USA > Pennsylvania > Schuylkill County > Old Schuylkill tales, a history of interesting events, traditions and anecdotes of the early settlers of Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania > Part 9
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Judge Donaldson, who lived at the corner of Market and Sixth streets, Pottsville, a handsome old mansion and private residence now occupied by T. W. Marquart, grocer, laid out Donaldson. The tonnage of the Donaldson coal operation was shipped over the Union Canal.
In 1852, the Schuylkill and Susquehanna Railroad Com- pany extended its railroad from Rausch Gap to Auburn, con- necting there with the Reading Railroad, and thus giving Pine- grove an additional outlet for the shipment of coal.
The Millers, Levi Miller, Sr., and son, Daniel Miller, form- ing the companies Miller and Miller, in which was also inter- ested Levi Miller, Jr., and the firm Miller, Graeff and Co., were important factors in the coal trade of the West End. The old Lincoln colliery proved a perfect bonanza to its owners. The newer operation, of the same name, was also a profitable
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investment. The firm also mined, for a time, an operation at the Flour Barrel, under the name of Miller, Maize & Co. The Lincoln Colliery was among the collieries purchased by the P. & R. Company.
On the night of June 2, 1862, a heavy freshet broke the dam at Berger's mill. The water brought ruin and destruction with it. Mills, dams, bridges, canal banks, everything, went down with the flood. The canal was never rebuilt, the ruin was too disastrous.
Pinegrove has suffered heavily under the discriminations against it in the way of railway connections, the abandonment of the canal and the working out of some of the mines. It has progressive citizens who have made, and are still making her- culean efforts to retrieve the business fortunes of the town and with partial success. A large steam tannery, a brickyard and several small industrial establishments, are but a modicum of these ventures hazarded at various times. Pinegrove enjoys the distinction of having the largest amount of invested capital of any town in the county in proportion to its population.
A PASTOR'S ADVICE
Everyone for miles around knew "Parrah" Henry, the pas- tor of the old stone Lutheran Church, in the beautiful town of Pinegrove. He was there for almost a half-century, and bap-
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tized, confirmed and buried more people than the half-dozen other clergymen of that faith in the county, or of those that preceded him.
Of the latter there was one who shall be nameless. "Par- rah-" came to Pinegrove on a Saturday from a town farther down the line, making a circuit of perhaps forty miles on horse- back to fill his charges. The "Parrah" was a genial and jolly pastor and enjoyed letting himself down to the plane of the people, and even sometimes below that level. He liked a game of cards and a social glass and frequently forgot himself in the indulgences of the flowing bowl, for which act he would after- wards despise himself. But the times were different in those days, and such license on his part was overlooked by the mem- bers of his congregation if he was able to appear at church the following morning and preach one of the strong sermons that was sure to follow such an indulgence.
He stopped at the only hotel in the town, and the usual crowd was there on Saturday night, and on one occasion, he was, as often before, somewhat unsteady when he was helped to bed. He arose betimes for church, and as was his wont, his self- abasement and castigation of himself was more than usually rigorous. He preached on the sin of self-indulgence, gross eating, and grosser drinking, and was particularly severe on card playing. The congregation was large and became somewhat overwrought as he proceeded to admonish them on the error of their sinful ways.
Finally he leaned over the high pulpit, and with tears streaming down his face and with outstretched hands, he said :
"My dear children, for I love you all like a beloved Father
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loves his children. Do not do as I do, but do as I say," and then he sank back and sat down in the big pulpit chair and shed tears until every eye in the congregation was moistened.
EARLY EDUCATIONAL FACILITIES
From an old deed is gleaned the fact that John and Sarah Ann Bannan, April 9, 1829, for the consideration of $20, "good and lawful money," conveyed to the Trustees of the Orwigs- burg Academy, a lot of ground on Mifflin street. The former owner was Daniel Graeff. The witnesses, Frederick Hesser and G. Rausch. The trustees of the Academy: John Schall, George Hillegas, Elward Canner, John P. Woolison, George Grim, Joseph Morgan, Daniel Medlar and Jacob Hammer. A brick building was erected on the ground by the County. The State appropriated $2,000 for school purposes, and the Orwigsburg Academy was established.
The Academy, a school for boys, had a succession of ex- cellent teachers. Joseph Ottinger, Leyman, Comly, Carter, of Dickinson College, and Penfield, who afterward taught in the Pottsville public schools. James Inness, a well-known citizen of Pottsville, and teacher subsequently in the Pottsville Acad- emy, was a popular teacher. Of the coterie Paul Beck Carter enjoyed an excellent reputation for erudition and fine scholastic attainments. He prepared Thomas Bannan, Andrew J. Douglas,
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Collins P. Whitfield, John T. Shoener (afterward District At- torney under Howell Fisher) and Henry Hammer for Yale College. The trio left school for Yale, where they subsequently graduated with honors, but Hammer decided upon a business career and did not pursue his studies any further.
They lost sight of their former teacher, but during the Civil War, Henry Hammer, of the 116th Regt. Penna. Vols. while in Philadelphia, in a clerical capacity for the U. S. ser- vice, to which he had been detailed, was approached in the office by a dirty, unkempt, ragged and forlorn looking old tramp, who asked for assistance. Daniel Focht, a prominent Philadelphia merchant, formerly of Ringgold, another of the Orwigsburg Academy pupils, was present, and he recognized in the mendi- cant, Paul Beck Carter, former Yale graduate, fluent scholar, and polished gentleman, their early teacher. The man took what they gave him, but refused further assistance. "He could not reform," he said, and disappeared.
With the establishment of the public school system, the Academy was discontinued. After the removal of the Court House and prison to Pottsville, the old stone jail was refitted on one side for public school purposes, and the bell on the brick Academy, on the opposite side of the street, was used to call the children to school. The ringing of the bell was manipulated by a wire rope that ran across the street, and was rung by the teacher in the old jail building.
After the removal of the County seat from Orwigsburg to Pottsville-which event was celebrated with a great glorification in Pottsville-the Court House was used as a boarding and day school. The Arcadian Institute was opened in it, by one Burn-
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side, and his assistants, in 1852. It was a successful venture for a time. Elias Schneider assumed charge of the school, but closed it to teach in the Pottsville Academy. Prof. Joseph Jackson, afterward principal of the Pottsville High School, was an assistant. Mr. Schneider returned after several years and re-opened the school, but was not successful. The building was subsequently deeded to the town by the County. A shoe factory, in which the leading citizens were interested, was incorporated and it was turned over to the company for shoe manufacturing purposes, for which it is still used.
THE EARLY TEACHERS
Some of the early teachers were men of ability and learn- ing. Others were like Ichabod Crane as described in the "Legend of Sleepy Hollow." The schoolmaster was abroad. With the early German settlers it was a common custom to em- ploy the same man as preacher and schoolmaster. These teachers were frequently not ordained ministers, but filled the office through preference. In 1751, the churches of Holland started a scheme to establish a course of instruction for the chil- dren of the Germans in Pennsylvania. Two thousand gilders per annum for five years, dating from 1751, were collected and applied to this purpose. Certain British noblemen were moved to assist in the cause and the king granted £1,000 toward the
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project. Trustees were appointed and a visitor and supervisor was found in Rev. Schlater, who was directed to take the estab- lishment of the schools in charge These schools were established at Reading, York, Lancaster and Easton.
The first steps taken to provide for the education of the poor children under the Common School System of Pennsyl- vania were the laws enacted in 1809 and 1824. Schuylkill County was slow to take advantage of them. It was about 1835 when the first public school was opened in Pottsville, although an ungraded school was held in the log school house on the site of the Centre street Grammar School building. Prior to that time, the former school for boys was held in the Quaker Meeting House. A stone school building was subsequently erected ad- joining the log house on Centre street, and another on West Norwegian street, on the site of the Garfield building. With the passage of the law in 1854, creating the office of County Superintendent, came the regular system of grading the schools, the raising of the curriculum and a constant and steady im- provement in the facilities, resulting in a public school system which has no superior, if indeed its equal, in any part of the Commonwealth.
Private schools were common. Among the teachers were James F. Hough, Rev. A. Pryor, an Episcopal clergyman and father of Mrs. C. M. Atkins, who conducted a school in the residence, southwest corner of Fifth and Market streets. Mrs. McDonald and the Misses McCamant conducted girls' schools. The Lutheran Church had its school. Daniel Klock, an ex- cellent teacher, met with a misfortune to his limb and lived for a time at Auburn and subsequently with his wife, was compelled
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to become an inmate of the County Home. Some of the first business men of the town were pupils under him. James Hough kept school in a room built on his lot, corner of Centre and Sanderson streets. He afterward eondueted a night school in the first Evangelieal Chureh. Hough was the strietest of dis- ciplinarians, and many were the stories told of his eruelty. Ho turned out good seholars, nevertheless.
Prof. Getler or Gertler held sehool in the Panther Valley about 1828. He was of the old type of teacher and often erue] in the extreme. He walked about constantly and thrashed the boys with a bunch of stieks he earried. One of his methods of punishment was to thumb the boys behind the ears. Spell- ing was his hobby. An early pupil was inelined to learn all he eould, and one morning "trapped" to the head of the elass. That was not the end. At noon a elass bully, who had been head, waylaid him and beat him severely. In the afternoon, he felt sore at the drubbing he had received and was more or less inattentive, when Gertler gave him another thrashing on his already raw legs.
Gertler was subsequently a night-sehool teaeher in one of the Pottsville ehurehes. His seholars were good spellers and adepts with the pen.
One of the greatest wonders in the teaching line was Samuel Gesley, who taught at Orwigsburg and other points in the county. He was an armless man and had deformed feet. His specialty was writing. He turned out some of the most beautiful speeimens of penmanship and faney scrolls. He ma- nipulated the pen with his toes and eould punish a boy with the ruler for an irregular scrateh or blot as well as if he had two
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or even four hands. He taught writing in Pottsville, subse- quently, and finally, in his old age, traveled with a circus, visit- ing his home town with Barnum's on its first visit in 1870. He had learned additional feats during the interim and fired off a pistol with his crippled toes. He was a man with a most remarkable ambition for learning and had a fine head. It was said of him, "that in spite of being so severely handicapped by nature, he mastered everything he undertook." To see hin turn the leaves of a book with his teeth and a twist of his head was a study in itself.
PETER F. MUDEY
Peter F. Mudey was an old-time public school teacher. A man of fine physique, strict principles and greatly beloved. He was an old-time Democrat but not a strict partisan. It was during the year of the revulsion after the inauguration of Martin Van Buren as president of the United States, when there was so much pecuniary distress. The Whigs believed that the government was bound to attempt something to relieve the situation, and the President and his party maintained that the faults of the people had brought about the crisis and that in- dividual effort alone would restore prosperity. In the mean- time, President Van Buren projected a plan for the keeping of the government finances, called the "Sub-treasury" scheme, which was subsequently very unpopular with the people and
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resulted in the overthrow of the Democratic party at the next presidential election. The question at issue was :
"Shall the public money be kept in a United States Bank or remain in an independent treasury ?"
Mr. Mudey was approached for his opinion on the subject, when he related the following:
"A fine horse that had followed the chase, borne his master to the wars and held an honored place in the stud of high pedi- gree in the nobleman's stables, had the misfortune to break his leg, and instead of being shot, as was ordered, to end his misery, was traded off to satisfy the cupidity of a dishonest groom. He fell into bad hands, where he was obliged to follow the plow. Menial labor broke the poor creature's spirit and at last it lay down by the road-side to die."
"A benevolent man, passing that way, took the branch of a tree and attempted to brush off the loathesome, big bottle flies that had settled in and about the wounded leg, gloating in its putrefaction.
"When the old war horse raised his head and spoke, be- seeching the man to let the flies alone.
" 'These pests, he said, have had their fill. If you drive them away, a new horde will take their place and I will suffer the more.' So it will be with a change of administration," said Mr. Mudey.
General Harrison, a Whig, was, however, elected and died a month later, and Vice-president Tyler false to the trust reposed in him by the Whigs, refused to hold himself amen- able to the party that elected him and vetoed two of the bills
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passed by Congress to re-establish a national bank, and the first set of flies remained in possession of the public moneys.
QUAKER MEETING HOUSE
In 1831, a piece of ground near the corner of Ninth and Howard Avenue was donated to the Society of Friends by Samuel Griscom and Thomas Lightfoot for the building thereon of a mecting house. It was a stone building, with a basement of a dark slate color. Meetings were held there during the 'Thirtics, when they were discontinued on account of removal of Friends. The first public school for boys was held in this building. In 1846, Elias Schneider opened, in it, a private school for boys. The quarters were too small and a company was formed and the Academy built adjoining the meeting house. It was completed in 1846. The first teachers were: Prof. Porter, principal; Duncan, assistant; Elias Schneider, Kirk- wood, Angel, Chas. Pitman, Christopher Little, Prof. Angela, James Inness, Schmitt, Albion Spinney, a noted astronomer, and Amos Lewis. Among the boys who went to the Academy were: John T. Carpenter, Pcal, James Patterson, Francis Ban- nan, James Campbell, member of Congress and minister to Norway; Robert Palmer, minister to South America; Lin Bartholemew ; A. H. Halberstadt, D. W. Bland, J. T. Boyle, O. C. Bosbyshell, L. C. Thompson and others.
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The building was subsequently used for hospital purposes during the Civil War, to house the sick soldiers from the en- campment of U. S. forces, on Lawton's Hill and West Mahan- tongo Street. Henry Russel, Esq., remodeled it into a hand- some residence and at this writing it is still in possession of the family.
HENRY C. RUSSEL
It was during the lifetime of the former. Mr. Russel was sitting on the broad portico of his home, enjoying the cool breezes from the adjacent mountain top as they wafted through the magnificent big oaks that surround the old mansion, when he was accosted by a middle-aged man whom he did not recol- lect ever having seen before.
"How do you do, sir," said the stranger. Mr. Russel re- plied, not without some asperity, "How do you do, what can I do for you, sir ?"
"Not much, but will you tell me, sir, where Mrs. McCon- nicle's candy shop is ? It used to stand about here; I am very thirsty and she made such good mead. I would like to get a glass and a gingerbread loaf."
"Oh, John , you rascal," said Mr. Russel, spring- ing up and taking the man by the hand, "how dare you try such a gag on me as that ?
"Mrs. McConnicle is dead these forty years, and that," pointing to the German Sisters' Home, "is her monument."
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Two of the old Academy boys had met again after a long interim of years.
It was about the same period, or early in the 'Forties, when Miss Marcia Allen established her school for young ladies. She was a woman of fine intelligence and the strictest probity of character. After more than a quarter of a century's faith- ful service, her health failed and she left for California, where she resided at Los Angeles until her death.
A pleasant feature was a re-union of her scholars at the Henry Russel residence on the occasion of a visit to Pottsville. Invitations were sent out broadcast and a number responded. It was a unique scene, not unmixed with pathos, when Miss Allen called the roll, after ringing the bell, and the girls, now matrons or spinsters of middle age, responded to their names ; and then as was her wont, she arose and offered prayer, not omitting to remember the absent ones, many of whom had gone to the "Great Beyond."
Among other teachers of private schools were: Miss Kate Ermentrout, Miss Annetta Strauch, Miss Emily McCool, Mrs. Laurey, and Miss Lewis.
LETTER FROM MISS ALLEN
The following is a copy of a letter presented to the Schuyl- kill Historical Society by Mrs. Sarah Bartholemew, who re- ceived it from Mrs. Patterson. It was written by Miss Marcia Maria Allen to B. F. Patterson, deceased, late Borough Super-
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intendent of the Public Schools of Pottsville. It is self-explana- tory.
"WASHINGTON, D. C., February 13, 1877. "MR. PATTERSON,
"DEAR SIR :- I thank you that you have so kindly pro- posed to mention my school in your report. I am really sorry that I have not a better work of which to speak. What I have written, you can arrange, shorten or reject at your pleasure. If you wish something different, please let me know, and I will follow your suggestion.
"Mr. John Shippen" (President of the Miners' National Bank) "can tell you of this lady, of whom I make mention. I think she was his brother's widow. James A. Inness was her pupil. Mrs. Inness is at Port Clinton or at the Port Carbon Hotel. She can tell you about the schools of that time and Mrs. Hammekin" (mother of Mrs. Dr. F. W. Boyer) "knows of the others.
"Mrs. Hammekin taught a short time in the public schools, in Pottsville, and afterward, for a little time with me." (Shc also subsequently conducted a private school for a short time.) "Miss Clement, another New England lady, succeeded her in the public schools ; Miss Young taught a family in St. Clair." (Afterward conducting a private school in the building, now the residence of F. P. Mortimer, Second Street, near corner of West Norwegian.) "Mrs. Charles Hill, Mrs. Hammekin's sister, first taught in Schuylkill Haven." (Afterward conduct- ing the Hill School on Howard Avenue, now successfully run by Mrs. S. A. Thurlow, wife of the Borough Superintendent of Public Schools.) "All of these taught in Pottsville and we
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were graduates of the same school" (in New England). "I mention this because it seems to me unusual.
"The public schools were in no way remarkable when I came to Pottsville. I was the first to hear a class in arithmetic, particularly mental arithmetic. A young lady said to me, 'Miss Allen, what do you mean by a recitation in arithmetic ?'
"Mr. Charles Pitman had a boys' school at the time and was assisted by Mr. Inness.
"I am sorry I cannot write more to my own satisfaction, in regard to schools; but as I have said before, if you will ask any questions or make any suggestions, I will try to do better.
Very respectfully,
M. M. ALLEN."
"Miss M. M. Allen, a New Englander, and a graduate there, commenced a Select School in Pottsville, in 1843, keep- ing it up twenty-eight years, with considerable success. Mrs. Shippen, a widow, and her daughter had a private school before that time and conducted it well, if we may judge from the testimony of her pupils. Very many of the women of the pres- ent time in the region, were instructed by Miss Allen, in the lower and higher English branches, in Latin and French. The effort was to make them thinkers-discarding the merely ephemeral and choosing that which has true worth."
Note :- B. F. Patterson came to Pottsville about 1865. He served first as the Principal of the High School, and after the re- tirement of Josiah P. Sherman, he was elected Borough Super- intendent of the Public Schools, which position he filled up to his death, July, 1906. Miss Allen speaks thus of her own work in response to the request by Mr. Patterson.
PART IV
HISTORY OF POTTSVILLE
PART IV
HISTORY OF POTTSVILLE
WHO THE FIRST SETTLERS WERE
W HEN the Neiman family built their little log cabin, in the locality that now forms part of Pottsville, there were none to dispute their claim to the possession of the land. The vast coal wealth of the county was as yet undiscovered and lying inert and uncovered within the bowels of the earth. The country was a howling wilderness, wild beasts roamed through the forests, and savages, merciless and cruel, were the foes they had to contend with. The Neimans lived on a knoll where the Pottsville Hospital now stands. The family consisted of a husband and wife, and two children. They were massacred by the Indians, September, 1780.
Timber was cut in this locality as early as 1778, and rafts of logs were sent down the Schuylkill river to its mouth. Cap- tain Leary of the Continental Navy was stationed below where the black railroad bridge, at Mt. Carbon, stands. His company of marines guarding the wood-choppers who were engaged in
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felling the huge oak trees. This timber was rafted to the navy yard at Philadelphia, where it was used for the masts of vessels.
Balser Gehr, of Reading, owned a saw mill at the mouth of Norwegian creek and the Schuylkill river. This mill was afterwards known as Bosslers, when it was rebuilt, Neiman had charge of the Gehr mill. Doubtless there were other lum- bermen who worked hereabouts, but he was the only one who lived here. Conrad Minnich kept a hotel in 1790 where the Seven Stars hotel stands. It was only a humble log cabin for the housing and entertainment of the few hardy woodsmen who journeyed to and fro in their search for work or land to settle upon.
Wm. F. Stimmel, of Kutztown, found on the Balser Gehr farm two iron door plates, cast in 1742, and sent them to Luther R. Kelker, of Harrisburg, September, 1906.
There is no further record of early settlers on the site of Pottsville, until 1796. On April 7, 1795, William Zoll, inn- keeper of Reading, purchased a lot in Orwigsburg. It was located at the northwest entrance, and part of the ground was subsequently utilized for a tannery by his descendants.
After tilling the ground for about a year, William Zoll removed in 1796, to what is now Pottsville, and established a small furnace or forge in the orchard on the site of the Green- wood furnace. The country was wild, Indians roamed about and lived in the mountain fastnesses, and malaria lurked in the marshy soil. He built a log cabin near the forge, which was so arranged that the family could retire to the forge, which he fortified, in case of an attack from the Indians. Here was born
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--
L
View of Pottsville
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his son Joseph Zoll. His wife soon after contracted a low fever, from the effects of which she died.
Alone with a small child the first settler became dis- couraged. During his working hours in the forge he kept the baby in a small wooden box suspended from a beam in the roof, and out of harm's way. In 1799, when the child was two years old, Zoll sold out the forge and cabin to Lewis Reese and Isaac Thomas, who enlarged and rebuilt the forge. Reese and Thomas settled on the Schneid Berg in 1796-99, or the north side of Sharp mountain. They in turn disposed of the property in 1806 to John Pott, who enlarged the plant and created the " Greenwood furnace," which stood on the corner of Coal and Mauch Chunk Streets, and from which "Greenwood Hill," above the site of the furnaces, was named
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