USA > Pennsylvania > Westmoreland County > History of the County of Westmoreland, Pennsylvania, with Biographical Sketches of Many of its Pioneers and Prominent Men > Part 3
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Grave-Observations on bis Character and Misfortunes. 213
CHAPTER XL. WAR OF EIGHTEEN-TWELVE.
Causes of the War-Congress declares War with Great Britain-Gov- ernor Snyder issues a Proclamation, and directs the Organization of the Pennsylvania Militia-Officers and Arrangement of the West- moreland Militia under this Plan-British and Indians appear in force on opposite side of Lake Erie-Fears of an Invasion of North western Pennsylvania from Canada-Militia from Western parts of the State ordered to Assemble at Erie-Oliver Hazard Perry-Capt. Bird and his Ballad-Condition of Affairs on the Northwestern Frontiers at the Breaking out of the War-Troubles with the Indians-Gen. Hull, Governor of Michigan Territory, invades Canada-Surrender of De- troit-The whole West in Arms-Army of the Northwest organized under Gen. Harrison-John B. Alexander and the Rifle Company of Westmoreland-Correspondence between Alexander and the Military Authorities-The Rifles offer their Services to the Government of the United States-They are accepted and Ordered to March-List of Off- cers and Men-Capt. Joseph Markle's Company of Horse-Muster- Boll of Capt. Markle's Company-These Volunteers attached to the Detachment sent to the Missiminewa Towns-Object of the Expedition -Its entire Success, and the Gallantry of the Westmorelanders-Capt.
tor Campaign of 1818-Fort Make-Outlast Conduct of Mat, Aumentar and the Pasakytrants Volunteers of Furt Make-Opposed to Formand
mesdetery theals of the Goners !...........
CHAPTER LXL. BOOLMIASTICAL HISTORY.
Draagsitesi Latherea Church-Minister of the Barty Lettura Osrsb-United Presbyterian Church-Methodists-Barty Motkell ta Greensburg and Violaity-United Brethren-The Mennceltes end thetr Barty Settlement-Baptist Church-Meest Plesmet Instituts-
CHAPTER XLIT.
The " Pittsburgh Geestte"-" Farmer's Register," the First Pogor printed fa Gresestarg-" The Greenstarg and Ladtaas Register"-The " West- mereland and Indians Register"-" The Westmoreland Begabtles
and Democra!"-" Westmoreland Democrat"-The " Greensburg to- sotto"_" Greensburg Gonotto and Farmer's and Mechaniek's Sagt ter"-(And again) "The Greenstargh Geestto"-" The Westmereisad Intelligencer"-" The Sentinel"-The "Ameriesa Hereis"-" The Tribune"- " Tribune and Herald" - "The Peangyivaals Arger"- "Trank Cowas'y Paper"-" The Democratie Times"-" The Mediesel Lasse"-" The Mewe"-" The Grecasburg Press"-" The Eratag Press"-German Newspapers : " The Star of the West"-" The West moreland News"-" The Ligonier Free Press" ciles " The Valley Dospe ocrat"-Mount Pleasant " Literary Gesetto"-" Latrobe Ingairer"L". "Latrobe Advance"-" The Revellie"-The "Irwin Spray"- " The Irwin Chronicle"-The West Newton " Weekly Oycle"-" The West Newton Press"-" The Scottdale Tribune"-The " Miner's Record"- Oddities-Observations-Extracts - Literature -Dr. Freak Cowea's Publications E
CHAPTER XLIII.
THE LEGAL PROFESSION.
Provincial Courts-The County Justices-Distinction of President Judge -William Crawford, the First Presiding Judge-Judge John Moore --- Increase in Legal Business-Difference in Practice-First Regular At- torneys-Characteristics of the Early Practice-Judge H. H. Brick- onridge-James Roes-John Woode-Steel Bemple-Henry Baldwia -William Wilkins-Legal Ability of the Early Practitioners-The Beach-Judge Addison-Judicial Forma, etc .- Judge John Young- Judge Thomas White-Judge J. M. Burrell-Judge J. C. Knox-Judge Joseph Buffington-Judge James A. Logan-Judge James A. Hunter -John Byers Alexander-Alexander William Foster-The Hanging of Evans-James Findlay-Richard Coulter-John F. Beaver-Albert G. Marchand-Henry D. Foster -- A. A. Stewart-H. C. Marchand- Joseph H. Kuhne-James O. Clarke-John Latte-Boll of Attor- ney ......
CHAPTER XLIV. THE MEDICAL PROFESSION.
The Profession in the Early Days of the Province and State, and in Westmoreland-Quackery-Dr. James Postlethwaite-John Ormeby, M.D .- Dr. Alfred T. King-Dr. David Alter-The Westmoreland Med- ical Association and Society-List of Enrolled Practitioners-Dr Henry G. Lomison-Dr. David Alter-Dr. James A. Fulton-Dr. J. Q. Robinson-Dr. W. J. Kline-Dr. J. T. Kreppe-Dr. J. D. Milligan ... 344
CHAPTER XLV. COMMON SCHOOLS.
Condition of Early Instruction in the Early Province and State-Mr. Somerville's School at Greensburg-Country Schools - First Insti- tutes - The Superintendency and the Opinion of the last Genera- tion touching it-First Country Schools in the North of the County- List of County Superintendents: J. 8. Waltbour, H. M. Jones, J. 80- liman, J. R. Spiegel-Present Status of the Common Schools-The
871 County Institute of 1881 ...
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11
CONTENTS.
CHAPTER XLVL. MEXICO.
Public Excitement on Declaration of War, May 18, 1846-Military Spirit-Companies in Greensburg-Promptness of the Young Men of Westmoreland in responding to the Call for Volunteers-" Westmore- land Guards"-Roll-Affairs about Greenebarg before their Departure -The Company's Place in the Army-Account of the War in Mexico, and Particulars of the Campaign of Gen. Scott's Army-Services of the Second Regiment and the "Guards" from Vera Orus to Mexico -- Honors paid the Company co its Return-Sketches of Capt. Simon H. Drum, Lisat. Richard Johnston, Andrew Roma, and other Members of the Company-Casualties and Deathe-Roll of the Company when digobarged .... ... ...... ...... ......
CHAPTER XLVII. WESTMORELAND IN THE CIVIL WAR.
The Call to Arms-The Response from Westmoreland-The Boventh Regiment Pennsylvania Volunteers-History of its Colors-Blographi- cal Sketch of Capt. I. H. Gay-The Fourteenth Regiment-The Twenty-eighth Regiment-The Fortieth Regiment (" Hereath Re- serve")-Forty-first Regiment ("Twelfth Reserve")-The Fifty-third Regiment-Sixty-fourth Regiment (Fourth Cavalry)-Seventy-fourth Regiment - Eighty-fourth Regiment - One Hundredth Regiment ("The Round-Heed Regiment")-The One Hundred and Fifth Begi- ment-One Hundred and Thirty-fifth Regiment (Nine Months' Ber- vice)-One Hundred and Sixty-eighth Regiment (Drafted Militis)- Two Hundred and Sixth Regiment (One Year's Service)-Two Hun- dred and Eleventh Regiment (One Year's Service)-Two Hundred and Twolfth (Sixth Artillery) Regiment-The Militia of 1808-Militis of 1868-Colored Troops, etc .......... ..... 388
CHAPTER XLVIII. CANALS AND RAILROADS.
Remarks on the subject of Transportation-How it was regarded in Pennsylvania-Canals in Pennsylvania-Public Works of the State- First Canal-Boat west of the Mountains-Advantages of the Canal here-Dickens' account of Canal-Boating along the Conemaugh- Steam Railways-The First Railroads in Pennsylvania-A Continuous Line through the State projected-It is finally Constructed-Stations and Distances-Western Pennsylvania Railroad-Pittsburgh and Connellsville Railroad-South west Pennsylvania Railway ............. 400
CHAPTER XLIX. COKE.
Features of the Coke Region-Connellsville Coke Region-Pioneers in the Coke Business-Description of the Coal Business-The Properties of Coled Coal-Questions of Cost-Other Veins of Coal within the Con- Dellsville Region-Growth of the Coke Industry-Statistics-Mount Pleasant Region-Moorewood Mines-Coke Crushing-Standard Mines -Other Companies about Mount Pleasant-East Huntingdon Town- ship Region - Scottdale Iron-Works-Scottdale Coke Region-At Stonersville-Latrobe Region-The Monastery Coke-Works-Latrobe Works-Soxman's Works-Loyalhanna Works-Ridgeview Works- St. Clair Works-Millwood Works-Irwin Region-Westmoreland Coal Company-Penn Gas-Coal Company-Sewickley Region-Coke- ville Region .......... 408
CHAPTER L.
CIVIL HISTORY, STATISTICS, AND MISCELLANEOUS.
Changes in the Territorial Limits of Westmoreland prier to the erection of Washington and Fayette Counties -- Purchase of 1784, and changes in Township and County Lines subsequent thereto-Mietetnews Township-Election Districts, 1881-Tables of Population-List of Judges, Associates, Justices, and County Odloers -- County Expenses -Ig Frost of 1850-Oesteaninis of 1878 and 1876 -- Resolutions of 1876 ...
CHAPTER LL COUNTY BUILDINGS.
Acts relating to County Buildings-The Old Court-House-Presset Overt-Home-Shortif's House and County Jail-Poor-House, New County Home-Tables of Expenditures, cts, for County Home -- The Cattle Show - Wool-Growery' Association - Westmoreland County Agricultural Society ....
CHAPTER LIL
NOMENCLATURE
CHAPTER LIIL. SPROTAL BIOGRAPHIES.
John Corode -- Alexander Johnston-William Freame Johnston-Joka White Geary-Hon. James Leones-Richard Coulter Drum-Comme- dore John Bonnett Marchand-Dr. Joseph Meredith Toner ........ APPENDIONS ....
BOROUGHS AND TOWNSHIPS.
GREENSBURG ..
HEMPFIELD ...
MOUNT PLEASANT.
NORTH HUNTINGDON
ROSTRAVER.
FAIRFIELD.
DONEGAL .....
DERBY ..
WASHINGTON
FRANKLIN
SALEN
UNITY
SOUTH HUNTINGDON
ALLEGHENY.
EAST HUNTINGDON
LIGONIER
LOYALHANNA.
SEWICKLEY .. . 708
LOWER AND UPPER BURRELL.
...
T10
BELL
Coor
.. 717
PENN .....
ST. CLAIR
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CONTENTS.
BIOGRAPHICAL
PAST
Addison, Judge ...
Loucks Family ........
Alexander, J. B ...
311 1
Lowry, Hortonsles
Alter, David .....
Muchasd, A. G.
Arhbsagh, D. B ..
Marchand, Heary C ...
Baker, Reuben ...
Marchand, Jobs B ..
Barolay, Thomas J
Marchand Family
Benchman, Jacob.
Mart le, Ogres P
Beaver, John F ...
Markle, C. C ....
Bessell, Benjamin F ..
Markle, Joseph
Bouquet, Heary.
Markt le, Shepard B., Jr.
Brady, Hugh Y ..
504
Brinker, George ..
MoAfse, James
Brinker, Joutah ..
794
MoCall, Freakila
Buffington, Joseph
McClanehas, M. P.
Darrell, Jeremiah M
McCormick, HI ...
Darrell and Kapx, Judges.
307
McCormick Family ..
Carline, A. M ...... ..
700
Mel'ariane, Andrew L ...
Carothers, James P.
667
MoGonigal, John R ..
Chambers, William
606
MoQallkin Family.
Covode, George H
577
| Miller, Samuel ....
Covode, John ..
4.36
Cowan, Edgar.
834
Cowsa Family ....
657
Crousbore, George W
532
Cummins Family
652
Daly, Thomas L.
Overbolt, Abraham
Diok Family ...
651
Overholt, Henry 5
Dillinger, Samuel ...
688
Overbolt, Jacob 8
Dillinger Family.
686
Overholt Family
Donnelly, William.
006
Painter, Israel.
Drum, Richard O.
442
Paul, James L.
ELin Family.
557
Paul, Samuel J
Findlay, James
Persbing, Samuel.
Foster, A. W.
316
Plumer, Alexander.
Foster, Henry D
324
Fox Family.
686
Plumer, George, Jr.
Fulton, James A
365
Pinmer, John C.
Gaffney, Daniel
533
Pollock, John ..
Galloway, John.
649
Postlethwaite, James
Geary, John W.
440
Reid, E. H
George, Imac ..
643
Robertson, Oliver B
Given, Robert.
628
Robinson, John Q
Green, Peter ..
652 Robinson, Robert 8
Greeuawalt, Caleb.
708
Rohrer, Frederick, 8r.
693
Guffey, William.
707
Shepler, Joseph
606
Hecht Family.
652
Shields, Robert.
Hough Family.
651
Shryock, David W
Huff, George F
525
Shupe, Dauiel ..
561
Hugus Family.
628
Sloan, James
6.82
Irwin Family
558
Jack Family.
522
Smith Family
651
Snodgrass, John
639
St. Clair, Arthur
913
Johnston, W. F
439
Sterrett, John
692
Jordan Family
547
Stewart, A. A
327
Keenan, James.
441 Stoner Family
686
King, Alfred T.
353
Sutton, Lewis.
669
Kline, Nicholas L. K
692
Tarr Family.
887
Kline, W. J. K
367
Thompson, Lewis
719
Kline Family
628
Tintsman, A. O
847
Krepa, Jacob F
664
Toner, Joseph M
446
Kreppe, James T
369
Townsend, John H
677
Kuhns, Joseph H.
329
Turney, Jacob.
342
Laird, H. P
341
Walter, John
632
Leightty Family.
651 Weaver, William
720
Lippincott, Joseph.
550
Weimer, S. B
671
Lobingier Family.
546 Wirsing, James J
525
Logan, James A ..
310
Young, John
303
Lomison, Henry G ..
363
Zimmerman, Z.
693
1
Digitized by
Johnston, Alexander.
437
. Johnston, John W
639
Smail, John
Hunter, James A ..
333
Milligan Family.
Moore, J. W ....
Morrison, Jobn.
Ormeby, John ..
317
Plumer, George
Smith, William T
62ª Loucks, P. 8
Markle Family ....
Milligan, Joba D
13
CONTENTS.
ILLUSTRATIONS.
PAGE
PAGE
Alter, David .......
.facing 364
Markle, C. C ...
.facing 658
Asbbangh, D. B.
678
Markle, O. P., Residence and Paper-Mill of ..
705
Baker, Reuben ..
601
Markle, C. P., & Sons, Paper-Mill of .......
-
Baughman, Jacob ..
668
Mark le, Cyrus P
656
Beazell, Benjamin F.
568
Markle, Joseph ...
653
Bouquet, Henry ..
28
Mark le, Shepard B., Jr.
667
Brinker, George .....
605
Mark leton Wood-Pulp Mills
704
Brinker, Josiah ...
796
McAfee, James R.
848
Darrell, Jeremiah M.
339
McCall, Franklin.
583
Carline, A M :........
700
MoCall, Franklin, Residence of ..
500
Carothers, James P
667
McClanaban, M. P.
606
Chambers, William ....
604
McCormick, El.
568
Croushore, George W.
531
McFarlane, Andrew L ..
550
McGonigal, John B
640
County Home.
428
Milligan, John D.
3
Court-Hoose ........
425
Moore, J. W.
528
Covode, George H.
577
Overholt, Abraham between 688, 699
Covode, John ..
436
Overholt, H. 8 facing 000
Cowan, Edgar.
335
Overholt, J. 8.
between 688, 699
Daly, Thomas L
566
Painter, Israel.
facing 652
Dillinger, Samuel
686
Paul, 8. J
631
Fulton, James A
365
Gaffney, D.
.between 532, 533
Plumer, George ...
650
Galloway, John
facing 549
George, Issac ..
643
Plumer, J. C ...
Gibsonton Milla
.between 564, 565 Pollock, John.
Given, Robert ..
facing 628
Robertson, O. B ..
691
Greenawalt, Caleb.
708 Robinson, John Q.
Guffey, William.
707
Robinson, Robert 8.
3 500
Johnston, A ......
438
Robinson Coat of Arms.
367
Johnston, John W.
639
Scottdale Bolling-Mill and Furnace .facing 682
567
Hitchman, W. L., Residence of ..
544
Shields, Robert. 64 630
Shryock, David W.
Shupe, Daniel .. 551
4
609
Keeper House .. .facing
706 8mail, John.
3
592
692 Smith, William T.
641
Kline, W. J. K ..
368
Kreps, Jacob F ..
664
Kroppe, James T.
389
Sterrett, John .. facing 699
3
St. Xavier's Academy (East View).
M
Lomison, Henry G.
363
Sutton, Dr. Lewis. 4
371
Lowry, Hortenstus ..
4
509 Thompson, Lewis 719
562 Tintaman, A. O ... 547
M Towneend, John H 677
Map, Geological, of County ............. 12, 13 Turney, Jacob 342
Map of Westmoreland es Organised .. .facing 51 Walter, John ...
Map, Battle of Great Meadows, 1756 ......
19
Welmer, 8. C., Buildings of.
671
Map of Coke Region .... .. between 404, 406
Wirsing, James A. N
Map, Fort Ligonier ..
102, 103
Young, John ...
Marchand, H. O ...
.. facing 328 Zimmerman, Z ..
Digitized by
44
St. Clair, Arthur .....
44 213
St. Clair's Monument.
...
924
Laird, H. P ....
341
St. Xavier's Academy .... 276
Lippincott, Joseph .......
44
560
Lowry, Hortensius, Residence of ..
Map, Outline, of County .......... between 12, 13
....
44
Hill & Kenney, Works of ..
684
Huff, George F.
524
Hunter, James A ..
334
Interior St. Clair's House.
222 Sloan, James.
Klins, N. L. K.
4
Pershing, Samuel.
44
529
Orousbore, George W., Residence of ...... Conemaugh Viaduct ...
401
Miller, Samuel
3
3
Plumer, George, Residence of ..
701
4
u
Shepler, Joseph.
M
14
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State Geologist.
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Pittsburgh Bed and Upper Coal Measures.
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Nine Mile Fr
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HISTORY
OF
THE COUNTY OF WESTMORELAND,
PENNSYLVANIA.
CHAPTER I.
INTRODUCTORY-EARLY PROVINCIAL HISTORY.
Prefatory-Necessity of Preserving the Facts of Local History-Chief Sources of Local History-Written Accounts and Traditions-Penn's Grant-His Policy-Success of His Colony-Alexander Spottswood, Governor of Virginia, wants the British Government to make a Line of Forts along the Western Rivers-The French in Canada-Their Policy towards the Indians-Alienation of the Indians from the Eng- lish-Indians of Western Pennsylvania confined to their Reservations on the Ohio-The Ohio Company-Rivalry between the Governments of Pennsylvania and Virginia respecting the Indian Trade.
WE propose in the following pages to collect some- thing of the early history of the county of Westmore- land, a county which has aptly been designated as a mother of counties. What, above all other things, has induced us to this attempt is the fact that nothing of the kind has heretofore been attempted. A local history cannot be compared with a general historical narrative, nor has it been the intention of the writer to show his effort in that direction. He has, however, made a reasonable effort to collect all matter relating to our early history from the written and printed documents accessible, but which are scattered far around, like the mystic leaves which, blown by the blast from the hollow earth, were scattered to all the winds in the cave of the Sibyl. To collect and to illustrate what has been written has been our labor, and we have tried from the first to represent to our contemporaries a truthful picture of our ancestors and their times. In the lapse of well-nigh a hundred years nearly all things change,-laws, customs, habits, manners, society, as well as the physical aspect of the very earth. The Westmorelander of 1773 would no more recognize the Westmoreland of to-day than we should recognize the Westmoreland of 1973.
By the word " history," which we choose in defer- ence to adopt, we mean not only an account of the civil and military affairs of the people who first came into these woods, but a narrative of such individual acts as have been saved from the all-devouring tooth of Time, a description of their cabins and furniture, of their meeting-houses and graveyards, of their ap- parel and personal appearance, of their house-warm-
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ings and militia-musters, and a notice of such things generally as, being of local interest, are not usually printed in general collections. We shall, as best we can, arrange our collected material so that the his- torical matter may be preserved in some chronological order, to the end that a clearer idea may be had of our local affairs as they follow each other. We are conscious that an undertaking of this kind, even in the rudest outline, will be but imperfectly accomplished, and we do not flatter the reader with a prospect fal- lacious and not to be realized. The history of our county, or indeed that of any single county, of any commonwealth or of any municipality, will, however ably produced, be far short of anything like perfection. This comes from circumstances peculiar to our country in its colonization and development.
The student of our history, even as a student, labors under many and great disadvantages. In writing up a general narrative many most interesting particulars must necessarily be omitted, either as irrelevant to the general text, or as possessing merely a local interest ; while, on the other hand, one who attempts to clothe an isolated district with something of historical in- terest finds extraneous and foreign matter contin- ually obtruded on his attention. In other words, the early history of Western Pennsylvania embraces largely the history of our county, while the history of our county itself has a living interest only to ourselves. It is true that the history of Allegheny County, of Washington, and of Fayette is in part the history of Westmoreland County, but the public mind has so long separated these boundaries and has so localized such places as Fort Pitt, and such times as the Whiskey Insurrection, as to make all matter worthy of note centre in the county where such matter rightly belongs. It would be as unreasonable that the history of Virginia, as bounded in the grants of the great Elizabeth to her sailor adventurers, should embrace the history of the proprietary of Penn or the colony of Calvert. We have therefore considered that we do better in confining our remarks to the local history of Westmoreland as we know it, and to touch on the general history of the State and the West only
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HISTORY OF WESTMORELAND COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA.
in so far as it is needed to throw light on the former, or to develop the context. This fact, however, is ap- parent, that all the local history of that part of West- moreland which, after the erection of the county of Washington in 1781, belongs to that county wax, by the singular troubles which occurred from about the time of the establishment of our county to that date, no more identified with the history of our county, properly considered, than the local history of Augusta County in Virginia is identified with it.
We may make the remarks of a very sagacious and ' tribute our mite to the literary store-house of our noble elegant writer' our own in observing that indeed the very difficulty at this time encountered in procuring We shall of necessity have to begin at a time long prior to the formation of our county, as the soil of Westmoreland was dedicated with tears and blood to imperishable renown in the annals of English and American history before her children sat down to the enjoyment of freedom and peace within its borders. authentic information upon the subject proposed to be treated in this work is strong evidence in itself of ! the means that exist of redeeming without delay the earlier events of our history from the grasp of forget- fulness. Every passing day increases the labor of research, and a few years will obliterate and consign to utter oblivion all that we should desire to remein- ber and preserve of our past annals. We work, like the lapidary, to replace the scattered dies of a mosaic.
No one can, as we have intimated, be aware of the unseemliness of such a task unless he wanders in the same field. The absolute facts which belong of right to our history are scattered here and there in frag- ments in books, many of them unworthy indeed, or else they lie in records not yet arranged. A great and most profitable account of our early affairs -- and the remark applies to the unwritten history of any other part of our country-might have been found in the memories of the aged; but this source is now, indeed, very unclear and deceptive. It would be use- less for us to inquire into the causes of this however much we lament the fact, for by far the most interest attaches to what the older people carry in traditions. The verbal testimony of the peasants of Lancashire, carried from father to son, is that part of Macaulay's account of the battle of Sedgemoor and the Bloody Assizes which most excites the attention of the reader. With us such memorials have been suffered to go in decay. We may remark that great events have often been little regarded by the people who were witnesses to them, and for reasons such as control these, what to us might be a subject of wonder, of admiration, and of pleasure was to even the closest observers of those past times of so trite and trivial a nature as to be below the dignity of a subject for narration. When a later generation observed that accounts of Indian war- fare, descriptions of border life, the romantic details attached to instances of single adventures were largely and credulously devoured by the readers of their time, they began to misrepresent the truth and to misstate facts. And it is too true that often what purports to be an account of manners and customs, either of the indi- gens or of the settlers, is far from the truth. White heroines running off with gold-bedecked chieftains
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