contract being unfulfilled the colliery was sold January Ist, 1873, to the Philadelphia and Read- ing Coal and Iron Company. Two hundred and twenty- five thousand dollars had been spent in developing and running the colliery to the time of the last sale. Under the management of the present owners and their able foremen the average daily production is about 450 tons, the full capacity being 500. The colliery gives employ- ment to 150 men and boys outside, and 180 inside. It has seven engines, with an average of forty horse power each, and one six-inch double-acting Griscom pump of six feet stroke. There are thirty two double tenant houses, in which the employes reside. The slope is sunk on the south dip of the Primrose vein and the tun- nel south to the north dip. The Mammoth vein is being worked, both top and bottom splits, which are here di- vided by about fifty yards of rock.

Boston Run Colliery was opened in 1862, by Focht & Althouse, which firm was afterward changed to Althouse & Brother by the retirement of Mr. Focht. It is owned and operated by the Philadelphia and Reading Coal and Iron Company. The workings consist of a slope 235 yards deep, with a pitch of 35 degrees, and gangways on the Mammoth vein. The breaker has a capacity of six hundred and fifty tons, and about three hundred and fifty tons are shipped daily. A saw-mill and car and black- smith shops are on the premises. One pair of sixty horse hoisting engines, one fifty horse breaker, one forty horse fan, a twenty horse engine at the saw-mill, and a five horse at the blacksmith shop furnish the power. Eighty- eight men and boys are employed inside and ninety-five outside. Thirty-six tenement houses are on the property. The colliery has been carefully managed and but five lives have been lost since its opening. John Skeath is

the inside foreman and J. W. Madenforth the outside foreman.

MURDERS.

In 1796 a log tavern was built, by an old hunter named Reisch, on the spot where now stands the Mansion House of Mahanoy City. August 10th, 1797, two travelers spent the night together at this lonely hostelry; one a Jew peddler named Faulhover, the other a hunter from New Jersey, named Bailey. The latter on the following morning preceded the peddler to a place known as West House run, lay in ambush for him and shot him through the heart. He then robbed his saddlebags of the gold and silver they contained, carried the bags, still laden with a quantity of copper coins, to a point some distance from the scene of the murder, buried them and disap- peared. Passers by buried the unfortunate peddler. A small mound marks the spot, which was pointed out for many years afterwards. Bailey was afterwards traced to New Jersey, arrested, and captured, and was executed January 6th, 1798. August 6th, 1880, a party of five boys playing in a field near Lawton's Patch picked up a large number of old copper coins, some of them bearing a date two hundred years ago. The report of the dis- covery spread rapidly, hundreds repaired to the place to search for hidden treasure, and intense excitement pre- ailed until the story of Faulhover's murder was remem- bered, and the place where the coin was unearthed was found to correspond with the story of the buried saddle- bags, which could never be found, although they were searched for at the time.

Another cowardly murder was that of Jefferson F. Yohe, a farmer's boy, living in Columbia county, and aged about sixteen years. On the 27th of May, 1870, he was shot and robbed at a point near the old colliery on the Ringtown road. Several arrests were made, but no one was ever convicted of the crime.

About three o'clock in the morning of Friday, Decem- ber roth, 1875, a party of masked men visited the house of Charles McAllister at Wiggan's Patch and broke in the back door. McAllister went into the cellar, which was separated from the adjoining house by a board par- tition only, and, removing a board, went into the other house and escaped by the back door. Mrs. McAllister went toward the kitchen door, and, meeting the ruffians, was shot dead, and left in the doorway where she fell. The murderers then went up stairs, and, finding Charles O'Donnell, a brother of Mrs. McAllister, took him out and shot him; following him as he attempted to escape, to a point some fifty yards from the house, where he fell, riddled with bullets. James McAllister was also seized, and a rope put around his neck; but he managed to get loose from it and escape. James Blair, a boarder in the house, was seized, but on giving his name was released and warned to leave. So rapidly had these outrages been accomplished that when the neighbors, awakened by the firing, reached the spot, the perpetrators were not to be found. They have never been discovered.

BOROUGH GOVERNMENT OF MAHANOY CITY.

MAHANOY CITY BOROUGH.

HIS borough is the center of a colliery dis- trict, the aggregate annual pay roll of which has during some years exceeded $2,000,000. Settled in 1859, it is still in its infancy; yet it bears marks of improvement that would do credit to many an older borough. The population in 1870 was 5,533 and in 1880 6,892.

The petition for a borough charter was approved by the grand jury of Schuylkill county September 11th, 1863, and an order of the Court of Common Pleas, dated December 16th of that year, confirmed the charter. The first charter election was held Tuesday, February 23d, 1864. The first chief burgess elected was John Eichman, and the office has since been filled as follows: 1865, 1866, 1875, 1876, 1878, John Eichman; 1867, Jonas Hein; 1868, 1870, William F. Jones; 1869, John T. Quinn; 1871, 1873, Emanuel Boyer; 1872, Frank Wen- rich; 1874, George Major, who was assassinated by the Mollie Maguires during his term of office, the term being completed by John Eichman; 1877, James Matthias, who absconded during his term and left a vacancy, which

that Jones, being an election officer, was ineligible. Jones was unseated and Watkins died, leaving a vacancy, which was filled by the election of John Eichman. In 1879 the office was filled by Ryce J. Griffiths, and in 1880 by John Weber. The other executive officers for 1880 were: President, Joseph Hughes; secretary, Eli S. Reinhold; treasurer, John Eichman; solicitor, T. H. B. Lyon; chief of police, John Leitenburger; chairman of fire and water committee, William Muldowney.

The first subdivision into election districts was made March 23d, 1865, when by a special act of the Legisla- ture the borough was divided into two wards. The latest division of the borough, into five wards, was made in resided in Mahanoy City since 1864, coming here from 1875. The borough council consists of three members Port Carbon, where he had lived since 1839. Mr. Quinn from each ward. The real estate owned by the borough is a butcher, and carries on quite an extensive business. includes one good sized two-story frame building on Emanuel Boyer, elected in 1871, is also a native of the county, having been born in Schuylkill township in 1829. Mahanoy street, which serves the varied purposes of council hall, engine house, fire companies' parlors, and | On reaching manhood he removed to Middleport, and jail. It was built in 1869, and it is valued at $4,000. opened a tailor shop. He married at Tuscarora, in 1850, A small framed structure on Main street, at the Philadel- Elizabeth Horne, of Union township, and removed to phia and Reading Railroad crossing, was erected in 1878 for the use of the chief burgess. It is valued at $200.

All of the principal streets have been raised from five to fifteen feet above their old level and inacadamized, and the bonded indebtedness of $33,100 reported at the commencement of the fiscal year of 1880 is due to these improvements, which were indispensable, not only to the comfort but the health of the people.

The Mahanoy City Post-office was established in 1839. John Lindemuth was the first postmaster, succeeded by

C. C. Hagenbusch, David Phillips, E. L. Severn, and the latter's widow, Mrs. Mary Severn. The office is on south Main street. Mails are received several times a day from New York and Philadelphia by way of the Lehigh Valley and Reading railways. The office pays a salary of about $1,700 yearly. The clerks employed are ladies.

SKETCHES OF THE BURGESSES.

John Fichman, the first chief burgess, elected in 1864 and six times thereafter, is a native of Germany, and was born in 1817. He came to America in 1847, and to Ma- hanoy City in 1863. He married Barbara Hoppe in Germany, and has two children. In 1879 he was elected borough treasurer, and he has filled the office since that date. Since 1867 he has been superintendent and collec- tor for the Mahanoy City Water Company.

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History of Schuylkill County, Pa. with illustrations and biographical sketches of some of its prominent men and pioneers, Part 52

Author: Publication date: 1881 Publisher: New York, W. W. Munsell Number of Pages: 604

Author:
Publication date: 1881
Publisher: New York, W. W. Munsell
Number of Pages: 604