USA > Pennsylvania > Schuylkill County > Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania; genealogy-family history-biography; containing historical sketches of old families and of representative and prominent citizens, past and present, Volume II > Part 39
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and she has visited various art schools in California and elsewhere in the West. Indeed, she is a thorough and devoted student, constantly seeking improve- ment, and well deserving of the confidence she has gained. (4) Roy is en- gaged as electrician at the Harwood Electric plant, Shenandoah. He married Bessie Heckler, and they have one daughter, Ruth. (5) Mabel, a graduate of the West Chester Normal School and of the Thomas Conservatory of Music, Detroit, Mich., is now music supervisor of the Downington (Chester county, Pa.) schools. (6) Carrie, a teacher in the public school at East Mill- stone, N. J., graduated, as did her sisters, from the high school at Shenan- doah and from the normal school at West Chester.
DARKWATER COLLIERY. In the fall of 1903 Messrs. S. B. Thorne and James B. Neale purchased from H. K. Myers, of Philadelphia, the stock of the Darkwater Coal Company, which company owned a lease on what is known as the Pott and Bannan tract, situated towards the eastern end of the Heckscherville valley. Quite shortly a new breaker was built, and the water which had been lying in the main basin for probably fifty years was removed. Coal is now being mined from the Mammoth and Skidmore veins lying in the main basin. During the past summer a new breaker was built, which has a capacity of seven hundred tons per day.
BUCK RUN COLLIERY. During the fall of 1900 and the spring of 1901 Messrs. S. B. Thorne and James B. Neale negotiated a lease with Mr. R. C. Luther, then general manager of the Philadelphia & Reading Coal & Iron Company, and with Mr. G. W. Streng, of Pittston, Pa. The two leases cover an area of about 424 acres lying contiguous, and situated in the western end of the Rohrersville basin. During the summer of 1901 the water was pumped from the old mine workings on this property and work was begun on building the breaker and other colliery improvements. The first coal was run through the breaker on March 12, 1902. The colliery has been in prac- tically continuous operation since that time, and has now a daily capacity of one thousand tons. The coal is an excellent quality of Schuylkill white ash, and finds a ready market in Philadelphia, Baltimore, Washington and that general vicinity.
Buck Run Colliery has an excellent operating equipment, doing much of its work with electricity. It has also a fair equipment of houses for its employes, and it also has an excellent club-house and amusement hall for the benefit of the community in general. One of the schools of Foster town- ship is operated under the management of the Coal Company's officials, and excellent instruction is afforded to the children in the vicinity.
EDWARD LANDES SHISSLER, late of Minersville, was one of the substantial citizens of that borough, and his widow is one of its most respected residents. That place has been her lifelong home, and by her family and social connections she has gained a wide circle of acquaintances, to whom she has endeared herself in years of friendly association.
Mr. Shissler was born at Minersville, son of William C. Shissler, who lived principally at Pottsville, this county. The father was a carpenter by trade and was engaged in newspaper work for some years. He met his death while serving in the Union army, at the second battle of Bull Run. By his marriage to Catherine Mosser he had two children, Edward L. and Mary
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Frances ; the daughter taught school a number of years ago at Port Carbon, and died March 24, 1915, at Vineland, New Jersey.
Edward L. Shissler received his early education at Minersville and fol- lowed the shoemaker's trade there. In 1863-he enlisted in Company F, 48th Pennsylvania Regiment, and served in the Union army to the close of the war. On June 17, 1864, he was wounded in the leg, at the battle of Petersburg. After the war Mr. Shissler again took up his residence at Minersville, where he followed his trade until his death, July 5, 1904. He is buried in the Union cemetery at Minersville. Mrs. Shissler, whose maiden name was Clara Kauffman Braucher, continues to reside at Minersville. She is a daughter of John and Cecilia Heisler (Kauffman) Braucher, who had a family of three children, namely : Mary Jane, Samuel and Clara K., all deceased but Mrs. Shissler. She was reared by her maternal grandfather, Samuel Kauffman. Mr. Braucher was an extensive farmer and drover, and lived and died in Union county, Pa. ; he is buried at Hartleton, that county. His widow subse- quently married Edward Shissler, of Minersville, and by him she also had three children, William K. and Emily Cecilia and George Lynn, twins, the last named deceased.
The Kauffmans have been in America since 1680, in which year two brothers, Jonas and Christian Kauffman, natives of Wurtemberg, Germany, emigrated to this country. They settled in Lancaster county, Pa., among its early residents ; some of their descendants located in the Lykens valley, in what is now Schuylkill county, in the days when the Indians were still in possession. The savages molested them frequently and drove them from their homes a number of times, but they left their families for safety at Pine Grove and returned to their holdings courageously. Samuel Kauffman, the great-grandfather of Mrs. Shissler, was born in the Lykens valley, Schuylkill county, and lived and died in what is now known as Hubley township, this county. Though he passed away at a comparatively early age he had acquired the ownership of a large and valuable farm, having followed farming all his life. He was a Whig in politics, in religion a devout Lutheran. A family of eight children, six sons and two daughters, was born to him and his wife, whose maiden name was Klueger or Klinger: Jacob, who married Lydia Drehr, was a merchant in the Lykens valley; Henry and Samuel were next in the family ; Emanuel, who was engaged as a merchant for some time and subsequently went West, served in the Civil war, and received promotion to the rank of captain before his death, which was caused by typhoid fever ; Jonas died in 1859 at Llewellyn, Pa .; John, a farmer, is deceased, as are all of his brothers; Mary married a Mr. Baker, of Trevorton, Northumberland Co., Pa .; Sarah is also deceased.
Samuel Kauffman, son of Samuel, was one of the foremost men in Schuyl- kill county in his day. As a business man he was widely acquainted through his long connection as cashier with the First National Bank of Minersville, and he was also a civil engineer of note, in that capacity laying out most of the town of Minersville. He also served one term as county commissioner, and represented this district in the lower branch of the State Assembly. His death occurred at Minersville, when he was seventy-six years old. Mr. Kauffman married Maria Heisler, a daughter of George Heisler, and they became the parents of five children: Cecilia H., now deceased, mother of Mrs. Clara Kauffman Shissler ; Dr. Jonas H., a prominent resident of Minersville : Luther
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S., a successful attorney of Philadelphia; George, who died in infancy ; and Samuel, deceased.
THOMAS J. MARTIN, an old time employee of the Pennsylvania Rail- road Company, at Pottsville, is a native of that borough, born in December, 1853, son of Joseph Martin.
Joseph Martin was born in County Cavan, Ireland, where he was reared, and came to America before his marriage, locating first at Doylestown, Bucks Co., Pa. While at Doylestown he was engaged in farming, but after moving to Pottsville found employment at the mines, also following that occu- pation while at Ravensdale, near St. Clair. On his return to Pottsville he became engaged as an iron worker at the blast furnace, then located on the island, and later took charge of the stables, holding this position until his death April 23, 1897. At Doylestown Mr. Martin met and married Bridget Drumm, a native of Limerick, Ireland, who came to America when a young girl. Six sons were born to them: Thomas J., John, James, Edward, Joseph and William.
Thomas J. Martin received his education in the public schools at Potts- ville. He was first employed at the blast furnace when thirteen years old, working there during the summer time and attending school winters. He was so engaged up to the age of sixteen years. Then he took charge of a car, hauling cinders out to a dump, and after two years at this employment com- inenced braking on the blast furnace shifting engine. He followed this work until twenty-three years old, when he had to give up work because of an acci- dent, being incapacitated for about a year. Subsequently he went to Phila- delphia, where he entered the employ of the Lester Milk Company, with whom he remained one year, in 1881 entering the employ of the Pennsylvania Rail- road Company, in the West Philadelphia yards, at Thirty-second and Market streets, as a brakeman. He continued to reside at Philadelphia until 1886, em- ployed as brakeman and conductor, and on Nov. 15th of that year, when the railroad was opened to Pottsville, he was transferred hither in the capacity of brakeman. Shortly afterwards he was made flagman, and about the end of 1886 became a freight conductor, being so employed until the Shenandoah branch was opened, when he was appointed conductor of the work train, with headquarters at Shenandoah. When the road was completed he became conductor, in 1887, his run being from Pottsville to Shenandoah, and he held that position until June, 1888, when he became assistant yardmaster at Mount Carbon. He was stationed there until 1903, under H. C. Dysinger, yard- master, and was then appointed to his present position, being yardmaster at Pottsville, for the Pennsylvania Railroad Company, in whose employ he has been continuously since 1881. By the conscientious performance of all his duties and intelligent application to the responsibility intrusted to him, Mr. Martin has proved himself worthy of the confidence of his superiors, and is esteemed alike by them and by his associates in the company's employ. He is a man of upright character and highly regarded by his fellow citizens in Potts- ville. His home is at No. 417 South Coal street. Mr. Martin is a member of St. Patrick's Roman Catholic Church, at Pottsville. He has no political ties, voting independently.
In 1887 Mr. Martin married Annie Brown, of Centralia, Columbia county, and a family of five children were born to them: Joseph P., ticket clerk in the Pennsylvania office, at Reading; Irene, living at home; Thomas B., who is a
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clerk in the Philadelphia and Reading Coal & Iron Company's shops at Potts- ville; Anna, who is attending a commercial school at Pottsville; and Charles, also at school.
GEORGE H. BEATTY, of Minersville, at present holding the position of machinist at the Lytle Coal Company's mine, has been associated with local mines in that capacity for a number of years and has made an enviable reputa- tion for mechanical ability. Mr. Beatty is of Irish extraction, his grandfather, George Beatty, having been a native of Ireland, whence he came to America at an early day, settling first in Nova Scotia. Later he came to this country and made his home in Schuylkill county, being a gardener by calling and so employed on the Bennett estate at Forestville, in Cass township. He spent the rest of his life there, dying in 1865.
Joseph A. Beatty, father of George H. Beatty, was born in Nova Scotia, and came with his father to this county, where he made his permanent home, dying at Minersville. He learned the trade of blacksmith, which he followed at different collieries. By his marriage to Elizabeth Griffith, of Schuylkill county, he had the following children: Mary, George H., Jennie. Florence, Selina, Adelaide, Blanch and William. The last named, who died in 1911, was chief clerk and paymaster at the Pine Hill colliery, near Minersville, for sev- eral years.
George H. Beatty was born March 28, 1866, at Forestville, in Cass township, Schuylkill county, and received a common school education. When a boy he found employment at the mines, holding various jobs, and spending four years at mining. He then became engaged at blacksmithing and the machinist's trade, where he evidently found his proper vocation, for he became a skilled and well trusted employee in that line. For fourteen years he was chief ma- chinist at the Pine Hill colliery, in 1910 taking his present position with the Lytle Coal Company. Aside from his duties in this association Mr. Beatty's chief activity has been as member of the board of school directors of Minersville. He was elected to that body in 1909, and in 1912 was appointed to succeed Edwin Ford, who removed from the borough to Cass township. Mr. Beatty has taken a keen interest in the work of the board, and has co-operated ably with his fellow members in providing the best possible educational advantages for the children of the borough. Politically he is a Republican, and fraternally he holds membership in the Independent Order of Odd Fellows. Ile is an Episcopalian in religious connection.
Mr. Beatty was married to Annie Turner, daughter of Joseph Turner, and they have a family of four children : William, Frances, Elizabeth, and Janet, all living at home. Frances Beatty is a graduate of the Minersville high school and the Bloomsburg State Normal School, class of 1914, and is now teaching in the Fourth Street school.
DANIEL DEIBERT, son of John Deibert and grandson of Wilhelm Deiver (as the name was originally spelled), was born July 2, 1802, and died at Schuylkill Haven, Pa., in September, 1890. In 1884 a pamphlet was printed containing the "Life and Experience of Daniel Deibert, from his youth to his old age. Schuylkill Haven, Pa." He had written it, as he tells therein, "Chil- dren and whoever wants to read this, to tell you more of my life and ex- perience, for what then? Because my parents and grandparents told their experience in life, and I heard them with delight. I am old and weak now ;
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cannot work any more." We quote all that the pamphlet contains concerning the family and his own life.
"My grandfather, Wilhelm Deibert, was born in Wittenburg, Europe. When he was three years old his parents came to America, and settled in Bern town- ship, Berks county, Pennsylvania, near Michael's church. The family consisted of five children, three boys and two girls : Michael, Christopher, and my grand- father Wilhelm; and when they were grown up came to Manheim township, Schuylkill county, and one after another got married. My grandfather to a daughter of John Renchler, from Bern township, Berks county. Michael to Miss Elizabeth Weaver. One sister to George Huntzinger, the other to John Gevert.
"My grandfather and his brother Michael bought in partnership, 300 acres of land in North Manheim township, Schuylkill County, Pa., in the year 1744, at the road leading from Schuylkill Haven to Landingville, where they settled themselves. My grandfather's part was at the place where Mr. Edward Peal lives ; and his brother Michael's part was at the place where Mr. John Filbert lives at present, 1884. Christopher went to Virginia in his younger years, and after that we did not hear from him.
"Grandfather and his brother Michael had, in the beginning, the Indians for their neighbors. They molested them very much at that time. The deers and bears were plenty ; when they shot any, and gave the Indians some of the meat, they were good fellows.
"Grandfather was married twice; he had three children with his first wife, named John, Rosina, and Catherine. His second wife's name was Wagner. They had together five children, four sons and one daughter, Michael, George, William, Henry, and Elizabeth, and they were married as follows: John, my father, to Christina Dewald from Manheim township, Bear Creek valley ; Rosina to George Orwig : they moved to Bellevue, Seneca county, Ohio; and Catharine to Philip Schock, from Union county, Pa. : and George to Miss Mary Faust of Brunswick township, Schuylkill County, Pa. Michael and William were both married, but I forget the names of their wives; and Elizabeth to Samuel Schock, Union county, Pa. ; Henry to Miss Hertz of Weideer ( White Deer ) township, Union county, Pa. The above mentioned died and got buried at Zion's church below Orwigsburg, and his sister Gevert at Hetzel's church, Pinegrove township. All the other children died and were buried at the place above mentioned. This above is the end of great and grandfather ; they spelled their name Deiver, but the second generation Deibert.
"A small history of Michael Deiver, the brother of my grandfather. Had five sons and two daughters, named Henry, Andrew, Michael, Christian, John, Catharine and Elizabeth. They were married as follows: Henry to Miss Kriner, Andrew to Miss Luckenbill, Michael to Miss Luckenbill; they had no children ; Christian to Miss Miller, Catharine to John Dewald, Elizabeth to Daniel Repp.
"I am coming now to the third generation, namely, my parents. My father, John Deibert, was the oldest son of his father's family. My mother was a daughter of John Dewald. She was born in Manheim township, Schuylkill county, Pa., in the year 1797 ( ?). He bought 144 acres of land in the township and county aforesaid, on the road leading from Orwigsburg to Schuylkill Haven. He built the house where James Deibert now lives at present, 1884 [he was still living there in 1914: died Feb. 9, 1915]. He had pretty hard times in the first years. I remember very well yet, when I was four to five
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years old, when father and mother were clearing land, they took the cradle along, and the three children; I was the oldest. I had to take care of the other two. I had to keep the locusts from the cradle. The deer, wolves and bears were numerous at that time. We could hear the wolves at night. They traveled in flocks. I, as the oldest boy, had to work very hard, so that I only had eight montlis' schooling in all. We cleared every year from six to eight acres. It was at that time merely a wilderness. At that time Orwigsburg was the only town in the county. In the year 1815 to 1816 the courthouse and jail were built. I helped my father haul stones and bricks for the buildings. In the year 1810 the Centre turnpike was made from Philadelphia to Sunbury. A four-horse stage run then. About the same time coal was discovered in Schuylkill county. At the age of fifteen to sixteen years I hauled coal to Reading with the wagon. There was no canal or railroad at that time. At the age of twenty, George Body and I hauled, each of us, a load of coal to Phila- delphia, for fifty cents per bushel. At the age of twenty-one I worked for my uncle George Deibert for six dollars per month; he was sick at the time and died while I was there. My grandfather Diebert was living with him at that time ; he worked at weaving. He told me many stories about the Indians ; how they molested them when they first settled here. But no wonder, they were the first settlers.
"In my twenty-fourth year I got married to Elizabeth Shappell of Windsor township, Berks county, Pa., daughter of Jeremiah Shappell, brigade inspector. Her mother's name was Wille. I lived several years with my father, then moved to Landingville and tended the guard lock at the canal. I also kept a ferry boat for taking passengers over the Schuylkill. There was no bridge at that time. Then the fever got so bad there that we moved back to my parents again. My father worked at plough making. We had a blacksmith shop and made the iron for the ploughs ; that gave me a chance to learn the blacksmith trade.
"In 1828 I bought a house and eleven acres of land from Rev. M. Knusky, a half mile above Orwigsburg, at the turnpike, for six hundred dollars, in payment as follows: One hundred dollars down, and the balance one hundred dollars per year. My father gave me the money for the first payment. I started a blacksmith shop and did customer's work for the farmers. I also made the iron work for the boat builders, and plough work for my brother John. I had two fires going. The iron I had to work was heavy forged iron. My wife often helped me split iron to make spikes for boats. I worked there seventeen years, and the most of the time I was complaining from the sulphur of the coals ; several times I was very sick. At that time the first Evangelical preachers came to Orwigsburg, Revs. Seibert, Breitenstein, Focht, and others. Through them we were enlightened and by the help of God were both con- verted and became members of the Evangelical Church.
"After the death of my father, 1834, his land was divided as follows: The homestead in two pieces, the lower part with the building brother George took, containing eighty-two acres, at $3,116. No. 2 brother John took, containing sixty-two acres at $1,674. No. 3 and No. 4, I took, the first mentioned seventy- three acres at $612, the second mentioned twenty-four acres, at $229. No. 3 laid at the second mountain, at the Poplar run, now owned by John Borman, at present, 1884. No. 4 laid at the Fisher's run, one mile above Daniel Boyer's mill. On No. 3 I built a new stone house ; it was my intention to move there, but didn't. Afterwards I sold it with no profit. And in 1846 I sold my place at
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Orwigsburg, for $1,500, to a man by the name of Smith, a railroad contractor. He bought, also, the place formerly the homestead of my uncle Andrew Deibert, where Martin Sheaffer now lives at present, 1884. At that time the Schuylkill canal was enlarged. Mr. Smith had very large contracts ; he had as high as one hundred horses and five to eight hundred men at work. He bought sometimes as high as sixty to eighty head of oxen to be butchered ; and the bread he baked by the two-horse load. He boarded his hands all himself. The times were good and money plenty. At the same time the county seat was removed from Orwigsburg to Pottsville. The courthouse and jail were built, which are at present. The times were very brisk ; many men got rich ; through the many banks most everybody could get money.
"Pottsville increased very rapidly, but after that the hard times came, and many men lost all. Pottsville went down faster than it increased. Many men spent their money in building houses. Others lost their money in banks. So it was for several years; nearly all the banks in Pottsville closed ; hundreds lost all they had. It was said that Henry Clay said 'too many banks were the ruin of the people.'
"In the year 1846 I bought a farm from George Moyer, in South Man- heim township, Schuylkill county, Pa., containing 175 acres at $25.00 per acre ; the payment was as follows : $1,000 to be paid down and the balance in yearly payments of $250 per year, without interest. Times were good, and I believe the Lord gave his blessing so that I had it paid in twelve years. This farm lies two miles south of Schuylkill Haven, in the Werner's Creek valley. The State road leading from Schuylkill Haven to Schartlesville passes through the farm. I never had any desire to get rich; all I wished, to have a farm where I could raise my family at home. Mother and I had to work very hard in our early years, but by and by when the children came on hand, and by the help of God, raised my family as good as I understood ; but by and by got more experience in religion, and so I spent my time in the service of God.
"In the year 1851 I sold part of this farm, containing 22 acres with an old house and stable for $25 per acre, to Daniel Daubert.
"Fourteen years after I built a new house and barn on the lower part of the farm.
"Eight years after I sold that part to' Jared Wagner containing forty-five acres at $70 per acre. The old homestead, one hundred and some acres, I own at present, 1884. Nine years I had it rented to Jacob Schweigert, for the shares, and afterwards to William Hicks. Eleven years ago I bought a house and lot in Schuylkill Haven, Columbia street, for $1,100, from George Utz, where we live at present, 1884.
"My parents' family consisted of nine children, seven boys and two girls. They were all raised at the old homestead. Father and mother died and were buried in the Schuylkill Haven cemetery. The names of the children and to whom they were married: Daniel to Eliza Schappell; George to Susanna Reed ; Catharine to Henry Shelly; John to Catharine Koch; Jacob to Polly Miller : Benjamin died single : William to Hannah Wiest ; Samuel's first wife Mary Esert, second Mary Sterner ; Hannah to John Hummel. The following are the names of the deceased : Daniel's first wife died ; George died ; Catharine died ; John and wife died ; Benjamin died; Samuel and first wife died ; Hannah died.
"I, Daniel Deibert, was married to my second wife the first day of April, 1865, Hannah, wife of Joseph Berger, deceased, a born Kerschner.
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