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FRANCIS  F.  EASTLACK. 

THE  AUTHOR  AT  WORK  UNDER  HIS  OWN  VINE  AND  PKAR  TREE. 


PHOTOGRAPH    PRESENTED    BY    HARRY    SCHMIDT,    MERCHANTVILLE. 
PLATE    EQUALLY    KINDLY    CONTRIBUTED    BY    GATCHELL    &    MANNING      PHILADELPHIA. 


HISTORY 


MERCHANTVILLE, 


CAMDEN  COUNTY,   N.  J., 


Francis  F.  Eastlack. 

M 


Sweet  Auburn  !    lovliest  Village  of  the  Plain, 

Where  Health  and  Plenty  cheered  the  laboring  Swain, 

Where  smiling  Spring  its  earliest  Visit  paid, 

And  parting  Summer's  lingering  Blooms  delayed." 

(Goldsmith.) 


Entered  according  to  Act  of  Congress,  in  the  year  1899,  by 

FRANCIS    F.    EASTLACK, 

in  the  office  of  the  Librarian  of  Congress  at  Washington,  D.  C. 


PUBLISHED    BY    THE    AUTHOR. 

1899. 


HALF    TONES    BY    GATCHEL   &    MANNING,    PHILADELPHIA. 
PRESS    WORK    BY    LOUIS    B.    COX,    CAMDEN. 
BINDING    BY    R.    S.    BENDER    &    SON,    CAMDEN. 


i 


INTRODUCTORY  NOTE. 

"Admitting  its  brevity,  and  possible  literary  blemishes,  yet 
the  public  must  distinctly  understand  that  this*  work  has  not  been 
written  in  a  cursory  manner  nor  for  pecuniary  gain. 

"Its  merits,  if  any,  stand  upon  its  truthfulness  and  historical 
value. 

"With  this  object  in  view,  it  has  been  compiled  with  the 
strictest  regard  for  accuracy.  Files  of  old  newspapers,  aged  farm- 
ers still  living  in  our  neighborhood,  eminent  authorities,  minute 
books  and  charters,  families  of  old  residents,  together  with  all 
records  of  the  origin  and  history  of  our  borough  have  been  care- 
fully consulted. 

"It  is,  therefore,  put  forward  as  a  standard  authority  on  all 
important  matters  pertaining  to  Merchantville." 


ACKNOWLEDGMENTS. 


While  all  the  sins  of  feeble  rhetoric  or  other  want  of  literary  pol- 
ish should  rightfully  fall  upon  my  unshielded  head,  yet  I  am 
greatly  indebted  to  the  following  named  gentlemen  for  much  val- 
uable information:  Dr.  John  R.  Stevenson,  of  Haddonfield;  the 
late  Frank  Thomson  (president  of  the  Pennsylvania  Railroad 
Company),  John  S.  Collins,  Moorestown;  W.  B.  Stewart,  Conrad 
Demmy,  Henry  Scull,  Dr.  David  H.  Bartine,  Rev.  Richard 
George  Moses,  Walter  H.  Eastlack,  Rev.  N.  M.  Simmonds,  Dr. 
Charles  W.  Greene,  C.  C.  Dickey,  Hon.  Charles  C.  Garrison, 
Gottlieb  C.  Mick,  John  Senft,  Thomas  J.  Pancoast,  Allyn  Brewer, 
Charles  H.  Pidgeon,  Thomas  S.  Rndderow,  David  S.  Stetson, 
Dr.  Edward  Evans,  J.  Harry  Wilkinson.  John  Homer,  Maurice 
B.  Rudderow,  Hon.  Howard  Carrow,  Daniel  Carlin,  William 
Longstreth,  Benjamin  Forrest,  A.  M.  Whilt,  Samuel  C.  Gilmore, 
William  Early,  Rev.  C.  Bridgeman  and  other  kindly  interested 
townsmen  whose  names  I  cannot  now  recall. 

And  last,  though  not  least,  Mrs.  E.  M.  Furber,  Miss  Annie  A. 
Scull  and  Mrs.  Sarah  R.  Murray,  of  the  "Colonial  Dames  of  New 
Jersey." 

Also  to  Gatchel  &  Manning,  of  Philadelphia;  Harry  Schmidt, 
William  Longstreth,  Charles  F.  Homer  and  Hon.  Oliver  Lund, 
of  Philadelphia,  for  many  evidences  of  practical  assistance. 


ANTIQUITY  OF  NEW  JERSEY. 


Geologists  are  unanimous  in  the  assertion  that  at  one  time, 
far  back  in  prehistoric  periods,  the  ground  now  known  as  New 
Jersey  lay  completely  under  the  sea;  the  whole  State,  in  fact, 
except  possibly  the  upper  northern  mountainous  section. 

This  is  not  simply  a  theory,  but  a  veritable  fact,  substanti- 
ated by  the  total  absence  of  coal,  besides  the  existence  of  immense 
marl  pits,  fossils  of  marine  life,  shells,  and  much  debris,  unmis- 
takably establishing  marine  origin. 

Finally,  that  there  is  scarcely  a  spot  in  the  State  in  which 
these  traces  of  matter  purely  marine  cannot  be  found  at  the 
present  time. 


ORIGINAL  OWNERS  OF  THE  GROUND 

ON  WHICH  MERCHANTV1LLE  NOW  STANDS. 


The  valuable  information  received,*  if  published  in  full,  would 
indeed  make  a 

"quaint  and  curious  volume  of  forgotten  lore," 
but  it  must  necessarily  be  condensed.  That  is  to  say,  Samuel 
Coles,  of  Coleshill,  Hertfordshire,  England,  came  to  this  country 
in  possession  of  a  "right"  to  the  one-ninetieth  part  of  an  immense 
tract  of  land  which  he  obtained  by  debt  or  purchase  from  the  heirs 
of  Edward  Byllinge;  it  began  at  the  junction  of  Coopers  Creek 
and  the  Delaware  River,  and  extended  in  a  northerly  and  easterly 
direction. 

On  the  13th  day  of  the  Third  month,  1682,  Coles  sold  to 
Samuel  Spicer  (coming  from  Gravesend,  Long  Island),  500  acres 
of  this  tract,  and  with  it  another  part  of  his  tract  extending  to  Pen- 
sauken  Creek  (the  latter  being  six  miles  long  and  three  miles 
wide.)  Coles  also  disposed  of  100  acres  to  Henry  Wood  in  1685, 
and  afterward  the  balance  to  various  parties.  Samuel  Spicer  died 
in  169 1.  He  left  two  Sons — Jacob  and  Thomas.  Thomas  died 
in  1760;  his  daughter — his  only  child,  Abigal,  born  January  25, 
1743 — was  married  to  William  Rudderow  on  the  25th  of  May, 
1758.  His  ancestors  came  from  Hirnant,  Wales.  He  owned 
considerable  property  across  Pensauken  Creek,  immediately  op- 
posite to  the  Spicers'  land.  He  was  born  October  11,  1732.  and 
died  in  November,  1808.  His  son  John  succeeded  him  (being 
born  in  February,  1759,  and  dying  February  14th,  1840). 

Under  the  will  of  John's  grandfather  (Thomas  Spicer),  John 
inherited  400  acres  of  the  original  Spicer  tract,  which  is  now  cov- 
ered by  the  Borough  of  Merchantville.  (See  map.)  After  his 
death  it  was  gradually  sold  off  by  his  heirs,  among  whom  was 
included  Amos,  the  father  of  our  postmaster,  Maurice  B.  Rud- 
derow. Amos  Rudderow  died  December  15th,  1898.  The  last 
conveyance  of  this  original  tract  was  for  80  acres,  made  in  1885. 

*  Dr.  John  R.  Stevenson,  Haddonfield,  and  his  equally  scholarly  sister,  Mrs. 
Sarah  R.  Murray,  of  the  "Colonial   Dames  of  New  Jersey." 


FURNISHED  BY  DR.  JOHN   R.  STEVENSON,  HADDONFIEED. 
Re-drawn  bv  Walter  H.  Eastlack. 


Note. — The  Moorestowu  pike,  also  Cove  road,  (marked   by  dotted   lines)  were,   of 
course,  not  projected  when  the  original'  map  was  drawn  in  1691. 


THE  FOUNDERS  OF  MERCHAXTVILLE. 

Matthias  Homer,  John  Louty,  Samuel  McFadden  and  Freder- 
ick Gerker  (four  Philadelphia  merchants)  were  the  pioneers  of 
Merchantville.  They  came  here  together  in  1852,  building  their 
houses  on  the  north  side  of  Maple  avenue  near  Cove  road,  except 
Mr.  Gerker,  who  built  opposite  (the  house  now  owned  by  Wil- 
liam B.  Kempton).  Mr.  Gerker  was  an  ardent  Catholic,  and, 
having  few  means  of  attending-  a  church  of  his  own  denomination, 
he  built  a  private  room  in  his  new  house,  in  which  was  erected  an 
altar  and  confessional,  and  a  Philadelphia  priest  called  at  stated 
times  to  administer  the  functions  of  his  office. 

At  a  social  meeting  at  the  house  of  John  Louty,  the  question  of 
naming  the  new  settlement  was  under  discussion;  when,  after  a 
number  of  striking  names  had  been  suggested  to  no  purpose, 
Mrs.  Louty  entered  and  said.  "Gentlemen,  as  you  are  all  mer- 
chants, why  not  call  it  Merchantville?"  which  met  the  approval 
of  all. 

OLD  LANDMARKS. 

Where  Merchantville  now  stands  there  were  five  houses — one 
on  Maple  avenue,  above  Centre  street,  once  occupied  by  a  Scotch- 
man (whose  name  I  cannot  get),  but  where  James  C  Finn,  who 
owned  considerable  property  in  the  neighborhood,  lived  for  some 
years,  and  who  afterwards  built  the  house  now  occupied  by  the 
Weikel  family. 

The  old  farm  house  on  the  Curtis  property,  at  the  junction  of 
Maple  and  W'ellwood  avenues,  said  to  have  been  built  more  than 
a  hundred  years  ago,  is  still  standing. 

An  old  wooden  building  which  stood  near  where  the  Millinger 
house  now  is  was  occupied  by  John  Laney.  A  frame  house  stand- 
ing where  the  Robbins  house  now  is  was  occupied  by  Conrad 
Demmy  from  1857  to  1867.    It  was  afterward  removed  to  the  race 


track,  where  it  still  remains.  Church  (or  Cove)  road  was  once  a 
private  road  from  Thomas  Spicer,  Jr.'s,  to  Colestown.  The  pres- 
ent road  was  laid  out  April  27,  1809. 

Whiskey  road  was  so  called  from  a  distillery  owned  by  Ralph 
V.  M.  Cooper  on  the  ground  now  occupied  by  Samuel  Coles. 
He  owned  considerable  property  in  the  neighborhood,  and  opened 
the  road  to  the  turnpike. 


TURNPIKE. 

A  private  road  ran  snake-like  through  the  woods  from  "Spicer's 
Ferry"  (Cooper  Creek)  from  the  earliest  settlement.  Snake-like 
is  a  fitting  word.  Not  knowing  by  what  tortuous  trails  it  took 
from  Camden,  we  know  that  it  ran  close  to  the  old  Curtis  farm 
house.  Then,  starting  to  the  right  through  a  dense  forest,  found 
its  way  to  the  rear  of  where  our  Methodist  church  now  stands; 
thence,  through  Dr.  Bartine's  and  other  properties,  it  crossed 
where  Centre  street  now  is,  at  Mrs.  Thomas  C.  Knight's  house; 
thence  struck  the  Hollinshead  homestead;  afterwards,  turning  to 
the  left,  it  ran  close  to  the  "Half  Moon  Inn"  (now  Fred  Ritter's), 
and  so  continued  its  way  to  Moorestown. 

You  must  also  remember  that  through  this  same  tiresome  route 
Washington  led  his  troops  after  the  battle  of  Princeton.  It  is  also 
a  historical  fact  that  some  American  and  Hessian  soldiers  fallen 
in  that  memorable  battle  lay  side  by  side  in  the  old  Colestown 
Cemetery.  The  public  road  was  laid  out  March  8th,  1762.  It  was 
straightened  out  in  1804. 

"The  Moorestown  and  Camden  Turnpike  Company"  con- 
structed the  present  road  in  1850.  It  was  opened  for  use  April 
1st,  1 85 1.  Edward  Harris  was  its  first  president.  Its  original  cost 
was  thirty-six  thousand  dollars.  The  roadbed  was  of  gravel.  A 
two-horse  tea  m  drew  usually  from  seven  hundred  to  twelve  hun- 
dred pounds.  Afterwards  it  was  laid  in  stone  at  an  additional 
outlay  of  sixty-five  thousand  dollars,  making  for  construction 
alone  a  total  of  one  hundred  thousand  dollars.  At  present  a  span 
of  horses  can  draw  three  to  four  tons  weight  to  and  from  Phila- 
delphia or  Camden. 


Its  bonds  and  stock  are  held  in  part  by  widows  and  the  de- 
scendants of  its  original  incorporators.  Emmor  Roberts,  of 
Moorestown,  is  now  president  of  the  road. 

OLD  INNS. 

"The  Cherry  Tree  Inn"  (on  ground  near  the  Hollinshead  home- 
stead) was  built  at  an  unknown  date,  between  1717  and  1733,  ten- 
ant unknown.  It  was  occupied  by  Thomas  Spicer,  Jr.,  after  his- 
marriage  (1740),  but  not  kept  as  a  tavern  by  him.  After  his  death, 
in  1760,  his  widow  lived  in  it.  In  1769  her  son-in-law,  William 
Rudderow,  removed  it  to  the  pike  above  Cove  road.  At  his  death 
it  came  into  the  possession  of  his  half-brother,  John,  who  lived 
there  until  1850,  when  it  was  left  to  his  heirs.  * 

"The  Half  Moon  Inn"  stood  where  Fred  Ritter  now  lives.  It 
was  built  in  1800;  was  kept  by  a  man  named  Cattell.  Charles- 
Busby  bought  it  in  1828  and  changed  its  name  to  the  "Spread 
Eagle  Hotel."  He  sold  it  to  William  Hinchman,  and  he,  in  1846, 
to  John  A.  Vennier,  who  kept  it  until  his  death,  in  1876.  It  after- 
wards passed  into  the  possession  of  several  other  parties.  A  hotel 
is  now  kept  there  by  Fred  Ritter. 

The  "Stockton  House"  (corner  of  Maple  avenue  and  Centre 
street)  was  originally  a  two-story  shanty,  occupied  as  a  cake  shop. 
It  was  built  by  James  Folwell  in  1845  or  1846.  He  afterwards 
built  around  and  over  it  and  owned  it  until  1856,  when  he  sold  it 
to  "Benny"  Martin,  who  occupied  it  as  public  house  for  many 
years.  It  afterward  passed  into  several  hands  and  has  been  leased 
from  the  Martin  estate  bv  William  W.  Pancoast  since. 


RAILROADS. 

"The  Camden  and  Pemberton  Agricultural  Railroad"  was 
chartered  July  28th,  1854.  It  ran  to  Moorestown,  Mt.  Holly  and 
Pemberton.     In  February,  1866,  its  several  branches  were  united 

*  Old  musty  documents  being  sometimes  puzzling  and  even  conflicting,  I  am  not 
certain  that  the  final  disposition  of  the  "  Cherry  Tree  Inn,"  as  given  is  historically  correct. 


.as  the  "Camden  and  Burlington  County  Railroad  Company." 
The  road,  under  its  new  name,  running  from  Camden  to  Mt. 
Holly,  was  opened  for  use  Monday,  October  21st,  1867.  It  was 
leased  to  the  Camden  and  Amboy  Railroad  and  Transportation 
Company  April  21st,  1868,  and  was  finally  leased  to  the  Pennsyl- 
vania Railroad  Company  May  nth,  1872.  The  conditions  of  the 
lease  are  that  the  latter  company  shall  pay  interest  on  the  bonds 
of  the  company  and  6  per  cent,  per  annum  on  its  capital  stock. 

TROLLEY  LINES. 

"The  Camden  Horse  Car  Company"  finished  this  line  from 
Camden  to  Merchantville  in  September,  1893.  The  fare  each 
way  was  ten  cents  for  some  time.  The  first  monthly  ticket  was 
issued  to  A.  Macray  on  October  24th,  1893.  The  name  cf  the 
company  has  since  been  changed  to  the  "Camden  and  Suburban 
Railroad  Company." 

TRADITIONS. 

The  following  two  sad  incidents  have  been  related  to  me  by 
more  than  one  old  farmer  still  living  in  our  neighborhood,  but 
which  I  have  no  means  of  verifying: 

THE  GYPSY  CAMP. 

A  band  of  gypsies  had  encamped  in  the  grove  near  where  our 
present  stand-pipe  now  is.  A  young  and  very  interesting  maiden 
(the  daughter  of  a  prosperous  farmer  of  the  vicinity)  was  naturally 
attracted  there.  After  "crossing  hands  with  silver"  and  with 
many  other  nonsensical  maneuverings  one  of  the  old  hags  told 
her  that  she  would  surely  marry,  but  not  until  after  the  death  of 
her  first  lover.  The  maiden,  being  at  that  time  betrothed  •>  1 
young  and  promising  lawyer,  this  foolish  prediction  made  such  an 
impression  upon  her  mind  that,  notwithstanding"  all  the  kindly  in- 
fluences of  her  family  and  friends,  she  fell  into  a  rapid  deehne 
from  which  she  never  rallied. 


THE  GERMAN  PEDDLER. 

On  the  grounds  now  occupied  by  the  hotel,  corner  Maple  ave- 
nue and  Centre  street,  stood  a  little  shanty,  in  which  lived  a  widow 
named  Sarah  Green,  with  her  two  children,  who  kept  a  cake  and 
candy  store,  besides  taking-  in  washing.  On  a  cold  and  stormy 
night, 

"It  was  in  the  bleak  December," 

a  German  peddler,  with  a  heavy  sack,  making  his  way  toward 
Moorestown,  but  cold  and  blinded  by  the  storm,  knocked  at  the 
widow's  door,  pleadingly  begging  shelter  for  the  night.  Not- 
withstanding she  was  alone,  her  woman's  sympathies  were  en- 
listed, and  she  built  him  a  sort  of  rude  bed  beside  the  kitchen 
stove.  Locking  the  doors,  she,  with  her  children,  retired  and 
slept  soundly.  Upon  arising  in  the  morning  she  was  horrified 
to  find  the  body  of  the  peddler  stretched  out  upon  the  kitchen, 
floor,  where  he  had  been  strangled  to  death  and  robbed  of  all  his 
money  and  valuables. 

Although  suspicion  pointed  to  two  desperate  characters  (who. 
had  evidently  tracked  him  from  Camden),  yet  no  conviction  fol- 
lowed. 

Now  allow  me  to  revert  to  matters  more  intimately  relating  to 
Merchantville. 


CHURCHES. 

OLD  TRINITY. 

The  Trinity  Methodist  Episcopal  Chapel  was,  of  course,  the 
only  public  place  of  worship  for  miles  around  of  any  denomina- 
tion. After  a  series  of  meetings  held  in  the  little  school  house 
(elsewhere  referred  to),  in  which  Matthias  Homer,  David  S.  Stet- 
son. A.  G.  Cattell,  Elijah  G.  Cattell,  James  C.  Finn,  Isaac  II inch- 
man,  Isaac  Starn,  Charles  W.  Starn  and  Joseph  II.  Starn  were  the 


1)1,1)  "   TRINITY   METHODIST  EPISCOPAL  CHURCH. 

LOANED    EXPRESSLY    FOR    THIS   WORK    BY    WM.    LONGSTRETH. 


principals,  the  "Trinity  Methodist  Episcopal  Church"  was  duly 
incorporated  March  i  ith,  1865.  The  corner-stone  of  the  "Chapel" 
was  laid  on  the  third  Saturday  in  October,  1865.  It  was  finished 
and  dedicated  in  March,  1866,  Bishop  Matthew  Simpson  officiat- 
ing-. It  was  a  quaint  and  cozy  wooden  structure,  standing  back 
from  the  road,  through  an  avenue  of  sturdy  oaks,  and  surmounted 
by  a  modest  belfry. 

Some  time  afterwards  the  children  of  the  Sunday  school,  by 
contributions  from  every  resident,  stranger  and  passing  farmer, 
supplied  it  with  a  bell,  the  same  that  now  swings  in  the  tower  of 
its  new  majestic  edifice. 

It  was  generally  known  as  the  "Union"  Chapel;  the  seats  were 
free,  and  for  obvious  reasons  doctrinal  sermons  were  preached 
but  once  a  month.  The  Rev.  Robert  S.  Harris  was  the  first  pas- 
ter, and  David  S.  Stetson  and  Matthias  Homer  were  the  first 
superintendents  of  its  Sabbath  school. 

The  present  handsome  granite  edifice  was  finished  and  dedi- 
cated May  9th,  1894.    The  Rev.  J.  B.  Haines  is  the  present  pas- 
tor, since  June,  1898.     Samuel  C.  Gilmore  is  the  superintendent 
of  the  Sabbath  school,  supported  by  eighteen  teachers  and  Dfficers,. 
with  178  scholars  on  the  roll. 


MEMORIAL  TABLET. 

In  a  handsome  window  in  this  church  (representing  Christ 
blessing  children)  appears  imprinted  the  following  significant 
statement:  "This  church  marks  the  place  where  Children's  Day 
was  originated  by  its  pastor,  Rev.  Robert  S.  Harris,  in  the  year 
1866,  and  this  window  is  lovingly  dedicated  to  the  memory  of  this 
event." 

We  might  add  that  the  second  Sunday  of  June  in  everv  year  is 
set  apart  as  Children's  Day,  and  is  now  observed  in  every  Metho- 
dist church  throughout  the  world,  and  by  many  other  religious 
denominations. 

The  following  poetical  address  was  read  from  the  pulpit  by  the 
pastor  of  the  church: 


SCHOLARS'  GREETING. 

To  the  teachers  of  the  Trinty  M.  E.  Sabbath  School  at  Mer- 
chantville,  New  Jersey,  and  its  Greenville  and  Pennsville  branch 
schools,  on  the  occasion  of  their  floral  festival,  May  28th,  1871. 

BY    FRANCIS    F.    EASTLACK. 
Dear  teachers — friends  of  innocence  and  youth!     # 
Guides  o?  our  footsteps  in  the  paths  of  truth. 
To  you  we  turn — for  you  our  hearts  o'erflow 
With  gentle  love  and  fond  affection's  glow. 
And  v  e  have  come  with  a  childish  lay, 
This  genial,  beautiful  day  of  May. 
May!  when  all  nature,  as  if  proud  to  wear 
Her  livery  of  green — her  balmy  air, 
Yet  speaks  in  language  rich  and  rare, 
"Each  bud  and  blossom  is  a  voiceless  prayer." 
S(.  May  has  given  us  what  we  dearly  prize, 
Her  choicest  flowers  in  their  richest  dies, 
And  we  have  gathered  them  in  festoons  gay, 
To  deck  orr  school-room  on  this  Sabbath  day. 
Look  at  our  flowers!    So  beautiful!    So  bright! 
So  full  of  perfume!    So  grateful  to  the  sight! 

Dear  teachers,  ?re  we  not  like  tender  flowers, 
Needing  the  warmth,  the  dew  and  the  showers, 
The  kindly  Gard'ner's  hand  to  prune  and  tie, 
And  trail  our  trembling  tendrils  toward  the  sky? 

Oh  may  our  hearts  receive  the  warmth  of  truth  above, 
The  silent  dews  of  grace — the  showers  of  love; 
And  all  our  aspirations  ever  fondly  bend 
Upward,  to  please  our  heavenly  Friend 


As  flowers  exhale  their  perfume  on  the  air, 
And  lull  the  sense  with  odors  rich  and  rare, 
So  may  our  feeble  prayers  arise 
Like  incense,  till  they  reach  the  skies. 


THE  FIRST  PRESBYTERIAN  CHURCH 

LOANED    EXPRESSLY    FOR    THIS    WORK    BY    *M.    LONGSTRETH. 


And  as  the  gard'ner  plucks  the  lovely  flower 
So  rich  in  glory  and  in  perfume  power, 
So  at  our  gleaning  may  we  ready  stand 
To  meet  a  greeting  at  the  Saviour's  hand. 

We  come  as  branches  to  this  holy  place, 
And  bring  our  pretty  flowers  our  school  to  grace, 
Would  that  the  Saviour  would  our  hearts  incline 
To  be  indeed  the  branches,  as  He  is  the  Vine! 

Like  tender  branches  we  are  scattered  wide, 
'Mid  thorns  and  roses — humble  truth  and  pride! 
But  in  the  Upper-Land,  supreme  and  blest, 
No  separation  shall  disturb  our  rest. 

Teachers  and  scholars  shall  with  one  accord 
Sing  songs  triumphant  to  the  living  Lord, 
And  should  ambition  rise  among  the  blest, 
'Twill  be  "who  loves  our  Lord  the  best!" 

It  will  interest  many  of  my  readers  to  know,  that  in  the  frontis- 
piece my  left  hand  is  resting  upon  the  original  minute  book 
(1865)  of  Trinity  M.   E.  Church. 


THE  FIRST  PRESBYTERIAN  CHURCH. 

The  first  meetings  looking  up  to  the  formation  of  this  church 
were  held  in  the  Oak  Grove  Academy  in  1871,  but  it  was  not  until 
1872  that  an  actual  organization  was  effected,  which  met  in  the 
old  Merchantville  Hall.  The  Rev.  Robert  Ellis  Thompson  was  its 
first  permanent  pastor,  the  Rev.  Nathaniel  L.  Upham  following  in 
November,  1874.  It  is  but  just  to  say  that  under  the  energetic 
management  of  Mr.  Upham  that  the  church  edifice  was  built  and 
presented  to  its  trustees  absolutely  free  from  debt.  Its  tower  was 
left  unfinished.     This  needed  $240  to  complete.     Within  a  week 


one  of  its  determined  members  raised  more  than  the  necessar) 
amount  from  contributions  from  all  denominations. 

It  was  formally  dedicated  June  12th,  1876.  Mr.  Upham  re- 
signed and  was  followed  by  Matthew  C.  Wood,  then  by  Rev. 
Roderick  Cobb  and  finally  by  Rev.  J.  Mench  Chambers. 
Its  Sunday  school  was  started  October  13th,  1873. 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Francis  F.  Eastlack  succeeded  in  gathering  some 
children  who  attended  no  Sabbath  school,  and  on  that  day  thirteen 
presented  themselves  at  Mr.  Eastlack's  house.  Dahlias  were  in 
bloom;  each  little  one,  having  one  of  these  flowers  pinned  to  his 
or  her  bosom,  were  marched  two  by  two  to  the  Merchantville 
Hall,  where  the  school  was  formally  opened. 

As  near  as  I  can  remember,  the  names  of  the  original  thirteen 
were  Casper  Lord,  Kate  Miller,  Emma  Demmy  (now  Mrs.  Fred- 
erick Ritter),  Walter  Knight,  John  Miller,  Hannah  Humphreys, 
Mary  Knight  (now  the  widow  of  William  Moses),  Walter  Rud- 
derow  and  Francis  F.,  Jr.,  Ida,  Walter  H.  and  J.  Dorsey  B.  East- 
lack  and  Daniel  Carlin. 

T.  E.  Atkins  is  the  present  superintendent,  since  March,  T899, 
assisted  by  twenty-two  teachers  and  officers  and  one  hundred  and 
eighty-eight  scholars  on  the  roll. 

Years  ago  a  pastor  of  this  church  in  going  to  a  prayer  meeting 
there,  found  a  man  stretched  out  asleep  on  its  front  steps.  He 
awoke  him,  finding  him  poorly  though  cleanly  dressed  and  en- 
tirely sober.  He  told  the  minister  that,  having  walked  from  Fel- 
lowship on  his  way  to  Camden,  becoming  tired  and  hungry,  he 
had  selected  this  spot  for  a  little  rest,  but  had  fallen  asleep.  With- 
out questioning  his  word,  the  good  man  took  him  to  his  own 
home,  and,  after  giving  him  a  substantial  supper,  invited  him  to 
return  to  the  prayer-meeting  with  him,  which  he  did.  and  re- 
mained until  its  close.  After  some  whispering  the  good  man 
placed  a  generous  sum  in  his  hand,  and  one  of  the  members  walk- 
ed with  him  to  the  railroad  station,  bought  him  a  ticket  for  Cam- 
den and  sent  him  on  his  way  rejoicing.  Rut  similar  evidences  of 
practical  Christianity  were  not  uncommon  in  those  davs. 


THK  CRACK   EPISCOPAL  CIU'RCH. 


LOANED    EXPRESSLY    FOR    THIS    WORK    BY     HM.     LONGSTRETH. 


THE  GRACE  EPISCOPAL  CHURCH. 

As  early  as  1871  the  question  of  farming  an  Episcopalian 
Church  was  agitated.  The  first  actual  service  was  held  at  the  resi- 
dence of  Henry  A.  Macomb  December  2d,  1872,  Edward  S.  Hall 
reading  the  services.  Similar  meetings  at  private  houses  followed, 
until  April  16th,  1873,  when,  at  the  residence  of  George  Crump, 
theParishwasincorporatedOct.5,'73.  A  neat  wooden  chapel  was 
erected  in  1878  at  the  corner  of  Centre  street  and  Park  avenue, 
the  pulpit  was  occupied  by  several  transient  ministers,  yet  the 
Rev.  Richard  George  Moses  became  the  first  permanent  minister 
and  still  holds  that  position. 

The  chapel  was  removed  to  the  ground  of  the  proposed  church 
in  July,  1890.  The  present  imposing  edifice  was  built  during  1893 
and  1894,  and  on  September  30th,  1894,  the  first  divine  service 
was  solemnized.  The  first  Sunday  school  superintendent  was 
Henry  A.  Macomb.  Arthur  Truscott  has  present  charge,  assisted 
by  fifteen  teachers  and  officers  and  one  hundred  and  fifty  scholars, 
on  the  roll. 


THE  FIRST  BAPTIST  CHURCH. 

This  congregation  was  formally  organized  in  1889.  In  1890 
their  present  church,  a  neat  and  artistic  wooden  structure,  was 
erected  at  the  corner  of  Centre  street  and  Rogers  avenue.  It  has 
been  greatly  enlarged  and  improved  since.  The  Rev.  Samuel  S. 
Merriman,  its  first  pastor  (then  a  theological  student),  was  for- 
mally ordained  as  minister  at  our  Presbyterian  church,  his  own 
father  taking  a  leading  part.  Immediately  afterwards  he  assumed 
the  pastorship  of  the  church.  He  was  succeeded  by  the  Rev.  New- 
ton M.  Simmonds,  the  present  pastor,  in  1896. 

Joseph  Wiltshire  was  its  first  superintendent  and  is  still  in 
charge,  assisted  by  twenty  teachers  and  officers,  with  about  two 
hundred  scholars  on  the  roll. 


FRIENDS'  MEETING  HOUSE. 

A  number  of  "Friends"  have  for  some  time  been  holding  meet- 
ings in  Davenport's  Hall,  giving  occasional  public  exercises  in  the 
grove  adjacent  to  the  old  Merchantville  Hall,  and  at  present  in 
our  Centre  Public  School  house.  Though  quiet  in  their  opera- 
tions, still  I  learn  that  much  interest  is  manifested  at  their  meet- 
ings and  that  their  number  is  increasing. 

MATTHIAS  HOMER. 

I  may  say  right  here,  as  a  reason  for  the  frequent  use  of  Mr. 
Homer's  name  through  these  pages,  that  there  is  nothing — either 
in  borough  matters,  formation  of  churches,  building  associations, 
Free-Mason  and  Odd  Fellow  lodges,  railroad  or  political  mat- 
ters— that  does  not  bear  the  imprint  of  this  honored  gentleman's 
prominence  and  active  participation.  He  was  born  in  Birming- 
ham, England,  in  1812;  came  to  America  in  1822;  located  as  one 
of  the  founders  of  Merchantville  in  1852,  and  died  December  16th, 
1893. 

DAVID  S.  STETSON,  SR. 

Nor  can  Mr.  Homer's  name  be  mentioned  without  coupling 
that  of  Mr.  Stetson's.  He  was  one  of  our  oldest  and  most  hon- 
ored public-spirited  citizens;  he  was  ardently  and  heartily  engaged 
in  every  kind  of  religious  and  beneficial  work,  besides  freeh  con- 
tributing for  their  support  and  advancement.  He  was  born  in  the 
-city  of  Bath,  Maine,  May  22d,  1819,  settled  here  in  September, 
186 r,  and  died  respected  and  esteemed  September  27th,  1878. 
His  son,  David  S.  Stetson,  Jr.,  is  president  of  our  Building  Asso- 
ciation. 

|.  BUILDING  ASSOCIATIONS. 

"The  Cottage  Loan  and  Building  Association"  was  organized 
in  1867.  David  S.  Stetson,  Sr.,  was  its  first  president;  E.  S.  Hall, 
secretary,  and  Matthias  Homer,  treasurer.     It  issued  a  number  of 


THE  FIRST  BAPTIST  CHURCH. 

LOANED    EXPRESSLY    FOR    THIS    WORK    BY    WM.     LONGSTRETH. 


series  Mr  Stetson  resigned  in  1874  and  Thomas  C.  Knight  suc- 
ceeded him.  In  1880  the  title  was  changed  to  the  "Merchantville 
Building  and  Loan  Association."  It  preserved  the  same  officers 
until  1888.  when  David  S.  Stetson,  Jr.,  became  president  and  still 
holds  that  position.  Matthias  Homer  remained  its  treasurer  until 
his  death,  in  1893,  when  he  was  succeeded  by  his  son,  John  Ho- 
mer.    It  has  just  issued  its  eighteenth  series. 

On  account  of  the  destruction  of  the  books  of  the  first  associa- 
tion (the  Cottage  Loan  and  Building  Association)  it  is  impossible 
to  give  the  total  amount  of  the  loans  made  by  it.  But  since  the 
organization  under  its  present  title  this  association  has  made 
loans  to  its  shareholders  ag-gregating  $ .     see  Note. 

OCR  POSTMASTERS. 

Charles  W.  Starn  was  the  first  postmaster  of  the  new  settlement, 
also  storekeeper,  and  was  located  where  Dr.  Bartine  now  resides. 
He  was  followed  by  Richard  C.  Schriener,  his  widow,  Charles 
Shinn,  Gottlieb  C.  Mick,  W.  P.  Phelps,  William  Macfarlan  and 
our  present  postmaster,  Maurice  B.  Rudderow,  who  assumed 
charge  November  2$d,  1897. 

OAK  GROVE  ACADEMY. 

In  the  year  1869  the  Rev.  Thomas  Cattell  (a  brother  of  Senator 
Alexander  G.  CattellJ  opened  what  is  now  known  as  the  "Oak 
Grove  Inn"  as  an  academy  for  boys,  where  the  rudiments,  as  well 
as  the  higher  branches  of  education  were  taught.  It  flourished 
for  a  few  vears,  when  it  was  abandoned  and  turned  into  a  sum- 
mer boarding  house. 

THE  FIRST  SCHOOL  HOUSE. 

This  stood  on  the  grounds  of  Dr.  Bartine.  It  was  a  small-sized 
one-story  wooden  building,  erected  in  1863  by  a  close  corporation 
for  the  purpose  of  affording  some  means  of  instruction  to  the 
young  children.  ( )ne  of  the  most  emphatic  clauses  of  its  incorpo- 
ration was,  "for  no  cause  whatever,  shall  it  ever  be  used  except 
for  religious  or  educational  purposes." 


In  this  little  school  house  the  entire  settlement  worshipped  and 
it  became  the  nucleus  of  the  Trinity  Methodtst  Church.  After- 
wards it  fell  into  disuse  and  was  diverted  from  its  original  pur- 
poses. It  finally  came  into  the  possession  of  Dr.  Bartine,  who 
sold  it,  and  it  was  removed  to  Sordantown,  where  it  still  stands. 


FREE  AND  ACCEPTED  MASONS. 

Merchantville  Lodge,  No.  119,  works  under  a  warrant  issued 
from  the  Right  Worshipful  Grand  Lodge  of  Masons  of  the  juris- 
diction of  New  Jersey,  dated  October,  1871.  It  met  originally  in 
the  old  Merchantville  Hall,  and  remained  there  until  the  builmng 
of  Collins'  and  Pancoast's  Hall,  where  it  removed  in  1893,  and 
still  holds  out  the  second  Friday  of  each  month.  Really  speaking, 
meetings  looking  up  to  its  formation  were  held  in  what  is  now 
the  freight  station,  corner  of  Park  avenue  and  the  railroad.  Robert 
F.  S.  Heath  was  its  first  master,  with  Matthias  Homer  as  treas- 
urer, a  position  he  held  until  his  death  in  1893. 

Harry  R.  Sharp  is  its  present  Master;  George  V.  Sharp, 
Senior  Warden;  Elmer  P.  Strang,  Junior  Warden;  Dr.  Charles  H. 
Jennings,  Treasurer,  and  John  Homer,  Secretary. 

The  Past  Masters  of  Lodge  No.  119,  F.  and  A.  M.,  of  Mer- 
chantville, have  been  Matthias  Homer,  Robert  F.  S.  Heath,  J. 
Earl  Atkinson,  A.  Clifford  Jackson,  John  Homer,  T.  Augustus 
Beck,  George  N.  Conrow,  William  R.  Lippincott,  John  S.  Mor- 
gan, William  A.  Stavers,  Charles  P.  Spangler,  Joseph  H.  Wil- 
kinson, John  H.  Sinex,  E.  Budd  Wilkins,  William  J.  Flanagan, 
Alfred  J.  Briggs,  William  M.  Duvall,  Stacy  S.  Pancoast,  John  W. 
Elliott,  Arnold  H.  Moses,  William  Mercer,  James  W.  Stevens, 
W.  W.  Vickers,  Stephen  S.  Childs,  Charles  H.  Jennings,  Millard 
F.  Peterson  and  Morris  S.  Smoker. 


NEWCOMERS. 

The  Messrs.  Homer,  Louty.  McFadden  and  Gerker,  building 
substantial  dwellings  and  adorning  their  grounds,  were  disap- 
pointed at  the  slow  growth  of  the  town,  for  it  was  not  until  be- 
tween the  years  1866  and  1872  that  much  progress  was  made. 


OLD  FREIGHT  STATION  PENNSYLVANIA  R.   K. 

WHERE    THE    FIRST    MEETINGS    LOOKING    UP    TO    THE 
FORMATION    OF    LODGE    NO.    119,    FREE    MASONS,    WERE    HELD. 


KINDLY    LOANED    BY    FRANK    E.     MANNING,    PHILADELPHI, 


During  these  years  it  received  an  impetus  by  the  coming  in  of 
such  families  as  David  S.  Stetson,  Alexander  G.  Cattell,  Edward 
M.  Furber,  Joseph  H.  Hollinshead,  Amos  K.  Mylin,  Jacob  L. 
Tripler,  John  Hanna,  Elijah  G.,  Rev.  Thomas  and  Senator  Alex- 
ander G.  Cattell,  John  W.  Torrey,  Dr.  David  H.  Bartine,  Harrison 
Robbins,  D.  Tenney  Gage,  James  Millingar,  George  Crump,  Ben- 
jamin F.  Sausser,  Jacob  Mick,  Edward  S.  Hall,  William  D.  Kemp- 
ton,  Richard  C.  Schriener,  Francis  F.  Eastlack,  Atwood  Porter, 
Gottlieb  C.  Mick,  Theodore  L  DeBow,  John  C.  Miller,  William 
C.  Fox,  Oliver  Lund,  Henry  A.  Macomb,  Rev.  D.  H.  Schock, 
John  Homer,  Charles  H.  Jennings,  Martha  Hinchman,  John 
Laney,  David  W.  Keen,  Thomas  C.  Knight,  Colonel  James  P. 
Mead.  R.  B.  Knight,  Joseph  Bayliss,  Joseph  E.  Wilkinson,  Henry 
Trout,  Christian  E.,  Edwin  J.  and  Charles  P.  Spangler,  Joseph 
Shivers,  John  Peace,  Rev.  Nathaniel  L.  Upham,  Allyn  Brewer, 
Frank  L.  Kirkpatrick,  William  Marsden,  John  Senft,  "Benny" 
Martin  and  probably  a  few  others  whose  names  I  cannot  now 
recall. 

The  railroad  station  was  at  that  time  located  on  Park  avenue, 
opposite  Gilmore  street. 

This  brings  us  to  about  1872,  when  the  settlement  called  Mer- 
chantville  (then  forming  a  part  of  Stockton  township)  started  on 
its  way  to  permanent  prosperity. 


PLEASING  INCIDENTS. 

Did  space  allow,  many  pleasing  incidents  relating  to  our  town 
might  be  given.     The  following  must  suffice: 


A  WELL  ON  FIRE. 

As  elsewhere  said,  the  well  at  the  Furber  residence,  on  Wralnut 
avenue,  was  over  a  hundred  feet  deep.  After  the  introduction  of 
the  present  street  pipe  system  this  old  well  was  practically  aban- 
doned, except  for  keeping  butter,  milk,  etc.,  to  cool  at  the  end  of 
a  suspended  rope. 


Possibly  the  servants  may  at  times  have  thrown  down  waste- 
paper  or  other  light  rubbish.  Be  this  as  it  may,  one  day  the  rope 
broke,  and  alas!  for  the  butter  and  eggs,  laying  a  hundred  feet 
below.  A  hook  with  lighted  candle  was  sent  down,  which,  of 
course,  took  fire,  and- the  cry  of  "Well  on  fire"  startled  the  whole 
town.  Even  our  Fire  Department  was  called  out  and  general  ex- 
citement prevailed;  the  loss,  however,  was  trifling. 


FIVE  CENTS  OUT  OF  POCKET. 

Many  years  ago  a  man  and  woman  presented  themselves  at  the 
residence  of  one  of  our  clergymen  for  the  "nuptial  tie."  They 
were  accompanied  by  a  friend  of  the  minister;  the  pair  were  ac- 
cordingly married,  the  friend  acting  as  groomsman  and  the  worthy 
pastor's  wife  as  bridesmaid. 

This  good  lady,  seeing  in  prospective  a  generous  fee  for  her 
husband,  sent  out  a  servant  and  expended  thirty  cents  for  tea- 
cakes  and  lemons.  After  the  usual  prayer  and  good  advice  had 
been  given  she  brought  on  a  tray  the  cake,  supported  by  a  glass 
of  lemonade  (which,  of  course,  was  appreciating!}-  disposed  of). 
Upon  leaving,  in  the  dark  vestibule,  the  man  slipped  a  coin  in  the 
hands  of  the  minister.  Fancy  his  astonishment  (particularly  his 
wife's,)  when  the  good  man  entered  the  lighted  parlor  and  found 
the  coin  to  be  a  silver  quarter  of  a  dollar. 


STRINGED  ICE. 

A  resident  of  our  town,  on  a  hot  August  afternoon,  was  seen 
trudging  along  from  the  railroad  station  carrying  the  remains  of 
a  huge  cake  of  ice  (by  means  of  a  strong  cord),  which  he  brought 
from  Philadelphia.  He  could  easily  have  gotten  it  right  in  our 
town  from  the  private  ice  houses  of  Homer,  Stetson,  Cramp  or 
others. 


WORSHIPFUL  MASTERS 


LODGE  No.  119,  FREE  MASONS 


RESIDING   THEN   OR    NOW   IN    MERCHANTVII^E. 


f 


'1' 


MATTHIAS    HOMER 
FATHER    OF    THE    LODGE 


ROBERT    F.    S.    HEATH 

FIRST    WORSHIPFUL    MASTER 

1871-1872 


^  -5£ 


4> 

HARRY    R.    SHARP 
PRESENT   WORSHIPFUL    MASTER 


JOHN    HOMER 
W.   M.        1875 


CHARLES    P.    SPANGLER 
W.    M.       1881 


J.    HARRY    WILKINSON 
W.  M.       1882 


JOHN    H.    SINEX 
W.    M.       1883 


PLATES    KINDLY    CONTRIBUTED    BY    FRANK    E.    MANNING.    PHILADELPHIA. 


was  unknown.  Each  new-comer,  conscious  of  the  rectitude  of  his 
own  character,  felt  himself  neither  superior  nor  inferior  to  any  of 
his  neighbors. 

Everv  new-comer  was  gladly  welcomed;  his  family  visited  at 
once  without  invitation.  A  general  interchange  of  good  feelings 
was  manifested  for  the  health  and  happiness  of  one  another.  Con- 
sequently there  were  no  "bosses."  Each  was  animated  by  the  love 
of  a  quiet  home  and  the  progress  of  its  surroundings.  Evenings 
were  spent  from  house  to  house  in  social  intercourse.  There  be- 
ing but  one  church  in  the  town,  all  worshipped  God  together. 
Their  wives  and  daughters  were  equally  of  the  same  mind.  "Dor- 
cas" and  sewing  circles  were  planned;  the  sick  and  the  poor  were 
cared  for,  Sunday  school  scholars  hunted  up,  and  in  every  way 
motherly  and  sisterly  affection  existed  between  them. 

Happy,  oh!  happy  Merchantville  in  those  olden  days. 

THE  CENTRE  STREET  PUBLIC  SCHOOL. 

This  building  was  erected  on  a  lot  one  hundred  by  one  hundred 
and  seventy-five  feet  (purchased  from  James  Homer)  in  187 1.  It 
was  of  one  story  and  had  two  rooms  (one  front  and  the  other 
back).  William  Way  was,  strictly  speaking,  its  first  principal. 
It  has  from  time  to  time  been  greatly  enlarged,  having  at  present 
six  rooms,  with  Professor  R.  Howell  Tice  as  principal  (since 
1896),  assisted  by  five  lady  teachers  and  two  hundred  and  forty 
scholars  on  the  roll. 

The  last  school  census  (marie  May,  1899)  shows  three  hundred 
and  seventeen  children  of  school  age  living  within  our  borough 
limits. 

Our  borough  authorities  have  appropriated  four  thousand  four 
hundred  dollars  for  its  maintenance  during  the  present  year. 

Harry  Knox  Oakford  is  president  of  the  board,  composed  of 
Mrs.  E.'h.  Nash,  Mrs.  H.  J.  Stiles,  Mrs.  E.  W.  Preston,  John  W. 
Kohlerman,  Arthur  Truscott,  Alexander  B.  Porter  and  William 
Early.    John  Homer  is  the  clerk. 

The  results  of  this  school  are  incalculable.  Architects,  fanners, 
Miechanics,  lawyers,  ministers,  civil  and  naval  engineers,  artists, 


WORSHIPFUL  MASTERS 


LODGE  No.  U9,  FREE  MASONS 


RESIDING   THEN   OR    NOW    IN   MERCHANTVIIXE. 


^* ; 


ILLIAM    M.     DUVALL 
W.    M.       1887 


- 


WM.    MERCER 
W.  M.       1892 


if 

US 


- 


CHAS.    H.    JENNINGS 
W.  M.       1896 


STACY    S.    PANCOAST 
W.  M.        1SS8 


JAMES    W.    STEVENS 
W.  M.       1893 


MILLARD    F.    PETERSON 
W.  M.       1897 


ARNOLD    H.    MOSES 
W.    M.        1891 


JS" 


W.    W.    VICKERS 
W.  M.       1894 


c. 


't 


&*  «k. 


MORRIS    S.    SMOKER 
W.    M.        1898 


PLATES    KINDLY    CONTRIBUTED    BY    FRANK    E.    MANNING,    PHILADELPHIA. 


besides  citizens  in  many  other  walks  of  life,  received  their  early 
education  in  this  same  building. 

Before  it  was  built  the  children  of  our  early  settlers  were  forced 
to  trudge  to  the  "Union  School  house,"  on  the  Burlington  turn- 
pike, a  distance  of  fully  three  miles  from  Merchantville. 


THE  INCORPORATION  OF  THE  BOROUGH  OF  MER- 
CHANTVILLE AND  MATTERS  RELATING 
THERETO. 

Our  community,  after  vainly  petitioning  the  officials  of  Stock- 
ton township  (which  then  embraced  Merchantville)  for  the  return 
of  some  part  of  our  taxes  for  many  needed  improvements,  deter- 
mined to  cut  free  from  it  and  form  a  new  local  government.  For 
this  purpose  George  Crump  (a  lawyer  by  profession)  drew  up  a 
proposed  charter,  and  a  "steering  committee,"  composed  of 
George  Crump,  John  Homer,  Edwin  J.  Spangler,  Thomas  C. 
Knight,  Joseph  Bayliss  and  Colonel  James  P.  Mead,  volunteered 
to  take  it  up  personally  to  Trenton  and  urge  its  adoption,  by  the 
Legislature  then  in  session. 

This  was  in  March,  1874.  How  successfully  they  accomplished 
their  mission  may  be  briefly  stated.  Upon  the  first  day  of  their 
arrival  in  Trenton  the  proposed  charter  passed  its  first  and  second 
readings.  The  second  morning  it  was  enacted  by  both  houses; 
was  immediately  signed  by  the  then  Governor,  Joel  Parker,  and, 
with  the  big  seal  of  the  State  attached,  the  "boys"  brought  it  home- 
in  triumph. 

Some  necessary  time  elapsed  before  the  date  of  its  actual  incor- 
poration. May  18th,  1874. 

Matthias  Homer  was  made  Burgess,  and  occupied  that  position 
for  thirteen  consecutive  years.  The  first  Councilmen  were  Thom- 
as C.  Knight,  Joseph  Bayliss,  D.  Tenney  Gage,  Elijah  G.  Cattel'i, 
James  Millingar,  Edwin  S.  Hall  and  Christian  E.  Spangler.  John 
Homer  filled  the  position  of  Clerk  of  the  Board,  retaining  it  for 
the  twelve  fcllownig  vears. 


Hon.  Charles  S.  Ball,  our  present  Mayor,  was  the  first  to  be 
elected  bearing-  this  new  title. 

Matthias  Homer  was  succeeded  by  Joseph  E.  Wilkinson,  John 
H.  Sixsmith,  Harvey  Knight,  Herbert  W.  Johnson,  Charles  P. 
Spangler  and  J.  E.  Van  Kirk. 

A  bonded  debt  of  $2500.00  was  created  the  first  year,  to  provide 
for  the  payment  of  State  and  county  taxes,  besides  immediate  cur- 
rent expenses.  The  collections  for  the  year  1874  amounted  to 
$3105.50.  The  first  annual  report  was  not  made  until  May  2d, 
1876,  which  may  be  thus  summarized: 

Balance  fom  1875 $15449 

Receipts  from  all  sources   4,025.30 

$4,179-79 

Total  payments 3,203.70 

Leaving  a  balance  of $976.09 

Now  compare  this  with  the  last  annual  report,  made  February 

23d,  1899: 

Balance,  February  23d,  1898 $3,796.23 

Receipts  from  all  sources 31,947.84 

$35,744.07 

Total  expenditures   30,527.49 


Leaving  a  balance  in  hands  of  treasurer $5,216.58 

Appropriations  were  made  for  the  ensuing  year,  that  is.  for 
1899,  aggregating  $1  1,175.00. 

At  a  meeting  of  Council  July  14,  1874,  the  Finance  Committee 
reported  that  $1155.00  would  be  a  suitable  appropriation  for  the 
year.  A  tax  levy  of  41  cents  per  $100  was  at  once  ordered.  The 
whole  tax  rate  was  $2.00  per  $100,  made  up  as  follows: 

State  tax $0.34 

County  tax   70 

School  tax 5^ 

Borough  tax 4! 

$2.00 


THE  CENTRE  STREET  PCBIJC  SCHOOL. 

LOANED    EXPRESSLY    FOR    THIS    WORK    BY    WM.    LONGSTRETH. 


The   borough   taxes   (August   I,    1899)  are  predicated  on  the 
following  basis. 

Assessed  valuation  of  borough  real  estate $633,250.00 

Assesser  valuation  of  borough  personal  property 65,475.00 

Making $698,725.00 

A  tax  of  $2.70  per  each  $100  is  levied  in  this  manner: 

State  tax 27 

County   tax    54 

School  tax 28 

Borough  tax i-6i 

2.70 
Which,  with  $302  from  poll  tax  and  $133  from  dog  tax,  pro- 
duces a  total  of  $19,300.57. 

The  Burgess'  office  and  the  "Lock-up"  were  built  in  1874. 

The  first  official  survey  of  our  streets  was  made  in  1890. 

Stone  pavements  were  laid  in  1898. 

Gas  was  introduced  in  1889. 

Electricity — The  first  experiment  made  in  our  town  was  by 
Gottlieb  C.  Mick  in  a  small  frame  building  adjoining  Pancoast's 
Hotel  in  1889.     Electricity  was  formally  introduced  about  1890. 

Water  was  introduced  by  the  street-pipe  system  in  1887. 

FREEHOLDERS. 

Edwin  J.  Spangler  was  the  first  Freeholder  of  the  borough.  The 
position  has  been  subsequently  filled  by  Charles  B.  Coles,  Charles 
P.  Spangler,  Gottlieb  C.  Mick,  Herbert  W.  Johnson,  and  again 
by  ( lottlieb  C.  Mick,  elected  March  14th,  1899,  to  represent  Mer- 
chantville  and  Pensaukin  township. 

"THE  ORIGINAL  MERCHANTYTLLE  WATER  WORKS." 

as  it  was  facetiously  called,  was  certainly  a  novel  and  ludicrous  af- 
fair. It  is  necessary  to  state  that  on  account  of  the  great  depth 
that  water  could  be  found,  few  houses  were  built  north  of  the  rail- 


road  until  the  introduction  of  the  present  pipe  system;  for  in- 
stance, at  William  M.  Furber's  residence  (the  first  house  built  on 
Walnut  avenue),  the  well  actually  measured  107  feet  from  the  top 
of  the  pump  to  the  bottom.  He  succeeded  in  reaching  water,  but 
the  exertion  of  getting'  it  up  was  heroic. 

This,  of  course,  retarded  building  in  that  section;  while  we  may 
add  that  an  ordinary  hogshead,  sunk  even  with  the  ground,  fully 
supplied  the  water  for  the  building  of  the  Episcopal  chapel,  at  the 
corner  of  Park  avenue  and  Centre  street.  But  to  resume.  This 
outrageously  comical  looking  affair  consisted  of  a  huge  unpainted 
hogshead  (loaned  by  Jacob  L.  Trippler),  placed  on  four  wheels  by 
Jacob  Mick,  and  the  hoise  supplied  by  Richard  C.  Schreiner.  The 
"works"  were  located  at  the  bottom  of  "Father"  Homer's  barn 
well,  where  the  "plant"  made  morning  calls,  supplying  the  "over- 
the-railroaders"  with  pure  sparkling  water. 

Our  present  worthy  policeman,  Daniel  Carlin,  was  the  "presi- 
dent, director,  engineer  and  general  forwarder,"  besides  filling 
the  important  positions  of  cashier,  secretary  and  treasurer.  Such 
amusement  did  it  create  that  Frank  Haviland  made  a  drawing  of 
it  and  transferred  it  to  stone,  printed  and  distributed  copies.  Nor 
did  the  fun  end  here,  for  the  Camden  and  even  'the  Philadelphia 
newspapers  noted  it,  and  "wrote  it  up,"  to  the  amusement  of  their 
readers.     (See  illustration.) 


POLITICAL  MATTERS. 
The  First  Democratic  Mass  Meeting 

Was  held  in  the  fall  of  1884  over  Jacob  Mick's  blacksmith 
shop  (derisively  called  from  this  occurrence  Mick's  Hall).  Judge 
Charles  T.  Reed  and  J.  K.  R.  Hewitt,  of  Camden,  Gottlieb  C. 
Mick  and  Francis  F.  Eastlack  made  speeches.  There  were  only 
six  Democrats  in  the  borough,  but  a  large  number  of  Republicans 
greeted  them  and  applauded  their  audacity. 


Hon.  Alexander  G.  Cattell  (Republican). 

This  honored  gentleman  was  appointed  United  States  Senator 
by  Governor  Marcus  L.  Ward  March  27th,  1866.  He  served  as 
such  until  March  3d,  1871,  when  he  retired  full  of  honors.  His 
public  career  is  too  well  known  to  need  comment  here.  President 
Grant  afterwards  sent  him  to  London  to  negotiate  a  United 
States  Government  loan  of  two  million  dollars,  which  he  success- 
fully accomplished.  He  died  here  amid  universal  sorrow  in  May, 
1894. 

Hon.  Oliver  Lund  ( Republican). 

Was  elected  in  the  fall  of  1875  to  the  State  Assembly  of  Xew 
Jersey.  He  was  re-elected  in  1876.  A  remarkable  feature  of  his 
first  election  was  that  he  received  the  unanimous  vote  of  the 
borough.  Such  was  his  popularity  that,  in  addition  to  the  support 
of  his  own  party,  every  Democrat  in  Merchantville  voted  for  him. 

While  in  the  Legislature  he  offered  a  number  of  wholesome 
laws,  which  were  enacted  and  which  still  stand  as  statute  laws  of 
the  State. 

( rottlieb  C.  Mick  (Democrat). 

Though  twice  previously  elected,  he  was  again  elected  in 
March,  1899,  as  Freeholder  (representing  Merchantville  borough 
and  Pensaukin  township).  His  past  commendable  record  in  the 
former  P>oards  of  Freeholders  insures  an  equally  satisfactory  one 
for  the  present  and  future.  Wre  might  add  that  among  his  many 
meritorious  actions  was  the  urging  and  successful  construction  of 
the  new  stone  road  on  our  Park  avenue. 

Hun.  Herbert  W.  Johnson  (Republican). 

Ever  since  this  gentleman  moved  into  our  town  (1887)  he  has 
been  identified  with  every  matter  conducive  to  the  best  interests 
of  Merchantville.  For  instance,  he  served  several  years  in  our 
Rorough  Council;  was  one  of  the  Burgesses,  besides  filling  the 
position  of  Freeholder. 

In  [896  he  was  elected  State  Senator,  representing  Camden 
county,  by  a  plurality  of  9859.     He  has  offered  (and  through  his 


■efforts  have  been  enacted)  many  important  laws  (far  above  local 
conditions).     I  can  here  only  cite  a  few. 

The  "Kindergarten  Act,"  legally  making  this  invaluable  meth- 
od of  infant  instruction  an  integral  part  of  our  State  public  school 
system.  An  "increase  of  State  appropriation  for  public  roads," 
amounting  to  one  hundred  and  fifty  thousand  dollars,  which  prac- 
tically means  the  construction  of  about  a  half  million  dollars' 
worth  of  "good  roads"  in  New  Jersey  during  the  coming  year 
alone. 

Sufficient  has  been  given  to  show  the  trend  of  his  industry.  It 
might  be  added  that  he  has  served  as  chairman  on  many  State 
committees,  such  as  "Finance,  Labor  and  Industries"  and  "Mis- 
cellaneous Business,"  besides  being  a  member  of  important  com- 
mittees, "Militia,"  "State  Library,"  "State  Printing"  and  "State 
Corporations." 

Another  important  matter  should  not  be  overlooked.  He 
drafted  a  number  of  clauses  in  the  new  "Borough  Act"  in  1897, 
giving  certain  enlarged  powers  to  the  charter  of  our  town. 

Such  industrious  and  useful  work  has  naturally  given  Senator 
Herbert  W.  Johnson,  from  Camden  county,  an  enviable  reputation 
throughout  our  entire  State.  .In  a  word  suffice  it  to  say  that  the 
interests  of  Camden  county  in  the  State  Senate  have  never  been 
confided  to  a  more  watchful  or  more  capable  representative. 


PUBLIC  HALLS. 

Old  Merchantville  Hall. 

Its  corner-stone  was  placed  in  position  in  October,  1870,  by  the 
Right  Worthy  Grand  Master  of  Masons  of  the'  jurisdiction  of 
New  Jersey.  It  was  for  years  our  only  resort  for  public  meetings 
and  entertainments,  besides  the  meeting  place  for  various  secret 
and  social  organizations. 


Collins  and  Pancoast's  Hall. 

Was  built  in  the  spring-  of  1893.  The  first  entertainment  given 
there  was  by  the  St.  Agnes  Guild  of  the  Grace  Episcopal  Church. 
It  is  largely  used  for  fashionable  entertainments.  It  is  also  the 
seat  of  our  United  States  postoffice  and  the  Merchantville  Lodge 
of  Free  Masons. 


SECRET  AND  BENEFICIAL  ORGANIZATIONS. 

Amity  Lodge,  No.  J 66,  I.  O.  O.  F.,  was  chartered  June  6th,. 
1872.  John  Homer  was  its  first  Noble  Grand  and  Francis  F. 
Eastlack  its  Secretary  for  many  years.  It  removed  afterward  to- 
Cramer  Hill,  where  it  remained  for  some  years,  and  has  recently 
returned  to  its  birthplace.  John  Crawford  is  its  present  Noble 
Grand,  with  F.  A.  Buren  as  Secretary,  and  George  H.  Anion, 
Treasurer. 

Lodge  No.  29,  Knights  of  the  Golden  Eagle.*  Chartered  Octo- 
ber 10,  1887.  Jonn  Homer  was  its  first  presiding  officer.  That 
position  is  now  held  by  Edward  M.  Wright. 

Washington  Camp,  No.  29,  Patriotic  Order  Sons  of  America, 
was  instituted  September  28th,  1894,  with  William  D.  Stanger  as 
President.    Walter  H.  Eastlack  fills  that  position  at  present. 

Archimedes  Senate,  No.  27,  Order  of  Sparta.  Organized  Au- 
gust 22d,  1895.  Its  first  presiding  officer  was  J.  E.  VanKirk.  It 
is  a  practical  relief  association,  based  upon  a  new  system.  Say, 
for  instance,  a  member  dying  within 

1  year,  his  family  receives  $1875.00. 

2  years,  his  family  receives     2000.00. 

3  years,  his  family  receives     2375.00. 

4  years,  his  family  receives     2500.00. 

Each  member  being  fully  beneficial  at  the  expiration  of  five 
years.  It  has  paid  $5000.00  of  death  claims  since  its  formation. 
Robert  Riddle  is  the  present  presiding  officer. 

*  Formally  disbanded  July  nth,  1899,  dividing  the  funds  and  surrendering  its  charter. 


PENNSYLVANIA   RAILROAD  STATION   IN    MKRCH ANTVII.I.K- 

LOANED    EXPRESSLY    FOR    THIS    WORK    BY    AIM.     LONGSTRETH. 


CIRCULATING  LIBRARY. 

"The  Half  Hour  Club" 

Was  started  in  1897.  It  is  located  in  the  Borough  Council 
chamber  and  has  about  2000  volumes.  Mrs.  Frank  S.  Walton  is 
the  present  very  efficient  librarian. 


INDUSTRIAL  ORGANIZATIONS. 

Merchantville  Protective  Association 

Was  formed  January  15th,  1894,  for  the  purpose  of  protecting 
the  business  interests  of  hs  members.  Ellis  Parker,  its  president, 
and  Walter  H.  Eastlack,  its  secretary,  at  the  date  of  its  formation, 
still  hold  these  positions. 

Merchantville  Improvement  Association, 

Among  other  objects,  has  old  paper  and  other  similar  refuse 
removed  from  our  streets.  It  was  started  March  28th,  1898,  with 
John  B.  Morton  as  president  and  William  Early  as  secretary,  who. 
still  remain  as  such. 


PRIVATE  SCHOOLS. 

Miss  Emma  Culin  has  for  years  been  engaged  in  educational 
work,  such  as  the  preparation  of  advanced  students  for  college 
and  imparting  knowledge  in  the  English  classics. 

The  Misses  Lucy  and  Edith  Moses  opened,  in  1899,  a  kinder- 
garten, to  which  has  since  been  added  an  academy  for  instruction 
in  the  higher  branches  of  English  education. 

Francis  F.  Eastlack  gives  instruction  in  practical  double-entry 
bookkeeping,  besides  private  reading  lessons  in  English,  German, 
French,  Italian,  Spanish,  etc. 


OUR  FIRE  COMPANY. 

The  Niagara  Hose  Company 

Built  its  present  house  in  1889.  John  B.  Hamel,  Jr.,  was  its 
first  president.  The  hose  carriage  now  in  use  formerly  belonged 
to  the  Niagara  Hose  Company  of  Philadelphia.  The  bell  now- 
swinging  in  its  tower  was  set  up  in  1897.  John  Senft  is  now 
president  and  Gottlieb  C.  Mick  its  chief. 

NIAGARA  FIRE  COMPANY  has  a  chemical  extinguisher 
and  1200  feet  of  hose  always  ready  for  use.  Our  borough  con- 
tributes annually  $200  and  Pensauken  Township  $150  towards 
its  support.     We  have  thirty  fire  plugs  within  our  limits. 


NEWSPAPERS. 

The  "Beacon"  (a  juvenile  experiment),  edited  by  William  Pil- 
ling in  1873. 

The  "Plain  Speaker"  (also  of  same  class),  edited  about  1878  by 
George  A.  Crump. 

The  "Weekly  Record,"  edited  by  J.  K.  Miles  and  J.  Fred  Dun- 
leavy  in  1894. 

The  "World,"  in  1895,  edited  by  William  Early. 

The  "Trinity  News,"  published  by  the  Epworth  League  of  our 
Trinity  Methodist  Church,  in  1897. 

The  "Merchantville  Review,"  edited  by  W.  H.  Lewis,  made  its 
first  appearance  June  2d,  1889. 

The  "Star"  was  started  in  1895  by  F.  C.  Alexander  as  editor, 
but  ceased  to  exist  in  July,  [899. 


THE    NIAGARA    HOSE    COMPANY. 

LOANED    EXPRESSLY    FOR    THIS   WORK    BY    *M.    LONGSTRETH. 


The  Merchantville  "  Press,"  W.  G.  Taylor,  publisher,  and 
Francis  F.  Eastlack,  editor,  issued  its  first  number  September 
2d,    1899.     It  is  claimed  it  has  "come  to  stay." 

The  "Review"  still  flourishes,  and  though  locally  circumscribed, 
is  lively  and  sprightly  and  much  appreciated  by  our  community. 


DIRECTORIES. 

The  first  directory  of  Merchantville  was  issued  in  1893  and  fol- 
lowed in  1895,  1897,  1898  and  1899. 


HISTORICAL. 

William  Longstreth  published  a  pamphlet,  "A  Glance  at  Mer- 
chantville," in  1898,  which  attracted  much  attention. 


MERCHANTVILLE  CHICKEN  FARM. 

Possibly  in  the  entire  State  of  New  Jersey,  either  in  grounds,, 
model  houses  and  skill  exercised,  is  there  a  handsomer  result  than 
that  in  the  chicken  farm  of  Harry  Schmidt  (assisted  by  his  son,. 
Leonard),  right  in  our  own  town,  on  Centre  street.  Here  can  be 
seen  magnificent  specimens  of  first-class  breeds  of  fowls,  say,  for 
instance,  "Buff  Cochins,"  "Wyandottes,"  "Black  Minorcas," 
"Plymouth  Rocks"  and  many  others.  After  a  personal  inspection 
of  all  its  details  I  can  only  saw  "it  must  be  seen  to  be  appre- 
ciated." 


OUTDOOR  SPORTS. 

Early  in  the  eighties  a  number  of  our  citizens  played  cricket  in 
a  field  either  adjacent  to  or  within  the  race-track  grounds.  I 
don't  think  there  were  any  officers,  nor  had  it  a  distinctive  title. 
It  was  usually  called  the  "Cricket  Club."  Senator  Cattell,  Harri- 
son Robbins,  George  Crump.  Thomas  C.  Knight  and  Henry  A. 
Macomb  were  among  the  principals.  This  was  succeeded  by  the 
"Athletic  Club,"  on  ground  loaned  by  Senator  Cattell  at  the  west 
side  of  Prospect  street,  south  from  Maple  avenue.  This  was  reg- 
ularly officered.  It  started  in  1888,  and  W.  H.  Dole  was  its  first 
president.  It  existed  until  the  Senator  sold  the  ground  for  build- 
ing purposes;  it  then  vacated  it  and  removed  to  grounds  diago- 
nally opposite.  These  two  clubs  thus  formed  the  nucleus  of  our 
present  handsomely  equipped  Merchantville  Field  Club,  which  is 
the  favorite  resort  for  lovers  of  outdoor  sports — base  ball,  cricket, 
tennis,  football,  golf,  etc.  It  controls  six  acres  of  ground,  conve- 
niently laid  out,  with  suitable  buildings  and  grand  stand,  on 
Prospect  street,  south  of  Maple  avenue.    It  was  started 

,  with  John  B.  Morton  president.  Frederick  W. 
Kleinz  holds  that  position  at  present.  It  has  a  membership  of 
nearly  200,  and  is  one  of  the  most  flourishing  organizations  of  its 
kind  in  New  Jersey.     * 

In  addition  to  its  sports,  attended  by  vast  crowds  of  our  best 
society,  our  wives  and  daughters,  it  gives  during  the  winter  sea- 
son (usually  at  Collins  &  Pancoast's  Hall)  a  series  of  entertain- 
ments, whether  of  balls,  hops  or  music.  Particularly  is  what  1 
might  call  an  annual  "oddity"  where  theatricals  (home  talent t, 
local  hits,  songs,  squibs,  "takings  off,"  in  fact  a  conglomeration 
of  comicalities  and  refined  nonsense,  draw  the  largest  and  the 
most  thoroughly  amused  audiences. 


*  Owing   to   the  inability   of  its   officers   to    give    me    date    of   organization,    I    am 
forced  to  subscribe  blanks. 


THE  MERCHANTVILLE  GENTLEMEN'S  CLUB 

Occupies  the  entire  second  floor  of  the  old  Merchantville  Hall. 
Its  rooms  are  handsomely  furnished  with  billiard  tables  and  all  the 
accessories  of  a  club  of  this  character.  In  fact,  it  is  the  resort  of 
our  best  society.  Ladies  patronize  it  for  the  pleasure  afforded  in 
progressive  euchre.  It  was  founded  April  ist.  1889.  John  H.  Six- 
smith  being  its  first  president.  Henry  J.  Stiles  now  occupies  that 
position. 


THE  RACE  TRACK. 

Harrison  Robbins  originally  opened  the  race  track  as  the  "Gen- 
tlemen's Driving  Park"  and  ran  it  for  some  time.  It  fell  into  the 
hands  of  disreputable  parties,  making  it  a  nuisance  and  a  disgrace. 
It  has  been  recently  started  under  different  auspices  and  is  now 
known  as  the  "West  Jersey  Country  Club."  The  splendid  recep- 
tion given  it  on  Decoration  Day,  when  our  pretty  little  jewel, 
"Merchantville  Girl,"  triumphed  over  all  contestants,  speaks  well 
for  its  future.    J.  I.  Chalfant  is  now  its  president. 


LAYING  PARK  AVENUE  IN  STONE. 

Work  is  already  begun,  under  the  personal  supervision  of  the 
company's  capable  general  superintendent,  Mr.  J.  W.  Craig. 
The  public  may  look  forward  to  its  early  and  satisfactory  con- 
struction. The  contract  price  is  $12,900,  which  has  been  award- 
ed to  the  B.  M.  &  J.  F.  Shanley  Company,  of  Jersey  City.  There 
will  also  be  an  iron  bridge  across  Pensauken  Creek  costing  $2600 
additional.  Camden  and  Burlington  counties  each  paying  one  half. 


FIRES   IN   MERCHANTVILLE. 

Since  the  very  inception  of  our  town  there  have  been  few 
fires,  comparatively  speaking,  and  none  involving  life  or  serious 
loss.  Before  the  formation  of  our  present  admirable  Fire  Depart- 
ment may  be  mentioned  the  burning  of  the  stables  of  David  S. 
Stetson,  Benjamin  F.  Sausser  and  Harrison  Robbins. 

Immediately  preceding  its  formation  was  the  burning  of  Dr. 
Bartine's  stable  and  the  destruction  of  many  valuable  books  and 
public  documents  belonging  to  the  late  Senator  Cattell,  stored  in 
a  stable  on  the  old  Hanna  property. 

But,  independent  of  these,  while  there  were,  of  course,  number- 
less small  fires  in  and  around  our  borough,  yet  they  really  nar- 
rowed themselves  down  to  two  of  any  importance,  the  Mclntyre 
house  and  Oak  Grove  Inn. 

The  Mclntyre  house  (Chestnut  avenue  and  Centre  street)  (of 
supposed  incendiary  origin),  broke  out  Sunday  night  (or,  rather, 
Monday  morning),  about  12.20,  June  24th,  1894.  The  interior 
was  pretty  well  gutted.  Our  Fire  Department  was  in  service 
three  hours.  The  damages  were  said  to  be  about  five  thousand 
dollars. 

The  ( )ak  Grove  Inn  fire  started  at  10  o'clock  on  the  morning  of 
September  5th.  1892.  The  Niagara  Fire  Company  was  in  service 
four  hours.  The  third  and  fourth  stories  and  parts  of  the  roof 
were  practically  consumed. 

The  insurance  was  $16,000  and  the  loss  $6000.  At  one  time 
was  feared  its  total  destruction.  The  perseverance,  skill  and  en- 
ergy of  our  own  firemen  averted  widespread  disaster. 

The  Fire  Departments  of  Stockton  and  Camden  were  rung  up 
and  dashed  in  just  when  our  "boys"  became  the  victors.  The 
chief  of  the  Camden  Department  was  surprised  and  pleased  with 
everything.  Calling  aside  Gottlieb  C.  Mick,  the  chief  of  the 
Niagara  Fire  Company,  he  said: 

"Chief,  Niagara's  boys  have  done  handsomely;  any  error  on 
your  part  would  have  resulted  in  its  total  destruction!  Give  your 
boys  my  compliments!  Tell  them  I  feel  proud  of  them;  that  I 
sec  in  them  the  stuff  that  dignifies  the  name  of  firemen!" 


UNITED  STATES  ARMY  AND  NAVY  "BOYS." 
MERCHANTVILLE'S  CONTRIBUTION. 

ARMY.— Company  M.  (Captain  John  A.  Mather),  Third  Regi- 
ment, N.  J.  Vols.,  Colonel  Benjamin  A.  Lee.  Jay  B.  Wilson, 
Jr.,  Abram  Morris  Browning,  Harry  Kirby,  Harold  Browning, 
Howard  Marsden  and  Frederick  W.  Kleinz,  Jr.  Enlisted  April 
2j,  1898.  Honorably  discharged  and  disbanded  at  Athens,  Ga., 
February  11,  1899. 

The  "boys"  were  principally  instructed  in  coast  defences  at  the 
Pompton  Lakes,  N.  J.  They  bore  themselves  well  throughout, 
and  it  was  no  discredit  to  them  that  they  saw  no  actual  war,  for 
which  they  nobly  enlisted. 

NAVY.— Marine  Corps — John  C.  Megonegal,  enlisted  August 
4,  1897.  During  our  late  war  with  Spain  he  was  on  the  U.  S. 
cruiser  Columbia,  guarding  in  Cuban  waters.  He  is  still  in  the 
U.  S.  Navy. 

NAVY. — Landsmen  Corps — Harry  Mick  (son  of  the  late  Louis 
Mick),  enlisted  June.  1895.  Was  carpenter's  mate  aboard  the 
U.  S.  flagship  New  York.  Wras  actively  engaged  in  several  bloody 
battles  during  our  Spanish  War.  His  officers  spoke  highly  of 
his  gallantry.  He  resigned  the  navy  and  immediately  re-enlisted 
in  Company  E.  Third  Cavalry,  Regular  Army,  where  he  still  is. 
One  of  the  "boys"  that  Merchantville  feels  proud  of. 

U.  S.  NAVY.— Lieut.  Reynold  T.  Hall,  (son  of  E.  S.  Hall,) 
was  educated  at  our  Centre  Street.  Public  School.  He  was 
appointed  Assistant  Engineer  in  the  U.  S.  Navy  in  1880  ;  thus 
making  a  continuous  service  of  nearly  twenty  years.  Among  his 
other  services  was  the  search  for  the  "Jeannette"  in  the  frozen 
Arctic  Seas.  He  took  a  conspicuous  part  throughout  our  late 
War  with  Spain.  Managed  the  engines  of  the  "Petrel"  at  the 
bloody  battle  in  front  of  Cavite,  Phillipine  Islands,  May  1st,  1898, 


where  the  "Petrel"  ran  in  closer  to  the  Spanish  guns  than  any 
other  of  our  fleet.  He  was  also  at  the  final  attack  and  the 
surrender  of  Manilla,  August  13th,  1898.  He  is  now  (September 
1  st,  1899,)  at  San  Francisco  in  charge  of  the  U.  S.  S.  "Boston," 
just  returned  from  Manilla.  At  home  a  Public  Reception  and 
handsome  Sword  await  him  at  the  hands  of  the  people  of 
Merchantville  (taking  place  at  Collins  &  Pancoast's  Hall, 
October  5th). 


OUR  JUDGES. 

SUPREME  COURT  OF  NEW  JERSEY.— Hon.  Charles  G. 
Garrison  (Democrat),  was  appointed  by  Governor  Robert  S. 
Green,  February  1,  1898,  for  a  term  of  seven  years.  He  was  re- 
appointed by  Governer  George  T.  Werts,  in  1895,  and  is  still 
serving.  His  judical  abilities  and  career  on  the  bench  are  too  well 
known  to  make  comment  here  necessary. 

DISTRICT  COURT  OF  CAMDEN  COUNTY.— Ex-Judge 
Howard  Carrow  (Democrat).  This  noted  criminal  lawyer  was 
appointed  by  Governor  Leon  Abbett,  April  1,  1891,  his  term  ex- 
piring in  1896. 

Judge  Charles  Y.  D.  Joline  I  Republican)  was  appointed  by 
Governor  Griggs,  April  1,  1896.  and  still  performs  the  functions 
of  that  office. 

OUR  C(  >MMISSIONERS  OF  DEEDS.— Richard  C.  Schrei- 
ner,  Edwin  J.  Spangler,  Joseph  Bayliss,  Francis  F.  Eastlack, 
Charles  Shinn,  Robert  B.  Knight,  John  S.  Matthews.  George  P. 
Rush  and  William  Longstreth. 

OUR  POLICE  DEPARTMENT.— James  Wright.  William 
Marsden  (6  years).  William  Naylor  (19  years),  Daniel  Carlin  (9 
years),  William  11.  Linderman  (6  years),  Robert  Graham  ( _» 
years).     This  means  continuous  service  in  each  case. 


FLAG  THAT  WAVED  O'ER  MORRO'S  WALLS. 

MERCHANTVILLE'S  OLD  GLORY. 

This  national  emblem  has  a  peculiar  history.  At  the  breaking 
up  of  "Union  Camp,"  September  ist,  1862,  the  "boys"  of  the 
Corn  Exchange  Regiment,  Pennsylvania  Volunteers,  started  for 
the  front. 

Senator  Cattell,  being  the  originator  of  this  regiment,  was  pre- 
sented with  its  camp  flag  and  pole,  which  he  sent  over  to  Mer- 
chantville,  planting  the  flagstaff  on  his  grounds,  but  religiously 
preserving  the  flag  for  holidays  and  special  occasions. 

General  Grant,  who  was  a  warm  personal  friend  of  the  Sen- 
ator, on  a  visit  to  Merchantville,  in  September,  1875,  hoisted 
the  flag  himself,  in  the  presence  of  many  of  our  citizens. 

Upon  the  death  of  the  Senator  (May,  1894)  the  flag  came  into 
the  possession  of  our  fellow-townsman,  George  W.  Algor.  The 
old  flagstaff  was  purchased  by  William  Longstreth  and  presented 
to  the  "Merchantville  Field  Club,"  and  now  adorns  their  grounds. 

At  the  breaking  out  of  our  war  with  Spain  a  number  of  our 
citizens,  among  whom  were  George  W.  Algor,  Walter  H.  East- 
lack  and  Marshall  G.  Stevens,  conceived  the  idea  of  floating  her 
over  Morro  Castle  so  soon  as  that  fortress  should  come  into  our 
possession.  With  this  end  in  view  a  public  meeting  of  our  citi- 
zens was  called  May  T8th,  1898,  in  which  all  our  ministers  made 
eloquent  remarks,  Judges  Charles  ( i.  Garrison  and  Howard  Car- 
row  taking  leading  parts.  It  was  then  decided  that  the  flag 
should  be  borne  personally  to  Washington  and  the  request  of  our 
people  be  made  known  to  the  War  Department.  This  was  done 
May  24th,  1898,  and.  January  ist,  1899,  when  the  morning  sun 
rose  over  humbled  Morro  Castle,  it  was  greeted  by  Merchant- 
ville's  "Old  Glory"  floating  defiantly  from  its  ramparts.  In  Feb- 
ruary, 1899,  the  flag  was  returned  to  us  with  an  autographic  let- 
ter of  thanks  from  the  Secretary  of  War.  It  is  now  in  the  posses- 
sion of  Mr.  Alg-or. 


THE  OLD  CANNON  IN  FRONT  OF  PIDGEON'S. 

This  old  cannon  has  a  peculiar  history,  which,  I  understand, 
Society  of  Pennsylvania,"  at  Twelfth  and  Spruce  streets,  Philadel- 
will  be  found  in  greater  details  in  the  archives  of  the  "Historical 
phia. 

A  careful  examination  will  show  the  following  inscriptions  near 
the  touch-hole,  "G.  J.  O.  3.  1.  2.,"  and  on  each  of  its  trunnions 
"456."  It  was  part  of  the  armament  of  the  British  frigate  "Au- 
gusta." 

On  September  23d,  1777,  freighted  with  gold  to  pay  the  British 
army  in  this  section,  with  the  royal  standard  of  St.  George  floating 
from  her  masthead,  she  sailed  defiantly  up  the  Delaware  River. 
But  when  she  stood  abreast  Fort  Mifflin  and  particularly  a  little 
shore  battery  at  Red  Bank  (near  where  the  "National  Park"  now 
is),  she  met  her  doom  at  the  bottom  of  the  Delaware.  Here  she 
remained  until  1875,  when  she  was  raised,  one  of  our  townsmen 
(the  ex-Postmaster  William  Macfarlan)  being  present  .  Her  hulk 
is  still  to  be  seen  at  Gloucester.  After  passing  through  several 
hands,  the  old  cannon  came  into  the  possession  of  our  produce 
dealer,  Charles  H.  Pidgeon,  and  now  adorns  the  front  of  his  place. 

As  an  evidence  of  its  present  sound  condition  a  number  of  sa- 
lutes were  fired  from  it  July  4th.  1890,  in  front  of  our  Niagara 
Fire  Company's  house. 


CRIME  IN  MERCHANTVILLE. 

1  now  approach  a  subject  of  great  importance,  not  necessarily 
to  our  own  people,  but  more  particularly  to  new-comers.  I  make 
this  statement  in  all  the  consciousness  and  all  the  solemnity  of  a 
sworn  oath. 

I  have  searched  the  records  of  the  criminal  courts  at  Camden, 
the  "dockets"  of  every  committing  magistrate  in  our  borough, 
and  I  fail  to  find  a  single  instance  of  a  heinous  crime  having  ever 
been  committed  within  the  limits  of  Merchantville.  Chicken  steal- 
ing, petty  burglaries  and  other  minor  offenses  have,  but  even 
these  have  been  committed  by  outside  parties.  I  make  this  public 
statement  because  the  fame  and  fair  name  of  Merchantville  have 
been  tarnished,  and  many  drawbacks  to  our  prosperity  have  been 
caused  by  sensational  newspapers  in  which  matters  of  a  criminal 
nature  occurring  miles  outside  of  us  have  been  continuously  at- 
tributed to  Merchantville. 

Take  as  prominent  subjects  the  Leconey  and  Mrs.  Miller  mur- 
ders. Xow  every  resident  of  Merchantville  knows  that  by  the 
nearest  route  the  former  took  place  three  miles  and  the  latter  one 
and  a  half  miles  outside  of  our  borougfh  limits. 


POINTS  CONCERNING   PRESEXT   MERCHAXTVILLE. 

Merchantville  has  a  population  of  over  2500.  It  is  situated  on 
the  Moorestown  turnpike  four  miles  northeast  from  Camden. 

One  takes  either  the  Pennsylvania  Railroad,  via  Market  Street 
Ferry,  Philadelphia  (round  trip,  20  cents,  or  monthly  ticket  $4, 
time,  25  minutes),  or  the  trolley  cars  at  the  foot  of  Market  street, 
Camden  (round  trip,  10  cents;  time  occupied,  about  forty  min- 
utes). It  stands  on  ground  100  feet  above  water  mark  at  Camden. 
The  soil  is  neither  clay  nor  sand,  but  a  happy  combination  of 
both,  being  sufficiently  porous  to  absorb  all  dangerous  moistures 
and  noxious  odors,  consequently  there  is  not  a  stagnant  pond  for 
miles  around,  thus  insuring  a  total  absence  of  malaria  or  kindred 
diseases. 

The  air  is  of  the  utmost  purity,  and,  having  no  factories,  we 
have  no  smoke.  Its  water,  whether  bubbling  up  in  private  wells 
or  from  a  reservoir  three  miles  away,  from  a  series  of  artesian 
springs,  is  cold,  sparkling  and  pure  as  crystal.  Its  streets  run  at 
right  angles,  are  wide  and  shady,  and  the  pavements  throughout 
the  town  are  handsomely  paved  with  stone.  Many  of  the  houses 
are  palatial  in  size  and  architectural  beauty;  but,  in  any  case,  they 
are  substantially  built  of  diverse  pleasing  designs,  while  particu- 
lar attention  is  given  to  the  adornment  of  our  grounds,  lawns  and 
gardens.  It  has  four  handsome  churches,  with  flourishing  Sab- 
bath schools  attached,  besides  a  "Friends'"  Meeting;  an  up-to- 
■date  public  school,  with  experienced  teachers,  full  supplies,  large 
airy  rooms  and  expansive  playgrounds.  In  fact,  in  its  teachers. 
its  range  of  studies  and1  supplies,  it  has  no  superior  among  the 
grammar  schools  of  Philadelphia.  It  has,  besides,  two  private 
schools  and  a  commercial  institute,  where  double-entrv  book- 
keeping is  taught  and  reading  lessons  given  in  English,  German, 
French.  Spanish  and  Italian. 

Tt  has  a  first-class  fire  company,  occupying  its  own  house,  fully 
equipped  with  fireplugs  in  every  street:  is  well  lighted  with  gas  or 


electricity,  both  in  street  lamps  and  in  our  houses.  We  have  two 
drug  stores,  five  experienced  physicians,  a  dentist  and  a  monthly 
nurse. 

The  Philadelphia  and  New  York  newspapers  are  served  early 
in  the  morning,  while  the  weeklies,  monthly  magazines  and  cur- 
rent literature  generally  are  for  sale  at  the  newsman's  store  or 
stand  at  our  railroad  station.  The  Knickerbocker  and  the  Wilson 
Ice  Companies  supply  the  town  daily. 

About  thirty  trains  arrive  and  depart  from  our  railroad  station 
■daily,  and  the  trolley  cars  run  every  ten  minutes.  We  have  daily 
expresses,  bringing  and  taking  trunks,  packages  and  furniture 

We  have  a  town  street  sprinkler;  also  carts  to  collect  all  kinds 
of  loose  papers  and  rubbish  generally.  There  is  also  a  beautiful 
public  hall,  with  walls  splendidly  frescoed,  with  a  seating  capacity 
of  400.  with  stage,  scenery,  footlights  and  other  theatrical  appli- 
ances, besides  kitchen,  retiring  rooms  and  a  smooth  dancing  floor. 

We  have  an  association  to  protect  our  merchants  and  business 
men,  a  circulating  library,  various  religious  organizations,  such 
as  Guilds,  Christian  Endeavorers,  Epworth  Leagues  and  the 
Young  People's  Meetings. 

Masonic,  Odd  Fellows,  Knights  of  the  Golden  Eagle,  Patriotic 
Sons  of  America  and  Order  of  Sparta  are  all  well  represented. 
So  far  as  sporting  and  athletic  matters  are  concerned,  we  have  our 
Driving  Park,  our  Field  Club,  with  extensive  grounds  and  conve- 
nient buildings. 

We  have  a  Gentlemen's  Club  (faithful  to  its  name  in  every  par- 
ticular), with  billiard  tables,  sumptuously  furnished  smoking  and 
reading  rooms,  which  is  situated  in  one  of  the  most  prominent 
positions  in  the  town. 

Of  course,  we  have  a  government  postoffice.  with  the  free  de- 
livery system  going  into  effect  January  1st,  1900,  a  weather  bureau 
and  a  public  telegraphic  and  telephone  service.  An  old  and  relia- 
ble Building  Association,  which  lias  lately  issued  its  eighteenth 
series. 

The  municipal  government  consists  of  a  Mayor,  assisted  by  a 
Common  Council.  These  gentlemen  are  all  property  owners, 
and,  of  course,  residents  of  our  town,  so  that,  while  every  improve- 
ment to  the  general  benefit  of  the  town  is  adopted,  vet  their  nat- 


ural  self-interest  prevents  the  borough  from  being  extravagantly 
governed.  In  this  connection  we  might  add  that  we  have  a  first- 
class  police  force  and  two  committing  magistrates. 

We  have  a  well-kept  and  old-established  hotel  with  twenty 
rooms  (the  only  hotel  in  our  town),  to  which  is  attached  livery 
stable  and  service.  We  have  also  a  Board  of  Health,  which  care- 
fully takes  care  of  the  sanitary  conditions  of  our  town.  A  large 
boarding  house  gives  ample  accommodations  to  a  large  number 
of  summer  boarders.  So  far  as  provisions  are  concerned,  there  is 
not  an  article  exposed  in  Philadelphia  markets  that  cannot  be 
found  at  our  many  local  stores.  The  juiciest  of  "roasts,"  fresh 
and  salted  meats  of  every  description,  sweet  country  butter  and 
eggs  right  from  the  farm,  all  manner  of  groceries,  the  very  earliest 
of  Southern  and  Jersey  fruits  and  vegetables,  fish  just  caught  in 
our  neighborhood,  oysters,  clams,  flour  and  ham,  and,  in  fact, 
everything  befitting  the  table  of  an  epicure,  and  all  brought  right 
to  our  doors. 

Dry  goods,  notions,  hardware,  hay  and  feed  are  all  well  repre- 
sented. We  have  our  bakers,  with  fresh  bread  and  cakes;  our  ice 
cream  parlors  and  eating  saloons. 

Independent  of  these  we  have  a  real  estate  exchange,  shoe  and 
gents'  furnishing  store,  barber  and  hair-dressing  parlors,  an  un- 
dertaker, an  upholsterer,  coal  dealers,  tobacconist,  watchmaker, 
tailors,  shoemakers,  blacksmiths,  tinsmiths  and  wheelwrights, 
nursery  grounds,  commissioner  of  deeds,  notary  public,  harness 
and  whips,  bicycle  depot,  florist,  laundries,  dressmakers,  milliner, 
stationery  store,  music  teachers,  paperhangers,  poultry  farm  and 
others. 

There  is  no  lack  of  skillful  mechanics  and  artisans  in  our  town. 
We  may  say  in  a  word  every  trade  necessary  to.  build,  ornament 
or  repair  a  house  from  roof  to  foundation  is  well  represented,  as 
the  many  handsome  edifices  in  our  town  fully  testify.  Taking 
into  consideration  all  these  conveniences,  all  these  attractions, 
the  tax  rate  is  not  high;  houses  are  rented  at  fair  prices  and  real 
estate  is  offered  at  reasonable  and  inducing  figures.  As  a  class 
the  men  of  Merchantville  are  law-abiding,  intelligent  and  hospita- 
ble; they  are  generally  what  is  called  "well-to-do  in  life,"  and  in  a 
few  instances  are  wealthy. 


They  are  an  assemblage  of  good  fellows  and  business  men, 
pursuing  their  various  vocations  generally  in  Philadelphia,  but 
whose  good  judgment  has  selected  our  town,  simply  from  its 
general  adaptation  to  all  the  conveniences  of  a  luxurious  or  a 
modest  home. 

But  the  women  of  Merchantville!  God  bless  them!  Every 
one  of  them  is  an  earth  angel!  Be  she  matron  or  maid,  old  or 
young,  she  is  a  physical  beauty  and  a  mental  paragon ! 

Sufficient  has  been  said  to  raise  the  thought  in  the  mind  of  any 
intelligent  man,  "Now  here  is  a  place  differing  from  many"  pro- 
jected "towns,  where  (except  on  paper)  there  is  only  a  railroad 
station  and  a  few  cottages,  where  everything  is  in  prospective, 
where  myself  and  family  would  be  subjected  to  many  wants 
and  inconveniences,  and  the  absence  of  churches,  schools  and 
the  necessary  benefits  of  social  life.  Where,  in  a  word,  one  must 
"grow  up  with  the  town."  That  is  the  whole  matter  in  a  nutshell. 
Here  you  have  an  already  established  town,  healthy,  pure  air, 
crystal  water,  streets  broad  and  well  shaded,  stone  pavements, 
well  lighted,  well  governed,  with  every  convenience  befitting  a 
wideawake,  prosperous  town,  and  where  the  people  are  hospitable 
and  will  gladly  welcome  all  who  seriously  think  of  locating  with 
them. 


SOME   SERIOUS  AND   WELL-MEANING  ADVICE. 

To  Every  Party  Who  May  Have  in  View  the  Buying  of  Ground 
or  Locating  in  Merchantville. 

We  have  a  long-established  Building  and  Loan  Association,, 
one  whose  operations  have  been  so  honorable  and  successful  that 
it  has  lately  issued  its  eighteenth  series.  It  charges  $i  per  month 
for  each  share  (the  series  run  out  generally  in  eleven  years). 
Money  is  exposed  for  sale  at  every  meeting  to  the  highest  bidder. 
Full  $200  is  loaned  on  each  share  at  the  legal  rate  of  interest.  A 
mortgage  taken  as  security.  This  mortgage  may  be  paid  off  at 
any  time  or  allowed  to  stand  until  the  closing  of  the  series  (just 
as  your  own  means  or  convenience  may  suggest). 

Of  course,  it  is  much  more  satisfactory  to  buy  the  ground,  get 
out  plans  and  contract  and  have  the  house  built  under  your  own 
supervision  on  a  purely  cash  basis.  But  this  cannot  be  done  in 
every  case.  You  would  be  surprised  were  I  to  enumerate  one-half 
of  the  houses  in  our  town  now  free  of  debt  which  were  built 
through  the  agency  of  this  same  liberal  association. 

You  have  two  easy  means  of  procuring  a  home.  Assuming 
that  you  have  sufficient  cash  ready  to  buy  the  ground,  and  a  house 
is  already  built  on  the  lot,  then  join  the  Building  Association,  tak- 
ing as  many  shares  which  producing  $200  each  as  will  enable  the 
association  to  loan  you  the  necessary  amount.  Or,  if  there  is  no 
house  on  the  ground,  get  out  plans,  make  the  application  for  loan 
and  have  the  building  contract  signed,  hand  it  to  the  association, 
which  will  pay  the  builder  as  the  work  progresses,  according  to 
the  terms  of  the  contract.  (  )f  course,  some  necessary  forms  must 
be  observed,  such  as  the  taking  out  the  shares,  applying  for  loan, 
awaiting  the  report  of  the  Loan  Committee  and  possibly  a  few 
other  minor  matters,  will  need  your  attention,  but  all  these  can  be 
readily  understood  and  followed. 

I  hit.  before  buying  ground  or  renting,  place  the  matter  in  the 
hands  of  a  reliable  and  experienced  real  estate  agent,  of  which  we 
have  several. 


THE  PARTING  SHOT. 
The  Merchantville  Building  and  Loan  Association. 

The  aggregate  amount  of  LOANS,  given  by  the  combined 
''Cottage  Building  Association,"  and  the  "Merchantville 
Building  and  Loan  Association,"  approximates  ($1,244,400) 
one  million,  two  hundred  and  forty-four  thousand,  four 
hundred  dollars.  The  exact  figures  would  not  vary  $20,000 
either  way. 

My  readers  must  remember  the  books  and  papers  of  the 
"Cottage  Building  Association,"  have  been  destroyed;  hence 
the  seemingly  impossibility  of  quoting  identical  figures  ;  yet  care- 
ful and  conscientious  calculations  (based  upon  official  state- 
ments) justify  the  figures  as  given. 

The  following  facts,  (taken  from  the  sworn  statement)  of  its 
operations  for  the  fiscal  year  ending  October  31st,  1898,  are 
well  worthy  of  perusal  and  reflection  : — 

Cash  received  during  that  period,  $102,693.35 
Loans  given         "                       "  51,850.00 

Assets  at  that  date 223,869.78 


Building  and  Loan  Associations,  wherever  spread  over  broad 
America  are  silent  benefactors,  giving  encouragement  and 
dignifying  TOILERS  with  the  proud  title  of  OWNERS  ;  owners 
of  that  sacred  spot — HOME — the  result  of  industrious  LABOR 
and  the  husbanding  of  SMALL  ECONOMIES. 

Far  may  they  spread,  throwing  out  their  giant  arms  laden 
with  encouragement  and  practical  assistance  ! 

Among  these  honored  many,  may  I  not  rightfully — yet 
modestly — claim  that  the  "Merchantville  Building  and  Loan 
Association,"  shall  stand  somewhere  near  the  top? 


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"OLD"  MERCHANTVILLE  HALL. 

LOANED    EXPRESSLY    FOR    THIS   WORK    BY    WM.    LONGSTRETH. 


AN  OLD-FASHIONED  GHOST  STORY.* 

Samued  Spicer  (see  page  — )  died  at  his  home  near  the  rear  of 
the  steam  soap  factory,  on  our  pike  near  Coopers  Creek  bridge. 
An  aged  farmer  (nearly  eighty),  still  living  on  the  outskirts  of 
Merchantville,  assures  me  that  the  following  nonsensical  story 
was  believed  in  his  childhood  days  by  "almost  everybody"  in  our 
neighborhood.  His  grandfather  oftentimes  related  it  (in  this 
fashion)  to  many  a  wide-eyed  and  open-mouthed  crowd  of  lis- 
teners. 

"Oh!  yes,  old  Sam  Spicer' s  sperritt!  (Now  don't  break  into 
me.)  Sam  went  off  sottin'  one  stormy  night,  nigh  unto  Christ- 
mas, in  his  old  arm  cheer,  a-front  of  a  roarin'  kitchin  fire,  with 
his  long  clay  pipe  an'  a  mug  of  ale  on  his  table,  his  old  gun  in  a 
corner,  an'  his  alminics  hangin'  on  the  wall. 

"Well,  they  give  him  a  decent  buryin',  but  lo!  an'  behold!  the 
next  mornin'  in  comes  Sam,  an'  sotted  hisself  in  his  old  arm- 
cheer.  An'  it  didn't  matter,  day  nor  night,  thar  sot  Sam.  (None- 
of  your  botherin'  to  mix  me  up.)  No,  neighbor,  it  waren't  Sam. 
hisself;  it  war'  his  ghost!  Well,  there  he  sot,  an'  he  sot,  an'  he 
sot. 

"He  didn't  bother  nobody;  it  'pears  he  was  ginerilly  in  good 
humor,  watchin"  ev'rything  goin'  on.  He  never  got  mad,  'cept 
sume  fool  would  touch  his  gun  or  rumple  his  lot  of  alminicks.. 
Then  he  would  git  red  in  his  face  and  stamp  his  foot.  (No,  ninny, 
he  didn't  make  no  noise.)  Then  once  in  a  while  he  tuk  from  his 
s-h-r-o-u-d  his  1-o-n-g  c-l-a-y  p-i-p-e  a-n'  1-i-t  i-t.  (Now  don't 
bother  me.)  How  kin  I  tell  how  he  got  it  on  fire?  I  only  hearn 
that  it  was  rale  fire,  an'  the  smoke  smelt  like  y-a-1-l-e-r  b-r-i-m- 
s-t-o-n-e. 

"Howsomever,  so  many  folks  come  in  to  see  him  that  the  floor 
'gin  to  git  thin.     They  'lowed  he  was  gittin'  to  be  a  disgrace." 

*  Foundation  furnished  by  Thomas  S.  Ruddcrow. 


(The  grandfather  evidently  meant  a  nuisance.)  "So  what  to  do  to 
git  his  sperritt  to  rest? 

"Well,  after  a  heap  of  trouble,  they  got  three  yarb  doctors. 
They  argued  with  him,  an'  tole  him  if  he  would  stay  away  fer  a 
hundred  years,  they  would  put  him  at  the  bottom  of  a  nice  dry 
well  on  Josiah  Wilson's  ground,  and  kiver  the  top  over  with 
lumber,  so  as  rain  nor  snow  wouldn't  bother  him.  (Now,  how  do 
I  know  if  he  talked  like  us?  Mebbe  it  was  g-h-o-s-t  talk.)  But, 
howsomever,  they  got  him  down  there.  All  the  folks  'magined 
he  was  laid  to  rest,  but  lo!  an'  behold!  inside  two  days  in'  comes 
Sam  an  sots  right  down  in  that  big  arm  cheer  agin;  an'  he. sot,  an' 
he  sot,  an'  he  sot. 

"Well,  the  "soothers'  was  agin  called;  they  was  mad,  an'  tole 
Sam  he  lied!  He  made  them  understan'  he  didn't  like  the  dry 
well;  he  wanted  to  go  somewheres  in  the  nice  cool  water,  where 
he  could  see  something  lively-like  aroun'  him. 

"Arter  a  spell  of  coaxin'  they  put  his  sperritt  down  softly  at  the 
bottom  of  Cooper's  Creek.  The  old  cheer  was  burnt  up,  an'  Sam 
never  darted  them  doors  again.  But  my  father  used  to  say  that 
when  anybody  went  up  Cooper's  Creek  at  night  and  seed  s-o-m'- 
t-h-i-n'  w-h-i-t-e  i-n  a  w-i-n-d-i-n'  s-h-e-e-t  jump  up  a-front  of  the 
boat  they  knowed  it  was  old  Sam  Spicer's  sperritt  trubblin'  the 
water." 


THE  UNHINGED  BARBER.* 

"It  was  many  and  many  a  year  ago,"  long  before  our  borough 
barbers  were  born,  that  an  old  white-haired  Irishman  lived  in  an 
unpainted  shanty  somewhere  near  us  on  our  pike.  In  addition  to 
eking  out  a  scanty  living  at  cobbling  he  kept  an  oddly-arranged 
barber  shop  in  the  front. 

He  was  fearfully  eccentric.  One  of  his  oddities  was  the  loquac- 
ity usuallv  ascribed  to  barbers,  besides  an  uncontrollable  desire 
for  gathering  news  about  horse  racing.  In  fact,  he  stopped  all 
passers-bv  (going  or  coming),  asking  them  for  the  latest  news 
from  "the  turf."  Was  he  unsuccessful,  then  he  would  manufac- 
ture nonsense  from  his  own  brain  and  pour  it  out  with  much 
gusto  and  volubility  to  every  neighbor  and  customer. 

One  day  "George,"  the  son  of  a  prosperous  farmer  near 
Moorestown,  visited  his  place  (for  the  first  time)  to  be  shaved. 
Now,  though  "George"  was  somewhat  of  a  "sport,"  yet  he  did 
not  possess  that  kind  of  courage  which  characterizes  the  "Dew- 
eys"  and  "Hobsons"  of  to-day. 

However,  being  pleasantly  received,  he  submitted  to  the  usual 
napkin  and  lathering  with  bad-smelling  soap,  and  while  the  old 
man  was  giving  his  razor  some  generous  manipulations  on  the 
long  black  strop  he  said  to  "George,"  "Be  you  over  in  town  the 
day?"  "No!"  came  from  "George;"  "not  to-day,  but  vesterday." 
"Ah!  yesterday;  then  belikes  you  seen  the  big  horse  race,  where 
Bill  Butts'  black  Mare,  Trullano,'  won?"  "You  are  mistaken, 
sir;  Sam  Hustin's  chestnut  horse,  'Layout,'  won  the  day!" 
"What?"  exclaimed  the  old  man,  now  resting  his  left  hand  on 
"George's"  head  and  holding  aloof  a  gleaming  razor  in  the  other, 
his  eyes  staring  and  face  in  rage.  (Of  course,  my  readers  must 
understand  the  old  man  spoke  a  pure  Irish  brogue,  which  T  can- 
not master.) 

"What?"   he   now   thundered   into   "George's"   ear,   "Trullano 

*  Foundation  furnished  by  Benjamin  Forrest. 


didn't  win?  Didn't  put  her  nose  over  the  gate,  after  doing  her 
pretty  mile  in  2.37?  Didn't  leave  ten  horses  a  half  mile  back  of 
her  heels?  Owner  didn't  get  two  hundred  thousand  dollars? 
Mebbe  you'd  say  there  weren't  a  million  people  there?" 

Well,  to  put  the  matter  mildly,  "George"  wilted,  what!  at  the 
mercy  of  a  lunatic  with  a  razor  at  his  very  throat!  But  he  was 
equal  to  the  emergency.  Instantly  (though  trembling  inwardly) 
he  blurted  out,  "Certainly!  that  neat,  that  purty  jewel  Trullano 
won!  Really  I  was  thinking  about  another  race.  Oh,  I'll  tell 
you  all  about  it.  Don't  I  wish  you'd  bin  along.  Why,  if  1 
knowed  you  was  fond  of  races,  by  gosh!  I  would  of  taken  you 
down  there  myself.  I'd  a  vittled  you,  drinked  you  and  smoked 
you,  and  the  hull  thing  wouldn't  have  cost  you  one  denied  cent. 
Why,  let  me  tell  you!  It's  just  as  you  say,  Billy  Butts'  little  slick 
mare  Trullano's  the  purtyest  piece  of  horseflesh  that  ever  pranced 
a  race  track!  She  can  throw  dust  from  her  hind  legs  into  the  nose 
of  any  four-footer  in  this  United  States. 

"Don't  I  wish  I  had  taken  you  along.  I'd  a-fed  you,  drunk 
you  and  smoked  you,  and  it  wouldn't  ha'  cost  you  a  denied  cop- 
per for  the  hull  thing!  Why!  she  made  her  mile  in  two  ten  and 
three-quarters;  the  other  bosses  didn't  come  in  for  two  minuter 
afterwards!  They  give  her  owner  four  hundred  thousand  dollars 
and  her  little  jockey,  Tommy  Burke,  a  big  solid  gold  pitcher. 

"Why,  when  her  nose  touched  the  gate  you  could  hear  the 
yells  for  five  miles.  Why!  there  was  over  three  million  sports 
there."  Seeing  the  effect  of  his  words,  he  continued,  "Now,  I'll 
tell  you  something;  she's  goin'  to  run  agin  on  Monday.  If  you 
will  only  say  'yes'  I'll  take  you  down!  I'll  put  you  clean  in,  vittel 
you,  smoke  you  and  drink  you,  and  the  rull  thing  won't  cost  you 
one  denied  cent." 

(  >f  course,  the  old  man  was  delighted,  fairly  danced  with  joy. 
The  beard  was  soon  removed.  The  heart  of  George  leaped  with 
joy  when  he  saw  that  razor  closed. 

"1  lave  a  bit  of  bay  rum  on  yer  face?" 

"Never  mind  that  or  brushing  niy  hair;  I  hear  my  horse  kick- 
ing up  the  sand  outside,  and  that  means  I  want  to  g"0." 


The  old  man's  eyes  now  danced  with  frenzied  joy,  and  he  cried 
out: 

"Won't  we  have  a  jolly  old  time?  Egad!  fed,  drinked  and 
smoked  and  not  a  cent  to  pay." 

"George"  stepped  out  as  if  in  a  hurry,  unhitched  his  horse,  and, 
whip  in  hand,  looked  in  the  open  door.  There  sat  the  old  one 
chuckling  to  himself.     "George"  yelled  out  to  him: 

"You  old  white-haired  liar,  Layout  won  the  race,  time  3.15; 
her  owner  got  forty-one  dollars,  and  there  was  only  a  hundred 
and  sixty-seven  people  there." 

Jumping  in  and  lashing  his  horse,  he  was  soon  in  the  distance. 
It  is  perhaps  needless  to  add  the  old  man's  mind  was  really  de- 
ranged. In  fact,  he  died  in  a  lunatic  asylum  shortly  afterwards. 
But  what  a  luckey  escape  for  "George!" 


A  VISION.* 

1  was  ill,  "sick  unto  death."  I  stood  alone  within  a  vast  unfin- 
ished edifice.  I  knew  not  were  it  a  Christian  church  or  Jewish 
synagogue;  yet  certain  evidences  convinced  me  it  was  a  temple 
reared  to  the  true  and  living  God.  Many  signs  of  unwrought 
work  lay 'strewn  around- — carved  and  uncarved  blocks  of  marble, 
pilasters,  cornices.  Three  finished  columns  of  white,  graceful  in 
outlines,  majestic  in  proportions,  caught  my  eyes.  They  were 
ornamented  by  chapiters  of  Corinthian,  Ionic  and  Doric.  The 
floor  was  laid  in  marble  squares,  white  and  black  alternately, 
known  as  Mosaic. 

There  was  no  covering,  no  ceiling — the  pallid  moon  and  silent 
stars  alone  shone  down  on  an  altar  surrounded  by  three  dimly 
burning  tapers. 

Then  came  strains  of  unearthly  music,  grandly  beautiful,  but 
oh!  so  sorrowful,  so  majestically  solemn,  breathing  a  wealth  of 
woe,  of  lamentation.  From  an  obscure  quarter  came  a  woman  in 
black,  of  pale  face  and  raven  hair.  She  approached  the  altar, 
when  suddenly  went  out  the  dimmed  tapers.  She  sang  in  unison 
with  that  outburst  of  bewailment.  The  refrain  of  her  song,  "( )h 
God  how  sinful  is  man,"  overpowered  me.     I  fell. 

But  what  a  glorious  transformation!  Shall  I  stop  right  here, 
or  feebly  attempt  description? 

A  round  halo  of  light  came  down,  surrounding  the  altar  and 
dispersing  the  gloom  from  every  nook  and  corner.  Even  the  be- 
fore dimly  burning  tapers  now  gave  out  mystic  Hashes,  seemingly 
dancing  in  joy. 

A  being  in  the  glorious  form  of  womanhood  came  in  some  way, 
kneeling  at  the  altar.  A  white-winged  dove  came  down  and 
fluttered  there,  then  rested  Upon  her  bosom.  She  was  in  white, 
of  golden  hair,  eyes  of  blue  and  cheeks  laden  with  health  and  joy- 

*  This  is  absolutely  truthful.  I  myself  experienced  it.  No  poor  words  of  mine, 
however,  can  even  feebly  depict  its  actual  granduer  and  glory. 


ousness.  Upwards  she  turned  those  eyes,  and  from  her  pearly 
mouth  issued  a  glorious  hymn  of  thanksgiving! 

A  burst  of  angel  song  of  which  the  Diety  was  choir-master. 

Oh!  Being  from  the  inner  chamber  of  the  Holy  of  Holies! 
Personification  of  angel.  "Israel,"  "whose  heart  string  are  a  lute, 
and  who  has  the  sweetest  voice  of  all  God's  creatures."    j" 


I  can  go  no  further;  I  trod  upon  the  borders  of  the  God-land! 
My  pen  drops  from  my  nerveless  fingers.  I  can  give  only  the 
mere  words  of  that  ravishing  refrain,  "THANKS  BE  TO  THE 
LORD  GOD  JEHOVAH!  WHO  CREATES  AND  WHO 
SAVES." 

I  turned  and  met  at  my  bedside  the  kindly  eyes  and  extended 
hand  of  good  Dr.  Bartine,  who  exclaimed,  "The  crisis  is  past;  you 
arc  out  of  danger." 

There  will  be  some  who  may  doubt  its  truthfulness.  Be  it  so. 
Yet  ofttimes,  in  the  quiet  hours  of  night,  in  my  chamber,  dark- 
ened save  by  the  silent  stars,  I  still  see  that  upturned  face,  that 
flowing  golden  hair,  those  eyes  of  blue,  and  even  my  ear  can  catch 
that  glorious  anthem,  "Thanks  be  to  the  Lord  God  Jehovah,  who- 
creates  and  who  SAVES." 

t  Edgar  Allen  Poe. 


A  CLOSING  THOUGHT. 

I  present  the  following — not  because  it  is  in  any  way  connected 
•with  the  history  of  our  town — but  that  it  occurred  to  me  in  the  course 
of  this  work.  Without  egotism,  I  claim  it  is  entirely  original — the  re- 
sult of  musings  under  the  shade  of  my  own  quiet  porch. 

I  feel  that  it  will  prove  of  incalculable  benefit — especially  to  our 
up-growing  youth.     It  is  this  : 

That  from  Creations'  dawn  until  the  present  moment — there  has 
never  been  a  structure  reared  by  man — whether  a  human  habitation, 
pyramid,  tower,  dome  or  citadel — without  the  original  aid  of  a  single 
grain  of  barley  ! 

And  is  thus  explained  ;  such  is  God's  unerring  accuracy,  that  the 
ancients  finding  every  individual  grain  of  barley  so  undeviating  in  length — 
undeviatingly  to  the  width  of  a  single  hair — that  plucking  them  and 
placing  three  lengthwise,  they  formed  an  inch— the  only  basis  of  uni- 
versal measurement. 

.This  was  indeed  a  crude  measure,  but  one  easily  comprehended 
by  every  one  of  the  millions  of  toiling  slaves  who  reared  the  awful 
pyramids.  This  barley  corn  was  of  uniform  size  throughout  the  then 
known  world. 

And  even  to-day — adown  the  corridors  of  centuries — beneath  the 
very  shadows  of  those  awe-inspiring  pyramids — the  barley  stalk  still  throws 
upon  the  desert  air  her  generous  seeds — three  of  which  measure  a 
perfect  inch. 

Who  but  an  imbecile  dare,  from  this  fact  alone,  doubt  the  existence 
of  a  Creator,  wise,  good  and  of  unspeakable  accuracy? 

So  may  this  modest  little  book,  (based  upon  accuracy),  continue  to 
uprear  its  head  and  be  appreciated  by  the  thoughtful,  long  after  the 
trembling  hand  that  writes  it  has  gone 

"To  mix  forever   with  the  elements, 

To  be  a  brother  to  the  insensible  rock 
And  the  sluggish  clod,  which  the  rude  swain 

Turns  with  his  share,  and  treads  upon."  — Bryant. 


MERCHANTVILLE  BUSINESS  DIRECTORY. 
(Only  Such  as  Are  Actually  Engaged  Here.) 

Bakery  and  Candy  Stores — William  Kohler,  George  T.  Richard- 
son. 

Barbers  and  Hair  Dressers — William  G.  Knehr,  John  H.  Krantz. 

Boots,  Shoes  and  Gents'  Furnishings — Walter  H.  Eastlack. 

Builders  and  Carpenters — Joseph  M.  Morgan,  Charles  E.  Castle, 
William  Marsden. 

Coal — Marion  Knight,  Collins  &  Pancoast. 

Commissioner  of  Deeds — W'illiam  Longstreth. 

Dressmakers — Mrs.  Fanny  Hewitt,  Mrs.  Amos  Blake,  Mrs.  Park- 
er Lewis,  Miss  Jennie  Bailey,  Miss  Lizzie  Eastlack,  Miss  Edith 
Millingar. 

Drug  Stores — Dr.  Charles  H.  Jennings,  J.  W.  Kohlerman. 

Dry  Goods  and  Notions — Samuel  Lewis. 

Eating  Saloon — Frank  Vergason. 

Florists — John  Tully,  Henry  Millingar,  H  de  Snyder. 

Flour.  Feed,  Hay,  etc. — B.  M.  Beideman. 

Fruits  — Charles  H.  Pidgeon. 

Gas  and  Electricity — Merchantville  Light,  Heat  and  Power  Co. 

Groceries — C.  C.  Dickey,  Ellis  Parker,  H.  H.  Brown,  Cramer 
Bros. 

Harness,  Whips,  etc. — William  G.  Wetzel. 

Hardware, Lumber,  Builders'  Supplies,  etc. — Collins  &  Pancoast. 

Horse  Shoers— A.  W.  Haney,  Geo.  E.  Lewis,  G.  C.  Mick. 

Hotel  (Stockton  House) — William  W.  Pancoast. 

Ice  Cream  Parlors — Arthur  E.  Craig,  William  Kohler. 

Justices  of  the  Peace — William  Longstreth,  J.  B.  Wilson. 

Laundry  (Chinese) — Fing  Fong. 


Lawyers — Hon.  Charles  G.  Garrison,  Hon.  Howard  Carrow, 
William  Early,  F.  A.  Rex  and  Judge  C.  D.  V.  Joline. 

Livery  Stables  and  Service— William  W.  Pancoast,  John  Thomas. 

Meat  Stores — Fred  Seeger,  Ellis  Parker,  William  Macfarlan. 

Ministers  of  the  Gospel — Revs.  J.  B.  Haines,  Richard  George 
Moses,  N.  W.  Simmonds,  I.  Mench  Chambers,  C.  Bridgeman. 

Music  Teacher — David  Frye. 

Newspapers — "Merchantville  Review."  "Merchantville  Press." 

Nurse  (monthly) — Mrs.  Hannah  Polk. 

Oysters,  Fish,  etc. — Charles  H.  Pidgeon. 

Painters  (Fresco) — August  Heulinger,  H.  T.  Fox. 

Painters  (House) — Harry  S.  Matthews,  Conrad  Krantz. 

Paperhanger — E.  T.  Johnson. 

Physicians — Dr.  David  H.  Bartine,  Dr.  Charles  H.  Jennings.  Dr. 
J.  W.  Marcy,  Dr.  William  H.  Armstrong,  Dr.  Joseph  D.  Law- 
rence. 

Plasterer — William  A.  Boyd. 

Plumbers  and  Gas  Fitters — George  W.  Algor,  J.  Reid  &  Co. 

Public  Coach — Harry  Whitlock. 

Real   Estate  Agents — William   Longstreth,  R.   B.   Knight,  J.  B. 

Wilson,  Arthur  E.  Craig,  Harry  Schmidt. 
Shoemakers — Adam  Yeakel,  James  Linahan. 
Stationery  Store — George  T.  Richardson. 
Tailor  Store — Theodore  Meyer. 

Tinsmiths  and  Roofers — George  A.  Fisher,  George  Meiler. 
Undertaker — John  Crawford. 
Upholsterer — Richard  F.  Neumann. 
Veterinary  Surgeon — Harry  B.  Cox. 
Water  Service — Merchantville  Water  Company. 
Wheelwright  and  Carriage  Builder — Gottlieb  C.  Mick. 
Violinist — Atwood  P.  Eastlack. 


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