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. 2 > Part 48
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. 2 > Part 48
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. 2 > Part 48
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. 2 > Part 48
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. 2 > Part 48
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The statistics for 1855 are as follows : Nine schools, four months ; nine male teachers. Male pupils, two hundred and eleven ; females, one hundred and sixty nine.
For the year 1881, twenty-nine years later, the statistics are as follows : Eleven schools, five months ; eight male and three female teachers.
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Number of male pupils, two hundred and twen- ty-five; females, two hundred and ten.
There are four schools in one building in Freeburg. Value of school property, five thou- sand dollars.
1. S. Goy, a gentleman of a good common- school education, is secretary of the board. Hle advocated the necessity of putting new desks i to two of the rooms in the Freeburg school- house. The board agreed to this measure, and seated the upper rooms with the new improved Paragon desks, September, 1885.
Washington is credited with having been the first district in the county that accepted the publie-school system.
FREEBURG.
This village was founded about 1796 by An- drew Stranb, and was called Stranb's Town for several years. It contained ninety five buikling- lots, sixty-six feet by one hundred and sixty- five feet. He donated one aere of ground for church and school purposes. The Lutheran Reformed Church is erected on one of the lots donated. The proprietor of the town became so poor that at his death he was buried at the expense of the township in the grave-yard he had previously donated in Freeburg. He died in the stone house now owned and occupied by Henry Custer, in Penn's township. No tomb- stone marks his resting-place.
The inhabitants of Straubstown in 1802 are given in Linn's " Buffalo Valley," as follows : " Alspice, Doctor Henry ; Felmly, Jacob ; Hack- enberg, Michael, joiner; Long, Peter ; Moore, Andrew; Moore, Philip; Myer, Michael ; Myer, Jacob, son of Stephen; Myer, George; Nagle, John ; Reigert, Paul ; Roush, John, tan-yard ; Rupert, John ; Schock, Jacob; Smith, John, weaver ; Straub, George, son of Peter ; Stump, Abraham ; Weaver, Michael."
The first addition made to the town was in 1854, when Henry Motz, Esq., laid out twenty- one building-lots ; the second was made by John Emrich, in 1867, consisting of twenty-one lots, the third addition by Hon. George C. Moyer, eighteen lots; the fourth addition, of forty lots, by Daniel S. and Jacob JJ. Boyer; the fifth, of one hundred and forty lots, was
made by Augustus Springman, in the year 1873. This last addition was part of a tract of two hundred and thirty-one acres surveyed to Daniel Ort on a warrant dated April 11, 1755. Ort sold the tract to Andrew Moore, March 18, 1769. It was named " Milltown," and was de- scribed as being in Dutch Valley, near Middle Creek. The patent was issned July 9, 1785. The town now contains three hundred and fifty building-lots, and is five-eighths of a mile in length. It contains one hundred and ten dwell- ing-houses, an academy, two musie-schools, two churches, a public school-honse with four rooms, five stores, two drug-stores, two saddler-shops, two shoemakers, two tinsmiths, one tan-yard, four blacksmith-shops, two wagon-maker's shops, one feed-store, two marble-shops, one lum- ber-yard, one foundry, a barber-shop, one saloon, five establishments in which cigars are mann- factured, two printing-offices, two plasterers, two physicians, three attorneys, one minister, two dealers in musical instruments, two justices of the peace, three carpenters, one chair-maker and a grist and saw-mill. George B. Stranb has carried on the coach business in Freeburg since 1852. P. L. HTains has a furniture establish- ment, and is also an undertaker and painter. F. E. Hilbish has erected a large sale-stable, at which he has had thirty sales of horses since Jannary, 1883. The horses are bought by Messrs. Wilson, of Walnut, Ill., and shipped here by railroad. Mr. Hilbish has sold at pub- lie and private sales since he established the business abont one thousand horses, and handled about one hundred and forty thousand dollars in the business.
Christian Boyer, a Revolutionary soldier, kept the first store in Washington township, in the year 1789, in the old stone house, still standing and ocenpied by Daniel Baney, one mile north of Freeburg. He afterwards built a house on the corner now ocenpied by F. C. Moyer, in Freeburg. He gave an old fiddle to Christo- pher Moyer for all the timber he used in this house. He moved into it and opened a store abont the year 1797, one year after Freeburg was founded.
Philip Morr kept a store in Freeburg, in the house now owned by M. L. Erlenmyer, on Front
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Street, about the year 1799. George Hosterman kept a tavern in Front Street, about the year 1812, in the house now owned by the estate of Daniel Class, deceased.
An attempt was made in 1874 to incorporate Freeburg into a borough. A petition was pre- sented to the court signed by forty-two persons. The petition was taken into consideration, and the grand jury granted a borough February 24, 1874.
A May term, 1874, a remonstrance was presented to the court against the incorporation, and exceptions filed, and L. M. Myers ap- pointed commissioner to take testimony. Sev- enty-five witnesses were examined, a majority of whom testified against the incorporation. A number who had signed in favor of a borough were induced to change their opinions, and testi- fied against the incorporation. The matter ended, the report of the grand jury was not con- firmed by the court, and Freeburg still remains in Washington township.
The Freeburg Courier was established in Freeburg, July 25, 1867, with D. B. & C. F. Moyer as editors and proprietors. This firm conducted the paper up to Angust 1, 1874, when, upon the death of the senior member, Henry B. Moyer purchased the interest of the deceased, and at once assumed the duties of one of its editors and proprietors, the firm-name being II. B. & C. F. Moyer. C. F. Moyer, one of the proprietors, erected a fine two-story office on Market Street, Freeburg, in 1876. The Courier is a Republican paper.
The Freeburg News is a Democratie paper es- tablished by L. G. Early in Freeburg, July 1, 1885. Its office is on Market Street. Mr. Early learned the business at Reading.
LUTHERAN AND REFORMED CHURCH OF FREEBURG .- These distinct congregations erceted a Union Church at Freeburg in 1812. The history of each will here be given in con- nection with the church building.
On the Morr farm, now owned by Augustus Springman, our forefathers worshipped in a private house long before a church was erected. In 1770 a patent was granted to Andrew Morr, Casper Roush, a soldier in the Revolutionary war, and Peter Straub, for forty-two acres of
land one mile north of Freeburg, for the use of the Lutheran Church. On this land they built a log school-house, which was also used for a church for seventeen years. About six acres of this land is still owned by the Lutheran con- gregation at Freeburg, and an okl cemetery, which has been recently newly fenced and cleared is on a part of this land.
In 1787 the Lutherans commenced build- ing a church on the grounds, called Zion's Church, but never finished it. In this church they worshipped twenty-eight years. The Re- formed congregation was organized in the year 1791.
Andrew Straub, the proprietor of Stranbs- town (now Freeburg), donated one acre of ground for church and school purposes, on which the Lutheran and Reformed congrega- tion built a Union Church. The corner-stone was laid May 7, 1812, by Rev. Engel, Lutheran, and Rev. Adams, Reformed minister. The elmirch was named St. Peter's Church of Free- burg.
The War of 1812-14 delayed its completion until 1815. It was a two-story stone church surmounted with a cupola, in which was placed a good bell. It had a gallery on three sides, and was considered a model building for the times. After three years' labor it was dedicated October 29, 1815. On this occasion the pastors, Rev. Conrad Walter, Lutheran, and Rev. Isaac Gerhart, Reformed, were assisted by Rev. J. P. Shindel, of Sunbury, who preached the dedica- tory sermon, and Rev. HI. Gerhart, of Bedford, and Rev. Y. II. Fries, of Mifflinburg. Christian Boyer and Jacob Roush were the building com- mittee on the Lutheran side, and Henry Stetler and John Nagle, Reformed. This church stood fifty-six years, until March 23, 1868.
The members of both congregations assem- bled to tear it down, June 28, 1868. A large concourse of people assembled to view the con- tents of the old corner-stone. Rev. C. G. Erlenmyer preached on this occasion, on the words recorded in Psalm 77-50, " I have con- sidered the days of old, the years of ancient times."
Rev. J. W. Lescher, Reformed pastor, also participated in the exercises. A broken bottle,
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two mouldy Catechisms and a manuscript which was nearly all consumed was all that remained of the contents of the stone. Rev. Erlenmyer feelingly remarked, that what was left of the contents was an emblem of mortality. The building committee for the erection of a new elnich were, Francis A. Boyer and John Hummel, Intherans; George Hilbish and George C. Moyer, Reformed. John Immel died before the completion of the church, and George Shotsberger was elected to fill his place.
Rev. Enterline organized the Lutheran con- gregation in the year 1787. From 1790 the following Lutheran ministers served the congre- gation : Rev. Jasensky and Rev. Ilerpst ; from 1804 to 1819, Rev. Conrad Walter ; from 1819 to 1820, Rev. J. P. Shindel; from 1821 to 1831, Rev. Jacob W. Smith ; from 1832 to 1842, Rev. William German ; from 1842 to 1876, Rev. C. G. Erlemmyer ; from 1876 to 1885, Rev. J. W. Wampole. The corner-stone of the new church was laid June 2, 1868; Rev. C. F. Hoffincier, Reformed minister, preached from Isaiah, chapter xxviii., 16th verse, and Rev. J. W. Early also preached on the same subject. Rev. J. K. Millet preached from 1 Corinthians, chapter iii., 11th verse. Rev. C. G. Erlenmyer deposited in the corner-stone a Bible, Catechisms of Lutheran and Re- formed, a Lutheran and Reformed Church paper, all the papers published in the county, an article giving a brief history of the old church, names of present officers and building committee. Rev. J. W. Lescher and Rey. Joseph Schlappig were also in attendance, and participated in the exercises. The services were held in Boyer's Hall. For nearly two years, during the building of the church, both congre- gations hold services in Boyer's Hall.
The new church edifice is a brick building with a basement. The enpola is ninety-eight. feet. high, finely constructed. The bell and fixtures weigh two thousand seven hundred pounds. The present officers of the Lutheran congre- gation are John Hummel, George Shotsber- ger and Angustus Springman, trustees ; Jonathan Grimm, David Arbogast, elders; J. S. Hendricks and Jonathan B. Arbogast, deacons ; Daniel S. Boyer, secretary ; and An-
gustus Springman, treasurer. Present men- bership, two hundred and fifty. The Sunday- school has an organ in the basement. The United congregation have an organ, and the Lutheran congregation have a pipe-organ in the gallery. The church officers were, in May 1812: Trustees, Peter German, Peter Willish (Re- formed), Philip Morr, Jacob Roush (Lutheran). Elders, Frederick Albright and George Morr (Lutherans), Adam Hilbish and George Moyer (Reformed) ; Deacons Michael Weber and Henry Stetler (Reformed), Philip Roush and John Berry (Lutheran). The first Reformed minister who preached here was Rev. Hendel, but the first pastorof the congregation was Rev. Jonathan Rahansser, who preached in Zion's (Lutheran) Church, located one mile north of Freeburg, from 1791 to 1794. Rev. Geistweit preached several years ; Rev. John Frederick Adam from 1797 to 1809; Rev. Isaac Gerhart from 1813 to 1818. The charge then consisted of eight congregations, extending from Selin's Grove to Black Oak Ridge. Rev. Felix from 1818 to 1824; Rev. Daniel Weiser from 1824 to 1833. He had learned the trade of a nail- smith. In 1834 Classis chose Rev. Benjamin Boyer. The charge was now redneed to four congregations. Rev. Samuel Seibert from 1840 to 1844; Rev. J. H. Derr from 1848 to 1852; Rev. Samuel Gutelins from 1854 to 1861; Rev. C. Z. Weiser from 1861 to 1862; Rev. A. R. ITottenstein from 1862 to 1865; Rev. J. W. Lescher from 1866 to 1869 ; Rev. J. S. Shade from 1870 to 1871. Since July 9, 1871, Rev. W. A. Haas has been the pastor.
The leaders of the congregational singing were, in their order, in the Lutheran and Re- formed congregations : Jeremiah Repass, Jacob German, F. C. Moyer, Daniel Swartz, David Boyer and William Moyer. First organ dedi- cated April 22, 1867. The present officers of the church are: Trustee, F. C. Moyer; Elders, Philip Moyer and William Moyer ; deacons, Joseph Moyer and Henry B. Moyer ; Treasurer, George C. Moyer. Present membership, about two hundred.
At the time Rev. Gerhart labored here there was only one Reformed minister northwest of the Blue Mountains. Those were primitive
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and pioncer times. At Botschaft's (Grubb's) Church only two men, besides the minister, wore coats to church in summer. All the rest came in their shirt-sleeves. At Black Oak Ridge two women only came to church with bomiets on. The others all wore men's woolen hat.s.
REV. CHARLES GUSTAVUS ERLENMEYER was born at Moensheim, 'Leonburg Conuty, kingdom of Würtemberg, Germany, February
1832. During the following summer (1833) he took charge of the Liverpool, New Buffalo and Wild Cat congregations in Perry County. In the fall of 1833 he was licensed to preach the gospel, and was received as a member of the West Pennsylvania Synod at Mifllinburg, Union County, and ordained, in 1835, at Me- chanicsburg, Cumberland County. June 11, 1869, he was dismissed and received as a mem- ber of the Old Pennsylvania Synod, June, 1870,
6. J. Erlenmeyer.
IS, A.D. 1808. He was a son of Balthasar Erlemeyer, and his consort, Dorotha Sophia : baptized by Rev. George Roessler in his carly infancy, and received into the Lutheran Church by the same pastor at the age of fourteen years. He entered the college at Stuttgart and remained four years. He studied theology at the Univer- sity of Tübingen. After nine years of special and patient study he entered the holy ministry. In; the spring of 1832 he left his native country and embarked on a sailing-vessel, and, after a stormy passage, landed at Baltimore October 9, 1 2013; weddings, 1395; funeral sermons preached, 1 at Pottsville. He served in the holy ministry forty-three years, and in the Freeburg charge, left vacant by his death, thirty-four years. At Schnee's congregation he preached forty sneces- sive years. He preached his last sermon on Sunday, February 20, 1876, on Lake viii. 1-15-parable of the sowers.
His was indeed a busy pastorate. His care- fil and neatly-kept diary showed the following record of his long ministry: Infant baptisms, 5278 ; adults, 185; total, 5158; confirmation-,
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2228. The last record in his diary is February 220, recording a visit to a sick member of his congregation. He was assiduous in his visita- tions of the sick. At all hours, in all kinds of weather, he responded to the calls of his profes- sion. His ferveut prayers, the hymns he sang and his selections of God's word were always appropriate for the sick-room. The many fimoral sermons he preached gave him an expe- rience in this part of his mini-try which seldom fall- to the lot of any. He was passionately fond of church music, and he had a strong voice, which could be distinctly heard above all the rest, especially when he led his congrega- tion in singing German hymns. He was a ripe scholar and a man of excellent literary taste, of refined sentiments and cultivated mind, care- fully and classically educated, yet modest and unassuming. He felt au interest in the cause of education, and he was president of the Freeburg Academy a number of years. The poor and needy found in him a devoted friend. From the pulpit and in private he would plead in their behalf. Trouble and distress always enlisted his warmest sympathy and generous aid. Ilis benefactions offen brightened the homes of the poor and needy. It afforded him great pleasure to witness the innocent amusements of children. Long before the joyous Christmas season he would acemulate presents for his own children and for those of his neighbors and friends. He was always punctual in filling his appointments, yet seldom carried a time- piece. Although advanced in years, he could read and write without the use of glasses.
position was proverbial, and he seemed to realize to the fullest extent " Blesed are the peace- makers, for they shall be called the children of Ciod."
At least fifteen hundred persons attended his fimeral to pay their tribute of respect to his memory. Rev. J. C. Anspach, .1. W. Early, E. 1 .. Reed and P. Born, of the Lutheran Church, and Reys. W. A. Haas and L. C. Ed- monds, of the Reformed Church, participated in the funeral ceremonies. Funeral services were held and discourses delivered in all the church- es connected with the Freeburg charge sub-e- quent to his fimeral by the pastors on the Re- formed side in charge of the same. Extended notices of his death appeared in all our county papers and in a number of papers of our neigh- boring counties. The officers of the Freeburg Academy passed snitable resolutions and entered them on their minutes. The Freeburg Lyceum, of which he was a member, assembled and re- corded their sorrow at the loss of a zealous work- er, a finished gentleman and an accomplished scholar. The members of the Freeburg, Salem and Schnee's congregations assembled in their respective churches and passed resolutions ex- pressive of their feelings in the loss of him "who has been a tender counselor in the fam- ily, a kind comforter in the house of mourning and an affectionate sympathizer at the bed of sickness; an earnest pastor among his people, an instructive and conscientions prophet in the pulpit and revered priest at the altar; a work- man that need not be ashamed." A monument association was formed at Freeburg on the day of his fimeral. Daniel S. Boyer was selected president; II. H. Grimm, secretary; Edward Bassler, treasurer, and solicitors appointed for cach congregation. The amounts contributed are as follows: Freeburg congregation, $231.25; Salem, $100; Schnee's, $80.75; AArtley's, $19.50; Botschaft's, $8.85. Hon. E. R. Menge- and others, of Elkhart County, Ind., former
November 9, 1835, he married Catharine Steel, of New Buffalo, Perry County, who sur- vives him, together with ten children-three sons and seven daughters- and a munber of grand- children. He contracted a cold on Friday, February 25th, and gradually grew worse, with intervals of relief, until March 6, 1876; he died of typhoid pneumonia, aged sixty-eight year-, His death cansed the profoundest sorrow in the ; members of Rev. Erlenmeyer's charge when they community where he lived and among the lived in Pennsylvania, contributed $13.50. The total amount paid into the moment fiind was $163.21. With this fond a splendid momment was purchased, which was on exhibition at the members of his congregation. fle was a faith- ful pastor, a courteous gentleman, an carnest, sincere minister, a man of amiable disposition and snavity of manner -. His peaccable dis- | Centennial, at Philadelphia, which has been
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placed over his grave in the Freeburg Ceme- tery, with suitable inscriptions on two of its sides. On a day set for the unveiling of this monument a large crowd was in attendance, which again demonstrated the fact that the memory of the just shall live.
To his eldest son, Martin Luther Erlenmeyer, belongs the credit for furnishing the means to have the illustration of his respected father placed in this book, and to Professor D. S. Boyer, a member of the Freeburg congregation, for the biography.
UNITED BRETHREN .- Rev. Ensebins Her- schey, an itinerant preacher, came to Freeburg in 1851, and purchased a lot. He commenced the erection of a one-story brick church, which under his charge was completed.
Ile labored with his own hands, and by per- severance and diligence succeeded in having the church completed and dedicated.
FREEBERG ACADEMY .- This institution is located north of Freeburg, on an elevation, and is a three-story brick structure, thirty-five by fifty-eight feet, surmounted by a cupola, in which is a sweet-toned bell. The first floor contains a school-room, dining-room, kitchen and cellar ; second floor, main school-room and two rooms for dwelling department ; third floor, two rooms for family use and nine rooms for students' use. The first building, which had been created in 1858, was burned October 13, 1855, and had been insured for $ 1000.
The first meeting, to consider the propriety of building an academy, was held in Freeburg Angust 16, 1852. John . Kantz presided ; D. P. Hilbish and Emanuel Houtz, vice-presidents ; and John Hilbish, sceretary ; Rev. C. G. Er- lenmyer, Geo. C. Moyer and II. Motz were the first trustees.
This institution was incorporated under the style and title of the " Freeburg Academy of the Intheran and German Reformed denomina- tions." The following-named were principals of the institution in the order in which they are named : Jacob S. Whitman, Geo. F. MeFarland, Rev. C. 7. Weiser, Rev. J. K. Millet, Daniel S. Boyer, N. D. Vandyke, Daniel S. Boyer, F. W. Ream and Win. IL. Dill.
It is a remarkable fact that all the gentlemen
that were principals of this institution are still living, and all engaged in educational puesnits, with one exception. Mr. Ream is now county superintendent of Montour County, and W. Il. Dill, connty superintendent of Suyder Conuty.
The present officers of the institution are Daniel S. Boyer, president ; John A. Hilbish, vice-president ; Geo. C. Moyer, treasurer ; C. F. Moyer, secretary ; B. F. Arnold, Frederick E. Hilbish and Sam'l G. Hilbish, trustees.
SOCIETIES-The Simon Snyder Council of the United Order of American Mechanics was in successful operation for a period of three years, when, in consequence of the hard times and re- moval of many of its members, it disbanded.
Washington Camp, of the Patriotic Order Sons of America, also had a flourishing lodge at Freeburg for a period of four years. They held regular meetings and were quite prosper- ous for a time, but finally disbanded.
Freeburg Lodge, No. 611, 1. O. of O. F., was chartered by the Grand Lodge of Pennsyl- vania October 10, 1867. The following are the names of the charter members: Henry Berry, Noble Grand; 1I. H. Grimm, Viec-Grand; S. W. Watt, Secretary ; B. F. Arnold, Assist- ant Secretary; Peter S. Rigel, Treasurer. Their room is neatly furnished and the walls adorned with charts, etc. The annual report for 1885 shows that the assets of the lodge amount to $563.55. The present officers are L. S. Goy, Noble Grand; George W. Woodling, Vice- Grand ; Francis Glass, Secretary; Peter S. Rigel, Treasurer; Representative to Grand Lodge, Daniel S. Boyer. The following are Past Grands: B. F. Arnold, Francis Glass, Jacob M. Roush, Daniel S. Boyer, Henry Berry, S. W. Watt, J. B. Shirk, II. II. Grimm, William A. Glass, Henry II: Glass, James P. Moyer.
BOYER'S TOWN HALL ..- Daniel S. Boyer, realizing the necessity of a town hall, erected a suitable building, which was dedicated Decem- ber 26, 1867. It is a frame structure two stories high, thirty-six by sixty feet, surmounted by a cupola, in which is a bell weighing four hundred pounds. Rev. Samuel Domer, D.D., now liv- ing at Washington, D. C., delivered a dedica- tory address. Rev. J. W. Lescher, Reformed
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minister, delivered the following dedicatory address:
" The proprietor, who is present, has created this edifice for Literary purposes, and desires that it be sol- emily set apart to that object.
" He has given it the name of Boyer's Town Hall, of Freeburg, and by this name we do now set it apart and dedicate it to the work of Education and Literary Entertainment. Henceforth, let it be a house of re- lined entertainment, where Science shall be honored and Literature proclaimed, and the combined bless- ings of both descend on our children."
The first floor contains a stage and hall; the econd story two rooms, which are used by the Odd-Fellows and Philharmonie Society.
AUTHORS .- Peter Hackenberg, Sr., a resident of Freeburg, in the year 1838 wrote a book en- titled "Eubersicht der Religion" (Dissertation on Religion.) It is a well-written book in the German language and is a work of real merit, and can be found in many libraries. It contains two hundred and eighty pages. His remains rest in the Freeburg Cemetery.
George Gundrum, a school-teacher at Free- burg (and one of the best teachers of his time), was the author of a book on orthography, en- titled " The American Interpreter." His re- mains are interred in the old cemetery at Selin's Grove.
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