History of that part of the Susquehanna and Juniata valleys, embraced in the counties of Mifflin, Juniata, Perry, Union and Snyder, in the commonwealth of Pennsylvania. V. 2, Pt. 1, Part 7

Author: Ellis, Franklin, 1828-1885, ed; Hungerford, Austin N., joint ed; Everts, Peck & Richards, Philadelphia, pub
Publication date: 1886
Publisher: Philadelphia : Everts, Peck & Richards
Number of Pages: 776


USA > Pennsylvania > Juniata County > History of that part of the Susquehanna and Juniata valleys, embraced in the counties of Mifflin, Juniata, Perry, Union and Snyder, in the commonwealth of Pennsylvania. V. 2, Pt. 1 > Part 7
USA > Pennsylvania > Mifflin County > History of that part of the Susquehanna and Juniata valleys, embraced in the counties of Mifflin, Juniata, Perry, Union and Snyder, in the commonwealth of Pennsylvania. V. 2, Pt. 1 > Part 7
USA > Pennsylvania > Snyder County > History of that part of the Susquehanna and Juniata valleys, embraced in the counties of Mifflin, Juniata, Perry, Union and Snyder, in the commonwealth of Pennsylvania. V. 2, Pt. 1 > Part 7
USA > Pennsylvania > Union County > History of that part of the Susquehanna and Juniata valleys, embraced in the counties of Mifflin, Juniata, Perry, Union and Snyder, in the commonwealth of Pennsylvania. V. 2, Pt. 1 > Part 7
USA > Pennsylvania > Perry County > History of that part of the Susquehanna and Juniata valleys, embraced in the counties of Mifflin, Juniata, Perry, Union and Snyder, in the commonwealth of Pennsylvania. V. 2, Pt. 1 > Part 7


Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).


Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39 | Part 40 | Part 41 | Part 42 | Part 43 | Part 44 | Part 45 | Part 46 | Part 47 | Part 48 | Part 49 | Part 50 | Part 51 | Part 52 | Part 53 | Part 54 | Part 55 | Part 56 | Part 57 | Part 58 | Part 59 | Part 60


A constitution was framed and adopted, which, with little modification, continues to be the organic law of the association.


It named the association " The Medical So- ciety of Perry County," and defined the object of the society to be " the advancement of medi- cal knowledge, the elevation of professional character, the protection of the interests of its members, and the promotion of all means to re- lieve suffering, to improve the public health and protect the life of the community," and incidentally, to promote a social and fraternal feeling among its members. It further defined the qualifications of its members, the number,


titles, duties and tenure of its officers ; fixed the date of its stated meetings; provided for the assessment and collection of dues ; adopted the code of ethics of the State Medical Society, and defined the manner in which its own provisions may be changed.


The constitution, as adopted, was approved by the censors of the State Medical Society for the district, and ever since, official relations with the State Society and with the " National American Medical Association" have been main- tained, and delegates sent yearly to their ses- sions.


Its list of members embraces most of the names of the regular physicians who have practiced within the county, since the organization of the society. About six meetings are held yearly, and questions of interest to its members are dis- cussed at its sessions. The association takes an interest in all questions of a medical and sani- tary character, and has used its influence to se- cure the passage of the different acts of legisla- tion relative to medical and sanitary matters in the State.


Below is appended a list of the officers and members since its formation. Many whose names appear in the roll are dead or moved away. The actual strength of the society is twenty-seven at present.


1850 .- President, J. H. Case; Vice-President, A. C. Stees ; Corresponding Secretary, B. F. Grosh ; Re- cording Secretary, T. Stilwell ; Treasurer, J. E. Singer.


1851 .- President, A. C. Stees; Vice-President, T. G. Morris ; Corresponding Secretary, W. G. Niblock; Recording Secretary, J. H. Case; Treasurer, J. E. Singer.


1852 .- President, J. E. Singer ; Vice-President, W. G. Niblock ; Corresponding. Secretary, R. S. Brown; Recording Secretary, J. H. Case; Treasurer, P. S. P. Whiteside.


1853 .- President, J. E. Singer ; Vice-President, Jonas Ickes; Corresponding Secretary, R. S. Brown; Recording Secretary, J. H. Case; Treasurer, P. S. P. Whiteside.


1854 .- President, J. E. Singer ; Vice-President, Jonas Ickes ; Corresponding Secretary, R. S. Brown; Recording Secretary, J. 11. Case; Treasurer, James Galbraith.


1855 .- President, Jonas Jekes; Vice-President. J. D. Brooks ; Corresponding Secretary, R. S. Brown; Recording Secretary, J. H. Case; Treasurer, James Galbraith.


PERRY COUNTY.


933


1856 .- President, B. F. Grosh ; Vice-President, R. S. Brown; Corresponding Secretary, Isaac Lefever ; Recording Secretary, J. II. Case; Treasurer, James Galbraith.


1857 .-- President, B. F. Grosh ; Vice-President, R. S. Brown ; Corresponding Secretary, Isamme Lefever; Recording Secretary, J. 11. Case; Treasurer, James Galbraith.


1858 .- President, James Galbraith ; Vice-President, R. B. Hoover; Corresponding Secretary, Isaac Le- fever; Recording Secretary, J. H. Case; Treasurer, J. E. Singer.


1859 .- President, James Galbraith ; Vice-Presi- dent, P. Me Morris ; Corresponding Secretary, Isaac Lefever ; Recording Secretary, J. HI. Case; Treasurer, J. E. Singer.


1860,-President, Isaac Lefever ; Vice-President, B. F. Hooke; Corresponding Secretary, Philip Ebert ; Recording Secretary, J. M. B. Jackson; Treasurer, Samuel Stites.


1861 .- President, Philip Ebert ; Vice-President, Samuel Stites ; Corresponding Secretary, Isaac Le- fever; Recording Secretary, W. W. Culver; Treasu- rer, J. E. Singer.


1862 .- President, James Galbraith ; Vice-President, Samuel Stites; Corresponding Secretary, Isaac Le- fever; Recording Secretary, N. C. MeMorris ; Treas- urer, Joseph Swartz,


1863 .- President, Samuel Stites; Vice-President, William Mateer : Corresponding Secretary, Isaac Lefever; Recording Secretary, James Galbraith ; Treasurer, J. E. Singer.


1864 .- President, Joseph Swartz; Vice-President, D. B. Milliken ; Corresponding Secretary, Isaac Le- fever ; Recording Secretary, James Galbraith ; Treas- urer, William Matcer.


1865 .- President, B. P. Hooke; Vice-President, A. J. Werner; Corresponding Secretary, Joseph Swartz; Recording Secretary, James II. Case; Treasurer, Samuel Stites,


1866 .- President, Joseph Swartz; Vice-President, I. M. Miller ; Corresponding Secretary, Isane Le- fever ; Recording Secretary, A. J. Werner ; Treas- urer, J. E. Singer.


1867 .- President, James Galbraith ; Vice-President, D. B. Milliken ; Corresponding Secretary, Isaac Le- fever; Recording Secretary, J. E. Singer ; Treasurer, Joseph Swartz.


1868,-President, N. C. MeMorris; Vice-President, George W. Mitchell ; Corresponding Secretary, J. E. Singer ; Recording Secretary, William Mateer : Treasurer, S. Stites.


1869 .-- President, N. C. MeMorris ; Vice-President, George W. Mitchell ; Corresponding Secretary, J. E. Singer ; Recording Secretary, G. M. Bradfield; Treas- urer, S. Stites.


1870,-President, William R. Cisna; Vice-Presi- lent, M. B. Strickler ; Corresponding Secretary, J. F.


Singer ; Recording Secretary, G. W. Eppley ; Treas- urer, James Galbraith,


1871 .- President, HI. O. Orris; Vice-President, George W. Eppley ; Corresponding Secretary, M. B. Strickler; Recording Secretary, James Galbraith ; Treasurer, J. E. Singer.


1872 .- President, Jacob Ritter ; Vice-President, James Galbraith ; Corresponding Secretary, J. E. Singer ; Recording Secretary, W. R. Cisna; Treas- urer, J. P. Sheibley.


1873 .- President, A. J. Werner; Vice-President, J. P. Sheibley; Corresponding Secretary, J. E. Singer; Recording Secretary, James B. Eby; Treasurer, Jo- seph Swartz.


1874,-President, M. B. Strickler; Vice-President, James B. Eby ; Corresponding Secretary, J. E. Singer ; Recording Secretary, D. B. Milliken ; Treasurer, Jo- seph Swartz.


1875 .- President, D. B. Milliken ; Vice-President, II. O. Orris; Corresponding Secretary, J. E. Singer; Recording Secretary, William R. Cisna; Treasurer, Joseph Swartz.


1876 .- President, W. D. Ard ; Vice-President, A. J. Werner; Corresponding Secretary, I. E. Singer ; Recording Secretary, C. J. Heckert ; Treasurer, Jo- seph Swartz.


1877 .- President, James B. Eby ; Vice-President, Harry Stites ; Corresponding Secretary, J. E. Singer ; Recording Secretary, W. R. Cisna; Treasurer, Jo- seph Swartz.


1878. - President, H. O. Orris; Vice-President, D. B. Milliken; Corresponding Secretary, J. B. Eby ; Recording Secretary, W. R. Cisna; Treasurer, Jo- seph Swartz.


1879 .- President, J. P. Sheibley, Vice-President, Ilarry Stites; Corresponding Secretary, J. B. Eby ; Recording Secretary, W. R. Cisna; Treasurer, Jo- seph Swartz.


1880 .- President, Harry Stites ;. Vice-President, M. B. Strickler; Corresponding Secretary, J. B. Eby ; Recording Secretary, H. O. Orris ; Treasurer, Joseph Swartz.


1881 .- President, G. C. Dean; Vice-President, F. C. Steele; Corresponding Secretary, .I. B. Eby ; Re- cording Secretary, II. O. Orris; Treasurer, Joseph Swartz. -


1882 .- President, George N. Reutter; Vice-Presi- dent, F. C. Steele; Corresponding Secretary, J. B. Eby ; Recording Secretary, James P'. Sheibley; Treasurer, Joseph Swartz.


1883,-President, F. C. Steele; Vice-President, P. J. Sheeder; Corresponding Secretary, J. B. Eby ; Recording Secretary, James P. Sheibley ; Treasurer, Joseph Swartz.


1884,-President, M. B. Strickler; Vice-President, D. T. Brubaker; Corresponding Secretary, J. B. Eby ; Recording Secretary, James P. Sheibley ; Treasurer, Joseph Swartz.


- e e e 1 1 1


-


1


1 1


934


JUNIATA AND SUSQUEHANNA VALLEYS IN PENNSYLVANIA.


1885 .- President, J. D. Shull ; Vice-President, James P. Sheibley ; Corresponding Secretary, J. B. Eby ; Recording Secretary, M. B. Strickler; Treas- urer, Joseph Swartz.


MEMBERS. James II. Case, of Liverpool.


A. C. Stees, of Millerstown.


J. E. Singer, of Newport.


B. F. Grosh, of Andersouburg. T. Stilwell, of Millerstown.


T. G. Morris, of Liverpool. John Wright, of Liverpool.


P. S. P. Whiteside, of Milford.


James Galbraith, of Landisburg. W. G. Niblock, of Landisburg.


Joseph Speck, of Duncannon. Joseph D. Brooks, of Duncannon. William Niblock, of Landisburg. John HI. Dolan, of Milford. Jonas Ickes, of New Bloomfield.


Robert S. Brown, of Newport.


Samuel M. Tudor, of Centre Mills.


Joseph B. D. Fckes, of New Bloomfield.


Patrick MeMorris, of New Buffalo.


W. W. Culver, of Duncannon. William Mateer, of Newport.


11. A. Boteler, of Duncannon.


Geo. N. Rentter, of Junction.


Jacob Ritter, of Liverpool.


G. Milt. Bradfield, of Blaine.


G. F. Matter, of Markelsville. William R. Cisna, of Ickesburg. Geo. W. Eppley, of Elliottsburg.


F. A. Gutshall, of Blaine.


HI. Orand Orris, of Newport. W. D. Ard, of New Bloomfield. Thomas L. Johnston, of Duncannon.


J. P. Sheibley, of Landisburg.


S. T. Lineaweaver, of Millerstown.


J. E. Milligan, of Newport.


And. J. Werner, of Duncannon.


John W. Crooks, of Shermansdale. A. E. Linn, of Centre.


F. A. Koughling, of Rye township.


Isaac Lefever, of Loysville. David F. Fetter, of New Bloomfield. B. Hoover, of Newport.


B. P. Hooke, of Loysville.


G. B. Hotchkiss, of Andersonburg. Philip Ebert, of Duncannon. Joseph Swartz, of Duncannon. John M. B. Jackson, Ickesburg.


D. B. Milliken, of Landisburg.


M. B. Strickler, of New Bloomfield.


W. O. Baldwin, of Newport.


J. M. Miller, of Marketsville. Geo. W. Mitchell, of Andersonburg. N. C. McMorris, of Duncannon.


Frederick Nockel, of Duncannon.


J. B. Eby, of Newport.


C. J. Heckert, of Duncannon. Harry Stites, of Newport.


Samuel Stites, of Millerstown. C. C. Dean, of lekesburg.


J. L. Brubaker, of Millerstown.


J. D. Shull, of Markelsville.


A. A. Murray, of Liverpool.


J. F. Thompson, of Liverpool. A. J. Traver, of Marysville.


P. J. Sheeder, of Shermansdale.


A. D. Vandyke, of Marysville.


II. D. Rentter, of Duncannon.


S. H. Green, of Duncannon.


F. C. Steele, of New Buffalo.


John U. Hobach, of Duncannon.


CHAPTER IV.


Educational Progress-Teachers' Institutes-County Su- perintendents.1


Ix 1808 a law was enacted which provided for the education of poor children at the ex- pense of the county; but this well-meant charity, while its provisions reached out to the most iu- digeut classes, attached the stigma of panper children to all who accepted it, and it is known as the "Pauper School Law." The first schools were kept in abandoned cabins or parts of dwell- ings spared for the purpose, and these were se- cured and fitted up by the "school-master" when he seenred his subscribers.


The teachers of these schools were either the resident minister or an itinerant Irishman, who took np school for a " quarter " or " half-quar- ter" to get means to continue his journey to the next settlement. The branches taught were spell- ing, reading, writing and ciphering. These teach- ers were despotie in their mode of government and administered the rod for the slightest offense.


These schools were the germs of the free schools, and were first formulated in 1825 by General Henry Beeson, of Fayette County, iu his Public School Bill, which, though it failed to pass, yet directed such attention to its provi- sions, that the fice school act of 1834 was the legitimate offspring of it.


We notice here, in 1814, in the act of the


1 By Professor Silas Wright.


935


PERRY COUNTY.


28th of March, which made the following pro- visions :


1927669


"Sec. 1. The land officers to make a title, clear of purchase money and fees, for a piece of laud in To- boyne township, for school purposes.


"Sec. 2. A majority of subscribers to supply va- cancies of trustees."


The following shows the amounts paid by Perry County for educating poor children:


1820, $2.58 ; 1821, 847.87 ; 1822, $40.58 ; 1823, $22.14; 1824, 8116.95; 1825, $126.46; 1826, 893.31 ; 1827, 885.87; 1828, $122.68; 1829, $169.11; 1830, $152 41; 1881, $171.17; 1832, 8312.73 ; 1833, $400.53; 1834, $393.99; 1835, 8424.87; 1836, $165.96; 1837, 834.25 (in this year school-tax levied for teaching poor children footed $116.64); 1838, $51.05 for teaching poor children in Toboyne township ; 1839, 834.57 for teaching poor children in Toboyne township; 1840, 89.48 for teach- ing poor children in Toboyne township.


Much of the opposition to the free-school sys- tem came from the German Christians, who opposed it on the ground that it interfered with their church schools.


Notable among these schools in the county were " Carl's," in Little Germany, Spring town- ship, which was established about 1780 by Hen- ry Imdolph Spark. a German teacher, who erected a house on a lot of seventeen acres of ground, both of which he donated at his death for school purposes. After Mr. Spark's death his snecessor, a Mr. Carl, continned the school for more than twenty years afterward. Other schools of the kind were the one in Loysville, erected about 1795, on the lot of ground ocen- pied by Lebanon Church. One end of the house was occupied by the teacher and his family and the other was the school-room. Reiber's Church and school-house, in Carroll township, was built in 1780, and abont four miles cast of this house, between 1775 and 1780, another honse served the double purpose of church and school.


In the history of the townships it will be shown how these houses were dotted over the county, and served as centres of opposition to the new-school system, which threatened their destruction.


There were no directors appointed by the court in 1834 to serve until the election in the spring of 1835.


In 1831 there were twelve districts reported


in the county, six of which were accepting and three non-accepting.


In 1835 the following accepting townships raised the amounts set forth for schools :


Buffalo. $133.69


Juniata. 219.47


Liverpool. 128.02


Rye .... 81.86


Saville 158.91


Wheatfield. 148.20


In 1836 the following were accepting dis- tricts :


Bloomfield $25.13


Buffalo


62.06


Carroll, 58.23


Centre.


67.72


Greenwood 53.50


Juniata .. 102.87


Liverpool township 36.00


Liverpool borough.


23.94


Rye


38.13


Tyrone


131.54


Wheatfield. 69.46


The following table will exhibit the condition of the school systems in the districts of the con- ty, as reported at the meeting of the delegates on the 2d of May, 1836 :


Name of


Accepting or Number of


district. non-accepting. taxables.


Buffalo, accepting. 212


Bloomfield borough,


85


Carroll,


197


Centre, 44


229


Greenwood,


181


Juniata, =


348


Liverpool borough,


SI


Liverpool township, =


122


Rye township,


129


Saville, 252


Toboyne township, non-accepting 426


Tyrone township, accepting. 445


Wheattiekl, 235


In 1836 Perry County was third in order of favor toward the free-school system.


In 1837 the monthly salary of male teachers was nineteen dollars and forty-four cents and of female teachers thirteen dollars and seventy-five cents. In this year Millerstown, in Greenwood, had a five months' term, and the following branches were taught, viz .: reading, writing, grammar, geography and history. In this year the following townships had the mmuber of


936


JUNIATA AND SUSQUEHANNA VALLEYS IN PENNSYLVANIA.


male and female teachers set opposite the district :


Males. Females.


Buffalo township. 7


C'entro township. 5


=


Juniata township. 10 N


Liverpool borough


1


()


Liverpool township 5


1


Rye township.


1


Saville township.


5


12


Tyrone township.


1


0


Wheatfield township. 7


In 1838 Bloomfield, Buffalo, Carroll, Centre, Greenwood, Juniata, Liverpool borough and township, Madison, Rye, Saville, Tyrone and Wheatfield reported seventy-nine and one-half schools, the longest term seven and the shortest three months. The highest salary paid per month was twenty-three dollars, and the lowest fifteen dollars.


In 1839 the distriets of Saville, Tyrone and Wheatfield reported twenty-six schools, and two required ; and these were kept open three and one-third months, and were taught by male teachers at an average salary of sixteen dollars and seventy-two cents per month.


In 1848 the funds of Buffalo township were used in building school-houses and the schools were not in operation. Bloomfield, Carroll, Greenwood, Liverpool borough and township, Madison, Oliver, Rye, Tyrone and Wheatfield districts reported fifty-five schools, and the highest salary per month twenty-two dollars paid to the male teacher in Bloomfield. Jun- iata and Tyrone townships respectively paid fifteen dollars per month to male teachers and twelve dollars to female teachers.


In 1854, when the law creating the county superintendeney came into effect, there were one Indred and cighi schools in operation, at which there was a total attendance of five thousand nine hundred and eighty-four pupils, and teachers were paid per month : males, eighteen dollars and fifty cents; females, eleven dollars and forty cents. In 1855, one year under county supervision, the number of schools in- ercased to one hundred and thirty-eight, and the salaries of males to twenty-two dollars and seventy-five cents, and females to eighteen dollars and seventy-two cents per month. In this year


the highest salary paid per month in any dis- triet in the county was thirty dollars.


In 1876 male teachers received an average salary of thirty dollars and fifty-seven cents and females twenty-eight dollars and fifty one cents per month.


A school census was taken by the teachers during the school term of 1873-74 and shows there to have been,-


Children, six and under sixteen years of age ... 6198


Children, sixteen and under twenty-one years of age. 1606


Pupils, between the ages of six and twenty-one, attending private schools. 185


Total .. 7989


The following statistics from the report of 1884 will afford a comparative view of the progress of the free-school system in the county :


Number schools, 186 ; average length of term, 5.31 months; number male teachers, 124; number female teachers, 63; average salary of males per month, $29.60; average salary of females per month, $26.20; whole number of pupils attending schools, 7459.


JUNIATA VALLEY NORMAL SCHOOL .- This school opened at Newport on the 8th of April, 1867, and was continued for ten years; after, until September, 1868, at Millerstown, when the principal, the writer, left the town to become the principal of the MeAlisterville Soldiers' Orphans' School.


The accounts of academies and seminaries of the county will be found in the townships or villages in which they are located. An account of other schools which were continued for a short time is here given.


In the summer of 1856 Rev. J. B. Strain opened a school in a room in the dwelling-house of' Mr. Jacob Super. In this school Dr. C. W. Super, now president of the Ohio University, and Professor William C. Shuman, now prin- cipal of a ward school in Chicago, made their first start.


In 1860 Professor Bartlett opened the "Sus- quehanna Institute" in the basement of the United Presbyterian Church at Duncannon. Rev. William B. Craig continued the school for a time after Professor Bartlett left.


"Sherman's Valley Institute," in charge of


937


PERRY COUNTY.


Dr. William R. Cisna and Rev. J. J. Korr as principals, was held in the house at Anderson- burg, now owned by Hon. Martin Motzer.


" Charity School " was held in a house which was erected by citizens of the neighborhood on lands of Mr. Samuel Hench, in Northeast Madison township, in 18 12.


TEACHERs' INSTrrerEs .- The first public- school meeting on 'record was called by W. B. Mitchell, Jesse Miller and Jacob Fritz, to meet in Landisburg May 7, 1825. The notice of the first Teachers' Institute was published on the 15th of July, 1854, and called by Samnel S. Saul, Joseph Ogle, Wil- liam Brown, Albert E. Owen, James (. Turbett and R. I. Heim, to meet in Bloom- field on Wednesday, the 9th of AAngust. This institute met and was organized by the selection of Rev. R. Weiser, of Loysville, president, and John A. MeCroskey, of Bloomfield, secretary. Messrs. A. E. Owen, J. R. Titzell and George Tressler, an executive committee, reported : 1. The small pay of teachers ; 2. Incompetent directors ; 3. How to procure the best knowl- edge of the art of teaching ; 1. School-books; 5. Duties of teachers ; 6. Authority of teachers in school government. Resolutions expressive of the sense of the institute on these subjects were offered and adopted. Page's Theory and Practice of Teaching, Webster's Spelling-Book, MeGuffey's Readers, Emerson's Arithmetic, Smith's Grammar for elementary classes and Parker and Fox's for higher classes, and Mitchell's Geographies .and Outline Maps were recommended. This meeting agreed to invite the State superintendent and the assistant secretary of the commonwealth to be present at the next meeting, to be held at Dun- cannon in October. At the second meeting, begun in Landisburg on the 26th of October, State Superintendent Thos. 11. Burrowes was present. Henry 1 .. Deitlenbach, assistant secretary of the commonwealth, could not attend. Educational meetings were held in Landisburg on the 7th of September, and in Bloomfield on the 17th of November, 1855.


The third meeting of the institute convened in Bloomfield on Monday, 17th of December, 1855. Professor John F. Stoddard, of Lancaster County


Normal School, was present, and lectured on mental arithmetic, methods of teaching, read- ing, duties of parents and teachers, orthography and the alphabet. S. D. Ingram, county sup- crintendent of Dauphin, assisted in the exer- cises.


At the fourth County Institute Professor J. F. Stoddart and S. A. Terrell, superintendent of Wayne County, were the help from abroad. Fifty-eight teachers were in attendance.


The fifth institute was in charge of Superin- tendent Bucher, and attended by sixty-seven teachers from twenty districts, and thirteen directors from ten districts. Professor F. A. Allen, of Tioga County, and B. F. Taylor, of Chester County, were the foreign help.


The institute in 1858 was held in Newport during Christmas week, and styled "Our first home institute."


At the institute held in Landisburg in De- vember, 1859, Professor J P. Wickersham, of the Normal School at Millersville, was the instructor.


In December and Jannary, 1860 and 1861, the eighth, ninth and tenth meetings, of three days cach, were held at Loysville, Dun- camion and Liverpool.


In 1862 the institute was held at Newport. In 1864 there were two meetings of the County Institute. In 1865 the meeting was held at Newport and attended by Professor S. W. Clark and Hon. Charles R. Coburn. Much interest by the citizens and the attendance of fifty teachers wore the comments by Superintendent Jacob Gantt. From this time to the present the annual sessions have been held in the court- house in Bloomfield, in accordance with the usages of other counties of the State.


The County Institute for 1866 began at Bloomfield on the Ist day of January, 1867, and was attended by seventy teachers. Hon. J. 1. Wieker-ham, Professor Edward Brooks, J. R. Sypher, E-q., Miss Lide A. Stetson, eloen- tionist, William C. Shuman and A. S. Manson lectured and gave instruction.


At this institute six hundred words were spelled by the teachers, and eleven prizes were awarded. The highest award was a Webster's Quarto Dictionary, which was won by William


in 1


938


JUNIATA AND SUSQUEHANNA VALLEYS IN PENNSYLVANIA.


C. Shuman, an instructor ; but he requested, for the reason that he was not teaching in the county, that it be given to the next best speller, who was O. B. Super, of Jumiata township. For this act of generosity Captain D. L. Tressler offered the following:


"Resolved, That this institute as highly com- mend the heart that could yield the prize as the head that could win it."


The success of this institute was pronounced by the emphatic indorsement given by Hon. B. F. Junkin, to whom the writer dedicates this sentence of credit.


The next institute met at Bloomfield, on the 23d of December, 1867, and was attended by one hundred and thirty-five actual teachers out of a possible attendance of one hundred and sixty-seven.


The instructors were: In elocution, J. W. Shoemaker, founder of the National School of Elocution and Oratory, in Philadelphia; arith- metie :md etymology, C. H. Harding ; drawing and object-teaching, J. V. Montgomery ; or- thography and grammar, A. N. Raub.


Another spelling contest was held and eight prizes, valued at forty dollars, were donated by persons attending the institute. II. C. Magee, of Centre township, stood first this year.


The session of the institute for 1868 met in Newport, on the 21st of December, and was largely attended by teachers and citizens. The following persons instructed : Elocution and reading, J. W. and Mrs. Shoemaker; geogra- phy, drawing and penmanship, J. V. Mont- gomery; grammar and etymology, 1. N. Raub. At this meeting Professor Montgomery present- ed a silver medal to Mary E. Sowers, of Mil- lerstown, for the best penmanship. Four prizes were given for spelling.




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